Versatile Mage

Chapter 3104 Are You Hiring?

There was a rare period of warmth in autumn right before winter. There was a chic tea garden in the southern suburbs of London. The fresh green tea released its last aroma of the year. After that, it would go dormant in winter like most other vegetation and would not grow again until the following spring.

During the spring, the tea pickers would pick the tea before dawn. With the dew at dawn, the autumn teas were even more aromatic and thicker than the spring ones and were often welcomed by those who loved tea the most.

It did not take too long to process the tea leaves. Mo Jiaxin waited for some time until the tea leaves finished processing. After buying the first batch of tea leaves, he took them back to make some improvements so that they could be served as the main product of the shop.

Mo Jiaxin bought a shop. He modified it and turned it into a teahouse with a garden. All the teas sold at the teahouse were selected personally by Mo Jiaxin from his travels to the UK. The British and the Chinese had one thing in common. They both liked to drink tea.

There was a Chamber of Commerce of Fanxue Mountain in London. After living there for a long while, Mo Jiaxin had slowly begun to like it. It just so happened that he was also engaged in gardening and logistics. Opening a tea garden on the fringe of London’s bustling urban area could also enrich one’s life.

Mo Jiaxin had been working on the small teahouse with a garden for a long time. If he had not left for Greece suddenly, this teahouse would have opened earlier.

“Uncle, do you have a lot of customers? Why do you need so many pastries?” a British girl in an apron asked.

“These are not for the customers.” Mo Jiaxin smiled.

talent. Even though you have the face of an old man, you have the heart of a young noble girl.” Mo Fan walked in. For some reason, he purposely looked at the soles of his shoes, worried that the dirt Mo Jiaxin was not accepting customers today. Mo Fan had said that he would be dropping by with his two daughters-in-law, so Mo Jiaxin made preparations in advance. First, he put up a sign that said the teahouse was closed this afternoon. Then, he bought all kinds of delicious food and drinks. Although it was a bit rushed, Mo Jiaxin was in a good mood.

…

Mo Jiaxin worked alone in the teahouse. He did everything from mixing tea to serving it. The teahouse was not particularly large, and he did not need many customers. The shop would not lose money if he could serve a few tables a day.

At first, there were only a few customers. Mo Jiaxin was patient and focused on improving the shop. When Mo Jiaxin improved the whole teahouse bit by bit to make it unique and warm, people began coming to the shop frequently.

The shop now had more customers than before. He put up a sign that said the shop was closed for the day because he would not have time to serve the customers.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

When the melodious sound of the bell rang, Mo Jiaxin was busy in the kitchen. When he heard the sound, he raised his head to look at the door covered with violet vines. He saw a head poking in and looking around the shop like a thief.

“Mo Fan, stop looking. You’re in the right place.” Mo Jiaxin shouted.

“I thought I went to the wrong place. This is so cool, dad. I didn’t know you had such amazing artistic talent. Even though you have the face of an old man, you have the heart of a young noble girl.” Mo Fan walked in. For some reason, he purposely looked at the soles of his shoes, worried that the dirt on his soles would stain this beautiful little place.

There was a cozy garden, a few tables and chairs placed casually there, and a few ginkgoes with luxuriant leaves. The flowers were everywhere, and their color perfectly matched the teahouse. The light fragrance of the flowers and the aroma of brewed tea made people want to sit and enjoy the day.

After taking a good look at everything, they felt like staying here for the whole day. It was a place where one could just sit and do nothing yet feel all the comfort of the world.

The kitchen and the hut had modern French windows, so the interior could be seen immediately. The Chinese did not like to show their kitchens to customers, but the British preferred an open kitchen. The customers could see the entire process of preparing the ingredients. Mo Jiaxin had done some in-depth study and decided on an open structure.

“Dad, let me help you. We came with a lot of people,” said Ye Xinxia.

“There’s no need for it. All you need to do is sit down. This is my place, so you need to listen to me. Sit down. I can take care of it.” Mo Jiaxin stopped her.

Mo Jiaxin had already prepared a big tray.

The tray was covered with blue carved cloth. There were white ceramic teapots and teacups with simple designs on the tray. Mo Jiaxin steadily brought them to the table where Mo Fan, Mu Ningxue, “Hey!”

“Ding!”

and Ye Xinxia sat.

“I chose these desserts after trying more than a hundred of them. They taste very good. Even an old man like me who doesn’t like sweets likes them very much.” Mo Jiaxin placed the refreshments on the table.

In just a few minutes, the table had hot green tea and various pastries.

“Hey!”

“Ding!”

“Eh?”

“Hiss…”

Next to the table where they sat was another larger table. The table and chairs were covered with various little Holy Spirits.

A porcelain doll covered in flames was the first to protest.

“We are all babies. Why not give us something to eat first?”

The little tiger with white hair all over its body was patting the table with its paws as if to say it would make trouble if Mo Jiaxin did not give it something to eat.

Little Moon Moth Phoenix walked around the teahouse and seemed to like the smell of this place. However, it joined the noisy army after smelling the delicious pastries.

Black Totem Snake and Green East Sea God were relatively calm. Although they had turned into miniature versions of themselves, they looked like precocious babies in kindergarten. They calmly watched the little ones make a fuss.

“The food is ready! It’s only been a few minutes. You guys are so gluttonous!” Mo Jiaxin smiled and brought a bigger tray with various delicacies to their table, including the Little White Tiger’s favorite roast meat.

The babies cheered and began to eat around the dining table. Even though their food was in front of them, they still grabbed it from the others, as if it would taste better.

