Chapter 1: Pure Little Meat Bun
Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Pure Little Meat Bun
"Boss Lu, you’re really setting up your stall?"
The moment Lu Wu opened her door, the old man from next door happened to be strolling by and came over to ask.
He looked at Lu Wu as if she were a little fool.
"I really am."
Lu Wu replied with a smile.
Under the man’s contemplative gaze, Lu Wu pushed her food cart out the door.
She had transmigrated a month ago to this Cultivation World called the Green Origin Realm. At first, she’d been dreaming sweet dreams, imagining she could embark on the path of cultivation. She pictured herself summoning the wind and rain just like the other Cultivators, perhaps even achieving immortality.
Unfortunately, the aptitude test was a harsh slap in the face.
In the Green Origin Realm, a single Spirit Root was considered the best. The more Spirit Roots one had, the lower their aptitude. Even the worst of the worst, the Five Spirit Roots, were looked down upon by every Sect. But hey, at least someone with Five Spirit Roots could still cultivate!
But her? She didn’t have a single Spirit Root. Unable to perform Energy Introduction, she was a complete and utter good-for-nothing.
Just as she had given up all hope of cultivating, her "golden finger" finally made its belated appearance.
[DING! The Gourmet Cultivation System has been activated. As long as the Host completes missions, you can gain cultivation.]
That one sentence was enough to get Lu Wu completely hooked.
The system’s missions were simple: go to a designated location and sell food. Each cycle lasted seven days.
And this was Lu Wu’s very first mission.
[Current Mission: Sell 1,000 buns within seven days.]
[Designated Location: Across from Baihua Building in Xiaohe Town.]
[Designated Time: Start of Hai Hour to the end of Chou Hour.]
In other words, from 9 PM to 3 AM.
When she discussed the feasibility of selling buns in the middle of the night across from a brothel with the old man next door, he’d given her a look that questioned her sanity.
Fortunately, the system had provided a variety of bun recipes. Having already prepared the fillings during the day, Lu Wu marched valiantly toward the brothel.
Night had fallen, but the brilliantly lit Yanliu Street was bustling with activity.
The scent of perfume and powder hung in the air, thick and cloying.
The delicate laughter of women mingled with the boisterous voices of men. Pushing her bun cart, Lu Wu seemed completely out of place.
This was Xiaohe Town’s famous Yanliu Street, the heart of the town’s flesh trade.
The customers here were certainly interested in "meat," but not the kind found in a meat bun. At this hour, they were all lost in a drunken stupor in the arms of beauties.
So, when Lu Wu set up her stall, a Flower Lady leaning against the second-floor railing of the Baihua Building shot her a quizzical look.
Suppressing her awkwardness, Lu Wu lit her stove, started boiling water, and began to assemble the buns.
She had prepared three flavors: Spicy Kidney Buns, Sweet Red Bean Buns, and Innocent Little Meat Buns.
’Don’t ask why. The system named them.’
Lu Wu sprinkled dry flour on her board, placed the already-proofed white dough on top, and began to knead it with a flick of her wrists.
The dough was snow-white, made from the flour of high-quality Spirit-Grown Wheat. No matter how it was cooked, it would always carry a delicate, fresh fragrance.
Lu Wu pinched the soft dough into perfectly-sized portions and set them aside before taking out the fillings.
She had prepared all three fillings beforehand.
The two meat fillings glistened, steeped in a light broth with just the right amount of fat.
The mashed red bean paste was stuffed into the dough, slowly enveloped by the white wrapper. The contrast of red and white was striking. It wasn’t hard to imagine how, once cooked, the sweetness of the paste would seep into the dough, creating a wondrous flavor with every bite.
Lu Wu’s hands moved quickly. In no time, tender, fist-sized white buns were arranged in the steamer. As the water heated and steam began to swirl around her, Lu Wu kept an eye on the passersby and hung up her menu.
"Little sister, are you short on Spirit Stones?"
