As soon as they got out of the car, Father Gao let out a “Whoa!” “This sign is amazing! It’s so well-maintained!”

Mother Gao squinted at it. “How come I don’t see any ropes? Did this vine grow into this shape all on its own?”

Father Gao guessed, “They probably tied it into shape first, then untied the ropes after it set, right?”

“It’s strangely beautiful,” Mother Gao said. “I wonder if it will bloom.”

Gao Jiajia parked the car and led her parents inside.

The dilapidated wooden door was ajar. She pushed it open gently, and a pleasant female voice said softly, “Welcome. Do you like flowers?”

“Ah? What?” Gao Jiajia thought someone was speaking to her, but when she looked down, she saw a potted plant.

The plant was placed to the left of the entrance. It was about half a person’s height, and the pot was a hollowed-out tree stump, with the flower planted inside.

The leaves were somewhat like a clivia lily—long, narrow leaves about a hand’s width, parted to either side, with a flower stalk about two fingers thick in the middle.

Right before the eyes of Gao Jiajia and her parents, three flower buds appeared on the stalk and bloomed brilliantly, revealing two large flowers and one small one.

Looking at the blossoms alone, they resembled flowering crabapples, and they were different colors: two were magenta, and one was pinkish-white.

The gentle female voice spoke again, “Three little flowers for you. I hope you have a wonderful time~”

The family of three was surprised. “Is this an artificial flower? It’s so well-made. It’s prettier than the crabapple trees we have at home.”

It was an uncanny coincidence that all three of them happened to love flowering crabapples.

“It’s a welcoming decoration. You can pick them if you like; they’re edible,” Zhao Xing said with a smile as he came forward, glancing at the Welcoming Flower.

【Welcoming Flower: Used to welcome guests at the entrance. Also edible. Allows guests to temporarily forget their troubles and enjoy happiness.】

Hearing that the flower could be picked, Mother Gao was a bit reluctant. She touched a blossom. “Oh, it feels just like a real one!”

Gao Jiajia, however, was eager to try. She carefully plucked the three flowers, gave the two larger ones to her parents, and popped the small one into her mouth.

She chewed a couple of times. “Mmm! It’s cool and sweet. Tastes good!”

Her mother, while laughingly calling her an ox chewing on a peony, also put the flower in her mouth along with her husband.

It was indeed sweet, with a taste somewhat like dried fruit but more succulent…

Moreover, after eating the flower, the emptiness that had filled her heart since retirement was somehow filled. She suddenly felt grounded, and a long-lost sense of joy welled up inside her.

Mother Gao wiped the corner of her mouth and said with genuine feeling, “This guesthouse is really something special. To have such a thoughtful touch right at the entrance, it’s bound to be a great place!”

As her own daughter, Gao Jiajia could tell if her mother was truly happy or not. She was suddenly overcome with excitement, turned sharply to Zhao Xing, and said, “Boss, do you have any more of these flower petals? I’ll buy a pound!”

Zhao Xing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “The flowers only appear when welcoming guests. How about you all visit a few more times?”

Gao Jiajia laughed and quickly agreed that she certainly would.

After leading them in and getting their reservation information, Zhao Xing got busy again. With more guests at the guesthouse now, he was struggling to manage on his own. If he had saved up enough money, he would have hired help long ago.

The Gao family put away their luggage and found a place to sit. The main hall was quite lively, with several children playing together and the adults chatting with each other as if they were all old friends.

The three of them couldn’t quite integrate for the time being, so they just watched from the side.

Gao Jiajia noticed her dad kept clutching his chest and grew nervous. “Dad, what’s wrong? Is your old problem acting up again?”

Her father had a chronic issue with heart palpitations. It wasn’t serious, but it was very bothersome when it flared up.

“Er…” Father Gao didn’t speak.

Gao Jiajia became anxious. “What is it? Is it serious? Maybe we should go back now…”

Her dad quickly waved his hand. “No, it’s just that I was having some palpitations on the way here, but after entering the guesthouse, they’ve gone away for some reason…”

Gao Jiajia sighed in relief.

Her mother also complained, “You didn’t say anything when it was acting up on the road. We could have turned back and gone to the hospital.”

Her dad didn’t dare to talk back, thinking to himself, I just didn’t want to spoil your fun.

