"Huh? Spiny Leaf Bubble Bread? What is that?" Chen Ze was a bit dumbfounded. In fact, he had just woken up and was already feeling a bit dizzy. Hearing this dish na sent him into an even more dazed state.
"That’s right, boss, the little girl definitely said that." Betty yawned, and yawns are contagious.
"I don’t have Spiny Leaf Bubble Bread here... Actually, I’ve never even heard of this ingredient. Ask the custor if she can switch to sothing else." Chen Ze shook his head. Without the right ingredients, there was nothing he could do.
Betty nodded and then went out, only to co back soon after with another dish na.
"Wealth Soil... What the heck is that..." Chen Ze scratched his head in lancholy and looked at Betty with suspicion.
"Did you even show the custor the nu?" Chen Ze doubted whether Betty was slacking off, as it made no sense for the custors to be ordering such inexplicable dishes.
"I did! What else can I do? The little girl just wants these, and she wouldn’t agree to switch to sothing else." Betty felt wronged. She had tried her best, but the little girl just wouldn’t look at the nu. What could she do?
"All right, ask her to wait a mont. I’ll think of sothing." Chen Ze peeked out and then saw Annabelle holding a doll.
"Okay, boss, good luck. This child... looks a lot like Elena." Betty nodded to Chen Ze and then went out.
Chen Ze remained silent; he, too, had noticed the child looked a lot like Elena, both having the appearance of a holess child, yet she seed cleaner and her clothes didn’t look patched up.
"This ’Wealth Soil’, why does it sound so much like ’Kannon Soil’?" Chen Ze frowned. In so places where people can’t afford food, they have to eat soil.
And it’s not about taphorically ’eating soil’ after spending too much online, but literally eating soil—a kind that fills you up but provides no nutrition.
"So this dish should resemble soil, though it’s not really soil inside." The first thing that ca to Chen Ze’s mind was Beggar’s Chicken. Traditional Beggar’s Chicken would fit the young custor’s request, but Chen Ze thought eating just a chicken might not be very healthy, so he decided to pair it with a staple food.
If you talk about Chinese fast food, the dish that left the deepest impression on Chen Ze was mashed potatoes. It tastes very good, the texture is very fluffy, and it’s quite filling. So Chen Ze often sought out mashed potatoes.
"So, let’s do a mashed potato rice bowl, with a bit of vegetables..." Chen Ze gathered the ingredients and quickly prepared the dish he had in mind.
Annabelle sat uneasily in the chair. The succubus had just poured her a glass of water with a bit of white dust in it, calling it ’lemon water’. But Annabelle had never heard the na and deeply suspected that ’lemon water’ was a specialty from so negative dinsion.
"May the Goddess of Wealth bless ... May the Goddess of Wealth bless ..." Annabelle silently chanted in her heart.
"Betty, co in and serve the dish." Chen Ze wiped his hands. The Beggar’s Chicken was ready in quadruple speed, and now the mashed potato rice bowl he wanted to make was also done. It looked indistinguishable from soil in appearance and color, except the ’soil’ was topped with so vegetables.
"Okay." Betty walked in and then carried the dish out.
Chen Ze clapped his hands. The mashed potato rice bowl hadn’t gotten the System’s approval, but Chen Ze had made two portions. He had just tasted it, and it was pretty good. He thought the little custor would be satisfied too.
"Enjoy your al," Betty said as she placed the two dishes down, then stepped aside as she needed to fetch sothing.
"Soil... it slls so good..." Annabelle thought she might be sick since she could sll a aty fragrance from soil. She wondered if she was about to die or if the succubus had cast a spell on her.
"Guest, please wait a mont!" Betty had just co out with so items when she saw Annabelle about to nibble on soil and quickly stepped forward to prevent the other’s self-harm.
Annabelle retreated fearfully, and when she turned her head, she saw the succubus holding a hamr. Was she going to be smashed to death?
However, before she could get up, Betty smashed the hamr onto the soil clump, revealing a layer of lotus leaves underneath. Then Betty unfurled the lotus leaves, revealing the tender white chicken at inside.
"Guest, please enjoy your al," Betty said, taking away the soil and leaving Annabelle staring blankly at the beggar’s chicken in front of her.
"This... I don’t have that much money... and I’m stricken with a terrible disease... I can’t be a slave!" However, her first reaction was not joy but fright.
Annabelle rembered what her father had said.
"Daughter, rember, every gift cos with a price tag from destiny behind it."
"This doll is nice, can I have it?" Chen Ze walked out with a smile, having been watching the little girl all along. After all, for these children, a beggar’s chicken would certainly seem very expensive, and Chen Ze didn’t want to force anyone into slavery; he didn’t have such a hobby.
"Eh? Are you talking about Annabelle?" Annabelle looked at the doll in her arms.
"Annabelle? You an her na is Annabelle?" Chen Ze was a bit surprised.
"Um... I just... nad it..." Annabelle huddled up, looking like a frightened little squirrel.
"That’s nice, I’ll take this... Annabelle as paynt for your al this ti," Chen Ze smiled, then took the thunderous doll in his hands.
Upon closer examination, Chen Ze realized there was indeed sothing strange about the doll. It was almost identical to the Annabelle from the horror movies, with only differences in hair color and so subtle details preventing Chen Ze from suspecting this little girl had erged from the Conjuring Universe.
"Thank you," Annabelle said gratefully, then extended her bony hand, pulled apart the beggar’s chicken, and ate it voraciously.
"Eat slowly, don’t choke," Chen Ze said with concern.
To be honest, these street children all looked malnourished, but he had never seen one quite like this little girl before.
Out of curiosity, Chen Ze scanned the little girl’s body with the Magic Circle and then discovered sothing extra in her brain.
"Hm? Cancer?" Chen Ze blinked, so there were terminal illnesses like this in the other world too?
Annabelle was unaware that Chen Ze had discovered her illness as she was eating mashed potato rice.
She thought it was soil at first, but upon tasting it, she realized it was more delicious than she had imagined.
"This must be the Kingdom of God, right?" At that mont, Annabelle felt very fortunate.
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