The first thing I did was to find out

Chapter 432 Mayfly
Taking advantage of his reputation as a mentally ill person, and the fact that everyone knew he had a game system, Qin Huai directly opened the game system and viewed the encyclopedia in front of Zhao Cheng'an.

A new item has been added to the encyclopedia section.

Unlocked illustrations: 10/12
The lit-up image is Zhao Cheng'an's portrait; click on it.

Name: Zhao Cheng'an
Species: Mayfly

state:???

Dream: 0/?

Recipe: None
Gifts: None
Eh?
ephemera?

The status still shows three question marks.

This is the first time Qin Huai has unlocked such a strange encyclopedia entry. The species have already been unlocked, but the status cannot be unlocked.

Qin Huai knew about mayflies, creatures that live only a day and die in a day, often used by the ancients to describe the shortness of life and the brevity of human existence.

The most famous poem about mayflies that Qin Huai knows is: "Mayflies are but a speck of dust in the vast ocean of heaven and earth."

Qin Huai actually knew a bit about mayflies; his high school biology teacher had briefly mentioned them in class. While mayflies seem to have short lifespans, this refers to the very short adult stage, which can live for as little as a day or even a few hours. However, the nymphal stage of mayflies lives in water and lasts from several months to a year, so they are not truly born in the morning and die in the evening.

In general, mayflies are very ancient creatures, existing since ancient times, and frequently referenced by many writers and poets in their poems and articles. They are quite famous, unlike the cricket, which has no reputation whatsoever, and people would ask you what kind of pig, cricket, or other bird it is.

Qinhuai now has only one problem.

Are mayflies also spirits from the Classic of Mountains and Seas?

Is the Classic of Mountains and Seas really that comprehensive?
Qin Huai couldn't help but scrutinize Zhao Cheng'an with an inquisitive gaze. Zhao Cheng'an had no idea that Qin Huai had previously opened the game system in the void and was studying the painting "My Brother" on the wall with great interest, looking as if he wanted to study the painting thoroughly.

"Hey Qin Huai, did you find this painting particularly heartwarming, reminding you of your sister? From that perspective, I think it has its merits. Although the painting itself is quite ordinary—the composition, the colors, the technique, even the paper and paint are very basic—it's cheap and undeniably unique. If the artist becomes famous in the future, maybe in 8 or 10 years this painting will appreciate several times over, making it a successful investment."

Qin Huai closed the encyclopedia: "I don't think so. There's no way my sister would be sitting at her desk doing her homework so diligently. We should be grateful if she doesn't secretly play on her phone behind our backs."

"I just thought the painting was pleasing to the eye, and the person in the painting looked kind and approachable, so I looked at it a few more times," Qin Huai said.

Qin Huai wasn't entirely truthful either. He simply strolled around the art museum and felt that every painting was about the same, with none that particularly appealed to him. After all, they were all student works, and it was rare for an ordinary person like Qin Huai, who didn't have much of an aesthetic sense to begin with and whose aesthetic sense had recently been severely impacted, to find a masterpiece that would truly impress him.

However, what Zhao Cheng'an said earlier was correct; the biggest advantage of this painting is its price. 1800 is really not expensive. Consider it a way to prove to Master Zhou that his reading during this period has not been in vain and that he has cultivated a certain aesthetic sense. Qin Huai doesn't mind spending 1800 to buy such a painting to give to Qin Luo.

This is a good opportunity to urge Luo Luo to study hard. Let her see how the younger brother of an art student does his homework at his desk, and how you do yours? His eyes are fixed on the test paper, what are your eyes staring at?
The phrase "eyes vacant" perfectly describes Qin Luo's state while doing her homework.

Zhao Cheng'an suddenly realized: "I understand, it's because this painting really catches your eye, isn't it? That's how you buy paintings, trust your own judgment. Here's what we'll do, I'll pay the 1800, consider it a gift for our first meeting. Last time I was going to treat you to dinner, but in the end, you didn't eat a single bite of the desserts I made, and it took me five days to finish the remaining dumplings at home. I couldn't stand the plate of pumpkin pancakes I fried, so I sent them to my parents' house, and my mom even complained that they were too soft."

"Can you blame me for the pumpkin pancakes being soggy and not tasty? I didn't make them; I bought semi-finished products from the supermarket. If anyone's to blame, it's the manufacturer!" Zhao Cheng'an said righteously. Just when Qin Huai thought he was about to angrily berate the manufacturer, Zhao Cheng'an changed the subject abruptly, "Qin Huai, I only have one favor to ask of you."

"Keep the invoice for the painting safe, but don't show it to my master. If he asks, just say the painting cost 3600."

“Before I came here, my master said that if I saw any paintings that I liked, he would buy them for me and reimburse me for the cost.”

Qin Huai: ...

They're not brothers, they're all demons! They still have to falsify accounts and embezzle money, trying to steal an extra 1800 yuan from their master.