Gao Jiajia was still a bit worried. “It used to take a whole night’s sleep to get better. How did it go away on its own this time? Maybe we should still go back and have it checked at the hospital…”

Before she could finish, her dad waved his hand again. “No need. I feel like it’s really gone. I think it has something to do with the fragrance in this guesthouse. This woody scent, the moment I smelled it, I felt much more relaxed. Didn’t the doctor say my problem was caused by my own anxiety?”

Gao Jiajia was speechless. “That must be your imagination. How could you get better just by smelling a fragrance?”

The moment she said it, an old gentleman sitting nearby turned around and said with a smile, “It’s no imagination.”

Professor Liao smiled and pointed at the children running all over the place. “Look at these kids. Do you see anything different about them compared to other children?”

The three members of the Gao family turned to look.

After a moment, it was Mother Gao who frowned. “These children… are they not attending school normally?”

At her age, many of her friends and colleagues were starting to have grandchildren. She had seen several children of a similar age.

Around six years old, they should be in elementary school. The games they played and the topics they discussed usually followed a certain pattern. But these children, although they were playing very happily, were different from other kids.

Normal children would at least be quoting lines from cartoons or singing songs taught by their teachers at school. But these children seemed completely unfamiliar with the lives of their peers.

Professor Liao nodded. “You’re right. Before coming to the guesthouse, all of these children were patients with emotional dysregulation disorder.”

The Gao family all gasped. They had heard of this illness, and that it was incurable…

After a moment, Gao Jiajia said in disbelief, “Are you saying that it’s because they came to this guesthouse and smelled this fragrance that these children got better?”

Professor Liao smiled kindly. “Incredible, isn’t it? That’s why we all think it’s a miracle.”

Wang Fang, who had been playing with the children, also turned her head and smiled. “We didn’t believe it at first either. But what’s that saying? The facts speak for themselves. Aren’t these children the best proof?”

Gao Jiajia murmured, “This is too unbelievable…”

She couldn’t help but observe the children.

She saw one of them, a little boy who bore some resemblance to Professor Liao, suddenly shout towards the kitchen, “Brother Ah Xing, I want to drink some rock sugar water~”

The other children also raised their chubby little hands. “I want some too—”

“Me too!”

The children’s clear, childish voices carried across the hall to the kitchen.

Zhao Xing came out, grumbling, “A bunch of little monkeys, always causing trouble when I’m busy.”

With that, he brought out four cups with cartoon patterns on them and poured in the rock sugar water he had prepared earlier.

The four children weren’t afraid of him at all. They cheered and surrounded him, each picking a cup and gulping it down.

After finishing, they even lined up to wash their cups and put them on the table to dry.

The parents watched this scene with smiles, none of them stepping up to help their own child with the task.

Gao Jiajia couldn’t see anything different about these children at all. She even suspected that these parents had teamed up to trick her…

But if this was real, wasn’t it a miracle? A very beautiful miracle…

She came back to her senses. Her dad was already chatting with Professor Liao.

She didn’t know what they were talking about, but Professor Liao suddenly stood up. “Old brother, are you tired from the car ride? Why didn’t you say so earlier? I’ll make you a cup of tea.”

With that, he brought back a tea tray and then got a thermos to pour water.

Gao Jiajia quickly reminded him, “Sir, you haven’t put any tea leaves in!”

Professor Liao waved his hand. “This teapot doesn’t need tea leaves.”

“How can you make tea without tea leaves…” Before Gao Jiajia could finish, she saw hot water being poured in, and a rich tea fragrance wafted out.

Gao Jiajia was astonished. She couldn’t help but go over for a look.

Sure enough, there wasn’t a single tea leaf in the celadon teapot, yet the liquid was truly a golden tea.

Professor Liao cheerfully poured tea for Father Gao. Her father took a sip. “Good tea! Old brother, this pot of yours is really something!”

Professor Liao quickly waved his hands. “Oh, this isn’t my pot. It belongs to Boss Zhao.”

Father Gao clicked his tongue. “To let a guest use such a precious pot so casually, that’s really…”

Gao Jiajia was confused. “Wait, what’s going on? Am I the only one who thinks it’s strange that you can make tea without tea leaves?”

