He changed Tiwat

After being asked for a long time, Ah Fei finally answered, sobbing, "...It's so good that your friends will help you. Unlike my friends...who left me here. Waaah..."

Chapter 324 This is so rock and roll [4k]

It turns out that this time, Ah Fei was "crying with envy".

Afei has two friends, Lulu and Xiaomeng. The three of them agreed to meet at the pier today, and Afei even wore an adorable dog robe to show his friends, but his friends didn't show up.

Instead of his friend, the bad kids showed up and bullied him.

Seeing Xin Yan's friend so supportive of her, and remembering how her own friend had stood her up... of course she felt sad and upset.

Xin Yan couldn't stand seeing others cry, so when he saw A Fei like this, he immediately patted his chest and said, "You stay here and don't wander around. I'll go look for them nearby. If I find them, I'll bring them to you."

It should be said that when she said those words, she had the same imposing manner as the Big Sister of Beidou, and Afei believed this fierce-looking woman for no reason.

"...Yes! Thank you, big sister. I'll never say your braids are weird again!"

Xin Yan grinned. "Ha, you're smart to know what's good for you. See you later."

However, maintaining this bossy image is not easy. After the group had taken a few steps, Xin Yan immediately lost her composure and began to regret not asking A Fei and the other two kids where they lived.

Now she has no choice but to ask Yun Jin for this favor.

Don't be fooled by Xin Yan's boastful words just now; that was just to appease the children. If you really asked her to find two children in this vast Liyue Harbor, who knows when she would ever find them.

Yun Jin has a wide network of connections, and teahouses are places frequented by all sorts of people; perhaps Yun Jin has seen those two children.

To Xin Yan's disappointment, Yun Jin didn't recognize Lulu and Xiao Meng either—few parents would bring their children to a performance. Liyue operas often lasted an hour; how could children sit still for that long?

Yun Jin then passed the task of finding the person to Xing Qiu. She knew that Xing Qiu loved to do chivalrous deeds and would often wander around looking for opportunities to do good deeds. Perhaps Xing Qiu could find the person.

But Xingqiu didn't recognize the two children either.

Just then, Han Fulai, who had been silent until now, spoke up: "I'll take a few of you to find those two kids. Lulu and Xiaomeng often play around here, I know the place."

Upon hearing this, all three were astonished. They all knew that Han Fulai had extensive connections, from the immortals of Jueyunjian and the Seven Stars of Yujingtai to the shops of Feiyunpo and the restaurants of Huyan. Han Fulai could find acquaintances everywhere. But was it too frightening that he even knew the children playing at the dock?

In response, Han Fulai humbly stated, "It's part of my job as the Seven Star Secretary; visiting people's homes is necessary for my work."

Zhongli had hinted to Han Fulai to learn more about the lives of ordinary people in Liyue, and Han Fulai had indeed traveled all over Liyue Harbor, becoming familiar with many of the locals. He met people like Changshun, who ran a general store, and the orphaned siblings Yixian and Yizhu, among others, during that time.

However, he already knew the three children, Afei, Lulu, and Xiaomeng, before he transmigrated.

Although he didn't recognize them at first glance, he immediately recognized them when he heard their names. These three kids were known as the dock's iron triangle. One of the daily quests for players was called "Liyue Harbor, Pirates," which involved playing a game with these three kids, pretending to be soldiers and catching pirates.

Playing pirate games, of course, takes place on a ship.

While enjoying the astonished and admiring gazes of the three men, Han Fulai led them to the dock. Sure enough, on the deck of a fishing boat moored in the harbor, two small heads popped out, looking around curiously.

That must be Xiaomeng and Lulu, and that boat is where the three children usually play. When the boat isn't at sea, it's their playground.

Upon seeing the fierce-looking Xin Yan, the two children shrank back. But how could the "fierce auntie" let them go? She quickly caught them red-handed on the boat.

Amon trembled in fear in front of Xin Yan, but Lulu was quite brave, standing in front of Amon and asking, "Big sister, do you need something from us?"

"Are you Ammon? Are you Lulu?"

Xin Yan confirmed the identities of the two children, and both the little boy and the little girl nodded.

