Genshin Impact's Sweet and Hard Free People

If there's anything captivating about this ceremony, it's not the Geo Archon's guidance on Liyue's development. What people are really interested in is witnessing the Geo Archon's imposing presence and majestic figure.

Xin Hui could already picture the massive crowds that would be there. If they sold some eye-catching clothes at that time, they would definitely be a huge hit.

"Lord Ningguang, you should be understanding of me, right?" Xinhui said somewhat fearfully.

"That's not necessarily true. After all, that guy only cares about Mora and money. But she certainly has the ability... By the way, you probably don't know, right? About Ningguang's past..."

Ningguang was able to sit in the "Tianquan" position entirely by her own efforts. At that time, she walked barefoot from Yaoguang Beach to the South Wharf, hawking her goods along the way.

Ningguang's signature dish, "Qiankun Mora Meat," is a skill she learned during this period. When Ningguang first started learning to do business, she began using her very limited income to prepare for the "Qunyu Pavilion" project.

Initially, it was only the size of a room, but now it can block out the true Silver Moon from the sky above Liyue. The ever-expanding Jade Pavilion is a manifestation of her ambition, the second most important thing in her life after Mora. It is her spiritual pillar as a merchant and as one of the Seven Stars, and a reflection of her entire life. Even if she were to give up her position in Tianquan, she would never abandon the Jade Pavilion.

"Ningguang is a very shrewd person; anyone would have to admit her exceptional talent in this regard. However, her arrogant personality is extremely annoying, especially when working with me..."

That's what they say, but actually, it's because Ningguang and Keqing are close that they know each other so well, right?

"So you'd better be mentally prepared. Ningguang is essentially a businesswoman. Don't trust her too much. She's just using you as labor. Don't sell you out without even realizing it."

Hearing Keqing's lighthearted teasing, Xinhui just smiled awkwardly, "Lady Ningguang, she can't be as bad as you say, can she?"

"Who knows?" Ke Qing replied indifferently, leaving Xin Hui to speculate.

Okay, I'll keep this in mind for now. If Ningguang really needs clothes, given his meticulous nature, he'll definitely let me know in advance.

"No matter what, let's make a set of uniforms for Gan Yu and Ke Qing each!" Xin Hui suddenly seemed to have a burst of energy, and said with certainty in his eyes.

"Uniform? What uniform?" This time it was their turn to be confused.

"That's right, the short skirt uniform I made for Hu Tao before. I even asked for your opinions at the time, and you all said it looked pretty good."

It seems the two of them had forgotten something. Now that Xin Hui thinks about it, he realized that the uniform had taken him quite a bit of effort. It was a successful replication of the exotic clothing. If he could come up with more ideas like this in the future, it could serve as a source of inspiration.

"How about this, Hu Tao, go try it on again and see how it looks. I guess there are some things that need improvement," Xin Hui suggested.

However, the latter was using chopsticks to scoop up a large mound of spicy meat sauce noodles. Upon hearing Xinhui's request, a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes. He glanced at Xinhui but didn't say anything. After wiping the sauce from the corner of his mouth, he quietly returned to his room.

When she came out of the room, she was wearing her dark blue coat and light blue wool sweater again, her short skirt swaying gently. Her every step exuded youthful energy.

No matter how you look at it, Hu Tao looks absolutely stunning in this outfit; that's what makes a young girl so adorable.

Xin Hui looked at his masterpiece with a smug expression, and said to Ke Qing and Gan Yu, "So, do you want it now? I wouldn't normally sell this kind of dress to just anyone..."

Chapter Ninety-Seven: Wanmintang's Support

"This kind of clothing is more suitable for cute and sweet people, so it was made especially for you. After all, not everyone can have that feeling when they wear it."

"Moreover, I'm currently the only one who knows how to make this kind of uniform."

It's not that Xinhui is just boasting; he genuinely has the skills and has seen and understood all kinds of clothing.

You might wonder how those white silks are transformed into beautiful clothes. Measuring, cutting, sewing... there are so many steps involved, and most people without experience really can't do it well.

"Hehe, it seems that I am quite popular. However, the cute style does not fit with the Hall of Rebirth..." Hu Tao was also a little smug after hearing Xin Hui say this.

