Mai Ge opened his mouth, speechless. Sure enough, the little foodie's thinking was completely different from ordinary children. He smiled and nodded, "Okay, then Daddy will take you shopping tomorrow to see if anyone sells Ugly Ducklings. We'll buy one and raise it."
"Daddy is so good." Amy happily rubbed against Mai Ge's hand. She was so sleepy that she fell asleep holding Mai Ge's finger in no time, muttering about roast goose.
"Looks like she wants to eat roast goose. I need to get the recipe for roast goose as soon as possible." Mai Ge thought to himself, slowly taking his finger from Amy's little hand. Looking at the little one's adorable sleeping face, he couldn't help but lean down and kiss her forehead. He got up, grabbed his chef's uniform from the bed, and went to take a shower.
Mai Ge first put Amy's little clothes in the washing machine. They were already washed after he bath and hung them out to dry by the window. They would be dry by tomorrow. Then he threw his own clothes into the washing machine as well.
Mai Ge went downstairs, tidied up the kitchen, then took a pen and paper and sat down at the counter, deep in thought.
His immediate priority was completing the task, which meant Mai Ge needed to earn at least three thousand gold coins, or sell five hundred servings of Yang Zhou Fried Rice.
Mai Ge had overlooked a crucial point: he could have bought the ingredients but not used them immediately, reducing his workload by half and significantly lessening the pressure.
Of course, selling 500 servings of Yang Zhou Fried Rice in ten days was still a daunting task. After all, he'd only sold four servings so far, and all to the same person.
"Am I supposed to go out and solicit customers myself?" Mai Ge wrote a 4 on the first line, put down his pen, and looked towards the door with a slightly annoyed expression. Only a few children occasionally ran past at the square outside.
The location was far too secluded. If it was on the other side, the restaurant's appearance alone would be enough to attract many customers, but now, hardly anyone could even see it.
"Hopefully, more customers will come tonight." Mai Ge walked to the door, unlocked it, and flipped the sign on the door. It was already four o'clock.
With no customers and Amy asleep, Mai Ge could only sit on the high stool behind the counter, lost in thought, sorting through the memories in his mind, slowly internalizing the useful parts, and gaining an understanding of the continent's structure and races.
Indeed, this world was far more dangerous than he had imagined. Even in this Chaos City managed by the Gray Temple, fights still happened frequently, and the punishments were not too severe if no one died.
"It seems that even if I can't restore the original owner of this body to his peak strength, I at least need to improve my physical abilities in order to protect Amy and the restaurant." Mai Ge thought to himself. After all, from the moment this restaurant opened, he was destined to no longer keep a low profile.
Outside the restaurant, at the plaza, a tall, slender elf in a silver-white dress with gold trim stopped, her pale blue eyes looking in the direction of the restaurant with some surprise.
"Huh? Why is this restaurant located here? And... it's so beautiful." Sally looked around the restaurant and the entire two-story building, her beautiful face full of amazement.
Because she had been chosen for a family marriage, and she didn't want to entrust her future to others at this age, she secretly left her family overnight, hiding it from her father, the clan leader, and set off westward from the Wind Forest, arriving at the legendary Chaos City.
After wandering around the Chaos City for two days, she had indeed seen many interesting things, but because various races lived there, she was still somewhat unaccustomed to it.
Moreover, she knew her father had definitely sent people to find her by now, so she deliberately avoided the elven inns and restaurants in this Chaos City. However, the restaurants and inns run by other races felt rather awkward to her, as she was used to living in beautiful forest castles. Last night, she stayed in an inn run by a human woman; it wasn't luxurious, but it was very clean, and only women had stayed there.
The sleeping problem was solved, but eating became another challenge.
Sally wandered around the famous Aden Square. Most of the restaurants looked greasy, with insects swarming around them. They were crammed with tables and chairs, practically filling the entire space, with people of different races sitting almost shoulder-to-shoulder. This made her hesitate.
She was a noble elf; she could never sit at the same table as an orc, much less sit next to a dwarf!
From noon until now, the two spirit fruits she'd eaten that morning had long since digested. She'd explored the entire Aden Square, and her stomach was rumbling. She'd rather starve than eat in those kinds of restaurants.
Just as she was about to disregard the risk of revealing her location and go to the elven restaurant she'd seen earlier for a hearty meal, she discovered this beautiful restaurant tucked away at a corner of Aden Square.
This restaurant was even more beautiful than her castle. An entire wall of transparent crystal was so clear and flawless, without a single impurity, and polished so thinly and smoothly.
Even the transparent crystal in the Elf Queen's castle was less than half the size of this one, and she treasured it, displaying it carefully in her bedchamber. Here, it was merely a wall separating the restaurant from the rest of the space. What an extravagant person the owner of this restaurant must be!
Through the crystal wall, one could see inside the restaurant. Rows of brown-yellow wooden tables were neatly arranged at intervals; although there were sixteen tables, even when full, it didn't feel crowded at all.
Of course, what attracted her most were the four amber-colored chandeliers. The crystal was exquisitely carved, the individual amber crystals strung together creating a dreamlike effect.
"If only I could go in and have a meal." the thought suddenly popped into Sally's mind, tempting her like a devil. But she was still hesitant. There was no sign at the entrance saying only elves were allowed. What if dwarves and orcs came in and sat next to her?
Just then, her stomach growled loudly. Hunger instantly swept away all other thoughts. She pulled her longbow up from her back and walked towards the restaurant, her face now full of confidence and determination.
In this Chaos City, strength speaks volumes. She was confident her archery skills would be enough to make those creatures leave the restaurant willingly. The sound of the bell at the door interrupted Mai Ge's thoughts. He looked up and a hint of surprise crossed his face. Entering was a tall, slender elf.
Her long, pale golden hair was tied back in a neat ponytail. Her skin was fair, her face delicate, with small, pointed ears standing upright on either side. Her light blue eyes held a touch of nobility. She wore a pale silver dress, the edges embroidered with gold thread, revealing her delicate collarbones and long, slender, fair legs. A silver longbow slung across her back, and a quiver full of arrows hung at her waist.
"Hello." Mai Ge said, rising with a slight smile. This was the second customer.