Chapter 1360: Xia Mubing Extra (Final)

"Hey."

"Qin Huai, my master is not going to make it."

.

The regulars at Yunzhong Restaurant noticed that Master Qin seemed to be in a bad mood today. He was making snacks as usual in the morning, but after taking a call, his expression changed. He didn't even wait for the last batch of steamed buns to finish cooking and left in a hurry. That afternoon, Yunzhong Restaurant announced that Master Qin had to go out of town for a few days due to personal matters.

You know, Qin Huai hasn't been traveling much in recent years, let alone running off suddenly.

"Did something happen at Master Qin's home?" Xu Tuqiang asked worriedly.

"Nonsense, Xu Tuqiang, shut your crow mouth. What could happen at Master Qin's home? At most, there's something he needs to handle temporarily. What's a few days without snacks? Stop talking nonsense here," Grandpa Qian glared angrily.

Xu Tuqiang realized he had misspoken and shrank back, not arguing with Grandpa Qian.

On the other side, Qin Huai hurried home to pack his bags.

Both he and Zhao Cheng'an were aware that Xia Mubing didn't have much time left.

Xia Mubing's health started declining a few years ago. Zhang Guanghang had advised him many times, but Xia Mubing was unwilling to close Fen Garden, leading it to operate for two days and close for five in its later stages. Zhang Guanghang had also tried to get Zhao Cheng'an to help persuade him, but Zhao Cheng'an hadn't said a word.

For Xia Mubing, he had lived long enough and seen enough. He had no family, but he had his junior apprentice, he had no close old friends, but there was Qin Huai, a reincarnated old acquaintance, he had no descendants, but he had his disciple, Zhang Guanghang.

Furthermore, Xia Mubing had been part of the "Loving Family" group chat for these years. Every day, he could see the wonderful comments of numerous spirits in the group chat, occasionally exchanging life insights on WeChat with Mr. Xu, the only other human in the group chat besides him. Xia Mubing's life was quite vibrant.

For Xia Mubing, Fen Garden was not a career or an obsession but a part of his life. He had been a chef for over half a century, longer than many people live their entire lives. During most of his chef career, he ran Fen Garden. If he couldn't run Fen Garden, Xia Mubing really didn't know what to do with himself.

For Xia Mubing, as long as he could breathe, cook, and make dishes that satisfied his patrons, Fen Garden couldn't close completely.

But now Fen Garden had been completely closed for nearly a year.

This mutual friend of Qin Huai and Zhao Cheng'an had lived through wars, separations, family tragedies, reunions, and had seen Taifeng Building at its height in Beiping, then witnessed its reopening half a century later. He was going to put a period at the end of his tumultuous life.

If there was any regret in Xia Mubing's life when Fen Garden officially closed a year ago, then after personally witnessing the reopening of Taifeng Building recently, confirming that Jiang Feng had not let down his system, the Jiang Family's culinary heritage, or Xia Mubing's years of waiting, Xia Mubing no longer had regrets.

Even though he was mentally prepared, Qin Huai couldn't help but feel a bit sad when he received the call.

As a spirit, Qin Huai experienced separations in every lifetime, sometimes even playing the part of the departing one. But experiencing doesn't equal accepting. When Cao Guixiang tragically died in a car accident a few years ago, Qin Huai couldn't accept it. Now, with Xia Mubing's impending, expected death, Qin Huai also found it hard to accept.

While packing, Zhao Cheng'an called Qin Huai.

"Hey, Qin Huai, did Zhang Guanghang tell you?" Zhao Cheng'an's tone was calm, as if asking what Qin Huai planned to eat tonight.

"He did. I booked an afternoon flight. What time will you arrive?"

"Around 7 PM."

"I'll be there around the same time. We'll head to Fen Garden together then."

At 8:40 PM, Qin Huai and Zhao Cheng'an arrived at Fen Garden.

Both carried small suitcases, bringing only a few changes of clothes. Fen Garden looked the same, with the front yard still styled as a private restaurant. Despite being closed for a year, the tables were still set up, although they hadn't been cleaned much. Qin Huai could clearly see a layer of dust on the tables as he walked through the front yard.

Xia Mubing didn't like having many people at his place. Even when Fen Garden was open normally, he didn't hire helpers. Now that it was closed, he wouldn't hire cleaners. Plus, he spent most of the past year in the hospital, so Fen Garden appeared a bit run-down, like nobody had lived there for years.

"Master was in good spirits just a few days ago. Yesterday, he suddenly became very weak, coughing a lot. Last night, I sent him to the hospital. The doctor said he only has a few days left, maybe two months with treatment at best."

"Master doesn't want to stay in the hospital, insisted on being discharged. He came back to Fen Garden this morning, saying he wanted to see you both before leaving and to tell you something."

Zhang Guanghang spoke calmly, his expression showing no problems, but there was a hint of bewilderment and helplessness in his eyes.

"I know Master's been holding on for a year. He used to hate hospitals, but he stayed in one for over half a year because he wanted to see Taifeng Road reopen. Now that his wish is fulfilled, he's letting go, and the person is..." Zhang Guanghang choked up and didn't continue.

"Master is in the room. The caregiver is in the room next door. After you're done talking, just let the caregiver know. There's soup simmering in the kitchen; I need to head there now." After saying this, Zhang Guanghang quickly left.

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