Her Cultivation Diary
Chapter 539 - Chapter 539 539. Minor Episode_1

Chapter 539: 539. Minor Episode_1 Chapter 539: 539. Minor Episode_1 The three of them carefully picked and chose from the buffet, but the hotel’s offerings were clearly standard; they weren’t any different from other places.

So after a quick glance, they settled into their old habits, scooping up a bowl of porridge and pairing it with some fried rice or noodles, just to make do.

The porridge was well-cooked, thick and hearty, with rice grains blossoming.

But as soon as Qiaoqiao stirred it, she frowned and whispered, “It’s not as good as the one at home.”

Who could disagree?

Zhang Yanping and Xin Jun exchanged glances, and for some reason, at that moment, they began to regret coming out.

But they were already here!

“Maybe we’re just used to the taste of home, and it’s a bit hard to adjust at first–no worries, Brother Yanping will take you out for some big lobsters and huge crabs at noon, and it’ll definitely be a different flavor!”

“Great!” Qiaoqiao was easily satisfied, and at that moment cheerfully twisted open the lid of the pickle jar, “It’s good we brought some of this… Brother Yanping, do you want pickled long beans or green pepper beef?”

Her voice, not too loud or soft, drew attention in the quiet buffet, especially the content of what she said–

Sitting next to them was a young girl who tried to hold back but couldn’t, and she explained softly, “That thing… breakfast is included in the room fee, it’s free, you can eat as much as you like. You can even take a couple of tea eggs with you, so you don’t get hungry on the road.”

Her advice couldn’t be more considerate.

But… Zhang Yanping and Xin Jun looked at each other, feeling a bit embarrassed.

The embarrassment wasn’t about bringing their own pickles, but rather how to respond to the girl’s kindness.

Before they could come up with an excuse, Qiaoqiao gave the girl a sweet smile, “Thank you, sister!”

“My mom said that coming to the seaside can cause some discomfort due to the different environment, so it’s better to eat more things from home… Sister, would you like to try some? We made it, and it’s super, super delicious!”

Called out like that, the girl was taken aback, and seemed to see something in Qiaoqiao’s eyes. Her expression softened, “Really? Thanks, but I won’t have any. Where are you from? I also felt a bit off the first time I traveled…”

Qiaoqiao said excitedly, “This is my first time going out of town. We’re from Yun City, Sister, where are you from?”

Yun City was quite small, and the girl thought long but couldn’t place it, so she replied, “I’m from Shan City. People there love spicy food, I’m not sure if the seafood here is made very bland…”

She looked at Qiaoqiao and heaved a sigh, “If only I knew, I would have brought a bottle of chili sauce too, better safe than sorry.”

The two strangers were chatting away, leaving Zhang Yanping and Xin Jun ignored and sharing an inward sense of awkwardness.

…

Before long, a young man approached the buffet and glanced at Qiaoqiao and then at the girl across from him, passing the bowl of jujube porridge in his hand to her, “Nothing much worth eating, just getting by… What’s wrong? Got a craving for chili early in the morning?”

“Not really,” the girl came back to her senses, “I was just chatting with this young man, saw him bringing pickles, and couldn’t help but say something–I can handle missing a meal.”

The man’s gaze scanned them: one clean and fresh-looking, almost like a high school student, one quiet and polite, and another dark and sturdy, even looking a bit fierce…

He paused for a moment, then withdrew his gaze and said to the girl, “It’s fine, Sea City is famous for its Yellow Lantern Chili Sauce, if you want to eat it later, we can buy a bottle at the supermarket.”

After speaking, he glanced at the pickles and chili sauce on the opposite table, implying, “It’s more fun to eat local specialties when you’re on a trip. It’s not about saving that bit of money.”

“What are you talking about?!” the girl glared at him, and he quickly realized his mistake and changed the subject.

They chatted away as if it were just a minor interlude.

But unexpectedly, as the girl was about to grab another bun, she suddenly swayed and fell to the side!

Afterward, a middle-aged woman rushed out hastily.

Qiaoqiao happened to be standing there, steadied the person, and thus prevented a fall.

“I’m so sorry, so sorry…”

The other party kept apologizing, but it wasn’t her fault. Qiaoqiao had just instinctively lent a hand when she rose and swiftly let go afterward.

She then waved her off: “See you later, sister.”

…

Meanwhile, after finishing their meal, the trio returned to their room.

Zhang Yanping’s philosophy towards travel was: since you’re here, truly relax and unwind. Don’t rush from place to place every day just to check off the sights. That would just leave you tired and worn out, and greatly diminish the travel experience.

Conveniently, Xin Jun shared the same view.

And Qiaoqiao, having never traveled before, had no say in the matter.

At that moment, the three of them were in sync, taking everything at a leisurely pace.

Until Xin Jun asked, “Where shall we go today?”

“Haven’t thought about it yet.”

Without any fear of judgment, Zhang Yanping eagerly pulled out his phone: “Let me look up some travel guides, see which attraction is interesting–Oh, Qiaoqiao, do you want to try scuba diving? There’s a famous activity here for a diving experience.”

Qiaoqiao pondered: “Is it underwater? The kind where you have an oxygen tank on your back?”

“Yes!” Zhang Yanping nodded enthusiastically: “Underwater, with an instructor by your side who can even take photos for you.”

Unfortunately, all three of them had dubious photography skills, with even Xin Jun, standing at the pinnacle of their technical abilities, only producing slightly better-looking pictures…

Forget it, might as well rely on the scenic area for photos.

Back to checking the guide: “Oh, traveling there by bus requires several transfers… Let’s see if there’s a local day tour available.”

Xin Jun nodded in agreement: “That’s a good idea. I was about to suggest joining a local day tour myself, it’s more convenient.”

Those tours pick you up at a central location, take you to your destination, and then bring you back in the evening from a fixed point. Everything from ticket purchasing to transportation is taken care of, which is quite handy.

As they casually chatted, Qiaoqiao silently observed the webpage Zhang Yanping was navigating, not blinking an eye.

So this is what joining a tour group was like, huh? The process seemed complex, but Qiaoqiao got the hang of it–wow!

He’s really skilled!

And Zhang Yanping, browsing the page, announced: “There’s a group gathering right at our hotel entrance, departing in half an hour… just enough time for us to get ready!”

It wasn’t until Zhang Yanping had paid, screenshotted the QR code, and done everything in one fell swoop that Qiaoqiao let out a sigh of relief–

He had memorized it all and felt like he had picked up a new skill!

Next time, when he saved up enough money, he would bring his sister and parents along!

Zhang Yanping did not notice his little action, as he was currently peering out the window at the big sun–it had become less humid just now.

“Sigh, Sea City’s weather is so unpredictable. Hope it doesn’t rain today.”

No sooner had he spoken than a swath of dark clouds suddenly drifted overhead, plunging the sky into darkness–

Zhang Yanping: …