After graduating straight into unemployment, Shen An inherits the little restaurant his mother left behind.
But business gets worse by the day. Nobody orders delivery, the rent is almost due, and he's already wondering whether to shut the place down and sell it.
Then one night, as Shen An scrolls on his phone and gets ready to close up, an old man dressed in ancient robes pushes open the door.
Standing in the doorway, the old man looks at the faded sign on the wall and says hoarsely:
"This is the place."
"Shopkeeper, I'd like... another bowl of Pearl, Jade, and White Jade Soup."
Shen An freezes.
Isn't this the dish from Old Zhu's must-eat list?
His mother used to make it when he was little, and even gave a serving to a beggar outside.
Looking at the old man, Shen An wonders if people who do immersive historical roleplay are all this dedicated these days.
Pearl, Jade, and White Jade Soup... It's just vegetable soup. I'll add some MSG, chicken bouillon, and sesame oil...
Easy!
But from that day on, the old man comes every night.
He drinks soup and talks to Shen An about the Ming Dynasty.
Later, the old man's wife comes.
Then his eldest son.
Then his grandson, too.
At last, Shen An can't take it anymore.
"Sir, this is a restaurant, not a history forum."
Old Zhu falls silent for a while, then finally comes clean:
"I'm done pretending."
"I'm the Old Zhu you've been talking about."
Shen An scoffs:
"Then I'm the heir to the throne! Have you ever seen a grand military parade?"
The protagonist doesn't even know this, so he doesn't know how long he plans to keep pretending.