Chapter 16. Who knew that things that don’t have starfruit could be tasty! (dragon fruit smoothie)

Rice paper was fragile. That was Phương’s excuse for not creating a rice-paper-roll-rolling-machine. It was easier to work on his house extension, turning his cozy single storey home into a larger beach-front-worthy two storey home.

The upper floor became his private living quarters, with a new bedroom, bathroom, guest bedroom, and small lounge room. The bottom floor was now dedicated to the tearoom. He remodelled kitchen, with all the appliances set at the back. He filled the expanded main dining space with mismatched tables, chairs, and sofas. There were now three display cabinets and two bathrooms for guests. As before, the front façade was floor-to-ceiling glass that could be pushed completely aside to unify the indoor and outdoor seating spaces.

All the renovations and a certain guest meant his inventory was very low. While Phương sent his sword on regular trips to town to emergency restocking, he himself went to town the moment he found out that Somkeo was back.

“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” Phương said, brightening at all the new materials that Somkeo had for sale today. “I heard you were here, so I made some milk tea for you. These are three of the most popular flavours: original milk tea, matcha milk tea, and taro milk tea.”

Somkeo examined the cups and the large straws, before choosing to have the original milk tea first. Her eyebrows rose up as she drank it. “Not bad. I can see why that man from last time wanted this. Did he ever find you?”

“Yes, and he ordered over fifty cups to take away. And then another guest ordered a thousand cups to take away.”

Somkeo’s eyes widened. “What?” She stared at the cup in her hand. “There isn’t any special spiritual energy in this.”

“There’s a lot of sugar,” Phương said, shrugging. “If they’re paying, why question it?”

Somkeo understood.

“Now, I want all of these, and all of these too, and all of these…”

After Phương was done, he had almost cleared Somkeo’s entire inventory.

“Now I’ll have to go mining again,” Somkeo said. “Do you want to request anything in particular?”

“I like a bit of everything,” Phương said.

Somkeo’s lips twitched. “Alright.”

Phương said goodbye and continued shopping.

After getting all the goods he needed and topping up fresh produce (including a lot of starfruit), tapioca starch, sugar, and tea, Phương returned home.

Phương was testing his little vending machine (which was easier to make than a rice paper roll rolling machine) when his sword informed him of incoming guests.

Phương followed his sword out of his workshop.

Fwop fwop fwop!

Several large phoenixes filled the skies, their wing beats sending wind rushing across the beach. In a flash of light, they turned into smaller humanoid forms wearing robes as vibrant as their feathers.

“Yes, here it is! Hey, it looks different from last time!” Phượng Hoàng Vũ led his two closest friends to the shop entrance.

Phương strolled forward to greet them. “Welcome, and welcome back.”

Phượng Hoàng Vũ’s eyes lit up. “Anh Phương! I finally found some time to come back. These are my two friends, Phượng Hoàng Tiên Dung and Phượng Hoàng Huy.”

The two phoenixes nodded. One was a woman with feathers in her hair, and the other was a man with feathers in his clothes.

“I’m Nguyễn Nam Phương, you can call me anh Phương,” Phương said. “Would you like some lunch? Where do you want to sit? I’ll bring some starfruit bubble tea right away.”

Phượng Hoàng Vũ swallowed his saliva. “Yes! We’ll sit out here.” He pointed to one of the tables placed outside at the front of the house.

Phương took the starfruit cushions out of his spatial storage. “I’ve also made some starfruit cushions. Interested?” There were three sliced-starfruit cushions, in green, yellow and orange.

Phượng Hoàng Vũ reached for the cushions eagerly. “Yes!”

Phượng Hoàng Tiên Dung grabbed one of the cushions, her eyes lighting up just like her friend’s. “Is this a starfruit slice? This is so smart! Why don’t we have starfruit cushions instead of boring plain round or square ones?”

“It’s too frivolous,” Phượng Hoàng Huy said. “It also doesn’t have enough embedded gems.”

“That would make it more uncomfortable,” Phương said.

“Hm.” Phượng Hoàng Huy acknowledged the fact.

Phượng Hoàng Vũ handed Phương a pouch of gold and spiritual stones. “For the cushions and lunch, no change needed!”

Phương graciously accepted the payment for everything and headed into the house. He made three cups of starfruit coconut bubble tea. While his sword carried the tray of drinks out to the phoenixes, Phương started heating up a pot of oil.

The enticing scent of oil immediately spread through the air. It became even more tempting when Phương lowered in the prepared spring rolls.

Sizzle!!

It took less than two minutes for the first batch to be done. Phương put them onto an oil draining rack and prepared the second batch. He moved the first batch onto a plate, sliced through two to reveal the cross-section of prawn, mushroom and cabbage. He carried the plate of fried spring rolls, a bowl of fish-sauce dipping sauce, and a stack of bowls and chopsticks on the pheonixes’ table.

“Enjoy.”

Phượng Hoàng Vũ and his friends picked up the spring rolls with their hands. They bit into the spring rolls. The outer shell was crisp and the inner fillings were super savoury with the perfect balance of chew and bite. The spicy, sweet and sour fish-sauce added highlights to the spring roll.

“Wow, these really are delicious!” Phượng Hoàng Vũ exclaimed.

“Who knew that things that don’t have starfruit could be tasty,” Phượng Hoàng Tiên Dung agreed.

Phượng Hoàng Huy silently grabbed two more spring rolls, prompting his friends to grab more too.

Before long, they completely demolished the fried spring rolls, including the second batch that Phương made.

