Chapter 11: The Restaurant

Although the original body was only in her teens, and thus legally a minor on Blue Star, among the interstellar people she was still considered an immature child. However, perhaps due to abundant nutrition and stronger genetic optimization in the interstellar realm, the average height of people was generally taller, even among minors. At just fifteen, the original body already surpassed Jiang Hui’s height from her past life by a significant margin. Yet, standing amidst a crowd of tall and robust adults, she appeared remarkably petite and fragile.

She subtly shrank toward the edge, but the space was cramped, and the sensation of sharing the confined area with others was overwhelming. Instinctively, she tried to diminish her presence. As the elevator stopped on successive floors and she stood there for a moment, Jiang Hui suddenly realized she had forgotten to press the button for her destination floor.

Fortunately, though the crowd was dense, a narrow gap remained through which she could see the display screen. Yet the layout was complex, and Jiang Hui found it difficult to discern how to select or stop at a specific floor. What else could she do but rummage through the faint corners of her memory, hoping to recall some relevant knowledge to solve the problem?

Unaware, she had edged closer to the gap, and a few adults nearby even moved slightly to give her some space. “Are you heading to the twenty-seventh floor for dining? No need to press the button; someone has already marked it. The elevator will stop there as usual,” a voice suddenly said.

The accent was oddly familiar. Jiang Hui turned instinctively and saw a tall young man smiling at her, realizing he was speaking to her. The restaurant for mild patients was located on the twenty-seventh floor, and she was surprised he knew where she was headed.

The young man chuckled inwardly. Seeing a child not even as tall as his chest, dressed in the distinctive blue uniform of the mild symptom ward, looking curiously around while deliberately avoiding the adults, it was clear she was an unaccompanied minor. At this hour, riding the elevator alone most likely meant heading for a meal, and since the twenty-seventh floor housed a dedicated dining hall, it was an easy guess.

The child’s attempt to appear mature only made her all the more endearing.

Interstellar people generally treated minors with great care and tolerance. Though the adults in the elevator seemed absorbed in their own affairs, many were subtly attentive to the little one tucked away in a corner. The stop at the twenty-seventh floor had been arranged by a considerate individual. However, the child seemed overly shy and frightened by their presence, so they wisely refrained from startling her.

“Hmm? Yes, it seems so,” Jiang Hui carefully confirmed the marked floor and breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” she replied repeatedly, grateful for the assistance.

“There you go. Just walk straight ahead after you exit, and you’ll see the sign. I’ve heard the ‘Fire Chick Pancake’ on the twenty-seventh floor is quite good—you might want to try it...” The young man smiled kindly.

Jiang Hui nodded in response, feeling slightly awkward under the gaze of the crowd as she stepped out of the elevator.

The interstellar environment seemed quite pleasant indeed.

The girl followed the sign indicating the mild symptom ward’s dining hall entrance.

Though it was a hospital cafeteria, the environment and service model were impressive—clean and bright inside, furnished with small tables and chairs that felt delicate and refined, more akin to a leisure area than a typical hospital dining room.

After the elevator experience, Jiang Hui felt less distant from the interstellar people and their unfamiliar surroundings. She moved with more ease.

Yet a new challenge awaited her. The restaurant operated on a self-service ordering system, almost entirely automated. This was a part of her original body’s memories that remained relatively unfamiliar.

With no prior reference, Jiang Hui hesitated, pretending to casually select dishes. Once the line ahead moved, she followed others’ lead, observing their actions.

No wonder she had been pressing in vain earlier—this was an integrated automatic ordering machine requiring selections from start to finish.

She imitated those in front, scanning a barcode-like tag on her wrist at the machine positioned at the end, then selecting each category in sequence.

She picked up utensils, side dishes like bread and candy, and water before moving on to the main courses. Frankly, the screen displayed too many strange ingredients—beyond the obscure names, the cooking methods were bizarre, making it difficult to decide.

For example, “Banana Mixed Fried White Scales” sounded unappetizing and oddly mismatched. Then there was “Bread with Screw Powder Worms”—just the name was off-putting enough to avoid it entirely. Another dish, “Yellow Honey Fruit Braised Fern Dumplings,” sounded somewhat normal but was utterly unimaginable in form.

After scanning the first two rows, Jiang Hui’s appetite had completely vanished. With people waiting behind her and the card unable to be processed without a selection, she forced herself to peek a few more rows down.

Fortunately, the fifth row finally presented a familiar option—the “Fire Chick Pancake” the young man had recommended. Jiang Hui had no other choice but to pick it, as it sounded conventional enough. She randomly selected a few more dishes and finally completed the order, sweating profusely from the effort.

Who would have thought picking a meal could be so challenging? Life in the future was undoubtedly not easy.

“What kind of dishes are these today? So strange,” someone behind her grumbled.

Jiang Hui thought to herself: It seems every place has its own wildly creative cafeteria style. Even the interstellar people might find these dishes hard to stomach.

She took her tray and found a small table to sit alone, ready to savor the cuisine of the interstellar era. She was also curious about the dish recommended by the young man in the elevator.

Since the food was dispensed from machines, each item was tightly sealed in high-quality packaging made of a lightweight, soft material unfamiliar to Jiang Hui. The material was sturdy enough to hold its shape without sagging, yet easy to tear open when desired.

Curious, Jiang Hui carefully peeled back the packaging. As the restaurant gradually filled, the quiet corner she chose began to attract others.

The so-called Fire Chick Pancake was essentially a type of crepe wrapped around chicken, though prepared somewhat differently. The pancake was toasted on both sides, giving it a crisp, slightly charred texture, while the chicken inside was tender and fragrant. The accompanying vegetables were indescribable, but the combination offered a rich, layered taste. One bite was among the rare delicacies Jiang Hui had tasted on Blue Star, perfectly balanced in flavor.

Could this be the standard of interstellar cuisine? It was truly enviable. Of course, if civilization had never experienced disruption, it was only natural that culinary arts would evolve alongside technological advancement.