Chapter 13 - 12: Magical Mayonnaise

Chapter 13: Chapter 12: Magical Mayonnaise

When it came to money, Connie reverted to her usual cold, hard demeanor.

"We’re providing the stall, the seasonings, and the meat and noodles. You’re just providing some vegetables. I don’t think we should split the profits. I’ll give you one hundred original coins to buy all the vegetables needed for the sauce, and another one hundred original coins as a processing fee. No more than that."

’But there’s still a whole basket of vegetables left. What a loss that would be!’

"Alright, but in that case, won’t you have leftover vegetables too? I’ve noticed the vegetarian toppings aren’t selling well these past few days. Why don’t we mix ours together? The weather is hot, so let’s try making and selling a refreshing salad."

"Salads need a sauce for people to eat them, and I haven’t prepared any," Connie said.

This was the exact sentence Ning He had been waiting for.

"No problem, I know how. I’ll make some for you to try first. Are there any fried eggs left?"

This time, Connie didn’t offer any sarcastic remarks. She just handed over a box from the side, which contained a few fried eggs.

"Alright, leave it to me!"

’Looking at the situation now, it’ll definitely be too late to save up money after we leave. I have to sell all this stuff tomorrow!’

Ning He took a deep breath and decided to show off some of her real skills.

First, she scooped the yolks out of the fried eggs one by one and placed them in a bowl. She squeezed in the juice of one-sixth of a lemon, then bundled a handful of chopsticks together with a rubber band. She added a pinch of salt and sugar and mixed them evenly. Then, she began to pour oil into the bowl while stirring rapidly.

This was the classic method for making mayonnaise, though most people didn’t know you could also make it with cooked egg yolks.

Ning He’s arm quickly grew sore. The process of emulsifying the egg yolks wasn’t easy and required some time.

"Let me."

Just as Ning He’s arm was about to cramp up, a hand reached over from the side and took the chopsticks from her.

It was Ah Huai.

"Thanks."

Ning He breathed a sigh of relief.

Ah Huai’s hands were much faster than hers. After about three minutes, the cooked egg yolks and oil in the bowl had completely emulsified, transforming into a pale yellow sauce.

A hint of surprise appeared on Connie’s face.

Ning He took a clean lettuce leaf from the side, dipped it in a bit of the sauce, and handed it to her.

"Try it."

Connie took the leaf and hesitated for a moment. Under Ning He’s expectant gaze, she took a bite, and her expression changed.

Imagine this:

A cream whipped from egg yolks and oil—thick, slightly salty, slightly sweet, slightly sour, with a rich, eggy aroma.

Hmm... at first, it seemed a bit rich, but the crispness of the lettuce quickly made the entire flavor refreshing.

The two paired together magically. One was no longer greasy, and the other was no longer bland.

Salty, savory, sour, moist, smooth, crisp, refreshing.

And finally, a hint of a sweet aftertaste.

’Is this some kind of magical dipping sauce?’

’It can make ordinary lettuce this delicious!’

Connie opened her eyes. Her gaze toward Ning He was complex and a little bewildered.

’With such incredible skill, how did she end up in this situation?’

"This... how do you plan to sell it?" Connie asked.

"Huh?" Ning He scratched her head, thought for a moment, and said, "The eggs and seasonings will still be yours. I was thinking, just like before, I’ll sell you the remaining vegetables for one hundred original coins, and then I’ll charge another one hundred original coins as a processing fee?"

Ning He actually felt a little sheepish saying this.

’The most important ingredients for this mayonnaise all belong to Connie. I only contributed a lemon and the labor—and Ah Huai probably did most of the work. Is asking for one hundred original coins too greedy?’

Sure enough, Connie frowned.

"That’s not right. Even restaurants in the Third Ring might not know how to make these two dishes. Pressing the price down like that would make it seem like I’m taking advantage of you. But I can’t afford too high a price either. How about this: for both recipes, I’ll give you two hundred fifty original coins as a processing fee. However, if we learn how to make it ourselves later, you can’t object."

’Object?’

’What is there to object to?’

’I can make a hundred different kinds of sauces like this!’

’But maybe I should try to ask for a little more?’

Ning He was mulling over this little scheme, but when she looked up and met Connie’s predatory gaze, her scalp tingled. She immediately gave up the idea and nodded quickly. "Alright, two hundred fifty it is! Deal!"

