novelraw Chapter 281
Chapter 281
Chapter 281: Teleportation, Activated!
For now, things have settled down between Qin Chuan and the Saint.
Xia Li didn’t ask much about the daily lives of these two lovebirds.
He only knew that they rented a single room not far from the Shangdong Chaoyang Residential Complex, with a monthly rent of 500 yuan.
Although the living conditions were a bit poor, the advantage was that they could cook. After calculating the expenses, they could save a lot of living costs each month.
Qin Chuan himself was a bit of a homebody and a cook; cooking was the only thing he was good at.
Xia Li also heard that Yivni wanted to sell her staff and gold crown, but Qin Chuan stopped her several times.
Although Qin Chuan usually appeared gloomy and unmotivated, he was actually very ambitious. He said that not having money was only temporary, and the staff and gold crown could never be sold.
Xia Li was also worried that his brother and his girlfriend would suffer, and several times wanted to support Qin Chuan with a “goodwill deposit,” saying that it would be deducted from his salary after he officially started working, but Qin Chuan refused.
When Qin Chuan was in college, he received similar sponsorships, and it probably left him with some psychological trauma, so Xia Li didn’t insist. However, it’s worth mentioning that…
The Saint, Yivni, who was summoned from Zela Continent by Xia Li, her abilities were beyond Xia Li’s expectations.
Xia Li originally thought that the “Saint” would mainly use holy light healing magic, and that maybe her abilities could be utilized in the future pet hospital.
It turned out that the healing magic in that world was not much different from the healing magic in Lucia’s world. Both were mainly focused on treating external injuries, consuming magic power, and overdrawing life force. To treat internal diseases and curses, other methods had to be used.
Even the Saint’s unique blessing ability was a very mysterious thing…acceleration, excitement, blindness, pain immunity, these auxiliary abilities were not very useful on sick pets, and at most could save a little anesthesia.
But there was one ability that Xia Li was very interested in.
Affinity.
The ability to be close to all living beings, the complete opposite of Lucia.
Yivni was like Snow White who walked out of a fairy tale. When Qin Chuan took her for a walk in the park, unleashed cats and dogs would gather around her, sparrows and birds would stop in front of her, and even when she passed by the flower beds, the flowers inside seemed to bloom even more brilliantly.
Hearing these words from Qin Chuan, Xia Li slapped his thigh.
Isn’t this the talent he wanted to recruit?!
She was simply a natural-born pet whisperer!
With Yivni, the future of the pet hospital was promising!
◈◈◈
The following month.
The results of Xia Li’s veterinary qualification exam came out.
On the day the results were released, he drove directly to Miyang City, where Fang Xia was.
Actually, he had wanted to go to Fang Xia to discuss it for a long time, but he had been suffering because the results hadn’t come out yet, and he was afraid that his mother would say he was too impatient for success. So, Xia Li waited until the results were announced before making a final decision.
He had mentioned the few shops he had his eye on to Fang Xia. Fang Xia said that if he decided to do it, he should do the best, otherwise, doing it half-heartedly would be a waste of effort.
“Aunt, good afternoon…”
August was the hottest month of the year in Sichuan Province.
The scorching sun mercilessly baked the earth like a fireball, and waves of heat filled the air, making even breathing feel sticky and heavy.
Lucia changed into a cool little floral sundress today, with a ponytail tied to one side of her head, adorned with a light green butterfly hairpin.
The girl was pure and lively, with soft and smooth hair, and her skirt swayed gently in the wind. When she smiled, she was as sweet as a honey cake. Any elder would praise her for her beauty.
“Oh, come in, come in quickly.”
Fang Xia opened the door, and upon seeing Lucia, she beamed with joy and quickly pulled her into the house.
The air conditioner was on in the house. Usually, it was only allowed to be set at 28 degrees in the living room, but today it was rare to cater to the preferences of the young people and set it to 26 degrees.