The thought that this outfit wasn't suitable for the mortuary brought a pang of disappointment. But then again, her original work clothes were quite nice—a black Chinese-style dress, and she even had the hat her grandfather had left her…

As for Ke Qing and Gan Yu, the former truly appreciated the word "cute," while the latter blushed slightly and lowered her head in silence.

"Cute? Don't joke around. As one of the Seven Stars of Liyue, how can you think about such things?!" Keqing scolded gently.

The main reason was that she didn't want to be mistaken for a child because of her outfit; however, the uniform actually looked quite nice.

Wanting something but not being able to have it easily—that's Keqing's conflicted state of mind.

Compared to Ke Qing, Gan Yu beside her was much more obedient. "Then, please make me a set, A Xin. If it's too tiring, then forget it."

"No, no, it won't be too much trouble." Xinhui knew what she meant; she probably wanted him to rest for a while. But sometimes making clothes can be a joyful thing too.

Turning to Ke Qing, he asked, "Qing, do you want some?"

Ke Qing: "What the Seven Stars need is majesty, not something cute like this."

"Then I'll only make one set?"

"Let's make two sets."

"..."

This kind of arrogant attitude is more in line with Keqing's personality. Just like the Emperor clay figurine she bought when she was shopping before, she said she didn't want it and didn't like it, but when she got home she still hugged it in her arms.

Knowing this, Xinhui wanted to tease her.

"You did this on purpose, didn't you?" Ke Qing seemed to have realized what was happening at this moment, and said with her little face puffed up in anger.

Xin Hui didn't say anything, but covered the corners of his mouth as if he was secretly laughing, but he still couldn't hide the smile that he was revealing.

Faced with his blatant mockery, Ke Qing could only feel indignant but helpless against Xin Hui. She couldn't hit him, nor could she scold him; doing so would make her seem unrefined. So, she simply turned her delicate neck aside and ignored him.

……

In the morning, Xinhui sat quietly at his clean and shiny desk, with a soft "rustling" sound constantly in his ears. If you looked closely at Xinhui's movements, you would see that he was using a fine-line tool to draw lines on the yellowed and white paper.

Having previously measured the body measurements of several people and combined this with Xinhui's impressions, he found sketching the design quite easy. Before long, he had drawn curves that satisfied even himself.

"That should be fine, right?" Xinhui stretched and tried his best to relax his body.

He walked into the main hall, basking in the warm sunshine, and felt content with his life and relaxed.

At this time, he could still continue to prepare plant-based dyes to pass the time. In the afternoon, he would then deal with the previous orders and the uniforms for Keqing and Ganyu.

After a while, the noisy commotion at the door caught Xinhui's attention.

Out of curiosity, Xin Hui went outside to take a look and was surprised to find that a steady stream of pedestrians were walking in the same direction.

It is the Wanmin Hall on the east side.

What's going on? It's not even lunchtime yet, why are so many people heading to Wanmintang?

It wasn't until Xinhui spotted a familiar figure in the crowd that he stopped the person and asked, "Ying'er, what's going on with everyone? Why are they all running towards Wanmin Hall?"

Indeed, the beautiful figure he stopped was none other than Ying'er, the owner of Chunxiang Kiln.

Upon seeing Xin Hui's face, Ying'er smiled and couldn't help but tease, "Oh, isn't this Boss Xin Hui? Why didn't you come to support Xiang Ling when she developed a new dish?"

Have you developed a new dish?

Oh, right, Xinhui suddenly remembered that someone had indeed called out from outside the door that morning. So that's what it was about.

Actually, Wanmintang has a special rule: once the owner, Master Mao's daughter Xiangling, develops a new dish, all the dishes on that day will be discounted by 10%, and the new dish will be given away for free!

Therefore, driven by discounts and curiosity, this kind of event attracts a lot of people.

"Sigh~ It seems our boss, Xinhui, is really busy enough that he doesn't even know about this kind of thing."

"Then, Sister Ying'er, do you also want to join in the fun?" Although Xin Hui was embarrassed, he didn't forget to change the subject.

Upon hearing this, Ying'er glanced sideways at Xin Hui and asked, "What, isn't Boss Xin Hui going?"

"Yes, of course I'll go..."

"..."

