Culinary Expert

Chapter 15: The Tea-Egg Whirlwind (Part 2)

On a summer morning, dawn breaks exceptionally early. The first faint glow of dawn was just appearing on the horizon. Bai Xiaobai’s alarm went off. Smashing the alarm, kicking off the covers, and springing out of bed—the three movements were performed almost in one fluid motion. Bai Xiaobai rubbed his sleepy eyes, pulled back the curtains, and opened the window. The day’s work begins at dawn. Breathing in the fresh morning air, Bai Xiaobai instantly felt refreshed and invigorated. The system’s cool, electronic voice rang out in his mind. [Good morning, Host. It’s a new day—please keep up the good work. ] Over the past few days, Bai Xiaobai had grown accustomed to the system greeting him. Every time the system greeted him, it would add, “Keep up the good work.” Although it was just a simple word of encouragement, it made Bai Xiaobai feel incredibly warm inside. In the past, he’d been all alone, working from dawn till dusk running his Restaurant. To be honest, not only was he exhausted every day, but he hadn’t made much money either, and there wasn’t much joy in it. Now, with the Culinary System, it was as if he had a mentor and friend by his side, guiding and encouraging him. Most importantly, he could earn money by creating delicious food—which, for Bai Xiaobai, who pursued culinary perfection, was undoubtedly the happiest life imaginable. After a quick wash-up, Bai Xiaobai bustled about the kitchen as if he’d been injected with adrenaline. Clang, clatter To avoid unnecessary distractions, Bai Xiaobai hadn’t opened the restaurant door early today. Little did he know that a few people had already begun to gather outside the shop door. These people had all heard about the shop through various channels—from young people who saw posts on online forums to middle-aged women who heard about it through word of mouth from friends. In short, thanks to the exorbitant price of fifty-one for a tea egg, “Xiaobai Restaurant” had already gained “some fame” in the neighborhood. Today happened to be the weekend, a rare day off. Although Chaotianmen Street isn’t a commercial district, it was much livelier than on weekdays. There’s a phenomenon in China: as soon as a crowd gathers to look at something, others immediately join out of curiosity. And so it went—what started with just three or four people standing at the shop entrance soon grew to five or six, then seven or eight… In the end, more than a dozen people had gathered in front of Bai Xiaobai’s Restaurant. Almost all of these onlookers were just there for the spectacle. A middle-aged woman who had been shopping for groceries stopped at the entrance to Xiaobai Restaurant and snorted derisively, “This is the place that sells a single tea egg for fifty? It’s nothing special—it looks run-down and shabby. What a heartless owner.” “I don’t know if he’s heartless or not, but I’ve heard there’s something wrong with this owner.” An elderly woman with slightly graying hair pointed to her head and continued, “Rumor has it he borrowed money from loan sharks, is being hunted down, and has gone crazy trying to get his hands on cash—so now he’s not in his right mind.” Upon hearing this, the middle-aged woman asked in confusion, “Is that true? How do you know that?” The older woman lowered her voice and said, “I heard it from someone else, too. Anyway, charging that much for a single tea egg—he must already be out of his mind.” The two gossiping ladies had nothing better to do anyway, and now that they’d finally found a topic, they chatted away, each adding her two cents. The more they talked, the more vivid their descriptions became—it all sounded as if it were true. Eventually, they even started throwing around rumors about him being abandoned by his wife, getting divorced, and going mad from the stress. It’s such a waste of talent that these two ladies aren’t screenwriters for soap operas. Just as the two women were trading gossip back and forth, a young man in the crowd suddenly exclaimed, “That smell—it’s so fragrant!” After the young man said that, the crowd began to buzz with excitement, and everyone wore expressions of astonishment. The air was indeed filled with the rich aroma of tea and braising spices—it was simply irresistible. “It really does smell amazing.” “This aroma is out of this world.” “It’s a mix of tea and braising spices,” said a burly migrant worker who hadn’t eaten breakfast yet; the scent made his mouth water. “It’s certainly fragrant, but I bet they’ve added some kind of flavoring or something,” the middle-aged woman buying groceries remained unconvinced. “I agree—otherwise, it couldn’t possibly smell this good,” A middle-aged woman with slightly graying hair chimed in. Outside the shop, the bustling atmosphere was laced with all sorts of gossip. Some comments were positive; others were negative. In the shop’s kitchen, Bai Xiaobai had been working intently for quite a while and finally finished making five Supreme Tea Eggs. He didn’t dare make too many at once now; after