Yabemia's technique was indeed very good. She controlled her strength well, and her strength was much greater than that of the average female masseuse. The fatigue accumulated throughout the morning gradually disappeared during the massage, and Mai Ge, who had only been pretending to be asleep, soon fell asleep.
"Hmm?" Mai Ge woke up slowly and opened his eyes. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already 2:30 in the afternoon. He was covered with a thin blanket. Amy was sleeping on the opposite side of the table, also covered with a small blanket. Ugly Duckling was sleeping comfortably on her lap.
"I actually fell asleep." Mai Ge shook his head with a smile, gently moved the chair away, stood up, stretched, and felt refreshed and comfortable all over.
The soft clatter of plates and spoons came from the kitchen. The restaurant had been cleaned up, the floor was so smooth that he could see his reflection in it, and it had been wiped dry with a towel, leaving no trace of water.
It seemed Yabemia was almost finished with her work. Mai Ge casually draped the blanket over the chair and headed towards the kitchen.
Having such a skilled massage therapist as an employee and not making good use of them is a waste of resources!
While Yang Zhou Fried Rice was excellent for relieving fatigue, but he couldn't eat it all day long. When he was tired, having her massage his shoulders and arms was just as relaxing as eating a serving of Yang Zhou Fried Rice.
"Mia, would you like to do a small part-time job? The pay isn't high, but it's like providing an extra meal in the evening. The pay is the same as lunch, 600 copper coins." Mai Ge walked to the door and smiled as he watched Mia carefully take the dishes out of the dishwasher and put them in the cupboard.
"You're awake." Yabemia turned around immediately upon hearing the voice. She was taken aback by Mai Ge's words. The food in the restaurant made her feel like she had found happiness in life. She was already grateful for the 600 copper coins allowance for lunch everyday. After all, with her salary, she couldn't even afford a few plates of Yang Zhou Fried Rice. But now Mai Ge was saying that he would give her an additional 600 copper coins for dinner.
"Just tell me what you need me to do. No need for extra pay. I feel like I have a lot of free time at my current job, and the salary is already quite high." Although she also wanted to eat delicious food every night, but Yabemia looked at Mai Ge and shook her head firmly.
"That won't do. Your job scope didn't include this before. If I add it now, of course I'll have to give you extra benefits." Mai Ge shook his head with a smile. Mia is a good girl in every way, except that she's too kind and too easily satisfied.
Actually, besides the massage, Mai Ge was quite satisfied with her performance these days. Every evening, she would go out by herself to buy a few sweet crispy biscuits to fill her stomach, and only come back after she had finished eating. He felt a little sorry for this girl. An employee who could do the work of three people deserved an extra meal.
"But…" Yabemia wanted to say something more.
"Let's just leave it at that, but it's not certain whether you're willing to do this." Mai Ge interrupted her, smiling at her somewhat puzzled eyes. "It's not a big deal, it's just that the restaurant is too busy right now, and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. If possible, I'd like to ask you to massage my shoulders and arms after the restaurant closes to help me relax."
Yabemia had thought Mai Ge wanted her to help in the kitchen, but she hadn't expected Mai Ge to ask for a massage. She quickly shook her head and said, "Boss, of course, if you like, I can give you a massage whenever you're tired. It's not hard or time consuming, so why would I charge extra?"
"Then I'll take that as a yes. Let's start tonight." Mai Ge smiled, then paused, looking at Yabemia again, and said, "There's sweet tofu pudding tonight."
"Gulp." Thinking of the delicious sweet tofu pudding she'd had that morning, Yabemia subconsciously swallowed. Looking at Mai Ge's gentle and sincere gaze, she hesitated for a moment, then her gaze hardened. She straightened up and nodded vigorously, saying solemnly, "Thank you, Boss. I'll work hard and give you a good shoulder massage." She was back to her energetic self.
"Very good, that's how you should be." Mai Ge was pleased with Yabemia's energetic state, which brought youthful vitality to the restaurant. Seeing that the dishes were washed and the kitchen was clean, he nodded and said, "Rest now. When Little Amy wakes up, you can dance with her for a while."
"Boss, please let me help in the kitchen. Even though Mia's clumsy, but Mia can learn." Mia pleaded with Mai Ge. These past few days, watching Mai Ge struggle alone in the kitchen preparing ingredients while she rested outside made her feel a little embarrassed, as if she was getting a huge advantage. Now, she could eat dinner at the restaurant everyday, making her feel even more obligated to work harder.
"Host, this system solemnly warns you that you are not allowed to teach others the cooking skills you've learned from the system. Otherwise, you will be punished, losing 0.5 physical fitness points each time." Just then, the system's stern voice rang out, carrying an undeniable air of authority.
"System, are you deliberately trying to kill me with work?" Mai Ge raised an eyebrow. He had initially been tempted by Mia's offer; having someone help with the ingredients would definitely improve efficiency. However, before he could even speak, the system had already blocked that path.
"The host's cooking skills are only at a novice level. There are only three dishes that you have truly mastered. You are not qualified to be a master." the system's calm and collected voice came.
"Huh? From what you're saying, chefs are ranked? I'm at least at the intermediate level now, right? And I'm still a newbie?" Mai Ge raised an eyebrow. After all, he had made Rou Jia Mo and Yang Zhou Fried Rice that drove the otherworlders crazy, and the tofu pudding he just made had directly sparked the first sweet vs savory debate in the otherworld. A battle between level ten mages is not something ordinary people can witness, yet the system actually rated him as a newbie.
After a pause, Mai Ge seemed to glean something else from the system's words, and frowned, saying, "And, judging from what you're saying, once I've learned more dishes, I'll be qualified to be a master and can teach others how to cook?"
"Host's permission level is insufficient to know the answer to the question. Upgrade the restaurant to level 2 to unlock the right to ask questions." the system's voice announced.
Mai Ge's eyelids twitched. This system was really going to extreme lengths to get him to level up. He calmly said, "Never mind, I don't want to know."
"I don't need your help for now. I can manage on my own. You can play with Little Amy for a while." Mai Ge couldn't afford to lose any physical fitness points. The system was so absolute that there was no room for negotiation.
Moreover, kneading dough and making tofu pudding are all technical skills. He already has a max level experience pack in his mind, and he spent so long learning in the Chef God Trial Ground before succeeding. Asking Yabemia to learn on the spot would only make things worse.
"Okay, please call me if you need any help." Yabemia nodded vigorously. Having learned about Mai Ge's personality over the past few days, he was a man of his word. She didn't insist any further and turned to leave the kitchen.
Mai Ge picked up the apron and tied it on. He would be starting to sell tofu pudding that evening, so he would need to prepare more ingredients.
"System issued a new task: Tofu pudding limited to one serving per person, for ten days. There is no penalty for failure, and the reward for success is one draw for the Chef God Advancement Lottery!" Just then, the system's voice suddenly rang out.