Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 449 Nuwa Personally Visits the Bubble Tea Shop
At this time, Chaos Pavilion hadn’t opened yet, and those lining up outside were doing so on their own initiative. Seeing two people standing at the front, the Immortal Official behind them said, "Hey, hey, hey, don’t you know about queuing? Everyone got up this early to buy milk tea, how come you two are the only ones unaware?"
"We’re not here to buy milk tea," Xuan Feng replied.
"Who would believe you!" the Immortal Official exclaimed, "If you have something to do, you should go directly to the person’s residence to visit. What’s the point of waiting here? I see you’re just trying to cut in line!"
"Exactly, exactly, go to the back of the line!"
"Don’t cause unpleasantness for everyone so early in the morning, okay? Please go to the back of the line, everybody is watching."
Xuan Feng was so frustrated she wanted to curse, and just as she was about to, Nuwa blocked her and then turned towards those behind.
"I’m sorry everyone, I truly am here for business with Sun Wukong, not to cut in line, nor will I delay your milk tea purchases."
As soon as Nuwa turned around, the Immortal Officials who were present were stunned. Then, those who regained their senses immediately knelt, "We pay our respects to Goddess Nuwa!"
Following the first, the other Immortal Officials quickly said, "We pay our respects to Goddess Nuwa!"
Nuwa didn’t want to make a big deal out of the situation, but she had no choice, given what had transpired, so she pursed her lips and said to the kneeling Immortal Officials, "Please stand, continue with your queuing, I won’t hold you up."
After Nuwa turned around, the kneeling Immortal Officials stood up one by one. Even with Nuwa standing in front, they became much more restrained, and even those who had been gossiping didn’t speak, but they couldn’t bear to leave and could only queue up orderly.
Sun Wukong looked at the time inside the shop—it was already the time to open. Yet outside, it was so quiet it seemed as though there was no one there.
Upon opening the door, he first saw Nuwa and Xuan Feng standing at the entrance, and only then did he notice the queue of Immortal Officials behind them.
"Goddess Nuwa, what brings you here? Are you here to buy milk tea?"
No sooner had Sun Wukong finished speaking than he remembered the bet he made with Chen Nuo, and upon seeing that Nuwa’s position was not in the queue, he understood even more clearly inside, "I understand, Goddess Nuwa, you’re here for a matter, aren’t you?"
Nuwa found that she couldn’t read Sun Wukong’s mind and realized that her ability had no effect on the staff of Chaos Residence.
Unable to hear his thoughts, she could only ask out loud. Hearing Sun Wukong’s question made her pause, she asked, "How did you know I’m here for a matter?"
"That, of course, is because your position is not in the queue," Sun Wukong naturally didn’t mention the bet with Chen Nuo, and Nuwa’s position was indeed obvious, suggesting she was there to see him for a matter.
"Moreover, if you wanted to drink something, you typically send Xuan Feng, unless it’s a visit to my Master. When have we ever seen you personally take part?"
"Yes, I am here for a matter," Nuwa didn’t beat around the bush, then, glancing at the Immortal Officials behind her, said, "How about we go somewhere quiet? This isn’t a convenient place to talk."
While Sun Wukong was communicating with Chen Nuo through telepathy, he said, "That would be good, let’s go inside my shop. There’s an employee-only rest area there, customers can’t get in."
Nuwa followed Sun Wukong into the shop, then got straight to the point, "Shopkeeper Chen isn’t just in the Human World looking for food ingredients, right?"
"My Master has opened a shop in the Human World," Sun Wukong said, "He mentioned he was getting a bit tired of staying at Chaos Residence and wanted some peace and quiet in the Human World."
"Opening a shop?" Nuwa was taken aback. It was abrupt for someone content at Chaos Residence to head to the Human World—unless he really had a child in the Human World, there was no reason not to stay at Chaos Residence but to go to the Human World instead.
"Yes, opening a shop, but it’s not a restaurant, just a small Oil Shop," Sun Wukong explained.
"Why did Shopkeeper Chen decide to open an oil shop in the Human World? And where exactly did he open his shop?" Nuwa asked again.
Sun Wukong felt somewhat pleased by Nuwa’s anxious reaction, hoping she would further inquire, become impatient, and eventually go to the Human World herself to ask his master directly. If that happened, his master would lose the bet.
"In a small town at the foot of Mount Taihang, that’s where my master opened his shop."
"Why didn’t Shopkeeper Chen open a restaurant instead of an oil shop?" Nuwa was puzzled. With Shopkeeper Chen’s cooking skills, she had assumed he was planning to open another branch, not an oil shop.
"My master said that commoners in the Human World can’t afford oil. He couldn’t bear to see these mortals going year after year without even a touch of oil, so he decided to pass on his oil-pressing techniques to the Human World, allowing its common folk to enjoy oil as well," Sun Wukong replied.
Nuwa was taken aback, not having expected Chen Nuo to be concerned for the civilians of the Human World, especially since not even the average Immortal Official would consider that.
"Did he really say that?"
Sun Wukong snorted; he couldn’t see through what Nuwa was thinking, but he could make a rough guess.
It was nothing more than surprise at his master’s actions, not expecting that his master was not only skilled with his hands but also had a good heart. Surely Nuwa would deeply admire his master.
"Is there any falsehood in that? If you don’t believe it, go to the mortal realm and ask him yourself."
As they mentioned the mortal realm, Nuwa seemed to recall something; she paused, her rosy lips pressed into a thin line as she looked towards Sun Wukong, "I’ve heard that Shopkeeper Chen has a child in the Human World?"
Sun Wukong remained outwardly unmoved, but inwardly he was ecstatic. It was coming, finally coming, the question he had wanted to ask was now being asked by Nuwa.
"Oh, you mean that child?"
Nuwa was somewhat in disbelief. If she still held out hope yesterday, today her heart was utterly chilled. Was this true?
Could Chen Nuo really have a child? Who was the mother of this child, and how did she become acquainted with Chen Nuo?
What magic did she possess that led Chen Nuo to abandon Goddess Nuwa and be with that person instead?
Clutching her heavy doubts, Nuwa asked, "Does Shopkeeper Chen really have a child?"
"There is indeed a child," said Sun Wukong ambiguously.
Nuwa’s hand, which was half-clenched, suddenly tightened, her long nails threatening to embed into her flesh. Was this really true?
What sort of woman could have made Chen Nuo fall in love with her? Nuwa fought to control her voice, which nonetheless trembled slightly, "The mother of the child, is she a mortal?"
"The child’s mother is indeed a mortal," Sun Wukong answered, speaking truthfully, yet selectively, even shifting focus elsewhere. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖
But at this moment, Nuwa’s mind was consumed with the thought of Chen Nuo having a child with a mortal; she couldn’t pay attention to anything else.
Xuan Feng was angry, feeling indignant on behalf of Nuwa, "What’s going on? Does Shopkeeper Chen have a problem with his eyes? How could he not appreciate our Goddess Nuwa and instead fall for a mortal, to the extent of having a child with her!"
"Xuan Feng!" Nuwa stopped Xuan Feng, "No more, my relationship with Shopkeeper Chen hasn’t reached that level. I merely have some affection for him."
"But Goddess Nuwa, no matter what, you did share your feelings with him. If Shopkeeper Chen wanted a child, why didn’t he come to you first, instead of seeking some unknown mortal? I don’t understand!" Xuan Feng said.
