"How could I, a dignified Grand Unity Golden Immortal, end up in such a state? This is truly unfair!"
Zhong Chen lay on the ground, staring at the clear blue sky with a look of utter despair.
"Mommy, why is that big brother lying on the ground?"
A little girl passing by pointed at Zhong Chen, who was covered in footprints, and asked her mother with a puzzled expression.
"This is what happens when you try to steal money. Remember, don't ever be like him!"
The mother looked at the words written on the ground nearby and sternly lectured her daughter.
"Okay, I know, Mommy!"
Zhong Chen, who was listening to the conversation between the mother and daughter, instantly felt too ashamed to face anyone.
He immediately rolled over, changing from lying on his back to lying face down on the ground.
During the roll, he saw the words left by Rimuru and the others:
"This is what happens when you try to steal pocket money!"
Zhong Chen reached out and touched his empty pockets.
He thought about the thirty thousand lime coins he had just acquired, which had been snatched away by a few bandits.
He felt like he wanted to die.
"No, this world is too dangerous. Only cute little girls can heal my wounded heart."
No sooner had Lord Chen finished speaking than a white portal appeared out of thin air beneath him.
Then, Lord Chen slowly sank down.
"Wow! He's… he's sinking!"
The little girl, watching Zhong Chen disappear, shouted in shock.
"Hehe, he must have gone home… We should go home too!"
The girl's mother said gently to the little girl.
"Hai! (Yes!)"
The mother did not seem flustered by Zhong Chen's sudden disappearance.
Are you kidding? The citizens of the Monster Country Federation have seen it all; sudden disappearances are simply child's play… Binchotan World · Morning
"Quack! Quack!"
An old mother duck and a duckling swam from afar to the lakeside.
The little girl waiting nearby immediately broke into a bright smile upon seeing the old mother duck.
Then, she tiptoed onto the old mother duck's back.
Once the little girl was on her back, the old mother duck, with a smile in her eyes, steadily swam towards the opposite bank.
When they reached the other side, the little girl took a handful of wheat from her small basket and offered it to the old mother duck.
"Um… this is a thank-you gift."
"Quack! Quack!"
The old mother duck took the wheat from the girl's mouth and then swam away with the duckling.
Watching the large and small figures leave, the little girl raised her hand high, shaking it as she softly said:
"Thank you. I'll be relying on you in the future too."
After bidding farewell to the old mother duck, the little girl continued to search for edible ingredients in the forest.
She finally arrived at an open space, and seeing the scene filled with flowers and butterflies, her face was full of happy smiles.
"Wow!"
Many butterflies were attracted to the little girl, constantly circling around her.
And time passed as the little girl continued to search for wild vegetables.
As the sun set, the little girl looked at the small basket filled with wild vegetables on the ground, her face full of satisfaction.
Then she gently picked up the small basket and began to walk towards home.
It wasn't until she saw the outline of her house that she suddenly noticed smoke miraculously rising from it.
"Huh, did someone come?"
The little girl didn't consider the possibility of it being a bad person, as her family was already quite poor.
Despite this, the little girl looked at the open door and cautiously peeked inside.
She saw a handsome young man dressed in luxurious clothes, cooking something in his pot.
"Um… excuse me, who are you?"
The handsome young man inside heard the little girl's soft voice.
He turned around with a smile and extended his right hand to greet the little girl.
"Yo!"
"Huh?"
The little girl was frozen in place by the young man's familiar demeanor.
"Hehe, I'm a traveling merchant. After arriving here, I felt a bit hungry."
"So I couldn't resist using your stove to cook something to eat. Don't worry, I'll pay for it."
Hearing the young man's words, the little girl finally reacted. Being kind by nature, she smiled and said:
"Um… no need! If you're hungry, please feel free to use it."
"Oh, by the way, my name is Binchotan. Please take care of me."
Binchotan put down her small basket, remembered her grandmother's teachings, straightened her body, placed her hands in front of her, and bowed slightly as she spoke.
"Hehe, my name is Zhong Chen. Please take care of me too!"
That's right, this young man who suddenly appeared at Binchotan's house was none other than our Lord Chen, who had been robbed of all his money.
"Coincidentally, I cooked a bit too much, and I can't finish it all myself. Why don't you join me? After all, I intruded into your home without permission."
Hearing Lord Chen's words, Binchotan's small eyes couldn't help but glance towards the stove.
A rich aroma of food wafted from inside.
"Grumble…"
Hearing the sound from her tummy, Binchotan's small face couldn't help but turn red.
"Hehe, come on, don't be shy. This is what you deserve."
Lord Chen looked at the shy Binchotan and said with a brilliant smile.
In the end, Binchotan couldn't resist the temptation of the food and said to Lord Chen with a look of shame:
"Thank you very much. I will repay you for this meal."
"Alright, alright, we can talk about that later. Let's eat first."
Saying this, Lord Chen magically pulled out two clean porcelain bowls from behind him.
Then he lifted the pot lid, revealing a pot full of white rice porridge mixed with preserved eggs and lean meat.
Lord Chen first served a full bowl and placed it in front of Binchotan, then served another bowl for himself.
Binchotan looked at the incomparably tempting aroma of the rice porridge in front of her and couldn't help but swallow.
But after glancing at Lord Chen, she still held back and didn't touch her spoon.
"What, is it not to your liking?"
Lord Chen asked, taking out various side dishes.
"No, it's just that Mr. Zhong Chen, you haven't eaten yet… I…"
Hearing Binchotan's words, Lord Chen couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"Hehe, this meal is a thank you to you. Don't be polite, eat quickly!"
"Is that so? Then… I'll dig in!"
Hearing Lord Chen's words and seeing his encouraging smile, Binchotan finally made up her mind.
She scooped a spoonful of rice porridge with her spoon and put it into her mouth.
"Delicious!"
Feeling the incredibly savory taste in her mouth, Binchotan couldn't help but narrow her eyes.
A satisfied smile appeared on her face.
"Hahaha, if it's delicious, eat more. There are also side dishes here, come, have some too."
Looking at Binchotan's adorable appearance, Lord Chen felt that all the gloom he felt after being robbed had been swept away.
[Didn't you steal from others first?]
[Get out!]
[Tch…]
"Huh? Mr. Zhong Chen, aren't you eating?"
Binchotan, who had eaten several mouthfuls of porridge, suddenly noticed that Lord Chen was just watching her and not eating, so she couldn't help but ask softly.
"Eat, of course, I'll eat. I'm almost starving to death."
Lord Chen finished speaking, picked up the porcelain bowl in front of him, and began to devour it. This bold manner stunned Binchotan, making her small face freeze in surprise.
As time passed, the two, now full, lay down on the floor behind them in unison.
Their hands continuously rubbed their bellies back and forth.
"Um… Mr. Zhong Chen, are you still leaving tonight? It's already dark outside."
Binchotan looked at the moon hanging high outside and asked nervously.
In her heart, she was actually a bit reluctant for Lord Chen to leave now.
Because ever since her grandmother left, Lord Chen was the first person to treat her so kindly.
"Oh dear, it's already so dark. It seems I can't leave. I wonder if you, Binchotan, could put me up for the night?"
Lord Chen feigned surprise, looking at the sky outside, and asked.
Hearing Lord Chen's words, Binchotan immediately felt a surge of pleasant surprise.
A brilliant smile appeared on her face, and she nodded heavily at Lord Chen.
"Mhm…"