Zhang Jiusi was eager to drink the beverage, so he didn’t say anything else and just opened the cup lid and took a sip.

Zhang Jiusi breathed a sigh of relief after drinking the mung bean soup. He’d waited all lunch break for it. It didn’t spoil; it was still good. Even though the ice had melted due to the heat, the minty taste was still there.

A stream of cool mint water suddenly filled his throat, flowing down his esophagus and moistening his tired body. The cool mint water was like a tranquilizer, soothing his inner anxiety and making him feel relaxed and refreshed.

Moreover, the exquisiteness of Suzhou-style mung bean soup was not limited to the mint water—the small ingredients it contained were a perfect match.

With one bite, you could taste the fragrant and chewy mung beans, the soft and elastic glutinous rice balls, and the sweet and tangy candied fruits.

The mint in the mung  bean soup was the star of the show, while the small ingredients were the finishing touch, giving the mung bean soup many layers of flavor. Zhang Jiusi drank many mouthfuls, ate and chewed, but it never felt monotonous. Instead, he felt surprised at every moment, like digging for treasure.

On the open grounds in midsummer, a tall cup of Suzhou-style mung bean soup was simply a life-saving medicine.

The flush on Zhang Jiusi’s face caused by exposure to the sun gradually disappeared, and he looked very comfortable.

Liang Hai and the others also looked very happy. “Mung bean soup can relieve the heat. It’s obviously hotter in the afternoon than in the morning, but I don’t feel as uncomfortable as I did in the morning.”

“I didn’t really like mung bean soup before, but now I just want to say it’s delicious! The mung bean soup in the Eighth Cafeteria is delicious.”

Classmates: The mineral water in my hand suddenly lost its refreshing taste!

They looked down at the bland water in their hands, then looked at the beautiful mung bean soup in Zhang Jiusi and the others’ hands, and instantly condemned the mineral water.

One classmate a bit familiar to them came over and said, “Older Brother, give me a sip. No, if you give me a drink, I won’t just call you ‘older brother’, I’ll even call you ‘Dad’.”

In the past, Zhang Jiusi, who was generous by nature, might have just shouted, ‘My son!”

But he didn’t want to recognize this son today!

Zhang Jiusi kept shaking his head and hid the mung bean soup behind his back. “I waited all afternoon for this tall cup. I won’t throw away this mung bean soup even if my head is cut and blood is shed. If you want to drink it, go buy it yourself.”

Seeing him like this, everyone had to give up. They etched the appearance of the mung bean soup from the Eighth Cafeteria  in their hearts and began to count silently until the end of the afternoon military training.

… … translated by Maela @ whitemoonlighttranslations.com

Wei Ziwei was born and raised in Suzhou. After being admitted to university, she left her hometown where she had lived for more than 20 years and came to the huge city of Jiangnan.

The novelty of arriving in a new place has gradually been eroded by time and trivial matters, and the food in the cafeterias of Aero U was extremely poor, which made her miss her hometown even more.

The small hat on her forehead was almost useless, doing nothing to block the sun’s rays. Although she applied plenty of sunscreen, it was soon washed away by her sweat, leaving her face red and painful.

She stared at the instructor before her, her eyes unfocused, lost in thought. When she was little, at this time of year, she would come home from school and beg her grandmother to make her a bowl of chilled Suzhou-style mung bean soup. Her grandmother’s cooking was exceptional, and her mung bean soup was incredibly refreshing. They’d drink it in the courtyard. She would fan herself with a palm-leaf fan, breathing in the breeze. The icy coolness of the mung bean soup, the refreshing breeze, made her even more fond of what’s usually unbearable summer heat.

When she grew up, the mung bean soup was gone, and her grandmother was gone. Since her grandmother passed away, she has never tasted such delicious mung bean soup again.

Wei Ziwei thought about the past and missed her grandmother more and more. If growing up meant saying goodbye to her loved ones one by one, then she didn’t want to grow up.

She was so lost in reminiscing about the past that she didn’t even hear when the instructor announced the break until her friend came looking for her.

Shu Wenwen nudged her, “Wow, Class Flower Wei, stop staring blankly and look what great treasure I bought for you.”

Wei Ziwei felt shy and timid when she heard this, “Don’t call me the ‘class flower’, I’m not. There are only two girls in our class, you and me!”

Shu Wenwen couldn’t help but laugh; she particularly enjoyed teasing Wei Ziwei. Although it’s only been one day since school started, the two of them were the only two girls in their class for monks, and their personalities matched, so they quickly became friends.

However, although Shu Wenwen was joking, Wei Ziwei was indeed very cute and a sweet, girl-next-door type.

“By the way, what did you buy?” Wei Ziwei asked curiously.

Shu Wenwen was very proud. She made a drumbeat sound and took out the plastic bag behind her. “I bought mung bean soup from the Eighth Cafeteria. I finally managed to grab two servings.”

Wei Ziwei also saw Big Fish that morning, but she didn’t chase him like Shu Wenwen did, so she didn’t end up in the Eighth Cafeteria with them. After hearing what Shu Wenwen said, she asked curiously, “Didn’t you say that the Eighth Cafeteria is haunted and you don’t dare go there?”

Shu Wenwen slapped her thigh and exclaimed in amazement, “If there was such delicious mung bean soup as reward, even if it is made by a ghost, I can still do it!”

Wei Ziwei: “…”

Wei Ziwei couldn’t help laugh, “I’ll transfer the money to you later.” 

Although she felt that there would be no mung bean soup better than the one made by her grandmother, Shu Wenwen’s enthusiasm made her feel warm in her heart, so she picked up one of the tall cups of mung bean soup.

When she saw the appearance of the mung bean soup, she paused slightly, “This is the mung bean soup we have in Suzhou!”

Mythical Beast Cafeteria translated by Maela @ whitemoonlighttranslations.com

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Chapter 13.3 — Suzhou-style Mung Bean Soup Part II
Chapter 14.1 — Pepper Pancakes
Chapter 14.2 — Pepper Pancakes
Chapter 15.1 — Pepper Pancakes Part II
Chapter 15.2 — Pepper Pancakes Part II
Chapter 15.3 — Pepper Pancakes Part II
Chapter 15.4 — Pepper Pancakes Part II
Chapter 15.5 — Pepper Pancakes Part II
Chapter 15.6 — Pepper Pancakes Part II