Outside of Suzhou, Suzhou-style mung bean soup was rarely seen. Wei Ziwei has never seen any trace of it on the food delivery platforms.

Wei Ziwei was delighted to see others hunting¹. Her original interest instantly increased, and she took a sip.

The cold soup slid down her throat and she stood there in a daze —this mung bean soup was so delicious.

The taste of mung beans, the elasticity of glutinous rice, the fragrance of mint, and the sweetness of rock sugar made her almost forget the whole world, and only the cold mung bean soup was in her eyes.

The unprecedented extreme taste experience forced her to chew and swallow mouthful after mouthful.

The glutinous rice was so soft that it seemed to melt and was soaked in the aroma of mint. Every bite was filled with sweetness.

Although this mung bean soup was different from the one made by her grandmother, it tasted better. It instantly defeated the old taste that had the addition of nostalgic memory and became the number one in her mind.

It was not until she was sipping and sipping and not getting any more that she realized there was not a single drop left, and then she vaguely realized that she had finished the entire tall cup of mung bean soup.

After drinking a  tall cup of Suzhou-style mung bean soup, she felt relaxed all over.

She felt the coolness all over her body and couldn’t help saying, “Ah, so comfortable!”

Shu Wenwen was also very happy to see her friend Wei Ziwei so happy. She has never tasted this kind of mung bean soup before, so she put it away immediately after buying it and prepared to drink it with Wei Ziwei.

Shu Wenwen did not doubt the taste of the mung bean soup. After all, the students queuing up at that time were so enthusiastic, and the mung bean soup looked so beautiful that its appearance alone could make her buy it.

Shu Wenwen asked, “So this is your Suzhou’s mung bean soup? No wonder it says Suzhou-style mung bean soup on the food window. Is it as delicious as you expected?”

“It’s delicious!” Wei Ziwei said with a smile, “I have to say, this is the best mung bean soup I’ve ever had.”

Shu Wenwen sighed with emotion, “This mung bean soup looks good, but it really breaks the stereotype in my head. The way you eat it there is really a bit weird.”

Wei Ziwei snorted, “Tremble now, modern people! This used to be a luxurious version of mung bean soup that only the daughters of wealthy families² could enjoy.”

When Shu Wenwen heard this, she immediately stood up straight, took out a straw and poked it in, “When you said that, I immediately felt that the thing in my hand was not ordinary.”

After taking a sip of the mung bean soup, Shu Wenwen immediately understood why Wei Ziwei had enjoyed it so much. This mung bean soup was so refreshing.

For freshmen like them who were undergoing military training, this heat-relief product was a magical weapon. The mint leaves refreshed Shu Wenwen’s mind, clearing her groggy mind.

Not to mention that the mung bean soup tasted very good, which could not only achieve the desired refreshing effect, but it also made people crave it.

Shu Wenwen’s clever mind immediately conjured up a possibility, “Isn’t this scent more appealing than Huoxiang Zhengqi Water? Isn’t this refreshing feeling more satisfying than ice cream? It’s the height of summer now, and both teachers and students are feeling bored by the excessive heat.

“There are too few people in Eighth Cafeteria right now. Once everyone discovers the summer heat relief benefits of this mung bean soup, it will definitely be a big seller.”

… …

And that’s exactly what happened. That afternoon, people buying mung bean soup spread across the open grounds like a spark, quickly attracting a large crowd. Among them were students simply tempted by the taste, and also excited students from Suzhou who had heard the news. Once outside Suzhou, Suzhou-style mung bean soup was practically unheard of.

The students from Suzhou were thrilled. Oh my god, Jiangcheng actually had their very own Suzhou-style mung bean soup! 

Their excitement instantly pushed aside their fears and they all headed towards the Eighth Cafeteria.

During the evening mealtime, many freshmen arrived at Eighth Cafeteria—nearly three times the number at lunchtime. They entered, looked around, and then headed straight for the mung bean soup window. However, there was no one at the window, and they were instantly disheartened.

“Where’s my huge bowl of mung bean soup?!”

“This child has been thinking about it all afternoon, just wanting to drink some mung bean soup. Can’t this little wish be fulfilled?”

“Boss, please don’t be ungrateful and force me to kneel down and beg you.”

The boss, Luo Huai’an, was sitting on a chair near the windows, oblivious to what was happening outside and completely absorbed in counting her money.

The students were running around like headless flies. Until Liang Hai recognized Luo Huai’an and immediately walked over with the others from the same dorm room. The others saw them heading in this direction and also followed.

Liang Hai’s roommate Zhao Jing couldn’t help but ask, “Boss, where’s the mung bean soup?”

Luo Huai’an happily counted the bills in her hands without even looking up, “It’s on ice, chilling.”

“How long will it take before I can drink it?”

“It’ll take about 10 minutes.”

When the students heard that it would take so long, they couldn’t help but feel a little impatient, but after seeing Luo Huai’an’s profile, they froze in place.

They whispered to each other, “Fuck! You told me this afternoon that the owner of the Eighth Cafeteria was pretty, but I didn’t believe you then. But now I see she’s so much more than pretty! Can a human be this pretty?”

“I finally understand why there are rumors that the Eighth Cafeteria Eight is haunted.”

“Why?”

“It’s because the boss is good-looking and the food she cooks is delicious, and the seniors don’t want this Treasure Cafeteria to be discovered.”

The freshmen thought this made sense. The reason they didn’t come to Treasure Eight Cafeteria was because of the instigation of those seniors!

They nodded seriously, each one agreeing deeply, and threw the blame on their absent seniors. “They are so scheming!”

Mythical Beast Cafeteria translated by Maela @ whitemoonlighttranslations.com

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T/N: Huoxiang Zhengqi Water. It’s a liquid herbal formula that is said to ‘induce diaphoresis and clear away summer-heat, to resolve damp and regulate the function of the spleen and stomach.’ It is supposed to alleviate many discomforts including heatstroke. It tastes bitter and pungent.

If you’re enjoying my translations, do consider buying me ko-fi and get access to advance chapters as reward. Thank you for your support! ☺️
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

FOOTNOTES:

1. Delighted to see others hunting. Idiom. She wasn’t originally part of the group who chased Big Fish to the Eighth Cafeteria; she watched people ‘hunt’ and got excited by it. ↩︎
2. Daughter of wealthy family. The word used here literally translates to ‘a thousand catties of gold’ so something very precious. In olden days, it was an honorific referring to noble families’ daughters. In modern times, it refers to a wealthy family’s daughter. It’s always used to refer to other families’ daughters, not your own. ↩︎