PDLP Chapter 197 Entering the Snow Mountain
Chapter 197 Entering the Snow Mountain
"So it's you, the Hall Master! I never thought you'd be so leisurely and elegant today as to come here and act as a shop assistant. Well, please take this bill back to Wangsheng Hall."
Hu Tao pouted, clearly in a bad mood, and muttered, "Guest, guest, please don't charge our Wangsheng Hall for everything! We've got a new guest, Sister Guizhong, but business isn't picking up. We're on the verge of running out of money and struggling to make ends meet!"
Zhongli frowned slightly upon hearing this, a hint of helplessness showing through his face. He slowly explained, "Master, this time we purchased these ski equipment for everyone's safety. You know, the Dragon Ridge Snow Mountain is a treacherous and complex environment, so it's always helpful to be prepared."
However, Walnut wasn't buying it. She crossed her arms and angrily retorted, "Hmph, guest, you always find all sorts of high-sounding excuses to put me off. But look at us, the account books at Wangsheng Hall are getting thinner and thinner. At this rate, I might be able to help out here today and earn a little money, but tomorrow I might have to lead everyone out on the streets performing acrobatics to make a living!"
Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Linghua tried to smooth things over with a gentle smile on her face. "Hutao, Zhongli does this with good intentions. Think about it, the Dragon Ridge Snow Mountain is treacherous and the environment is complex and ever-changing. Preparing extra ski equipment is for everyone's safety. However, it would be a bit wasteful to take everything at once. How about this: Let Sister Guizhong choose a few practical sets from among them. As for the expenses, I'll cover them as a welcome to the Hall of Rebirth."
Hu Tao's angry expression softened considerably after hearing Linghua's suggestion. She blinked her eyes and said a little sheepishly, "Linghua, your intention is good, but it's inappropriate to ask you to pay for it. You work very hard every day, and I'm asking you to spend money on it."
Linghua waved her hand slightly, still with that gentle smile on her face, and said softly, "Don't say that. They are all my elders and usually take good care of me. It's just a few sets of ski equipment. It's not a big deal. At most..." Linghua leaned close to Hutao's ear and whispered, "Next time Wangshengtang comes to do business, let Zhongli do more work."
Upon hearing this, Hu Tao couldn't help but burst out laughing, covering her mouth with her hands and saying, "Linghua, your idea is quite interesting. However, Ke Qing's usual temper is such that even if you ask him to do more work, he probably won't be in a hurry."
Linghua also laughed and responded, "It's a solution after all. Zhongli has always been cautious in his work. Sharing more responsibilities will also help Wangshengtang's business. This way, the expenses this time will be taken care of. By the way, Hutao, do you want to go skiing?"
"Sure," Hu Tao's eyes lit up, her face brimming with excitement as she said cheerfully, "Hearing you all talk about skiing so much, I've been itching to try it for a while now. I finally closed such a big deal today, the manager should at least give me half a day off, so I can go with you and join in the fun."
Linghua slowly turned her head, her gaze landing on Xinyang. She said softly, "Xinyang, could you please make another trip to get the same equipment as ours, and settle the bill?"
"As ordered!"
After everything was ready, the group followed Wendy closely and stepped into the Dragon Ridge Snow Mountain.
As soon as we entered the Dragon Ridge Snow Mountain, we could feel a sharp, biting cold wind sweeping in like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey, fierce and merciless. The cold air was like a sharp ice knife, seemingly able to easily penetrate the thick clothes of everyone, drilling straight into the bones, making people shiver uncontrollably.
Xinyang helped Linghua tighten her cloak. "The Snow Mountain is not like Liyue Harbor. You must keep warm later."
Linghua nodded slightly and responded, "I understand. You should also pay attention."
Linghua then looked around curiously at the silvery-white world, her eyes full of wonder. "I rarely see such magnificent snow-capped mountains in Inazuma. On weekdays, I only see the thin layer of snow falling in the courtyard. Compared with the snow covering the mountains in front of me, it is really a small thing. It's a pity that the cold is really unbearable."
However, Walnut seemed oblivious, still striding energetically at the front of the group. Blinking his bright eyes, he looked around excitedly, muttering to himself, "Wow, is this the legendary snow-capped mountain? Look, it's so spectacular!"
Zhongli's expression remained normal, but there was a hint of caution in his eyes. He looked around and said, "This Dragon Ridge Snow Mountain is not as simple as it seems. Hall Master, it is better to be careful."
Hu Tao didn't pay much attention to it. Instead, she rolled up a snowball and threw it at everyone. "I know. Don't just walk away. You won't see this much snow in Liyue Harbor. Hurry up and have some fun now."
Seeing how lively Walnut was, everyone was infected by her mood and stopped to join in the fun of playing in the snow.
Wendy was the first to catch the snowball thrown by Walnut. A bright smile appeared on her face and her hands were moving non-stop. She squeezed the snowball tighter in a few seconds and then threw it towards Zhongli, jokingly saying, "Mr. Zhongli, you are always calm and steady. Come and relax with us today." Zhongli slightly turned sideways and easily avoided the flying snowball, shaking his head helplessly.
At this time, a bigger snowball hit Zhongli's head. Zhongli's head was instantly covered with snow. His usually meticulous hairstyle became a little messy. A few strands of hair were covered with white snow, making him look somewhat disheveled.
Zhongli looked back and saw that it was Gui Zhong who threw the snowball, so he gently brushed off the snow on his head without any anger.
"Zhongli, I think Wendy is right. We are out here to play, so we shouldn't have such a stern face. Let's have a snowball fight." After saying that, Guizhong grabbed another handful of snow and threw it at Zhongli.
Zhongli was also very obedient. He picked up a ball of snow from the ground, skillfully rolled it into a snowball, and gently threw it in the direction of Guizhong. He responded, "Since you are so interested, Guizhong, I will play with you for a while."
The snowball drew an arc in the air and flew right towards Gui Zhong's feet. Gui Zhong smiled and dodged sideways, his laughter echoing like a silver bell in the snow-capped mountains.
Xinyang watched everyone playing and felt a surge of childishness. He bent down and quickly rolled up one round, white snowball after another with his hands. Then he raised his head and locked his gaze in the direction of Linghua. His lips curled up slightly, revealing a mischievous smile, and he gently tossed the snowball in his hand. "Honey, don't just stand there and watch! I still remember when we were little, every winter, you always pestered me to build snowmen and have snowball fights together. Today, let's relive those happy times and have fun all at once!"
As Xinyang continued to throw snowballs at Linghua, his voice filled with excitement and anticipation. Linghua smiled brightly, her face blooming like a spring flower, upon hearing Xinyang's shouts.
Linghua lightly dodged the oncoming snowball by moving to the side, but then she squatted down without showing any weakness, quickly rolled up a ball of snow, and threw it back at Xinyang with force.
After playing for a while, everyone was a little out of breath, but their faces were full of joy.
Walnut brushed the snow off his body and said with a lingering feeling, "Wow, playing in the snow is much more fun than I thought. But we can't just stay here. I still want to go skiing."
Wendy looked relaxed and said with a smile: "Just follow me. I am quite familiar with this snow mountain and I know where the fun places are." As he said that, he led everyone along a relatively flat snow slope.
Not long after walking, Hu Tao looked at the long snow slope in the distance and her mind suddenly became active. She pointed at the slope excitedly and said, "Can we slide down from there? It must be very exciting."