Chapter 18

Generally speaking, if someone suddenly finds themselves in an unfamiliar world with different rules and unknown surroundings, they’d typically feel a sense of unreality, like in a dream, before slowly coming to terms with reality. But Nian Qi was the complete opposite—he accepted everything around him with an extraordinary calmness from the moment he woke up. Now, after a full day and night, he was only just beginning to feel a slight sense of detachment, a dreamlike haze.

Across the table, the woman in front of him picked up a piece of meat from the hot pot’s red broth and placed it on his plate, saying, “Try this, it’s fatty beef.” After sampling the spicy food at lunch, Nian Qi thought he could handle it. As for why half of the pot was such a vivid red, he didn’t think much about it, assuming it was due to spices he’d never encountered before. So, out of courtesy, he took the piece Ruan Qing had offered and put it in his mouth. The next moment, his expression turned vividly complex.

Who could have anticipated that the lunchtime spice was merely a preview? It turned out that “spicy” could reach a level that felt outright murderous.

Ruan Qing quickly pushed a glass of iced cola towards him. “Here!”

Without a word, Nian Qi took a big gulp, then another, and another, until the burning sensation was finally subdued. When the spice faded, he raised an eyebrow. “Miss Ruan, won’t you have a taste?”

“Just call me Ruan Qing,” she laughed, waving off the formality. She took a piece of fatty beef from the red broth and ate it without a second thought, chewing a little before swallowing, and then took a delicate sip of cola, watching him with a smile.

“It’s nothing special,” she said modestly. “I can’t enjoy a meal without spice.” She even offered him some advice: “You just have to eat more. The more you eat, the better you’ll handle it.”

She was actually delighted. Zhao Hao couldn’t handle spice at all, he was hopeless. Every time they went out to eat, he’d stick to the mild broth. Occasionally, he’d dip a piece of meat from the mild broth in the spicy side for a quick tease of flavor. Although it didn’t stop her from enjoying her spicy meal, it wasn’t as fun without a dining partner who could truly appreciate it. But now she saw that Nian Qi, though from the past, had some potential for handling spice!

True to her expectations, he didn’t disappoint. Although he was taking deep breaths and downing cola, his chopstick speed was picking up. Hot pot was best enjoyed with a dining partner like this!

After the meal, Ruan Qing said, “You pay, use the QR code.” Under her guidance, Nian Qi brought up the payment code on his phone. The server scanned it, and with a quick “beep,” it was done.

Nian Qi looked at the screen’s display. “One… seven… two?” Then he hesitated before saying, “Two-seven-one?”

This time, he got it right: “Two hundred seventy-one?”

Ruan Qing clarified, “Yuan. 271 yuan.”

As he put away his phone, Nian Qi thought that a thousand yuan didn’t seem to go very far; one meal alone had cost quite a bit. Then again, he reflected that the meal was indeed a bit extravagant, the decor, ambiance, and attentive service created a refined setting, and the meal consisted mostly of meat, with desserts and fruit he’d never seen before. Maybe this was just an occasional indulgence or simply Ruan Qing’s way of treating him.

Feeling full, Ruan Qing said, “Now I’ll take you to the chāoshì (supermarket) .”

It was yet another new term, so Nian Qi naturally asked, “What… what is a chāoshì (supermarket)?”

“It’s short for ‘chāojí shìchǎng’ (supermarket),’” Ruan Qing explained. This answer didn’t entirely clear up Nian Qi’s confusion since, in his time, “super” implied something grand or hierarchical. So, what was a supermarket? A place only dignitaries could frequent? Still puzzled, he followed Ruan Qing to the basement level of the shopping center.

Once there, Nian Qi quickly got a firsthand understanding of what a “supermarket” was.

“This isn’t the largest in Jiangcheng, but it’s the biggest one in the city center,” Ruan Qing said. “There are even larger warehouse-style supermarkets in the suburbs, with everything sold in bulk. Even fermented bean curd is packed three jars to a bundle.”

But this city supermarket, with its vast variety of goods and orderly shelves, was enough to astonish him. After a long, breathless moment, he finally exhaled.

Ruan Qing teased him, “How’s the experience, senior?”

“A golden age,” Nian Qi affirmed. “This must be a time of peace and prosperity, right?”

“Spot on,” Ruan Qing replied. “You really did land in a good era. If you’d arrived 80 or 90 years ago, it’d be during wartime. Even 40 or 50 years back, things weren’t this good. All this is recent development.”

She grabbed a shopping cart and, with a casual air, handed it to Nian Qi. “We could actually shop online and not even step foot in the supermarket. But I brought you here so you could get a sense of the local prices, which should give you an idea of living costs in this place.”

Nian Qi naturally took the cart, finding it convenient for carrying the two shoe bags he was holding. Everywhere he looked, he found small details designed for convenience and comfort.

Hearing Ruan Qing’s comment, he realized something. “No wonder you taught me to recognize numbers before we left.”

