Culinary Expert

Chapter 14: The Tea-Egg Whirlwind (Part 1)

Two huge golden eggs immediately popped into Bai Xiaobai’s mind. A double-yolk egg? Crack the golden egg? Could this be the final hidden reward of the Supreme Tea-Egg? Bai Xiaobai remembered the system had previously mentioned that the Supreme Tea-Egg had three hidden rewards. The Ice Crack Pattern and the Red-Hearted Egg had both appeared; with only one hidden reward remaining, could it be this double-yolk egg right in front of her? Looking puzzled, Bai Xiaobai ran into the kitchen and asked the System, “What’s the deal with double-yolk eggs and smashing golden eggs?” System Text: Laying hens raised on Changbai Mountain have a certain probability of laying eggs with multiple yolks. The probability of a double-yolk egg is one percent, a triple-yolk egg is one in ten thousand, and a quadruple-yolk egg is one in a hundred billion. Depending on the number of yolks in the multi-yolk egg, the System will generate a corresponding number of golden eggs, and the Host can obtain rewards by smashing these golden eggs. Bai Xiaobai read the System’s text and immediately understood. The final type of hidden reward is multi-yolk eggs. When a multi-yolk egg appears, a corresponding number of golden eggs will appear based on the number of yolks. For example, now that a double-yolk egg has appeared, the System has displayed two golden eggs for smashing. Actually, the probability of a double-yolk egg isn’t too bad—one percent isn’t low—and Bai Xiaobai has encountered it many times over the years he’s run his Restaurant. However, the probability of a triple-yolk egg skyrockets to one in ten thousand, putting it on par with the probability of ice crack patterns appearing. A quadruple-yolk egg is even more absurd—one in 10 billion. To put that into perspective, it’s dozens of times harder than winning the lottery jackpot; Bai Xiaobai didn’t even dare to hope for one to appear. Experts say that, theoretically, it’s theoretically possible to have a nine-yolk egg, but as of now, the highest number ever recorded in the world is a four-yolk egg. Bai Xiaobai knew that the appearance of multi-yolk eggs is related to genetic mutations, but he couldn’t generalize and assume they’re harmful to humans. For example, if chickens are raised with large amounts of hormones and lay multi-yolk eggs, those are indeed harmful to humans. But if the chickens are naturally free-range and the multi-yolk eggs result from spontaneous mutations, they’re actually no different from ordinary eggs. At worst, they simply won’t hatch into chicks. Looking at the two golden eggs that appeared in her mind, Bai Xiaobai couldn’t wait any longer. She pursed her lips and asked the system, “Can I smash both of these golden eggs?” The system’s electronic voice rang out. [For double-yolk eggs, the host may only smash one golden egg; for triple-yolk eggs, the host may smash two golden eggs; and so on—for quadruple-yolk eggs, the host may smash three golden eggs. ] Upon hearing the System’s electronic voice, Bai Xiaobai felt like cursing again. Damn it, what a rip-off! Why does there always have to be one golden egg left that I can’t smash? Bai Xiaobai’s strongest feeling at that moment was like having to choose between his favorite braised pork and sweet-and-sour spare ribs at mealtime—he could only pick one, not both. Haha… He strongly despised the system! 【The host may not object. Please select a golden egg to crack. 】 With only one golden egg to choose from—he couldn’t have both—Bai Xiaobai reluctantly gave in. After a moment’s thought, Bai Xiaobai finally chose to crack the golden egg on the right. He gently tapped the right side of his mind with his finger, and the golden egg on the right slowly cracked open. As the golden egg on the right cracked open, the one on the left vanished. Once the golden egg on the right was completely cracked open, several golden characters flew out from inside. “Congratulations, Host. You have obtained a ‘Tea Egg’ mini gift pack.” “A ‘Tea Egg’ mini gift pack?” Bai Xiaobai didn’t even know what a mini gift pack was yet. The system’s golden text transformed into a gift package and slowly settled into his hand. Sure enough, it was a small gift package—smaller even than a ring box. Bai Xiaobai quickly tore open the outer wrapping of the package. He’d originally thought it might be a small golden egg or a red envelope of some sort. As it turned out, Bai Xiaobai had really overthought it—the ring-box-sized gift pack contained nothing but three little bear-shaped cookies. The System’s electronic voice rang out. [Congratulations, Host. You have