Chapter 343: The Food Plaza
After tidying up his room and putting down his luggage, Qi Han picked up Pururu and headed back downstairs.
"Elaine, is there anywhere to eat around here?" It was about mealtime, and Qi Han needed to find something to fill both his and Pururu's stomachs.
"Ah!" Elaine responded a little absentmindedly and gave Qi Han a strange look before answering, "Right next to this street is the Divine Soul Village Food Plaza—you'll find all kinds of delicious food there."
Qi Han nodded to show he understood, then walked toward the backyard.
Before he could eat himself, he couldn't forget about Zhui Yun, who had worked hard all afternoon.
He didn't plan to take Zhui Yun with him to eat, but he still needed to make sure his companion had food for the night.
As he reached the backyard, Pururu quickly picked up Zhui Yun's scent and let out a soft "meow," pointing the way.
Qi Han opened the storage room door and looked inside, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
The hay inside was clean and neatly spread. He didn't know where Elaine had gotten it, but she had clearly put in a lot of care and effort.
"Zhui Yun, how's everything?" he asked while gently pressing his forehead to the horn of the half-reclining Zhui Yun.
"It's really comfortable—just a little hungry."
Zhui Yun's voice, like that of a young boy, was soft and sweet, which formed an amusing contrast to his strong and sturdy appearance.
"I brought you some food."
Qi Han smiled and summoned a large bucket of specially prepared feed from Ru Yi. "Eat up. Pururu and I are going to eat too, and once we're done, I'll take you out for a stroll."
"Okay!"
Zhui Yun agreed cheerfully—after all, the whole reason he didn't want to return to the system space was so he could explore and shop with Qi Han.
Seeing Zhui Yun happily bury his head in the feed, Qi Han gave his silky mane a gentle pat and walked out of the room.
"Let's go. Time to see what kind of food this Divine Soul Village Food Plaza has to offer," he said with anticipation, gently stroking Pururu, who was curled on his shoulder.
They had just walked a few steps out of the Flower Lane Hotel when a middle-aged man sitting on a step, clutching his forehead, caught Qi Han's attention. The man was rubbing a large bump on his head and occasionally sucking in air through his teeth in pain.
After a moment's hesitation, Qi Han stepped forward and asked, "Uncle, are you alright?"
"Ah… it's nothing." Watson looked at the kind young man and shook his head. "I just accidentally bumped into a door on the way out."
He certainly couldn't admit that he'd tried to see if touching a Blood Red Unicorn's horn with his forehead would let him communicate with it—only to be whacked in the head by its foul temper.
As ridiculous as it sounded… that's exactly what happened.
'So it really was just a bump on the way out.'
Qi Han nodded in understanding. "Then next time, walk a little slower, Uncle."
"…Okay," Watson replied helplessly.
Having shown concern for the injured stranger, Qi Han turned and headed in the direction of the food plaza. Soon enough, he arrived at the place Elaine had mentioned.
The Food Plaza really was a proper open plaza. At its center was a huge circular open-air square, and around the edges were all sorts of food stalls and small shops.
The square was filled with tables and chairs. People could grab food from any stall and sit wherever they liked to eat—or even just rest, no purchase necessary.
'Hmm… it really feels like one of those tourist food courts from my previous life.'
Qi Han glanced around, then headed toward the nearest food stall.
"Boss, what do you have that's good here?"
"Take a look, sir! Freshly grilled Sea God Sausages, and these—Sea God Meat Skewers—real ingredients, no tricks!"
The vendor was a middle-aged man with a small mustache. He chuckled as he enthusiastically introduced the foods on his stall.
Qi Han examined them carefully, then asked a soul-piercing question:
"What do they have to do with the Sea God?"
"Uh…" The vendor was briefly at a loss, then coughed lightly.
"Ahem… well, don't be fooled by their simple appearance. Back in the day, even the Sea God himself ate these foods."
Nonsense!
Qi Han rolled his eyes.
'Tang San was so poor as a kid—no way he could afford this kind of stuff.'
'If you told me he ate rabbits, I'd believe it.'
Still, the sausages on the stall sizzled with oil, and the slightly split casing revealed that they were indeed packed with real meat. The meat skewers, grilled over open flame, looked just as appetizing, the surface seared to perfection, with juicy color and texture peeking through the charred lines.
"Alright then. One sausage, two meat skewers. But make one skewer with no seasoning—just cook it over the fire."
The plain one was obviously for Pururu.
"Got it!"
Though Qi Han's request was a bit unusual, the vendor had seen all sorts of customers and didn't bat an eye.
Soon, the three skewers were handed over to Qi Han.
"How much?"
"Thanks for your patronage. That'll be eleven Silver Coins."
"…How much?" Qi Han nearly thought he'd misheard.
"Eleven Silver Coins," the vendor repeated, explaining, "The meat skewers are four each, and the sausage is three. Honest pricing here."
"…Fine."
Qi Han pinched the bridge of his nose and handed over one Gold Coin and one Silver.
The vendor's grilling skills were indeed good—comparable to a certain uncle back in Shrek City. But these skewers weren't as large, and the meat used was just regular beef—not some rare or premium cut.
'That uncle's yak skewers were only two coins each. Compared to that…'
'As expected. Tourist prices are always high, no matter where you go.'
With skewers in hand, Qi Han and Pururu continued exploring the plaza for more food. Before long, Qi Han's hands were full, and Pururu even had some skewers clenched in his mouth. Only then did they stop and find an empty table to sit across from each other—man and cat.
Qi Han grabbed an extra paper plate he'd asked for from another stall, placed it in front of Pururu, then carefully removed the bamboo skewers and anything hard to eat from Pururu's share. He set the food neatly on the plate and smiled.
"Dinner time."
"Meow~!"
Yes!!
Ever since Pururu had started following Qi Han, he mostly ate the custom "cat meals" Qi Han prepared. While tonight's food might not be as well-balanced or tasty as those, the novelty made up for it—most of it was new to Pururu, and he eagerly dug in with little "nom nom" sounds of delight.
Seeing how much Pururu was enjoying it, Qi Han smiled and took a bite of his sausage.
The sausage casing had tightened from grilling, and as Qi Han bit down, there was a distinct pop. The casing split where it was bitten, and hot juices—slowly released from the meat during cooking—began to drip from the opening. A rich meaty aroma filled the air.
With the snap of the casing and the tightly packed meat inside, an indescribably satisfying flavor began spreading through Qi Han's mouth.
The sausage wasn't particularly tender, but the way the meat had been packed tightly into the casing during preparation made it incredibly springy and juicy. Every bite brought bursts of savory goodness.
'It's a delicious sausage. This vendor does have skills.'
'But the price is a bit outrageous—three silver coins for just one sausage?!'
Qi Han took another big bite, quietly grumbling to himself.
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