Chapter 10: The Earth God Does Deliveries

After last night’s lavish midnight feast, Yun Tao woke up feeling less ravenous than usual.

Shanhai Pork was packed with spiritual energy, offering excellent nourishment. It even managed to tame the unruly demon energy that always seemed to be stirring inside him. Yun Tao’s mood had improved considerably.

Thanks to word-of-mouth, the Zhuyu pancakes from Taotie Delicacies had become a hot topic among the residents of Shanhai Street. The locals had gotten into the habit of picking up breakfast there, turning it into the latest buzz-worthy subject of conversation. In the market, on social media, and in family group chats, people couldn’t stop talking about it. Some thought the hype was overblown, others dismissed it with a laugh, but there were plenty of curious ones eager to try it for themselves.

When Yun Tao opened the shop that morning, he noticed more than just the usual Shanhai Street regulars. There were lots of unfamiliar faces in the crowd.

Since it was still early, these weren’t the young people who’d come after seeing viral posts online. Instead, it was grandmas and grandpas carrying shopping baskets, young parents on e-bikes taking their kids to school, or stroller-pushing grandparents.

Yun Tao wasn’t particularly curious about how they’d heard of Taotie Delicacies, but they couldn’t seem to take their eyes off him, all eager to chat him up. Before long, he learned from their enthusiastic chatter that they were all local residents who had heard glowing recommendations about the place from Shanhai Street regulars. The passion was so genuine that they’d finally decided to drop by—and they didn’t just know about the food. They also knew about the adorable little owner running the place, who was both “gorgeous” and “super sweet.”

One grandmother, especially fond of Yun Tao, lingered after buying her breakfast. She gently held his hand and asked, “Little one, are you in preschool yet?”

Yun Tao shook his head. “Nope.”

The grandma wasn’t surprised. She figured this sweet little boy only had his two not-much-older “big brothers” around, with no one really paying attention to these matters. She gave his hand a loving pat and turned to Yun Fenghe and Tai Sui with a concerned tone: “He’s, what, about four years old? Such a clever child! You really need to keep up with his education—don’t let it slide. We’re all neighbors here, so if you ever need help, don’t hesitate to ask.”

This sparked a flurry of advice from the other customers—parents and grandparents alike—all chiming in with their thoughts on raising kids. The little shop became a lively forum on preschool education.

When the morning rush finally died down, Tai Sui slouched into a wicker chair, watching Yun Tao with an amused glint in his eye. “Hey, little brother, seems like your education’s become a priority. How about I send you to a demon preschool?”

Yun Tao: “…” Gee, thanks.

Yun Fenghe, on the other hand, looked serious. “Taotao, do you want to go to school? I can arrange it.”

Yun Tao shook his head firmly. “No way. I’m not an actual kid. Why waste my time on that?”

Even if there really was a demon school, would any of the other little demons still dare to show up if he went?

Yun Fenghe considered this and decided it was reasonable for now. Still, as Yun Tao grew older, they’d eventually have to find him a school to help him blend in.

Unaware of Yun Fenghe’s long-term plans, Yun Tao quickly brushed off the whole conversation. To him, it was just a tiny, insignificant blip in his day, forgotten as soon as it passed.

At ten o’clock, Jiang Qing showed up at the shop. She was on her day off and had slept in for the first time in ages. With no makeup and a fresh, energized look, she seemed even more radiant than usual.

She waved her phone at Yun Tao and got straight to the point. “Taotao, my coworkers asked me to check with you—can Taotie Delicacies do deliveries? If so, what’s the minimum order? There are about 20 people at their gym who’d like to place an order.”

Jiang Qing didn’t even realize it herself, but no matter how much she thought the real owners of Taotie Delicacies were the two dashing men behind the scenes, she always skipped over them to discuss things directly with the “little mascot” of the shop.

Yun Tao tilted his head. “How far is it?”

“Not too far,” Jiang Qing replied, glancing at a shared location on her phone. “It’s less than three kilometers away. With a little e-scooter, it’d take about twenty minutes.”

“We don’t have an e-scooter,” Yun Tao said bluntly.

Jiang Qing grinned. “My dad has one, with a thermal box mounted on the back. He uses it to deliver fruit, but it’d work just fine for food delivery. You can borrow it if you want.”

She added with a smile, “If you’re too busy, I can even help deliver the food today—I’m on break anyway.”

Yun Tao didn’t want to ruin Jiang Qing’s hard-earned day off. But as a kid, there was no way he could handle food deliveries himself. It was a good order, though, and he didn’t want to pass it up. After thinking it over, he said, “I’ll hire a runner.”

“I’ll take care of the delivery,” Yun Fenghe said, flashing Jiang Qing a polite smile. “Sister Qing, could I borrow the e-scooter?”