obtained three “Little Bear” 1-Experience-Point Recharge Cookies. ] What the heck? “Little Bear” 1-Experience-Point Recharge Cookies? Does the system have to be this cute—and this stingy? Just 1 experience point. System Reminder: After the Host eats the three “Little Bear 1 Experience Point” cookies, their experience will increase by 3 points. After all, the probability of getting a double-yolk egg is one percent, so Bai Xiaobai hadn’t even considered the possibility of a big reward. but 3 experience points is fine too. A reward is better than nothing, so Bai Xiaobai didn’t mind. The Little Bear-shaped cookies were creamy yellow, no bigger than a thumb, and the little bear on top was carved so vividly—eating these things actually increased experience. Skeptical yet curious, Bai Xiaobai stuffed all three cookies into her mouth at once. Surprisingly, the Little Bear Experience Boost Cookies actually tasted pretty good. Though not sweet, they became more flavorful the more she chewed. They had a subtle hint of apple. After finishing the cookies, Bai Xiaobai could see that the experience column on her Gold Card had increased by 3 points. After Bai Xiaobai finished the Little Bear Experience Boost Cookies, the system’s electronic voice sounded again. [The Host has collected all three hidden rewards for the Supreme Tea Egg for the first time: Ice Crack, Red Heart Egg, and Double-Yolk Egg. A ‘Title’ column has been added to the Golden Data Card. Congratulations to the Host on obtaining the title 【Tea Egg Master】. Please equip the title. 】 After the system’s electronic voice finished, an oval-shaped medal appeared in Bai Xiaobai’s hand. Earlier, the system had mentioned that after collecting the three hidden rewards, there would be a mysterious reward—it turned out to be obtaining this title. The title 【Tea Egg Master】 sounds pretty impressive. “Master” isn’t a title just anyone can claim; it generally refers to scholars, experts, artists, chess players, and others with profound expertise and high standing. Example: Chess Master. With a beaming smile, Bai Xiaobai asked, “System, what are the benefits of equipping the 【Tea Egg Master】 title?” System Reminder: After equipping 【Tea Egg Master】, for the next 24 hours, the host will earn an extra 1 experience point for every tea egg sold. “Only 1 experience point…” Bai Xiaobai was deeply disappointed. What kind of ‘master’ is this? A street vendor’s ‘master,’ perhaps… Oh well, as the saying goes, any reward, no matter how small, is better than nothing. Bai Xiaobai didn’t mind taking it all without hesitation. Besides, 1 experience point may seem like very little, but if you think about it, if sales are good, the experience will skyrocket along with the quantity. After Bai Xiaobai pinned the medal and title to his chest, the medal flashed twice and then vanished. 【【Tea-Egg Master】Title equipped. 24-hour countdown begins. 】 An alarm clock immediately popped into Bai Xiaobai’s mind. For the next 24 hours, every time he sold a tea egg, he’d earn an extra 1 experience point. After Bai Xiaobai finished fiddling with the system’s rewards in the kitchen a sweet voice drifted in from outside the kitchen. “Boss, are you there?” Zhu Yufei was getting a little frustrated outside. Ever since this young boss had mysteriously slipped into the kitchen a while ago, he hadn’t come out for ages—what on earth was he up to? After hearing the beautiful woman’s call from outside, Bai Xiaobai composed himself and stepped out of the kitchen. “Boss, could I have some more of those tea eggs…” Zhu Yufei hesitated for a moment. “Two more, please.” Those tea-eggs were just too delicious. She’d originally wanted to ask for three, but in the end, Zhu Yufei settled for two. She was currently an intern at the company; her salary for this month hadn’t been paid yet, so she was a bit short on cash. “Sorry, sweetheart, but the shop limits each person to one per day.” Bai Xiaobai ruthlessly turned down Zhu Yufei’s request. “Huh?” Zhu Yufei was instantly dumbfounded. This rule hit her even harder than the shock of the tea egg costing fifty yuan just a moment ago. Is there really a Restaurant in this world that turns down money by imposing purchase limits? “Can’t you make an exception, handsome?” ” Zhu Yufei adopted a slightly coquettish tone; her sweet voice was completely natural, without a trace of affectation—no man could resist such a coquettish voice. Especially when she switched to calling him “handsome guy” at the end—it made Bai Xiaobai’s heart melt. For violating the system’s rules, all previously sold tea eggs were reset to zero and the count restarted. That meant