An Easy-to-Raise Apprentice

If you were to say that Xu Jinghuai didn’t notice Xia Jin looking at him, then it would naturally…

…be impossible.

He was an Immortal Venerable, after all. Even though his mind was occupied, he knew everything that was happening in the outside world perfectly well.

Xia Jin’s small actions naturally couldn’t escape his notice.

However, he didn’t pay too much attention to it. The food hadn’t arrived yet, and after the initial novelty of immortal magic wore off, the little one, finding nothing to do, would become idle.

And as she idled, she would unconsciously direct her gaze at him, one of only two people in this “private room.”

Though it might sound a bit conceited, he was so handsome that it wasn’t hard to understand why she might stare.

Xu Jinghuai wasn’t some naive young maiden; what was wrong with his disciple looking at him? He wasn’t losing anything.

Just like that, in the quiet waiting, the harmonious silence was finally broken as the screen was pulled open.

“Ahahaha~ Miss, you’ve waited long!”

The sudden voice startled Xia Jin, who instinctively buried her head in the menu again, like a cat caught stealing fish. She carefully looked up and saw that the person who entered from behind the screen was Uncle Huang, who had earlier gone to tell the cooks to prepare the dishes.

At this moment, Uncle Huang was holding a large tray in one hand, and stack after stack of steaming, fragrant dishes were placed on the table by him.

After placing the last dish, Uncle Huang wiped the sauce that had accidentally stained his hands while carrying the tray onto his apron, then smiled at the two: “All the dishes are here, all of them are Miss’s favorites.”

Xu Jinghuai glanced at the dishes on the table and noticed that most of them were vegetarian.

Things like braised eggplant, sugar-glazed cucumber, stir-fried cabbage, and so on…

Even the soup was just pickled vegetable soup.

As for meat, there were only a few vermicelli noodles in the stir-fry.

Xu Jinghuai frowned slightly, looking at Uncle Huang.

Uncle Huang’s job was, after all, a waiter in a restaurant, and he possessed the skill of reading people’s expressions. Seeing Xu Jinghuai’s gaze, he immediately understood and explained, “Immortal Master, these truly are Miss’s favorite dishes.”

“I heard the shopkeeper say that back then, he was too busy running the restaurant every day to take care of Miss. So, to prevent Miss from suffering alongside them, Miss was entrusted to live with her grandfather in the countryside when she was very young.”

“And during the two years in the countryside, there wasn’t much meat to eat. Miss ate her grandfather’s homemade pickled vegetables and various homegrown vegetables for every meal, rarely eating meat.”

“In the end, Miss became accustomed to this kind of diet and couldn’t change it even after the master brought Miss and her grandfather to live in the restaurant…”

So that was it.

Xu Jinghuai nodded.

He hadn’t expected this girl to have such an upbringing.

He now understood why she was still so small despite being in her teens.

Not eating meat as a child made it hard to grow physically.

However, her preference for vegetarian food should not only be due to living in the countryside; it also stemmed from Xia Jin’s own pure Water Spirit Immortal Body.

The refined Water Spirit Immortal Body is inherently more attuned to relatively pure and refined water.

Vegetables, being ordinary vegetarian food, lack sentience, and the juices they contain can be considered refined.

They are unlike meat, where the blood may contain residual resentment and impurity from the death of living beings. Even if the blood is professionally processed, there will still be trace amounts of impurity.

A slight comparison between the two would reveal why Xia Jin preferred vegetarian food even more.

‘Well~ preferring vegetarian food isn’t a bad thing. At least it means my disciple is easy to raise.’

Grumble~

Another stomach rumble. Xu Jinghuai snapped out of his thoughts, looked at Xia Jin, and noticed she hadn’t touched her chopsticks, merely staring at him with eager eyes, occasionally swallowing with a “gulp.”

It seemed she would endure like this until he gave her permission.

This girl…

Xu Jinghuai felt a little exasperated and amused. He waved his hand: “Don’t mind me, eat if you’re hungry.”

“Immortal Master, aren’t you eating?” Xia Jin asked.

Xu Jinghuai shook his head: “This master has been an immortal for a long time and has long since transcended the need for grain. I no longer have carnal desires for food, so I don’t need to eat like ordinary people.”

“Don’t understand…”

Xia Jin lowered her head, a little disappointed: “Jin’er just thought the dishes Aunt Ji made in the restaurant were very delicious, and wanted Immortal Master to try them too…”

Uncle Huang, standing by, was utterly terrified.

‘Oh, Miss, the Immortal Master just said he has no carnal desires for food, and you still directly ask him to eat? Isn’t that putting the Immortal Master in a difficult position?!’

‘Whether he eats or not, it will cause the Immortal Master to lose face and make him unhappy!’

Uncle Huang’s legs were already turning to jelly. He wanted to leave, but if the Immortal Master had any more instructions, and he left, it would make the Immortal Master even more displeased.

While Uncle Huang was having a mental breakdown, Xu Jinghuai didn’t think much of it. After hearing Xia Jin’s words, he pondered for a moment.

Xia Jin was still young, without many ulterior motives. What she said was what she thought; she genuinely hoped he would try the restaurant’s cooking.

She simply wanted to share her favorite food with others, and if she could also gain others’ approval, she would be even happier.

A child probably thinks that way.

Putting aside Xia Jin’s simple thoughts, as his disciple, he had every intention of supporting her family’s business.

However, simply giving spirit crystals or silver as currency would not only be vulgar, but would they truly accept it?

So, thinking about it carefully, Xia Jin’s family, after all, owned a restaurant. If he ate a meal there, the restaurant would gain a “celebrity effect.” From then on, their business, even if not booming, would at least see growth.

Wouldn’t this indirectly be supporting Xia Jin’s family restaurant’s business?

And what he needed to pay for it was merely eating a meal, which was basically insignificant.

What reason did he have to refuse?

Thinking of this, Xu Jinghuai, under Uncle Huang’s shocked gaze, picked up the chopsticks on the table and said with a smile, “Is that so? Disciple, since you’ve said so, I feel like if I don’t eat some, it would be a great regret.”

“Since that’s the case, then this master shall have a taste.”

Xia Jin looked up again upon hearing this, her sparkling eyes seemingly filled with light, so bright.

Xu Jinghuai moved his chopsticks, reaching for the stir-fried cabbage closest to him, picked up some cabbage leaves, and put them into his mouth.

Chewing, savoring.

How should he put it? The taste was indeed good, like the home-cooked dishes he used to eat regularly.

The flavor was a bit light, though, likely made to specifically cater to Xia Jin’s preferences.

Seeing Xia Jin looking at him, seemingly anticipating his evaluation, Uncle Huang on the side was also doing the same, though compared to Xia Jin, Uncle Huang was mostly anxious.

“The taste is very good. Indeed, there’s a reason why your esteemed restaurant’s business is so prosperous.”

Xu Jinghuai swallowed the dish in his mouth, sighed in appreciation, and offered his evaluation, then picked up more vegetable leaves and ate them.

Xu Jinghuai’s words were like a calming tonic, greatly relieving Uncle Huang, who was then filled with pride and excitement.

‘The Immortal Master praised it as good, what does that mean?!’

‘Their restaurant is going to flourish!’

Xia Jin, however, didn’t think as much as Uncle Huang. She simply felt very happy that her favorite food received the Immortal Master’s approval.

After Xu Jinghuai swallowed the food in his mouth again, he said to Xia Jin, “Alright, Disciple, stop just giggling. Come, eat.”

“Mmm-hmm~ Okay, Immortal Master!”