My Home's Ancient Well Connects to the Martial Arts World

Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Hiring a Chef for a High Salary

Ye Xing shook his head. ”Sorry, I don’t want to be a chef. My cooking skills are actually pretty average.”

”Haha, you’re too modest, young man,” said the portly man, Huang Jinbao. ”If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your approximate cost for making a plate of Shredded Pork with Bamboo Shoots?”

”Cost? Uh, because it requires adding many rare and expensive medicinal herbs as ingredients, the cost is actually quite high—probably several thousand yuan!” Ye Xing was just spouting nonsense, saying the first thing that came to mind. He couldn’t exactly tell people that it was only the Demon Beast Meat that was expensive, and that a few ounces of it cost just one or two thousand yuan.

”Hmm, a cost of several thousand to sell for ten thousand. After deducting costs, the profit margin isn’t huge, but its advantage is that it’s one-of-a-kind!” The portly Huang Jinbao nodded. Then, as if he had made a decision, he said to Ye Xing in a serious tone, ”Come be the head chef at my Jinsheng Hotel. I’ll provide all the resources—costs, customers, everything. How about a monthly salary of 100,000 yuan?”

’A monthly salary of 100,000 yuan? Wouldn’t that be over a million a year?’

Ye Xing was slightly stunned. A monthly salary of 100,000 yuan was definitely high. With that kind of pay, he could live comfortably not just in a small place like Luoxian County, but even in the provincial capital of Fu City or the nation’s capital, Yanjing. This portly man was really generous. In the past, he probably would have agreed immediately. But now, Ye Xing had his own plans. He was already preparing to quit his county job to strike out on his own, so how could he possibly take another job?

Although the two weren’t speaking loudly, their conversation still drew the attention of the surrounding diners.

”Hey, look over there. I think that’s Huang Jinbao, the owner of Jinsheng Hotel. He’s a multimillionaire tycoon.”

”My god, a monthly salary of 100,000 yuan? Why so high? What’s that young man’s background?”

”A regular head chef would be lucky to make over ten thousand a month. He’s so young, could he be a master chef already?”

”What master chef? I know that kid, Axing. His family just moved into the county seat half a month ago. He just graduated from university, and I don’t think he even majored in culinary arts.”

”It’s a hundred thousand a month, and he didn’t agree immediately?”

The surrounding diners buzzed with discussion, and many of them moved closer to watch.

”One hundred and twenty thousand!” Seeing that Ye Xing seemed unmoved, the portly Huang Jinbao raised his offer.

”One hundred and fifty thousand!”

”Two hundred thousand!” The portly man’s brow furrowed slightly.

At the side, his Second Aunt, Ye Xiuying, had eyes that were already shining. ”Axing, hurry up and say yes!”

The portly Huang Jinbao also looked at Ye Xing, waiting for his reply.

”I’m sorry, but my cooking is really just average, and I’m not interested,” Ye Xing said apologetically, spreading his hands.

”Don’t be so quick to refuse. Here’s my business card. Think it over tonight, and if you’re interested, give me a call!” Huang Jinbao said, handing Ye Xing a card.

Ye Xing’s gaze shifted. He took Huang Jinbao’s business card and mused, ”Working at Jinsheng Hotel is probably out of the question, but perhaps we could collaborate in the future.”

”Collaborate? Oh, right, why are you only selling one plate of this Shredded Pork with Bamboo Shoots? Does that mean you won’t sell it anymore? What am I supposed to do if I want to eat it again?” Huang Jinbao asked.

”If you want to buy more, you’ll probably have to wait a couple of days,” Ye Xing said.

He didn’t have much Demon Beast Meat left. In total, he had only brought back three *jin* of it from the Martial Arts Continent. He had already used over two *jin* to make a big meal of braised pork, and then used several *liang* to make three consecutive plates of Shredded Pork with Bamboo Shoots. Now, all that was left in his fridge was a small, fist-sized piece of meat, probably just enough to make one more plate for his own dinner tonight.

As for getting more Demon Beast Meat, he would have to wait until his next trip to the Martial Arts Continent to earn enough Gold Coins and buy a few more *jin*.

”Oh, alright then. I’ll contact you in a couple of days,” Huang Jinbao said. Then he left in his BMW, carrying the container of Shredded Pork with Bamboo Shoots with his wife, the plump woman.

After Huang Jinbao and his wife left, Second Aunt Ye Xiuying was so angry she glared at Ye Xing. ”From the way Boss Huang was talking, he seemed serious. Two hundred thousand a month! Axing, are you stupid?! Even if your cooking skills really are bad, you could just coast for two months and make four or five hundred thousand! Your mortgage problem would be solved in an instant.”

”That’s right, Ye Xing. Listening to your aunt is never a bad idea!” his uncle-in-law, Cheng Degen, also chimed in.

