"We are the people of the Four Islands. Before the Great Destruction, we had our own country, but the destruction ca. Three of the islands sank, and the only surviving island was full of Chaos. It is said that there were initially attempts to reclaim our holand by organized Transcendents, but after several failures, we chose to give up."
As he spoke, he dished out the noodles, put chopped shrimp into a bowl, and poured in the broth. A bowl of the best noodles was completed. He placed it in front of the new guest’s table and then returned to the stall.
Thunder rumbled in the sky, Malin glanced at the sky, finding not a cloud in sight.
Was it thunder? Or did sothing explode?
As Malin pondered, he noticed the shopkeeper returned, so Malin decided to continue listening attentively as if to eavesdrop, seemingly this was the rationale.
"The Thanans gave us the right to live here, and I am very grateful. I strongly disagree with the intermarriage among the older generation in our self-help group. After so long, there are fewer and fewer people of pure blood from the Four Islands; our Bangkok Self-Help group has only seventeen families left... Do you know biology?"
"I know, with too few genetic samples, you will head towards the dead end of close inbreeding. Although there is indeed a chance to produce purebloods without defective genes, in this age, bringing a child with defects into this world is beyond cruel." Hearing this young man speak, Malin understood what he was getting at; this kid was pretty good, smart, and understanding.
"Yes, that’s right. So our generation opposed it, and eventually, the self-help group voted to disband..." At this, the young man smiled sowhat shyly, "Sorry, guest from Westland, you know, there’s no one to confide in with these words, so I let it all out to you."
"It’s fine, and after that..." "There haven’t been Four Islands people for a long ti, we are all Thanans."
The young man glanced at the neighboring stall, "But if you tell that guy over there, he would argue with you endlessly."
Malin and ng Quyi turned their heads to look at the guy the young man pointed at.
Malin didn’t recognize him yet, but ng Quyi chuckled, "Indeed, a Peninsula person."
"The lady’s eyes are sharp; it’s not surprising that this gentleman from Westland didn’t spot it imdiately." The young shopkeeper spoke while bashing the Peninsula people to Malin, "These guys don’t seem like Earthlings at all. Even today, they still talk about how back in the Great Destruction Era, the South Tai military district bombed the Peninsula with satellite weapons claiming it was a cri against humanity, at a ti when humans were nearly extinct."
"Yeah." Malin added, "I have heard about the Peninsula from archives before the Great Destruction Era. They claim the Thanans’ traditions as theirs. Is that true or false?"
"It’s true. Even now, they still claim the Thanan New Year as theirs. Those bastards have skin as thick as the Great Wall." The young shopkeeper said, glancing at the new custors. He went over to greet them. Malin glanced at ng Quyi, "Haven’t you guys thought of teaching these idiots a lesson?"
"Why bother? Every decade, these fools squeeze out so population from their self-help group to form a battalion going north to reclaim the Peninsula. As a result, the Chaos over there is constantly being consud. My father said Peninsula people’s self-destructive efficiency isn’t bad, right?" ng Quyi finished speaking and started drinking the noodle soup.
... Indeed, though they’re idiots, if they are still useful, we should be more tolerant of the handicapped, shouldn’t we?
The shopkeeper returned to see Malin and ng Quyi had finished eating, promptly bringing out a notepad, "Guest from Westland, please write a review for my noodles."
Malin took the pen and wrote in Thanan language, "Malin said it’s delicious," with six big characters.
The shopkeeper took the notepad, glanced at the na, and then smiled while putting it away, "The guest has the sa na as the True Lord."
"Yes, quite a coincidence, isn’t it?" Malin replied with a smile.
"Indeed, the guest isn’t lying, right?" The young man stared at Malin as he asked.
Malin shook his head, "I am Malin."
This young man must have used sothing akin to a lie-detecting Spell Formation. Malin did not resist, and after responding, the young man, who confird Malin was truthful, smiled again, "Thank you, guest."
"You’re welco, your noodles really are quite good, reminded of my childhood," Malin said.
Yes, back in childhood at the courtyard, tasting shrimp noodles for the first ti during the New Year. Even though the shrimps were small and only dried goods back then.
Yet it was indeed a delicacy Malin had never tasted before.
Monts of the most beautiful mories deep down.
"Your childhood?" Both the shopkeeper and even ng Quyi beca curious.
"Yes, in childhood, I was in Carterburg, just brought ho by my adoptive father and had fresh shrimp noodles. That was probably the most delicious thing I’ve had in my life." Malin replied wistfully with a sigh.
The shopkeeper and ng Quyi expressed a heartfelt sigh simultaneously.
"May life no longer hold bitterness," he said.
"May the future be free from hardships," she added.
"May every child have a bright future," Malin finished and smiled, taking the small cup the shopkeeper handed over.
"To life, Mr. Westlander," the shopkeeper said with a smile.
"To life, thank you for your hospitality." They both drank the shot of liquor in their cups after Malin said.
......
Bei Luo and Bixiu Five looked as Sostak No.3 and Jason got farther away from the Malin they were looking for. As the older one, Bixiu Five turned to Bei Luo, "Does the AI in the European district really only rely on scanning and not viewfinders to capture people?"
"Maybe." Bei Luo sighed, squatting on the opposite rooftop, watching the stall’s shopkeeper, "Speaking of which, our Mr. Malin can recognize the Four Islanders. Seems like we judged right, though I really didn’t expect this Savior to co from an era before the Great Destruction."
"What’s wrong with the era before the Great Destruction? Do you think that lady is too old?" Bixiu Five squatted on the railing, retorting.
Thunder rumbled on a fine day.
"Co on, Bixiu Five, there’s a True God in this world. Mind distancing yourself when you say such things." Bei Luo grumbled at his old friend.
"My bad this ti... Wait a minute, what is that young man doing? Is he detecting Malin?" Bixiu Five stared below, glancing at Bei Luo, "Wanna bet he’ll get taken down by Malin?"
"I think not, Malin strikes as a reasonable person, a true gentleman," Bei Luo confidently said.
And indeed, his confidence was not misplaced.
"Really? I thought since he’s so wild on battlefields, he wouldn’t let such a rude guy off easily." Bixiu Five expressed surprise, "That lady really found a suitable partner."
"Can’t you not ntion her, it was just thundering a mont ago," Bei Luo grumbled discontentedly.
"I didn’t even ntion her age this ti." Just as he said so, Bixiu Five and Bei Luo saw a lightning strike hit the lightning rod on the top of the tower in front of them.
Bei Luo quietly stepped aside five steps.
Bixiu Five froze for a mont, then turned and grabbed his companion.
Let go of ! You’ll get yourself killed one day, let go of !
Don’t go! Bei Luo, I was wrong, don’t go, help !
In their struggle and reluctance, the two little guys slipped and fell from the roof into the river.
......
Malin heard a splash and turned to look at the other side of the river, just in ti to see two little ones climbing out of the water.
Naughty little brats, this lesson should keep them behaving for a while.
With that thought, Malin began contemplating.
Where to go next and where to have tea afterward.
That’s what they say about living a life indulging in both food and pleasure.
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