Translator: ChuRen/ YuQiChen
The bun shop owner sneered and led the provocative Chang Bai into the kitchen.
Chang Bai strode in proudly, carrying the basin of water, followed by the big blob Tuanzi.
Bun shop owner: “Are these ingredients you brought yourself?”
Chang Bai: “…No.”
The owner couldn’t help but furrow his brows. “Pets aren’t allowed in the kitchen.”
“This isn’t an ordinary pet,” Chang Bai scrambled to explain, “It’s my mascot, especially this scallop here—without her, I can’t cook.”
No sooner had he spoken than everyone saw the little scallop in the basin turn proudly away, closing its shell tightly, clearly sending the message: “I’m not familiar with this guy.”
Onlookers: …?
Chang Bai twitched his mouth, then jabbed harshly at Xiaoman’s shell.
The little scallop wasn’t intimidated at all. In fact, quick as a flash, it pinched Chang Bai’s finger.
—It was downright ferocious!
Onlookers: Wow!
“Ahem,” Chang Bai dryly coughed and forced an explanation. “My mascot is a bit prideful and not easy to get close to.”
Just then, the little scallop “clapped” its shell open again and affectionately rubbed against the octopus’s claw.
—Clearly cute and well-behaved!
Completely different attitude compared to just now with Chang Bai!
Chang Bai was so slapped in the face that he was numb. “…The bond isn’t good between pet and owner—sorry for the embarrassment.”
Crowd: Heh.
“If that’s your mascot, then what’s this bug?” The bun shop owner frowned and pointed at Tuanzi.
Chang Bai thought for a moment. “The face of the team?”
The owner’s expression showed obvious disapproval.
Chang Bai waved his hand. “I’ll just leave the basin here; the others can wait outside.”
The owner nodded and planted his towering frame right in front of Tuanzi.
Su Ling flicked Tuanzi with his tail, and Tuanzi caught on, letting out a “Gu” as he obediently retreated outside, continuing to peek through the doorframe.
The bun shop owner was fair enough to share half the kitchen utensils with Chang Bai.
The two exchanged a glance; their eyes locked in a silent challenge, and Chang Bai curled his lips into a provocative smile as he confidently rolled up his sleeves.
“Let’s start,” Chang Bai whispered.
The first step in making buns was kneading the dough.
Chang Bai picked up the flour bag, his hands covered in white flour. Then, lowering his head, he locked eyes with the octopus in the water.
—That’s when he realized a problem.
Chang Bai suddenly froze.
His whole ghostly spirit started to falter!
Shi Kongzang squirted a jet of ink into the water, looking at Chang Bai with sympathy.
—He’d bet a spicy snack that Bai Wuchang totally forgot Xiaoman wasn’t human-shaped anymore, and couldn’t speak human language…
So, guidance from the little dark hand expert, Meng Po?
Nonexistent.
Su Ling, lying lifeless on Tuanzi and casually gossiping about the kitchen situation, sighed softly.
Wu Pan, curled up in his turtle shell, comforted, “Since this contest is about who can make the strangest-tasting dish, Xiao Bai’s never cooked before—he might not be worse than Xiaoman.”
Su Ling felt somewhat reassured and started watching the competition earnestly.
Meanwhile, the bun shop owner was already skilled in mixing the water-flour ratio, veins bulging along his arm as his broad, strong hands continuously slapped the dough, making it more elastic.
In contrast, true beginner Chang Bai was clearly flustered. He knocked over flour accidentally or poured in too much water.
Even Meng Xiaoman couldn’t help but anxiously clap her shell, urging him on.
Clap.
(Add more water!)
Clap clap.
(Add more flour, add more flour!)
Chang Bai somehow understood Xiaoman’s meaning from the clapping shell sounds and started the “Xiaoman-style kneading method”!
The onlookers only saw Chang Bai repeatedly doing “add flour, add water, add flour, add water…”—a typical newbie dough-kneading process, almost making people feel sorry enough not to mock this troublemaker. 🙂
By the time the bun shop owner’s dough was fully formed and fermented, Chang Bai finally adjusted the proportions correctly, sweating heavily as he began kneading. Midway, he even realised he had added too little water and had to redo it.
When the bun shop owner started chopping the filling, Chang Bai gazed thoughtfully at the huge slab of pork and finally decided to take action.
He lowered his head and, as if talking to himself but actually asking Xiaoman’s opinion, said, “Next, should I chop the meat finely?”
Xiaoman responded with an approving clap.
Chang Bai nodded in understanding, then, with a flourish… pulled out a large axe.
Onlookers: W-wait!
Why are you using an axe just to chop pork?!
Hold on, wait—where did you even get that axe from just now?!
Chang Bai seemed oblivious to everyone’s horrified looks.
—As an underworld impermanence, wielding Pangu’s Heaven-Cleaving Axe to chop meat was no challenge at all!
The moment he cut the first slice, a thunderclap flashed across the sky and a gust of wind swept in, carrying a mournful wail.
This was the Heaven-Cleaving Axe, crying over its fate to become a mere kitchen knife.
With Chang Bai’s every chop, sand and dust swirled violently, darkening the sky… until the pork mince was fully chopped and calm returned.
Onlookers: Impressed but dumbfounded.
Su Ling turned away in frustration. “I’m starting to suspect there’s something wrong with my hiring standards.”
Turtle Wu Pan: ?
Su Ling grumbled, “Using an axe as a kitchen knife is definitely not a normal person’s idea.”
And combined with Xiaoman’s cooking style, it really makes this company look particularly crazy!
Turtle Wu Pan sympathetically moved his short little limbs.
