After Yao Chengcheng finished speaking, the hall fell silent for a moment. Even Fuman widened his eyes.
Yao Chengcheng herself bit the tip of her tongue and instinctively tried to make amends: “What I meant to say was…”
Fu Yuanzheng seemed to have a headache and didn’t want to listen to her nonsense. He pressed his temples and said, “Leave.”
Yao Chengcheng quickly complied: “Yes, Prince. I take my leave.”
After she left, Fuman stepped forward: “Prince, that chef…”
“Keep an eye on her,” Fu Yuanzheng’s voice was devoid of warmth.
Fuman paused: “Yes, I understand.”
As soon as Yao Chengcheng stepped out of the hall, Bobojii’s voice suddenly echoed in her mind—
[Host, the System has issued a beginner task: gather spring wild vegetables to prepare food. Successfully selling one dish earns 1 silver coin.]
Yao Chengcheng’s eyes lit up. “One silver tael for a wild vegetable dish?”
Bobojii: [No, host… One silver coin is equivalent to ten copper coins.]
Yao Chengcheng: “…”
She immediately blocked the System. So stingy! Better to cling tightly to the Prince’s coattails!
[Don’t rush, host! I have many modern seasonings here—pepper powder, chili powder, cumin powder, five-spice powder… You can purchase them directly with silver coins.]
Yao Chengcheng paused in her steps. “You mean I can also buy things that aren’t available here, right? Not just limited to ingredients.”
[Of course! This System travels across countless worlds. Whatever you want, I have it!]
Yao Chengcheng understood. That was more like it. Now she had the motivation to earn silver coins.
She opened the System’s sales panel and saw that it had everything. Besides common ingredients and seasonings, there were daily necessities like soap and toothpaste, and even some over-the-counter medicines. It was quite comprehensive—like carrying a modern mini-supermarket with her.
Yao Chengcheng: “That’s somewhat useful. Alright, I’ll use wild vegetables for today’s lunch.”
She could prepare the System’s food alongside the Prince’s meal, earning two incomes with one effort. How clever she was!
Yao Chengcheng returned to the kitchen. As soon as she stepped inside, everyone looked at her with strange expressions, even tinged with a hint of horror.
She couldn’t help but pause. What was wrong? Did she have words written on her face?
Auntie Mu was also taken aback for a moment but quickly regained her composure. She stepped forward and asked, “Did the Prince eat breakfast?”
“He did.”
“What did he say?”
Yao Chengcheng thought for a moment. “He probably liked it, right? After all, he even gave me a monthly salary.”
Auntie Mu’s gaze toward her instantly changed. She then sighed deeply and said, “You have talent and good fortune. Work hard here from now on.”
After saying this, Auntie Mu left. Chunyan and Xialiu quickly ran over, their eyes filled with admiration. “Chef Yao, you’re truly amazing!”
Yao Chengcheng smiled. “It’s nothing. From now on, don’t address me so formally. Just call me by my full name, Yao Chengcheng.”
Chunyan and Xialiu exchanged glances. They didn’t dare, so they thought of calling her “sister.”
Yao Chengcheng waved her hand and let them decide.
It was just past 7 a.m., and there were still two hours until lunch. Yao Chengcheng needed to prepare in advance. She glanced at today’s vegetables and suddenly said, “Auntie Mu, could you bring me some fresh wild vegetables?”
Auntie Mu: “What do you need?”
“Shepherd’s purse, Chinese toon, purslane… Well, any seasonal vegetables will do.”
Auntie Mu nodded. “Understood.”
In the main kitchen, another cook couldn’t help but scoff softly. It was just luck this morning—did she really think she could rely on this trick forever?
Yao Chengcheng remained completely unaware of her thoughts. Though she usually appeared carefree and whimsical, when she stood before the stove, she worked with great seriousness and meticulousness. Otherwise, she would never have made a name for herself in the culinary world.
In a moment of inspiration, she decided what to prepare for lunch.
Fresh Chinese toon was undoubtedly the best companion for eggs. The tender toon shoots carried a unique fragrance. She selected only the most tender parts, washed them, and set them aside. Then, she cracked several eggs, whisked them until smooth, sprinkled a pinch of salt into the golden egg mixture, and let it marinate briefly.
The Prince’s residence had almost everything one could need, including both firm and soft tofu. Yao Chengcheng planned to make another dish: cold tofu mixed with shepherd’s purse. This dish was all about a refreshing, tangy, and spicy flavor.
Additionally, there were fried spring rolls, stir-fried shredded pork with water celery, and more… This meal could rightfully be called a Spring Wild Vegetable Feast!
After nearly two hours of busy work, Yao Chengcheng had almost everything prepared. She contacted Bobojii in her mind and reported the lunch menu. Bobojii quickly replied:
【Stir-fried toon shoots with eggs, 1 silver coin; cold tofu with shepherd’s purse, 1 silver coin; stir-fried shredded pork with water celery, 2 silver coins; fried spring rolls, 2 silver coins. Confirm sale?】
“Sell.”
The extra dishes she had prepared promptly vanished, and her System balance now showed 6 silver coins.
Ahem, using the Prince’s ingredients to cook food and sell it to the System felt a bit like stealing from her employer. But there was no other way—she couldn’t leave the Prince’s residence to buy groceries now. She would have to wait until she received her salary and find another way to repay some of it.
Bobojii: 【Host, there’s no need to worry. When you unlock Level 3, the System will provide Cultivated Land for planting. You can grow food in the Spatial Dimension.】
“There’s such a feature?! But wouldn’t that be slow?”
【Not at all. The time flow in the System is different from the outside world—usually ten times faster. You can also use accelerators to make it even quicker. Additionally, besides providing high-quality fertilizer, the System offers rare nutrient solutions, ensuring the vegetables you grow are fresher than any variety on the market!】
Yao Chengcheng gasped in amazement. This was fantastic—her System was practically all-in-one. Shop, Spatial Dimension, and planting, all in one package. Not bad, not bad at all.
It seemed earning more silver coins was absolutely necessary.
But there was no time to ponder the System now—she had to serve the Prince his meal.
Half an hour later, Yao Chengcheng brought Chunyan and Xialiu to set the table. Eunuch Fu immediately allowed them to enter.
“Your Highness, this servant is here to serve your meal. It’s time for lunch.”
The sound of a wheelchair approached from a distance. Fu Yuanzheng was pushed by two attendants from behind the screen and stopped at the table.
Fuman stood nearby and, at first glance, nearly fainted again!
“Chef Yao, why is the entire table covered in green?!”
His face was about to turn green as well!
Yao Chengcheng replied, “Not at all! There’s also chicken soup here, stewed with the freshest wild mushrooms of spring. Please try it, Your Highness. Eating wild vegetables in spring is a delight. I noticed you enjoyed the shepherd’s purse dumplings this morning, so I thought I’d prepare more dishes while the wild vegetables are at their freshest! Look at this stir-fried toon shoots with eggs—so tender! And this cold tofu with shepherd’s purse—isn’t it beautiful? White with green, and green dotted with white! And this dish—”
Yao Chengcheng chattered away for quite a while, and Fuman beside her felt his eyelids twitching uncontrollably!
Goodness gracious, one should not speak while eating or sleeping—he had never dared to chatter this much!
Surprisingly, however, Fu Yuanzheng listened without showing much of a reaction.
It took Fuman a moment to realize this fact. The Prince hadn’t reacted, but he also hadn’t stopped her? Suspiciously, he glanced at the Prince’s ear—
Unbelievable! The Prince was actually listening attentively!