Culinary Expert

Chapter 4: A Customer Arrives

For the entire afternoon, not a single customer came into Bai Xiaobai’s shop. However, a little after 3:00 p. m. , a fashionably dressed, chubby girl walked in. As soon as she appeared, she pulled out her phone and started snapping photo after photo of Bai Xiaobai’s tea-egg pot. Bai Xiaobai was completely baffled by the chubby girl’s behavior and was just about to ask if she wanted to buy some tea eggs. Unexpectedly, the chubby girl suddenly sprang into action, and after taking her photos, she vanished like the wind. She really came and went in a flash… The sun was setting. Before he knew it, night had fallen. Wang Tuzi, his neighbor, was sitting in his wicker chair by the door as usual, smoking a cigarette, licking his lips, and leisurely counting a small stack of bills, while Bai Xiaobai could only count how many eggs were actually hidden in the pile of eggshells on the ground. Nutritionists say the body can only digest and absorb two eggs a day, and doctors also warn that eating too many eggs at once puts a strain on the kidneys. But Bai Xiaobai didn’t even know how many eggs he’d eaten today—in any case, nearly the entire half-pot of premium tea-flavored eggs had ended up in his stomach. By a little past 10 p. m. , Old Wang next door had long since closed up shop. Bai Xiaobai had also eaten all but the very last of the tea-flavored eggs in his rice cooker. That single egg was a perfect reflection of today’s dismal business. The number of “Supreme Tea-Flavored Eggs” sold was zero. Today was arguably the most bittersweet birthday Bai Xiaobai had experienced in all his years. The joy came from the windfall of obtaining the Gourmet System; the sorrow was that today’s sales of “Supreme Tea Eggs” were a big fat zero—he’d been open all day and hadn’t made a single dime. “A living person can’t die from holding it in—there’s always a way out. Tomorrow, I’ll pull myself together and keep trying.” Bai Xiaobai forced a wry smile before heading to the bathroom. Little did he expect that it would happen just while he was in the bathroom. Xiao Hei, who was watching the store outside, suddenly started barking nonstop—and the barking grew louder and louder. Could someone be stealing something? No way—there are security cameras installed in the store. Who would be crazy enough to dare steal anything? Bai Xiaobai grabbed the mop from the bathroom and ran outside. It wasn’t a thief—it was a drunken young man, slumped against the storefront, vomiting nonstop. In an instant, a foul stench filled the area in front of the store. “What the hell…” Bai Xiaobai thought to himself three times in rapid succession. The store entrance, which he’d just barely finished cleaning, was suddenly covered in vomit again. Unhappy as he was, Bai Xiaobai didn’t say a word. After all, life is only a few decades long—what man hasn’t gotten drunk at some point? Without a word, Bai Xiaobai grabbed a dustpan and mop and deftly set to work cleaning up the vomit outside. After vomiting, the drunk young man’s mind cleared up a bit. Seeing the mess all over the ground, he said, “Bro, I’m sorry for messing up your storefront.” Bai Xiaobai waved his hand, indicating it was no big deal. The drunk young man looked at the mess all over the floor and felt truly guilty. He decided to buy something to make amends. Spotting a leftover tea egg in the rice cooker by the store entrance—which was just what he was looking for—he said, “Bro, I’ll buy this tea egg. Could you pour me a cup of lukewarm water?” “Sure, just a moment.” Bai Xiaobai replied and dashed into the store, returning with a cup of lukewarm water, which he handed to the drunk young man. The drunk young man took the cup, tilted his head back, took a sip to rinse his mouth, and then drank about half the cup. Bai Xiaobai grabbed a white porcelain bowl and fished out the only remaining tea-eggs from the rice cooker. “Thank you for your business. One ‘Supreme’ tea-egg for fifty?” When the drunk young man heard the price, his expression changed slightly, but he didn’t say much; he just continued to leisurely peel the tea-egg. What’s going on? Bai Xiaobai looked completely baffled. He’d expected the drunk young man to react like everyone else—to be scared off by the price or show some kind of dramatic