Ever since Budu came to Yaoguang City, the snow has never stopped falling in the city, and near the shopping street, the snow is three times thicker than anywhere else.
Lu Yao was dressed warmly and stood on the roadside with Budu, observing the two vacant shops between the snack bar and the nail salon.
Because the snack bar was too dangerous, she specially separated two shops to open a nail salon.
If a snack bar opens a branch, it is best to choose a nearby store, which should have an empty store between it and the nail salon.
The shop next to the snack bar is not very big. From the economic and labor perspectives, Lu Yao does not want to open another big shop.
Once you decide to open a branch, you have to inform the park.
Lu Yao gently shook his arm, causing Bu Du to look up.
She said, "If I open a small shop here, do you have any ideas?"
Budu thought seriously for a few seconds and said, "Baked sweet potatoes."
Lu Yao was a little curious: "Why roasted sweet potatoes?"
Bu Du: "The baked sweet potatoes are soft, sweet, and warm."
When eating roasted sweet potatoes, I feel happy.
Not only did he tilt his head slightly and blink.
Perhaps what made Him happy was not the baked sweet potatoes, but being with her.
Not only was he surprised that his suggestion was not very mature, he looked up at Lu Yao and said, "As long as it's a store that mother wants to open, anything is fine."
Lu Yao was still thinking about the sentence "soft, sweet, and warm". Hearing this, he smiled slightly and said, "Your suggestion is very good. It gave me some ideas."
The fourteen-day deadline has not yet expired, so there is still time to think it over carefully.
Not only did she purse her lips and lower her eyes, but the tips of her ears were slightly red.
Bai Yi walked out of the Childhood Tuition Center and stood under the eaves and shouted, "Shopkeeper, there is a customer looking for you."
Lu Yao responded, and turned around with Budu and slowly walked towards the Childhood Tutorial Center.
-----
In the cram school room, the aunt who had come the day before and Zhou Yishan were waiting for Lu Yao.
Zhou Yishan held a teacup in her hand and looked across the table at the personal office opposite, her eyes scanning the small black dragon ornaments on each desk one by one.
That is the medium of the time machine.
Lu Yao didn't think it was strange to see the two of them, so he let go of him and let him play by himself for a while.
She turned and walked towards the office, inviting the mother and son in to discuss the matter in detail.
Zhou Yishan's mother's attitude was more anxious than last time. She kept telling Lu Yao how troubled she was that her daughter didn't want to get married.
Most of the neighbors’ children have married and have children. During the holidays, the whole family comes and goes, and it is so lively.
Only the daughter of their Zhou family, apart from her weak ability score, is not bad in work ability, financial ability, and talent. However, she is in her thirties and has not yet gotten married, and she doesn't even have a friend of the opposite sex who shows any signs of relationship.
Recently, some people have started to spread the rumor that Zhou Yishan must have some problem since she is still unmarried at such an old age, either physically or mentally.
Zhou Yishan's mother used to like dancing downstairs with her acquaintances in the same community, but now she hasn't gone there for a long time. Occasionally, when she meets acquaintances while buying groceries, she tries to avoid them.
After visiting the Childhood Tuition Center last time to find out, the mother and son had another big fight when they returned.
The aunt couldn't fall asleep after thinking about it for a long time. After struggling, she had no choice but to force Zhou Yishan to come over.
“Teacher Lu, I have read a lot on the Internet and your evaluation is very good. You must help me educate Yishan. No matter how capable a woman is at work or how much money she can make, if she doesn’t have a man to rely on, her whole life will be a joke. Besides, her superpower rating is still so low. In a few years when she is older, it will be even harder for her to find a man.” Zhou Yishan’s mother spoke earnestly with tears in her eyes.
Lu Yao raised his hand and rubbed his brows gently: "Auntie, I have a question to ask you first."
"you say."