”You’d better think this through carefully, you brat. Call him back right away. With such a great opportunity, don’t you remember why your blind date failed? You’re not bad-looking, and your education is good. It was all because of your mortgage payments. Girls these days are very realistic. If you didn’t have a mortgage, that Qianqian girl might have said yes. Oh! Right, I almost forgot. That Qianqian girl works at Jinsheng Hotel, as a waitress or a cashier or something, making four thousand-some yuan a month. If you went to work at Jinsheng Hotel too, with a monthly salary of two hundred thousand, wouldn’t she be falling all over herself to date you?”

”Alright, Second Aunt, I have my own plans. Don’t worry. Even if I don’t go work at Jinsheng Hotel, I can still make a lot of money. Oh, right, I made an extra portion of Shredded Pork with Bamboo Shoots for you. Don’t get it mixed up this time. Remember to eat it yourself.” Ye Xing handed the container of pork to Ye Xiuying, and after a hasty word, quickly fled from Auntie Pang’s Snack Shop.

There was nothing he could do. As a member of the single-dog legion, besides his parents, his Second Aunt was the one who worried about him the most, always busy trying to set him up with someone.

”This kid, Axing...” Ye Xiuying sighed helplessly as she watched his rapidly retreating back. ”No, this won’t do. I have to call his father and mother later and get them to talk some sense into him.”

”Xiuying, are you going to eat that Shredded Pork with Bamboo Shoots Axing gave you or not? Hurry up and try it, see what’s so special about something that costs ten thousand yuan,” Cheng Degen urged, his eyes fixed on the container of shredded pork in Ye Xiuying’s hands.

Ye Xiuying’s interest was piqued. She was also very curious, so she immediately untied the takeout bag.

Instantly, a rich aroma of meat and fragrant bamboo shoots wafted out. Ye Xiuying couldn’t help but feel her appetite stir, and she quickly picked up a piece with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth.

GULP! Ye Xiuying’s eyes went wide, filled with astonishment, and she swallowed the bite whole.

”This is delicious! When did that kid Axing’s cooking get so good?” Second Aunt Ye Xiuying began to eat rapidly, so engrossed that she almost bit her tongue.

”Hey, Xiuying, save some for me! Save some for me!” Her husband, Cheng Degen, quickly grabbed a pair of chopsticks as well, eagerly picking up a slice of pork and bamboo.

...

The sun had set, and dusk had passed. The sky began to darken as night gradually enveloped the land. A crescent moon rose silently, casting a hazy, ethereal glow.

’A small plate of Shredded Pork with Bamboo Shoots, using less than two *liang* of Demon Beast Meat, earned me ten thousand yuan. This is a great deal! Hehe, I’m going to be rich!’

On the way home, Ye Xing walked under the starlight and moonlight, mulling over how to use Demon Beast Meat from the Martial Arts Continent to make money on Earth.

One *jin* of Level 1 Demon Beast Meat cost one Gold Coin, while a plate of Shredded Pork with Bamboo Shoots only required about two *liang* of the meat. This meant he only needed to sell twenty lighters to get the meat. A single lighter cost less than one yuan, so twenty of them would be twenty yuan at most, yet they could earn him ten thousand yuan. The profit margin was a direct 500-fold increase—absolutely exorbitant. He just needed to sell thirty to fifty *jin* of Demon Beast Meat, and Ye Xing could quickly become a millionaire.

It was nearly seven o’clock when he returned to the ancestral home.

Entering the kitchen of the ancestral home, Ye Xing prepared to wash the greasy pot, bowls, and chopsticks.

Having eaten over two *jin* of braised Demon Beast Meat, Ye Xing was currently very full. For some reason, he felt a constant stream of warmth rising from his lower abdomen. As time passed, the warmth gathered and intensified, flowing through his meridians and rapidly spreading throughout his entire body and limbs.

’Strange, what’s happening? My whole body is warm, and I feel like I’m overflowing with power!’

Ye Xing’s expression changed as he was washing the dishes. If the trickling sensation had been subtle before, the warmth was now surging in waves and currents, flooding his entire body. Even the most oblivious person would have noticed the changes happening to their body. ’Could it be because the Demon Beast Meat I ate earlier is starting to digest? Huh, that’s right! Xia Girl mentioned that Demon Beast Meat contains Energy Essence. Not only is it delicious, but it can also improve a person’s constitution! It has the effect of strengthening the body and curing all sorts of ailments!’

At that moment, as the warmth surged through him, Ye Xing felt his body thrumming with immense power, a sensation of having strength with no outlet. He suddenly glimpsed the large water vat next to the stove out of the corner of his eye. He immediately walked over, wrapped both hands around the large vat, and heaved with all his might.