Bai Xiaobai’s efforts today had been in vain. Besides, there can be no order without rules; running a shop requires principles and treating everyone equally, otherwise this system simply couldn’t be maintained. “Beautiful lady, I’m sorry, but this is an ancestral rule that can’t be changed. If you like them, you can come back tomorrow,” Bai Xiaobai first made up a flimsy excuse, but didn’t forget to add a line to entice her back, his tone very sincere. “I see,” Zhu Yufei was slightly disappointed. Although she was extremely reluctant, she couldn’t bring herself to argue any further. After paying, Zhu Yufei clacked her high heels as she walked out of Bai Xiaobai’s shop. Walking down Chaotianmen Street, Zhu Yufei kept glancing back every few steps at “Xiaobai Restaurant,” a strange feeling welling up inside her. Not only did this young shop owner make delicious tea eggs, but he was also a man of principle with a strong sense of self. She definitely had to come back tomorrow. After watching the beautiful woman leave the shop, Bai Xiaobai tidied up and washed the white porcelain bowl she had used. A friendly system prompt popped into his mind: “Qian Duoduo’s quest is currently at 4/100. 96 Supreme Tea Eggs remain. Host, keep up the good work.” As Bai Xiaobai washed the dishes, he counted on his fingers. A total of four “Supreme Tea Eggs” were sold today. If he kept up this pace, it would take about a month to complete the Qian Duoduo quest. Haste makes waste; little by little, a drop of water will eventually wear away a stone. Bai Xiaobai was absolutely certain of this. After Zhu Yufei left, the shop fell silent again, and no new customers came to Xiaobai Restaurant until closing time. Bai Xiaobai didn’t usually have much to do in the evenings. Over the years, since he had to get up early to open the shop, he’d developed the good habit of going to bed early. Lying in bed, Bai Xiaobai calculated his earnings for the day. He’d served a total of four customers today, and the system gave him a net commission of 40 yuan. Plus, since Wei Hai found a “red-heart egg,” the system rewarded him with 100 yuan in cash, so his total net income for the day came to 140 yuan. Although his income wasn’t much right now, this was just the beginning. Everything is hard at first, but once the restaurant’s reputation grew, money would surely roll in. Money is a wonderful thing; it always brings joy to both body and mind. Bai Xiaobai fell asleep quickly while thinking about money. He dreamed he was sleeping in a pile of money, staring at it until his eyes went blurry and counting it until his hands cramped up. Zhu Yufei returned to her single-person rental apartment. After taking a shower, she picked up her phone and posted a message on her Moments. “My first day of my internship today was supposed to be exhausting, but after work, I had some super delicious tea-eggs at ‘Xiaobai Restaurant’ on Chaotianmen Street right next to the office. After eating them, I instantly felt much more refreshed and invigorated. The young owner has a unique personality—I plan to go back tomorrow.” As a die-hard foodie, Zhu Yufei was in the habit of sharing every new culinary discovery on her Moments the moment she found it. Her promotional reach is no joke. As a top-tier beauty, Zhu Yufei not only has plenty of girlfriends but also a fair share of guys who follow her WeChat Moments. Sure enough, no sooner had she posted on WeChat than comments started pouring in from her friends one after another. “Gorgeous Zhu, it’s been a while since you posted on Moments. And when you do, it’s always about food—specifically tea eggs. Which ‘Xiaobai Restaurant’ is this? Is it really that popular?” “Yufei, are those tea eggs really that good? Which place is it? I’m in Jianghai City right now. Please take me there.” “I didn’t see you after work today. So you went off to eat something delicious—and didn’t even take me along. Boo-hoo.” “Beautiful lady, let’s hang out! I’ll treat you.” Among the many comments on her Moments post, some were from interns who joined the company at the same time as Zhu Yufei. A few had already sent Zhu Yufei private messages, begging her to take them along tomorrow. Zhu Yufei’s Moments feed was bustling with activity. Meanwhile, on the local online forum, that post about the exorbitantly priced tea eggs had already been upvoted over 10,000 times. It had undeniably become a trending thread. Bai Xiaobai’s “Supreme Tea-Egg” had already begun to gain traction both online and through word of mouth, quietly brewing and gaining momentum in Jianghai City. A tea-egg whirlwind was about to sweep through the city……