It's just that they have money.

Fang Chen's friend is named Zhang Zhenghao.

This man loves planting, and everything he plants thrives, earning him the nickname "Top-Grade Wood Spirit Root."

It's March now, the perfect time to enjoy spring vegetables.

If you want to eat the best spring vegetables in a big city, you either have to go to the market early and buy them as soon as the vendors arrive.

You can either grow your own.

At 6:30, Zhang Zhenghao arrived at the Sui Shi Restaurant on time with a basket of bean sprouts and a bunch of chives.

Zhang Wen doesn't mind customers bringing their own ingredients.

Stir-frying two plates of vegetables doesn't take much effort, and besides, it's not like there's no processing fee.

"This place must be expensive, right?!" Zhang Zhenghao asked in a low voice as soon as he sat down.

Fang Chen said nonchalantly, "It's okay, I'll treat you if you tell me."

Zhang Zhenghao cast a suspicious glance at him: "Why are you being so attentive for no reason?"

"Then leave."

"That won't work."

A few joking remarks reminded Fang Chen that as a low-level employee who had quit his job without another job lined up, he needed a plausible reason for having so much cash in his hands.

"To be honest, I won."

Zhang Zhenghao asked sarcastically, "You bastard, what did you get?"

Thinking that he would definitely have more system rewards in the future, Fang Chen confidently said, "Ten million!"

Zhang Zhenghao was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing: "Don't make me laugh."

Fang Chen said seriously, "Really, I'm not lying to you."

Zhang Zhenghao shrugged: "So, did you redeem it?"

Fang Chen nodded.

"Give me half."

"?"

"You promised that if dogs are rich, they'll share the spoils; whoever wins first gets half. Forgot?"

"?!"

They'd made this kind of agreement countless times when they were joking around.

"No, no, it's clearly a matter of forgetting each other after we've become rich and powerful. After this meal, we'll forget each other in the vast world."

Zhang Zhenghao gave him a look that said, "Why are you like this?" He picked up the pot on the table, poured himself a glass of water, and said softly, "Quick, tell me, when did you go to claim the prize? How come we didn't hear a thing?"

Although he said it as a joke about sharing half, his eyes already showed more seriousness and concern.

Fang Chen knew this guy was just good at talking, so he simply explained, "Just a few days ago, I was afraid of causing any trouble, so I didn't tell anyone. I invited you to dinner because I wanted to vent to you and, incidentally... celebrate a little."

"The celebration is just an excuse; you really want my advice on how to spend this money, don't you?"

Fang Chen smacked his lips twice.

He's been too excited these past two days and hasn't really thought about this issue much.

Whether it's signing up for a gym class or going for a physical exam, these are all tasks assigned by the system.

Thinking about my hobbies, they don't seem to cost much money; even the top-of-the-line ones don't cost much.

Well... the reason my hobbies don't cost money is mainly because I didn't have any money before.

"That's partly true. Tell me, if you won the lottery, how would you spend it?"

"You know me," Zhang Zhenghao suddenly smiled simply, "I don't have any grand ambitions. My biggest dream is to have a wife and kids, a warm bed, three hundred acres of land, and a glass of wine."

"Uh..." Fang Chen was speechless for a moment, forgetting that this guy was a pure Japanese person.

"Forget about that, just know that I'm not short of money right now."

Just then, Sister Li came over with a steaming plate of stir-fried chives and bean sprouts. The emerald green spinach and white bean sprouts emitted an enticing fragrance, garnished with a few bright red goji berries, making it look incredibly appetizing.

"Your food is here, please enjoy."

"It smells so good!" Zhang Zhenghao picked up his chopsticks, took a big bite, and stuffed it into his mouth, squinting his eyes in satisfaction. "Mmm! This is the taste of spring!"

Fang Chen slowly put down his chopsticks: "Of all the things you grow, this is probably the most satisfying bite."

"That's not it," Zhang Zhenghao said smugly. "Sowing brings happiness, reaping brings happiness, and eating brings happiness again."

"Perhaps this is the happiness of ordinary people," Fang Chen couldn't help but sigh.

As the two bantered, the remaining two meat dishes and soup were served one by one.

Twice-cooked pork, stir-fried pork kidney and liver, and crucian carp and tofu soup.

The crucian carp and tofu soup included pea sprouts brought by Zhang Zhenghao.

The vibrant green bean sprouts unfurled in the milky white broth, adding a touch of freshness to this simple home-style soup.

Amidst the rising steam, the aroma of meat mingles with the fresh scent of bean sprouts, whetting one's appetite.

The two quickly finished several home-style dishes.

After rounding down, the actual cost of the meal was 200 yuan.

It's not expensive, but as Zhang Wen said, he's mainly opening the shop for fun now.

Moreover, when the two walked out of the store, there were already more than a dozen people queuing outside. The turnover rate of the store was also high. Even with only five tables, it was estimated that the daily turnover was several thousand yuan.

"This restaurant is doing really well," Zhang Zhenghao said, glancing back at the bustling crowd at the restaurant entrance, still carrying a half-eaten portion of twice-cooked pork that he had packed up. "But if we're talking about taste, the vegetables I grow are still the freshest."

Fang Chen kicked away a small pebble at his feet: "That's right, if we hadn't scouted the place at noon and reserved a table, we might not have been able to get in at this time."

Zhang Zhenghao glanced at the time: "It's only a little past seven, shall we go grab a couple of drinks?"

Thinking of his health plan, Fang Chen waved his hand: "I'm not going, I'm focused on health."

"Nonsense!" Zhang Zhenghao couldn't help but curse. "No matter how much you try to maintain your health, you can't possibly live to be two hundred years old!"

"Let me tell you, people's perception of time is logarithmic, not linear. Think about it, when you were a child, didn't a year seem incredibly long, but as you grow up, time seems to fly by?"

"Hmm, and then?" Fang Chen asked, puzzled.

"This means that if you live to be over eighty, the midpoint of your life is between eighteen and twenty, not forty."

Fang Chen couldn't help but laugh at himself: "Then I guess I've just resolved my midlife crisis."

Zhang Zhenghao put his arm around his shoulder and teased, "So, you know, enjoy life while you can. While I don't advocate being the kind of person who lives for the moment, don't suppress yourself. What's wrong with having a couple of drinks?!"

Fang Chen imagined what life would be like with strict health regimen.

They eat bland, health-focused meals every day and live a simple, unambitious life.

Do we have to live like this, day after day, for fifty years?

Isn't this also a form of going to work?!

Fang Chen quickly shook his head in his heart; that definitely wouldn't work.

He knew that health was a dynamic indicator, and that excessive pursuit of health preservation could be counterproductive.

Moreover, mental health is also a form of health, and suppressing one's desires is not a good thing.

Having figured this out, Fang Chen put his arm around Zhang Zhenghao's shoulder and said, "Alright, then this middle-aged man will treat you, old man, to another meal."

"How did I become an old man?"

Fang Chen teased, "You're a post-90s, a person from the last century. I'm a human from the new century."

I was born in 2000.

"Yes, the 21st century started on New Year's Day in 2001, so you're a post-90s generation."

"?"

"The year 1 AD is the first year of the Common Era. The first decade of the Common Era ends in the year 10 AD, the first century ends in the year 100 AD, and the second millennium naturally ends in..."

"I won't accept it!"

The two laughed and joked, then walked arm in arm toward the tavern.