Culinary Expert

Chapter 10: Three Types of Hidden Rewards

A repeat customer had come in, and he’d even brought two others along. This was truly wonderful. Bai Xiaobai was overjoyed and greeted them with a beaming smile: “Welcome.” Wei Hai chose a seat and sat down, followed by the fat guy and the skinny guy. Wei Hai noticed there was no menu on the table, nor were there any pictures of the specialty dishes posted in the shop, so he asked Bai Xiaobai, “Owner, do you have a menu?” “We don’t have a menu. Right now, we only sell our Supreme Tea-Eggs. Fifty each—how many would you like?” Although Bai Xiaobai spoke bluntly, he tried to keep his tone as gentle as possible. Since Wei Hai already knew the price, he remained unfazed upon hearing the quote. It was the chubby guy sitting next to him who lost his composure: “…Fifty for one tea-egg?” Over the past few days, Bai Xiaobai had grown accustomed to such surprised reactions. He calmly repeated, “Fifty each. How many would you like?” “Young Master Wei, let’s go. This place has way too few options, and fifty for a single tea-eggs? That’s a total rip-off.” The skinny guy sitting next to him couldn’t sit still any longer; he stood up and was about to leave. Wei Hai looked perfectly unfazed as he casually remarked, “It’s on me—what’s the rush?” “Well…” Although the chubby guy wasn’t happy about it, since Wei Hai—the big spender treating them to dinner—had already made it clear he wasn’t skimping on money, he couldn’t really say anything else. Still, the chubby guy just couldn’t figure out why Wei Hai was so set on eating tea-eggs at this particular place. Tea eggs aren’t exactly shark fin or bear paw—you can find them by the bucketful at the street-side breakfast stalls outside the school gates, and they’re only 1. 5 yuan each. This shop charges fifty yuan for a single tea egg—enough to buy him several fast-food meals. The chubby guy scowled and simply started playing with his phone. Wei Hai, paying no mind to whether the Fat Guy was happy about it or not, said to Bai Xiaobai, “Okay, fifty it is. Give us one each, and pour us a glass of water.” “Sorry, we don’t serve water here.” Bai Xiaobai knew this remark was about to set off another explosion. Sure enough! The chubby guy next to him hadn’t even calmed down yet; as soon as he heard this, he was about to lose it again: “Young Master Wei… this place…” Wei Hai ignored the chubby guy and said patiently to Bai Xiaobai, “Then just give us the tea eggs—and hurry up.” The skinny guy was completely baffled and dumbfounded when he heard Wei Hai say that. What kind of magic do the tea eggs at this place have that make the “prince” Wei Hai so obsessed with them time and time again? Knowing Wei Hai’s temperament, back in the day, with service like this, he would’ve long since stormed out with a scowl on his face. What on earth was going on? The skinny guy was genuinely curious—could it be that this shop’s tea-eggs had something special about them? Like, were they coated in gold dust, or did they have a truly unique flavor that was insanely delicious? Bai Xiaobai moved swiftly, heading into the kitchen to serve three “Supreme Tea Eggs” in white porcelain bowls, which she then brought over to the three of them. “Please enjoy.” Wei Hai was the first to pick up a tea egg from the white porcelain bowl and examine it closely. The last time he’d eaten a “Supreme” tea egg, he’d been drunk, so he hadn’t taken a close look at it. Now that he looked closely, this tea egg was practically a work of art. The surface of the tea-flavored eggs had taken on a color reminiscent of purple clay, with crisscrossing cracks—not a single dent or crack in the shell; they were perfectly intact. Moreover, compared to the last time he’d eaten them, the tea aroma was even more intense. Just a slight inhalation filled his nostrils with the scent of tea. The tea aroma was reminiscent of fruit, with a faint hint of orchid—fresh, crisp, and long-lasting. Although the tea aroma was mingled with the scent of egg and soy sauce, Wei Hai, with his keen sense of smell, knew immediately that this tea-flavored egg was made with Qimen black tea. And it was of the very highest grade. Wei Hai drank Qimen black tea year-round and always kept it stocked at home, so he knew it very well. Qimen black tea is the finest among black teas and enjoys a stellar reputation. It is the favorite beverage of the British Queen and the royal family, renowned for its exquisite aroma, which has spread far and wide, earning it the title of “Queen of Black Teas.” A classic saying goes: “A teapot gains fame solely for the tea; when guests arrive, the room is filled with the aroma of tea.” This refers precisely to Qimen black tea. The highest-grade Qimen black tea Wei Hai has ever tasted was the “Special Grade.” But the tea eggs he now held in his hands—with their rich, mellow aroma and fresh, sweet, and crisp youthful fragrance—clearly used Qimen black tea of a quality far surpassing the “Special Grade.” Could it be that they’re using state-gift-grade Qimen black tea? They’re actually using tea of this caliber to boil tea eggs?? Just as Wei Hai was marveling, the skinny guy beside him couldn’t resist the aroma of the tea eggs and, despite the eggs being scalding hot, grabbed one and started peeling it. Wei Hai and the skinny guy both started peeling their tea eggs at the same time. The fat guy sitting nearby, however, remained calm, playing on his phone. It’s just a little tea-flavored egg, right? As a meat-lover, the chubby guy didn’t even feel like peeling it; he just kept playing on his phone with a