After a flight of over two hours, the plane touched down smoothly at Vulsan Hump Airport. Wendy Lynch had booked a car in advance, so the two of them headed straight to their reserved bed-and-breakfast.
The B&B was nestled in Serenity Ancient Town. Unlike newly built commercial streets masquerading as historical sites, Serenity was authentic. Having stood for hundreds of years, it had been a crucial hub on the Silk Road. Since there were no roads for vehicles inside the ancient town, cars had to be parked outside. Dragging their suitcases, the two walked down alleys paved with bluestone slabs. Flanked by mottled earthen walls and sweeping eaves, the air was rich with the damp, earthy scent of mixed grass and soil.
"Wow! Wendy, this place has such a great vibe!" Charlotte Lynch looked around excitedly, as curious as a little bird fresh out of its cage. "It’s so much better than those cookie-cutter ancient towns. This is the real deal!"
Their reserved B&B was named "Claire," tucked away deep inside a secluded alley. Pushing open the half-ajar wooden doors, an exquisite courtyard greeted them. Flowers and plants filled the space, while a cobblestone path meandered toward a two-story wooden building.
A gentle-looking proprietress in a simple, elegant cotton and linen dress was sitting under the veranda brewing tea. Upon seeing them, she immediately stood up with a smile. "Hello there. You must be Miss Wendy and Miss Yara, right? I’ve been waiting for you."
The proprietress warmly took their luggage and guided them to their room on the second floor. The interior featured a rustic wooden design. Pushing open the windows, they could see the ancient town’s endless rolling black-tiled roofs and the distant countryside scenery.
Charlotte dove straight onto the soft, massive bed and rolled around, a look of pure bliss on her face. "Wendy! This place is amazing! It looks even better than the photos online!"
Though Wendy hadn’t achieved financial freedom yet, she wasn’t short on cash, so she had naturally booked a relatively high-end B&B. The proprietress poured them some tea and chatted amiably. "You came at a good time. It’s not too crowded right now, so you can enjoy a quiet stroll around town."
As the three of them bantered back and forth, Wendy and Charlotte quickly learned a great deal about the ancient town. Charlotte then asked, "By the way, are there any good places to eat around here?"
Evidently accustomed to this question from guests, the proprietress replied without hesitation. "If you head west out of the alley, there’s a commercial street with plenty of local specialty snacks. The Shiping stuffed tofu, roasted rice cakes, and bamboo tube rice are all quite good, and many guests love them. Oh, and the fresh juice at a place called Miss Lynch’s tastes wonderful too. They use strictly fresh fruit to make pure juice.
"If you’re looking for a proper meal, you should head to the big banyan tree on the east side of town. There’s a mom-and-pop shop next to it that specializes in wild mushrooms. The food is absolutely delicious, though it is a bit on the pricey side."
Wendy’s heart skipped a beat. Wasn’t this the exact same proprietress mentioned in the email? Had it been anyone else recommending these spots, she might have thought twice. After all, many B&B owners had financial entanglements with local businesses. They often recommended overpriced tourist traps to pocket a commission. However, since her future self had already tested the waters, there was no need to doubt the proprietress’s recommendations now.
She smiled and nodded. "Sounds great. We’ll head out as soon as we unpack."
Bidding the warm proprietress farewell, the two quickly freshened up and went out to hunt for food. The ancient town wasn’t heavily packed with tourists, allowing them to stroll at a leisurely pace and soak in the rare tranquility. It was Wendy’s first time visiting such an antique-looking town, which fortunately lacked a heavy commercial atmosphere. There was no barrage of identical fried chicken, lamb skewer, or grilled squid stalls, nor were there any deafening promotional loudspeakers blasting music. Most of the structures along the way were local residential houses, with only an occasional street stall selling assorted knick-knacks. It wasn’t until they reached the commercial street the proprietress had mentioned that they began to see proper storefronts.
Charlotte bought a multitude of handmade accessories from the roadside stalls—a hand-woven colorful wristband, a hand-painted gourd pendant, and four or five other trinkets. Wendy, on the other hand, didn’t feel strongly about these little items and simply enjoyed the walk.
Upon arriving at the commercial street, they sampled the shops the proprietress had highlighted. Every single local specialty she had mentioned turned out to be quite delicious. By the time they finished their stroll, the sky had slowly begun to darken. Unwittingly, Charlotte’s hands had filled up with even more quirky little souvenirs.
Seeing that it was getting late, Wendy suggested they head over to the mushroom specialty restaurant recommended by the proprietress. The place was somewhat off the beaten path, boasting a small storefront and an extremely plain interior. It looked just like any ubiquitous roadside diner. Walking inside, they found only a scattering of two or three occupied tables.
A waitress handed them a menu. Charlotte took one look and couldn’t help but gasp softly.
"This is way too expensive!" she whispered, pointing at the prices and complaining to Wendy. "Look, Wendy, a single portion of the most basic wild mushrooms costs over a hundred, and slightly better ones go for three or four hundred! A free-range chicken broth base is a hundred and eighty alone! Do you think the proprietress is in cahoots with this place, specifically scamming out-of-town tourists like us?"
It was no wonder she was suspicious. The average cost per person for this meal would easily be at least three to four hundred bucks. Yet, the restaurant’s ambiance was inferior to a fast-food joint where one might spend fifty at most. Remembering the line from the future email—"The B&B proprietress is so nice; the restaurant she recommended is absolutely delicious"—Wendy felt reassured.
She pulled Charlotte down into a seat and comforted her. "We’re already here, so let’s just try it. What if it’s genuinely amazing? We came out to travel to eat well and drink well, didn’t we? Besides, wild mushrooms are a specialty here in Yunaris. Since we made the trip, we definitely have to give them a taste."
Charlotte remained half-skeptical. "But... it’s just so pricey. If it tastes awful, won’t we look like total suckers?"
"Don’t worry." Wendy blinked at her confidently. "If it’s bad, it’s on me."
Charlotte still wore a face full of doubt, feeling that her sister was far too naive. Seeing Wendy’s insistence, however, she couldn’t argue further, though her expression still betrayed some reluctance.
"Alright, but if it tastes terrible later, I’m going back to give that proprietress a piece of my mind!" she muttered under her breath.
Amused by her penny-pinching demeanor, Wendy didn’t bother arguing. She picked up the menu, recalled the proprietress’s recommendations, and ordered generously. "We’ll take a free-range chicken broth base, a portion of bamboo fungus, a portion of porcini mushrooms, plus an order of termite mushrooms and an order of old man’s head mushrooms."
After jotting down the order, the waitress turned and headed into the kitchen. While they waited for the food to be served, Charlotte leaned in close to Wendy’s ear and continued to nag.
"Wendy, why did you order so much at once? Four portions of mushrooms plus a broth base... that’s nearly a thousand bucks!"