"What is the most troubling aspect of Miss Zhou not getting married? Are you afraid that Miss Zhou will be lonely for the rest of her life? Are you worried that she will be alone in her old age? Or do you feel pressured by the comments from the outside world? Or are there other reasons?"
Auntie frowned, hesitated for a while, and replied heavily: "You said all of these. The most important thing is, how can a woman not get married? If you don't get married, what's the point of just making money? When she's over 30, 40, or 50, she will regret it. I'm her mother, how can I harm her? She just won't listen!"
Lu Yao listened quietly to his aunt telling him about her good intentions, then looked up at Zhou Yishan and said, "Why don't you tell me what you think?"
Zhou Yishan's face was numb, and she had almost no reaction to her mother's words. When she heard Lu Yao's question, she took a while to react before speaking.
"Teacher Lu, your superpower rating must be very high. An outstanding talent like you probably can't understand the experience of someone with a low ability value like me.
"Superpowers are extremely important to our generation, and people whose superpowers are not excellent or whose ability values are not high can be said to be defective products that have lost their 'reproduction rights' due to natural selection in this world.
"I used to not believe in fate. Even if my ability score was low, so what? As long as I worked hard enough, one day, I would be able to live the life I wanted.
“But that’s not the case. Even if I drag my tired body and try to keep up with my colleagues who have excellent superpowers, it still can’t change the fact that I am a person with low abilities.
"So I chose to give up. I didn't want to get married, I didn't want to force myself to find someone to make do with, I didn't want to have another ordinary child and have him or her experience the same pain as me when he or she grows up.
"But not getting married also has its own pains. Family, neighbors, colleagues, partners... wherever there are people, there are comparisons, discussions, and evaluations. All those words turn into pressure, pressing down on people like a mountain.
“I don’t know what I want anymore.”
Lu Yao unconsciously fiddled with the golden ribbon on her wrist, which was the gift that Fulla had given her last time as a token of acceptance of the commission.
She remembered that she casually put it in her pocket, but when she woke up the next day, the golden hairband was tied around her wrist and she couldn't take it off.
Unless she returns to the shopping street, this thing will be stored in her personal storage.
Once she passed through the star gate, no matter which one, the golden ribbon would return to her wrist, as if it had self-awareness.
Having experienced similar things several times, Lu Yao was not worried about the bad things. He looked down and saw a dark light slowly flowing on the ribbon. He suddenly said, "Auntie, Miss Zhou, let's go to the sea together."
Zhou Yishan's mother and Zhou Yishan were both surprised, unable to understand where this sudden idea came from.
Zhou Yishan asked hesitantly: "My tutoring..."
Lu Yao put away the notes of the conversation, stood up, opened the door, and called Bu Du to come over and go to see the sea with her later.
Not only did he put down the half-built Lego robot in his hand, he also ran over happily.
Lu Yao leaned against the door and explained to the two unsure guests: "'Let's go see the sea' is a tutoring program that I think is suitable for you two after understanding Miss Zhou's situation. If the tutoring effect is not good this time, we will discuss adjustments later."
Aunt: “I want to go too?”
Zhou Yishan: "Do you still need to take my finger bones?"
Mother and son asked the question at the same time.
Lu Yao nodded to his aunt, then shook his head to Zhou Yishan: "No need to remove the bones this time, I will adjust the coordinates right away."
The information prepared last time for traveling back to sixty years ago is still very useful. Lu Yao selected a suitable coordinate from the rich time and space information.
After everything was ready, Lu Yao used his key to start the time machine.
Silver light slowly enveloped the four persons, three adults and one child. When they opened their eyes, they were standing on the wet river beach, their shoes and socks completely stuck in the mud. Behind them was a lush forest, and in front of them was a muddy and fast-flowing river.
Without having time to say anything, Zhou Yishan's mother grabbed Zhou Yishan's legs and struggled to pull them out of the wet mud, step by step back until she hugged a tree trunk and climbed up the gentle slope.
On the other side, Lu Yao and Bu Du used the flying props sold in the convenience store to fly directly up and landed on a tall tree trunk.