Everyone was amused.

“Ningxue, have some more. I haven’t seen you for a long time, and you’ve lost a lot of weight.” Mo Jiaxin poured her some tea.

“Alright.” Mu Ningxue nodded.

“It’s great to see that you are all safe and sound,” Mo Jiaxin said warmly.

Everyone’s safety was the most important thing to Mo Jiaxin. As for the rules of the world, Mo Jiaxin couldn’t care less about them.

Mo Fan felt a little ashamed when he heard that.

It was the ease and tranquility that excited Mo Fan after fighting for so long. The family enjoyed the time when they were not being chased, oppressed, or locked away.

…

After eating, everyone sat and chatted together. The little totems were also playing and chasing each other in the yard. From time to time, some guests came to the door and looked around.

Mo Jiaxin got up and repeated the same thing. “I’m sorry. The teahouse is closed today.”

“Is it booked?” the customers would always ask.

“No. It’s a family gathering.”

“Hope you guys have fun.”

“Thank you.”

After the customers left, Mo Jiaxin would sit down again and continue the conversation.

“Dad, we’re going back to China tomorrow. You don’t plan to go back with us?” Mo Fan asked.

Many people came to the teahouse. Some specifically traveled from other countries just to visit it once. The business was flourishing. Mo Jiaxin intended to continue to run this small teahouse.

“I plan to stay. If I’m busy, anywhere would be the same. Besides, the Chamber of Commerce of Fanxue Mountain is on the next street. We’re all friends, so it’s quite lively here. When the Chinese New Year comes, I’ll go back with them,” Mo Jiaxin smiled.

“Okay.” Mo Fan nodded.

Being busy with the things one loved was also a blessing. There was no need for Mo Fan to make trouble for his father. Mo Jiaxin knew how to enjoy life better than anyone. He sometimes envied Mo Jiaxin’s outlook toward life.

…

Mo Jiaxin did not ask the children to help. After he bid goodbye to Mo Fan and the two daughters-in-law, he played some light music and tidied up the small teahouse.

London was cold at night. Mo Jiaxin did not rush back home. He made himself a cup of hot black tea. Then, he began to trim the plants left by the previous family.

The night sky of London was full of smog, and stars were barely visible. The hazy moonlight filtered through the cloudy sky, but they were often buried by the scenery of the city. The city with night lights dyed the starry sky with special light and dust.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The doorbell rang, and Mo Jiaxin looked at the door in confusion. There should be no customers at this time of night.

“We’re closed,” Mo Jiaxin said.

There was no response. Mo Jiaxin did not hear the footsteps receding either.

Mo Jiaxin thought that the person had not heard him, so he put down the knife, wiped the dirt from his hands, and walked to the door.

A thin figure stood by the door. Her hair was slightly disheveled. It came down to her shoulders. The woman looked haggard. Nervousness flashed in her eyes when Mo Jianxin walked to her, but she soon regained her calm.

“H-hello,” she said in Chinese.

“Hi.” Mo Jiaxin looked at her politely. The woman was wearing a dusty male leather jacket, which looked a little loose on her body.

The woman pulled the leather jacket close because of the cold. She hesitated. “Are you hiring?” Her voice was almost a whisper.

Mo Jiaxin did not really plan to hire anyone. The tea house was small, so one person was enough to handle it. However, the number of customers was gradually increasing. It would soon become difficult for him to take care of the teahouse and travel to get the ingredients by himself.

“Let’s talk inside. It’s windy here.” Mo Jiaxin invited her into the yard, which was much warmer than outside.

“Thank you.”

The woman sat in the yard. Mo Jiaxin walked to the kitchen. He wanted to make her a pot of simple tea so that she could warm up. However, he did not know if she liked strong tea.

“What would you like to drink? I also have scented tea here.”

“Do you have jasmine tea?”

Mo Jiaxin was taken aback. He replied, “Uh…yes, I do.”

A pot of hot-scented tea was served, and the aroma of jasmine wafted in the air.

Mo Jiaxin waited as the woman took a cup and sipped the tea. “Why do you want to work in my shop?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I just feel that this is a comfortable place.”

“You might have a hard time here. I don’t have any other workers here. So, you have to be able to handle a lot of things at the same time,” said Mo Jiaxin.

“I’m a hard worker. However, my memory is a bit poor, and I forget things. The doctor told me that if I keep forgetting the people and things around me, I may have to go back to the hospital for palliative care. I don’t like staying in the hospital. I also… I don’t have the money to hire a caregiver…” The woman’s voice became softer as she spoke.

Mo Jiaxin looked at the woman and the leather jacket that looked a bit old.

“You can start working from tomorrow.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Where do you live? It is better if you live nearby.”

“I do live nearby. You can see the hospital from here.”

Mo Jiaxin was speechless.

Mo Jiaxin wondered if he should go to the hospital to confirm whether she had run away from it.

The woman gave Mo Jiaxin a phone number. Mo Jiaxin called the number.

It was indeed a nursing hospital. The doctor explained the situation to Mo Jiaxin, saying that the woman had not experienced the symptoms of continuous amnesia in recent months, and she had recovered enough to be discharged. The hospital would feel more comfortable if she had a legal job.

“I have confirmed with them. You can start working tomorrow then. I’ll find a place for you to stay. Is that okay?” Mo Jiaxin asked.

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Do you have other requests?” Mo Jiaxin asked.

“No.”

“See you tomorrow,” Mo Jiaxin said.

“See you tomorrow.” The woman smiled warmly.