The cool temperature inside the house brought Lucia’s sun-dried face back to life. Unable to sit still in the living room, she went to help out in Fang Xia’s dedicated kitchen.
“Haha, is it hot in the kitchen? We didn’t consider that it would be hot to cook in the summer when we were decorating the house. When you move to your new home in the future, remember to ask Xia Li to install air conditioning in the kitchen, and also in the bathroom…Our area is hot and humid, and going to the bathroom in the summer is like taking a sauna, with sweat dripping down in big drops.”
Fang Xia knew that Lucia was from out of town, and couldn’t help but share her experience as an elder with Lucia.
Lucia listened attentively, and when she saw the beads of sweat on Fang Xia’s forehead, she picked up the kitchen lid and fanned Fang Xia.
When had Fang Xia ever received such treatment in her life?
Usually, she was alone when cooking in the kitchen. Sichuan cuisine was hot and pungent, and she was afraid of affecting the old man in the living room, so she would close the kitchen door and endure it alone.
Now, with an obedient and sensible girl by her side, she felt incredibly blessed.
It was said that daughters were like little cotton-padded jackets. To her, Lucia was like a daughter.
“Don’t fan, your hand will get tired. Ask Xia Li to bring the electric fan from the room to blow on you.”
Fang Xia smiled with contentment, her lipstick-coated lips pressed together.
Lucia glanced back at Xia Li, who was chatting with Xia Li’s father in the living room. She didn’t want to interrupt their father-son conversation, so she shook her head and said.
“I’m not tired, Auntie. How about I help you cook? I recently learned how to toss the wok!”
As Lucia said this, she went to help. Fang Xia didn’t stop her enthusiasm and stepped aside to give her the stove.
“Don’t be too accommodating to Xia Li. Let him do some work. The more you spoil a man, the more likely he is to become lazy,” Fang Xia couldn’t help but say.
“It’s okay, Auntie! Xia Li and I have a clear division of labor. If I cook, he cleans. We split the housework equally…And Xia Li is very busy recently. He’s not lazy at all!”
Lucia knew that her mother was worried about them, but she couldn’t help but defend Xia Li and say good things about him.
As expected, Fang Xia didn’t say anything more.
The young couple’s life rhythm was for them to control; they, the old couple, wouldn’t interfere.
After finishing cooking a table full of dishes.
The family sat happily at the dining table.
This time, it was mainly because Xia Li had serious business to discuss with his family, and Fang Xia thought it would take a long time, so she simply decided to cook at home, so they wouldn’t be in a hurry and could chat slowly.
Xia Li outlined his general plan, including his ideal entrepreneurial environment and the departments and projects he planned to prepare.
After finishing speaking, he also took out his newly acquired veterinary qualification certificate to show off.
The issuance date on the veterinary qualification certificate was very recent, just a few days ago, and there was an official seal from the local veterinary bureau in the lower right corner.
This was something Xia Li had earned through half a year of hard work and study. Even the taciturn Xia Yuanjun nodded and praised him a few times, and even told Xia Li to remember to buy a glass case to frame it.
However, although he had the entry-level qualification certificate, this was only the first step for Xia Li to start his business.
Fang Xia had been running shops for most of her life, from supermarkets, restaurants, to teahouses…
She told Xia Li that opening a shop was definitely not as simple as just doing it.
Start-up capital, business management…Even before the shop officially opened, the procedures required would be enough to give Xia Li a headache.
As the family chatted until the afternoon, Fang Xia simply called someone over.
The other party was a friend Fang Xia had known for a long time, whom Xia Li addressed as “Aunt Li.” Aunt Li ran a small pet hospital in Miyang City, and she had a lot of experience in the field of pet hospitals that she could share with Xia Li.
Business license, animal diagnosis and treatment permit, animal epidemic prevention certificate, medical institution practice license…
Fang Xia was right. These procedures alone were enough to give Xia Li a headache.
Xia Li had written three full A4 sheets of notes just taking notes. He had to go back and convert these papers into electronic documents for easy reference and modification.
