After calling out, Mo Bai felt a little embarrassed. He had just been so skeptical, and now he was the one asking for a serving himself—it felt like a slap on the face.
"It's just that this little girl is eating so deliciously, I couldn't resist..." Mo Bai glanced at Amy, who was enjoying her meal across from him, and thought to himself. He pulled his head back from where he had unconsciously leaned forward, resuming his cool pose, and said, "Actually, I didn't really want to eat it, but I felt I had to give the little girl some face, so I'll force myself to have one."
"Okay, please wait a moment." Mai Ge nodded, of course not saying anything more at this moment, but he couldn't help but laugh as he turned away. That arrogant tone was really amusing.
"Dwarf Grandpa, the rainbow fried rice is so delicious!" Amy swallowed the rice in her mouth, scooped up another large spoonful, and continued, "Look, isn't this fried rice especially beautiful? Doesn't it make you want to eat it?"
Mo Bai looked at the fried rice on the spoon, coated with golden egg and mixed with various ingredients, and at the little girl holding the spoon with eyes as pure as the sky, and subconsciously nodded.
"Then I'll eat it for you to see." Amy nodded, then opened her mouth and ate the entire spoonful of fried rice in one go, happily saying as she chewed, "Delicious, so delicious!"
"..." Mo Bai opened his mouth, looking at the girl opposite him who was completely absorbed in the fried rice in front of her. He felt a surge of emotions, wanting to say something but unable to utter a word.
If a man was sitting opposite him right now, the hammer beside him would probably be on his head by now. But looking at the girl eating so happily, he couldn't feel angry at all.
In fact... he even found her quite cute?
Mo Bai was already a little hungry after working as a blacksmith all morning, and now watching the girl happily eating made him even hungrier. If he wasn't still somewhat rational, he would have wanted to snatch a few spoonfuls from her.
Soon, Mai Ge put two portions of rice into the rice cooker to cook, then brought out a plate of freshly fried Yang Zhou Fried Rice and gently placed it in front of Mo Bai, smiling, "Your Yang Zhou Fried Rice."
Mo Bai's gaze was completely drawn to the fried rice in front of him. The rich aroma of scallions and eggs wafted towards him, and his mouth watered uncontrollably. He had never smelled such an enticing aroma from food before.
Beyond the distinct grains of rice, a layer of golden egg coated the rice, glistening slightly with oil, almost glowing under the light. Small, brightly colored ingredients, cut to the size of rice grains, were mixed in, creating a vibrant and lively dish. All these ingredients were stir-fried directly in oil, and there was no pepper or salt beside it. Did this food already have seasonings? This completely overturned Mo Bai's understanding of food.
Mai Ge stood by, watching calmly, but inwardly he was both expectant and a little nervous. Although Amy's feedback was that it was delicious, in her heart, the best food was sweet crispy biscuits, so her opinion could only be taken as a reference.
Mo Bai, on the other hand, was arguably the first true customer. His reaction and feedback were more valuable, providing a rough estimate of whether Yang Zhou Fried Rice suited the palates of people in this world.
"What kind of cooking method is this? Will it really taste good?" Mo Bai wondered, but driven by the aroma, he couldn't resist grabbing a spoon, scooping up a large spoonful, and chewing it a few times.
The egg almost melted in mouth, the winter bamboo shoots and green peas cut into rice-grain-sized pieces were crisp and delicious, and the rice wrapped in egg was full of sweet flavor after chewing it carefully. The soft and sticky ham was mixed into the rice, and there seemed to be a prawn flavor in it as well. All kinds of flavors were contained in one bite. After taking a bite, you felt warm all over, and the fragrance of rice lingered on lips and teeth.
Mo Bai's eyes lit up instantly.
Delicious! Absolutely delicious! How could anything in this world taste so good!
That was the only thought in Mo Bai's mind. He couldn't resist scooping up another large spoonful and putting it in his mouth. Later, he simply held the plate in one hand and the spoon in the other, eating bite after bite, unable to stop!
600 copper coins is expensive? Such delicious food, even if it cost 1000 copper coins, he wouldn't think it was expensive at all.
Compared to this, the roast meat at the Freyr Tavern was simply shoddy. The burnt smell he could tolerate before was something he couldn't accept from today onwards.
This plate of Yang Zhou Fried Rice tasted like it was meticulously prepared by a master chef. In his centuries of foodie experience, having tasted food all over the Nolan Continent, this was the first time he had ever tasted such deliciousness.
All the doubts and sneers he'd harbored about Mai Ge were now forgotten. Face was nothing compared to such delicious food!
What surprised Mo Bai even more was that the warm, comforting feeling after eating the Yang Zhou Fried Rice wasn't an illusion, but a real sensation. It made him feel completely relaxed, as if something was nourishing his body, quickly relieving and eliminating the fatigue from a morning of heavy hammering.
It was like drinking a healing potion, only this recovery was gentler and more comfortable, working from the inside out, without the lingering fatigue often associated with magic potions. This reminded him of the elven holy spring: the Fountain of Life.
"Dwarf Grandpa, isn't the rainbow fried rice super delicious?" Amy giggled, watching Mo Bai devour his food. "Little Amy said you'd love this flavor."
Mai Ge stood to the side, a smile playing on his lips. Mo Bai's reaction spoke volumes; he was completely powerless against this Yang Zhou Fried Rice. There was no need to worry about the restaurant's lack of popularity—a promising start.
"Yes, I've already fallen in love with this flavor." Mo Bai put down his plate and looked at Mai Ge. "Boss, give me another serving of Yang Zhou Fried Rice. It's just so delicious!"
"System suggests the host implement a purchase limit system, which can greatly increase customer anticipation and loyalty." the system's voice suddenly announced.
Mai Ge paused, mentally asking, "System, aren't you ingredients seller?"
"This system is primarily responsible for urging the host to learn culinary skills and supplying the necessary ingredients." the system emphasized, seemingly expressing some dissatisfaction with Mai Ge's idea of positioning it as ingredients seller.
"That's settled then. You should just focus on selling ingredients. This is my restaurant; why would I turn down a chance to make money and then play the purchase limit game? Do you think I'm stupid? I still have tasks to complete!" Mai Ge scoffed, wishing everyone would eat a hundred servings right now.