Zhou Yishan and her mother sat under a tree, gasping for breath. Their shoes were filled with mud, which was heavy and smelly.
Her face was very ugly, and she looked up and complained: "Didn't we say we were going to see the sea? What is this place? Is the time machine broken?"
Lu Yao and Bu Du sat side by side on the thick tree trunk, their calves swaying gently in the wind.
She raised her hand across her forehead and looked into the distance: "The estuary is not far ahead."
Zhou Yishan's mother was worried: "My shoes are soaked. How can I walk? The forest is full of potholes and it's hard to walk. We may encounter snakes and insects."
Zhou Yishan's face turned pale. "I don't want to tutor anymore. Lu Yao, take us back."
Two transparent bubbles slowly floated down from above, containing flying vehicle props, and landed accurately in the hands of Zhou Yishan and her mother.
Lu Yao's voice came from above: "This is a flying machine developed by our store. It is safe and convenient. I observed that it will take about ten minutes to fly from here to the estuary."
The mother and son had no choice but to activate the aircraft props and began to learn how to fly with difficulty.
Zhou Yishan was younger after all, so she learned it in twenty minutes.
Zhou Yishan’s mother took a little longer.
About half an hour later, she also learned it.
A group of four people spread their wings and slowly flew over the silent forest, like a few migratory birds that had fallen behind.
In order to take care of the two guests who had just learned how to use flying props, Lu Yao and Bu Du deliberately slowed down their speed, so they arrived at the estuary later than Lu Yao had expected.
However, Zhou Yishan's mother and Zhou Yishan were immersed in the novelty of flying and had long forgotten the unpleasantness at the beginning. They also didn't care whether it took ten minutes or half an hour to fly here.
Flying over the forest and hovering over the coastline, you can see the endless blue deep sea before your eyes.
The view from the air is wider than that from the ground. Not only can you see the sea, but you can also see the scenery around the coastline.
Zhou Yishan opened her eyes wide, spread her arms, and took a deep breath: "Lu Yao, I think I understand what you mean."
"Hmm?" Lu Yao was a little absent-minded, thinking back to when he rode Harold across the Alexandria continent. The view was indeed wide from a high place.
Zhou Yishan looked at the line where the sea and the sky meet, and said in a relaxed tone: "When I see the sea, I feel how insignificant my troubles are, and my chest, which has been suffocating, is relaxed."
This was not Lu Yao's original intention, but the customer's mood turned positive, which was also a positive feedback for her.
Lu Yao looked down at the place where the rivers flowed into the sea. The muddy and yellow water rushed down from the mountains, crashing and surging along the way, sweeping up mud, sand and rocks and rushing into the sea.
The sea surface at the estuary is a bright yellow color, slowly spreading towards the distant sea, becoming lighter and lighter in color, until only a layer of pale gray remains at the boundary. Further out, the river loses its original color and is completely enveloped by the dark blue of the sea.
Zhou Yishan had been paying attention to Lu Yao, waiting for her to say something, but she seemed so engrossed in looking at the sea that she didn't react at all.
"What are you looking at? Is there a problem with the estuary?" Zhou Yishan couldn't help but ask.
Lu Yao shook his head: "That muddy river was completely swallowed up by the sea."
Zhou Yishan didn't understand: "What?"
Lu Yao hesitated for a moment and explained: "I once read a sentence in a book - man is a dirty river. Therefore, we must become the sea, so that we can accommodate a dirty river without polluting ourselves (1). I was just a little surprised just now, the book did not lie."
Zhou Yishan also began to stare at the estuary below, pondering Lu Yao's words.
They stayed at the estuary for a while, then followed a group of seabirds to the open sea, where they encountered a group of killer whales.
The black and white killer whales lined up in a line on the sea, showing their dorsal fins and looking arrogant and ostentatious.
Zhou Yishan couldn't help but lower the flight altitude and said happily: "Adult killer whales are so big, but so cute."
