Everyone in Mr. Ping's noodle shop the afternoon of the day of Tai-lung's attack was treated to a shocking sight. Tai-lung, the man they had hated and feared for so long, was sitting covered in bandages with an equally bandaged Shifu and the Dragon Warrior, sipping noodle soup like he hadn't just attempted to murder the two people he was eating with. People gaped and dropped their chopsticks in shock, but the party of three didn't seem to take notice. Instead, they kept eating their noodles with intense focus. After a few more sips, Tai-lung turned to look at Jade with a curious expression.
"The soup's gotten better since the last time I ate here.", the yellow eyed man said. Shifu nodded.
"Yes, it has. But you know Mr. Ping, he's always trying to improve his recipes.", the old man agreed. Jade smirked and nodded.
"Yep. He's added a new secret ingredient. The reason it tastes so good is because of the opium.", Jade told them. Shifu and Tai-lung, who had resumed sipping their soup, separated their faces from their bowls and did a spit-take. Jade cackled loudly as the father-son pair began to panic.
"O-opium?!", Shifu exclaimed. Tai-lung started to brush his tongue off with his hand. Soon, Mr. Ping walked out of the kitchen with three bowls of noodle soup. Jade looked at her father in false panic.
"Dad, clean out the cellar! They found out about the secret ingredient!", she exclaimed. Mr. Ping blinked in confusion, before remembering the joke she had made about opium before she went off to fight Tai-lung. Mr. Ping glared at her and smacked her on the head with a rag that dangled from the string of his apron.
"Ow!", Jade exclaimed through hysterical laughter, raising her hands to block further attacks. Mr. Ping narrowed his eyes at her as he sat the three noodle bowls down in front of her, Shifu and Tai-lung.
"For the last time, stop telling people the secret ingredient is opium! You'll make me lose customers!", Mr. Ping scolded, before turning to look at his restaurant patrons with a nervous smile.
"Don't worry folks, the secret ingredient isn't opium! I don't cook with drugs!", he assured them. The restaurant patrons didn't react, because they were still too busy being shocked about Tai-lung. Mr. Ping blinked in confusion at their lack of a reaction, not really seeing what could have them so spooked.
"Yeesh, tough crowd.", he muttered, before turning around to face Jade and her guests again.
"Alright, those are your fifth bowls. It's not like I don't like people who can eat, but I need to know who's paying for this before I give you any more.", Mr. Ping told them sternly. Jade looked at him in surprise.
"I thought we ate free because I'm your daughter?", she asked. Mr. Ping put his hands on his hips.
"No, you eat free because you're my daughter. The other two get half priced meals.", he told her. Tai-lung reached into his pants and pulled out a small leather pouch.
"I've got this. How much is our meal plus tip?", he asked. Shifu turned and looked at his son and the pouch suspiciously.
"Where did you get that money from?", Shifu asked. Tai-lung didn't look at him and started to take coins out of the pouch.
"Nowhere important.", Tai-lung responded. Shifu looked at him dryly.
"You stole it, didn't you?", he asked. Tai-lung froze.
"... Maybe.", he admitted. Shifu glared at him.
"You are not paying for our food with stolen money.", the old man told him. Tai-lung groaned and put the pouch and the coins he took out back into his pocket.
YOU ARE READING
The Tales of the Dragon Warrior
FanfictionHuman!AU, SI-OC. Jade had always been a weird kid, and not in the 'I'm not like the other girls' way. It had kept her from making friends most of her life, so she spent her time practicing karate religiously, being a slut for Bruce Lee movies, and h...