Xin Yan put her hands on her hips, deliberately glared at her, and scolded, "Didn't you agree to meet A-Fei at the dock? Why didn't you go to him? You're so young and you're not learning good things, standing people up! He was so worried he cried!"

Upon hearing Afei's name, the two children reacted in unison: "That idiot!"

"How could he be so stupid? He didn't even know to come find us!" Amon complained.

Lulu pouted, "...We even prepared a surprise for him."

"A surprise? What surprise?" Xin Yan was now confused as well.

Amon stamped his foot. "Let's go find him."

The group followed the children back to the dock, where Ah Fei was still standing there wiping away tears.

Lulu sprinted up to him and gave Afei a good flick on the forehead: "Silly boy, silly boy! We prepared a surprise for you! Who knew you wouldn't come to find us, and... and you even cried..."

When Afei saw Lulu, he was initially happy, but when he thought about how he had been bullied and wet his pants earlier, he couldn't be happy anymore. He just covered his face and mumbled, "I'm sorry, I'm stupid."

"No, no!" Lulu saw him like this, reached out and touched Afei's cheek, and said softly, "You're not stupid, it's our fault...we shouldn't have scared you."

Xiao Meng then walked up and handed a beautifully packaged box to A Fei, saying, "A Fei, today is your birthday. We wanted to give you a surprise and give you a big shock, so we deliberately avoided you."

"Huh? What's this...?" Afei's eyes widened as he took the box and opened it.

"I've prepared a lot of lotus pods for you, your favorite! And there's a handwritten letter of blessing from Lulu and me... Don't say our handwriting is ugly," Xiao Meng said.

"Hmm." Lulu looked very proud of herself—after all, it was her idea.

"You...you..." Afei wiped his face hard, then grinned, "Hehe, thank you..."

That's how innocent and spontaneous children are; they cry one minute and laugh the next. By the time the three of them had made up and remembered to thank the older sister who helped them find the person, Xin Yan and the others had already quietly left.

Xin Yan's assessment of the experience just now can be summed up in four words—

"That's so rock and roll!"

She then added a special sentence to Han Fulai—

"You're rock and roll too!"

Xin Yan has his own set of standards for evaluating all things.

The results of the evaluation are divided into only two categories: "rock and roll" and "not rock and roll".

If it's something righteous and upright, like standing up for what's right and facing difficulties head-on, then that's "rock and roll"; if it's something lowbrow, like bullying the weak, being cowardly, or cheating, then that's "not rock and roll".

The spirit of rock and roll includes rebellion and resistance, but if it violates morality, then it is still "not rock and roll".

The specific criteria for judgment are in Xin Yan's own hands. They may be based on the outcome of the matter or on her mood, but the positive or negative connotations expressed by these two words are still very clear.

They were just acting bravely and helping others, which is definitely "very rock and roll".

According to the stereotypes Liyue people have about civil servants, these people are either domineering or cunning. In Xin Yan's eyes, Han Fulai, the second-in-command of Liyue's civil servants, is "the most un-rocking of the un-rocking." If it weren't for Yun Jin's influence, Xin Yan wouldn't have wanted to get involved with someone like Han Fulai who works in the government.

But Han Fulai not only showed his willingness to help others, but also demonstrated his concern for people's livelihoods, which greatly changed her impression of him.

Therefore, she revised her evaluation of Han Fulai to "very rock and roll".

Upon hearing that Yun Jin had brought them specifically to see his performance, Xin Yan was even more delighted: "Then you absolutely must get to the very front of the stage! The experience is much better from the front! This is a unique rock concert in Liyue Harbor, it will definitely blow you away!"

Xing Qiu could only smile wryly at this. His ears were already ringing from the back row. If he were standing in the closest place, wouldn't he be deafened?

Xin Yan originally wanted to invite Yun Jin to Wanmintang for dinner, but after hearing from Han Fulai and the others that Xiang Ling was currently undergoing culinary training and was not at Wanmintang, she chose a new place instead—a secret gourmet paradise of hers.

On the way, Xin Yan recounted how she met Xiang Ling, which was quite interesting.

As everyone knows, Xin Yan has almost no friends because of his fierce appearance.

Xiangling from Wanmintang was a rare person with whom she could have a very congenial conversation.

