Xiao was lulled awake by the sounds of people bustling about. Despite forgetting to shut the curtains, the dense foliage ensured that there was no piercing sunlight that disturbed his slumber. He washed his face with the water basin left in his room, lazily tying his white hair in a low ponytail. He applied light eyeliner to enhance his nonexistent lashes and light lip gloss to prevent his lips from chapping. The last time he forgot to do so, was when he worked overtime for 5 days straight, his lips were in horrible condition and he had no desire to go back to those days. ‘Cracked dry lips are no joke.’

He decided to leave his rattan bag in the room, no one else would be able to take it with them, an anti-theft measure after a previous transmigrator lost their bag while sleeping in the wild. ‘I’m kind of curious as to how they’re doing… Worst case scenario they’re destitute or dead. Best case, they get a 3rd chance in life.’  Xiao snorted, not willing to gamble on his chances with baseless theories.

He used the empty table provided to set up a makeshift kitchen. Making use of a small wok to make a meal that he could just toss in ingredients in order to save on time cleaning. ‘Work smarter not harder and all that nonsense.’

He took out some Jinhua ham, cutting them into thin slices and letting them steam in a steamer pot that he found while digging through the rattan bag. Letting it steam for 15 minutes, he prepped the other ingredients by chopping garlic, onion, and scallions. Xiao added some thinly sliced tocino as well to his Sichuan fried rice for a bit of sweetness.

Xiao set the Jinhua ham aside, mincing it finely. He set up the stove to the highest it could go and seasoned the small wok, using rice bran oil, and coated the entire wok in it. Once he was sure that the wok was properly seasoned, he threw in the chili oil, listening to the satisfying sizzle as he dropped the minced Jinhua ham into it. Watching as the meat crisped at the edges, he threw in suimi ya cai and stirred it as the fermented smell prickled his nose. 

Eventually, the smell gave way to something fragrant and that’s when he added the rest of the remaining ingredients. Add the jasmine rice for last and mix it well with the rest. Of course, a good fried rice meal wouldn’t be complete without eggs, so he cracked them into a small bowl, beat them and quickly added them to the wok. He shut off the stove, fetching a spoon, and ate directly from the wok. Groaning in satisfaction as he had his first bite of a well-cooked meal. The caramelized sweetness of the sauce from the tocino, bursts of heat from the chili that danced on his tongue, and the cohesion of the other ingredients coalesced into a meal that excited all his senses. 

After an umami-packed breakfast, Xiao poured himself a cold glass of water, slowly drinking in big gulps as the cool water refreshed him and cleansed his palette. To him, a tall glass of water was the best compliment to a flavorful dish. It ensured that his tongue and mind would always recollect the last meal he ate.

Xiao finally finished cleaning up and doing his personal routine which freed him to explore the surrounding area. He counted his coins and sucked in a deep breath, despite looking quite full if he totaled it he barely had enough to spend on a year living in the inn, even if he lived frugally and relied on the rattan bag’s abilities to conjure food.

‘I guess making money is on today’s agenda.’ Xiao left the room, securely locking it, and hung the key around his neck. ‘I’ll survey the area and try to do market research and look at their laws regarding selling.’

The inn was filled with daytime visitors, eating, and socializing. A majority of what looked like weary travelers surrounded a section of the wall that was full of pages, he squinted at the bold letters written on top and deciphered it as best as he could, mouthing each syllable. 

“Qu… Bo… For …ers.” 

“Quest Board For Freelancers.” A familiar face greeted Xiao. “Good morning Basilio! Thanks for letting me know… I’m ashamed to admit this but I’m not really good at reading the local written language yet.”

Basilio guffawed a wine glass in hand, a frosted white liquid sloshed in the glass but never spilled. Basilio caught Xiao’s curious gaze and offered him some.

“This inn makes the best Tapuy you could ever have. Probably because they collaborate with herbalist Fei so they get the best and highest quality ingredients to make it. They say they have connections with the Houtu Commerce Guild to buy a special type of rice that only grows in Kwan Im .”

“Is tapuy alcoholic? In that case, I’ll have to pass because it’s too early for me to be imbibing.” Basilio looked at Xiao and his half-empty glass “More for me then.” he said giving him a shrug and drinking the rest of it. 

“By the way, Basilio, do you know where I can apply to buy a commercial building?” 

“It’s either independent commerce guilds, merchant guilds, or directly going to the barangay hall for a localized area permit. Each one has its pros and cons but the barangay hall is for true independents.” Basilio was on his 6th glass at this point and despite his flushed cheeks, his words didn’t slur at all and his posture remained alert.

“Are you planning on settling into this fantastic capital of ours?”

Xiao wasn’t sure if he wanted to stay for a long time in Bahandi but he did want to establish a place that he could securely call home for a while. It wasn’t like he was in a rush to see everything this new world had to offer. ‘And I’m not sure I can survive sleeping outside by myself worrying about my lackluster camping skills.’