reaction. He never imagined that after a moment of mild surprise, the young man would simply carry on peeling his tea egg. Does that count as tacit acceptance of the price? Although the drunk young man was a bit tipsy, his mind was still clear. He wasn’t a sucker; it was just that he’d just thrown up, his mouth was completely tasteless, and his stomach was churning, so he wanted to eat something with some flavor. Besides, he’d accepted a free cup of warm water from them. He’d also made a huge mess on the Restaurant’s facade, yet the owner hadn’t said a single word—that was truly impressive. Just for that attitude alone, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone like him in all of Jianghai City, even if you searched high and low. Besides, fifty yuan for a tea egg was well within his budget. He’d just treat it as a fifty-yuan fine for vomiting in front of the Restaurant. The drunk young man thought this to himself as he finished peeling the tea egg in his hand. He nonchalantly took a big bite of the tea egg and chewed it slowly a couple of times. “This flavor…” The drunk young man perked right up. He’d only intended to grab a quick bite to tide him over. He never would have imagined that this seemingly ordinary tea-flavored egg could be so delicious. It lacked the strong, earthy smell typical of regular eggs. The salty, savory egg white and the silky-smooth yolk complemented each other perfectly in texture. The aroma of the egg, the savory sauce, and the tea blended together flawlessly. With just one bite, the drunk young man instantly felt his mouth fill with a pleasant aroma, and his breath became as fragrant as orchids. The nausea and queasiness caused by his drunkenness had subsided considerably, and his stomach felt warm and much more comfortable. He hadn’t expected that this tea-flavored egg, aside from having an excellent taste, could actually help sober him up. He polished off the tea-flavored egg in just two bites. The drunk young man pursed his lips, still wanting more, and said, “Bro, these tea eggs are so good. Give me three more—I’ll take them to go.” Since making tea eggs was quick, Bai Xiaobai was just about to get started on three more. Just then, the System—of all times—suddenly popped into his mind, emitting a cold, electronic voice. [Host level is too low. Each person is limited to one purchase per day in the store, and takeout service is not available. ] The System rattled off two rules in one breath, like bucket after bucket of cold water, dousing Bai Xiaobai—who had been burning with enthusiasm and brimming with energy—right to the core. In her heart, Bai Xiaobai cursed the system 180 times over, but she spoke sincerely to the drunk young man: “I’m sorry, but we’ve actually sold out of tea eggs for today. If you’d like some, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow.” “Then just make two fresh ones. I can wait.” The drunk young man pulled out his wallet, took out two hundred, and displayed a generous attitude, showing he wasn’t short on cash and was happy to wait. The money was right there in front of him, yet he couldn’t make a single cent from it—the feeling was unbearably frustrating. Those damn rules! Bai Xiaobai had already been internally spitting three liters of blood, but after forcing himself to suppress his inner anguish, he said very earnestly to the drunk young man, “I’m sorry, it’s store policy that each person can only buy one per day. We’re closing now, so if you still want one, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow.” The drunk young man had been full of anticipation, but he never expected to hear those words. From childhood on, whenever he wanted something, he’d never been denied. This was the first time the drunk young man had tasted the bitterness of rejection. And he’d been turned down just for wanting one more tea egg! Although the drunk young man had already eaten his fill of tea eggs, seeing how decisively the young shop owner had refused him, he figured it would be pointless to keep pestering him. He had no choice but to give up, paid for his order, and hurried away. After the drunk young man left, Bai Xiaobai looked at the nearly brand-new fifty-yuan bill in his hand, feeling delighted. This was the fruit of his own labor. Although there had been quite a few minor incidents today, and he’d been met with plenty of cold shoulders, breaking through the zero mark on his very first day was a very good start. Feeling quite pleased with himself, Bai Xiaobai was just about to tuck the bill into his pocket when, all of a sudden, the large bill vanished from his hand. The bill hadn’t even had time to warm up in his hand before it disappeared into thin air!! Needless to say, the System was definitely up to something. “System, what’s going on here?” The System’s cold, electronic voice echoed in his mind. 