Jiang Qing gave him an OK gesture and added, “Let’s exchange contacts. I’ll send you the location and my coworker’s number. If you’re not around, I can swing by the shop and help out.”

Yun Fenghe pulled out his old-fashioned flip phone and said apologetically, “My phone doesn’t support all those features. Just tell me the address and number—I’ll find it.”

Even Jiang Qing’s grandfather had switched to a smartphone by now, so she was shocked to see a teenager still using an old-school phone. “Are you sure you’ll be able to find the place? They’re ordering lunch, and if you get lost under this blazing sun, that’ll be rough.”

“I’ll be fine. I know the area like the back of my hand.”

With his clean, delicate features and a refreshing smile, Yun Fenghe gave off an air of trustworthiness, like a cool breeze on a hot day. Jiang Qing found herself convinced he could handle it.

“Alright then. I’ll let my coworker know to put together the order list. I’ll go grab the e-scooter now.”

“I’ll go with you,” Yun Fenghe offered, walking alongside her as they left.

Watching them go, Tai Sui shrugged at Yun Tao. “Weak as he may seem, he is a local deity. You really think he’d get lost?”

Yun Tao caught on immediately. “In today’s world, a land god doing deliveries… it’s literally the perfect match for the job!”

Tai Sui smirked. “Hard to argue with that.”

Before long, Yun Fenghe returned, riding the e-scooter and holding a printed order list Jiang Qing had prepared. She had initially planned to help him with the deliveries but was gently turned down—he insisted she should enjoy her day off.

The order was from Pan Da, who worked at a nearby gym. In total, they ordered 23 lunchboxes, carefully curbing their cravings under Pan Da’s firm guidance. Along with drinks, the per-person cost came to under 20 yuan, totaling exactly 400 yuan for the group. They had also purchased some low-sugar fruits from Jiang Qing’s family fruit shop, which Yun Fenghe agreed to deliver along with the food.

At 11:30, with all the food neatly packed into the thermal box, Yun Fenghe put on a helmet and said, “I’m heading out. I’ll be back soon.”

“Be careful, big brother!” Yun Tao waved sweetly as the e-scooter hummed to life and smoothly disappeared into the maze of alleys.

Minutes later, the scooter, fully loaded with delicious food, reappeared unnoticed on the street where the gym was located. It blended seamlessly into traffic before coming to a stop in front of the gym.

Yun Fenghe pulled out his flip phone and dialed the number on the order list. “Hello, your delivery from Taotie Delicacies has arrived.”

Pan Da and the gym coach came out to collect the food. Both were drenched in sweat from their intense workout, and the sight of Yun Fenghe—calm, cool, and not a bead of sweat on him—left them momentarily stunned.

The sun was blazing, the heat oppressive, and Yun Fenghe was dressed in a long-sleeve robe with casually rolled-up sleeves. His spotless, bright-white outfit and serene demeanor made him look like he’d just stepped out of an ancient painting. If it weren’t for the slightly awkward helmet, he could’ve easily passed for a refined scholar.

Riding from Taotie Delicacies to the gym took at least 20 minutes, yet here he was, looking utterly unfazed. What kind of constitution was this?

After a moment of disbelief, Pan Da snapped out of it and greeted him warmly.

Recognizing Yun Fenghe from photos as one of Taotie Delicacies owners, Pan Da said with a grin, “Boss, I’ve been eating your Zhuyu specials every day—they’re absolutely amazing!”

“Thanks for your support.” Yun Fenghe opened the thermal box. “The fruits are in here too, separated with foam to keep them cool. I can help you carry everything inside.”

“No need, no need!” Pan Da waved him off. Yun Fenghe looked slender and refined—how could they let him carry anything heavy? Pan Da easily lifted more than half the food boxes on his own.

The gym coach smiled at Yun Fenghe, adding, “Thanks, man. If the food’s as good as Pan Da says, we’ll definitely order again!”

Yun Fenghe nodded politely, his expression warm.

The coach continued, “By the way, if you ever feel like working out, hit me up! I’ll give you 20% off a monthly membership!”

Yun Fenghe: “…”

Pan Da: “…”

Somehow, a gym coach never misses a chance to pitch a membership.

Yun Fenghe hopped back on the scooter and returned to Shanhai Street in no time.

Handing the scooter back to Jiang Qing, he removed his helmet and said, “The fruits and lunch were delivered without a hitch.”

“My coworker already sent me pictures,” Jiang Qing replied, showing him the snapshots. “How’d you make it back so quickly?”

Yun Fenghe glanced at the pictures, surprised at Pan Da’s enthusiasm for sharing, but his face remained calm. “I took a shortcut.”

Jiang Qing was left wondering just how “short” this shortcut must have been. Still, with the food already delivered and no obvious contradictions, she didn’t dwell on it too much.

Back home, Tai Sui leaned back and commented, “Fast. Truly a perfect match for the job.”

Yun Fenghe: “?”