Chapter 17: Filling the Shop Little by Little

"System, do you have any suggestions?" When in doubt, ask the system.

[Host, the system does not participate in operational decisions.] The system gave Yu Zui a direct refusal.

Yu Zui had no choice but to think it through carefully herself. She already had four types of beverages, which seemed sufficient. Any more might dilute her market share. It was time to introduce something else to test the waters.

With this in mind, Yu Zui let her gaze wander among the other categories, finally settling on the food section. After all, it was common knowledge that people were very willing to spend money on food and drink. After selecting the food category, Yu Zui subconsciously rubbed her hands together, as if to boost her luck.

The roulette wheel spun and spun, finally coming to a stop on a single slot. A product card popped up.

#Food Category—Lotus Seed Sorbet#
[Product: Yu's Lotus Seed Sorbet]
[Specifications: 1 per box; 6 per box]
[Functions: Soothes the heart and calms the nerves; clears heat and detoxifies]
[Wholesale Price: 38 yuan / 288 yuan]
[Recommended Retail Price: 88 yuan / 588 yuan]

As the product appeared, Side Quest 3 emerged along with it.
[Side Quest 3: Sell 1 box of Lotus Seed Sorbet within one day]
[Reward: Product Card * 1]
[Countdown: 23 hours, 58 minutes, 23 seconds]

Yu Zui’s eyes were fixed on the new arrival. She hadn't expected the product to come in two sizes, and that the larger box was significantly cheaper per unit. After a moment's thought, she purchased one of the single-box units first.

When she retrieved it from the warehouse, she was immediately struck by its beauty. It wasn't the pastry itself, but the bamboo box holding it. The moment she touched it, she felt a trace of coolness. The box was square, with an exquisite lotus flower carved into the lid.

Gently sliding the lid aside, her eyes lit up. The lotus-shaped pastry stood tall and graceful, translucent and glowing. A layer of osmanthus honey drizzled on top was the perfect finishing touch, elevating the beauty of the Lotus Seed Sorbet to another level. Most importantly, as she opened it, a refreshing, cool breeze seemed to drift out. Could this bamboo box actually keep things fresh?

"Wow! Boss, is this a new product in your shop? It’s so beautiful!" A girl passing by caught sight of the sorbet in Yu Zui’s hand and exclaimed.

This instantly drew the attention of the other customers in the shop. Everyone’s eyes brightened. No Chinese person could truly resist such delicate, traditional-style pastries.

"Yes, it’s a new product I’m planning to launch soon. Would you like to try some?" Yu Zui asked, recovering from her surprise.

The customers nodded in unison. Who would say no to a free sample? As Yu Zui was worrying about not having a small knife in the shop, she noticed a small bamboo fork inside the box that could serve as both a knife and a fork. It really was... keeping up with the times!

Yu Zui used the small utensil to cut the pastry into bite-sized pieces on the spot and distributed them to the onlookers. The customers carefully took their pieces and placed them into their mouths.

It melted upon contact, and a fragrance of lotus spread through their mouths, accompanied by a cool sensation that seemed to seep into their hearts.

"Delicious."
"It's so icy! It's like eating ice cream."
"The best part is that it's sweet without being cloying, with that delicate lotus fragrance."
"The osmanthus is also a masterstroke; it really takes the flavor to another level."
"Oh my god, it’s so good!"
"Boss, are you selling these?"
"Boss, can you tell us how much it costs? If it’s too expensive, my wallet won't be able to handle it!"

They all stared at Yu Zui with burning intensity.

"A single box is 88 yuan, and a box of six is 588 yuan," Yu Zui said.

The crowd gasped. The price was still shockingly high! But thinking about the taste they had just experienced, it suddenly didn't feel that expensive anymore. Even from that small sample, they felt as if a lotus had bloomed right before their eyes.

"Does it include the box?" one girl couldn't help but ask. The box in Yu Zui's hand looked like a work of art, and if it were included, she felt she could justify the purchase—she could use it to store her own trinkets later.

"Yes, the box is included," Yu Zui nodded.

