Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The third morning in Egypt arrived.
“Meow meow meow! You all went to the holy temple of Goddess Bastet? Is the goddess pretty? Is her chest big?”
In the morning, Snowy Lionet was already continuously chattering, feeling deep regret that it had not been able to see the Goddess’ bountiful chest with its own eyes yesterday.
“We did not see anything at all. That place has already become a wasteland.”
Zhang Zian pushed open the door and entered.
He had just gone to Khan el-Khalili Market to buy breakfast and thank Lazart and his family for their generous car lending. Unfortunately, there was nothing on hand that could be a gift other than the Pinduoduo version of cooling ointment. He got over it and inquired about the address of Lazart’s family secretly. He planned to send a gift when he returned home. After all, he was from a country of etiquette, and he couldn’t let the Copts underestimate them.
In addition, when he went to the market, he was more careful. He was as sneaky as a burglar because he had inquired about it. The vendor nearby said that the local men he met on the first day who drank black tea and played mahjong had not come out for two days. The vendor wondered if they were sick.
Zhang Zian knew what kind of illness they had. The illness of the gentleman lay in his p*nis. If they didn’t cure it, it might, regrettably, become worse!
“Meow meow meow! This servant does not need any other goddess! Your Majesty is this servant’s goddess!” Snowy Lionet saw that Fina had also come in from the balcony and instantly expressed its loyalty.
Fina could not be bothered with Snowy Lionet right now. It took deep breaths and stared at the bag Zhang Zian was holding in his hand. It asked curiously, “What smells so nice?”
“It seems to be something called a kofta and roast fish. I guess you’re tired of eating roast pigeons, so I bought something else for a change.” Zhang Zian opened the bag and began to share breakfast with the elfins.
Kofta was another national meal to be ordered in Egypt. It was made with minced lamb, beef, or sometimes chicken, seasoned spices, and onions to make them into sticks or balls. It was then baked with iron sticks. After baking, it was served with celery or other seasonal vegetable dishes on the bottom of the dish. The dish was very filling, supplemented by potato chips or Egyptian pancakes. It would fully satisfy one’s deep desire for meat.
The elfins besides Richard were carnivores, and when they smelled the kofta, they salivated. Even Snowy Lionet, who had been clamoring for raw brisket all day, wiped its mouth.
Nothing was wasted. Richard ate seasonal vegetables, and the elfins ate barbecued meat, French fries, and pancakes… What about Zhang Zian?
“Meow meow meow! What kind of sh*t is this? You stinky man! Are you trying to harm me?”
Snowy Lionet, who had a fanatical pursuit of meat, was not satisfied with eating kofta alone. It stealthily extended its claws towards the roast fish Zhang Zian had bought. In the end, it took a bite, wrinkled its face like it had eaten coptis chinensis, and spat out the roast fish.
“I haven’t split that for you yet! Who asked you to make a move on it?” Zhang Zian asked.
Snowy Lionet kept spitting and ran to the bathroom to wash its tongue under the faucet, and it looked like it was very bitter.
The water made the long fur on its face and neck wet by quite a bit. If it had been in China, they would need to blow dry it instantly. However, this was Egypt, and it just needed to go to the balcony and lie in the sun for five minutes.
Fina carefully observed the roast fish for a while and asked in confusion, “This fish… Why aren’t the scales removed?”
“I only found out after I bought it. I can’t throw it away,” Zhang Zian said helplessly. “Who knew that the roast fish in Egypt wouldn’t have their scales removed…”
Besides still having the scales, the grilled fish did not look very attractive. It looked like it had been cooked. Its skin and tail fins were burnt black. If it had been in China, it may have been rejected by picky eaters. But this was the specialty of Egypt. The cooking temperature was always a bit high.
The elfins were not very interested in the roast fish. It was not as good as the roast fish made by Uncle Li, so the task of finishing the roast fish landed on Zhang Zian’s shoulders.
The local people in Egypt usually ate roast fish with fried rice. Zhang Zian was eating roast fish with a big pancake and fries. It was not really Chinese cuisine and not really Western cuisine, and it was quite bitter. If he had known earlier, he would have bought one more set of kofta.
He could not do anything about it. He had to eat the food he’d bought himself even if he had tears in his eyes. Otherwise, he would be throwing away the money he’d spent.
The elfins finished their breakfast quickly and lay down to digest. Zhang Zian put the leftover soup in the trash can so the customer service staff wouldn’t think that they had been robbed.
Fina ran back to the balcony and bathed in the early morning sun to digest its food.
Snowy Lionet followed Fina. This was the only time it could interact with the sun throughout the whole day.
After returning from the ruins of Bastet’s Holy Temple yesterday, Fina spent more time alone meditating, gazing at the Nile at night for a long time.
However, sadness did not knock it down as Zhang Zian had expected. It had a strong heart. After venting the emotions that had been accumulating for some time, it became calm again, like it had managed to understand something.
He did not rush to ask what it was thinking and why it had gone so crazy in the ruins. Anyway, it would not say even if he asked. They were staying in Egypt for a long time, and he still had time to figure out the Holy Meaning.
“The number of people seems to have decreased a lot today.”
Old Time Tea looked toward the main street and found that the pedestrians and cars had decreased a lot compared to yesterday.
“Eh, because Egypt’s Ramadan started yesterday at midnight, most of the people are resting at home instead of going out.”
Zhang Zian raised his finger to the sky. There was still a very thin crescent moon in the sky, which was about to be submerged in the light of the sun. This was the sign of the beginning of Ramadan.
“What effect does this have on us?” Famous asked curiously.
“It doesn’t matter much to us. In fact, I think it’s a good thing,” Zhang Zian said. Even if the local men who’d used the cooling ointment as Indian divine oil returned to their senses, they, dazzled by hunger, might not be able to catch up with him or win a fight against him.
“Ah! Zian! Hurry and come over!”
Sihwa’s sharp voice came from the bathroom, so sharp that Zhang Zian felt itchy all over. It was just like the sound of fingernails scratching glass.
To prevent complaints from the guests next door, he hurried from the terrace to the bathroom and asked, “What’s the matter?”
Sihwa angrily put her hands on her hips. “You said that you would take me to the beach to broadcast live,” she said. “How long are you going to put it off? Those horrible fans always mock me, and some people have written a paragraph to say something like… ‘As soon as Sihwa opens her mouth, she’ll directly say some words that are hard to understand. What “Egypt”? What “five-star hotel”? The live studio has a happy atmosphere’—I can’t remember the specifics. Is this mocking me? Don’t think I can’t understand!”
Zhang Zian said, “This is really not mocking. The guys that stay at home all day and sit online are the best at coming up with these things.”
She gritted her teeth in anger and hit the water’s surface to express her anger, causing the water to splash everywhere.
“Then how about today? With the coming of Ramadan, there are fewer people by the seaside, and we can go to the beach today to fulfill your wishes,” Zhang Zian decided.