The teasing voice of a Flower Lady drifted down from above. Lu Wu looked up to see her wearing a thin, sheer gauze, leaning against the railing, her delicate figure partially concealed and revealed.
The sight was enough to make one’s blood boil, and Lu Wu could feel her face flush.
It wasn’t that she lacked composure; the Flower Lady’s Charm Technique was simply too powerful. A mere mortal like her couldn’t possibly resist.
This was the Cultivation World, after all. Even in a brothel, most of the Flower Ladies were Cultivators.
And the disciples of the Hehuan Sect, who cultivated the Dao through passion and followed the path of yin-yang union, were especially fond of plying their trade in such places.
Lu Wu had heard some gossip that this entire street was a stronghold for disciples of the Hehuan Sect.
The men who entered these brothels would stumble out every morning with unsteady steps, looking as if their very essence had been drained dry.
Yet the service provided by the Flower Ladies here was so good that the men just couldn’t stay away.
And the most popular business on the entire street was the Baihua Building, right across from her.
"Big sister, want to buy a bun?"
"They’re one low-grade spirit stone each!"
Lu Wu blinked, trying to look cute as she pitched her buns.
The Flower Lady was so shocked by the price that her fan stopped mid-wave. She stared at Lu Wu as if she were looking at a shameless highway robber.
Lu Wu maintained a sincere, eight-toothed grin.
’The system set the price. It’s non-negotiable!’
"Are you selling buns or committing robbery?"
The Flower Lady’s laughter was like a blossoming branch trembling in the wind. But seeing Lu Wu’s pitiful expression, she tossed down a Spirit Stone anyway.
"Consider it a tip. Just remember to bring one up for me when they’re ready."
With that, the Flower Lady turned and went back inside.
’Mission progress +1!’ Lu Wu thought, secretly giving herself a little victory sign.
As the buns finished steaming, an enticing aroma began to waft through the air.
The scent seemed to drill its way right into people’s nostrils.
There were a few other small-time vendors not far off. A moment ago, they had been secretly sneering at Lu Wu, but now all of them were staring in her direction.
"Damn, what is that smell?"
A drunken man happened to be passing by. His nose twitched, and his eyes immediately locked onto Lu Wu.
"A bun stall?"
"Little girl, you’re selling buns out here in the dead of night?"
Another one who thought she had a screw loose. Lu Wu didn’t mind in the slightest.
"That’s right, I’m selling buns! This batch is just about ready. Would you like one?" Lu Wu was all enthusiasm, not slacking off in the least.
’Are you kidding? Completing the mission would raise her cultivation. How could she not be fired up about a deal like that?’
The man, his belly full of liquor, let out a belch. He felt his stomach sloshing and decided he needed something solid to weigh it down.
"Alright, give me one... ’Innocent Little Meat Bun.’"
Looking at the menu, the customer’s expression was a bit strange.
"Miss, you are selling... legitimate buns, right?"
’These names are so ridiculous.’
Her integrity questioned, Lu Wu opened the steamer and plucked out a bun.
The bun was perfectly legitimate. Whether the system was, she couldn’t say.
"Here you go, sir. That’ll be one low-grade spirit stone. Thank you for your patronage."
The astronomical price shocked the man half-sober. He opened his mouth, ready to let out a string of curses.
But the meaty aroma of the bun was like one of the little demons from the brothels, sensuously crawling all over him.
’Patron, pick me, pick me!’
The drunken man thought he must be hallucinating.
How could he possibly resist this?
He couldn’t resist at all!
Swallowing hard, the man gave Lu Wu a suspicious look, but paid up anyway.
"Fine! I’d like to see what’s so damn special about this bun to make it this expensive!"
For this price, he could have eaten his fill at any other bun shop.
"Satisfaction guaranteed."
Lu Wu was very confident in her own cooking skills.
Watching the man squat down to one side to take a bite of his bun, Lu Wu picked up a Sweet Red Bean Bun and headed for the Baihua Building to find the Flower Lady from earlier.