Chapter 6: “Made a lot of money!”

The first soft opening of Taotie Delicacies stretched into the afternoon.

By the end of the day, Tai Sui had made 52 egg pancakes. Out of those, Yun Tao had given away 10, sold 22, and eaten 20 himself.

Yun Fenghe had blended 52 cups of soy milk. Again, Yun Tao had given away 10, sold 22, and drunk 20 himself.

Every restaurant expects some ingredient loss, but in Taotie Delicacies, the “loss” had a very specific destination—straight into the boss’s stomach.

Tai Sui sighed. “At this rate, you’ll eat the business into bankruptcy in less than a week.”

Yun Tao let out a tiny burp.

Yun Fenghe immediately tensed. “Tao Tao, are you okay? Did you eat too much?”

“No, it’s not a food burp,” Yun Tao said, then pulled his hands from behind his back, revealing an empty soda can. He stuck out his tongue playfully. “I just chugged this all at once.”

This world might have thin spiritual energy and no legendary ingredients, but it was overflowing with snacks and drinks—and they were ridiculously good. Last night, while browsing the System Mall’s human supermarket, he had almost gotten dizzy from all the choices!

Yun Fenghe tapped him lightly on the nose, half-scolding, half-indulging. “You just ate twenty pancakes, and you still have room for soda? You’re really a bottomless pit little demon.”

Tai Sui let out a cold laugh. Well, of course. Was there any little demon in existence who could out-eat a Taotie?

A boss who ate too much and a guardian who spoiled him rotten—this restaurant was doomed. Oh well. If it went under, that just meant his freedom was near.

Might as well start working toward that freedom today.

Tai Sui slumped into a chair and lazily glanced at Yun Tao. “Boss, it’s been two hours without a single customer. Should we call it a day?”

Yun Tao checked the register. 286 yuan.

His daily goal was at least 500 yuan—they weren’t even close.

His tiny nose wrinkled in thought. “Let’s hang in there a bit longer. We might not have a lot of customers, but our reviews are great! What if someone comes back for dinner? Or maybe even a late-night snack?”

Just like that, their business hours got extended until midnight.

Tai Sui thought to himself, There’s no way anyone is coming back today. Who eats egg pancakes for all three meals?

Still, he didn’t argue. Instead, he just asked, “Whatever. But it’s almost dinnertime—what about my employee meal?”

The only reason he was putting up with this job was for the food. He had even put in extra effort today, learning how to make pancakes, just so Yun Tao wouldn’t get too tired and slack off on cooking.

Yun Tao tilted his head. “Why don’t you just make one yourself?”

Tai Sui: …?

I let my guard down. This stingy boss…!

Tai Sui’s glare was so sharp that, for a brief moment, Yun Tao’s conscience actually twinged.

“…Alright, alright,” Yun Tao sighed dramatically. “For brother Fenghe’s sake, I’ll cook dinner.”

Tai Sui: …?

He let out a disbelieving laugh. “So I’m just some freeloader now? What about me? Don’t I deserve a decent meal too?!”

Before Yun Tao could answer, a timid voice interrupted them.

“…Boss?”

Tai Sui turned his head and saw two young women standing in front of the pancake stall.

His expression hadn’t fully reset yet—his eyes were still dark and piercing, carrying a dangerous edge, like they could suck the soul out of a person. Combined with his casual arrogance, he gave off a powerful and unsettling aura.

The two girls gasped at the same time, instinctively wanting to take a step back.

What a ridiculously good-looking face… but those eyes are so intimidating!

Tai Sui retracted his gaze and turned to Yun Tao, silently conveying his feelings: You’ve hurt me. I’m emotionally wounded. I can’t work under these conditions. You deal with it.

“Sorry about that! My brother’s just sulking,” Yun Tao explained to the two customers before throwing his arms around Tai Sui and blinking up at him. “How about I make you sweet and sour ribs tonight?”

Tai Sui’s lips twitched upward before he could stop them. He quickly pulled on his mask to hide it, then turned to the two girls with a much more agreeable tone. “What would you like to order?”

The girls exchanged glances, both holding back laughter.

So, the red-haired tough guy was just pretending to be mad so his little brother would coax him?

And wow, he was way too easy to win over!

Also… the little brother was gorgeous. Every inch of his face looked like it had been carefully sculpted, his curled lashes framing big, doll-like eyes.

The short-haired girl cleared her throat to keep from giggling. “Two Zhuyu egg pancakes and two soy milks, please.”

Tai Sui gave a short nod, pulled on a pair of gloves, and got up—dragging his personal leg accessory along—to start making the pancakes.