all, the braising liquid and tea broth could be reused multiple times a day, and restocking once they sold out was a matter of minutes. After finishing the Supreme Tea Eggs, Bai Xiaobai carried the electric rice cooker holding the eggs and pulled up the roll-up gate as usual. It would’ve been fine if he hadn’t pulled it up—but the moment he did, he got a huge shock. All of a sudden, there were so many more people outside. A dense, swarming crowd. Men, women, young, and old—every age group was represented. Bai Xiaobai was practically dumbfounded. Usually, when he opened the shop, it was deserted, but today—who knows if it was some kind of wind that blew in so many customers. Looking at the throng of heads bobbing up and down, Bai Xiaobai felt as if he were seeing a pile of renminbi bills waving at him. I’m going to strike it rich! That was Bai Xiaobai’s first thought. If he added the boost from the “Tea-Egg Master” title, his experience points would probably skyrocket today! That was Bai Xiaobai’s second thought. But Bai Xiaobai soon realized that most of the looks from the people at the door were unfriendly and full of disdain. It seemed like most of these people were just there to join the commotion. Oh well. Whether they buy anything or not, even just serving as a promotional backdrop isn’t bad—at least it’ll get people to stop and gawk. It’s also a great way to boost visibility. As usual, Bai Xiaobai set the pot of tea eggs down by the entrance. No sooner had he set it down than the crowd began to gather around the pot. “Those tea eggs smell so good. ” “Boss, how much are these tea eggs?” A young man in the crowd, unable to resist the temptation, squeezed his way through to ask the price. Bai Xiaobai replied gently, “Fifty per egg.” “... That’s so expensive.” The young man recoiled at the price. “Boss, everyone else sells tea eggs for one yuan fifty each. Why are yours so expensive?” a middle-aged woman buying groceries suddenly asked, her tone very unfriendly. People who know a good thing don’t need much explanation—they’ll pay for it anyway. Those who don’t buy are just there to gawk; no matter how eloquently you explain, it’s just a waste of breath. Take this middle-aged woman, for example. At a glance, Bai Xiaobai could tell she belonged to the second category, so he didn’t bother explaining much. He simply ignored her question, pretending not to hear it—after all, the crowd was buzzing with all sorts of commotion, and the noise never ceased. After setting down the pot of tea eggs, Bai Xiaobai placed the price sign next to it as usual and was just about to turn back toward the store. A sweet, heavenly voice rang out from the crowd. “Hey, boss, I’ll have one tea egg.” The voice sounded familiar. Bai Xiaobai froze for a moment, then turned her head toward the sound. It was Zhu Yufei, who had visited yesterday. Today she had her hair tied up in a bun, which made her face—no bigger than the palm of a hand—look even smaller, and her features more defined. The pale yellow dress she wore made her already fair and radiant skin appear even more rosy and luminous. Zhu Yufei wasn’t alone today; beside her stood a girl in a peach-colored dress. The girl’s name was Xiao En; she was Zhu Yufei’s best friend and a total foodie. After seeing the delicious food Zhu Yufei had shared on her social media feed yesterday, she just couldn’t resist trying it for herself. Since it happened to be the weekend and she didn’t have to work, she’d been begging Zhu Yufei to bring her here first thing in the morning. With a regular customer bringing in a new one, Bai Xiaobai was naturally overjoyed. He made a welcoming gesture that exuded exceptional gentlemanly, saying, “Please, have a seat.” The two beauties didn’t hesitate and walked into the shop one after the other, instantly causing a stir among the crowd. “Holy crap, what’s going on? People actually buy tea eggs this expensive?” “They look like pretty girls, but they’re so clueless,” “I bet they don’t know the price yet. Once they find out, they’ll definitely run out in a panic,” said an older woman shopping for groceries. An elderly woman with gray hair chuckled, “Then we’ll have a show to watch in a minute.” The two middle-aged women, with nothing better to do, kept standing at the entrance to Bai Xiaobai’s shop, gossiping nonstop, and their comments grew increasingly nasty. Bai Xiaobai heard every word clearly, but he didn’t let it get to him at all. Middle-aged women are just middle-aged women—there’s no reasoning with them. Arguing with these ladies would only make him lose his composure, so he decided to just let them say what they wanted. After all, justice lies in the hearts of the people. If they took even a single bite of the Supreme Tea Eggs, he was sure they’d slap themselves hard across the face. Bai Xiaobai thought to himself as he picked up two white porcelain bowls, moved swiftly, scooped out two tea eggs, and placed them in front of Zhu Yufei and Xiao En. “Please enjoy.” Zhu Yufei smiled slightly; after all, she’d had one