Luolin’s lips trembled, her voice shaking slightly. “But... we don’t seem to be of any help here, and we don’t have any money.”
“You can stay here and help take care of the farm—the one you saw when you came in.”
Luolin stared at him blankly for several seconds. Once she was sure he wasn't joking, she took a deep breath, stood up, and bowed deeply to Chen Mian. “Thank you.”
Miya followed suit and bowed as well, but she did it so vigorously that her forehead almost hit the edge of the table. “Thank you, big brother!”
“Flora,” Chen Mian said, turning his head.
“Yes?”
“Take them to take a bath and change into some clean clothes.”
“Okay.” Flora nodded, walked over to Luolin, and extended her hand. “Come with me.”
Luolin looked at the fair, clean hand. After a brief hesitation, she gently took it.
Her hand was so warm, just like Sister Melo's.
At the thought, Luolin's eyes welled up again. She blinked hard, forcing the tears back. She couldn't let Miya see her cry.
Miya followed behind her sister, but after taking a couple of steps, she turned back to glance at Chen Mian.
There was curiosity as well as a hint of nervousness in her amber eyes.
In the Sairen City-State, adults either scolded her or ignored her entirely. She wasn't sure if this big brother would be the same.
Chen Mian gave her a gentle smile.
Miya’s ears twitched. Unconsciously, the corners of her mouth curved into a tiny smile, and she jogged to catch up with her sister.
The three of them went upstairs, their footsteps gradually fading down the hallway.
The living room fell quiet.
Loviki leaned back against her chair, crossing her arms as she looked at Chen Mian with a smile. “Is this also because of fate?”
“No.”
“Hmm?”
“I just wanted to help.”
Chen Mian carried his bowl into the kitchen and placed it in the sink. “Besides, we have plenty of food in the garden, and we need someone to manage all these idle resources anyway.”
“And?”
“That's it.”
The corners of Loviki’s mouth curled up. “I'll believe you.”
...
Upstairs, Flora led the sisters into the bathroom.
The bathroom was larger than they had expected. The floor and walls were covered in pristine white tiles, looking incredibly clean.
What surprised the sisters most was the device that sprayed water with just a simple twist.
“This is a showerhead.” Flora turned the tap, and hot water sprayed from the showerhead, making a soft pattering sound against the tiles. Steam quickly filled the small space, covering the mirror in a hazy mist. “Turn it left for hot water, and right for cold.”
“It's so warm...” Miya reached out to catch a handful of hot water, her cat ears twitching comfortably.
Flora took out two clean towels and two sets of fresh clothes from the cabinet.
“They might be a bit too big, but they'll do for now. Also, Luolin, make sure not to get water on your wound when you bathe.” The clothes were folded neatly—two sets of light-colored loungewear made of incredibly soft fabric.
Luolin took them, her fingers gently brushing against the fabric.
This texture... She had never seen anything like it, even on the nobles of the Sairen City-State.
She bowed deeply to Flora. “Thank you.”
Flora smiled, stepped out of the bathroom, and closed the door.
Before long, the sound of water echoed from inside. First came the pattering of the shower against the tiles, followed by Miya’s delighted cry, “Sister! This water is so warm! It feels amazing!”
The corners of Flora's mouth turned up slightly as she turned and walked down the stairs.
She still remembered the first time she had used a shower.
In the kitchen, Chen Mian was pouring the brewed Moonlight Grass tea into cups. “Are they settled in?”
“Yes.” Flora walked over to his side and picked up another cup. “Their clothes are too tattered. We'll need to buy them a few well-fitting outfits later.”
“Let’s go then.” Chen Mian set down his cup and grabbed his coat from the back of the chair. “It just so happens we're almost out of meat in the fridge too.”
“Wait for me, I haven't washed the dishes yet...” Flora turned to walk toward the sink, but her steps froze.
The sink was completely empty. All the dishes had been washed and were stacked neatly on the drying rack.
“I already washed them,” Loviki said, leaning against the sofa while reading a book.
“We're going to buy clothes. Want to come?”
“No,” Loviki replied, turning a page. “My wounds from yesterday's sparring session haven't healed yet.”
“What wounds? You don't have any.”
“Internal injuries,” Loviki said without batting an eye.
Chen Mian didn't bother calling her out and turned to Flora. “Let's go.”
The two of them stepped out of the apartment into the beautiful morning light.
Flora walked beside him, her steps slightly lighter than usual. She wasn't wearing her hood today, and the tips of her elven ears peeked out from her hair, glowing with a faint pink hue in the sunlight.
As they passed the garden, the mutated golden tomatoes had already grown into plants. Their leaves emitted a faint golden glow in the sunlight, looking rather dreamlike.
Inside the fence, a flock of pale yellow chicks chirped as they crowded around the feed trough.
Linyu Port Market.
As the light of the teleportation faded, the two of them appeared in the familiar empty alley.
The market was as bustling as ever. Stalls lined both sides of the street, and the air was filled with the aroma of baked bread and spices.
Flora wasn't wearing her cloak this time, making her delicate features and signature elven ears highly conspicuous in the market.
Most passersby couldn't help but steal a few extra glances, but Flora didn't seem too bothered. She merely pursed her lips slightly and stayed close to Chen Mian's side.
