As Mai Ge led Amy past the magic potion shop, a gaunt old man in a black magic robe was bathing two birds in a jug.
Hearing footsteps, Yulian glanced at Mai Ge, then his gaze fell on Amy, a small green flame suddenly flickering in his deep eyes.
Mai Ge stepped aside to shield Amy, smiled and nodded at Yulian, then led Amy by the hand and continued walking towards the restaurant.
"Daddy, why don't we say hello to Black Charcoal, Green Bean, and that old magician?" After a few steps, Amy looked up at Mai Ge, a little puzzled.
"We just burned his bird cage yesterday. It'll be embarrassing if he ask about it later. Besides, We had already said hello." Mai Ge said with a smile. Although it was the bird's sharp tongue that got the fireball, they were still neighbors, and it was still a little awkward.
Yulian's gaze towards Amy just now made him wary; he saw greed in it.
If he was still that greatsword knight with off the charts combat power, he'd probably already have a sword to his neck and ask, "What are you looking at?"
But now he's just a weakling with a combat power of only 1.5. Forcing his way in might get him slammed back by a showerhead, and may be even a fireball.
So, until he figures out the old man's true intentions, he needs to be wary and not let Amy go out alone.
"System, how much for physical attributes?" Mai Ge's eyes darted around as he asked inwardly.
"System solemnly reminds the host that physical attribute points are not for sale! Completing the Chef God training mission has a certain chance of rewarding you with improved physical attributes!" the system emphasized seriously.
"One thousand gold coins."
"This is not for sale!"
"Five thousand gold coins."
"Host's permissions are insufficient."
"Ten thousand gold coins." Mai Ge continued, raising the stakes.
The system was silent for a moment, then a burst of fireworks suddenly appeared in Mai Ge's mind, which then turned into a row of colorful words: "Purchase permission activated! +0.5 physical attributes points; Status: Available for purchase; Price: 10,000 gold coins."
"Tsk tsk, ten thousand gold coins is a million copper coins! System, you're f**king greedy! A million! I'd have to sell three thousand servings of Yang Zhou Fried Rice to earn that back." Mai Ge mentally grumbled, then smiled and said, "Besides, I don't have the money. Can I buy on credit? Hahaha..."
...
The system silently displayed an ellipsis, then solemnly declared: "Host, this system hereby issues a serious warning: all transactions must be completed in cash. No credit allowed!"
Mai Ge, having finished his usual teasing of the system, was in a good mood. He had already calculated that he indeed couldn't come up with ten thousand gold coins in a short time, and it would take more than a month to sell three thousand servings of Yang Zhou Fried Rice.
However, a new product is coming soon. The efficiency of making the La Zhi Rou Jia Mo should be much higher than that of Yang Zhou Fried Rice. The braised meat can be prepared before opening for business, and many flatbreads can be baked at the same time, which may improve the efficiency of making money.
Mai Ge was eager to improve his physical abilities as quickly as possible. Besides wanting to gain the strength to protect Amy, his second primary goal was to be able to lift Amy up high.
With his current physical condition, he could still hug Amy, but lifting her up high was beyond his capabilities. Therefore, restoring his normal human physical abilities was his top priority.
Back home, he poured Amy a glass of water, glanced at his watch—it was already eleven—and prepared to go into the kitchen to prepare and then finish their lunch.
"Daddy, come quick! The Ugly Duckling seems to be hatching!" Amy's excited voice came from behind the counter.
"So fast?" Mai Ge walked over, somewhat surprised.
Amy, squatting on the floor, looked up at him, put a little finger to her lips, and whispered, "Shh, Daddy, come over quietly, don't scare the Ugly Duckling. I just heard it make a sound; it'll definitely hatch soon."
"Really?" Mai Ge was a little skeptical. It shouldn't be hatching season, right?
"Really, listen carefully." Amy nodded earnestly.
Mai Ge tiptoed over and squatted down, listening intently for a while, but after quite some time, he still heard nothing.
He wondered if Amy had misheard because she was too excited. Just as he was about to get up, he suddenly heard a "rustling" sound, and he stopped abruptly. The sound was like a kitten scratching at a wall, but upon closer listening, it also sounded a bit like a hard beak rubbing against the eggshell. It only made three sounds before disappearing.
"Is it! Daddy, is the Ugly Duckling about to hatch?" Amy asked Mai Ge, looking at him with anticipation and joy.
"Hmm, it should hatch in the next two days." Mai Ge nodded, surprised by the rapid hatching. He wondered what would emerge. He patted Amy's head, then stood up and said, "I'll go cook. Little Amy, keep watching."
"Okay." Amy replied, covering the Big Egg with a small blanket before continuing to squat and watch.
After Mai Ge and Amy finished lunch and washed the dishes, they started operating normally. Mo Bai was the first to arrive, followed by Ha Beng and the others. Some of the customers were familiar faces from the past few days, all smiling and calling Mai Ge "Boss Mai".
After closing in the evening, Amy told Mai Ge the day's sales: 90 servings of Yang Zhou Fried Rice. This was probably the limit Mai Ge could currently make in a day.
Through word of mouth, the restaurant now has a stable customer base. Of course, only a few customers can afford to eat two servings of Yang Zhou Fried Rice three times everyday like Mo Bai and his friends, but quite a few customers are willing to come every one or two days.
"Ugly duckling, sleep obediently, and come out obediently tomorrow, or I'll burn you with a fireball!" Amy said earnestly, squatting down and gently patting the Big Egg wrapped in a small blanket before going upstairs.
Mai Ge smiled as he wiped the table. If the little guy inside the egg could understand, it would probably be trembling with fear right now.
After tidying up the restaurant, Mai Ge went upstairs. Amy was already asleep. He tucked her in, took a shower, changed into his pajamas, and then lay down on the bed.
Closing his eyes, Mai Ge skillfully opened the experience pack for making La Zhi Rou Jia Mo (Chinese hamburger). He quickly absorbed the traditional recipe, from ingredient preparation to usage and cooking steps—everything was imprinted in his mind. Now, all that was left was to put it into practice.
After lying quietly on the bed for a while, Mai Ge suddenly opened his eyes and asked curiously, "System, shouldn't you be issuing new missions at this time?"