I've been possessed by a culinary genius, and I've turned Shaxian snacks into a rip-off!

When Ke Yi saw that egg, his heart skipped a beat: "Cousin, is this what you meant by 'maximum value for money'?"

"This egg costs 3999? Seriously, if this weren't your shop, Lingling and I would have run away long ago."

Li Zhibai: "Xiao Yi, you just don't understand."

"Don't just look at the price numbers; you have to look at the value behind it! You think you're eating an egg? No! You're eating art, culture, the crystallization of molecular gastronomy and traditional braised dishes, the sunrise at four in the morning..."

Koi: "But you're selling it for 3999."

Li Zhibai: "Tell me, how much did you spend on that bag of chocolate beans?"

"1500".

"How many kilograms?"

"More than 3 jin (1.5 catties)."

"Then you calculate, how much does a pound of chocolate chips cost?"

"Around 500 yuan."

"That settles it then. Your chocolate chips made with a pound of industrial saccharin are worth five hundred yuan, but what about my egg?"

"This egg comes from a free-range hen in the mountains, who eats insects and drinks dew. She's never been in a relationship and it's her first egg. This egg is made with only a braising liquid made from eighteen kinds of Chinese herbs and uses deep-sea squid essence that can be separated from molecular gastronomy. It goes through 72 processes..."

"This egg combines physics, chemistry, biology, traditional Chinese medicine, food engineering... I'm selling it for 3999, is that expensive? This is clearly charity!"

Ke Yi and Ding Ling were stunned.

Especially for Ke Yi, she was surprised to find that her cousin's eloquence had improved so much since she hadn't seen him for so long.

They speak with such eloquence that they seem almost as sophisticated as those involved in pyramid schemes.

Furthermore, despite her cousin's explanation, she still didn't understand why the egg was so expensive.

Yu Shen noticed the confusion on their faces and offered to explain, "Let me summarize for you. What the boss means is that the high price isn't my problem, it's because you're poor."

Pang Yi: "Old Yu's summary is insightful and hits the nail on the head!"

Koy: "..."

Ding Ling: "..."

No, does it have to be so blunt?

"Xiao Yi, don't listen to their nonsense, they're just slandering me!"

Li Zhibai changed the subject, saying, "Xiao Yi, didn't you say you didn't want to go back? Perfect, since you two are out of money anyway, why don't you work at my shop for a few days? I'll pay you daily."

He's been busy with everything all day, and he must be quite tired.

Especially during peak seasons, it's really difficult for one person to be both a chef and a waiter, so it's good to have them fill in.

Upon hearing this, Ke Yi's eyes lit up: "How much?"

"3 a day... um, 350 then."

"350, this price seems reasonable." Ke Yi and Ding Ling were tempted.

"But there are conditions," Li Zhibai said, changing the subject.

"What are the conditions?"

"Accommodation included, meals not included."

Koy: "???"

Ding Ling: "???"

"No meals included? Don't restaurants provide meals?"

"Yes, meals are not included. I was originally planning to give you 300 a day, but consider this extra 50 as a meal allowance."

"Working hours are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and you are free to do whatever you want in the afternoon when you are not busy."

Although there is no limit to the number of diners during the long holiday, it also means that he has to get up early every morning to prepare the food, so he only plans to stay open until 9 p.m. to allow more time to rest.

"As for where to stay, it's in my apartment. I have a spare room there, so the two of you can squeeze in."

"Of course, if you're not satisfied with not having meals included, you have another option: meals included but no salary. It's one or the other."

Ke Yi really wanted to say to her cousin, "You're so stingy! You provide meals but don't pay us."

But then she thought of the exorbitantly priced menu hanging on the wall. If it included meals, not counting breakfast, just two meals a day would easily cost over a thousand.

My cousin pays them 350 yuan a day, and if that includes meals, then it's definitely a bit of a loss.

Thinking about it that way, not including meals seems quite reasonable?

Ding Ling whispered to Ke Yi, "Xiao Yi, I think we can choose not to include meals."

"Think about it, if meals are included, we'll definitely only be able to eat at the restaurants. Haven't you ever eaten at a Shaxian snack shop? Besides, the Shaxian across the street is just as expensive as your cousin's, but the taste is about the same as a regular Shaxian. What if your cousin's place is like that too?"

"It doesn't seem like a good deal for us to exchange our labor, which is worth more than 300 yuan a day, for two meals of mediocre Shaxian snacks."

"I'd rather use 300 yuan to order takeout myself. I can order whatever I want and save up some pocket money."

Upon hearing this, Ke Yi thought it made perfect sense.

The Shaxian restaurant across the street is a prime example; not only is it ridiculously expensive, but the taste is also not much different from the regular Shaxian.

From her current perspective, her cousin's shop is a "shady" place, and it might even be a place where people pay a "stupidity tax".

"Cousin, we've decided. We'll take a salary, but meals won't be included!"

"Alright! Let's officially start work now." Li Zhibai encouraged, "Work hard, your cousin won't treat you unfairly. After you finish these few days, I'll give you two return tickets for free."

"High-speed rail or sleeper train?"

"Standing ticket".

"..."

"Stingy!"

........

And that's how it was settled.

Li Zhibai glanced at the time and immediately began assigning them tasks: "Put your luggage somewhere that won't get in the way, and then get ready to start working."

There must be many people waiting for him to feed them today.

Because there were no limits on the number of customers during the National Day holiday, and he also offered free meals, business was indeed quite good.

Just then, two helpers arrived, which solved his immediate problem.

"Cousin, do we need to make any other preparations?" Ke Yi asked.

"No need, hands are fine." Li Zhibai glanced at their clothes: "It's just that your clothes are no good, they get dirty easily. I'll find you two aprons to change into later."

"OK!"