sour expression. He started out calm, but soon the chubby guy couldn’t hold back anymore. Holy cow! Why is this tea-flavored egg so fragrant? It smells too good… … Since he hadn’t eaten breakfast, the Fat Guy’s stomach had been growling for ages. The rich aroma wafting from the tea-flavored egg seemed to be teasing him on purpose, constantly creeping into his nostrils. It was a blatant provocation and temptation. In less than three breaths, the Fat Guy obediently surrendered. He put down his phone and started peeling the tea-flavored egg. Out of the three of them, Wei Hai was the fastest; he peeled the tea-flavored egg in no time. He took a bite and began to chew. Delicious. So delicious. The last time he was drunk, Wei Hai had wolfed it down, so he hadn’t savored it properly. This time, Wei Hai ate the tea-leaf egg carefully, savoring every bite. The salty, fragrant egg white was springy, so lively it seemed to dance in his mouth. The soft, silky yolk melted bit by bit in his mouth, becoming more fragrant the more he chewed. The yolk was so silky—just like a roasted sweet potato—yet its texture was several times better than that of a roasted sweet potato. The aroma of tea, the fragrance of the egg, and the savory flavor of the sauce—the three blended together, gradually unleashing the most exquisite taste in his mouth. It was simply too delicious. Wei Hai took a closer look at the tea-leaf egg in his hand, which had been bitten into. The yolk of this tea-leaf egg was actually red-yolked. Wei Hai had eaten red-yolk salted duck eggs before, but this was his first time encountering a red-yolk tea-flavored egg. Almost the moment Wei Hai discovered the red-yolk egg, the system’s electronic voice—which had been silent in Bai Xiaobai’s mind—suddenly sounded. [A red-yolk egg has appeared in the Supreme Tea Egg the guest is eating. Congratulations to the Host on receiving a 100-yuan cash reward, which has been deposited into the Host’s pocket. ] Whoa? A red-yolk egg? What’s going on? Bai Xiaobai was completely baffled by the sudden reward. Taking three steps at a time, Bai Xiaobai ran into the kitchen, reached into his pocket, and sure enough, found an extra red “Uncle Mao” note inside. Previously, the “Ice Crack” reward was a tenfold experience boost—he never expected a red-yolk egg to grant a direct reward of 100 yuan. Looking at the crisp, brand-new 100-yuan note, Bai Xiaobai was over the moon. Another windfall. While excited, Bai Xiaobai didn’t forget to ask the system, “System, what is a Red Heart Egg?” The System displayed the following text: “Laying hens raised on the Changbai Mountains have a certain chance of laying Red Heart Eggs after consuming medicinal herbs such as wild ginseng leaves. The probability is three per thousand. Supreme tea eggs made from Red Heart Eggs, when consumed by adult men, tonify the kidneys and enhance virility while strengthening tendons and bones; when consumed by adult women, they nourish yin, promote hair growth, and moisturize the skin; and for young children, they strengthen bones and improve memory.” Holy crap! Strengthen the kidneys and boost virility! Strengthen tendons and bones! Those eight words instantly caught Bai Xiaobai’s attention. Wow, I never expected Red-Hearted Eggs to have such amazing benefits. However, Bai Xiaobai felt incredibly frustrated. He’d eaten at least twenty Supreme Tea Eggs over the past few days, yet not only had he failed to find a single one with the one-in-ten-thousand ice-crack pattern, he hadn’t even come across a single red-yolk egg—which had a one-in-three-thousand chance of appearing. Why was his luck so terrible? Feeling frustrated, Bai Xiaobai opened the cabinet, picked up some eggs, and held them up to the light, trying to pick out the red-yolk ones to save for himself. After examining them for ages, every egg looked pretty much the same! [Host, you cannot detect the red-yolk eggs. Please exercise self-restraint. ] The System’s electronic voice boomed in Bai Xiaobai’s mind. “……” Bai Xiaobai set down the half-tray of eggs he was holding. Come to think of it, two types of hidden rewards have appeared in the Supreme Tea Eggs so far. The first hidden reward is the “ice crackle” pattern. After peeling a Supreme Tea-Egg, the brown crackle pattern on the surface of the egg white is very clear, without a single rough edge—just like the distinctive crackle patterns found on ancient porcelain, where the cracks overlap in uniform sizes, creating a rich sense of depth. The probability of this pattern appearing is one in ten thousand, and the reward is a tenfold experience bonus. The second hidden reward is the “Red-Hearted Egg.” When you peel a Supreme Tea-Egg, the yolk reveals a bright, natural red color—free of any artificial additives. The probability of finding a Red-Hearted Egg is three per thousand, and the reward is 100 yuan in cash. So, aside from these two possibilities, are there any other hidden rewards for Supreme Tea-Eggs? “System, aside from the ice crack pattern and the red-yolk egg, are there any other hidden rewards for the Supreme Tea Eggs?” Bai Xiaobai asked offhandedly. The system’s cool, electronic voice sounded again. 【In addition to the ice crack pattern and the red-yolk egg, there is one more hidden reward for the Supreme Tea Eggs. The first time you collect all three hidden rewards, the system will distribute a mystery gift package. 】 (Bai Xiaobai says: The stats are so dismal—even worse than my sales of Supreme Tea Eggs… Thanks to Lost Little Lamb for 2 recommendation votes and Evil Beggar Crooked Buddha for 10 recommendation votes. )