There were still many difficulties ahead.
But for someone with enough time, patience, and confidence, these numerous procedures and steps were just a hurdle on the road ahead.
“What do you think?”
In the underground parking lot, Xia Li backed the car out, and Lucia sat in the passenger seat, flipping through the notes Xia Li had just written.
She actually wanted to take notes too.
But Aunt Li spoke too fast, and Lucia found that her writing speed was like a snail crawling, completely unable to keep up, so she had to give up.
She could only rely on her smart brain, and her smart boyfriend, to remember these key points.
“I think it’s no problem!”
Lucia put down the notes and said seriously to Xia Li:
“We can definitely do it!”
Xia Li smiled at her and pulled her dragon head over for a kiss.
80% of his courage actually came from the confidence Lucia gave him.
If it weren’t for Lucia, Xia Li wouldn’t have been so diligent. He would probably have been one of the many “lying flat” people of the 21st century.
The car slowly drove out of the parking lot and onto the brightly lit streets.
At the entrance of the residential complex, Fang Xia watched the departing car and nudged Old Xia next to her with her elbow.
“Don’t you have anything to say? You haven’t said a word all afternoon,” Fang Xia complained.
This afternoon, she had talked until her lips were dry, giving Xia Li advice and constantly emphasizing the difficulties he was about to face and the potential dead ends.
And Xia Yuanjun just sat there silently, not joining the conversation at all.
This old man would only drink tea on the side, and after finishing, he would spit out the tea leaves with two “ptui” sounds. It was annoying.
“What can I say…He’s so determined, I can only silently support him.”
The evening streetlights reflected off Xia Yuanjun’s glasses, and under those thick lenses, was the father’s face full of relief.
◈◈◈
“Your son is quite capable.”
After Xia Li left, this awkward and proud old man couldn’t help but start praising his son.
“Believe it or not, even if you set a hundred obstacles for him, he can overcome them.”
◈◈◈
Back home, after a few days of rest.
Xia Li organized a plan spreadsheet.
He had always been a person with goals and self-discipline.
When he was studying before, he would list out a spreadsheet for each unit’s tasks, and then set a daily study quota for himself, not resting until it was completed. If one day he slacked off and didn’t complete the task, even if it meant staying up all night, he would finish it before going to bed.
For him, there was never such a thing as “I’ll do it tomorrow.”
So, during the half year of studying for the veterinary qualification certificate, even though his friends thought it was an impossible task, he gritted his teeth and did it.
He even exceeded the task, and even his part-time writing never fell behind.
Mid-August, in front of the computer.
Xia Li crunched on the lollipop in his mouth and used a stapler to bind the plan spreadsheet into a booklet.
He was wearing a thick cotton jacket, and even the plastic sandals on his feet were replaced with cotton slippers.
In this hot August weather, such attire was indeed rare.
No other reason.
Because there was an ice-making dragon next to him.
Lucia didn’t know what spell she used to create a miniature freezing magic. She threw a piece of ice engraved with magic patterns into the room, and the whole room became freezing cold. He had to wear a thick cotton jacket to withstand this kind of freezing temperature.
These days, while Xia Li was busy with opening the shop, Lucia wasn’t idle either.
Due to her limited abilities, she didn’t have much experience in this society, and the only thing she could do was stay by Xia Li’s side.
Lucia had been troubled by this for a long time.
Recently, she clapped her hands and realized that she was good at magic, so she had to start with what she was good at.
So, she made a simple magic tool to demonstrate her restless self-worth.
This ice-making magic…
It had to be said, it was quite cool.
The effect was equivalent to turning on the air conditioner to 13 degrees and then covering yourself with a quilt in the air-conditioned room.
Very comfortable.
If it could be improved and the temperature controlled well in the future, it could save a lot of electricity bills.
“Is it really necessary to bring so many things?”
In the room with closed doors and windows, Lucia was sneaky, her golden-red dragon eyes glowing eerily in the darkness.
