Culinary Expert

Chapter 27: The Ugly Duckling’s Imitation

Meanwhile, Wang Tuzi next door was up to something new—he’d put up a big, eye-catching sign right at the entrance. The sign was written in bold, eye-catching letters with a red marker. “Supreme Tea Eggs, 45 yuan each. Interested? Come inside to inquire.” This was yet another scheme concocted by Wang Tuzi. Since he couldn’t tamper with the water meter at Bai Xiaobai’s shop, he might as well ride the wave of Bai Xiaobai’s “tea-egg craze” to cash in on the opportunity. Wang Tuzi had his own ulterior motives. Soon, a portly, burly man noticed the eye-catching sign. The big guy had tried Bai Xiaobai’s “Supreme Tea Eggs” yesterday and couldn’t stop thinking about them, so he came back today to buy some. To his surprise, Bai Xiaobai had imposed a sales limit—he’d arrived a step too late and was told they were sold out. Just as he was walking out in disappointment, he noticed a large sign standing at the entrance next door. Did this shop sell “Supreme Tea Eggs” too? Deciding to give it a shot, the big guy walked into Wang Tuzi’s shop. “Boss, I saw your sign out front. Are your ‘Supreme Tea Eggs’ the same as the ones next door?” the big guy asked straight to the point. Wang Tuzi didn’t answer the question directly. Instead, he gave a sycophantic smile and said, “All the tea eggs in my shop are made with the best ingredients—I guarantee they’ll taste great. ” The Big Guy hesitated for a moment and said, “You’d better guarantee they taste exactly like the ones next door, or I won’t pay.” Wang Tuzi said nothing; he scurried into the kitchen and served up a tea egg in a white porcelain bowl. He was confident he’d replicated at least eighty or ninety percent of the original—he shouldn’t be found out. For the eggs, he used free-range eggs from a farmer in the countryside—each one cost five yuan. As for the tea, it was nothing short of extraordinary: he used “Jin Jun Mei,” a premium black tea he normally wouldn’t splurge on, which costs over 200 yuan for a small jar when bought separately. As for the combination of other ingredients, Wang Tuzi had experimented with it no fewer than a dozen times the night before. It would definitely be fine. Full of confidence, Wang Tuzi placed the tea eggs in a bowl and brought it over to Big Guy. Big Guy looked at the tea eggs in the bowl, furrowed his brow, and said, “Boss, the aroma of this black tea just doesn’t seem quite right. And the color of these tea eggs is different from what Mr. Bai next door serves, too.” Although Wang Tuzi felt a little uneasy, he still swore, “They’re made with top-grade Jin Jun Mei black tea—they smell wonderful. I guarantee they’ll taste great, and best of all, they’re five yuan cheaper.” Actually, Big Guy was a businessman with a decent income; five yuan wasn’t a big deal to him. The key was that they had to taste good. Hearing Wang Tuzi repeatedly assure him it would be delicious, Big Guy reluctantly peeled open the tea egg and took a bite. After just one bite, Big Guy frowned and spat it out. “Boss, you’re being pretty dishonest here. This is just an ordinary tea egg— not some ‘Supreme Tea-Egg.’ It’s way worse than Mr. Bai’s next door. You’ve got the nerve to charge forty-five? You might as well just go rob people.” “I use only the best ingredients—how could that be?” Wang Tuzi was getting a little flustered. “Have you even ever tasted Mr. Bai’s tea eggs? You’re just slapping together a cheap imitation.” The Big Guy was extremely displeased. He set down the remaining half of the tea egg, patted his butt, and stormed off. Wang Tuzi was left speechless. To be honest, he’d smelled Bai Xiaobai’s “Supreme Tea Eggs” before, but he’d never actually tasted them. Seeing the Big Guy about to leave, Wang Tuzi called out, “You haven’t paid yet.” The Big Guy turned around, glaring angrily and said, “We agreed I’d only pay if it tasted the same—this isn’t Mr. Bai’s ‘Supreme Tea Egg’ at all. You’re lucky I’m not reporting you for fraud. And you still have the nerve to ask for money? ” The other guy’s attitude was incredibly confrontational. After all, Wang Tuzi was in the wrong—how could he dare to demand payment? He could only accept his bad luck and swallow his pride. He watched as the big guy slammed the door on his way out, without leaving a single penny. Wang Tuzi wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed to begin with. Staring at the half-eaten tea egg left behind by the big guy, he was genuinely baffled and couldn’t figure it out. What exactly was the difference? Logically speaking, he used only the best ingredients, so no matter what, the difference shouldn’t have been that great. Wang Tuzi knew better than anyone just how little technical skill went into making tea-eggs. He’d learned the craft from a master chef during his years in X Dongfang. It was nothing more than boiling eggs in black tea—a completely entry-level dish. No one would delve deeply into such a basic snack, let alone