You're a mayfly, not a mythical creature or a three-legged toad. Have you really lost that much money on your investments in stocks, funds, antiques, and art over the years? Are you that desperate for cash?

"I...I'll pretend I don't know," Qin Huai said tactfully.

Zhao Cheng'an felt a little regretful, but after thinking about it, he felt it was understandable. After all, he wouldn't give 900 of the 1800 he embezzled to Qin Huai. He softened his tone and said, "Okay, just pretend you don't know. I'll take care of the rest."

Looking at Zhao Cheng'an, Qin Huai really felt that he didn't seem like a spirit at all; he was too much like a human. Mainly, he didn't seem to have any particular obsessions or fixations. His only obsession might be not wanting to be stuck in one place working a regular job; he always wanted to go out and have fun.

That's understandable. Let alone spirits and monsters, aren't people the same? If they could, who would want to be stuck in one place and work honestly? Who wouldn't want to go out and play? Who wouldn't want to travel the world? Who wouldn't want to shop till they drop?

"Brother Cheng'an, do you know what a mayfly is?" Qin Huai asked.

Zhao Cheng'an's eyes lit up: "Mayfly? What mayfly? Is there another painting called mayfly? You also like that painting? That's great! Take me to see it quickly. Is that painting expensive? If it's too expensive, I don't think it's worth buying. Ideally, the price should be around 3000. I'll quote 5000. That's about the price I usually pay for paintings."

Qin Huai: ...

"If Master Zhou knew..."

“My master knows,” Zhao Cheng’an said frankly. “I don’t usually make a lot of pastries, and when I go out to play, I spend a lot of money on investments and buying all sorts of random things. I don’t have enough money, and my master has always known that.”

“My master is not short of money. He usually gives subsidies to the three of us. However, he gives subsidies to the two senior brothers and sisters in a more open and aboveboard way. For example, he buys nutritional supplements for the children of the senior brothers and sisters, enrolls them in tutoring classes, introduces them to interest class teachers, or directly gives them red envelopes.”

“But I’m not married, I don’t have children, and I don’t have a partner. My master can’t possibly subsidize me for all these messy things, for fear of encouraging me to play around all day and not focus on making pastries. So my master would subsidize me secretly in this way. As long as I don’t report the expenses too outrageously, he would basically turn a blind eye.”

Qin Huai was a little stunned.

Zhao Cheng'an chuckled and said, "I know, you wouldn't understand our way of getting along if you didn't have a master. The apprenticeship system at Zhiweiju is very traditional. The master chefs never take on apprentices easily. Once they do, they have to offer tea and go through the apprenticeship ceremony. During the entire apprenticeship period, the apprentice basically doesn't receive a salary. The master takes care of the apprentice's food, clothing, and lodging, gives red envelopes during holidays, and teaches the apprentice skills. The master is the apprentice's source of confidence, and at the same time, the apprentice is also the master's face." "In short, it's very similar to the old-fashioned master-apprentice relationship. It's both master and apprentice, and also like father and son. I became an apprentice in the second year of junior high school. To me, my master was no different from my dad. My master beat me more often than my dad did. I still remember what my dad said to my master when I became an apprentice: 'Give him a good beating. I usually can't bear to hit him at home, but now I've finally found someone to beat him up.'"

Qin Huai was somewhat moved by Zhao Cheng'an's words, but he could also understand: "I understand what you mean, and I understand this kind of relationship."

“I feel the same way I did when I was 11 years old and was adopted by my adoptive parents. Before that, I didn’t have any biological parents, but I had Dean Qin as my mother. Later, I had another set of parents. They weren’t my biological parents, but they treated me very well. I think your relationship with Master Zhou is similar.”

Now it was Zhao Cheng'an's turn to have ellipses on his face. Zhao Cheng'an was completely speechless after Qin Huai's words. He was stunned for more than three minutes before slowly saying with a complicated expression, "Although it seems...maybe...about 80%...probably...perhaps, more or less? But buddy, what you just said was a bit too hellish. I don't even dare to say that I understand you."

"Let's talk about mayflies instead. Where is that painting? I'll go ask about the price."

"It's not a painting. I was talking about mayflies, which live only a day and die in the evening. I just suddenly thought of it and asked casually," Qin Huai said.

"Oh, that mayfly." Zhao Cheng'an thought for a moment, "I know what it is, but I don't know much about it. I've heard that it has a very short lifespan, only a few hours before it suddenly dies. It seems pretty boring."

"What can a creature live in just a few hours? It'll die in the time it takes to eat a meal. I don't know what the point of its existence is. Is it just out for a stroll?"

Qin Huai: ...Dude, do you know you're talking about yourself right now?

Okay, you don't know.

"Alright, if you don't like anything else, I'll go buy this painting for you right now. Wait here for me a moment, I'll go find some staff. Sigh, this exhibition is really unprofessional, there aren't many staff members here, I have to come and find them." After saying that, Zhao Cheng'an went to find some staff, his eyes filled with longing for the 1800 yuan.

