Chapter 514 - 413: Yueguang Rice and the Jealous Team Leader Xu

Chapter 514: Chapter 413: Yueguang Rice and the Jealous Team Leader Xu

He’d considered unlocking other, possibly more precious ingredients, but he had to unlock rice. It was just too commonly used.

His shop alone went through dozens of pounds of rice every day.

Of course, if he switched to better rice, the prices would definitely have to go up.

Jiang Liu had already figured out the exact excuse he’d give his customers.

A three-wheeled cargo truck pulled up to the entrance of the shop next door.

Several delivery workers got out.

They swaggered into the shop. The man in the lead, wearing a hard hat with his jeans covered in cement, taunted, "Hey, Liu Danzi, how’s life working in here?"

"Haha," one of the other delivery workers next to him gloated.

"Look at them, all covered in dust. It’s not as cushy as our construction site. If we want to slack off, we can. Take us, for example—we’re out making a delivery, and even if it takes a few hours, no one’s breathing down our necks. We still get paid all the same!"

"Heh," Liu Youqian, who was crouching on the floor filling tile seams, chuckled, not bothering to respond.

’Just how great it is here... I’m not about to tell anyone else.’

"Alright, that’s enough. Let’s unload this stuff so we can go get a ’full-body massage’."

"You got it."

The men hurriedly grunted and groaned as they unloaded the supplies, not forgetting to keep mocking the seven workers inside the shop.

"Brother Xing, you enjoying yourself? Haha, don’t worry, once you’re done, I’ll take you out for some real fun, eh?"

"Piss off. Stop bothering me."

"Ooh, look, the idiot’s getting mad. Are you so worn out these past few days you’re getting hormonal?"

"I heard they’re on a tight schedule. I bet these guys are working so hard day and night, they’re gonna be too tired to even get their periods."

"Hahaha."

After they finished unloading, the men gloated for a bit longer before getting ready to leave.

Jiang Liu walked over, carrying a few bottles of juice and some buns.

"You guys hungry? Come have some juice and buns."

It didn’t cost much, anyway. Whenever he had a free moment, he’d bring some food and drinks to the workers helping him.

’When people get a little something from you, they naturally work harder and more seriously.’

’It’s mutually beneficial.’

"Alright, Brother Jiang!" Liu Youqian jumped to his feet excitedly and rushed to take the items.

"Thanks, Brother Jiang. On a hot day like this, I was getting really thirsty. Your juice is seriously delicious and refreshing."

"Brothers, hurry up and get some juice!"

"Thank you, Boss Jiang!"

"We appreciate it, Boss Jiang!"

"Thanks, Brother Jiang."

All the workers who came to get food looked grateful.

"Brother Jiang, is there anything else you need from us?" Liu Youqian asked, leaning in.

"Nope, just keep up the good work. Is this enough food for everyone?"

"More than enough! No problem. Don’t worry about us, Brother Jiang, you go get back to your work."

Even though he was older than Jiang Liu, he still called him "Brother" out of respect. Over the past few days, Jiang Liu had really taken good care of them.

"Okay."

Jiang Liu nodded and turned to go back into his own shop.

After seeing Jiang Liu off, Liu Youqian turned back to see the dumbfounded expressions on the faces of the delivery crew.

He immediately became smug, his chest puffing out. "What’s the matter, fellas? What are you looking at? Shouldn’t you be rushing off to get that ’full-body massage’ of yours?"

The leader of the group, Team Leader Xu, swallowed hard. "Hey, Liu Dan— I mean, Brother Liu. You work here and you get to eat Boss Jiang’s food?"

He’d heard the rumors. They said even President Wang couldn’t praise Boss Jiang’s food enough. He’d even heard that a group of board directors had gotten into a fistfight at a meeting just to get a few extra buns.

"That’s right. What do you think? Boss Jiang covers our meals, and when we’re free, we get to drink a bottle of juice to wet our whistles. Ai, but it’s probably not as cushy as your job on the site, eh, Team Leader Xu?"

Team Leader Xu was speechless.

The renovation workers intentionally waved the brightly colored juices in front of their faces.

"Ahhh, this juice! It’s unbeatable!"

