As the busy day came to an end, Shen Zhiyi found time to visit a clothing store and bought two sets of brand-new linen shirts and casual linen trousers.
Then she went to an incense shop and bought some incense sticks and candles.
True to her word, she immediately set up a shrine for her treasure box, Ruyi, right there in her dorm room.
She even kowtowed three times morning and night.
After doing so, she discovered that Ruyi would conjure up exactly what she needed most at that moment.
Three large bottles of cola appeared again.
Besides cola, it also provided her with various seasonings of incredibly fine quality.
In truth, these were the real secrets behind her delicious cooking.
Her skills might not necessarily surpass the two senior chefs, but with these superior ingredients, the texture and taste of her dishes were simply on another level.
As the saying goes, “Even a clever housewife cannot cook without rice.”
No matter how skilled you are, if the raw materials are poor, you cannot create a masterpiece.
Cooking isn’t like carpentry talent alone isn’t enough. With top-quality ingredients, even plain boiled water tastes better.
After finishing her worship, there was another knock at the door.
“Who is it?” Shen Zhiyi asked cautiously.
“It’s me, and Sister Li is here too. Open up, Xiao Shen,” Boss Wei’s voice came from outside.
Shen Zhiyi straightened her clothes and opened the door. Sure enough, it was Boss Wei and Sister Li.
“Xiao Shen, Chef Zhao and Chef Qiu told me that the cola you used today wasn’t from the restaurant’s stock it was yours, right?”
“That’s correct, Boss Wei.”
“Oh, you silly girl! Why didn’t you say so earlier? How much did those three bottles cost? I have to pay you back.”
“That’s right, Xiao Shen. Boss Wei is a fair man who never lets his employees suffer. Tell him how much, and he’ll reimburse you,” Sister Li chimed in.
“No need. If Boss Wei hadn’t supported me so much, I wouldn’t have been able to launch the new dish at all. Consider today’s a gift. I’ll let you pay next time.”
“You really are too honest,” Sister Li laughed, clearly very pleased with her.
“Xiao Shen, are you burning incense in here?” Boss Wei had a sharp nose.
“Yes. I’m worshipping the God of Wealth. Today was a great start, after all,” Shen Zhiyi nodded.
“Ambition runs deep, doesn’t it?” Sister Li raised an eyebrow. “Worshipping the God of Wealth already? And looks like he really did bless you!”
“Just be careful with the fire. Don’t let anything happen,” Boss Wei reminded her before leaving.
Sister Li handed Shen Zhiyi a bundle of clothes. “These are things I bought before but never got around to wearing. They’re brand new. Try them on keep what fits, throw away the rest.”
“Thank you, Sister Li.”
“No need to be polite! In the future, when you get rich, you have to look out for me, okay?”
“I was just about to ask you to look out for me!”
“Deal! I’ve got your back. I’m going to walk Boss Wei out. Get some rest early.”
“Okay.”
Shen Zhiyi was sharp; she had long suspected that Sister Li and Boss Wei were lovers. But it was none of her business, so she chose to stay out of it.
Closing the door, she put away the items Ruyi had produced.
She could sell those high-end seasonings to Boss Wei later for extra profit.
She could just sit back and watch the money roll in.
However, she knew she had to be careful and keep a low profile until her divorce from Lu Yusheng was finalized.
That night, Shen Zhiyi had a dream. She was holding her camphorwood box, welcoming the God of Wealth. Pleased with her, the deity showered her with countless coins and bills.
In the blink of an eye, a whole week passed.
During this week, Lu Yusheng never showed up. Even Zhou Muchuan, who knew she worked at Fumanlou, hadn’t come to see her even once.
She wondered what on earth they were both busy with.
Oh well, she was plenty busy herself.
On the second day of her work, Mother Shen came to visit, bringing twenty eggs and some fermented rice wine, telling her to cook them for breakfast.
When she heard that Shen Zhiyi was doing well and that everyone praised her, she was relieved.
That noon, Boss Wei even invited Mother Shen for lunch upstairs, singing Shen Zhiyi’s praises to the skies.
Boss Wei was genuinely curious. What kind of man was her husband, planning to divorce such a wonderful woman?
How could he be willing to let her go?
If Boss Wei hadn’t been married for years with several children and much older, he would have seriously considered pursuing her himself.
Mother Shen didn’t say much about family matters.
After the meal, she tried to pay, but Boss Wei refused. She went to the kitchen to see her daughter working hard, and seeing how popular her new dishes were, her heart finally settled.
As long as Zhiyi could support herself, she had overcome the biggest hurdle in her life.
The weekend was peak season for the Cola series dishes.
Halfway through the lunch rush, Shen Zhiyi’s arms felt like they were about to fall off.
Thankfully, her assistants were there to help, or she would have thrown down her spatula and quit.
However, today, unwelcome guests arrived at Fumanlou looking for trouble.
A customer was making a scene in the main hall, demanding to see the head chef. A waiter ran into the kitchen.
“Chef Shen! There’s a customer outside saying there’s a fly in the Cola Chicken Wings. They want you to come out immediately!”
“A fly? Our kitchen is spotless! Where would a fly come from?” Chef Zhao was furious.
Chef Qiu was equally angry. “Xiao Shen, don’t go. Lao Zhao and I will handle this. I want to see who dares to cause trouble at Boss Wei’s restaurant!”
“Let’s go, Lao Qiu,” Chef Zhao stormed towards the door.
Shen Zhiyi quickly stopped them. “Wait, masters. Since they specifically asked for me by title, it looks bad if I don’t show up. You guys stay here. I’ll go out and see what this is about.”
With that, she walked out.
The waiter led her to the table. One look at the so-called “family of three” and Shen Zhiyi understood everything.
It was Lu Yusheng, Jiang Ruochu, and their daughter, Tongtong.
The little girl was actually quite cute, with big, bright eyes. It was just a pity she had the bad luck to be born to Jiang Ruochu a shameless woman.
Shen Zhiyi was fully geared up: a cap, a transparent face shield, a mask, and a white apron over her clothes. This uniform was standard to prevent hair or saliva from falling into the food.
The kitchen was cleaned and disinfected daily; it was the cleanest restaurant in town.
In all the years Fumanlou had been open, this was the first time anyone had claimed to find a fly.
Shen Zhiyi was so well-covered that Lu Yusheng didn’t recognize her at first.
But Jiang Ruochu knew immediately that this was Shen Zhiyi.
She and Lu Yusheng came to Fumanlou at least once a month, just the three of them, enjoying their “family time.”
Lu Yusheng’s colleagues already treated Jiang Ruochu as his fiancée.
“Your food is dirty. You’re the head chef? Tell us, how are you going to handle this? If we aren’t satisfied, we’ll call your boss out here.”
“A fly? Is there really one?” Shen Zhiyi removed her cap, shield, and mask. She lowered her head and looked closely. Sure enough, floating in the thick sauce was a small black fly.
“Shen Zhiyi?!”
Seeing her face, Lu Yusheng stood up in shock.