Temporarily sated, Phượng Hoàng Vũ took a more careful look around the newly renovated tearoom, spotting the display cabinets inside the house. “Aren’t those the light orbs that Long Quang showed me?”

“Those don’t look very round,” Phượng Hoàng Huy said.

“Feel free to take a look,” Phương called out from the kitchen.

Phượng Hoàng Vũ and Phượng Hoàng Tiên Dung both got up, pulling their reticent friend along into the human building.

“See, there are some round ones,” Phượng Hoàng Vũ said, pointing at the light orbs. “Long Quang also showed me a dragon-shaped one.”

“This one looks like a fat cat! This one looks like a fat fish!” Phượng Hoàng Tiên Dung gasped. “This one is bird!”

“There aren’t any fruit ones,” Phượng Hoàng Huy said, his gaze drifting elsewhere around the place.

“You could commission other shapes, like phoenixes or starfruit,” Phương said.

“Starfruit!” Phượng Hoàng Tiên Dung said.

“No, I think I rather eat starfruit,” Phượng Hoàng Huy said. His gaze drifted to the other display cabinets. He sucked in a breath. “More fruit cushions?”

His two friends looked over.

“I saw these last time,” Phượng Hoàng Vũ said. He gestured to one of the dining tables. “Those chairs have fruit cushions.”

Phượng Hoàng Huy examined the fruit cushions in the display cabinet with utmost seriousness. “I want the dragon fruit cushion.”

Phượng Hoàng Vũ gasped. “You don’t want a starfruit cushion?”

“I want the starfruit cushions,” Phượng Hoàng Tiên Dung said, grabbing the two available ones in the display cabinet.

Phượng Hoàng Vũ gave both his friends a look of betrayal, but they were too busy putting the cushions away in their spatial storage and paying Phương to care.

After a look around the rest of the space, the three phoenixes decided to sit inside instead, at the dining table that had fruit cushions. Phương’s sword tidied up the outside table.

Phương placed three new cups of starfruit drinks on the dining table. “Here you go.”

“You’re a god,” Phượng Hoàng Vũ said reverently. “The phoenix king should be chosen by whoever can make the most starfruit drinks and dishes!”

Phương chuckled.

“Ah, why don’t you visit our phoenix kingdom?” Phượng Hoàng Vũ asked excitedly. “As long as you bring lots of starfruit dishes, my uncle would agree!”

Phượng Hoàng Tiên Dung nodded. “Yes, yes, I think so too.”

“Are humans allowed?” Phương asked.

“As long as you’re weak, it’s fine!” Phượng Hoàng Vũ said without a worry in the world.

“Is that so,” Phương said with a twitch of his lips. “For lunch, I’m making hamburgers.”

“I don’t know what that is, but it must be delicious,” Phượng Hoàng Vũ said.

Phương’s sword came flying over, capturing the phoenixes’ attention.

“Ah! I want a sword that looks like too,” Phượng Hoàng Tiên Dung said enviously.

The sword sparkled a little brighter.

Phương glanced outside. “Another guest?”

The sword bobbed a ‘yes’.

Soon, a large floating boat came to a stop not far outside the house. Several people—Prince Lang Diệu and others that Phương didn’t recognise—descended from the boat.

The phoenixes became quiet, glancing at each other.

Prince Lang Diệu led the others to the front of the shop.

“Hello again,” Phương greeted.

Prince Lang Diệu inclined his head. “You’ve expanded.”

“All thanks to everyone’s patronage,” Phương said. “You’re just in time for lunch.”

“This is my brother, Prince Duy Thận. He won the competition I told you about previously. And these are our assistants,” Prince Lang Diệu introduced his companions.

“Diệu showed me the blender machine that you refined,” Prince Duy Thận said. “It’s quite interesting. I’m curious about your original intentions for creating it.”

“I can make a drink using it right now,” Phương said. He gestured around the dining room. “Take a seat.”

Prince Lang Diệu walked into the shop, glanced at the phoenixes, and then chose a table on the opposite side of the room.

The two assistants had looks of relief as they followed the two princes inside.

The shop was very quiet, with everyone watching Phương take out several blenders and a lot of fruit. They all watched him peel and dice them without saying a word.

Phương: “…” His lips twitched. He had never cared about people watching him prepare food until now.

Setting up three blenders, Phương made three different smoothies: jackfruit, dragon fruit and watermelon. In addition to the fruit, he added ice cubes and sweet coconut juice to the blenders. He poured the cold smoothies into small glasses, setting up a stunning line of yellow, purple and red drinks. With his sword’s help, he served half to the human group and half to the phoenix group.

“Have a taste.”

Prince Duy Thận picked up the dragon fruit smoothie first. His assistant tried to stop him but was unceremoniously pushed aside. “Interesting.” He took a sip and his eyebrows rose. “Very interesting.”

When Phương came to the phoenixes’ table, Phượng Hoàng Vũ whispered loudly to him, “How about a starfruit drink?”

Phượng Hoàng Huy took a cup of dragon fruit smoothie from the lineup. “Hmm. Quite nice.”

Across the room, Prince Duy Thận and Phượng Hoàng Huy’s gazes met.

Unbeknown to the other, they both disdained the other’s red-purple lips from the dragon fruit.

Long Quang: ?!!! Wait, what’s happening? Why aren’t I here?

Phương: Ehh, you’ll just make it more awkward, little Long Quang~

Phượng Hoàng Vũ: Anh Phương, you can become my new honorary human brother!

Phượng Hoàng Vũ’s parents, far away: *birdey senses tingling* our son is definitely up to something!