The restaurant's pricing wasn't expensive, considering most customers were neighbors or ordinary low-level cultivators with modest means. By keeping prices reasonable, everyone could afford to eat there, aiming for thin margins and high turnover.
The restaurant's specialty remained beef. A plate of beef cost two broken spirit stones, which wasn't cheap for cultivators, but compared to spiritual meat or other beef-serving establishments, it was quite economical.
Beef noodles were even more affordable, with plain noodles costing three broken spirit stones, and adding beef required six broken spirit stones.
For ordinary Qi Refining cultivators, daily earnings might amount to just over one spirit stone extra. It would take two days of hard work to afford a plate of beef. Occasionally indulging was feasible, but eating it every day was simply impossible.
However, being able to eat beef for just two spirit stones was a unique offering in the whole Tongxian City. Even if it was just to satisfy a craving, a bowl of beef noodles only cost six broken spirit stones.
Within days of opening, customers began flocking in.
Nearby cultivators, unable to afford meat daily, still found occasions to treat themselves to a good meal now and then.
Some were slightly wealthier Qi Refining cultivators who could afford a meal every few days. Others were friends meeting up, not wanting to splurge too much but not settling for something too simple either, so they ordered a plate of beef with some side dishes, chatting and drinking together.
There were also parents treating their children who had made progress in their cultivation, bringing them for a spicy beef noodle treat to reward them.
Occasionally, traveling merchants passing through would hear about the restaurant having meat. They wanted to indulge but hesitated due to their tight budgets, until they heard they could get a full plate of beef for just two spirit stones, which widened their eyes.
While they still had reservations about the low price, wondering if the quality would suffer, they also thought that with such good business, the taste couldn't be too bad. They decided to try a plate.
Once they took a bite, they couldn't stop.
From then on, the traveling merchants who passed by often would stop at the restaurant, order some meat, and have a few drinks. Those who used to pass without stopping now lingered at the restaurant to enjoy some meat and chat.
Even some traveling merchants who didn't usually pass by here would deliberately change their route to visit the restaurant, just to taste the flavor of the beef and ease their fatigue from long journeys.
After all, within a hundred miles, being able to eat such delicious meat at such a cheap price was exclusive to this restaurant.
As the number of customers gradually increased, the restaurant became busier. Da Hu and his two brothers started helping out at the restaurant. They worked hard all day, ate a large bowl of beef noodles in the evening, took some beef home, and returned home satisfied.
However, Tongxian Sects's classes were about to start, and everyone had to focus on beginning their cultivation journey, so there still weren't enough hands.
Mo Hua didn't want his mother to overwork herself, so he suggested hiring someone to help. Mo Shan also cared about his wife's unrecovered health, which made her unable to use spiritual power, so he agreed with Mo Hua's idea.
After discussing with his wife, Mo Shan hired a family member from the Demon Hunting Team to help at the restaurant for thirty spirit stones a month.
The next day, a young-looking woman with a shy demeanor came to the restaurant, holding a basket of fresh wild vegetables with morning dew, freshly picked from the mountain.
Listening to his parents' conversation, Mo Hua learned that the woman's surname was Jiang, with the single name Yun.
Her husband, surnamed Chu, had been torn open in the chest by a wolf demon's claws during demon hunting. All their savings were used to treat the injury. Although he barely survived, he was severely injured and couldn't continue demon hunting, leaving their household incomeless.
Jiang Yun had poor spiritual roots and only cultivated to the fourth level of Qi Refining before leaving the sect. After a few years, she married and had children. After her husband was seriously injured, she wanted to find a job to support her family. However, her cultivation level was too low to earn much spirit stones, and doing odd jobs brought in meager and unstable income. On top of that, she had a child to take care of, making survival very difficult.
Now having a stable job at the restaurant, earning thirty spirit stones a month, was already very rare for her.
Jiang Yun was deeply grateful but naturally reserved and not good with words. Her face turned red with embarrassment, unable to say much in thanks.
Liu Ru quickly comforted her, telling her not to think too much and just focus on her work.
Only then did Jiang Yun relax, listening attentively to Liu Ru's instructions. She was diligent, meticulous in her work, though not quick to learn, she was very serious about it. Liu Ru liked her attitude.
After closing time, Liu Ru packed several bowls of noodles and added extra slices of beef for Jiang Yun to take home.
Jiang Yun hurriedly declined, blushing and saying she couldn't take it. "Sister Liu, you've been kind enough to me, I can't take this."
Liu Ru insisted, "Take it home for the child to eat."
Jiang Yun couldn't muster any more excuses. Her child hadn't had a full meal in days, let alone meat. She took the food box, wanting to express her gratitude, but her words stumbled. She kept repeating the same few words of thanks.
Li Ru gently comforted her, "Don't think too much. It's getting late. Go home and check on your child."
Carefully holding the food box, Jiang Yun walked home. When passing a corner, she stopped in her tracks. Watching her silhouette, she seemed to be silently sobbing. After a while, she wiped her tears with her sleeve and continued on her way home.
Mo Hua stood from afar, watching her, feeling a mix of emotions.
Their family wasn't wealthy to begin with, living hand-to-mouth. But here in Tongxian City, compared to many struggling cultivator families, their situation was still better off.
"If only all cultivators didn't have to struggle so hard for a living," Mo Hua thought silently.
The opening of Liu Ji Restaurant went smoothly. Li Ru was busy with restaurant affairs all day, looking a bit thinner but with a healthier complexion.
Running the restaurant allowed her to experiment with various recipes and save spirit stones for her son's future cultivation and marriage. Li Ru felt content, with more smiles on her face.
Seeing his wife's current state, Mo Shan felt relieved.
And Mo Hua, enjoying more delicious food, also became happier.
With the restaurant open, their income in spirit stones increased, and they no longer had to struggle like before. By the time Tongxian Sect's school started, the restaurant had made a total profit of over two hundred spirit stones.
Li Ru gave Mo Hua the earned two hundred spirit stones, asking him to choose a suitable cultivation technique at the sect and reminding him not to delay his cultivation.
Mo Hua nodded in agreement.
The next day, as the summer break ended, Tongxian Sect opened its doors, welcoming new disciples.
Mo Hua waved goodbye at the foot of the mountain, bidding farewell to Li Ru who saw him off, then walked into the Sect.
As disciples gradually enrolled, the once quiet Tongling Peak gradually became lively.
However, after two full months of summer break, many disciples' minds were scattered and their cultivation had been neglected. At this moment of enrollment, many wore anxious expressions.
To gather everyone's focus, strict instructors immediately announced an impromptu formation test.
The lingering summer heat was thoroughly doused by this bucket of cold water poured over their heads, leaving many disciples looking despairing.
This was an on-the-spot assessment, with no chance to take home for preparations or any room for slight adjustments.
Mo Hua, however, remained fearless.
Having already mastered five formation patterns, he was considered an experienced apprentice. These basic formation tests from the sect couldn't possibly daunt him.
Moreover, for over a month following the summer break, he had been practicing formations day and night, pushing his spiritual awareness to its limits, constantly squeezing out more from it to strengthen himself.
Confident in handling such trivial assessments, Mo Hua felt assured of his capability.
But when the formation assessment paper was handed out, Mo Hua was a bit dumbfounded.
He checked and rechecked several times, finally confirming that the assessment wasn't on individual formation patterns but rather on a complete formation technique, encompassing six formation patterns!
(End of the Chapter)