Chapter 45 - 41: Delivering the Green Pepper Sauce

Chapter 45: Chapter 41: Delivering the Green Pepper Sauce

Ning He went inside and took two eggs out of the freezer.

At about 6 original coins an egg, Ning He couldn’t bear to eat a whole one in a single sitting. Usually, she resorted to the cost-saving tactics used by unscrupulous cafeterias in her past life—frying five mini sunny-side-up eggs out of a single egg.

Two eggs were plenty for seven kids. No one could accuse her of being stingy.

The egg whites had completely solidified in the freezer. Turning on the stove to heat the oil, she quickly peeled the shells and sliced the eggs vertically. The moment the oil grew hot, the slices went straight into the pan.

She cut them a little thicker this time, slicing each egg into four pieces. Eight slices in total—just enough to go around.

’See? I could have stretched it to ten slices but chose to make eight. I’m definitely not stingy!’

Given the right oil temperature, even an ordinary iron pan could become completely non-stick. Ning He’s mini eggs were fried to perfection.

The eggs sold in the supermarket were pasteurized, so she left the yolks wonderfully runny. She sprinkled a pinch of salt over them as they came out of the pan and brought them out.

The children had long been drawn in by the aroma. They waited eagerly, practically drooling.

Ning He placed a slice into each child’s bowl. The combination of the golden egg, the green noodles, and the mouth-watering aroma was too much for any kid to resist. They all buried their heads and devoured their food.

The little boy named Knight stared at the fried egg in his bowl, trying hard to control himself. He didn’t want to look desperate or eager, but the moment he took a bite, all of that was forgotten.

’It’s so delicious!’

Crispy on the edges, smooth and tender in the middle, and perfectly runny on the inside. Even with just a dash of salt, it was so delicious he felt like he could swallow his own tongue!

The shrunken mini egg was gone in just a few bites.

Knight glanced at the noodles in the others’ bowls, feeling a twinge of regret.

He pressed his lips together and turned his face away, terrified that he might blurt out something embarrassing.

"Do you want some more noodles? I’ve got plenty."

Knight turned his head in surprise and saw a gentle smile. For the first time, he felt that this woman wasn’t so annoying after all.

"Th-Thank you."

Ning He smiled and patted his head.

"Wait here."

Ning He quickly boiled another handful of noodles for herself and the kid, mixed in the sauce, and brought it out.

Knight took the bowl and hesitantly tasted a small bite. Then, abandoning all restraint, he began slurping loudly. He somehow managed to catch up, finishing his bowl at the same time as the other kids.

Ning He gathered the empty bowls and chopsticks. Looking at their satisfied, innocent little faces, her lips curled into a gentle smile.

"Alright, kids. Since you’ve eaten my noodles, you have to do me a favor. If you can pull it off, there will be more food for you in the future."

Seven pairs of sparkling eyes immediately widened as they stared at her.

「Five minutes later.」

"...And that’s it. Got it?"

The seven munchkins nodded in unison.

"Got it!"

"Good. Remember, you can’t tell anyone. This is our little secret!"

Ning He pressed a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture.

"Don’t worry, we definitely won’t tell anyone!"

Knight promised with a solemn expression.

Ning He nodded in satisfaction. She watched the seven little dwarves scurry off before heading back inside. After packing and sealing the remaining roasted pepper sauce into glass jars, she sent a message to the group chat with the five old men.

Leitel had been waiting anxiously for the past two days. Upon hearing that Connie had set up her stall that morning, he immediately sent someone to run an errand and buy some sauce for him and his old pals to satisfy their cravings. So, when he received Ning He’s message, he happily shot straight up from the sofa.

"You name the place! I’m free anytime!"

The other old guys replied within a minute as well. It seemed they were all constantly obsessing over the roasted pepper sauce.

Ning He thought about it for a moment. Since these old men all lived in the First Ring, it was better if she made the trip herself.

"See you in an hour at Mela Cafe."

After confirming the plan, Ning He packed the jars into her backpack, locked the door, and set off.

Mela Cafe was located on the central commercial street of the First Ring. Aside from coffee, it offered desserts, salads, and light meals. It was a popular spot for the wealthy residents of the First Ring to chat and unwind.

By the time Ning He arrived, Leitel was already waiting by the door. Upon seeing her, he enthusiastically hurried over and led her into a private room.

