Ji Rongxia rubbed his hands together excitedly and said, “Let’s draw the prizes then. Right now!”

He’d been working on this task for quite some time, and now that it was suddenly complete, he even got to enter the prize draw twice.

Ji Rongxia couldn’t even begin to describe how overjoyed he was—if it hadn’t been a bit inappropriate, he would have been jumping for joy right then and there.

Cooking God System: “Okay, Host.”

“Host, which one would you like to draw first?”

“I’ll draw the sauce first,” Ji Rongxia said after a moment’s thought. He decided to go for the sauce first—a free prize draw seemed even more satisfying.

To be precise, he’d earned this opportunity through hard work grinding for points, but still, Ji Rongxia couldn’t help but feel the joy of getting a treasure for free!

Soon, a large spinning wheel appeared before Ji Rongxia.

The wheel was densely covered with images of various sauces.

These images kept changing constantly.

Ji Rongxia was completely dazzled by the sight.

He felt like he wanted every single one of them!!!

“Host, just spin this long pointer and wait for it to stop. You get ten chances,” the Cooking God System reminded him.

Ji Rongxia looked at his hands.

He gave his hands a mental pep talk.

“Let’s hope I have some luck today.”

He stepped forward and gave the pointer a spin.

The pointer spun rapidly.

The images on the large dial kept changing.

Slowly, the pointer came to a stop.

Ji Rongxia hurried over to take a look.

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining satay sauce and its recipe.】

Ji Rongxia beamed with joy: “I’ve never tried this before. Not bad, not bad—I’m on a roll.”

“One more time!” Ji Rongxia continued spinning the pointer with great enthusiasm.

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining custard sauce and its recipe.】

“Another one I’ve never tried before. Well done.” Ji Rongxia raised both hands high, gazing at them as if they were treasures.

Cooking God System:“……”

That’s a bit over the top—way over the top.

Ji Rongxia lowered his hands and said happily, “One more!”

The pointer spun once more.

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining peanut butter and its recipe.】

“Peanut butter, huh.” Of course Ji Rongxia loved peanut butter—peanuts were so delicious.

But still, he’d had this before; Ji Rongxia would have preferred to draw a sauce he hadn’t tried yet.

Still, since he’d already drawn two he’d never seen before, drawing one he’d already tried seemed pretty normal.

You can’t always expect the best.

Ji Rongxia rubbed his hands together: “One more try!”

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining vanilla sauce and its recipe.】

Ji Rongxia’s eyes lit up: “Oh wow, another one I haven’t tried yet! Wait a minute—vanilla? Little Chef, I think you’ve given me vanilla before.”

Cooking God System: “Yes, I gave it to you to make ice cream, but you never used it. This sauce doesn’t taste good on its own, but when added to desserts, it imparts a unique aroma.”

The Cooking God System already knew Ji Rongxia very well. It was afraid he might end up tasting every single sauce right away.

So it gave him a heads-up in advance.

Not all sauces taste good on their own.

Most of them need to be paired with specific foods to bring out their wonderful flavor.

Ji Rongxia nodded, but said, “Now that you mention it, I’m even more curious about what this sauce tastes like on its own.”

Cooking God System:“???!!!”

Oh no, the host is starting to rebel.

“Keep spinning.” Ji Rongxia reached out and turned the dial.

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining Red Oil Doubanjiang and its recipe.】

Ji Rongxia’s eyes lit up even more.

I’ve never tried this before either!

“My hands are really amazing,” Ji Rongxia chuckled, pressing his advantage and continuing to spin.

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining tomato sauce and its recipe.】

The Cooking God System explained in advance, “It’s just tomato sauce.”

“This is great! This is definitely going to taste good!” Ji Rongxia clapped his hands and said.

Ji Rongxia: “One more.”

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining pistachio paste and its recipe.】

“Pistachio paste? What’s that?” Ji Rongxia asked.

Cooking God System: “It’s a type of nut. It’s included in the nut gift pack I gave you. You can think of it as something similar to a walnut.”

Ji Rongxia was delighted: “Then it should taste pretty good.”

Walnuts are really delicious.

Let’s draw another one!

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining mustard sauce and its recipe.】

Cooking God System: “Hey, Host, this has a very strong flavor—even stronger than chili sauce. Be careful when you eat it.”

Even though the Host has rebelled, a reminder is still in order.