Seeing that Zhao Cheng'an had left, Shi Dadan, who had been standing silently eating bread beside the two of them without saying a word, suddenly asked, "Xiao Qin, did you discover something when you asked Fuyou?"

Qin Huai instantly looked at Shi Dadan with new respect. Although the general population of the Kang people was not very bright, and this lack of intelligence was a well-known and widely acknowledged problem among the spirits, Shi Dadan had lived two lives, and in this one, he had briefly been a human. He had indeed learned a lot, or rather, he had gained a lot of keen intuition.

The reason he trusted Cao Guixiang so much, hired her as head chef, and managed the restaurant so successfully, and even did well in the seafood business after the restaurant closed, was not only due to the auspicious beast's blessing, but also to his own abilities.

"The encyclopedia entry was just unlocked," Qin Huai said succinctly. "Zhao Cheng'an is a mayfly."

"Mayfly?" Shi Dadan showed a very rare expression of surprise.

"Old Shi, do you know about mayflies?" Qin Huai keenly grasped the key point.

"Of course I know. Mayflies are considered very special spirits in our area. The consensus that all spirits have when undergoing tribulation cannot be applied to mayflies."

"Huh?" Qin Huai was genuinely shocked this time.

Luo Jun and Chen Huihong had both told him that some spirits were special, and their tribulations were different from most spirits. Qin Huai had unlocked so many spirits, although they were different species and had different personalities. There were ferocious beasts, auspicious beasts, plant spirits, ordinary little birds, and even fish that jumped into the sea to commit suicide. However, they were all regular spirits, so he had never thought about how special a spirit could be.

Now we've run into each other.

"How so?" Qin Huai pressed.

"I don't know much about mayflies, but I've heard of some. The mayflies we have are different from the mayflies you define here."

“The mayflies in our area don’t die in the morning, but the situation is similar. Mayflies can stay in the water or in the dark underground for up to ten years, during which time they are in a state of deep sleep. They will wake up for 3 to 7 days and then fall into a long sleep again. For mayflies, the time they are awake is very precious, and each time they wake up is a brand new experience.”

"Therefore, most spirits are afraid of undergoing tribulations, but mayflies look forward to it. For mayflies, undergoing tribulations is the most interesting experience in their long, dark, and boring lives. They cherish every day they spend in the human world, and may even deliberately fail to undergo tribulations. What mayflies pursue is not to succeed in undergoing tribulations, but to live a wonderful life in the human world, see different scenery, and experience different lives."

"That is why the chances of mayflies successfully transcending tribulations are very low. They often have to wait until their last life, and the success rate of the last life is already very low, but they seem to enjoy it. I have even heard that mayflies transcend tribulations and reincarnate many more times than ordinary spirits, and some can even reincarnate to their seventh or eighth life."

"After all, they are a very small number of spirits who come to undergo tribulation with the mindset of failing, so Heaven will be more lenient towards them."

Qin Huai understood: as long as you slack off enough, God will adjust the game's stats to balance it. But because the mayfly was slacking off too much, no amount of stat adjustments could save it.

“If that’s the case, then it’s understandable that Zhao Cheng’an has this kind of personality.” Qin Huai nodded. “He’s even willing to make pastries at Zhiweiju for 10 months every year, so it seems he really loves making pastries.”

"I know a little about this too. Although mayflies are very special spirits, they are still spirits after all, and they have many of the common problems of spirits, namely, being influenced by their first life."

"Since Xiao Zhao loves making pastries so much, there is a very high possibility that he was a pastry chef in his first life, and that he really loves making pastries."

"Moreover, judging from Xiao Zhao's current situation, even if this is not his last life, it is one of his later lives. Mayflies tend to be reckless and reincarnate very quickly, so he is probably already in his 5th or 6th life."

This was the first time Qin Huai had heard Shi Dadan say such a long string of words, which had nothing to do with himself or his promises, and was simply an analysis of other people's words.

Normally, Luo Jun would handle these kinds of professional analyses. Although Bi Fang had a bad temper and was stubborn, and had failed his tribulation and was about to be reincarnated, he was knowledgeable and knew a lot. This kind of introduction and analysis of spirits was usually done by ferocious beasts.

As a result, today the auspicious beast stole the job from the ferocious beast.

"Old Shi, I've discovered that you actually know a lot," Qin Huai exclaimed.

"Really?" Shi Dadan revealed a simple and honest smile. "I just happened to have heard a bit about it. Mayflies are really famous in our area. Luo Jun definitely knows more than me; he's smarter and knows more than me."

"I'm just saying what I know, it might not be right, I can ask him again when I get back later."

"Xiao Qin, did you not eat that bread because you didn't like it? If you don't like it, give it to me. I have another flavor here, you can have this one."

(End of this chapter)