Xin Yan visited Wanmintang for a special reason—she could find inspiration for composing music there.

Whenever Xiangling develops a new dish, unlike Xingqiu and Chongyun who avoid it like the plague, Xinyan will take the initiative to try it.

According to her, "When the unprecedented flavors of sour, sweet, bitter and spicy explode on the taste buds, inspiration will also flow from the brain."

Therefore, her evaluation of Xiangling is usually—

"Xiangling, you've made another rock-and-roll dish!"

For Xin Yan, this was the highest praise she could receive.

As for whether it tastes good or not—that has nothing to do with rock and roll.

Xin Yan led the group on a long detour to a place that was quite unfamiliar to most people.

To others, this place certainly doesn't have anything to do with being a "food paradise".

—Because this is the Liyue Harbor Shipyard.

Let alone ordinary people, even for Liyue civil servants like Han Fulai, the Shipyard is a place that strangers should stay away from. If you're not an employee of the Shipyard, it's best to avoid getting close to it.

Why?

"If you can't do it, then don't do it! Pack your bags and get out! Ugh, you're a disgrace to Liyue!"

Such sounds echoed daily at the entrance of the shipping bureau, and everyone feared offending this gatekeeper. Sure enough, a burly man covered in bulging muscles stood at the entrance, his face filled with fear as he listened to the reprimand of a withered old man, like a schoolboy who had made a mistake.

The old man was still not satisfied and made a move to hit the man, which scared the burly man so much that he ran away in a flash.

This old man was none other than the chief steward of the shipping company, "Chief Steward Xiao".

"Chief Steward Xiao" is over sixty years old, thin and small, with a full head of white hair and wearing reading glasses. The two nasolabial folds on his face are deeper than the wrinkles on his forehead, making him look unapproachable.

If Xin Yan looks like a thug under the villain's command, then "Chief Steward Xiao" is definitely the villain.

"Chief Steward Xiao" has the surname Xiao, which is quite rare. His position is indeed chief steward, so the title itself is nothing special.

What's special is that everyone thought "Chief Steward Xiao" was a nickname.

This stemmed from his stern attitude towards people—everyone said that being targeted by him was like a field mouse being targeted by a night owl, and you were sure to suffer the consequences.

Later, the rumors became more outrageous, saying that his neck was like an owl's and could turn 180 degrees, so that shipbuilders could see him slacking off without him even having to turn around.

Over time, "Chief Steward Xiao" became his nickname, and few people knew that his real surname was Xiao.

Even Han Fulai had heard of the formidable reputation of this "Chief Steward"—Yue Haiting's secretaries had often gossiped about it, such as how a certain newcomer assigned to the shipping bureau was scolded to tears by the "Chief Steward" and dared not come to work for three days.

It is said that during the "Invitation to the Immortals Ceremony," the Geo Archon passed away, and the people of Liyue Harbor were in a state of panic. His subordinates went to ask "Chief Steward Owl" if the shipyard should give a holiday to mourn the Archon. "Chief Steward Owl" immediately became angry: "Don't mention it, especially during working hours. You are disturbing my mind!"

“I’m quite old now, and I’ve thought about it. If I die one day, will the shipyard fall into chaos? The answer is no! The order of the shipyard, the order of Liyue, these things that have been maintained for thousands of years will not collapse overnight, and I will not allow it!”

"So even if Prince Yan really dies, I will stand firm in my post and make sure he doesn't lose face after his death!"

Later, some well-meaning people summarized it as, "The shipyard doesn't close until the sun sets; the shipyard doesn't take a holiday until Liyue explodes," and the reputation of "General Owl" spread far and wide.

"Hmph... These young people nowadays, they don't care about their work at all."

"Chief Steward Xiao" had just scolded away a shipwright who had delayed the shipbuilding schedule and was about to stroll into the shipyard with his hands behind his back when Xin Yan stopped him.

"Chief Steward Xiao, it's me, Xin Yan."

Upon seeing Xin Yan, the infamous old man was surprisingly kind, as if he were seeing his own granddaughter, and a slight smile even appeared on his face—although his smile was more like a grimace.