You’ve got to be careful eating this sauce straight.

Come to think of it, now that the Cooking God System had mentioned it, Ji Rongxia was even more eager to try it. Stronger than chili sauce—what on earth did it taste like?

If it weren’t for his plan to collect all ten sauces before tasting them, he’d be eager to try it right now.

Ji Rongxia said with a grin, “I get it. Don’t worry.”

The Cooking God System thought to itself, Host, with you acting like this, I really can’t rest easy.

Ji Rongxia: “Draw again! Only two left—you guys need to step it up.”

He solemnly reached out and spun the dial.

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining matcha sauce and its recipe.】

Ji Rongxia asked curiously, “You can make a sauce out of tea? Is this related to the first satay sauce?”

Cooking God System:“……”

The Cooking God System quickly analyzed the situation and finally said, “They both have the characters for ‘tea’ and ‘sauce’—does that count as a connection?”

It must be said that aside from the literal connection, the two are as different as night and day.

Ji Rongxia realized, “Oh, I get it. One of these sauces is named after its main ingredient, and the other isn’t, right?”

The Cooking God System was so surprised that its data stream actually trembled slightly: “Host, you were able to figure that out?”

Ji Rongxia replied confidently, “What else could it be? Otherwise, with names this similar, there’s got to be some connection, right?”

The Cooking God System: “…You make a very good point, Host.”

Once again stumped by the host’s bizarre yet logical line of reasoning, the Cooking God System chose to remain silent.

Ji Rongxia stepped forward and, cherishing the moment, spun the sauce carousel one last time.

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining blueberry sauce and its recipe.】

Ji Rongxia asked curiously, “Blueberries—that sounds a lot like strawberries. I hope this time it’s not just the name that’s the connection?”

Cooking God System: “Congratulations, Host—you guessed correctly. The two aren’t actually related at all.”

Cooking God System: “The Host has obtained satay sauce, custard sauce, peanut butter, vanilla sauce, ketchup, pistachio sauce, chili bean paste, mustard sauce, matcha sauce, and blueberry sauce.”

As soon as the Cooking God System finished speaking, the various sauces appeared simultaneously, and the images on the prize wheel instantly changed from sauces to seasonings.

Ten small white plates each held a small amount of sauce, with corresponding labels above them indicating what each sauce was.

In front of each small, pristine plate was a very delicate little spoon.

Clearly, they were meant for him to taste them.

Just as Ji Rongxia was about to pick up the spoon prepared by his thoughtful little apprentice to taste the sauces,

when he suddenly remembered something, and his expression instantly turned serious: “Wait a minute, something’s not right here!”

Cooking God System:“??”

Cooking God System: “What’s wrong?”

How could this system not know?!

Ji Rongxia said with a serious expression, “Little Chef, you never mentioned how many jin of these sauces you’re providing. What if you’re only giving me one jin? Then I’d be losing money.”

This mission is so, so hard—the little chef can’t possibly be that stingy, can he?

Cooking God System:“……”

What kind of image does it really have in the host’s mind?

I can’t help but feel it probably isn’t a very flattering one.

Cooking God System: “The quantity wasn’t specified because, in a sense, the reward for this mission is unlimited.”

“Unlimited?!” Ji Rongxia exclaimed in surprise.

What a magical term that is.

“What if a host takes your sauce and sells it?” Ji Rongxia immediately thought of this possibility.

The Cooking God System was momentarily stumped.

You have to admit, the Host’s mind works fast.

The Cooking God System explained, “In a sense, it refers to the host’s needs during cooking and tasting; these cannot be sold separately. If you violate these rules, you’ll receive a warning or even face system penalties.”

Ji Rongxia nodded. That made sense—it couldn’t possibly be that easy to exploit a loophole.

“But shouldn’t the items in your warehouse be limited? How can they be infinite?” Ji Rongxia asked.

“Host, first of all, under normal circumstances, I can contact the Supreme God and access the system store, so I’m never short on resources. Furthermore, my warehouse has a storage capacity that’s hard for you to comprehend—it’s not that easy to deplete.”

“Oh, so you mean you have a steady supply under normal circumstances, and your warehouse is huge—you’re not worried about me using it up,” Ji Rongxia said, understanding.

Cooking God System: “Host, your ability to draw conclusions is still as sharp as ever.”

