Chapter 21: Business Hours
"Tofu is not some commoner's food."
Xia Yu's tone was calm as he leaned against the counter, arms crossed. "This ancient food ingredient dates back to the second century BC. It's said to have been invented by Liu An, the King of Huainan and grandson of Emperor Gaozu of Han."
"Of course, tofu back then was rough in texture and had a poor taste. It wasn't viewed as a fine cooking ingredient and never went mainstream. That didn't happen until the Tang and Song dynasties, when it became a staple enjoyed by both emperors and commoners alike. And you Japanese trace the roots of your tofu back to Monk Jianzhen of the Tang Dynasty. That belief isn't wrong. After all, Jianzhen did bring many technologies with him when he traveled east…"
His tone was light, bordering on conversational, as he narrated the history of tofu. There was no fear of being exposed—the history of this world aligned with Xia Yu's own up until modern times. The divergence only began with recent events.
Color, fragrance, taste, meaning, and shape.
"Meaning," in this context, referred to the cultural connotation of cuisine.
Xia Yu didn't care whether the God's Tongue was actually listening. He leisurely sprinkled a handful of chopped cilantro over the two bowls of tofu pudding.
"Here. Please enjoy."
He slid one bowl across the counter and smiled. "In the future, please don't call tofu a low-class dish. To me, there's no such thing as high or low cuisine. Cooking was born out of the need to fill bellies. Once that's achieved, then we can talk about flavor, color, and artistic presentation."
Erina Nakiri was stunned.
He had said it with a smile, but there was a rare seriousness in his voice that made her pause. The sarcastic remark she was about to unleash caught in her throat. She pursed her lips, looked away from the tofu pudding on the counter, and crossed her arms to signal her disdain.
"You really won't eat?" Xia Yu chuckled.
"No!"
"All right then…"
He didn't push. He simply picked up a small spoon and began eating, bite by bite.
"Mmm. Delicious. It even has that nostalgic, heart-warming flavor." Xia Yu took several large spoonfuls in a row, mumbling in satisfaction.
Erina, sitting nearby, caught a whiff of the dish's aroma. She wasn't imagining the way her mouth began to water. Her chef's instincts betrayed her. The rich, sweet scent of brown sugar water lingered in the air.
Is that… brown sugar syrup?
Why does the tofu have such a full-bodied soybean aroma?
And why does the cilantro bring everything together so well?
It was occupational hazard at this point. Erina bit her thumbnail unconsciously, a complicated look on her face.
Knock knock.
Suddenly, a voice called through the half-open shop door.
"Hello, is anyone there?"
"Ah Yu, are you here? It's me, your sister, Mu Xiaoyue!"
Xia Yu recognized the voice instantly. Swallowing another spoonful, he called back, "I'm here. Come on in."
The gray curtain rustled as two familiar Chinese girls entered the shop.
Mu Xiaoyue, the food blogger responsible for the overnight spike in his fame, took a deep breath as soon as she stepped inside. Her nose twitched, and she walked directly toward the counter like she was being pulled by a string.
"Whoa! Tofu pudding? Did you make this?"
"Yeah, it's breakfast," Xia Yu nodded.
"Can I try it? You've already had a bowl, so I assume you're full," she said, eyes sparkling like a child asking for candy. With her cute dress and big, clear eyes, she looked like a real-life anime girl.
From her seat in the corner, Erina's ears perked up.
She sensed an enemy.
"Sure," Xia Yu replied casually. "Tofu pudding is just a snack. It's almost lunchtime anyway. I'll have to prepare a few dishes to thank you properly."
"I'll accept the reward after I finish this!" Mu Xiaoyue beamed, reaching for two clean spoons. She handed one to her best friend and smiled sweetly. "Xiaoya, let's eat together!"
Each took a spoonful of the dish—white tofu in rich brown syrup—and brought it to their mouths.
Then their expressions changed.
From behind the counter, Xia Yu watched them with amusement. Especially Mu Xiaoyue—she couldn't stop praising the dish in professional terms even as she kept eating.
"Tofu pudding!"
"What kind of soybeans did you use? They're so fragrant! If I had soy milk made from these for breakfast every day, I'd be in heaven!"
Before they realized it, the bowl was empty.
Mu Xiaoyue lowered her spoon and looked at him intently.
"As expected of a pro food blogger." Xia Yu gave her a thumbs-up. "The soul of tofu pudding really is in the tofu—or rather, the soybeans used to make it."
"But sadly," he added with a sly grin, "these are just ordinary soybeans. You can buy them at any market around the corner."
He deliberately kept the truth to himself, silently apologizing to the old man.
In fact, the tofu pudding recipe had come from him. After tasting it once, Xia Yu had been blown away. He studied it carefully and, with the help of the Kitchen God System's ingredient analysis, finally cracked its secret.
Mu Xiaoyue sat down on a nearby chair and shot a brief glance at Erina Nakiri. Then she ignored her entirely and pointed to the wall on the left.
"Where's the menu?"
"Xiaoya and I didn't eat much this morning. We saved our stomachs just to try some authentic Chinese food here."
Xia Yu scratched his head and chuckled. "The shop isn't officially open yet. Once it is, we'll hang up the day's twelve featured dishes right on that wall. Customers can pick from there."
"Not open yet?" Mu Xiaoyue blinked in confusion. "But it's almost noon!"
"Normal business hours start from 6:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m. the next day—ten hours total."
"…"
"That makes sense if it's a night business, but what's with the 4 a.m. thing…?" she asked, puzzled. "After midnight, would anyone still come all the way out here to eat expensive Chinese food?"
"This is the schedule the old man set. It's been like that for over a decade. I don't plan on changing it—it works just fine."
He was telling the truth.
The restaurant had never operated during the day. Xia Yu had considered adjusting the hours now that he was in charge, but after thinking it over, he dropped the idea. Spring break would end soon, and he'd be attending high school during the day. He wouldn't have the time or energy to keep the shop running while juggling school.
So, the night shift it would remain.