It was also the first time for Zhou Yishan’s mother to see a marine creature like a killer whale. She was curious but did not dare to get too close.
She said, "It looks like a XXXL dolphin."
The killer whale’s pointed snout and streamlined, smooth body do resemble those of a dolphin, but its body is much larger than that of a dolphin and its ferocity is also XXXL.
Zhou Yishan: "I think killer whales are cuter than dolphins."
The group of killer whales seemed to have discovered them as well. Some of them stopped, half-floating on the sea with their heads tilted back, revealing their mouths full of sharp teeth, and making "weeping" sounds.
Zhou Yishan was completely mesmerized by the killer whale's amazing intelligence and cuteness; even her mother couldn't help laughing.
The group of killer whales stayed for a while, just like humans teasing stray cats they accidentally met on the roadside. After teasing a few winged bipeds for a while, they swam away again.
Zhou Yishan liked them so much that she couldn't help but follow them and even asked her mother to go along.
Not only did I see various deep-sea creatures in the furry shop, but there were also even cuter blobby seals in the shop over there. I wasn't too interested in the group of killer whales I encountered here by chance.
The same goes for Lu Yao.
The two slowed down and drifted in the sea breeze.
After a while, Zhou Yishan and her mother came back together, both of them looked a little bad.
Lu Yao asked: "What's wrong?"
Zhou Yishan shook her head and said nothing.
Zhou Yishan's mother: "A group of killer whales surrounded a large whale with a calf. The adult whale was much larger than the killer whale, but there were too many killer whales. They took turns attacking and separated the mother and the calf. Then they took the opportunity to drown the calf, dragged it aside, ate only the tongue and discarded it. The large whale that lost its child wandered nearby in sorrow, screaming constantly."
Perhaps a group of killer whales preyed on humpback whale calves.
Zhou Yishan was in low spirits, and after a while she said, "I shouldn't have followed him."
Zhou Yishan's mother echoed: "Killer whales are ferocious and cunning."
Lu Yao: "This is how killer whales survive. They are very smart and highly social creatures. Different killer whale groups have their own unique hunting techniques, which are often passed down from generation to generation."
Zhou Yishan frowned and shook her head: "No matter how cute you say killer whales are, as long as I think of the scene where they hunt down baby whales and only eat their tongues, I just can't like them anymore."
Zhou Yishan's mother nodded.
No matter how smart this animal is, it is not likable.
Lu Yao curled the corners of his mouth helplessly, thinking that he had to be a nitpicker today.
It's not pleasant to hear, but I still have to say it.
"But whether humans like it or hate it, the killer whales will not change their way of survival. For them, survival and reproduction are the most important things. Who are humans? Who cares whether you like it or hate it? In this world, humans may be the only ones who always live in the evaluation of others, and I am afraid that humans are the only ones who always care about how others view themselves."
On the way back, the atmosphere was unusually silent.
Lu Yao thought that this tutoring session had failed.
Back in the cram school, neither Zhou Yishan's mother nor Zhou Yishan wanted to discuss the matter further, but Alfred's evaluation result was "passing".
When Zhou Yishan left, she felt an indescribable complexity in her mood, as if she was both heavy and relieved.
She walked out of Lu Yao's office, took a few steps, turned back, stood at the door and asked: "Shopkeeper, has your river turned into the sea?"
Lu Yao felt that Zhou Yishan’s eyes were particularly innocent at this moment. He raised his hand and made a small circle: “It’s probably only as big as a small pond.”
Zhou Yishan's eyes showed a trace of regret: "Thank you, owner. I am very satisfied with this tutoring."
Lu Yao didn’t understand Zhou Yishan’s final expression, he just felt that this girl was inexplicably familiar.
During the tutoring period, she thought about it many times in her mind, but she just couldn't remember where she had seen it.
That night, Lu Yao suddenly sat up from his bed as an idea flashed through his mind.
She remembered where she had seen Zhou Yishan before.