Ji Rongxia was completely reassured: “You’re giving me an unlimited supply of sauces, but you’ve also given me the recipes.”

“The Supreme God is encouraging me to make my own sauces—what a thoughtful gesture. Don’t worry, I’ll do it. Now, as soon as I see a recipe, I just want to try it out. If I can’t make delicious sauces myself, I’ll always feel like I’m not a good cook,” Ji Rongxia said as he picked up a spoon and scooped up a spoonful of the mustard sauce he was most eager to try.

The Cooking God System quickly analyzed the situation and realized that the Supreme God’s design might indeed have had this purpose!

The host always manages to say things that even this system finds quite reasonable.

Just as the Cooking God System was analyzing Ji Rongxia’s words, Ji Rongxia had already popped the mustard sauce into his mouth.

Cooking God System:“?!”

“Cough, cough, cough!!!” Ji Rongxia choked.

Tears streamed down his face. Ji Rongxia felt as if something had punched him right in the nose and eyes.

He finally understood what the “spicy” the Little Master had mentioned felt like.

“Seriously, it’s intense!” Ji Rongxia thought to himself, marveling at how well the little chef had chosen that word.

He quickly grabbed the custard sauce—which looked incredibly sweet—and popped it into his mouth.

As the rich, sweet flavor filled his mouth, Ji Rongxia felt a little better.

“Now I get it—when seasoning this stuff, you’ve got to be careful,” Ji Rongxia said, still stuttering a bit.

But he didn’t regret it—how could he know what it felt like without trying it?

Cooking God System:“……”

After finishing the custard sauce, Ji Rongxia moved on to another type of sauce that looked very sweet: blueberry sauce.

After eating two sauces in a row, Ji Rongxia had recovered.

Ji Rongxia took a deep breath and tasted a bit of the vanilla sauce.

“Huh? Not sweet, not spicy, not salty—this sauce is really weird.” Ji Rongxia carefully placed a bit of the sauce in his mouth, then said in surprise, “I didn’t know there was a sauce like this. It’s so amazing.”

A single sauce—and yet it managed to create a flavor that was almost impossible to describe!

The Cooking God System said, “That’s right, Host, but it tastes great when added to desserts.”

Ji Rongxia didn’t quite understand, but he made a mental note to try it the next time he made ice cream.

He tasted all the sauces he’d drawn.

“Alright, now we can draw seasonings,” Ji Rongxia said, his excitement immediately returning.

With that, he went over and spun the big wheel.

The pointer came to a stop.

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining MSG and its recipe.】

“MSG—I see this all the time in the recipes you give me. It’s for enhancing flavor, right?” Ji Rongxia asked.

The Cooking God System replied, “To be precise, it enhances umami.”

“Umami? Hmm, that’s so fascinating—umami.” Ji Rongxia couldn’t even describe what umami tasted like himself.

But to think such a flavor could actually be created with seasonings.

It’s truly amazing.

“Not bad. Let’s try another one,” Ji Rongxia said cheerfully as he drew out the second seasoning.

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining cooking wine and its recipe.】

“There’s a recipe for cooking wine too? Let me see it,” Ji Rongxia said eagerly.

The Cooking God System conjured the recipe, transforming it into several sheets of paper that landed in Ji Rongxia’s hands.

After reading it, Ji Rongxia said in surprise, “The method for making this cooking wine actually starts with brewing.”

It was as if he’d just gotten a wine-making recipe for free.

Oh my gosh, my luck is just too good!

Ji Rongxia was over the moon.

Alcohol is very expensive, but with a few tweaks, he could learn how to brew his own.

Gaining a new skill had him beaming with joy.

“Young Master, please put the recipe away for now—I’m going to keep drawing!” Encouraged, Ji Rongxia wanted to try his luck again.

No sooner had he spoken than the slip of paper in Ji Rongxia’s hand vanished.

With his hands now free, Ji Rongxia went to draw another prize.

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining fermented black beans and their recipe.】

Ji Rongxia said happily, “I’ve never tried this before.”

He liked anything he hadn’t tried before.

The more things he could try, the better.

Unfortunately, the next item wasn’t just something Ji Rongxia had eaten before—it was something he knew how to make.

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining Thirteen Spices and its recipe.】

Ji Rongxia: “Thirteen Spices? What’s that? Little Chef, let me take a look at the recipe.”

Cooking God System: “Sure, Host.”

