CHAPTER 473: CHAPTER 23: SUPERNATURAL ABILITIES (PART 2)

Xuerou left not long after, and sitting restlessly on the bed, Zhang Yiyi called out, "Xiao Xian, come sit closer, I want to show you something."

Xiao Xian still wanted to ask her if she had displayed any abnormal behavior lately. For example, as Xiao Xian and Xuerou knew, lizards in the North mainly eat beetles, moths, spiders, grasshoppers, and earthworms. As for the rainforest lizards in the South, they tend to eat flowers and leaves. They hoped the colorful gecko refined by Monk Tianya belonged to the latter.

Zhang Yiyi glanced cautiously around and took out the stainless steel spoon she used for porridge in the morning.

"Pay attention," Zhang Yiyi dangled the spoon in front of Xiao Xian and shook it.

"Okay," Xiao Xian noticed Zhang Yiyi’s fingers, which still looked the same as before without much change.

"Ta-da, did you see that?" Zhang Yiyi’s spoon in her right hand disappeared.

The smooth spoon was now stuck to Zhang Yiyi’s palm. Whether she laid her hand flat, upside down, or sideways, the spoon did not fall off.

"How can you be so unimpressed? So boring," Zhang Yiyi took the spoon off, and there was no sign of it being stuck and unable to fall off.

"No, I’m quite impressed. Let me see your hand," Xiao Xian held Zhang Yiyi’s palm open and felt it.

It seemed a bit sweaty but not sticky, and the temperature of the skin was normal, not cold like a lizard’s. It looked like the fire gecko hadn’t had much effect on her.

"I didn’t do anything special, you know. It’s so weird. A few days ago, before my physical check-up, the doctor told me to drink a lot of water on an empty stomach, which is better for the tests. When I went back to my room and started drinking water heartily, my hand slipped, but the glass stuck to my hand and didn’t fall. Amazing, right? Hehe, I might just be one of those legendary superhumans," Zhang Yiyi was not at all worried about the new changes in her body; on the contrary, she was rather happy.

Xiao Xian nodded, it seemed that the worries he and Xuerou had were unnecessary. This girl was neither panicked nor frightened by her peculiarity. Instead, she was rather delighted, true to Zhang Yiyi’s character.

In the afternoon, after leaving the hospital, Xuerou called Mrs. Zeng to confirm that they would meet at the station early the next morning and go back to Beijing together. After that, Zhang Yiyi would start her journey home from Beijing. Thus, the Summer Villa holiday was brought to a perfectly rounded conclusion.

The three discussed it and decided to have a good meal at the snack street near the tourist area since they were leaving Chengde.

A couple of days ago, when they went to the scenic spots, they took the bus that specifically served the neighborhood and didn’t have a chance to see the night view of Chengde Mountain Villa.

Tonight, to take a final look at the scenic area’s nightlife, the three decided to walk to the snack street and enjoy the beautiful view of the nearby scenic area while eating.

After the three left the apartment, a head popped out of the security room—it was the security guard who had echoed the con man’s words the other day.

To not disrupt the aesthetic buildings inside the villa, the outside was only allowed to have all sorts of snack bars and barbecue stands at night.

The so-called local snacks were, frankly, not that authentic. Zeng Xuerou was picky about food and wouldn’t allow Xiao Xian and Zhang Yiyi to eat just anything.

After walking around for an hour, she picked a beef stall named "Mr. Niu." The stall was converted from a tricycle. Two oil drums were turned into coal ball stoves with pots of boiling water on top for noodles. On the other side was a pot of beef soup, releasing a delicious aroma of beef when you lifted the lid.

The owner was responsible for rolling out the dough, and his wife for boiling the noodles. Using the noodle ladle, she would lift the noodles out of the boiling water and add a spoonful of beef soup.

The reason Xuerou picked this noodle shop was because of that pot of beef soup, which had a clear broth without the overwhelming soy sauce and MSG that other places added.

Each of them ordered a bowl of beef flat noodles, and it wasn’t long before the noodles were served. Xiao Xian stirred the soup with his chopsticks and found the small bowl quite densely packed.

Steaming amidst the vapor, the white radish, red beef, brown wild mushroom bits, and the green segments of spring onion were so satisfying to the eye that he felt full before even beginning to eat.

While eating, Xiao Xian added a spoonful of dry-fried chili and a bit of chopped coriander. A bowl of noodles later, his mind was filled with tender beef, refreshing radish, and crisp mushrooms. Sweat covered his face, and he couldn’t stop smacking his lips.

Zhang Yiyi was even more unstoppable. Having stayed in the hospital for a week, all the greasiness had been stripped away by plain porridge and salted vegetables. Facing delicious food, she refused to hold back. A bowl of wide flat noodles wasn’t enough; she had another. A lady like her devoured two large bowls of noodles, leaving the owner couple laughing and unable to close their mouths. Xuerou was so embarrassed she could only keep her head down, waiting to leave as soon as they finished.

After finishing the noodles, Xuerou remembered that the mushrooms tasted especially good. She specifically asked the noodle stall’s couple and learned that the mushrooms used weren’t fresh but bought from a mushroom cultivation farm in the villa’s mountain area. Several stores on the commercial street sold them.

Thinking about how much her grandmother liked to brew mushroom soup, Xuerou decided to buy a few pounds. Xiao Xian and Zhang Yiyi also wanted to buy some local specialties as souvenirs. With a bit of a walk after eating to aid digestion, they linked arms and crossed the bustling snack street, heading towards the commercial street not far away.

As they approached the entrance to the commercial street, there was a tricycle in front, and the eager driver opened the door. A nouveau riche-like tourist stepped down, "This is the local specialty street you mentioned? Can I really find genuine local products here?"(To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with your recommendation ticket, monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.)