“Not worried?” Chen Mian asked.
“Mhm.” Flora’s voice was very soft, the corners of her mouth curving up slightly.
The two of them went to a clothing store first.
The shopkeeper, a round-faced middle-aged woman, was taken aback for a moment when she saw Flora, but she quickly regained her warm smile. “What do you two need today?”
“We're buying clothes for two girls,” Flora said, stopping in front of a rack. “One is about sixteen or seventeen, and the other is twelve or thirteen. They're a bit shorter than me and on the slender side.”
“For those sizes... these few should fit.” The shopkeeper took down several folded dresses from the shelf and laid them out on the counter.
Flora reached out to feel the fabric, but it felt a bit rough.
She turned her head to look at Chen Mian.
Leaning against the doorframe, Chen Mian asked, “Do you have anything made of better fabric?”
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper's eyes lit up. She turned and retrieved a wooden box from the very top shelf.
When she opened the lid, several dresses made of fine linen were folded inside. The material was obviously much better than the previous ones.
“These are all high-quality fabrics brought in from the Royal Capital.” The shopkeeper picked up a light blue dress and unfolded it. “How about this one?”
Flora felt it and nodded.
She then picked out two outfits for Luolin—a top and a pair of trousers, a pale yellow casual dress, along with a few cotton undergarments and two pairs of soft-soled cloth shoes.
“How much for all of this?” Flora asked.
The shopkeeper counted on her fingers and quoted a price. “Thirteen silver coins.”
Hearing this, Flora pursed her lips slightly. Just as she was about to speak, Chen Mian had already placed several silver coins on the counter.
The shopkeeper smiled as she swept up the money, wrapped the clothes in a bundle, and tied it with a string. “Here you go, dear guests. Come again!”
Chen Mian took the bundle and put it into his storage space.
The two of them walked out of the clothing store and continued along the cobblestone path.
“Next, we need to buy ingredients.” Flora pulled out the list she had prepared beforehand. “We're almost out of flour, and we need to restock on sugar, salt, and oil. Oh, and meat.”
“Mhm.”
“We spend so much money every time we go out. Should we sell some of our magical crops?”
“Yeah, we can consider that later. It's too much of a hassle right now, and we wouldn't be able to sell that much anyway,” Chen Mian said after a moment's thought.
“Eh? So the reason you don't sell the extra vegetables isn't because you're stingy, Mr. Chen Mian?”
“Right.”
“Honestly...”
“But the issue of selling magical crops might be solved very soon,” Chen Mian added with a smile after thinking for a bit.
“Really?”
“Really.”
Passing by a small stall filled with various hair ties, hairpins, and headbands, Flora stopped. She bent down and picked up two hair ties—one light blue and one light green. “This one is perfect for Luolin, and this one is for Miya.”
“Miya almost ate her own hair while drinking her porridge earlier.”
Flora always noticed these little details.
Chen Mian picked up a light purple hair tie and slipped it into Flora's hand. “This one is for you.”
Flora looked down at the hair tie in her hand, her cheeks turning slightly red. “Thank you.”
“Boss, we'll take these.”
Clenching the hair tie in her palm, Flora kept her head down as she followed behind him, unable to suppress the smile on her face.
The two of them browsed for another half hour.
Chen Mian’s storage space gradually filled up with items: flour, sugar, salt, oil, spices, two new towels, a wooden comb...
“Is that everything?” Chen Mian asked, looking at the list in her hand.
Flora checked it over and nodded with satisfaction. “Mhm.”
As they walked, they noticed a small crowd gathered in front of a bulletin board ahead. Almost everyone was staring at a fresh, large sheet of parchment on the board, which looked like an announcement from the Adventurer's Guild.
“A new dungeon has appeared in Wigtan City? About half a month ago?” another man dressed as a warrior muttered, rubbing his chin. “I recall there was absolutely nothing in that frozen mountainous region before.”
“I heard the first exploration team that went in brought back crop varieties that no one has ever seen before.”
“Crops can grow in a frozen land?”
“It's true,” a young man wrapped in a mage's cloak said in a lowered voice. “There's a kind of glowing peach. Eating it restores mana.”
“What's so great about peaches?” a pig-headed beastkin dressed as a warrior spat. “I heard someone brought out a bunch of silver fruits from inside. Eating them directly increases your mana. But apparently, some of the plants can also kill you.”
“And... some say there are ghosts inside.”
“What do you mean ghosts... It must be some kind of Ghost-type magical beast! Why don't we form a party and check it out?”
“Count me out!”
【System Notification: Side Quest 2 unlocked. Please begin searching for the "Dungeon Ghost" and make her an apartment tenant.】
【Quest Reward: 300 Points + 5 levels】
Chen Mian stopped in his tracks. This was the third time the system had actively issued a quest since it unlocked.
The dungeon ghost would be his third tenant?
However, in all his time in this world, he had never once seen a ghost.
If it weren't for his memories from before his transmigration, he wouldn't even believe in the existence of gods and souls.
It seemed he would have to pay a visit.
Still, he wasn't quite sure what kind of entity this impending ghost would turn out to be.
There was no time limit on the quest, so he decided to set out after settling the apartment's new tenants.
Rate on N.U.
