Luna, initially just wanting to support Mai Ge and Amy, had her eyes light up when she saw the Yang Zhou Fried Rice on the table.
"So beautiful!" was her first thought, followed by curiosity: "What kind of knife skills can cut all the ingredients to the same size as grains of rice? And judging by the cooking method, are all the ingredients cooked together? But how is the egg coated on the rice?"
The aroma of eggs mingled with the fragrance of the other ingredients wafted up, making her secretly swallow.
"Teacher Luna, please try some." Amy said softly, looking at Luna expectantly.
Mai Ge stood by, watching Luna with his hands clasped, hoping that the Yang Zhou Fried Rice would be a good experience for her.
"Then I'll start eating." Luna said with a smile, elegantly picking up a spoon and scooping half a spoonful of fried rice into her mouth, quickly immersing herself in its unique deliciousness.
Unlike the mushy texture of boiled food, this dish used a unique cooking method that allowed each ingredient to retain its distinct characteristics: crisp, tender, and refreshing. The flavors of each ingredient were so vivid yet perfectly blended together. It was a delicious experience she had never had before, and she had never imagined that food could taste so good. It was as if she had opened the door to another world.
After swallowing the sweet fried rice, a warm current flowed through her body, nourishing every muscle. It felt as if every pore had opened, a refreshing and intoxicating sensation.
"So delicious!"
Looking at the fried rice in front her, Luna could only think this. Even back in the capital, she had never tasted anything so delicious. One bite felt like a complete satisfaction.
She couldn't resist taking another spoonful, savoring the mountain mushrooms and bamboo shoots, the sea prawn, the tender eggs, and the fragrant rice. It tasted even better now.
Reason and her deeply ingrained aristocratic manners told her that she should appear elegant in front of others, but in the face of such delicious food, her hands seemed to be out of control, spooning the delicious fried rice into her mouth one spoonful after another, the spoons making a crisp sound when they hit the plate.
Luna's initial enthusiasm for supporting Mai Ge had completely vanished. She found her own thinking rather amusing; how could such delicious rainbow fried rice go uneaten?
As for the price of 600 copper coins, it was still a luxury for her, but for this restaurant and for such delicious food, the price was well worth it.
Besides, being alone in this Chaos City, indulging in a little luxury now and then didn't seem so bad. Such delicious food was probably the best comfort in a foreign land.
Mai Ge looked at Luna, who was engrossed in her fried rice, and a genuine smile appeared on his face. Seeing his guests enjoying the food he had made and smiling happily was probably something every chef dreamed of.
Amy's face was also beaming with joy, as if she had accomplished something extraordinary.
Clink!
The spoon made a soft sound as it touched the plate. Luna looked at the empty plate in front of her, realizing that she had eaten every last grain of Yang Zhou Fried Rice. The plate was so clean that could see the reflection. Surprised and a little embarrassed, she hadn't expected to eat the plate so thoroughly.
What surprised her even more was that after finishing the fried rice, she felt as if she had taken a relaxing hot bath.
"Teacher Luna, was it delicious?" Amy asked, watching Luna wipe her mouth with a handkerchief she had taken from her pocket.
"Mmm, delicious. Amy's father's rainbow fried rice is really good." Luna nodded, looking up at Mai Ge with a smile. "Your food is very special and delicious."
"Thank you." Mai Ge smiled and nodded, sensing that Luna's guard had lessened considerably.
"Teacher Luna, besides the rainbow fried rice, Daddy's Rou Jia Mo is also super delicious! You should try one." Amy recommended to Luna.
Luna glanced at the clock on the wall; it was already 7:10. Although she was tempted by Amy's description of the not-so-listed dish, she smiled and shook her head, saying, "No, I have to go to class today. I'll come back another time." She then took a delicate little purse from her pocket.
"Okay." Amy was a little disappointed; she hadn't been able to let her teacher have a delicious Rou Jia Mo, so she'd have to wait until next time.
"Miss Luna, this meal is just a small token of my appreciation. No need to pay." Mai Ge said to Luna.
"Host, this system suggests that you do not offer free meals to customers, refuse all credit transactions, and run a restaurant with class and principles!" the system's stern voice announced.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" Mai Ge calmly countered.
The system was silent for a moment before replying, "This system doesn't need anything like a girlfriend."
"Yes, someone as stingy as you doesn't even have friends, how could you possibly have a girlfriend?" Mai Ge scoffed, looking at Luna. "This lady is so nice to Amy, what's wrong with giving her a free meal? You don't even have a girlfriend anyway. System, you should just stick to selling your vegetables."
"…" An ellipsis silently flashed through Mai Ge's mind.
"No, of course I should pay for my meal at the restaurant." Luna shook her head and said seriously. She counted out six gold coins from her purse and placed them lightly on the table. She reached out and patted Amy's head, who was sitting opposite her, before getting up to leave.
"Please wait a moment." Mai Ge didn't insist; some people are just like that. He told Luna and quickly headed towards the kitchen.
"Hmm?" Luna looked at Mai Ge's retreating figure with a hint of confusion, hesitated for a moment, and then stood still, not rushing to leave.
A minute later, Mai Ge returned with a brown paper bag, smiling as he handed it to Luna. "This is a new item for the restaurant, not yet officially available. If Miss Luna doesn't mind, perhaps you could try it and see if there's anything that needs improvement."
"Okay, thank you." Luna looked at Mai Ge's smile and at Amy's expectant expression, hesitated for a moment, but still reached out and took the bag. She could feel the father and daughter's sincere intentions; refusing again would seem rather heartless.
A rich aroma of meat wafted from the bag. Inside, a large, white flatbread was cut in half and filled with various kinds of meat—it must be the Rou Jia Mo Amy had mentioned. Luna, who was already about 70% full, suddenly felt hungry again. She smiled at Amy and said, "Then the teacher will be leaving now. If Amy still wants to come to class, you can come to the academy by yourself. You can attend any of the teacher's classes."
"Okay, Teacher Luna, but I've been learning the multiplication tables from my daddy recently." Amy nodded.
"Multiplication tables?" Luna was a little puzzled, wondering what Mai Ge had taught Amy, but she didn't have time to find out today. She nodded to Mai Ge and turned to walk towards the door.
"Boss Mai, it seems I'm not the first customer today." Just then, Mo Bai pushed open the door and walked in. He stepped aside to let Luna walk towards the door, his gaze lingering on the paper bag in her hand for a moment. Smelling the rich aroma of meat in the air, his eyes lit up and he said, "Did you launch a new product today?"