yesterday, so she didn’t rush to peel the piping-hot tea egg. Xiao En, sitting next to her, couldn’t stand the aroma any longer and eagerly grabbed a tea egg. “Whoa… it’s so hot…” Xiao En didn’t bother with her ladylike image; she puckered her cherry-red lips and gently blew on the steaming tea egg in her hand, peeling it as she went. Just as she was halfway through peeling it, she couldn’t resist taking a bite. “It’s so hot…” Xiao En had eaten too hastily and was now yelping in pain. But a second after getting burned, Xiao En suddenly felt a wonderful flavor burst in her mouth. This taste… Xiao En had failed her elementary school Chinese class, so she couldn’t describe the wonderful taste in her mouth with flowery language. She just felt the salty, savory egg white and the runny, silky yolk bursting on her taste buds bit by bit. Tea-flavored eggs were usually on Xiao En’s breakfast list. She’d been eating tea-flavored eggs for so many years, but she’d never experienced a sensation quite like this before. First of all, the tea-infused brine was different from what she’d had before. The tea-flavored eggs she’d eaten in the past always had a rich, sauce-like flavor, but the sauce on this one was refreshing and delicious—she had no idea what special ingredients had been used. The eggs were also cooked to perfection—not overcooked at all. The egg whites were soft, smooth, and delicate, while the yolks weren’t dry or gritty; they were incredibly refreshing. Yesterday, when Zhu Yufei raved about how delicious these tea-flavored eggs were, Xiao En wasn’t really convinced. How good could a tea-flavored egg possibly be? She’d been praising them to the skies. Xiao En just didn’t believe it, so first thing in the morning, she begged Zhu Yufei to bring her here. Actually, her original intention wasn’t to come specifically for the tea-eggs—she just wanted to take the opportunity to take a dig at her best friend. She never expected it. This time, she was the one who got her own comeuppance. These tea-eggs were absolutely to die for. Xiao En wolfed them down, savoring each bite of the tea-eggs one by one. Even though it was her second time eating them, Zhu Yufei, sitting beside her, still couldn’t help but lose herself in the deliciousness. These tea eggs are truly delicious! Zhu Yufei and Xiao En happened to be facing the crowd outside. Beautiful women always attract a lot of attention. The two beauties—one tall, one petite—wore expressions of pure satisfaction, as if they were live-streaming to the crowd. As they ate the tea eggs bite by bite, their faces beamed with delight, inadvertently promoting Bai Xiaobai’s tea eggs. These tea-flavored eggs were incredibly delicious—absolutely worth the 50 RMB price tag. A few men with less-than-ideal self-control, seeing the expressions on these beauties’ faces as they savored the food, felt their blood boil and unconsciously swallowed hard. Among them was the migrant worker uncle who had been drooling earlier. After much hesitation, the uncle finally scurried into the store. He spoke very generously: “Boss, give me a dozen of those tea-leaf eggs.” Hearing “a dozen,” Bai Xiaobai felt a wave of exasperation wash over her, but she calmly explained, “Sorry, that’s our policy—only one per person per day.” In reality, the migrant worker just wanted to show off his wealth in front of the girls. If he actually bought a dozen, he had no idea how many extra shifts he’d have to work laying bricks this month to make up for it. “Then I’ll just take one,” the migrant worker quickly changed his mind. “Sure, fifty yuan for one,” Bai Xiaobai calmly quoted the price. The man gritted his teeth, then finally pulled a crumpled 50-yuan bill from the pocket of his camouflage pants and handed it to Bai Xiaobai. “All right, please have a seat.” After taking the money, Bai Xiaobai deftly scooped up a “Supreme” tea-eggs, placed it in a white porcelain bowl, and handed it to the migrant worker. The man was a rough-and-tumble guy with thick calluses on his hands—he wasn’t afraid of the heat. He picked up the tea-flavored egg and started peeling it. Before he’d even finished peeling off the shell, he couldn’t resist popping it into his mouth. The aroma of tea filled the air, the marinade was rich and flavorful, and the more he chewed, the better it tasted. His mouth was filled with the aroma of tea. How could this be so delicious? I’ve never tasted anything like this before. This egg is fucking delicious! The man looked utterly astonished. After swallowing the tea-flavored egg, a faint, cooling sensation lingered at the back of his throat, and an indescribable sense of satisfaction slowly welled up inside him. Did you add mint to the brine? The middle-aged man’s eyes lit up; he stared at Bai Xiaobai as if they were copper bells. That look was something else—it was as if he were worshiping a deity, filled with nothing but admiration. Bai Xiaobai was genuinely worried that this rough-and-tumble middle-aged migrant worker might get down on his knees and beg him to take him as a disciple…