The sky grew darker, and the night breeze quietly took away the heat.
The students, full and satisfied, left the cafeteria with smiles on their faces, calling out to friends and laughing as they went.
Those who couldn't buy the steamed soup dumplings and hot and sour soup they wanted could only sigh in secret, grabbing some food from other windows and stuffing it into their stomachs without much thought.
They looked expressionless, as if everything had lost its flavor.
Before leaving, these people didn't forget to look back at the previously bustling window, seemingly swearing silently in their hearts:
Tomorrow, tomorrow I'll come queue at five in the morning. I refuse to believe I still can't get a bite to eat!
After making their silent vows, they left one after another, as if they had agreed upon it in advance.
In the moonlight that flickered intermittently, the night breeze ruffled their long hair, which was slick with oil, on their foreheads.
Their gradually diminishing lone figures had a tinge of tragic heroism...
"Cough, cough, that's enough, you're not telling a story!"
Jiang Yu came over from behind, glared at Hu Zhihai, and said,
"Everyone worked hard tonight. You're probably tired of eating buns and soup every day, right? How about we go out for a change of taste tonight?
Honestly, eating this three times a day is quite unhealthy.
What do you think?"
Just past nine o'clock, the soup dumplings and hot and sour soup they prepared earlier were all sold out, so the shop simply closed early.
With nothing to do, Hu Zhihai was sitting and resting while performing a "monologue act" but was interrupted by Jiang Yu.
However, he wasn't irritated; he was just entertaining Yan Tongtong, hadn't she been laughing so hard she couldn't stand up straight?
After hearing Jiang Yu's suggestion, Hu Zhihai immediately expressed his opinion:
"I don't care what I eat, the soup dumplings are delicious, I can eat them every day without a problem.
But I can accept occasionally eating something different for a change of pace; maybe it'll make me appreciate the soup dumplings differently when I eat them again later."
"Going out to eat? Is there anything good to eat out? The stuff those street vendors make is full of oil, salt, and MSG; it's best to avoid eating them."
Lu Shuwu came out, dusting off the flour from his clothes with a dry towel as he spoke,
"Besides, aren't the things in our shop tasty enough? I haven't even had these soup dumplings or hot and sour soup much myself!
But the boss is right, eating just these isn't healthy, the nutrition is too monotonous, maybe the boss could make something else for us to try?"
Lu Shuwu racked his brains just to be able to taste a new dish cooked by Jiang Yu.
Upon hearing this, everyone else brightened up, their eyes fixed eagerly on Jiang Yu.
"Something else to eat? The ingredients in the shop are long gone, not even a leaf of lettuce is left, let's leave it for next time when we get another chance."
Jiang Yu discreetly glanced at Lu Shuwu.
Of course, he wasn't going to tell the employees that he only knew how to make soup dumplings and hot and sour soup, this excuse was enough to get by for now.
As for later?
Later, he definitely would have enough wealth points to redeem more new dishes from the system.
By then, what wouldn't he be able to eat?
Smiling, Jiang Yu then turned his gaze to the only female employee,
"Xiaoyan, do you want to go out to eat?"
"I, I think I'll skip eating?"
Yan Tongtong didn't expect that just to eat, she'd be asked her opinion, so she hurriedly stood up from her chair, sneaked a peek at her boss, and said quietly, blushing,
"I ate a basket of buns before the night shift, and drank a big bowl of soup, I'm still full now.
And, eating too much at night can make you gain weight."
"Xiaoyan, listen to your brother's advice, you're just fine now, don't go on a diet!"
Hearing this, Hu Zhihai advised earnestly,
"Don't be one of those women who diet and diet until they're all skin and bones and still think they're beautiful.
Let me tell you the truth, most men don't like such girls, all skinny and bony, it's uncomfortable to even sleep beside them!"
Yan Tongtong blushed even more at this and looked down at her toes without saying a word.
"Zhihai, your mouth is really..."
Jiang Yu was also speechless and quickly stopped him, turning to Yan Tongtong,
"Xiaoyan, if you don't want to eat, go home and rest early, you've been busy for so long, you must be tired."
"Huh? Go home already?"
Yan Tongtong looked around in surprise and said,
"There are still so many things in the shop that haven't been cleaned up, why don't you guys go eat first, I'll clean up slowly by myself, and go home after that."
"No need, no need! How can we let you clean up alone?"
Hearing this, Jiang Yu quickly waved it off with a smile, saying,
"It's fine, you head home first, us guys will handle the cleanup together in no time."
"Oh, oh, then, can I go now?"
"Go on."
Jiang Yu waved her off, then suddenly seemed to remember something, adding,
"Oh, right, don't forget to pack up some food for your friend!"
"Mmm, mmm, thank you, boss!"
Feeling warm inside, Yan Tongtong thought her boss really was a kind man, remembering even such small details.
Meanwhile, An Xiaoqi, lying idly in the dorm, waiting to eat the food Yan Tongtong would bring back, was watching soap operas when she suddenly sneezed several times:
"???"
Who has it out for me, thinking about me that much?
After Yan Tongtong left with two takeaway boxes, Jiang Yu turned to call out to Hu Zhihai and Lu Shuwu:
"Stop what you're doing, you've worked hard all day, let's eat something to fill our stomachs first.
Since no one wants to go out, let's just eat in the shop."
Hu Zhihai: "..."
I said I didn't mind where we eat, how did it become that I didn't want to go out?
Why the heck does no one care about my opinion?!
Lu Shuwu went back and forth, bringing over a pot of freshly steamed soup dumplings, and then went to serve several bowls of still-hot hot and sour soup, his face beaming with happiness.
Jiang Yu, meanwhile, stepped out of the shop, visiting the braised food shop next door to get some sliced beef, and ordering some duck necks, chicken feet, and other braised foods, then went over to the convenience store across the street to grab a few bottles of beer.
Bringing back a load of food and drinks to the shop, Hu Zhihai quickly came up, smiling as he said,
"Yo, nice, nice! You even remembered to buy beer."
"It's Brother Xiao Wu's first day here, even if we're not going out to eat, we should at least maintain a sense of ceremony, or else we'll seem inhospitable."
As Jiang Yu took out various braised foods and put them into bowls, he opened the beer and handed each of them a bottle, then filled his own bowl and, signaling to Lu Shuwu, said with a smile,
"Brother Xiao Wu, thanks for your hard work today!
To be honest, if it weren't for your help, I would've been exhausted, I'll need your help around the shop in the future."
"Boss, you're too kind."
Upon seeing this gesture, Lu Shuwu quickly stood up, touched by the gesture, and said,
"There's no need to talk about help, I'm just here to earn a meal, doing something is only fair, right?
Honestly, I'm grateful you took me in, thanking you isn't enough."
"Brother Xiao Wu, you're joking, with your skills, earning a meal is a piece of cake, you definitely don't need to come to my little shop for that, right?"
Jiang Yu laughed, glancing at Lu Shuwu, before continuing,
"Even if you wanted to open your own shop, it wouldn't be difficult, would it?"