Little Glutton Su Mei

Suzhou is a major city in the Central Plains, not only strategically located but also blessed with beautiful scenery. The saying, "Above there is heaven, below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou," is a tribute to this earthly paradise!

The Fox Demon once brought Su Mei to Suzhou City. At that time, she had just emerged from the mountains, having spent her life cultivating in desolate, uninhabited places; in terms of worldly experience, she was inferior even to a waiter in a small town. (Li Xiaoyao: I'm just lying here and still catching strays...)

Consequently, the bustling, prosperous Suzhou City stunned the Fox Demon instantly. It was during that very journey that, in pursuit of pleasure, she began plundering young girls in the surrounding areas, sowing the seeds of her future calamity.

At this moment, Su Mei's little head naturally wouldn't consider such things. She was looking left and right, dazzled and overwhelmed by the various novel trinkets being sold at the stalls and shops lining the street!

"Uncle... give me a skewer of... this... it's called candied haws! Mmm... so delicious!"

Gao Xu walked beside Su Mei, watching her hands filled with snacks bought along the way. Her little mouth moved incessantly, and she even darted toward the candied haw stall, shouting with her mouth full. It was a classic case of someone eating from their bowl while eyeing the pot—a display of insatiable greed. He couldn't help but shake his head with a smile; this child was truly starving!

"Big Brother, walk slower, you're making me miss several stalls... Oh right, can you give me more of those round coins? The ones from before are all gone, hee hee!" Su Mei finished off her newly acquired candied haws, wiped her mouth, and just as she was about to rush toward her next target, she realized the copper coins Gao Xu had given her were gone, and she smiled ingratiatingly.

"No way, you spent them so fast? Those were enough to cover a regular family's expenses for half a month!" Gao Xu stared at Su Mei, dumbfounded, his gaze then shifting to her flat little belly. One cannot judge a book by its cover; is all that food being sent into a bottomless pit? How terrifying!

"It's a rare opportunity, Big Brother, don't be so stingy! Please?" Su Mei seemed a bit embarrassed, hanging her head and tapping her slender, onion-white fingers together, murmuring, "Hurry up, that old man is selling sticky rice cakes and they smell so fragrant, they must be delicious! If we don't go now, they'll be sold out!"

"Alright, alright, take it!" Seeing that Su Mei had already leaned in to tug at his sleeve—the next step surely being to start shaking it—Gao Xu rubbed his forehead and helplessly handed over a coin purse.

Come to think of it, those copper coins didn't fall from the sky; they were contributions from the bandits on Ghost Yin Mountain.

Those mountain-dwelling brigands had nothing else, but they certainly had plenty of wealth. The treasure chests dropped by Tai Zhuonan and his group of Miao Tribesmen contained only points, while those from the bandits yielded copper coins.

These copper coins were the currency of the Chinese Paladin world, usable for purchases at weapon shops, item shops, and jewelry stores within the plot world. However, items purchased could only be used within this world and could not be taken out.

The number of copper coins wasn't large, and since Gao Xu's stay was limited to only a few hours, spending them all on Su Mei to let this little fox, newly separated from her parents, satisfy her cravings was a decent choice.

It was just that this little fox had a massive appetite; she had spent hundreds of copper coins in a mere hour. One had to realize she had only been picking from roadside stalls; had she chosen a large restaurant, the money would likely have been gone long ago.

Fortunately, these costs were not without return; her loyalty was steadily rising along with the movements of Su Mei's little belly.

By the time Su Mei patted her tummy and declared it was finally full, and Gao Xu had returned to his previous state of being penniless, her loyalty had settled at 34 points. Although there was still a significant distance to 50 points, and the next 16 points would be even harder to gain, it was still much more comforting than the initial 0.

Just as Su Mei, having satisfied her wishes, prepared to go see the juggling acts at the Hundred Arts Troupe that passersby had mentioned, the two passed by a restaurant from which a noisy commotion suddenly erupted.

