Chapter 283

The feeling of soaking in the bath was just too comfortable.

Xia Zhi couldn't help but stay in the pool for another half hour before finally stepping out.

After rinsing off with hot water and changing into fresh clothes, Xia Zhi emerged from the bathhouse to find that Shenhe was no longer there washing clothes. 

Instead, he could see a few freshly washed garments hanging on the clothesline not far away, swaying gently in the breeze.

Xia Zhi raised his hand and touched his now much shorter hair. 

The autumn wind blew against it, giving him a slightly chilly sensation.

It wasn't that his cousin had done a bad job.

In the eyes of an ordinary person, it was actually quite decent.

But Xia Zhi was no ordinary person. With his [Art Appreciation] skill, he had a rather discerning eye when it came to aesthetics, so he couldn't help but feel that the hairstyle wasn't particularly attractive.

Still, his cousin had put in a lot of effort, and after some thought, he decided to cut her some slack.

Xia Zhi returned to the front hall, where Greater Lord Rukkhadevata looked up from her book and gazed at him with a satisfied expression. "See? You look much better now, cousin."

Xia Zhi glanced at her.

Yeah.

Cousin, you're amazing.

Then tonight, as a reward, I'll let you enjoy an extra five minutes.

Miss Yun Jin and Hu Tao had been playing mahjong in the shop for a while, but by around two in the afternoon, they both got up to leave.

After all, they weren't exactly idle people, one was the owner of Yun-Han Opera Troupe, and the other was the director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. They had plenty of things to deal with every day, so being able to relax and play like this for a while was already a treat.

Xia Zhi gave each of them a takeout cup of Rainbow Juice to take with them.

"Come and play again when you have time."

"Sure, thank you, Mr. Xia."

After seeing off Miss Yun Jin and Director Hu, Xia Zhi, having nothing else to do, took out some jade material and started carving.

It was a cloud motif, which he planned to give to Miss Yun Jin.

In a way, Miss Yun Jin could be considered his student, so giving her a small gift was perfectly normal.

After finishing the carving, Xia Zhi felt a bit thirsty and poured himself a cup of tea.

There were no tea leaves floating in it, and the tea was clear and refreshing, with a much better taste.

"Did cousin buy new tea earlier?"

"Yes."

"I forgot to mention it to you."

"Mr. Zhongli didn't forget."

"Oh?"

"He frowned secretly while drinking the tea and looked so disgusted!"

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Then we really were remiss in our hospitality. Did you bargain for this tea too?"

"Of course."

"How much?"

"Thirty percent off."

Tea from Qiaoying Village was considered a high-end product and wasn't cheap, yet she still managed to get a thirty percent discount.

Xia Zhi fell silent for a moment, then said, "How about this: from now on, you handle all the shopping for the shop."

"Sure."

"The money saved will be your pocket money."

"Thank you, cousin!"

Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's eyes seemed to light up.

The goddess probably wasn't excited about having more pocket money but rather about the prospect of being able to bargain to her heart's content.

After dinner, everyone went out for a stroll.

Nowadays, they didn't buy much street food anymore, but they still couldn't resist checking out any interesting new things they came across.

Only Diona, despite having her taste buds spoiled by the boss and no longer enjoying roadside grilled fish and shrimp, couldn't help but be drawn to the food stalls every time they passed by, her tail swaying back and forth.

Perhaps it was just a cat's nature.

After the walk, the girls went to the bathhouse for a soak, bringing Yaoyao along.

The little girl had arrived late in the afternoon, so she had missed the first group bath. 

But she was very curious about the shop's new facilities, so she clung to Shenhe's arm and pleaded until she was allowed to stay.

Zhu Zi leaned against the edge of the pool, sighing contentedly. "It's so nice not having to heat the water at night."

"It does feel a lot more relaxing," Miss Chi Yu nodded in agreement. As one of the "fire duo," she wholeheartedly agreed, though there was a hint of regret in her voice. 

"But now that we have the Heat Stones, the boss doesn't need us to heat the stove for cooking, so we don't get to taste-test his dishes anymore."

Zhu Zi let out a cute whimper. "Wah… the boss's treats…"

Hearing this, Shenhe glanced at Zhu Zi, pursed her lips, and then looked away, continuing to keep an eye on her little junior sister, Yaoyao.

After soaking for a while, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata wrapped herself in a towel, said goodbye to the others, and went off alone to find her cousin for a massage.

"Are you all going for a massage today?"

"I go every three days, so I'll go tomorrow."

"Same here, I'll go tomorrow."

"Then I'll join you."

"Sigh, if I were as rich as Miss Ningguang, I'd definitely get a massage from the boss every day."

"Same here!"

"Diona, didn't the boss say he was going to give you a raise?"

"Yeah."

"Lucky you. I wonder if the boss has any more expensive massage packages?"

"Senior Zhu Zi, once your novel is finished, won't you get royalties too?"

"Ugh, who knows if the stuff I write will even get published."

"It definitely will."

"I think you should ask the boss to help you edit it."

"No way!"

…

Meanwhile, Yaoyao was playing in the water, listening to her older sisters discuss the massages, her eyes filled with curiosity.

She turned to Shenhe and asked softly, "Shenhe sister."

Shenhe looked at her. "Hmm?"

"Does Xia Ci sister get a massage from big brother every day?"

"Yes."

"She's about the same age as me."

She's about the same age as you? No, if we're being honest, she's even older than Granny!

Shenhe looked at Yaoyao's small frame, hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yes."

Yaoyao looked puzzled and asked, "Then why can she get a massage from big brother, but I can't?"

"…"

"I've asked Master before, and she always says I'm too young and won't let me get a massage from big brother."

"…"

"But why?"

"Because Xia Ci is big brother's cousin, and her body is quite weak. She needs big brother to help her with treatment, so she's allowed to get massages from him." Shenhe patted Yaoyao's head and said, "You're still young now, but when you grow up, you can also go to big brother for a massage."

"When will Yaoyao be considered grown up?"

"When you're about this tall."

"Oh! Yaoyao understands."

Yaoyao looked at the height Shenhe sister had indicated with her hand, memorized it, and nodded seriously.

Yaoyao will eat more from now on!

Grow taller faster!

Hmph! When I get back, I'll carve a mark on the spot where I measure myself every time, to motivate myself!

Meanwhile, in the back hall.

Greater Lord Rukkhadevata lay on the small bed, her entire body feeling somewhat limp.

Tonight, her cousin's technique seemed a bit too intense.

"Cousin… I was wrong…"

"Oh? What were you wrong about?"

"I shouldn't have… wu…"

"No, you weren't wrong."

"Wu… I can't take it anymore… wu…"

"This is your reward from cousin."

Meanwhile, somewhere in Sumeru, a certain goddess once again felt utterly numb.

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