“Boss, can I take some pictures?” The short-haired girl held up her phone hesitantly. “I actually came after seeing a recommendation on Xiaohongshu… I wanted to make a post about it.”

Tai Sui lifted his gaze slightly.

The girl tensed. “I-It’s totally fine if you’d rather I didn’t…”

Tai Sui: “I wasn’t glaring. Take as many as you want.”

More importantly, make sure you capture this little rascal clinging to my leg and send me a copy later.

That way, he’d have solid proof next time he bragged.

See that? Even a Taotie turns into a clingy little brother around me.

With permission granted, the two girls didn’t hold back, snapping dozens of pictures. They were still a little intimidated by Tai Sui’s aura, but they had no such reservations about Yun Fenghe and Yun Tao. In fact, they even asked for a photo together.

After they’d finished taking pictures, Yun Tao finally asked, “You said you came because of a recommendation? Can I see it?”

Thanks to the knowledge the system had transferred into his head, he understood what “recommendation” meant and knew that Xiaohongshu was a popular social media platform.

“Of course!” The short-haired girl opened her saved posts and showed him her screen.

The post was titled I HAVE to try this pancake! and had been published earlier that morning. It already had over a thousand likes.

She scrolled down to the comments. “The original poster included the shop’s location, so a lot of local users saw it. And everyone keeps saying you’re adorable.”

「OMG, is this what other people’s little brothers are like? So pretty, so well-behaved, so thoughtful! Does our sweet boy need another big sister?」

「Wait, is the red-haired guy’s face even real? He looks like he walked straight out of an anime. Can I please run into him at a con?」

「Personally, I’m more into the black-haired one. Sickly beauty vibes? Yes, please.」

「Hello? Is no one gonna talk about the pancakes? Do they not look absolutely amazing??」

「Shanhai Street, right? I’m heading there straight after work.」

「Are you sure it’s just for the pancakes?」

Yun Tao instantly recognized the pictures—Jiang Qing had taken them that morning and posted the review herself.

The comments had surged between one and two in the afternoon, right after lunch—the prime time for office workers to slack off. Even now, more were pouring in, most of them saying the same thing: On my way there now.

This is a big business opportunity!

Yun Tao thanked the two girls and immediately summoned the system.

“System, system, you there?”

He called several times, but there was no response.

Ugh. Piece-of-junk system crashed again!

Yun Tao sighed and tugged at Tai Sui’s apron. “Brother, lend me your phone?”

“What?”

“Your phone.”

“The sentence before that.”

“…brother!!” Yun Tao ground his teeth. He didn’t have a phone, Yun Fenghe used an old-school brick phone, and in their whole house, Tai Sui was the only one who had proper gadgets and kept up with modern trends.

Tai Sui let out a low chuckle. “It’s in my pocket. Help yourself.”

Yun Tao fished out the phone, downloaded the Xiaohongshu app, and quickly registered an official account for Taotie Delicacies. Under Jiang Qing’s post, he left a comment: Thanks for the recommendation, sis! For everyone coming from this post, we’re offering a 20% discount today!

Since Jiang Qing had once said that cuteness is the number one productive force, Yun Tao strategically set his profile picture to his own face—guaranteed to catch attention!

Not long after he posted, the likes started rolling in.

Meanwhile, Tai Sui handed the bagged pancakes to the short-haired girl. As she scanned the QR code to pay, Yun Tao looked up with a bright smile. “Just 20 yuan, big sister! The soy milk’s on us. Will we see you again next time?”

The two girls nodded without hesitation. Who could possibly say no to a serious, hard-working, and absurdly cute kid? No one.

Before they left, Tai Sui even made sure to ask them for the photos they’d taken earlier.

After that, more customers trickled in—mostly office workers from the nearby buildings, all drawn in by the Xiaohongshu post.

Some admitted they hadn’t planned to come today, but after seeing Yun Tao’s enthusiastic self-promotion in the comments, they decided to drop by and tease him a little. Others were here for, well… visual appeal. After staring at a computer screen all day, they desperately needed some eye candy.

As the crowd grew, even with Tai Sui and Yun Fenghe working fast, some waiting time became inevitable. But the customers didn’t mind—they lined up on their own, took pictures, and happily chatted with the little boss, making the wait more enjoyable.

Tai Sui made pancakes, Yun Fenghe blended soy milk and packed orders, and Yun Tao handled payments. After a full day of working together, their teamwork was seamless.

Then, the timing was just right—Yun Fenghe finally released the spiritual energy he’d been building up all day. A faint glow radiated from his body, seeping into the ground and spreading out in delicate tendrils.

As evening set in, Shanhai Street became livelier than during the day. It was as if something in the air subtly shifted—passersby, drawn by an invisible force, slowed their steps and turned their heads toward Taotie Delicacies.

