Traveling through various miniature worlds with a small restaurant

Lin Xiaoqian lay on her bed in her university dormitory, scrolling through job recruitment apps on her phone. When she got tired of scrolling, she would open Douyin (TikTok) to watch short videos, and as she watched, a wave of anxiety would wash over her.

She's about to move out of the dorm, but she still hasn't found a job.

"Ring ring~" The phone rang.

Lin Xiaoqian pressed the call button and called out happily, "Grandma!"

Grandma Lin's kind voice came through the microphone: "Sweetie, have you eaten yet?"

Lin Xiaoqian glanced at the instant noodle box on the table, feeling a pang of grievance, but she still pretended to be happy and said, "Grandma, I've already eaten."

Grandma Lin said gently, "It's good that you've eaten, it's good that you've eaten. My dear, have you found a job yet?"

Lin Xiaoqian choked, and stammered, "...Not yet."

Grandma Lin's voice sounded hesitant: "Sweetie, it's okay if you can't find it. Or... why don't you come back?"

Lin Xiaoqian had considered going back, but her home was in a small town in a remote county, where the only jobs she could find were for less than two thousand yuan a month, without any social insurance or housing fund contributions.

Grandma Lin continued, "My dear, didn't your parents leave you a shop in town before they passed away? It's always been rented out to people who do small businesses. A while ago, the couple who rented the place said they were going back to their hometown to take care of their son's child and wouldn't be renewing the lease. I was thinking that if you can't find a job, Grandma still has some savings, so you can come back and open a small shop or something."

Lin Xiaoqian felt a lump in her throat and tears streamed down her face. She didn't know what to say for a moment.

She knew that small storefront; it was rented by a couple from out of town to run a fast food restaurant. Because it was in a small town, the rent wasn't expensive, only 10,000 yuan a year.

Grandma Lin always gave Lin Xiaoqian this money, for tuition and living expenses. Of course, that wasn't enough. Grandma Lin worked as a cleaner at the hospital, earning 1,800 yuan a month, and she would send some of that money to Lin Xiaoqian every month.

She worked as a tutor and did part-time jobs to finish four years of university.

However, it's really hard to find a job this year.

Or, why don't we listen to Grandma and try going home?

After thinking it over, Lin Xiaoqian told her grandmother that she wanted to go home.

Grandma Lin was overjoyed and said cheerfully, "Then hurry up and buy the tickets, or you won't be able to get them."

Lin Xiaoqian could tell that Grandma Lin really wanted her to go home soon. Thinking that she hadn't seen her grandma for almost four months, her desire to go home became even stronger.

After hanging up the phone, I immediately opened the ticketing app and bought a high-speed train ticket for the next day.

After buying the ticket, I felt inexplicably at ease, and my anxiety seemed to have subsided.

Lin Xiaoqian got out of bed and started packing her luggage. She didn't have much stuff; two large suitcases were enough. She could send the bedding by courier before leaving tomorrow.

That night, Lin Xiaoqian had the most restful sleep she had had in a long time.

The next morning, after sending the bedding by express delivery, Lin Xiaoqian boarded the high-speed train. The city where her school was located was only about an hour away from her home city by high-speed train, but it would take her nearly two hours by bus to get back to her county town, and then another hour by public bus to get to her hometown.

After spending half a day traveling with two large suitcases, Lin Xiaoqian was completely disoriented.

As soon as I got off the bus, I saw Grandma waiting next to the bus stop on her electric tricycle.

"Good girl!" Grandma Lin exclaimed happily when she saw her granddaughter getting off the bus.

Lin Xiaoqian pulled her suitcase closer to her: "Grandma!"

Grandma Lin took the box with a pained expression: "You must be exhausted. I bought a watermelon and I'm keeping it chilled with cold water at home. I also bought a piece of pork rib. I'll cook your favorite braised pork rib when I get home."

Lin Xiaoqian lifted the box into the back of the tricycle, wiped the sweat from his neck, and looked up at the sun. It was already very hot in June.

There was still room in the truck bed, but Lin Xiaoqian and Grandma Lin squeezed into the front seats.

Grandma Lin smiled and said, "Sweetie, sit tight, let's go home!"

Lin Xiaoqian leaned against her grandmother's body, and the breeze that came her way carried away much of the summer heat.

It feels so good to be home!

The house was much the same as it had been four months ago. Grandma Lin cut a watermelon for her granddaughter and then went to the kitchen to cook.

The watermelon flesh is bright red, and the black seeds are distinct. It's chilled perfectly in cool water. One bite is both sandy and crunchy, icy cold, and sweet but not cloying.

Lin Xiaoqian finished one piece and then took another.

At school, watermelons cost several yuan per pound, but she only buys a quarter of them to eat. She just asked her grandma, and the watermelons in town only cost 80 cents per pound.

She carried a piece into the kitchen and held it to her grandmother's lips. Grandma Lin took a bite from her hand and smiled, "Mmm, so sweet."

After taking a bite of the melon in his hand, Lin Xiaoqian asked, "Aunt Guo and the others really aren't renewing the lease on our storefront?"

Grandma Lin put oyster sauce into the pot and said, "They're not renewing the lease. Your Aunt Guo's son had twins. The couple is overjoyed and is planning to go back to their hometown to see the babies."

"When are they moving out?"

Grandma Lin put the pot lid on and wiped her hands with her apron: "They've already moved out, and they gave me the keys."

As she spoke, she walked to the wall by the door, took down a key, and handed it to Lin Xiaoqian: "Hey, but because they left in a hurry, they said they didn't have time to clean properly, and they couldn't take some tables, chairs, pots and pans with them, so they left them to us. We can use what we can, and we can sell what we can't use as scrap and use the money for cleaning."

Lin Xiaoqian took it: "Okay, I'll go take a look this afternoon."

After lunch, the grandmother and grandson each went back to their rooms for a nap.

When Lin Xiaoqian woke up, Grandma Lin had already gone to work. She had taken half a day off in the morning to pick up her granddaughter.

Lin Xiaoqian grabbed her keys and went out.

The storefront wasn't far from her home, just two streets away.

When they arrived at the entrance, Lin Xiaoqian looked up and saw the sign that read "Small Town Fast Food".

The door was made of glass and locked with a large lock. Through the glass, you could see six tables and several chairs neatly arranged inside.

Lin Xiaoqian unlocked the door and went inside.

Aunt Guo and her husband are hardworking people. Even without special cleaning, their small shop looks clean and tidy. The kitchen is also very clean, with almost no dark or dirty stains.

The room was fully equipped with tables, chairs, benches, pots and pans, and even a cashier's table.

It looks like once the ingredients are purchased, the fast food restaurant can continue operating.

It's a pity she can't cook, otherwise she could open a small restaurant.

Lin Xiaoqian shook her head regretfully.

"Chef God System successfully bound!"

"Newbie task: Sell 100 servings of fried rice with eggs within one month."

"The recipe for fried rice has been distributed!"

Lin Xiaoqian stood there stunned. Had she caught up with the trend and now had a system too?