“One Class A three-person meal, please!”

“Everyone, just a moment!”

With a gesture to the shopkeeper, Ye Chuan took the small hourglass from his hand and placed it on the table where Li Zhiqing and the others were sitting.

“What’s this for?” Li Zhiqing asked, puzzled.

“This is another unique feature of our restaurant,” Ye Chuan explained with a smile. “Once an order is placed, the food must be served before the hourglass runs out. If there’s a delay or any mistakes, we guarantee the meal will be completely free!”

Li Zhiqing and Lin Zhao immediately understood and looked impressed.

This is a brilliant idea!

In a large restaurant, especially when it’s busy, complaints about slow service or disputes over the order of meals can easily arise. The little hourglass, seemingly insignificant, solves this problem perfectly.

It gives customers no reason to complain or rush the staff, as they are instead eager to wait for the hourglass to finish. If the food isn’t served in time, they get a free meal!

This also gives the restaurant enough space and time to manage its operations smoothly, maintaining good order within the dining area.

“Ye, that’s clever!” Lin Zhao said, giving a thumbs-up, not holding back his praise. “You really understand human nature!”

Li Zhiqing also looked at Ye Chuan with a more serious gaze.

Perhaps… this businessman has some merit after all.

Running a business doesn’t seem to be that simple.

Sitting aside, Li Wuling wore a proud expression.

Impressive, right?

My older brother!

“Lin, you’re too kind. It’s just a little cleverness to make a living,” Ye Chuan said modestly with a smile. “Please, everyone sit comfortably. The dishes will be up shortly.”

Just then, the two storytellers called by the shopkeeper arrived.

Ye Chuan nodded toward Li Zhiqing and the others, then motioned for the two storytellers to follow him aside.

“Make sure you have paper and pens ready,” Ye Chuan instructed the two storytellers. “I’m going to tell a segment now. Write down the plot points and use your own style to practice later.”

“Yes, boss,” the two storytellers replied, though they couldn’t hide their disdain.

Both of them were over forty.

Working as a storyteller meant they had probably been failed by the imperial exams. But they were still educated men, so they couldn’t help but look down on Ye Chuan, who was much younger than them.

This young boy, how many great stories could he have heard or known?

Ye Chuan paid no attention to their thoughts and walked directly to the stage in the south side of the hall, a designated storytelling area.

There was a wooden table and a chair on the stage, along with all the necessary tools: a wooden clapper, handkerchief, and other items.

Ye Chuan sat down, exhaled, and bowed to the audience.

“Ladies and gentlemen, our restaurant is newly renovated and reopens today. Thank you all for your support!”

“We have a new feature here, which is storytelling, so you can enjoy entertainment while waiting for or eating your meal!”

“If you like what you hear, please feel free to applaud!”

“And if you don’t enjoy it, please bear with us!”

With that, he got straight to the point.

In a tavern, it wasn’t new to have storytelling or singing, but everyone enjoyed the lively atmosphere. Soon, the entire hall joined in with applause.

Ye Chuan smiled and acknowledged them with a nod, waiting for the noise to settle before he spoke again, more seriously.

“Before the chaos divided the heavens and earth, in the vast emptiness, no one was seen. Since Pangu broke the chaos and created the world, the separation of the clear and the turbid began. All beings depend on the great kindness of Pangu, and everything that is made is for the good. To understand the great work of creation, we must look at the story of the Journey to the West.”

With the clapper’s sharp sound, the room erupted in applause.

Ye Chuan’s enunciation was clear, with perfect rhythm and tone, his voice loud and impressive.

Li Zhiqing sat in the distance, observing Ye Chuan closely.

Though this poem was not extraordinary, there was something subtly profound about it.

The final line, “Journey to the West”—what was that part of the story?

I’ve never heard of it before…

Could it be… something he wrote himself?

As this thought crossed her mind, Li Zhiqing was quietly astonished.

Ye Chuan thanked the audience once again, and when the room settled, he continued.

“In another world, beyond this one, the heavens and earth were separated, and the entire world was divided into four great continents.”

“Among them, in the Eastern Continent, there was a small country called Aolai.”

“In this country, there was a sacred mountain called Huaguo Mountain…”

Ye Chuan’s words flowed effortlessly, drawing everyone’s attention. The story was unlike anything they had ever heard before.

The crowd’s focus was quickly captured by the tale. Soon, the entire hall fell into a deep silence, with only the waitstaff moving about, delivering dishes.

Everyone was completely immersed in the fantastic and romantic world of Ye Chuan’s storytelling.

For Ye Chuan, who was a true descendant of Chinese culture, telling the story of “Journey to the West” was second nature.

He painted vivid pictures with his words, from the birth of the Stone Monkey to him becoming the leader of the monkeys, crowned as the Monkey King, and contemplating the impermanence of life, desiring immortality…

And finally, setting sail, traveling far and wide, seeking out the Buddhist master at Mount Lingtai Fangcun…

The audience was so engrossed that they forgot to eat their meals.

By the time Ye Chuan reached the part where the Bodhi Patriarch gave the Stone Monkey his name, everyone was in awe.

“Sun Wukong…”

“What a great name!”

Li Zhiqing was completely captivated by the tale, her eyes fixed on Ye Chuan. Even when the food was served, she didn’t plan to touch her chopsticks.

Lin Zhao and Li Wuling, sitting at the same table, were equally absorbed.

“The Stone Monkey, upon receiving his name, was so overjoyed that he danced and pranced, scratching his head and ears!”

“All those years of striving through the human world were not in vain. Heaven does not disappoint the hardworking… or rather, the hardworking ‘monkey’!”

This line caused a burst of laughter.

Even Li Zhiqing couldn’t help but smile.

Unfortunately, at that moment, no one noticed the radiant beauty of the young woman who stood by the counter.

Little Yuying, with admiration in her eyes, gazed at her master. Her eyes were full of affection, which she could not hide.

“Now, esteemed audience, this Monkey King, Sun Wukong, had formally entered the Bodhi Patriarch’s sect. He had obtained the chance for immortality, and as expected, he was to learn the arts of the immortals.”

“But after seven years of apprenticeship, why was he still just fetching water and chopping wood?”

“What wonderful teachings had he heard in class?”

“The Patriarch’s anger was struck with a wooden staff, yet there was a hidden meaning in his actions. Why?”

“After midnight, without the six ears, could the Stone Monkey break through the grand mysteries and comprehend the Dao?”

“To know what happens next, please stay tuned for the next installment…”

With a sharp clapper, Ye Chuan finished, and the audience was left in stunned silence.

They all exchanged glances, overwhelmed with a sense of immense disappointment.

It was so frustrating!

How could they describe this feeling?

It was like going to a brothel.

You’ve had a few drinks, loosened up your clothes, and you’re about to get in the mood, but then…

The girl suddenly pushes you away.

“Sir, your time is up. Please pay to extend your stay~”

It was almost as if they were suffocating!

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