She was carrying a large burlap sack, with snacks and drinks in her other hand, and a large sheep plush toy tucked under her arm.
A familiar scene.
This was how the dragon was dressed when Xia Li first returned to Azure Continent with Lucia.
“Even for a short trip, eating and drinking well is an important part! As for the sheep plush toy, I can’t sleep without it!”
The evil dragon huffed and puffed as she carried the bag and explained.
“Didn’t you complain that it was too hot recently, so you’ve been favoring me every day?” Xia Li asked again.
“You, you, you hugging me too much is not good…” Lucia’s little face started to blush again.
Xia Li was speechless.
This dragon was so easy to tease.
She was getting easier and easier to tease.
She used to be able to hold on for a while, stubbornly saying that she was just not in good condition.
But now, the floor was mopped several times a day. Who was it that vowed to defeat the Brave Hero?
Staring at this blushing dragon girl for a while, Xia Li sighed.
Just let her bring it. He would make the dragon carry it herself after they got there.
Thinking this, Xia Li also picked up the burlap sack behind him.
The sack rustled, filled with all sorts of things.
Almost all of them were bottles and jars.
Perfume, soap, cheap and beautiful little plastic ornaments.
Actually, after Xia Li came back from Azure Continent last time, he had figured it out.
Whether in another world or on Earth, women’s money was the easiest to earn.
With a little bit of fragrant, beautiful trinkets, those noble ladies would readily pay up.
If even girls on Earth couldn’t resist these things, let alone the people of Azure Continent who hadn’t seen much of the world…
Xia Li originally wanted to buy a bunch of skincare products from Pinduoduo to take there.
But considering that the women in that world didn’t have the concept of skincare, it would be very troublesome to instill the idea of skincare and maintenance in them, and if the cosmetics were too inferior, their faces would get ruined.
So, selling industrial perfumes and small industrial plastic products was the most profitable.
As for men…
A lighter from the 21st century could satisfy 100% of the romance and preferences of men in another world.
Men in both worlds were very easy to understand.
“Ready?”
Xia Li got everything ready, and finally, he didn’t forget to hold the hand of his most important dragon wife.
Lucia checked her luggage again and nodded twice, “Mm-hmm.”
The pure crystals were almost used up, and Lucia’s magic power was almost depleted.
So, they had to go back to replenish their supplies.
Of course, what needed to be replenished the most…
Was Xia Li and Lucia’s little treasury.
It was said that the first pot of gold in starting a business was the most crucial thing. Although Xia Li could rely on the support of his parents to get through this step, in order to ensure stability in the future, Xia Li decided to take a bigger step.
Xia Li’s ambition was not small.
He planned to buy the store directly.
Otherwise, renting someone else’s shop would always be working for the landlord, and it would also make Lucia feel insecure.
Therefore, a large amount of cash was a necessity.
Xia Li quickly made a decision.
He was going back to Azure Continent to make a fortune.
Not taking advantage of an opportunity was being a fool.
The shortcut was right there. At this time, pretending to be noble and saying, “I want to earn money with my own hands,” was purely foolish behavior.
Who said that reselling wasn’t using one’s own hands?
For the sake of his and Lucia’s future happy life on Earth, Xia Li was willing to exploit many loopholes.
Moreover, he was also benefiting both worlds.
He was a conscientious businessman, and the transactions were voluntary.
Carrying the Demon Repelling Sword on his back, Xia Li closed his eyes and sensed the silver scale necklace on his chest.
The last small bag of pure crystals began to be consumed, and the light of the magic circle slowly lit up at his feet.
The white light quickly covered his vision.
As his body became lighter and lighter, Xia Li couldn’t help but think…
The last time he traveled through time, it was a mistake, and fate was corrected because of it.
Then, this time’s Azure Continent must be in the “future”…
How many years in the future, Xia Li wasn’t sure.
But if he could see his former teammates on this return, then Xia Li would have no regrets.