Chapter 56 - Is This Tofu Pudding Sweet Or Savory?
Indeed, it didn’t take them long to buy a bamboo jar of sheep’s milk. Mag only spent 20 copper coins on it and got another bamboo jar for free, which made him wonder if he was a little greedy. As they walked past the magic potion shop on the way back, they teased Black Coal and Green Pea again.
When they came back and opened the door, they heard the kitten’s cry; it sounded a little anxious.
“Don’t be afraid, Ugly Duckling. You’re so ugly, so you’ll be safe even if you’re alone,” Amy said as she slid under Mag’s arm and ran towards it.
Her way of comforting it is really… different. Smiling, Mag walked in and put the milk on the counter. The little towel was a mess now, and the kitten was staring at Amy with its two paws on the edge of the basket like an abandoned child, its eyes watering—a pitiful sight.
“Okay, fine. We’ll take you with us next time. You little troublemaker.” Amy let out a sigh. She reached out and stroked its head, and it immediately stopped crying and narrowed its eyes, enjoying her stroking.
Mag smiled. She is always talking about eating it, but since they live together, she will surely bond with it.
He didn’t want to tell her what she should do, because it was best if she could figure out by herself that friends and playmates were important. She had already turned Black Coal into her friend.
She said she wanted to eat it simply because she had a little obsession with roast goose, and it was nothing more than that.
Mag took the baby bottle from the counter and went into the kitchen. He put the nipple and tube into boiling water to kill the bacteria; then, he poured some milk into the clean bottle and warmed the bottle with some warm water. He dripped some on the back of his hand to test the temperature, put the lid on the jar, placed it in the fridge, and walked out with the baby bottle.
Mag crouched down beside her. “What is this, Father?” Amy asked curiously as she watched the bottle in Mag’s hand. The sheep’s milk is in a transparent bottle that has a soft thingy on it. What’s it for? she thought.
“Meow.” Ugly Duckling saw the bottle too. It must have smelled the milk. Its eyes were shining, and it was licking its lips. Apparently, it was starving.
“This is a baby bottle. It’s for feeding babies and baby animals. Like this.” Mag smiled and put the nipple to the cat’s mouth. The pleasant smell of the milk and its own instinct drove it over to the nipple, and it sucked on it happily. The white sheep milk flowed from the corner of its mouth and dropped on its white hair on the chest. It really liked it.
The sugar content is relatively low in sheep’s milk, and Ugly Duckling is like a one to two weeks old kitten, and it’s a wild one, so it should be able to digest sheep’s milk,Mag thought. If it doesn’t work, I’ll buy formula from the system. It may not be very cheap, though.
Amy’s eyes brightened. “It’s so interesting. Father, can I feed it?” she asked expectantly.
“Sure. But don’t dirty it, because it is too small to be washed now. So, we have to wear a pet-bib around its neck.” Mag handed the bottle to Amy and took out a flower-patterned bib from the counter. He had wanted to remove the bottle first and then tie the bib, but the little thing seemed to have read his mind—it sucked on the nipple tight. Mag had no choice but to make Amy lift the bottle up and then tie it on while it was still drinking.
“Well, I’ll leave it to you then. This bottle of milk should be enough. I’ll go prepare the ingredients for lunch,” Mag said as he looked at Amy who was carefully feeding the kitten with the bottle in her two hands.
Amy nodded. “Okay. Don’t worry, Father.” Then she watched Ugly Duckling as it was enjoying its milk. “Is it that good?” she muttered, wondering.
It seemed like Ugly Duckling had understood her words; it nodded while suckling.
Mag went into the kitchen and washed his hands; then, he took out several pieces of meat from the fridge, cut them into large chunks, and put them in a large jar to marinate.
The meat was the most important. Last night, he had marinated enough meat for today and tomorrow, and it would be perfect by tomorrow morning. Now he had to marinate the meat for the day after tomorrow to make sure it had the best texture, and that his roujiamos’ taste was consistent as well as delicious.
When Mag had finished, he went to check Amy’s feeding job, and found Amy sitting on the ground, holding the bottle in her hands and suckling happily. Leaning on the edge of the basket, Ugly Duckling looked up at Mag, and then at Amy, who was drinking its milk; tears were welling up in its eyes.
You can never leave the feeding job to a little foodie. Now she has robbed the kitten of its milk… Mag made a sour smile. “Amy, why are you drinking Ugly Duckling’s milk? It has nothing to drink now.”
“Because I was afraid it would be too much for it, so I helped it out.” She took another suck and turned to look at the kitten. “Right, Ugly Duckling?”
“Meow…” Ugly Duckling cried out reluctantly. It gave Mag a sad look and wagged its little tail.
This pet cat has no say in anything at all, Mag thought as he looked at it wagging its tail. The fat cat he had raised in his previous life would barely eat meat even if he put it near its mouth.
“Do you like sheep’s milk?” Mag asked as he watched Amy drinking the milk.
Amy nodded vigorously. “Yes, I love it!” She never let the nipple out even when she spoke.
Mag nodded, smiling. “Then next time we’ll buy some for you too. The calcium in it will help you grow tall.” Seldom had Amy had sheep’s milk before. Mag was too preoccupied with the restaurant these days to notice this.
He bought another baby bottle from the system. It couldn’t be helped; after all, Amy and Ugly Duckling couldn’t share one bottle. He warmed half a bottle of milk for the kitten and poured half a bottle for Amy. Looking at the two little things suckling cheerfully, Mag’s heart felt warm. He had one more family member now.
Suddenly, the system’s voice sounded in Mag’s head. “New mission: Sell 1,000 la zhi roujiamos in 10 days. After the mission is completed, you’ll be able to unlock a new recipe—tofu pudding. So far, you’ve sold 48.”
“1,000, again! How original! System, you can do better than that!” Mag curled his lip. Actually, he had recognized the difference; he had to sell 1,000 roujiamos this time. The system had learned after his crowdfunding strategy last time.
“The reason I set this number for you is to make you popularize the restaurant as soon as possible. Don’t play games with me. You have to study hard, run the restaurant carefully, and get on the right path to becoming the God of Cookery,” the system said seriously.
“Fine. The mission isn’t very difficult. But I’m curious—is this tofu pudding sweet or savory?” Mag asked concernedly.