“What are they lining up for?”

“Smells amazing… I think it’s pancakes?”

“It’s been ages since I had one. Now I’m craving it.”

“The shop looks super popular—must be really good!”

“Let’s go check it out!”

The line in front of the stall grew longer and longer. Their ingredients were almost running out, but Yun Tao had planned ahead—he had already placed a restock order through the Shanhai Marketplace. Thanks to its near-instant delivery, they wouldn’t run out of supplies.

Just as the evening rush hit, the cat squad returned from their hunting trip, led by Ta Xue. Each little feline proudly carried a fresh fish in its mouth, swaggering right up to Yun Tao without a hint of fear.

Business was booming, and Yun Tao was technically the least busy person at the moment. He reached down to ruffle Ta Xue’s head, then went inside to fetch a washbasin and filled it with half a tub of water. The moment he set it down, the cats—like a well-trained team—dropped their fish neatly into the basin.

The passersby were stunned.

That level of coordination—were these cats trained or something?

Curious minds led to curious questions, and Yun Fenghe simply smiled. “No training. We’re just poor. The cats drop by to help out.”

That only made the onlookers even more amazed. Quite a few of them silently decided to return at the same time tomorrow, just to see if the whole cats-delivering-fresh-fish thing was a fluke or the real deal.

The evening breeze was gentle, chasing away the lingering heat. Lush tree branches swayed lazily, carrying the distinct, comforting scent of an old summer street.

Even after buying their pancakes, people weren’t in a hurry to leave. Some took their time eating, sitting on the chairs Taotie Delicacies had set out, while others strolled leisurely down the shop-lined street.

A surprising number of them worked in the area yet had never paid much attention to this old street before. Now, as they wandered through, they realized it was a hidden gem—filled with rare, nearly forgotten traditional stores. No flashy influencer-backed branding, no over-the-top marketing. Just honest, high-quality goods at prices that didn’t make your wallet cry.

After just one round of browsing, many had already found their own hidden treasures—and more importantly, they remembered this unassuming little street.

Business was booming. Yun Tao stuck it out until past 8 PM, but by then, he was so sleepy his eyes wouldn’t stay open. His tiny horns even started poking out. Luckily, he happened to be standing in the shadows, so no one noticed the magical little slip-up. And even if they had, they’d probably just assume it was some quirky hair accessory.

Tai Sui told him to go to bed. Yun Tao refused. He had to see their earnings hit the target with his own eyes.

Tai Sui let out a low snort, scooped him up with one arm, and slung him over his shoulder. “Go to sleep. I’ll wake you when we hit the goal.”

Yun Tao nuzzled against his shoulder and drowsily nodded. “You have to wake me up.”

Tai Sui grunted in acknowledgment and kept flipping pancakes with one hand.

The customers at this hour were mostly exhausted office workers who had just finished overtime. Seeing this scene, their tiredness melted into quiet smiles. Many even took videos.

On nights like this, a simple, warm moment like that could heal any amount of exhaustion.

At 9 PM, after selling the last pancake, they finally packed up.

Tai Sui had posted a heads-up on Xiaohongshu earlier about when they’d sell out, so no one made the trip for nothing.

The sales goal had been reached ages ago. But he didn’t wake Yun Tao. Instead, he carried him back to his room and tucked him in properly.

As for the promised sweet and sour ribs… well, that never happened.

Instead, he busied himself with cleaning the fresh fish from the washbasin, feeding the cats, and, before bed, even lighting some sandalwood incense to help the utterly drained little earth god recover.

By the time everything was done, Tai Sui took a quick shower, still carrying the lingering scent of steam as he collapsed onto his narrow lower bunk.

Then—he suddenly sat up.

Something was wrong.

Thinking back on the day… not only did he not make things difficult for that little glutton, but he actually put in an honest day’s work? With no complaints?

And worse—he’d somehow started taking care of him like it was second nature?

This is dangerous behavior.

Tai Sui yanked the blanket over his head and made a firm decision. Tomorrow, things are going back to normal.

At dawn, Tai Sui woke up.

The second he stepped out of his room, Yun Tao came barreling toward him like a tiny cannonball, hugging his leg with a grin so bright it could bend bridges.

“Brother! We hit our sales target yesterday! You were amazing! We made so much money!!” He beamed. “Didn’t have time to make sweet and sour ribs, so how about porridge for breakfast?”

Tai Sui: …

Shit. He’s too cute.

Forget everything. If I’m gonna raise a kid, it might as well be this one.

And just like that, his carefully planned back-to-normal strategy was on the verge of complete and utter collapse—before it even started.