In Liyue, there's a place called "Tiger Rock," and within Tiger Rock lies a restaurant called "Wanmin Hall." On this bustling street, one must maintain utmost focus to keep moving forward. Newcomers, if not careful, might be tempted by the aroma of the food or unable to resist peeking into the restaurant out of curiosity about the voices.

Meanwhile, Xiangling, the waitress and head chef of "Wanmintang," was placing steaming hot food on the tables.

"You can sit anywhere in the empty seats. If there's anything you want to eat, I can make it even if it's not on the menu." For the staff at "Wanmintang," the usual way to tell if a customer is a regular is by recognizing their face and listening to their first words. If they order without looking at the menu, they've definitely been here more than once. If they ask, "Is Xiangling cooking today?", they're guaranteed to be a seasoned gourmet.

"Here it comes, a serving of stir-fried pork slices! This is yours, Mora meat. And here's yours, secret-recipe fried radish balls."

Before Xinhui and his group even got close, they heard Xiangling's welcoming voice coming from the bustling street ahead...

Chapter Ninety-Eight: Trying New Dishes

It wasn't until Xinhui looked at Xiangling that the latter raised her eyes and noticed it, quite a while later.

The girl was carrying a plate of food in each hand. Perhaps because she was used to running errands, her movements were very skillful. Even the soup dishes did not spill when she skipped around.

"Is there anything you need, guest?" Although they were old acquaintances, Xiangling still greeted them politely.

Xiangling has an extremely lively and adorable appearance, wearing a thin, chef's uniform-like outfit, with blue hair and golden eyes, and a circular braid tied at the back of her head. A pale gold hair clip adorns her right forehead, echoing her golden eyes. A red ribbon is tied around her waist, adorned with a golden bell, while the bright red fire-attribute divine eye is pinned to Xiangling's waist.

"I heard that Xiangling has developed a new dish, so Boss Xinhui and I came to support you." Ying'er explained their purpose first, and her tone was gentle.

"Oh, is that so?" Xiangling lightly touched the fine sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand, and prepared to go back to the kitchen. "Please come in and sit down. It might be a little crowded, but it's fine. Just leave the ordering to me."

After Xiangling invited the two to sit down, she gave them a menu. "It's not noon yet, so it's not the busiest time. I reckon it'll get busy in a little while."

Xin Hui watched as Xiang Ling did the work of several people all by herself, acting as a chef, a waitress, and even taking orders. He couldn't help but admire the energy and spirit of this lively girl.

"Let's have two grilled tigerfish," Ying'er said after a moment's consideration, making the decision for Xin Hui.

There's an old saying that goes, "When you come to Huyan, you must try the tiger fish."

This is one of Wanmintang's signature dishes, widely praised outside the restaurant. Xinhui had naturally tried it before, and now he was already savoring the taste.

"I wonder what the new dishes they've developed this time are?" Xinhui asked casually.

"This... ta-da, it's naturally the magnificent dishes created by the great Chef Xiangling—Frosted Slime and Crystal Rice Porridge." While showing off, she also displayed two samples of the new dishes placed to the side.

The sugar slime looked alright, but the crystal-clear glutinous rice porridge looked like a culinary disaster. The porridge was purple in color, and there was no trace of the crystal-clear color in the name. Most people would probably be turned away by it immediately.

"I'll still go with the sugar slime." After hesitating for a long time, Xin Hui still chose the former. Although the raw material was slime, it wasn't as scary as the latter.

However, at this moment, Ying'er expressed her desire to taste the glutinous rice porridge, and her longing expression made Xin Hui somewhat puzzled by her peculiar taste.

But it's just ordering one more dish, it's no big deal.

"Are you sure? If you want both, there's a new dish that requires payment: Sugar Slime 50 Mora, Crystal Rice Porridge 90 Mora. Let's just charge you for the first dish, plus two Grilled Tigerfish..."

Because the rule was that only one new dish would be served, if both dishes were ordered, one of them would need to be paid for. Xiangling deliberately only charged for the cheaper dish, indirectly saving the two of them 40 Mora.

"A total of three hundred and forty Mora!"

Can you believe that Xiangling is even in charge of bookkeeping?!

To be honest, this price is very reasonable among the famous restaurants in Liyue. It truly deserves the name "a place for all people" because it is affordable even for ordinary people.

Xinhui paid the bill very gentlemanly; when they were out and about, she had no reason to let a girl pay.