Gao Xu stopped in his tracks. He saw a giant plaque hanging over the restaurant's grand entrance, inscribed with the four characters "Linxiang Restaurant" in a bold, sweeping calligraphy that exuded great momentum.

"It's so beautiful inside, the food must be delicious!" Su Mei poked her little head in, discovering that the interior decor was also extremely luxurious, with green-tiled eaves and flying rafters; every brick and tile showed ingenious craftsmanship. She drooled in anticipation.

"You're still not full?" Gao Xu's face darkened, but he was immediately drawn by the faint, chaotic shouting from within. He tilted his head to listen for a moment, then turned to Su Mei's expectant gaze and smiled, "Perhaps we really do have a way to have a big meal in there. Follow me!"

"Two guests, welcome! Please, follow me!" As the two spoke, the waiter had already hurried over to wait on them. Seeing Gao Xu's interest, he led him and the still-gawking Su Mei into the building.

Once inside, the previously faint shouting and crying became clearer. The waiter's expression stiffened, and just as he was about to say something to distract Gao Xu, a short, thin figure suddenly burst out from behind a curtain near the counter, bolting toward the restaurant entrance, only to be followed by a burly man who kicked him to the ground.

"You brat, you run fast! How dare you come out and disturb the guests? It seems I can't spare you today!" The man's brows were locked in anger, his face full of ferocity. He viciously kicked the ragged, disheveled child on the ground several times, cursing under his breath.

Just as he dragged the child by the collar, preparing to take him outside for further discipline, a small figure blocked his path. It was Su Mei, who couldn't stand by and watch, glaring at the man and shouting sharply: "Why are you hitting him? You're so fierce!"

Seeing that Su Mei was also a child, the man found it hard to lose his temper. He explained to Gao Xu, who had walked up, "Guest, you don't understand the situation. This brat often comes here to beg for food. Our manager values harmony and wealth, and has given this kid free food and drink many times, but he really thinks our Linxiang Restaurant is easy to bully! Today, he actually dared to steal! If we don't teach him a lesson, won't it be endless?"

Those who run restaurants generally value harmony and wealth, and they wouldn't usually go this far against a child. The man spoke with righteous indignation, without a hint of hesitation, so it was likely the truth.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was so hungry, I really couldn't help it..." The child lay on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly to the man in apology.

Gao Xu showed a look of sympathy and sighed, "The child is young and ignorant, you don't need to be like this. Tell me, how much food has he eaten from your shop?"

Su Mei stepped forward to help the child up, wiping the dirt from his face without the slightest hint of disgust.

Seeing that Gao Xu was handsome and carried an extraordinary air, the man assumed he was a kind noble intending to pay the child's bill, which would be a happy ending for all. He replied readily, "The guest is truly merciful, this child is lucky! It's five thousand copper coins in total, equivalent to five taels of silver!"

"Five taels?!" Gao Xu's gaze turned cold, and he said without a trace of emotion, "You had better think carefully. I am no fool, and you should open your eyes before trying to fleece me!"

Su Mei, standing to the side, also looked up, glaring angrily at the man. She had been extravagant just now, eating so many delicious things, yet it had only cost a few hundred copper coins—less than one tael of silver! That was already a month's worth of expenses for a family of several! How much could this little kid possibly eat? Even if the restaurant's food was expensive, it shouldn't be this much!

"Guest, you wrong me! Five taels is the minimum, I have absolutely no intention of deceiving you!" The man's face twisted in distress, and he waved his hands repeatedly, explaining in a panic, "It's not that I'm trying to fleece you, but this little brat's appetite is truly astonishing! His stomach is like a bottomless pit; if we hadn't discovered him in time, the kitchen would have been wiped clean by him!"

"So that's it!" Gao Xu had been waiting for this exact admission. Hearing this, he looked thoughtful and said slowly, "It seems there is something strange about this child; it's not as simple as it appears on the surface. You lot are quite unlucky... what a pity, such a fine restaurant..."

The last sentence was barely audible, but it was caught by the waiter who was waiting to the side.

The waiter's expression changed instantly.