"Mmm, that sweet and sour taste is so good. Forget a few dozen bucks, I wouldn’t sell this for a thousand. Us brothers have really lucked out these past few days."

"It’s so good! And the buns are amazing!"

They ate and drank right in front of Team Leader Xu and his crew.

Team Leader Xu couldn’t stand it anymore. His face fell as he asked, "Can you spare one or two for me? I just want to taste it."

’It was killing him, the curiosity. Just what did this stuff taste like that it had so many bigwigs lining up for it?’

’He’d heard all about it but never had a chance to try it!’

"Nope. But let me tell you, a life in which you haven’t eaten Boss Jiang’s buns is an incomplete life!"

???

Hearing him say that made it even more unbearable for Team Leader Xu and his crew.

The curiosity was killing them.

Liu Youqian walked up to Team Leader Xu. "Here, I’ll let you have a sniff."

He waved a shrimp bun right under Team Leader Xu’s nose.

SNIFF.

SNIFF!

Team Leader Xu and his men were stunned. What an incredible aroma!

The shrimp was unbelievably savory. Even from a distance, they could smell the fresh, fragrant scent of seafood. It was absolutely tantalizing.

"Let me have one! I’ll take you out to find some girls later!"

"Liu Youqian, don’t be so stingy. It’s just one bun."

"Nope. I am stingy. If you want to eat one, go get in line, why don’t you?"

Liu Youqian was reveling in his moment of triumph.

"Come on, give me one. I’ll give you a hundred bucks for four of them!"

"Buy my ass. You think I couldn’t flip this bun for a thousand?"

"Damn it! Are we brothers or not? Just tell me if you’ll sell!"

"No, no, no." Liu Youqian wagged a dirty finger.

"Damn it!"

"Just you wait till we’re back on site!"

"Fine, if you won’t let us have any, we don’t want any! It’s not that special anyway."

Seething with jealousy, the men could only leave, cursing under their breath.

They were regretting it big time.

’If only we hadn’t made fun of them. We might have been able to bum a few of Boss Jiang’s buns.’

Team Leader Xu felt his men’s resentful gazes and snapped in frustration, "You can’t blame it all on me! Weren’t you guys mocking them too?!"

"It was your idea..."

"Damn it! I’m taking the day off tomorrow to get in line. It’s my treat!"

*

Jiang Liu returned to the storeroom and locked the door from the inside.

"I want to unlock the rice ingredient."

The words had barely left his mouth.

Words appeared on the yellowed cover of the Gourmet Album.

[Consume one use to unlock purchase rights for Yueguang Rice.]

Intrigued, Jiang Liu opened the first page. The purchasing option for Yueguang Rice appeared, along with its description.

[Yueguang Rice. Price: Ten yuan per pound.]

"That’s it?"

"Why isn’t there a description for this one?"

Jiang Liu quickly bought a pound of Yueguang Rice, and ten yuan vanished from his account.

A palm-sized, sealed plastic bag of rice appeared out of thin air in front of him.

Jiang Liu took out a bowl he had prepared.

He tore open the bag.

A fresh, clean aroma of rice paddies immediately wafted out. The fragrance was several times richer than that of ordinary rice!

Jiang Liu was stunned.

’This rice smells incredible. It seems to have a faint hint of jasmine, too. I probably wouldn’t have noticed it without my Strong Sense of Smell...’

He poured the rice out.

With a sound like pearls rattling against each other—CLATTER—all the rice from the bag poured into the bowl.

Jiang Liu examined it closely.

Each grain was distinct—white, long, and plump, with a bright luster. The aroma it gave off was intoxicating.

They truly looked like elongated white pearls.

’This is the good stuff. I won’t sell it today. I’ll have my wife and kids try it with me tonight.’

He went out and got busy with work for a while.

Jiang Liu found a spare moment to send Xiao Lian a message on WeChat:

"Anything happening out front?"

Xiao Lian was one of the lawyers Wang City had sent over to keep an eye on things.

"Not yet, Brother Jiang," Xiao Lian replied. "The six of us are watching in two-person shifts. We won’t even let a dog slip by!"

Seeing the message, Jiang Liu relaxed.

’Knowing Yang Yixue’s personality, if she were to retaliate, she’d do it swiftly.’