“If you don’t know Arabic numerals, you can’t even press the right elevator button,” she laughed, nudging the cart forward. “Come on, let’s start from this side.”

This time, the sights truly left him wide-eyed. The sheer abundance was almost unimaginable. In a single market, they could buy everything from clothes to food and household items—even televisions. And for each product, there were endless options. Just the “drinks” section alone filled four entire rows. The snack section was even larger, with one whole row dedicated to chocolate alone. Ruan Qing casually tossed two boxes of it into the cart—the same brand he’d nibbled on while watching TV at home earlier.

All the while, Nian Qi had been glancing at the prices and was no longer misreading the numbers. By now, he was well-versed in recognizing them. He quickly noted that Ruan Qing had chosen the priciest option on the shelf.

He looked up and asked, puzzled, “Imported? Why the special label? Aren’t all these things meant to be eaten?”

Ruan Qing burst out laughing. “It means ‘imported’ from other countries. ‘Import’ is when things are brought into our country from abroad. When our goods are sent abroad, it’s called ‘export.’”

Nian Qi nodded in understanding and asked, “So imported items are more expensive than local ones?”

“Sharp observation,” Ruan Qing replied.

Ruan Qing praised him, “Generally speaking, the things we go out of our way to import from abroad tend to be of better quality. Plus, there are import duties, so the prices are higher.”

Nian Qi nodded. He silently followed Ruan Qing, pushing the shopping cart and observing her. It quickly became clear that she had a preference for imported goods, or even if they weren’t imported, the items she casually tossed into the cart were often from the more expensive shelves, sometimes even the priciest options. It was easy to see that she was not stingy with her money and liked to enjoy life.

Ruan Qing didn’t buy any large items. She said, “It’s a hassle to carry them back; I’ll just buy them online and have them delivered.” Most of what she tossed into the cart were snacks.

But Nian Qi noticed that the supermarket also sold vegetables and meat, so he asked, “Can you also buy groceries ‘online’?”

“Yes, they deliver everything straight to your door,” Ruan Qing said.

“Then we should buy some vegetables,” Nian Qi reminded her. “I noticed there aren’t many left at home. If we don’t buy some today, we might not have anything to cook tomorrow.”

Ruan Qing was walking ahead, and upon hearing this, she turned around and asked, “Did you see me making breakfast this morning?”

He had seen it, and with the help of some kitchen gadgets he had never seen before, she managed to whip up a quick breakfast in a few minutes, though it had a peculiar taste.

Nian Qi was about to offer a polite compliment, but Ruan Qing continued, “That’s the extent of my cooking skills.”

Nian Qi: “…”

The compliments halted abruptly.

Ruan Qing admitted, “I can only make toast, fried eggs, bacon, and maybe boil some noodles. That’s about it.”

Nian Qi was surprised, “Then what do you usually do for meals?”

“My job doesn’t require me to be in an office, but that doesn’t mean I’m at home every day. When I’m out, I eat out,” Ruan Qing explained. “When I’m at home, I order takeout, like we did at lunch.”

Nian Qi asked, “How much did our lunch cost?”

Ruan Qing pulled out her phone to check the order, “175 yuan.” Given her spending habits, a thousand yuan really didn’t last long.

“Don’t worry about the money,” Ruan Qing reassured him. “Until you can support yourself, I’ll take care of your living expenses.” She seemed to be quite capable of earning money, considering she had even supported Zhao Hao before.

After a moment of contemplation, Nian Qi said, “Actually, I have some basic cooking skills. Since we have a kitchen and cookware at home, why not let me give it a try?”

“Eh?” Ruan Qing was finally the one surprised this time. “But aren’t gentlemen supposed to stay away from the kitchen?”

“I’m just a laborer, not a gentleman. Scholars are the real gentlemen,” Nian Qi said with a laugh, explaining, “When you’re on the road, it’s miserable to eat dry food all the time. If you want a hot meal in the wilderness, you have to cook it yourself.”

“Can you really do it?” Ruan Qing was skeptical. With his dark clothes, bloodstained sword, and handsome face, he looked like someone who could easily play a villain in a period drama. Saying he could cook was hard to believe for her.

“There will definitely be things I’m not familiar with or don’t recognize, but I can learn,” Nian Qi said. “Eventually, I’ll need to learn to use the kitchen, because even if I leave you someday, I might not be able to afford takeout every meal. Can everyone here afford to eat takeout all the time?”

Driving over, he had seen street vendors on the roadside. It was clear that those places were messy, and some people bought food and ate it right there, standing on the street. It certainly wasn’t as leisurely as Ruan Qing, who could sit down in a dimly lit restaurant to order. It showed that even in prosperous times, there were still divisions between wealth and poverty.

Nian Qi couldn’t believe that a thousand years into the future, everyone could afford takeout like Ruan Qing.

“Well, not exactly…” Ruan Qing thought about it for a moment and was convinced, “You’re right. Let’s go, let’s buy some groceries.”

They bought vegetables and meat, and finally, Nian Qi reminded her, “Don’t forget the chili peppers.”