"Yes, these are special dishes I made for Little Amy that aren't for sale." Mai Ge looked at Amy with doting eyes and placed the dishes on the table.
The system was half right. He was indeed a novice who could only perfectly cook four dishes, but he had perfected those four dishes himself, reaching a level that even the top chefs on Earth had not achieved.
The saying "learn by analogy" applies equally to cooking. At least some dishes can be cooked using similar methods, and Mai Ge feels that he is fully capable of making them. Perhaps they are far from perfect, but they are sufficient for everyday cooking.
"System Warning: Restaurant at level 1 is not allowed to conduct self-research on dishes. The host has violated this rule once, and this is a Level 3 warning. If three Level 3 warnings are issued, the restaurant will be downgraded." Just then, the system's voice sounded.
"Downgrade? System, isn't the restaurant already at the lowest level?" Mai Ge put down the plate, pulled out a chair, and sat down, saying somewhat nonchalantly.
"A level 1 restaurant will be downgraded and will revert to its state before the system modification." the system calmly replied.
"..." Mai Ge recalled the dilapidated and rickety house on his first day there, and he suddenly felt a little uneasy. That house was really not a place for a human to live.
"Host, as a candidate for the Chef God, before you can truly enter the inner fold, you should strictly demand of yourself to perfect every dish before you can start making new dishes. Only with a solid foundation can you make steady progress and have the opportunity to ascend to the throne of the Chef God." The system's voice became extremely serious.
"Okay, then I'll make it two more times at most." Mai Ge replied after a moment of silence.
The system's words weren't without reason. After making these two dishes, he was indeed a little tempted to try other dishes, and it might get out of control from there.
However, dishes made this way lack self-discipline, and once this initial impression is formed, it might become even more difficult to reverse the situation and achieve perfection again later.
"…" The system silently displayed an ellipsis, saying nothing more.
"Meow meow~" The Ugly Duckling stared at the prawns on the plate with shining eyes, reaching out its little paws, but still didn't dare to rub against the table.
"Little Amy, put the Ugly Duckling aside, go wash your hands before you eat." Mai Ge said with a smile as he watched Amy reach out her little hand to grab the prawn.
"Okay." Amy looked at the delicious-looking big prawn with a little reluctance, but still obediently agreed, put the Ugly Duckling on the ground, and ran towards the kitchen with her short legs.
"Ugly Duckling, come here, here's one for you to eat first." Mai Ge called out to the Ugly Duckling, picked up a prawn, deftly peeled off the shell, and fed it to the Ugly Duckling by the tail.
The Ugly Duckling tilted its head back, taking small bites, eating with great relish.
"Daddy, I want to be fed too." Amy, having washed her hands, came over and squatted down beside the Ugly Duckling, also tilting her head back and opening her mouth to look at Mai Ge.
"Meow~" The Ugly Duckling turned its head and gave Amy a somewhat resentful look.
"This is my Daddy!" Amy turned back to the Ugly Duckling and earnestly asserted her dominance.
"Meow meow~" The Ugly Duckling immediately cowered, tilting its head and rubbing against Amy's leg, behaving as obediently as could be.
"Okay, you two get one." Mai Ge nodded with a smile and peeled another prawn to feed Amy.
Amy took a bite of half a prawn, her eyes lit up, and she chewed happily, looking at Mai Ge and saying happily, "Daddy, this prawn is really delicious! And I ate so much prawn meat today. Daddy would never lie to me."
"Hmm, eat more if you like." Mai Ge watched Amy's adorable eating, and his smile grew even brighter. His greatest sense of accomplishment was probably being praised by his own daughter.
It is indeed very important to keep your promises to your children.
The story of Zeng Zi killing the pig[1] has been passed down through the ages, embodying the wisdom of the ancients in educating children.
Breakfast was spent in a joyful atmosphere because the two little ones really enjoyed it. They finished the whole plate of braised prawns, and Mai Ge didn't even get to taste one himself. But judging from their satisfied expressions, it must have been quite good.
"System, is it dangerous for me to go hunting in this state?" Mai Ge asked mentally as he put away the bowl.
"Please rest assured, host, you have a 50% chance of survival." the system's calm voice replied.
Mai Ge's hand trembled, nearly dropping the bowl in his hand. He said with a strange expression, "System, it's just catching a chicken, how come there's a 50% chance of dying? That's way too easy to die!"
"In the wilderness, the situation changes in an instant. Flaming Chickens are only the lowest level of magical beasts, but the host may encounter some powerful magical beasts in the process of searching for Flaming Chickens. The probability is about 50%."
"So… if I encounter it, I'll die? Am I really that weak?" Mai Ge couldn't help but think to himself.
"Host, do you really think you're that powerful?" the system countered.
Mai Ge thought for a moment. He had only recovered from his semi-crippled state to normal two days ago. If he encountered a level 2 magical beast, his chances of survival were indeed zero. He couldn't help but complain, "System, are you pushing me into a fire pit? Can't I just focus on cooking? Why are you playing PUBG?"
"Host, you can increase your chances of survival by purchasing items, up to a maximum of 99%!" The system's voice suddenly became cheerful.
"So this is your ultimate goal, isn't it?" Mai Ge suddenly felt a bit absurd. This money-grubbing system really would stop at nothing to make money!
"I don't have the money to buy a weapon that costs a thousand gold coins." Mai Ge said calmly as he carried the bowls towards the kitchen.
"This system offers daily weapon rental services. For just 10 gold coins per day, you can enjoy a top tier custom weapon. Rent for seven days or more and enjoy a 10% discount! In addition, this system also offers daily rental services for armor at various price points, as well as disposable magic shields, disposable magic attack waves, disposable…" The system's voice was full of enthusiasm.
Mai Ge's face darkened. It seemed the system had thoroughly studied the drama queen's self-cultivation, and its tactics were becoming increasingly sophisticated. Suddenly, he asked, "System, if I bring Amy along, what are our chances of survival?"
The system remained silent for a while, then said with some difficulty, "100%."
"Huh? What the hell is this?" Mai Ge exclaimed in surprise.
"Amy is much more capable than you." the system murmured.
"If I bring Amy along, is the chance of survival really 100%?" Despite being outdone by his daughter, Mai Ge showed no displeasure and pressed for an answer.
"According to the system's precise calculations, it's 100%." The system answered confidently, then solemnly advised, "However, this system does not recommend that the host bring Amy along. This constitutes serious cheating and will be subject to severe moral condemnation. Moreover, Amy's studies are more important. Skipping class on the second day of school is not conducive to developing good study habits..."
"Tch, trying to trick me into buying the official cheat again." Mai Ge curled his lip, put the bowls in the dishwasher, walked out of the kitchen, and smiled at Amy, "Little Amy, let's skip class today."
[1] Story: Zeng Zi's wife went to the market, and his son cried, wanting to go with her. His mother said to him, "Go home and stay, I'll kill a pig for you to eat when I get back." When Zeng Zi's wife returned from the market, she saw Zeng Zi about to catch a piglet to kill. She stopped him, saying, "I was just joking with the child." Zeng Zi said, "Wife, you can't joke like that! Children don't have the ability to think and judge, they learn from their parents and follow their correct teachings. If you deceive him now, you're teaching him to lie! If a mother deceives her son, the son will no longer trust his mother, this is not the right way to educate a child." So, he killed the pig, cooked it, and they ate it.