CHAPTER 794: CHAPTER 402: SLACKING OFF

In the circle of Huang Ji’s diners, the Four Happiness Flower Rolls caused a huge sensation. The appearance was beautiful, the taste was excellent, and the price was very affordable (the same as Fermented Rice with Steamed Buns).

It had been a long time since Huang Ji’s customers had seen such a cost-effective snack in Huang Ji, which was a well-known upscale restaurant in Gusu, famous mainly for its serious markup.

Upon hearing that the Four Happiness Flower Rolls were available ahead of schedule, boasting super cost-efficiency and deliciousness, the diners swarmed in, queuing to buy them, and those who had to work and couldn’t line up had someone run errands for them. Suddenly, the entrance of Huang Ji became as lively as it was during New Year’s Day.

At this point, someone might raise doubts, questioning how it could be like the hustle and bustle during New Year’s Day. During New Year’s Day, Huang Ji experienced its peak traffic, supported by the endorsement from "Taste." Every day, countless out-of-town guests flocked in, willing to queue for hours just to buy some snacks.

Even though Qin Huai’s Four Happiness Flower Rolls were highly cost-effective, it was unlikely for them to cause such a large uproar in one day.

Theoretically, that should be the case.

But there’s also a marketing strategy known as hunger marketing.

Huang Ji wasn’t aiming to engage in hunger marketing intentionally. It was mainly due to insufficient production, forcing them into hunger marketing.

"Master Qin, that was the last batch of Four Happiness Flower Rolls made today, right? Do you roughly know the specific quantity? The team leader asked me to come and ask you, so she can advise the customers queuing outside."

Around three in the afternoon, a round-faced waiter quietly leaned his head in at the kitchen door and asked loudly.

Qin Huai precisely reported the figures and continued to munch on lotus root powder balls idly.

The round-faced waiter took note of the counts, nodded, and left briskly.

Since the morning, Dong Shi had been curious about what had happened to Qin Huai. He took the opportunity to approach when Qin Huai suddenly started making such beautiful Four Happiness Rolls, still holding half of an unfinished cucumber in his hand, and asked in a low voice, "Qin Huai, it’s only 3 o’clock, and you’ve already stopped making Four Happiness Rolls?"

Qin Huai nodded decisively, "I’m done. That’s all for the Four Happiness Rolls today."

"Are you not feeling well?" Dong Shi probed again, quietly observing Qin Huai’s complexion but thinking it didn’t seem so.

His complexion was rosy, lip color normal, and most importantly, he looked vibrant and glowing, all signs of good health.

"No, not at all." Qin Huai continued to eat glutinous rice balls calmly, puzzled by Dong Shi’s sudden question, "I don’t feel unwell anywhere. Why, does my complexion look bad?"

Dong Shi shook his head, kept staring at Qin Huai, "Then why are you off work at this time? Got something to do later?"

Qin Huai, bewildered, put down his bowl and started staring at Dong Shi, trying to see if his buddy hadn’t come across juicy gossip recently, causing his mind to behave unusually.

"Who told you I was off work?" Qin Huai asked, "My normal off-work time is 5:40, isn’t it? I still have other snacks to make later."

"What snacks?"

"Four Happiness Soup Balls."

Dong Shi: ???

Looking at the shifting expressions on Dong Shi’s face from shock to confusion, then contemplation, to realization yet confusion and contemplation again, Qin Huai simply couldn’t guess what wild thoughts were running through his friend’s mind.

Dong Shi’s thinking was too erratic, reasoning logically about him usually led to illogical actions. But drifting from logic also prompted him to follow the rules.

Qin Huai decided to ask directly, "What are you thinking about?"

"I’m thinking about how you’ve changed." Dong Shi made a philosophically rich statement that Wang Jun and multiple ex-girlfriends had said to him before.

Qin Huai: ?

"How have I changed?"

Wang Jun heard that question from more than one ex-girlfriend too.

"Just..." Dong Shi scratched his neck, struggled to organize his words, "This isn’t your usual way of doing things."

"Have you been spending too much time with Tan Wei’an and caught his lazy bug?"

Tan Wei’an, not far away, was slacking off and eavesdropping on the conversation between Dong Shi and Qin Huai: ?!!!

Tan Wei’an, holding half-eaten tomato, stormed over angrily towards Dong Shi, exclaiming, "What do you mean by that, Dong Shi? Being around me long enough to catch a lazy bug? Do you know what time I get up every day? Do you know what time I sleep every day? Do you know how many snacks I make every day? Do you know I go home every evening flipping through recipes madly to find snacks that meet Qin Huai’s aesthetic? The types of snacks he’s good at like the Four Happiness Soup Balls and lotus root powder balls aren’t in any of my family’s ancestral recipes. My grandfather and great-grandfather aren’t skilled in these!"

Tan Wei’an’s outburst shocked Qin Huai. He never expected that a casual conversation would stick in Tan Wei’an’s mind. Tan Wei’an hadn’t mentioned it, and Qin Huai had forgotten, but Tan Wei’an was seriously flipping through "Treasure Bag" every night at home.

Qin Huai was a little moved.

He started reflecting on whether he had somewhat neglected Tan Wei’an during this period. After all, Tan Wei’an really liked slacking off so much that it sometimes left him without a sense of presence.

Besides barely keeping up with the squad’s progress by making some related snacks, Tan Wei’an randomly practiced the snacks he was good at; his workload was the lightest among the pastry snack masters in the same batch.

There was even a sort of unhurriedness in Tan Wei’an, a relaxation unlikely seen in chefs from Zhiwei Restaurant.

Every day he stood in the kitchen, his face written with big words: Can practice, can’t practice, leave it.

After being moved, Qin Huai quickly tried to mediate, "That’s not what Dong Shi meant. Hey, Tan Wei’an, where did you get that tomato from? Could you give me one?"