Chapter 114 Have You Eaten?

“Normally, everyone would get a work uniform, but since time is so tight, we didn’t have a chance.

For now, just stick this on your chest. When the tourists see it, they’ll know you’re staff.”

Miao Yunyou spoke as she pulled a stack of items from her pocket. They were neatly stacked, catching the light with a subtle, refined sheen—dozens of custom embroidered patches.

The patches were small, about the size of a palm. Each was embroidered with the resort’s exclusive logo—the flowing cloud pattern found on the Yunwen leopard cats. Silver thread outlined the shapes, gold thread dotted the cloud tufts, the stitching dense and meticulous.

She had previously ordered them from an online manufacturer—fifty in the first batch. She had planned to test the design, and if it worked well, sell them at the resort’s shop as souvenirs.

Since the patches arrived today, she decided to let this batch of temporary workers use them.

After all, many tourists liked to wear traditional clothing, so it was necessary to distinguish staff from visitors—otherwise, even they might not recognize each other.

Miao Yunyou picked up one patch, deliberately slowing her movements, holding the edges with her fingertips, and patiently demonstrating, worried that these villagers from the past wouldn’t understand:

“You can help each other. First, smooth out your clothing at the chest. Then, peel off the wax paper on the back of the patch, align it properly, and press it gently. It will stick firmly and won’t fall off easily.”

The villagers looked confused, glancing at each other, unsure where to start. Li Zhongping, however, was the first to catch on. He carefully peeled off the backing, followed Miao Yunyou’s example, stuck it onto himself, and then helped the nearby Li Mancang adjust his clothing. He pressed the edges gently to ensure it wouldn’t come loose.

Once one person took the lead, the others followed. Their fingertips handled the delicate embroidered patches like fragile treasures, careful not to damage them.

In no time, all thirty villagers had the uniform cloud patches on their chests. In the moonlight, the silver-and-gold cloud designs stood out vividly against their coarse cloth clothing.

The previously disordered and uneven line suddenly appeared much more organized, the uniform markings giving them the faint appearance of a disciplined unit. Even the villagers’ spirits were lifted.

Next, Miao Yunyou pointed to a nearby box, which contained a dozen or so walkie-talkies.

“These are called walkie-talkies. Mr. Lu, please help distribute them. Two people will share one.”

These walkie-talkies had been bought when the resort first opened. Later, everyone got mobile phones, so they had been stored in the warehouse, unused—today, however, they finally came in handy.

“Yes,” Lu Cheng’an replied in his usual calm, steady voice. Together with Lu Yunxiao, he distributed the walkie-talkies to the villagers.

Miao Yunyou added, “I’ll teach you how to use them shortly. Today, if you encounter any problem you can’t handle—if tourists ask strange questions, supplies run low, or you don’t know what to do—you can call me immediately with this, and I’ll hear you right away.”

The villagers held the walkie-talkies in their hands, their eyes a mix of nervousness and curiosity.

The objects were dark, hard, and cold to the touch—unlike anything they had seen before. Not wood, not iron, not copper. They radiated an indescribable, mysterious aura.

Some villagers carefully took them, cupping them in their hands. They didn’t dare squeeze or fidget with them; their movements were reverent, as if they were handling some priceless relic.

“Alright, for now we’ll divide into three big groups, ten people each,” Miao Yunyou clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “The first group will follow Mr. Xie to the kitchen and handle cooking, washing vegetables, and chopping ingredients. The second group will follow Li Zhongping and handle cleaning around the resort—sweeping, wiping tables, collecting trash. The third group… Mancang, you lead them. You’ll be in charge of serving dishes, guiding tourists, and helping out. Can you manage that?”

Li Mancang, though young, had been here twice before. He had seen modern tables, chairs, lights, and phones, and had even been fed by tourists, snacking on chips and candy. Compared to the adults, who were unfamiliar and fearful of everything, his reactions and experience were far ahead.

When he heard his name, his eyes lit up. He straightened his chest and nodded firmly: “I’ll do my best!”

“Good, then it’s yours,” Miao Yunyou said, pausing briefly before adding, “But the groups aren’t fixed. If any area gets too busy today, you may be reassigned. Everyone must pay attention to the walkie-talkie instructions and not miss any messages.”

The villagers nodded anxiously, repeating “Yes” and “Understood, Leader Miao,” afraid of forgetting the rules.

For the next half hour, Miao Yunyou patiently taught them how to use the walkie-talkies—how to turn them on, change channels, speak, and listen to responses. At first, they hesitated to speak, but under her encouragement, someone tried calling out. When they heard a clear response over the walkie-talkie, their hands trembled, but a look of amazement soon replaced the shock.

Finally, after everything was explained, Miao Yunyou breathed a sigh of relief, her mouth dry from all the talking. Looking at the sky, it was barely past three in the morning—far too early—and for a moment, she didn’t know what else to say.

After a few seconds of silence, she instinctively asked the most common question in her world: “Have you… eaten yet?”

The moment she spoke, the villagers’ faces instantly froze in awkward embarrassment.

They glanced at each other, avoiding eye contact, fidgeting. Some clutched their clothes so tightly that their knuckles whitened; others stared at their worn straw sandals, afraid to meet anyone’s gaze; a few pressed their lips together, their throats moving, yet said nothing.

After a long pause, a young man timidly lifted his head, wearing a shy, appeasing smile. His voice was barely audible, like a mosquito buzzing: “Leader Miao… we… we’re not hungry.”

Miao Yunyou understood immediately—this wasn’t that they weren’t hungry. They clearly hadn’t eaten but felt too embarrassed to admit it.

She smiled, speaking as casually as if chatting at home, trying to ease their awkwardness: “Hey, if you’re hungry, just say so! There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Well, why didn’t you say earlier? Come on, I’ll take you to eat. You need energy to work, and you can’t do it on an empty stomach—that wouldn’t be right.”

“I’ll take them to eat,” Xie Dingnian stepped forward, his tone gentle. “I’ll handle the rest. Leader, you’ve been busy all night—go get some rest.”

Lu Xinglan nodded, concern in her eyes. “You should sleep. I’ll do a round of patrols.”

Miao Yunyou felt a warm glow in her chest and smiled. “Alright then, thanks for your trouble. Call me if anything happens.”

After all, it had always been them worrying about the leader, never the other way around. Miao Yunyou had long since embraced her role as the self-aware “salted fish” leader.