As soon as the virtual assistant left, Tang Yiyi seriously examined the shop she rented. The shop wasn’t big, and because Tang Yiyi hadn’t purchased the renovation package, the current decor was the basic option provided by the shop, which was extremely plain. Especially after seeing those beautiful and grand renovations, looking at it was truly unbearable!
Tang Yiyi squinted at the thatched roof of the shop, unable to refrain from cursing the Pang Group as "greedy merchants"! The basic renovation of the shop was just a thatched house, clearly forcing people to purchase additional renovations! Tang Yiyi glared at the pile of thatch, feeling displeased no matter how she looked at it, until her gaze lowered to the bright and spacious large window, slightly improving her mood.
Although the shop was an antique-style building, because it was a basic renovation, it didn’t fully follow the ancient architectural style. Besides the thatched roof and wooden walls that barely retained a touch of "ancient charm," the rest of the place was filled with modern elements. The shop’s front door was a transparent glass window, allowing a clear view of the interior from outside. Due to the basic renovation, there were only a few simple, standardized shelves inside, quite inconspicuous.
Tang Yiyi set up the shelves, and then uploaded the pre-taken 3D photos, which appeared on the corresponding shelves, looking almost real at a glance. With few credit points at hand, Tang Yiyi could only manage something this simple, not daring to spend money randomly. She didn’t even buy extra decorations, merely inputting the words "Tang Family" in the signboard position and commenced business operations.
Once the shop was sorted, Tang Yiyi exited "Food Empire" and began promotion, building a blog, posting, commenting, and advertising on various forums—doing almost everything possible. By the time she finished one round of promotion, it was already noon. After a simple lunch, Tang Yiyi continued to busy herself.
Previously she had only tried her hand and hadn’t bought much in the way of ingredients; now with the shop open, she could attempt to buy more. After all, items like braised dishes and small dishes must be prepared in advance and can’t be made on the spot, so she had to plan ahead. Additionally, disposable meal boxes were also a must-buy item right now.
With limited funds, Tang Yiyi dared not buy too much, only trying out purchasing 100 disposable meal boxes and enough ingredients to cover the next day, no longer placing orders. The ingredients were still bought from the Zhou Family’s shop, but to Tang Yiyi’s surprise, this time the delivery wasn’t done by Zhou Kun but by Zhou Yang.
Because Tang Yiyi had always supported their business, Zhou Yang was quite enthusiastic towards her, and upon arriving, he even helped Tang Yiyi deliver everything to the kitchen, going so far as to gift her a Mutated Black Ant, saying it was hunted outside the city by chance and, as it wouldn’t fetch a price, he simply gave it to her.
Having interacted with him several times before, Tang Yiyi didn’t stand on ceremony with him, as Mutated Black Ants were indeed worthless in Safe City, basically unwanted by anyone. When Zhou Yang and his friends went hunting outside, they never made a special effort to hunt Mutated Black Ants, usually encountering them by chance and reluctant to discard, so they simply brought them back.
Zhou Yang didn’t seem to be in any rush; after setting the items down, he didn’t hurry to leave. He suspiciously surveyed Tang Yiyi, glanced at the pile of vegetables on the ground, hesitated a moment, and then tentatively asked, "Yiyi, why did you buy so many vegetables today? You and Sun Jian can’t finish them, can you? Are you having guests at home?"
Tang Yiyi had been thinking about this; hearing his question made her smile inwardly. However, she maintained her composure, naturally replying, "Oh, I opened an online store on ’Food Empire,’ wanting to make some food to see if I can sell it."
Zhou Yang had never tasted Tang Yiyi’s cooking but could see that she was quite young, so upon hearing this, he was stunned, exclaiming exaggeratedly, "No way? Really? Can you even cook?" At this point, he abruptly paused, realizing he’d misspoken. He cautiously watched Tang Yiyi’s expression, yet noted no visible reaction on her face, unsure if she was upset.
Seeing Tang Yiyi like this, Zhou Yang became even more anxious and, without thinking, said, "Don’t worry! No matter what, we’re friends, right? Regardless of the taste, I will definitely support you!"
He was merely being courteous, not expecting Tang Yiyi to be so bold; upon hearing this, she caught the opportunity and teasingly replied, "You said it yourself, no backing out!"
In an instant, Zhou Yang’s face fell, somewhat regretting his words. It wasn’t that he distrusted Tang Yiyi; it was just that she was way too young, seemingly just past adulthood—what good flavors could she possibly make? His mom had been cooking for decades, yet her food still tasted the same as always, so he honestly didn’t believe Tang Yiyi, a young girl, could make anything exceptionally tasty.
Tang Yiyi saw through his thoughts immediately but didn’t speak; instead, she retrieved a pudding from the fridge right in front of Zhou Yang, placing it with a spoon before him: "I tried making this, planning to sell it in the shop. Since you’re here, why not try it for me?"
Zhou Yang instinctively looked at the delicate little dish before him, seeing a caramel pudding inverted in the center, with a silver spoon beside it, appearing quite appetizing. He had seen pudding before but had never bought it to eat. Though his family ran a small shop, their finances weren’t particularly flush, so he would never buy small treats like pudding.
He heard Tang Yiyi’s words, so didn’t stand on ceremony, picking up the spoon and taking a scoop to taste. The pudding had just come out of the fridge, so upon entering the mouth, the sensitive taste buds immediately tasted the icy coldness. The pudding was smooth and tender, requiring no chewing, as it dissolved instantly with a gentle press of the tongue. The sweetness of caramel and the fragrance of milk spread in the mouth, becoming increasingly rich as the pudding melted.
Usually, Zhou Yang didn’t like sweets, but Tang Yiyi’s caramel was just right—not overdone—and paired with chilling, wasn’t cloying. Plus, the pudding’s smooth texture unexpectedly appealed to him. His eyebrows raised, and he subconsciously sped up the action, shortly finishing the piece of pudding.
Setting the spoon down lightly, Zhou Yang took a tissue to wipe his mouth, then gave Tang Yiyi a thumbs up, eyes sparkling, saying excitedly, "Yiyi, I didn’t expect it at all; this pudding is really well made!" Here he paused slightly, then cautiously ventured a question, "Well, are you planning to sell only desserts at your shop?" With that, he worriedly furrowed his brow, showing Tang Yiyi his hesitating expression.