Professor Liao and Father Gao exchanged a glance and both smiled.

Professor Liao said patiently, “Little girl, have you ever heard of seasoning a teapot?”

Gao Jiajia shook her head.

Professor Liao explained, “When you buy a teapot, you brew tea in it and season it well. A well-seasoned pot will have a tea fragrance in the future, even without tea leaves.”

Father Gao nodded. “That’s right. But to achieve this level of golden tea, this pot is probably worth a thousand gold pieces. The young owner of this shop is very generous!”

Professor Liao continued, “That’s not even the most important part. This tea also has the effect of nourishing the body. If you don’t believe me, try it.”

Father Gao, half-believing, drank a cup and let out a long sigh. He felt the fatigue from the long car ride instantly disappear.

A warmth spread from his chest to his limbs, and his somewhat heavy body immediately felt lighter.

He quickly poured a cup for Mother Gao.

After they both drank it, they had expressions of relaxation and comfort.

Gao Jiajia didn’t like tea, so Professor Liao told her to pour herself some plain water.

A man whose cup was just empty stood up. “I’ll go get it. It’s in the green thermos, right?”

Gao Jiajia quickly said thank you, then asked, “Is the water in the different thermoses different?”

The man nodded. “Of course. The green thermos has mountain spring water. It’s delicious. The other thermoses just have regular water.”

Gao Jiajia, still skeptical, took the cup and had a sip. Her eyes instantly widened.

The water was incredibly sweet! And the sweetness wasn’t from sugar, but a kind of spring water taste with a sweet aftertaste.

She murmured to herself, “What is with this guesthouse? Even the water is this delicious?”

The man was quite friendly. “Right? There’s something special about this guesthouse. I’ve traveled all over the country so many times, stayed in dozens, if not hundreds, of hotels, and I’ve never seen anything like this. A sign made of vines, a flower that welcomes guests, and even wooden walls that can soothe your mood. I’ve never even heard of these things, let alone seen them.”

Gao Jiajia then asked, “But I heard there are no scenic spots here. I actually wanted to take my parents out for a spring outing. Are there any good places nearby?”

The man slapped his thigh. “What spring outing? In the afternoon, Boss Zhao will take us out to play. It’s so much fun! Last time, he took us to feed the birds. A huge flock of birds, and they’re all so friendly. If you don’t feed them well, they’ll even scold you! When you stay at this guesthouse, you don’t have to think about anything. Boss Zhao will arrange everything for you perfectly.”

Gao Jiajia was curious. “How long have you been staying here, mister? You’re so familiar with everything.”

The man rubbed his nose. “I just got here yesterday. I bet you came because you saw it on your Moments, just like me. How should I put it? This guesthouse just feels very comfortable to stay in, even more comfortable than my own home. It’s different from other guesthouses, so I couldn’t help but say a few words to you. It’s not just me; the other long-term guests are all like this.”

Gao Jiajia followed his gaze and looked over.

Sure enough, Professor Liao was telling her dad how good the tea was and its benefits for the body; Wang Fang was holding her mom’s hand, saying that whenever she felt down, she should just come to the guesthouse, she didn’t even have to do anything, just sitting in the main hall would make her feel better…

Seeing the smiles on her parents’ faces, Gao Jiajia couldn’t help but smile too.

This trip was really the right choice.

Just as she was thinking this, her phone rang. She picked it up and saw it was a message from her colleague. “Jiajia, did you go to the guesthouse? How is it?”

Gao Jiajia couldn’t help but start gushing, listing all the guesthouse’s good points at once. Her colleague sent back a surprised emoji: “Is it that good? You’re making me want to go. You’re not being paid to advertise, are you?”

Gao Jiajia laughed. “You’ll know when you come. The guests at this guesthouse can’t help but promote it!”

Her colleague replied with a laugh, “Then you should just go post about it on a forum.”

After chatting with her colleague, she looked at the harmonious and friendly scene in the main hall and felt a wave of emotion.

In this age where people have become so indifferent to each other, this scene was so rare. Although they were all strangers, they were like friends…

Just as she was thinking this, she heard Zhao Xing shout from the kitchen, “Dinner’s ready!”

Instantly, the main hall descended into chaos.

