Liu Zihao did not hear the answer he wanted, and could only reluctantly leave with the others.
There weren't many people yet since it wasn't lunchtime, and Tao Zhizhi overheard their conversation. Actually, she hadn't considered continuing to run the takeout shop, and she wasn't sure if the system's tasks would increase, so she decided to stick with dine-in for now.
As it approached six o'clock, the scenic area was closing time. There weren't many tourists at this time, and the customers who gradually came into the store were mostly those who had already eaten lunch. The points and happiness points that could be given were very few, but the little money kept flying into my pocket (︶.?︶?).
"This is absolutely amazing! Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, cooked to perfection." The customer praised as he popped an oyster omelet into his mouth, and his companion echoed:
"This restaurant is so delicious! I come to this scenic area with clients nine times out of ten, but this is the first time I've eaten here, and it's absolutely irresistible!"
"It's a pity there's no wine." The customer smacked his lips, frowned slightly, and shook his head with some regret.
Tao Zhizhi had just come out of the kitchen to help when she heard the conversation near the cashier. She thought that drinking alcohol could easily lead to mistakes, so she decided not to offer alcoholic beverages in the store, but she could consider offering soft drinks.
"Boss, you're out here. Let me do this." Su Bai tidied up some tables, walked to the cashier, and offered to take over the work.
"Is this the owner?" Upon hearing this, the customer looked at Tao Zhizhi with curiosity about the shop owner.
"Is this the owner's cooking? I thought it was a master chef. The taste and quality are comparable to those in high-end restaurants," another customer said in disbelief.
Tao Zhizhi was momentarily at a loss for how to handle the situation. A humble smile appeared on her beautiful face, and she said in a gentle tone, "You flatter me. It's just some home-cooked dishes. I still need to work harder."
"Haha, boss, you're too modest. The braised pork knuckle is tender and flavorful, the pear soup is sweet and refreshing, and the oyster omelet is delicious. This isn't something you can master overnight. To be honest, I'd like to recruit you to cook at my home."
Seeing that he didn't seem to be joking, she thought to herself: "The system's cheat ability is really powerful; someone's already got their eye on her so quickly." She brushed it off with a joke.
After the dinner time was over and the evening customers had left, the two cleaned up the shop, put the bowls in the dishwasher to wash and disinfect them, and Su Bai also said goodbye and left.
Tao Zhizhi was enthusiastically calculating the accounts, and to her utter surprise, she had sold thirty servings of pig's trotters, and other items had also sold well. The daily turnover was several thousand yuan. The more Tao Zhizhi calculated, the happier she became, her heart bubbling with joy.
No wonder so many people want to start their own businesses; the feeling of having money in your hands right away is just different.
His eyes gleamed with greed, and since there was no one else in the shop, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.
It was almost nine o'clock, and the restaurants in the vicinity were closing one after another. Tao Zhizhi was preparing to leave.
"Hello, is it still possible to dine here?" asked a woman wearing a black mask, a white short-sleeved shirt, and light blue wide-leg jeans.
His hair was neatly styled, without any mess. He had nothing on him except a cell phone. His voice was slightly hoarse, and his tone revealed disappointment as he whispered, "It's okay if I don't have anything."
Tao Zhizhi initially wanted to refuse, but seeing that he gave her the same feeling as Su Bai when he first entered the store, she changed her mind and agreed: "Okay."
He entered the shop, went straight to a seat, looked at the menu, and said, "Just give me an oyster omelet and rice."
There were some oysters left, which Tao Zhizhi originally planned to take home and grill as a late-night snack, but now she used them all to cook a dish.
"Okay, wait a moment."
She returned to the kitchen, quickly and efficiently heated the oil in the wok. Since there were only one or two more oysters than usual, she put them all in and finished cooking quickly. However, she noticed that the restaurant didn't have any rice, so she had to steam a bowl and take it out.
He sat on the stool, gazing absently at the courtyard, his eyes filled with melancholy. Unconsciously, he scratched his head, his hair drooping as it reflected his mood, no longer as neat and tidy as when they first met.
"Thank you." Tao Zhizhi brought the food over, and he politely responded by taking off his mask.
At this moment, Tao Zhizhi saw his whole face. His features were delicate and three-dimensional, his skin was smooth and delicate, without any extra blemishes, and his eyebrows should have been trimmed, neat and well-shaped, without any stray hairs. Overall, he was a very outstanding face, making people want to take a second look.
He looked at her with a questioning gaze, and Tao Zhizhi snapped out of her daze. She realized it was inappropriate to stare at his face, so she looked away and asked, "Ahem, is this food to your liking?"
His expression softened, and he smiled for the first time that evening: "It's especially delicious, even better than what my family makes!"
Tao Zhizhi didn't particularly like talking to strangers, and for a moment the small shop became quiet, with only the sound of his bowl and chopsticks clinking as he ate.
After a long while, he gently placed his chopsticks on the table. Perhaps his emotions had calmed down by then, for his clear and bright voice rang out as he began to speak to himself.
"I was especially happy when I went out today. I had earned an opportunity through my own efforts. On the way, I was full of hope, thinking that I could finally prove myself! I practiced in front of the mirror again and again, and I could even recite those few lines backwards. Sister Wu couldn't help but praise me when she heard it."
When I arrived at the location, the director said, "We've found someone more suitable than me, so you don't need to come anymore." The contract was already signed, and then he suddenly kicked me out—it's outrageous! I was furious and wanted to reason with the director, but they said I was delaying work and had staff take me away.
As he spoke, he chuckled self-deprecatingly:
"I had no choice but to stay there stubbornly, wanting to see who acted better than me. The crew was busy and didn't have time to pay attention to me. When they saw that I wasn't doing anything, they left. Then I heard a familiar line. I looked over and saw that he had the same expression from beginning to end. He stumbled over his lines, as if he had been temporarily pulled in to fill in. I was even more indignant and went to argue with the director, but I was kicked out."
His expressions were vivid and natural. When he spoke of the parts that were unbearable, his hands unconsciously clenched, and he was extremely angry. He reenacted the scene he had encountered that day, allowing Tao Zhizhi, a stranger, to experience his anger as if she were there.
"I wandered around all day without eating, and somehow ended up in this area in the evening, but the restaurants were all closing down one after another..."
His voice grew softer and softer until Tao Zhizhi could no longer hear him clearly.
Tao Zhizhi could be a good listener, but she wasn't very good at comforting people. His eyes were red as he scanned the QR code and prepared to leave. Tao Zhizhi took out the candy that she had originally prepared for the child customers in the store, took a few milk candies, and put them in his palm. Her sweet voice was like a cool breeze on a summer night: "Life always has some unexpected tests. Have a candy, strong little adult."
He choked out a soft "Mmm," unwrapped the package, put it in his mouth, and mumbled, "Thank you, it's very sweet and delicious."
As Tao Zhizhi watched the guests leave, the moonlight seemed to shine a little brighter on his upright figure.
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