Chapter 149
In the afternoon, the shop received many compliments for the calming incense.
After closing, Xia Zhi brought over four glasses of juice.
"Miss Qiqi, how was it?"
"...Very lively."
"Can you adapt to it?"
"I can."
"That's good, thank you for your hard work."
"Boss, with two more people helping, the afternoon was much easier than the morning, and revenue increased a lot too!"
"Mainly due to takeout, right? How many cups are left?"
"Let me check... almost half used."
"Remember to find Miss Ying'er tomorrow, have her prepare another delivery for stock."
"Okay!"
"Yaoyao, were the egg tarts good?"
"Very good!"
"Then I'll make some more for you to take back for Granny Ping to try."
"Thank you, Big Brother!"
"Miss Ganyu can't eat egg tarts, I'll make some vegetarian desserts tomorrow."
As Xia Zhi spoke, he suddenly caught a glimpse of faint disappointment in Qiqi's eyes.
Though Ganyu could only eat vegetarian food, there were many delicious vegetarian dishes she could enjoy.
Qiqi was different. Although she could eat both meat and vegetables, she couldn't taste anything.
Even the mooncakes she made herself earlier tasted like chewing wax, completely flavorless.
If she were still in her previous dazed state, she naturally wouldn't care about these things.
But now with the [Corpse Pearl], she had gradually recovered her consciousness and memories, becoming more and more like a normal person, so she started to mind this lack of taste.
When everyone ate together, others would praise Mr. Xia's cooking and show satisfied expressions after eating, while she could only watch longingly from the side.
This feeling must be very difficult... but she had never shown these emotions in front of everyone...
Xia Zhi fell silent for a moment, said something to everyone, then walked towards the kitchen.
Meanwhile, he opened the [Shop] and found an item he had seen before.
[Path of the Netherworld Chef]
Quality: Gold
Type: Rule Fragment
Property: Transformation
Effect: Can change the life and death state of ingredients, allowing the starved to rest in peace.
Hidden Effect: Dish deliciousness +10%
Price: 100 points
Xia Zhi now earned 60-70 points daily, so buying a 100-point item didn't require as much deliberation as before.
The only consideration was that if he bought [Path of the Netherworld Chef] now, it would delay his plan to save 1000 points for [Second Meditation Method] by two days.
Two days wasn't too long.
Since Qiqi was now his employee, he should solve her eating problem first.
Xia Zhi chose to purchase. 100 points were deducted, and a small glowing strange fragment appeared in his inventory.
It had many mysterious patterns on it, seemingly lines of life and death rules, or rather broken patterns of life and death.
Xia Zhi selected it, and the system's voice sounded in his mind.
"Absorb [Path of the Netherworld Chef]?"
"Yes."
"Note: Absorbing rule fragments has a chance of failure. Upon failure, the item will disappear directly. Continue?"
A chance of failure? Disappears upon failure? There's such a gambling setting?
No wonder this rule-related item only cost the cheap price of 100 points.
Good thing I have the save hourglass, I'm not too afraid.
"Yes."
"Absorption failed."
The rule fragment disappeared from the inventory.
Try again!
"Absorption failed."
The rule fragment disappeared from the inventory.
Once more!
"Absorption successful, obtained broken rule power [Path of the Netherworld Chef]: Can change the life and death state of ingredients, granting them life-death properties."
Hearing the system's voice, Xia Zhi was a bit surprised.
It succeeded on the third try, was this high luck at work again?
Then, Xia Zhi's attention was drawn to the ability description of the newly obtained broken rule power [Path of the Netherworld Chef].
Grant life-death properties?
Properties?
Wasn't that something that only appeared on gold and higher items?
Why could [Path of the Netherworld Chef] let him directly grant it to ingredients?
Was it because [Path of the Netherworld Chef] was a broken rule power?
Could it be that properties were products of rule power? Or some kind of manifestation?
Would ingredients granted life-death properties be directly judged as gold items by the system?
Many questions flashed through Xia Zhi's mind in that instant.
He walked into the kitchen, took an egg, used [Path of the Netherworld Chef] on it, then put it in his inventory to check.
[Egg]
Quality: Common
Type: Consumable
Property: Life-Death
Effect: An egg with altered life-death rules, can be eaten by the undead and tasted.
Hidden Effect: None
Not recyclable
...Although it gained a property, the egg's quality hadn't changed at all, remaining at its original common grade, not recyclable.
Xia Zhi shook his head and began seriously making egg tarts.
When the egg tarts were done, he took two food boxes, filled them with egg tarts, then used [Path of the Netherworld Chef] on the egg tarts in one box.
[Egg Tart]
Quality: Common
Type: Consumable
Property: Life-Death
Effect: An egg tart with altered life-death rules, can be eaten by the undead and tasted.
Hidden Effect: None
Xia Zhi walked out of the kitchen and handed the two boxes of egg tarts to Yaoyao and Qiqi respectively.
Qiqi was a bit dazed, instinctively shaking her head in refusal.
"Mr. Xia, I don't need..."
"You worked hard all afternoon, you deserve this."
"But I..."
Seeing the smile on Xia Zhi's face, Qiqi finally couldn't refuse his kindness.
"Thank you, Mr. Xia..."
She hugged the food box, thinking that even if she couldn't taste anything, she must eat all these egg tarts, not wanting to waste Mr. Xia's kindness.
Yaoyao obediently said: "Sister Shenhe doesn't need to take me back today! I'll go back with Qiqi, Bubu Pharmacy is very close to Yujing Terrace!"
Shenhe nodded: "Okay, be careful on your way."
Yaoyao waved: "Mm, goodbye everyone! Yaoyao will come back for part-time work tomorrow!"
Qiqi also said goodbye: "Goodbye everyone."
"Goodbye."
Back at Bubu Pharmacy, Qiqi carried the food box to the tree in the backyard and sat down alone.
She opened the food box, and a rich, enticing aroma of egg tarts wafted out.
Qiqi was stunned.
Aroma?
She could actually smell the aroma!?
Not the indescribable scent of incense, but the long-lost smell of normal food from her memories.
Qiqi's eyes immediately became blurry.
She reached out with trembling hands and took an egg tart from the box.
The freshly made egg tart was still warm.
Though not her preferred temperature, she still carefully put it in her mouth.
The outer shell was crispy and delicious, the inside sweet and soft, with indescribable deliciousness blooming on her tongue.
Cool liquid uncontrollably flowed down her face.
Delicious.
So this was how delicious Mr. Xia's cooking really was.
In the nearby bushes, Changsheng watched Qiqi eating while crying and smiling, and the whole snake fell into silence.
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