Meanwhile, the bun shop owner was completely unfazed by the noise from the Heaven-Cleaving Axe. He skillfully wrapped the filling, pinched the pleats, and in the blink of an eye, dozens of buns were lined up neatly side by side. Chang Bai finally managed to knead a decent ball of dough and painstakingly shaped his first bun.
Onlookers: …?!
Are you seriously calling that a bun and not a steamed bread?!
In the end, the owner’s dozens of exquisite buns and Chang Bai’s row of plain white steamed buns were placed side by side in the steamer, and the contrast in appearance was painfully obvious.
Su Ling covered his eyes in despair.
Meng Xiaoman happily twirled around in satisfaction.
A few minutes later, the fresh buns came out of the steamer. The crowd, who had originally wanted to be the judges, fell silent after witnessing Chang Bai’s “ferocious” effort, and no one dared to be a guinea pig.
“These are mostly my customers here, so to be fair, you get to pick the judge,” the bun shop owner said confidently.
Chang Bai squinted threateningly, casually pointed at someone in the crowd, and said, “You’re it!”
The chosen person: ??!
With a meaningful smile, Chang Bai said, “You have the honour of tasting the first bite.”
…Please, no such honour!
That person turned pale but, under Chang Bai’s intimidating gaze, had no choice but to step forward shakily and take a bite of the “little steamed bun.”
Then he blinked.
And suddenly, he couldn’t hold back tears, eyes brimming with emotion: “It… it tastes like my mom’s cooking…”
Onlookers: ???
What kind of plot twist is this?
“My mom passed away three years ago. I haven’t tasted this flavour for a long time…” he sobbed, crying like he was a man weighing over 180 pounds.
Someone, sceptical, asked, “Is it really that good?”
“It’s not just delicious. This chef’s food carries emotion—I can taste his respect for the ingredients and his love for flavour,” he praised Chang Bai wholeheartedly.
Su Ling: ?
Are you sure? That Chang Bai, who was wielding a huge axe to chop meat just now, is said to have a love for food?
“Don’t just keep crying! How does the taste compare to our boss’s buns?”
Someone nearby anxiously started urging.
The man wiped his tears, barely restraining his inner emotion, then tilted his head in confusion, almost talking to himself: “Boss’s buns… what flavour was that? Why can’t I remember?”
As he spoke, he instinctively grabbed a bun and stuffed it into his mouth.
“Ugh—”
He couldn’t hold it in and immediately spat it out, choked by the overwhelming and shocking taste.
“Wow—are you exaggerating that much?!”
The crowd around stepped back disgustedly.
“Really, I suddenly can’t eat anymore,” the man grumbled pitifully, “I don’t even know how I ever managed to eat such awful buns before.”
“Hey, how can you slander the boss so casually! Are you a plant?” Some regular customers immediately started showing displeasure.
The accused man looked innocent and pointed at the two piles of buns. “I’m not lying to you all. If you don’t believe me, try them yourselves.”
Hearing this, two or three people immediately stepped out from the crowd, but the confusion had clearly made them hesitate.
Finally, someone closed his eyes, steeled himself, and took a bite.
He sighed with relief and complained at the man who had just spat out the bun: “What are you saying? It tastes just as good as before.”
The man froze for a moment, instinctively denying, “Impossible! W-well, why don’t you try the other batch first?”
The other man sneered and tried the buns Chang Bai made, then suddenly his eyes widened.
It turned out the first taster hadn’t exaggerated at all. As the various flavour notes blended in his mouth, stimulating his taste buds, it also stirred deep emotions inside him.
So food prepared with care really can convey feelings.
He was stunned for a long moment, then stubbornly took another bite of the boss’s buns.
“Ugh—”
Another person vomited.
With two people confirming Chang Bai’s high skill, no one could stay calm any longer—in fact, right in front of the steamer, a frantic scramble for the buns broke out.
Chang Bai, still dazed and not quite believing it, was overwhelmed by the sudden attention.
Su Ling wasn’t about to be left behind; he directed Tuanzi to snatch one of Chang Bai’s “steamed breads”, then shared it evenly with Wu Pan.
After eating, the two animals fell into silence.
Wu Pan struggled to speak, “Surprisingly… It’s really delicious.”
Su Ling nodded in agreement and couldn’t help but sigh, “It really does take talent to cook. He and Xiaoman used the exact same recipe…”
He didn’t say the second half of the sentence, fearing he might get a scolding from Xiaoman.
While they were chatting, the bun shop owner couldn’t help himself and tried one of Chang Bai’s buns.
Then, he immediately spat it out with a disgusted “Peh!” expressing his strong dislike.
Watching the bun shop owner using his whole body to communicate “disgusting”, Su Ling suddenly realised something.
…Boss, don’t you really need to get your sense of taste checked at a hospital??
Author’s note: 【Mini Theater】
One day, Chang Bai set up a soup stall on this side of the Naihe Bridge.
Ghost 1: Wah wah wah, this reminds me of my mom…
Ghost 2: Wah wah wah, this reminds me of my dad…
Ghost 3: Wah wah wah, this reminds me of my child…
Ghost 4: Wah wah wah, this reminds me of Meng Po…
Ghosts 1, 2, 3: ???!!!
Ghost 4: Thinking of all those years drinking Meng Po’s soup—after all these grievances, it was all for nothing QAQ.
#Today’s theme: The importance of talent#
No reuploading anywhere else.
Support the author 此山有鬼 by buying chapters on jjwxc!!
Your ko-fi donations would be greatly appreciated.
If you don’t know what to read next you can try these out
After leaving the entertainment industry, the Ge’er became famous for his embroidery skills
[Quick Transmigration] The Paranoid Villain is Coveting the Beautiful Cat Again
I’m currently translating these novels as well~
Ko-fi goals? Extra chapter release once we reach our goal!!