【Congratulations, Host. You sold a Supreme Tea Egg today, earning five yuan. 】 “Damn it, wasn’t it fifty yuan? How did it turn into five yuan?” Bai Xiaobai’s beaming smile froze instantly. 【The System provides all top-tier ingredients required for the Host’s studies free of charge. However, the System takes a certain commission on sold dishes; otherwise, it wouldn’t break even. Since the Host’s level is currently too low, the split is 90% to the System and 10% to the Host. 】 No wonder the System mentioned earlier that dish sales were handled separately—so that’s how it works. “Damn it, a 90-10 split? System, you’re way too greedy. I worked my ass off all day long and only made five yuan… you…” “Wait… where’s my five yuan?” Bai Xiaobai suddenly realized his hands were empty—he didn’t even have those five yuan. 【The Host’s current level is too low; you cannot sell any food other than Supreme Tea Eggs, including water. You just violated the rules by pouring water for someone, so as a small punishment to serve as a lesson, five yuan has been deducted. 】 “Holy crap, System, why didn’t you say anything when I was pouring that water just now?” “Wait! How is water even considered food? You can’t be that shady.” Bai Xiaobai hadn’t even finished speaking. 【Ding-dong—Good night, Host】 That jerk of a system was quick to take money, but just as quick to bail at the first sign of trouble. Bai Xiaobai felt like crying but had no tears left; he had nowhere to turn. But since the system was in charge right now, there was nothing he could do. He just hoped to finish the mission quickly, get his reward, and level up as soon as possible. Although he hadn’t made a single penny today, at least he’d completed one task, bringing him one step closer to finishing the newbie mission. Thinking of the “Master Chef” title beckoning him—what did a little hardship and fatigue matter? As the saying goes, “Those who endure the bitterest hardships rise above the rest.” After offering himself a bit of self-comfort, Bai Xiaobai closed the shop, rushed up to his bedroom on the second floor, washed up, and collapsed into bed. After a busy day, Bai Xiaobai slept soundly, still sprawled out in a wide “大” character. Just as Bai Xiaobai was chatting with the God of Dreams about his grand culinary ambitions… He never could have imagined that a post about the “Supreme Tea-Eggs” was going viral on a popular local online forum. Thread title: “Sky-high-priced tea eggs—asking fifty each. What do you all think?” It included six high-resolution photos, one of which showed Bai Xiaobai’s proudly displayed price tag. The OP received a flood of replies. Sunshine Lul: I’m first to comment! 😆 Little Chubby 1987: Front row, here to gawk—and sell some sunflower seeds while I’m at it Deep and Lasting: What a rip-off! Who’d buy these tea eggs? I can make them myself. Gorgeous Girl: This scared me so much I quickly crushed open a pack of Little Raccoon snacks to eat. o买嘎: Is this tea egg ad? What do you guys think? Self-Amused Kid: Tea eggs this expensive? No need to explain, you greedy shop owner—sneaky face b2 Rubbing Hands: I just want to ask the OP—have you tried them? Are they good? Questioning face OP: @b2rubbinghands, they smell pretty good, but they’re just too expensive—I can’t afford them. The shop owner is actually a cute guy, though—flowers, red lips. He got shy after the photo shoot this afternoon and just took off. BoBoRollingAround: So the OP is a girl after all? Let’s date. Life of Blasting Pee: Is this the exclusive tea-egg for lesbians? Haha haha haha… Don’t Look at Me: The color looks pretty tempting in the photo. I’m hungry. Braised Delights: Please share the shop’s address. I’ll go check out the cute guy when I have time. Funny face 800 posts omitted here.