Huang Jiao leaned forward, intrigued. Su Bai, keeping the eager crowd in check, handed out the individual paper cups.
"Don't worry, we have plenty, there's more in the kitchen!"
She squeezed to the front, baring her teeth and stubbornly reaching out her hand through the gap, palm up. Su Bai quickly placed the two cups of noodles steadily on top.
"Su Bai, are you kidding us? These two bowls were just made, how come we can't taste any difference?"
Liu Zihao smacked his lips. He had tried the sample twice and didn't really feel anything special. If he had to say, it was just delicious. Anyway, he would definitely stock up on the small boss's offerings.
"Young man, you don't come here for braised noodles often, do you? If you ask me, the one on the right is definitely packaged. The noodles aren't as chewy as freshly cooked ones. But I suspect the owner puts the same soup in both!"
An elderly diner nodded confidently and offered his opinion, and the other diners nearby chimed in, "Old Yu said everything I wanted to say. We all agree that it's the bowl on the right."
"No! It must be on the left!"
After tasting it, Huang Jiao had to get another serving because the cups were the same. She overheard their conversation and, disagreeing with them, simply said:
"The noodles on the right were probably prepared in advance, so they were a bit soggy. Although the two bowls tasted similar, they lacked a bit of the smoky flavor. I can't quite put my finger on it."
The group led by Huang Jiao and the group of regular customers stood in separate groups, each holding their own opinions. Liu Zihao was inexplicably assigned to the neutral group. The customers who couldn't taste the difference were scattered around. In the end, everyone's attention turned to Su Bai.
"Su Bai, just tell me already!"
Su Bai spoke in riddles, drawing out the last syllable before revealing the answer, thus whetting everyone's appetite:
"Congratulations to the guest on the left! It is indeed on the left-hand side."
To prove it, she took out a packaged bowl of braised noodles that she had prepared behind her, and while the iron was hot, she pushed the small cooking pot on the stove. Su Bai then started making braised noodles in front of everyone, holding up the soup packet and seasoning packet inside to show them to everyone:
"Our boss uses the latest preservation technology on the market to maintain the flavor of the braised noodles as much as possible. The noodles have also been adjusted many times so that they are just as chewy as freshly made ones. Welcome to buy!"
Tao Zhizhi stood by with her arms crossed, watching the customers' enthusiasm for the product, and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Seeing it with your own eyes is always more satisfying than imagining it, right? Now, Mr. Tao, could you please take a look at the online sales?"
Fu Jue suddenly appeared from behind, holding a tablet and leaning forward. On the screen, the livestream expert he had arranged was excitedly shouting, "Are you all ready, family? 3, 2, 1—"
"Link up!"
The excitement was unforgettable. Tao Zhizhi watched with bated breath as the pre-sale items in the shared shopping cart were emptied bit by bit, feeling an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. If the current sales volume remained, there was no need to worry about the factory's future.
Since that delicious meal, Liu Hai's family has become loyal fans of Nuan Shi Xiao Pu (a food stall), often watching Tao Zhizhi's live stream while eating.
Recently, Nini has been staring at him with her big, watery eyes. Even though she's quite sensible, Ah Nian is very worried about her increasingly smaller appetite.
I happened to come across Tao Zhizhi's products for sale, so I gritted my teeth and bought two boxes and a few bags of braised noodles.
A few days later, Anian received the package at the hospital. Nini ate a few bites at noon and then refused to eat anymore, sitting with her back to Anian playing with her toys.
"Mom, what are you taking apart?"
She leaned her head on Anian's shoulder in a childish voice, her eyes fixed intently on the mung bean cake in Anian's hand, her drool soaking a small patch of her shoulder.
Ah Nian held her affectionately to his chest, his voice soft as he made Nini giggle:
"Nini, if you eat well, Mommy will give you some, okay?"
These past few days, Nini, who had been difficult to feed, picked up her little spoon and ate most of a bowl of rice.
Ah Nian laughed out loud when he saw this, pinched her chubby little face, and said with loving eyes, "Our Nini is so cute."
"Ah—sweet!"
Nini quietly touched the pastry box, revealing her tiny teeth, while the chubby little finger pointed to his wide-open mouth.
Ah Nian couldn't bear to eat it, so he took out a piece, broke it into several pieces, fed the biggest one to Nini, tasted it himself, and left the rest for Liu Hai when he got home that night.
Watching Nini happily munching on her pastries with her eyes half-closed, a feeling of happiness welled up inside me.
Happiness Points +300
On a whim, Tao Zhizhi was furiously working on her abacus, thankfully she hadn't forgotten the mental arithmetic she learned as a child. Lying on her bed, she was summarizing her recent activities with a money-grubbing expression, especially beaming as she looked at the long string of numbers in her bank account.
[Shu Nian: Zhizhi [eyes wide open.jpg] Are you there?]
[Shu Nian: Want to go out and play?]
[Cheese Peach: Okay! It might take a while, I'll change my clothes!] [Happy spinning.jpg]
The two had been chatting happily ever since they met, and Tao Zhizhi had wanted to ask her out for a while, but her schedule was too full.
While the two of them were resting, she freshened up and drove to her studio according to the address provided by Shu Nian.
Shu Nian's studio is actually located near a resort area. According to her, she moved here so that when she was exhausted from drawing, she could take a breather by looking out the window at the scenery.
"You've finally arrived! Welcome to my private office!"
Upon hearing the knock on the door, Shu Nian immediately dropped her paintbrush, opened the door, and rushed over to hug her with cheers.
"Come on, let me introduce you. This is my workstation. It has a great view, and you can even see the sparkling clear river surface."
Tao Zhizhi was led inside by her hand. The studio was filled with clothing mannequins, each with a different design. Scattered pieces of fabric were on the floor, creating a chaotic yet orderly atmosphere.
The huge studio was empty except for Shu Nian, who looked puzzled. Shu Nian immediately noticed her confusion:
"It's not what you think. I'm more inspired when I'm alone, so the other employees are on the lower floor. They only come up when we have meetings."
Shu Nian quickly put away the manuscript, picked out two skirts, and cheerfully said:
"Zhizhi, try it! The weather is so nice today, let's go to Kapok City for a stroll!"
Tao Zhizhi was pushed into the changing room, and came out embarrassed, covering her chest, saying shyly:
"How about we change to another one? This one is too revealing."
"No need to change, Zhizhi, you have such a great figure, why don't you wear it out!"
Shu Nian prepared a V-neck camisole for her, irregularly covered with maple leaf embroidery, and looked at her pert chest with envy.
Her specially permed, slightly wavy long hair cascaded behind her ears, revealing her fair skin. Combined with the natural pink hue on her face, she looked like an innocent elf who had just stepped out of the mortal world from a maple forest.
Shu Nian's eyes widened in disbelief, and she ground her teeth as she muttered to herself, "How can Fu Jue be so lucky!"
Then she took out the matching jewelry she had prepared and adorned her with it. Tao Zhizhi touched her bare arms with both hands, glancing at her expectantly with her eyes:
"Should I wear a jacket in this weather?"
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