Professor Liao reacted with lightning speed, pulling Father Gao to his feet. “Old brother, let’s go, let’s go! Let’s get to the front of the line, or we won’t be able to beat these young people!”

Father Gao, completely bewildered, was pulled along by him. The two oldest people present were somehow the fastest.

Several guests who had been chatting happily just a moment ago suddenly changed their expressions, eyeing each other warily as they moved forward.

One said, “Hey, I’m telling you, you cut in front of me last time. It’s not a big deal, why can’t you let me go first this time?”

The other retorted, “How is it not a big deal? People are made of iron, food is made of steel. If you don’t eat, you’ll starve. Not being enthusiastic about eating is a sign of a flawed ideology!”

The two glared at each other and walked faster and faster, eventually breaking into a run.

The others also got up one by one and swarmed towards the kitchen.

Gao Jiajia hadn’t even reacted yet when the man who had been talking to her pulled her along. “Hurry up! If you don’t run, you’ll be at the back of the line when they serve the food!”

Gao Jiajia was still confused. “So what? Is there not enough food?”

The man said, “There’s enough food, but if you’re at the back, you’ll have to eat last. And those animals… ahem, those guests at the front will deliberately taunt you with their food!”

Gao Jiajia didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Am I a child? she thought. Can I really be taunted by a meal?

Before she could finish her thought, Zhao Xing had already come out with the iron wok and shouted, “Today we’re having sweet potato buns and crispy pork stew!”

After he said that, the guests ran even faster.

“I want two sweet potato buns!”

“Can I get a little more crispy pork this time? Last time with the salted fish, you said I couldn’t eat it because of my high blood pressure…”

“Crispy pork is deep-fried. People with high blood pressure probably can’t eat that either, right?”

“I don’t care! Anyway, if you don’t give me an extra half-scoop this time, I’m going to throw a tantrum!”

Zhao Xing was speechless. “Professor Liao, you really can’t eat high-oil, high-salt food. I bought you some steamed chicken. I’ll slice half a plate for you in a bit.”

Professor Liao held his bowl and refused to leave. “Then, I want an extra sweet potato bun.”

Zhao Xing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Fine, I’ll give you three. You can hide them under your blanket and eat them at night for all I care!”

Professor Liao walked away regretfully, leaving a bewildered Father Gao standing at the front of the line.

Zhao Xing even said with a smile, “You’re first in line! What good luck.”

He knew that the guests had been getting competitive about getting food lately, but it was all in good fun, so he hadn’t intervened.

But the Gao family didn’t know this. Father Gao, Mother Gao, and Gao Jiajia all stood there with their bowls, looking lost and not knowing what to do.

It wasn’t until Zhao Xing lifted the pot lid and the rich aroma of meat and vegetables, along with the sweet scent of the sweet potato buns, burst forth, that the sound of rumbling stomachs filled the hall.

The sweet potato buns were bought from the village and just needed to be heated up.

The crispy pork was made with ingredients Zhao Xing had bought, and he had paid Uncle Luan’s wife to fry it for him.

And she was a master at it. When it was fresh out of the fryer, Zhao Xing had eaten half a plate of it by itself.

Father Gao couldn’t resist either. He swallowed and went up with his bowl, even peering into the pot. “Give me a little more crispy pork!”

Zhao Xing estimated his age. “Are you in good health, sir? Can you eat all this?”

Father Gao nodded quickly. “Yes, I can eat it all. I eat a lot!”

Gao Jiajia, trailing at the back of the line, looked up and thought that the pot didn’t look that big.

By the time it was her turn, it would probably be a close call. She immediately disowned her father for the greater good and shouted, “Boss, don’t listen to him! I’m his daughter! He has a bad heart and can’t eat too much meat! Just give him some vegetables.”

Father Gao glared back at her. “Nonsense!”

Then he looked at Zhao Xing. “Boss, don’t listen to her nonsense. I don’t have a daughter!”

Gao Jiajia clicked her tongue. Dad is ruthless, she thought. He’d disown his own daughter for a bowl of crispy pork stew.

Then she heard her mother, from the middle of the line, clear her throat. “I’m his wife. I can testify that my daughter is right.”

The line of guests roared with laughter.

A few of the men heckled, “We food lovers have no wives!”

Father Gao: “…”