Xiao Shan was taken to the East Wind Restaurant by Ling Yao.
Outside the East Wind Restaurant, a crowd had gathered. On a temporary stage, a competition was in full swing. Several burly men were sweating profusely, battling the food in front of them.
There was a large chunk of beef, a pork knuckle, steamed buns, pastries, and several handfuls of green vegetables...
"I can finish the beef, and the pork knuckle too. I can eat two plates of pastries. The vegetables aren't very tasty, so I'll eat less. The steamed buns are a bit dry..."
Xiao Shan's eyebrows twitched as he heard Ling Yao muttering beside him.
"Is there anyone else participating? The entry fee is one tael of silver. The winner gets to eat for free at the East Wind Restaurant for a whole month! All sorts of delicacies, sea cucumber, abalone, no limit! When this round ends, the next registration begins!"
The host on stage struck a gong, and someone recorded the contestants' food intake.
"Me, me, me!" Ling Yao shouted, pulling Xiao Shan towards the registration area. "Quick, pay the silver."
She stomped her feet, already poised to rush forward, her eyes gleaming as she looked at the food being replenished on the stage.
What a wonderful thing in the world!
Heh heh, she was going to eat for a month in this city before leaving!
Xiao Shan's brows were so furrowed they could have crushed a fly.
"I'm telling you, if your mouth hurts later... Hey! Slow down!"
Before he could finish, the little thing had already run onto the stage. The waiter at registration took the one tael of silver and smiled broadly, almost as if to say: You fool, your silver is wasted. Letting a little girl go up, she won't even eat back ten percent of the cost.
"Oh! This is the first little warrior of the day! Everyone, please applaud!"
The person in charge was delighted to see Ling Yao. This was a sure bet for them to make money; he liked this kind of participant.
"What a little immortal! Your presence graces our East Wind Restaurant. How about this, no matter how much the little immortal eats, you can take a braised pork knuckle home when you leave!"
The person in charge waved his hand generously, and someone immediately brought over a packaged pork knuckle.
The crowd below began to stir, some shouting about unfairness, some exclaiming how generous the East Wind Restaurant was, and others sighing about the little girl's foolish family.
How many pork knuckles could that one tael of silver buy? It was truly a case of losing the big for the small.
Ling Yao grinned at Xiao Shan, who looked up at the sky.
He could already imagine the person in charge crying.
This wasn't someone coming to give money, but someone coming to cut off their livelihood.
Six people took the stage for this round. Ling Yao sat at the table, her height too small, only her head showing. The person in charge even specially instructed someone to bring a taller chair to replace it.
Amidst a group of burly men, she looked like she was just there for the fun of it.
"Good! Are you all ready? Begin!"
As the gong sounded, everyone began to devour their food.
The person in charge smiled at Ling Yao. Just as he expected, she was eating slowly, as if just playing.
He wondered which young lady this was. The East Wind Restaurant had been open in Lu City for ten years and was considered one of the best. Its patrons were all wealthy families, and he had seen many ladies and young mistresses, but he had never seen this one. Her appearance was truly not exaggerated; she looked like an immortal descended to earth.
Time passed quickly. The burly men slowed down their eating, and then slowed down even more...
"I want more beef, I don't want steamed buns."
A clear, oriole-like child's voice rang out.
The person in charge glanced towards Ling Yao, and his smiling face changed drastically.
Where was the food on the table?
The plates were all empty, leaving only verdant raw vegetables and two bare steamed buns. Moreover, the little girl was still tearing at the steamed buns and slowly putting them into her mouth, though her expression was a little reluctant.
This was impossible!
He ran over and crouched down, looking at the ground. There was nothing.
"Did you eat it all?" he asked, incredulous and full of doubt.
"Not yet. The steamed buns aren't tasty. Please bring out a few more plates of beef!"
More, more plates?
The person in charge had every reason to suspect her of cheating. After all, only one eight-foot-tall man had finished his plate that day. How could a child like her have such an appetite! And she wasn't even full yet!
He looked at her stomach, where a bulge could be seen. He reached out to touch it.
The next moment, he let out a scream. A pebble had hit his hand, drawing blood.
"Can't take a loss?" a sharp voice sounded in his ear.
It was the little girl's father! He had been watching from below, and he was truly imposing and terrifying, with an awe-inspiring presence.
"Steward Chen, she really ate it all just now. I was watching the whole time, and the people below saw it too."
A young waiter quickly scurried over and whispered to the steward.
Dozens of eyes were watching. How could she have cheated? It could only be said that this little girl was a monster.
The person in charge's face turned pale from the pain, but with so many people watching, he had indeed lost his composure due to impatience. Moreover, this person was clearly someone not to be trifled with. He forced a smile, "A misunderstanding, a misunderstanding."
Xiao Shan ignored him and looked at Ling Yao, saying helplessly, "Are you full?"
"Still a bit short. Can we have two more plates of beef, boss?" Ling Yao looked expectantly at the person in charge.
"Serve, serve!"
The world is vast, and there are many strange people and odd events. He was simply ignorant. The person in charge was on the verge of tears. The crowd below was all marveling.
Alright, it could be considered a great reputation, couldn't it?
As expected, no one in this round could out-eat Ling Yao. She finished the two plates of beef completely. The participating strong men knew better than to compete recklessly and all gave up.
Moreover, after the person in charge called out for a long time, no one else participated. Knowing they couldn't win, who would be foolish enough to spend that one tael of silver?
This was truly losing the wife and also the soldiers!
Thinking that for the next month, this little girl would be eating sea cucumber and abalone to her heart's content at the restaurant...
She was going to kill him! How could he have come up with such a terrible idea, to hold a competition! He would be scolded to death by the owner!
"I announce that this little lady has won..."
The person in charge, pushed by a waiter, struck the gong.
"Haha! I won, I won!" Ling Yao shouted to Xiao Shan.
Xiao Shan smiled along with her, but his smile was stiff. This meal was twice his usual portion...
Her stomach was bulging like a pregnant woman's. His heart... was trembling.
The scariest thing was that she had even bounced a few times earlier.
This was going to shorten his lifespan!
"Boss, thank you for the braised pork knuckle. Your cooking is delicious. I'll come here every day from now on!"
Ling Yao picked up the packaged braised pork knuckle, her smile truly innocent and pure.
The person in charge felt dizzy and swayed, almost unable to stand.
No, no, he had to do something to remedy this.
Looking at the bewildered and astonished audience below, an idea flashed through his mind.
He had it!
Such a strange person and odd event was the best advertisement!
"Liu Zi! Hurry and find someone to write a notice and hang it at the entrance, saying that from today onwards for one month, anyone entering the East Wind Restaurant must order at least 15 taels of dishes to be able to watch the great-stomach little immortal dine for free."
...