"Are there any in stock now? When will they be on the shelves?" someone asked urgently.

"There’s a batch in the warehouse that just arrived this morning; I was just waiting for the shelf space to display them!" Yu Zui paused to explain. At that moment, she was thankful she had built a warehouse.

"I want a box."
"I want one too."
"Me, me, me!"

Those who had sampled it were scrambling to speak. Anyway, they had already bought 188-yuan beverages; 88-yuan pastries were a piece of cake! For a taste this good, it was worth it.

"Hold on, everyone," Yu Zui said, heading toward the warehouse. On the way, she didn't hesitate to purchase twenty single-unit boxes and one six-unit box, then withdrew them into the warehouse. Immediately after, she transported the items from the warehouse to the counter.

As soon as she placed them down, the single boxes were snatched up. Within an instant, only a few remained on the counter, though no one had touched the six-unit boxes yet.

At that moment, someone went to check out. As soon as the first person completed their transaction, Yu Zui hurriedly prompted the system.

"Quick! The advanced task!" She was afraid the customers would check out too fast and she would miss the trigger for the advanced mission.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing Side Quest 3.]
[Obtained: Yu's Product Card * 1.]

Yu Zui quickly selected the food category again. After the roulette spun, a new product appeared.

#Food Category—Chun Shui Sheng (Spring Water Rising)#
[Product: Yu's Chun Shui Sheng]
[Specifications: 1 per box; 6 per box]
[Functions: Beautifies and detoxifies]
[Wholesale Price: 38 yuan / 288 yuan]
[Recommended Retail Price: 88 yuan / 588 yuan]

*
[Side Quest 3 Advanced: Sell 10 boxes of Yu's Lotus Seed Sorbet]
[Reward: Yu's Chun Shui Sheng * 10, New Display Shelf * 1]
[Countdown: 23 hours, 49 minutes, 23 seconds.]

The system understood Yu Zui well; when it released the new product, it also brought out the advanced task. Seeing the advanced task appear, Yu Zui was satisfied. She then turned her attention to the new item.

Chun Shui Sheng—what was that?

Yu Zui searched online. It turned out to be a tea-time pastry from the Tang Dynasty, its name derived from a line of ancient poetry: "The peach blossoms bloom, the spring water rises; the white stones emerge and vanish." The poem depicted the beauty of spring, and the pastry looked like a soft, plump peach, visually evoking the vitality of the season.

It looked beautiful in the pictures; she wondered how the actual product would look. She would worry about that after the Lotus Seed Sorbet rewards were settled; it would be too abrupt to bring it out now!

With that thought, Yu Zui focused on the rewards, which were sitting in her inventory under the Grocery Store app. A shelf and a set of tables and chairs. Yu Zui wanted to extract them directly, but when she touched the shelf, two styles appeared. One was a multi-layered rack similar to the beverage cabinet; the other was a long, plain, and sturdy wooden table.

Yu Zui chose the second option without hesitation. It would be perfect for displaying the pastry boxes. She then extracted the new shelf and the table-and-chair set, choosing the "delivery mode."

As soon as she made the selection, the system notification arrived.

[Ding! Side Quest 3 Advanced completed.]
[Obtained: Yu's Chun Shui Sheng * 10, New Display Shelf * 1]

*
[Side Quest 3 Enhanced: Sell 100 boxes of Yu's Lotus Seed Sorbet]
[Reward: Yu's Chun Shui Sheng * 100, New Display Shelf * 1]
[Countdown: 23 hours, 08 minutes, 33 seconds.]

It turned out that all the customers who bought the Lotus Seed Sorbet had finished checking out. The mission had already reached the enhanced version!

Yu Zui stared at the Chun Shui Sheng in her inventory and selected the delivery option. She also chose the first style for the new display shelf, which would be perfect for separating the milk from the Oolong tea display.

After making her choices, Yu Zui waited with anticipation. Two new shelves, a new set of tables and chairs, and a new dessert. Her shop was becoming more and more substantial. The feeling of filling up the shop bit by bit was truly wonderful! She was beginning to enjoy this process of striving.