Leisurely Traveler with Check-in System

Chapter 306 - 134: Half-Year Summary, A New - Begins!

But come to think of it, although I’ve often traveled to Hainan, I don’t recall having leisurely played with sand like this; every time was spent at my uncle’s house.

Li Younan leaned against the back of a folding chair, holding a green coconut, which was a bit heavy, and the last sip of coconut meat through the straw carried a hint of sweet residue.

After a while, Lu Xiaolan got tired of playing too and wandered back to join them under the parasol, also holding an iced coconut.

The sun was shining, the sea breeze was blowing, and a fine layer of salt gradually coated Li Younan’s skin.

There they lay, chatting sporadically.

At first, Lu Xiaolan excitedly shared her feelings from when she just started college, and Li Younan occasionally interrupted her, teasing Lu Xiaolan, asking if any boys had pursued her, if she had joined the student council, and reminiscing about how back then he was always a popular figure at school...

Later, they couldn’t even remember what they talked about.

The shadow of the umbrella quietly moved across the sand, crawling from the feet to the waist, and Lu Xiaolan’s coconut was empty, the straw making hollow sounds at the end.

She sat up, her bare feet fiddling with the sand, watching the empty coconut shell roll half a circle in the sand pit.

...

To be honest, Sanya isn’t exactly a great place for a travel experience.

It’s not that the scenery isn’t good, but purely because of the prices.

The same travel experience abroad might cost only a tenth of Sanya’s price, and this price difference is quite stunning.

If you’re wealthy here, you can have a comfortable time, but wealthy people might have a more enjoyable experience at foreign beaches.

And the booming tourism industry isn’t much related to the local people of Hainan, with the money hardly going into locals’ pockets, instead raising their living costs indirectly.

Luckily, because of uncle, the most expensive accommodation issue was resolved, ensuring the holiday experience.

Their arrival didn’t disrupt uncle’s lifestyle; his focus was still on the Sichuan restaurant.

Except for seeing them briefly on the first day while taking them to the guesthouse, uncle and aunt mostly stayed busy in the restaurant.

Mom suggested, "Let’s make a meal for the three of us and invite uncle and aunt’s family over for a get-together."

Li Younan and Lu Xiaolan naturally responded immediately.

It’s notable that uncle and aunt’s son is now only ten years old, surprisingly younger than Li Younan and Lu Xiaolan, mostly taken care of by his grandparents, currently attending a winter camp project, and won’t be back for a few days.

Upon hearing of their plan to cook and invite them, uncle mockingly remarked to mom over the phone, "Not to be critical, Xiaoxue, but you’re just looking for trouble when there’s none. What am I? I own a restaurant; if you want a meal, why not directly come eat at my restaurant? Or do you think my culinary skills have regressed?"

Mom, usually gentle, was firm in this matter, saying, "Brother, I’m not discussing, I’m informing you, come over yourself tomorrow afternoon."

Uncle couldn’t argue against Li Younan’s mom and finally agreed.

Once settled, the three of them immediately got busy.

Under the direction of soon-to-be chef Li Younan, they divided the tasks, bought groceries, handled fresh seafood, washed and chopped vegetables, prepared seasonings, and so on.

Lu Xiaolan, not a frequent cook at home, naturally appeared clumsy throughout the process.

No matter how awkward she seemed, Li Younan generously praised her, saying things like, "Wow, this vegetable is washed so clean."

"Hmm, not bad, this garlic doesn’t have a single piece unpeeled."

"Did you break this Houttuynia root one by one? So meticulous!"

Amid Li Younan’s somewhat theatrical praise, Lu Xiaolan gradually lost herself, working diligently.

Ironically, mom, intending to be the head chef, found herself out of tasks soon, amusingly watching the two.

At night, when uncle and aunt arrived to find a table full of delicate dishes, uncle showed a surprised expression, marveling at Li Younan’s mom, "You can still make so many dishes now?"

Then, without reservation, he revealed mom’s mishap from childhood, "Remember when you were in middle school, you couldn’t cook green peas properly and got yourself poisoned, vomiting and having diarrhea for three days?"

Mom remained silent.

Only then did uncle sit down and eat, trying the braised pork with abalone, his eyes lit up, becoming more startled as he ate, asking, "Did you really make these dishes?"

Mom, though dishonest, proudly asked, "How is it? Not bad, right?"

Uncle showed a peculiar smile, "This level is good enough to be the head chef in big hotels; did you order takeout?"

At this, Lu Xiaolan insisted, "It was all my cousin’s doing! All my cousin’s!"

Uncle now looked surprised at Li Younan, "I was worried about your meals during these days, but now it seems I don’t have to concern myself..."

In the following days, they quickly adapted to the vacation rhythm.

Every day they selected seafood and seasonal vegetables from the local market, cooked for themselves, while uncle and his wife continued to focus on their business, barely interfering with them.