She agreed so readily that Connie felt a bit awkward, and her expression softened.

"Think it over carefully. A secret recipe like this is something most people would never share. Even a culinary academy might not teach it. Don’t go back on your word after you leave. I won’t give back a skill once I’ve learned it."

Since Ning He had already agreed, she had no intention of backing out. She waved her hand magnanimously. "If you can learn it, it’s yours. I’m not that petty!"

"Alright, then it’s settled."

Connie extended her hand. Ning He paused for a second, then understood and extended her own hand.

A high-five, a handshake, a fist bump.

The special ritual of agreement in this era.

It also represented a form of respect.

"Hey, is there any food left?"

A voice suddenly called out. The three of them, who were just about to pack up their stall, looked up to see a squad of soldiers in Mecha combat suits.

They looked exhausted. Their hair was slightly singed and curled in clumps, and one of them had his hand wrapped in several bandages.

"We’re starving. Got any food? Anything will do!" The leader, a thin, dark-skinned young man, said with a gentle smile.

Connie snapped out of it and nodded quickly. "Yes, have a seat. It’ll be ready in a moment!"

The young man was delighted and sat down with his companions nearby.

There wasn’t much of the meat sauce she’d made earlier, certainly not enough for the five newcomers. Connie hesitated, wondering if she should just serve them regular saozi noodles.

"Serve the salad first. Let them eat that while they wait," Ning He spoke up. "Use a wider variety of vegetables. All the leafy greens can go in, and add some cucumber and carrot sticks, onion, corn kernels, and dice up the leftover egg whites to put in, too."

"Leave that to Connie. Ah Huai, you boil the water and chop vegetables for me. I’ll make the sauce."

Connie and Ah Huai exchanged a look, nodded at each other, and without another word, immediately got to work.

The two were accustomed to kitchen work. Their movements were incredibly fast, and their timing was perfectly synchronized, with not a single moment wasted.

While boiling water to peel the tomatoes, Ah Huai had already minced the garlic and diced the onion and carrots. While Ning He was stir-frying, he quickly finished preparing the tomatoes.

By the time Ning He added the ground meat, Connie was already serving a large, exquisitely arranged platter of salad.

"This is our new salad, served with a secret-recipe dressing. It’s delicious."

"Alright, thanks."

The young man thanked her politely, but his eyes glanced in Ning He’s direction.

The aroma of the tomato meat sauce was already wafting over.

It was rich and tangy, a mouth-watering scent that made them secretly swallow their saliva.

His companions felt the same way.

’How satisfying would it be to devour a bowl of those fragrant meat-sauce noodles!’

’As for this salad?’

’Just a bunch of raw, unappealing leafy greens. You could eat a pound of it and still not be full. What’s so good about that?’

But none of them let these thoughts show. They just casually picked a leaf or a cucumber stick from the platter, dipped it into the small sauce dish, and took a random bite.

"Hm?"

The thin, dark-skinned leader suddenly looked at the half-eaten cucumber stick in his hand with a face full of astonishment.

’Did I just eat a cucumber?’

’Why is it so delicious?’

He looked at his squad mates and saw the same reaction.

All of them wore expressions of disbelief and confusion.

Then, their gazes simultaneously shifted to the small dish of pale yellow dipping sauce next to the salad platter.

The next second, five hands shot out at once—

When they took their second bite, everyone was very serious.

The sauce was silky and smooth; the vegetables were crisp and juicy.

The vegetables were light and plain; the sauce was savory, salty, and slightly tangy.

The rich eggy aroma, the smooth texture comparable to cream—it was a delicacy they had never experienced before.

Before they knew it, with each person taking a dip, the small dish of sauce was empty, with only a small amount left clinging to the bottom.

The thin, dark-skinned young man gave a light cough.

"We can’t waste food. Leave this bit to me."

As he spoke, he reached for the sauce dish, but four other hands shot out to block him.

"How could we trouble you, Captain? Let me do it!"

"Let me! I was almost late for assembly today."

"I was the last one to put on my armor today, so let me!"

"Well, I’m injured! I’ll do it!"

The men were squabbling over it, about to come to blows, when a rich, steaming aroma wafted over, and they all froze.

"Your tomato meat sauce noodles, everyone. Please enjoy!"