"You must be tired from the trip, young lady. Here, quickly, have a glass of orange juice."

The old man with a cane squeezed out an awkward smile and pointed to a glass of bright yellow liquid on the table.

"Thank you."

Ning He didn’t stand on ceremony. She picked up the glass and took a big gulp, her eyes immediately widening in surprise.

"How is it? Not bad, right? I told them you girls would definitely love this."

Ning He savored the lingering citrus aroma on her tongue. "Is this real orange juice?"

The skinny old man next to them stroked his beard. "You guessed right. Freshly squeezed from real oranges and transported cold. They only sell a few dozen glasses of this a day."

"That must be really expensive, right?"

’Orange trees take at least three years to bear fruit. With these hellish weather conditions, how much would it cost just to maintain them?’

Ning He stared at the glass of roughly 300ml yellow liquid in her hand. ’This is practically liquid gold!’

"Not at all, not at all. It’s just a small token of appreciation from us old folks. As long as you like it," Leitel quickly replied. His eyes darted back and forth over the bulging backpack resting by her hand.

Ning He knew exactly what he was getting at. She carefully set her orange juice aside, hoisted her backpack onto the table, unzipped it, and pulled out five glass jars.

The old men’s eyes were instantly glued to the jars. The green paste soaked in golden oil looked incredibly rich and utterly mouth-watering.

"Would you like a taste?"

Ning He pulled a smaller sample jar from her backpack and gave it a little shake.

The old men’s eyes lit up.

「A few minutes later...」

Silence filled the private room.

Leitel kept his eyes closed as he savored the lingering flavor, his tongue still slightly numb. Finally, he let out a long sigh.

"Young lady, what on earth did you put in here? The flavor profile is much more complex than last time, and the aroma is even stronger. It’s... it’s simply indescribable."

The gray-haired old man also looked deeply shocked.

"Young lady, do you have some sort of secret recipe? We’re not boasting when we say we’ve tasted plenty of delicacies throughout Beiluo City and even other parts of the Alliance, but I’ve never experienced anything quite like this sauce. Compared to this, the stuff we used to eat was simply... simply..."

"It was shit!" the old man with a cane spat bitterly.

Ning He was slightly horrified.

’It can’t be that bad, can it?’

The skinny old man shook his head with a sigh. "It’s an exaggeration, sure, but not by much. Wayne didn’t pay you enough."

"Exactly. Sauce of this caliber is easily worth double the price."

Leitel pulled out his wallet as he spoke. He extracted five hundred and slid the bills in front of Ning He.

"Here, young lady, keep this. If we ever crave this flavor again, we’ll have to trouble you."

"Alright, I’ll accept it," Ning He agreed readily. "Making this requires some special ingredients that aren’t always available. If you want more next time, remember to let me know a week in advance so I can get a head start on preparing it."

"Understood."

Ning He pocketed the cash, drained the rest of her orange juice to the very last drop, and generously left the small sample jar behind. She said her goodbyes to the old men and left the private room.

After she left, silence fell over the room once again.

The old men looked at each other with solemn expressions.

After a long pause, the old man with a cane was the first to speak.

"Old, weak, sick, and disabled... I check two of those boxes, so this extra jar belongs to me."

Leitel huffed, blowing out his mustache.

"Give it a rest. Even missing a leg, you could still wipe the floor with us. It was my idea to invite her here, so naturally, the jar is mine."

The skinny old man scoffed.

"You’re the one who kept it all to yourself first, and now you want an extra jar? I was the one who suggested buying the orange juice, so it should go to me."

The gray-haired old man rubbed his temples, a headache forming.

"Stop arguing. Leitel, didn’t you ask that boy Leo to come over? When he gets here, let’s just give it to him. He’s been working hard lately; he deserves a reward."

At these words, the bickering ceased.

"Fine. I have no objections to giving it to Leo," the old man with a cane conceded.

Leitel and the skinny old man also dropped the argument.

"Alright then, that settles it."

Ten minutes later, Leo arrived at the cafe dressed in casual clothes.

Half an hour after that, Leo left the cafe, still in casual clothes but now with a small jar tucked into his pocket.

Meanwhile, Ning He was at a shoe store in the First Ring, picking out some new shoes.