CHAPTER 21: MORE BUSINESS.

Tapiwa awoke early the next morning feeling quite rejuvenated, and instead of sleeping in the inn's room, she slept in the store space's bedroom.

She'd grown accustomed to sleeping inside, perhaps because of the soft and fluffy bed, or perhaps because of the energizing air.

She instinctively made the bed after waking up before taking a warm, relaxing shower.

People would usually wash their faces and brush their teeth in the morning before taking a bath at night. So Tapiwa, who was used to showering at least twice a day, took a shower before leaving the business.

The only thing she'll get from the inn is a basin of warm water for washing her face and a cup of water for brushing her teeth.

Tapiwa exited the room and opened the windows after cleaning up. Her kaftan dress, which she had washed before going to bed the night before, had not yet dried, and she was not at ease enough to hang it outdoors.

When she arrived on the first floor, the aroma of food greeted her, which immediately captivated her taste senses.

"It's great that you've come down. I was about to go upstairs to call you for breakfast when I saw you," Ma Michaels replied.

There was no need for any more welcomes because the two had already met each other in the morning, so Tapiwa gently remarked to the elder lady, "It's good that I came down. I wouldn't trade this for anything."

Ma Michaels smiled cheerfully as she returned to the kitchen, which was hidden from view.

Tapiwa shook her head slightly before entering the restaurant and taking a seat at one of the six tables available.

As she sat there, she began to consider how to bring up the subject of what she wanted. She had chosen such an inn for a reason, and she really hoped that she had not made a mistake by coming.

Ma Michaels appeared a few minutes later with a wooden platter of meals. Tapiwa grinned as she noticed the steam rising from the plates.

How long had it been since she had eaten something hot off the stove?

Ma Michaels brought her food, which included a meal of porridge and a platter of stir-fried veggies with meat. There was an extra plate of sweet potatoes and a teapot made of clay.

Of course, because sugar was so expensive, most teapots usually contained one cup of tea for each guest.

With so much food on the table, she began to question if this couple was even making a profit from the inn.

"Thank you for the meal," Tapiwa replied graciously as she raised her head and stared at the smiling lady. "I will gladly enjoy it," she said, and she meant every single food.

"Enjoy your food, and if it isn't enough, please let me know. I still have food," Ma Michaels remarked lovingly, warming Tapiwa to the core.

'It doesn't feel like I'm at the inn; rather, it feels like I'm at home, with my folks looking after me.'

Ma Michael returned her gaze to Tapiwa, who had buried her head and began eating quietly, and smiled as she walked away, saying, 'What a great child. I'm curious about what happened to her!'

As an elderly woman who had consumed more salt in her life, she could tell from a glance that Tapiwa was a woman with many things to tell, and she couldn't help but be intrigued and curious about it.

It was in every woman's nature to gossip, but her objectives were to alleviate Tapiwa's concerns and persuade her to release whatever was upsetting her from her chest.

Tapiwa, on the other hand, ate her lunch merrily and finished everything on her plate, oblivious to what Ma Michaels was thinking.

Tapiwa's food consumption had increased significantly as a result of her superpowers, and this no longer bothered her.

However, what she did surprised Ma Michaels, who assumed they would be leftovers when she returned the plates. She couldn't help but stare closely at Tapiwa, her thoughts racing with questions.

'Could she be.....? No, let me observe further.'

Finally, she decided that jumping to conclusions was premature. So, she decided to wait a little longer before making a decision.

Tapiwa became convinced of her prior problem after such a delicious supper and decided to strike the iron while it was still hot.

"Ma Michael, do you have a few moments to spare?" Tapiwa cried out to the lady who was currently washing plates in the kitchen because she could hear the water run from where she was seated.

"What?" Ma Michael asked from the kitchen.

Tapiwa smiled and shook her head before standing up and walking towards the kitchen, but she didn't go near it and asked again, "Do you have a moment? I have something I need to talk to you about," she added.

Ma Michaels, who was busy cleaning the dishes, paused for a bit before continuing, "I will be done in a moment. Simply wait for me in the restaurant," she said.

"Okay. I'll be waiting for you."

Ma Michaels had no idea what Tapiwa wanted to talk about with her, but she rinsed her dishes quickly, dried her hands, and left the kitchen for the restaurant, where Tapiwa waited for her.

Tapiwa didn't have to wait long because Ma Michaels arrived in less than ten minutes and sat at the same table as her.

"Is there any problem?" Ma Michaels inquired; her voice tinged with concern.

Ma Michaels had no idea why Tapiwa would want to chat with her because they didn't know each other very well.

Tapiwa, on the other hand, shook her head in denial and smiled at Ma Michaels, adding, "There isn't any problem at all. I simply want to conduct business with you."

"Business! You seriously want to do business with me! Is that true?" Ma Michaels couldn't help but exclaim in surprise when she heard this.

Tapiwa kept her smile on and said truthfully, "Yes. I truly like this place, and I would like to see it make more money and have more clients in the future."

Ma Michaels couldn't believe it, but when she heard about extra money, she was enticed. After all, business had been slow, and this was weighing heavily on them.

They have many grandchildren to support, taxes to pay, and mouths to feed. All of this cost money, and the way things were going, they wouldn't be able to afford it for long.

So, as she was the family's top decision maker, especially when it came to business, which most people didn't realize, she inquired in a serious tone, "What kind of business would you like doing with us?"