Chapter 17

Maige entered the kitchen, and the rice that had been in the rice cooker was just ready. He scooped out a bowl and set it aside to cool for a while. Then he used his credit limit to purchase the ingredients for another serving of Yangzhou fried rice and began preparing the second dish.

Maige wasn't considering purchase restrictions at the moment. The task of serving a thousand portions of Yangzhou fried rice was not a joke. However, if the restaurant became extremely popular in the future, implementing purchase restrictions could be a respectful rule to ensure more people could enjoy the cuisine.

As for the system's suggestion, Maige wasn't foolish. It was probably trying to get him back to a semi-disabled state.

"All the suggestions made by this system are to help the host progress further on the path of becoming a culinary god," the system's voice suddenly rang out.

Maige raised an eyebrow. He didn't expect his thoughts to be interpreted by the system, but he was straightforward and retorted, "System, since you want me to progress further on the path of becoming a culinary god, let me give you a suggestion as well."

"Please go ahead, host," the system responded.

"I think you should halve the price of these ingredients," Maige said earnestly.

"The ingredients provided by this system are sourced from..." the system responded.

"My attitude towards your suggestion is the same," Maige interrupted before the system could finish, putting an end to the conversation.

"..." A series of ellipses floated in Maige's mind.

Maige's lips curled slightly as he began swiftly handling the ingredients.

He chuckled. Back in the day, he became famous for his sharp tongue. He had never lost a verbal battle, never needed to please any fans. Dealing with the system's taunts was a piece of cake.

Meanwhile, Mo Bai was sitting there, feeling the changes in his body. After finishing a serving of Yangzhou fried rice, the warm sensation gradually subsided. However, the feeling of fatigue being alleviated didn't disappear; it was a tangible presence. He clenched his fist, feeling similar to how he did this morning when he first woke up, full of energy.

"At this level, it should be equivalent to half a bottle of intermediate recovery potion, and there's no feeling of overdrawing my body. An intermediate recovery potion sells for 20 gold coins, and I consume one every day. But two bowls of delicious and more effective Yangzhou fried rice cost only 12 gold coins. If I calculate it like this, it's simply too cost-effective." Mo Bai quickly calculated in his mind, and the conclusion made his eyes light up.

Forging each weapon requires swinging a nearly hundred-pound iron hammer countless times. High rewards correspond to high-intensity labor and forging skills.

Mo Bai's body's recovery ability had significantly declined over the years compared to when he was young. Every day, to meet his workload, he needed to drink a bottle of foul-smelling intermediate recovery potion at noon.

However, this reliance was too strong, and he had already felt his body slowly corroding due to long-term use. If this continued, he would only be able to maintain his forging precision for five more years.

On the day when he loses his accuracy, it will be the day his decades-long reputation in this chaotic city collapses.

Although the price of a weapon is at least 1000 gold coins, which has allowed him to accumulate considerable savings, he is aware that the money is far from enough for what he wants to do. Five years is too short; he needs at least ten years of intense forging every day.

This plate of Yangzhou fried rice is like a ray of light suddenly appearing in the endless darkness, offering him hope.

"If the recovery effect is indeed good, I can come here every day!" He initially felt a bit reluctant to spend the money, but compared to the nauseating potion, this delicious and almost half-priced Yangzhou fried rice is an easy choice.

"Dwarf grandpa, didn't you say you wouldn't fall in love with this taste?" Amy, who finished her portion of Yangzhou fried rice, licked her lips and looked at Mo Bai with a smile, her innocent face full of curiosity.

Mo Bai blushed under Amy's gaze, clearing his throat. "I was just testing the boss, seeing if he had confidence in his cooking. I didn't expect him to be so good at it but lacking self-confidence. So, I was trying to boost his confidence."

"Is that really the case?" Amy looked at Mo Bai with some doubt.

"Of course, it's true. I'm not the type to judge something as not tasty without even trying it." Mo Bai nodded earnestly, his tone tinged with pride.

"Then I'll take it as true." Amy gave Mo Bai a somewhat helpless look, slipped off her chair, and carried the plate into the kitchen.

"I... I..." Mo Bai felt as if he had been looked down upon again as if the young girl had seen through everything.

In the kitchen, Maige listened to Mo Bai's tsundere conversation with Amy and was left speechless. He couldn't help but smile.

The little girl is really talented. She is indeed my daughter. With just a little bit of development of her sharp-tongued attribute, coupled with her adorable appearance, she can easily leave people questioning their own lives while unable to get angry. It feels absolutely great.

"If you still want to eat more, I'll make an extra portion and give you a small bowl later." Maige smiled, taking the plate from Amy and placing it aside.

"Father, you're so good to me." Amy looked up at Maige, her face filled with admiration. Ever since waking up yesterday, her father had become a completely different person, someone who was incredibly kind.

Mo Bai watched the father and daughter in the kitchen, and for a moment, he seemed to see a scene of a child standing in front of a hearth, looking up in admiration at the man wielding a heavy hammer. It had been so many years, and he didn't know how he was doing. It seemed like he owed him so much.

"Go outside and have a seat. Father needs to cook for the guests," Maige said with a smile.

"Okay," Amy obediently responded and happily left the kitchen. She climbed onto a tall stool behind the counter, propping her chin on her hands as she looked at Mo Bai. "Grandpa Dwarf, don't worry, your fried rice will be ready soon. Just wait a little longer, okay?"

"Mm-hmm." Mo Bai snapped out of his thoughts and nodded, looking at Amy. Rarely, a smile appeared on his face.

"Guest, here's your fried rice," Maige said, placing the dish in front of Mo Bai with a smile.

"Thank you." Mo Bai nodded and looked at the fried rice, which was not visually exquisite like a work of art. With hopeful anticipation, he scooped a large spoonful into his mouth. The taste was just as intoxicating as before, and as he swallowed the fried rice, that warm sensation surged again, nourishing every part of his body.

"It really works! And the effect is even better than intermediate healing potions!" Mo Bai's eyes were filled with surprise.

Perhaps it was because he had already eaten one serving, which alleviated a significant amount of muscle fatigue, but now he felt that the second serving not only relieved fatigue but also nourished the muscles that had been worn out over the years. Although the nourishment was subtle, those areas would usually ache intolerably on rainy days, but now they felt particularly comfortable as if a pair of warm hands were gently massaging them.

"Boss, please give me another serving of Yangzhou fried rice." Mo Bai, who hadn't finished his current plate, suddenly looked up at Maige and spoke with respect in his eyes.