"Xin Yan! It's been a while! When are you coming to help out at our shipyard again? I'm not saying this to be mean, but if those good-for-nothings had half the dedication you have for their work, how could our Liyue Shipyard have been surpassed by Fontainebleau's skills?"

When work was mentioned, "Manager Xiao" remembered what had just happened and started complaining to himself again: "Sigh... these young people nowadays... they're all dabblers, they don't care about anything... they're always slacking off and making mistakes, and they need their elders to keep an eye on them..."

"How many times have I said it? The ship is the face of Liyue, and it must be perfect! Even a single chipped rivet is a slap in the face to me... to Liyue!"

Xin Yan knew that this old man had spent his whole life building ships, and that every ship that came off the shipyard in Liyue was a testament to his hard work. He quickly comforted him, saying, "Grandpa Xiao, don't be angry. It's not worth getting sick from anger... If you don't mind that I'm clumsy, I'll come back to help you in a few days."

Upon hearing that Xin Yan was coming, "Chief Steward Xiao" was delighted. He had never had a successor to his shipbuilding skills, and he had been looking at Xin Yan, a clever and persistent girl, and wanted to pass on his mantle to her. Unfortunately, Xin Yan was passionate about rock and roll and only came to the shipyard to do odd jobs to supplement her family's income. Otherwise, Chief Steward Xiao would have wanted to train Xin Yan to be the next chief steward of the shipyard.

Now that he was in a good mood, Xin Yan felt comfortable making a request. She pointed to her friends behind her and said, "I have a concert tonight, so I need to fill my stomach before going on stage. Speaking of food, I immediately think of the lunch at our shipping company, right? Could you let my good friends broaden their horizons and try your cooking today?"

Chapter 325 Xin Yan's Musical Journey [4k5]

As the saying goes, "There is no such thing as a free lunch."

This is especially true for the Liyue Shipyard.

The shipping company provided three meals a day for the workers. The cooks weren't famous chefs, but they were particularly good at making large-scale meals, emphasizing large portions and ensuring that you could eat as much as you wanted, as long as you had a big enough stomach.

However, there is one rule: "Those who do not work shall not eat." If someone is lazy or tries to shirk their duties, the "Chief Steward" will really not let them eat.

However, "Chief Steward Xiao" also has one rule: he is fair in rewarding and punishing. He will not only reward workers who perform well, but will also personally cook for them.

Don't let the fact that "Chief Steward Xiao" looks like just a skinny old man fool you; he has two amazing skills that are truly admirable.

One of his most exceptional skills is, of course, his shipbuilding expertise. Whether it's design blueprints, riveted timbers, hulls, keels, masts, or sails, anything related to a ship can be identified with his eagle-eyed eye, its precision comparable to advanced testing instruments in Sumeru. Every ship built by the Liyue Shipyard has been inspected by him, and in decades, not a single one has had a quality issue.

The Liyue Navy's newest ironclad ship was also designed and built under the leadership of this "Chief Steward Owl"—because of the heavy responsibility, his temper has worsened considerably than before.

His other specialty is cooking.

Xin Yan called the Shipyard her secret "culinary paradise" because there was a "culinary master" there.

The saying goes, "Master chefs are often found among ordinary people." "Master Xiao" is not a restaurant chef, but his skills are better than many chefs. This is of course due to his meticulous personality. He can control the heat and ingredients when cooking to the most precise level. The dishes he makes will taste exactly as the recipe says, without any difference.

Of course, his personality isn't suited for innovation. He does everything in a rigid, robotic way, making him a completely different type of chef from Xiangling. He doesn't actually know how to cook that many dishes, and they're all traditional Liyue specialties—but those few signature dishes alone are enough to earn him rave reviews.

If the shipyard workers ever start praising this fierce-looking "General Manager," it's because they're "bearing his food and feeling indebted."

Today, "Chief Steward Xiao" cooked for Xin Yan, making a very simple dish - "Mola Meat".

"Mora meat" is a traditional delicacy of Liyue.

The flatbread is cut in half and filled with a rich meat filling, which not only cuts through the greasiness of the meat but also enhances the sweetness of the flatbread. For good luck and prosperity, a "Mora" pattern is usually imprinted on the flatbread.