spend much effort innovating new flavors. Besides, no matter how you combined the seasonings, a tea-eggs was still just a tea-eggs; it shouldn’t be capable of producing any stunning flavors. But over the past few days, Wang Tuzi has quietly observed the hot sales at Xiaobai Restaurant—50 per tea egg—and that’s an indisputable fact. Plus, there are quite a few repeat customers. Bai Xiaobai’s tea eggs must have a unique flavor. Could it be that he’s added some kind of special, addictive food additive? There must be something fishy going on here. Upon closer reflection, Wang Tuzi noticed some other issues. The renovation of Xiaobai Restaurant had been rather abrupt from the start. Kitchen remodeling, rearrangement of tables and chairs, repainting the walls These drastic changes happened almost overnight. It didn’t seem strange at the time, but now everything feels off. There’s definitely something off about Bai Xiaobai—and even more so with Xiaobai Restaurant. Wang Tuzi stubbed out his cigarette, narrowing his eyes to slits. At exactly noon, the sun beat down fiercely from the sky, and it was sweltering outside. After eating his fill, Xiao Hei, as usual, sprawled out on his back under the air conditioner to cool off. Bai Xiaobai was busy in the kitchen preparing the “Supreme Beef Noodles” and “Supreme Tea Eggs” for lunch. The “Supreme Tea Eggs” were limited to ten per customer—and Bai Xiaobai, of course, wasn’t counted among them. As long as Bai Xiaobai wanted them, the “Supreme Tea Eggs” were available in unlimited quantities—but he still had to pay for them… Bai Xiaobai was bustling about in the kitchen, cooking up his own lunch. Meanwhile, at the Chaotianmen Street bus stop not far from Xiaobai Restaurant. Under the bus stop sign stood a familiar figure, leaning against a motorcycle, beaming as he counted a small stack of bills in his hand. “Guo Zi, business’s been pretty good this morning, huh?” a fellow villager who drove a motorcycle taxi teased Guo Zhaohui as he saw him counting the bills. Guo Zhaohui couldn’t hold back the smile on his face, revealing a mouthful of pearly white teeth. “Not bad—it’s manageable.” Every beginning is hard, but once you get past the start, things will gradually get better. There’s some truth to that saying. Last night, after picking up Bai Xiaobai, good luck followed one after another, and he landed several more fares in a row. After a night of gaining experience, he gradually got the hang of this line of work. Whenever he saw someone carrying luggage or looking at a bus stop sign, he’d walk up to strike up a conversation, offer to help with directions, and mention in passing that he could take them there for a fair and reasonable price. Guo Zhaohui is good-looking, down-to-earth, and approachable, and he’s also enthusiastic and proactive. Many people eventually gave in to the temptation and hopped on his motorcycle. Chaotianmen Street is a bus stop with heavy foot traffic, seeing a constant stream of people coming and going every day. Although there’s competition from buses and taxis, motorcycle taxi drivers can still eke out a living in the cracks of the market. As for whether you can actually make money—and how much—it all depends on how sharp you are. Once Guo Zhaohui figured out the ropes, he staked out this stop. Working from morning until noon, after deducting gas costs, he’d already made a net profit of nearly 200 yuan. This was much better than his previous job at the factory, where he’d worked himself to the bone for a fixed salary—and best of all, he didn’t have to put up with his boss’s nonsense or worry about getting fired one day. “All right, stop counting—you’re making my eyes water.” Seeing that Guo Zhaohui was still counting bills, his fellow motorcycle taxi driver from the same hometown laughed as he started his bike and said, “Guo Zi, let’s go grab some food. I heard there are some pretty girls at the Naimai Restaurant again.” Nai Mei Restaurant is a unique establishment. What makes it unique isn’t that the food is particularly distinctive or delicious, but rather that everyone there—from the owner to the waitresses to the dishwashers—is a beautiful Sichuan girl. They’re all fresh-faced and lovely, and best of all, their service is exceptionally attentive. “Food and sex are basic human instincts”—that’s no joke. Many male customers flock to Nai Mei Restaurant on reputation, claiming they’re there to enjoy the food, but really, they’re just there to check out the girls. Guo Zhaohui had eaten there yesterday at lunchtime, but today he decided not to go. “You go ahead. I’m not going today,” Guo Zhaohui said as he tucked the bills into his waistband. “Guo, you made a good profit this morning—you’re not going to eat fast food, are you?” his fellow motorcycle taxi driver from the same hometown continued to tease. Guo Zhaohui just smiled without saying a word, started his motorcycle, and rode smoothly toward the Xiaobai Restaurant at the end of Chaotianmen Street.