After looking at the recipe, Ji Rongxia said with a sigh, “Little Chef, why does this Thirteen Spices recipe look so similar to my replica spice blend?”

The Cooking God System quickly explained, “While the main ingredients are similar, the proportions differ slightly.”

Although Thirteen Spices was great—it would save him from having to buy spices in the future—Ji Rongxia was more interested in something he’d never seen before.

But Ji Rongxia’s luck seemed to have run out—the next recipe was yet another seasoning he used all the time.

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining Sichuan pepper powder and its recipe.】

“Sigh, Sichuan pepper powder,” Ji Rongxia said, looking at his hand. “Can’t we get something I’ve never seen before?”

He took a deep breath and began turning the dial.

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining fermented bean curd and its recipe.】

Ji Rongxia: “I know this one too—I use it when making braised pork with taro.”

Ji Rongxia: “Sigh, looks like my luck really has run out.”

The Cooking God System offered comfort: “Host, you still have four more chances to draw.”

“Right, only four left.” Ji Rongxia rubbed his hands together, hoping his luck would be a little better this time.

Ji Rongxia reached out and turned the dial.

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining white sugar and its recipe.】

“Is there a recipe for white sugar?” Curious, Ji Rongxia asked the little chef for the recipe and was surprised to discover that all it took to turn brown sugar into white sugar was yellow mud water?!

“But white sugar is much more expensive than brown sugar,” Ji Rongxia said, rubbing his eyes again, thinking he must have misread it.

The Cooking God System explained, “According to the development patterns of this micro-world, a decolorization method should exist here—it’s just that you, the Host, weren’t aware of it.”

Ji Rongxia blinked a few times, then realized, “Oh, I get it. By not revealing the recipe, you can make more money.”

“I just remembered—Tangjin once mentioned a book about various crafts, but it went missing later. I wonder if Tangjin has ever heard of this method.” Ji Rongxia pursed his lips, thinking to herself that at least the restaurant wasn’t short on white sugar.

“The last three.” Ji Rongxia reached out and turned the dial.

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining table salt and the method for making it.】

Ji Rongxia looked puzzled. “Salt? How come there’s salt too?!”

“Host, salt is the king of all flavors,” said the Cooking God System.

This time, it was Ji Rongxia’s turn to agree with the little chef: “You’re right. Salt is so common that I never even thought of it as a seasoning.”

He looked at the recipe provided by the Little Chef and was surprised to discover that there were so many methods for making salt.

First, one must decide whether to make sea salt or well salt; production methods vary by region, and the flavor of the salt is influenced by both the environment and the method used.

“So there’s actually so much to learn about salt. I feel like if I took this out into the world, I might not make it out alive—not just anyone can make salt,” Ji Rongxia said, remaining calm. He solemnly put the recipe away, acting as if nothing had happened.

Anyway, he was just happy to have obtained various flavors of salt; as for the rest, that wasn’t something he needed to worry about right now.

“Only two left,” Ji Rongxia said, feeling a bit reluctant.

Twenty times—had he finished so quickly?

Time really flies.

Thinking this, he still reached out to turn the hands of the clock.

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on acquiring star anise and learning how to select it.】

“Star anise, huh? I’ll save money on buying it from now on.” Although he felt a tiny bit disappointed, it wasn’t too bad.

Ji Rongxia clapped his hands and solemnly proceeded to draw the final spice.

In any case, this had been a huge haul for him.

When he got back, he’d lay everything out in front of Tangjin.

Just to scare him a little.

Hehehe!

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining mint powder and its recipe.】

Ji Rongxia was curious about how mint could be used in cooking, so he asked, “Can mint be used as a seasoning?”

He’d only ever drunk medicinal soups made with mint to clear heat and relieve summer heat, and he’d rubbed mint on mosquito bites.

Cooking God System: “Host, mint has many uses, and seasoning is one of the most important ones.”

“You’re right—you’ve reminded me. Since mint is edible and can be used to soothe mosquito bites, it should also work in scented soap. Wouldn’t it feel refreshing to use in the summer? When I go out, I’ll mention this to Tangjin and have him pass it on to Brother Diao. That way, Brother Diao will know that the two of us care about the scented soap business too—we’re not just hands-off owners.”

Cooking God System:“?!”

Wait, Host, your train of thought is a bit all over the place. Do you realize I’m having a hard time keeping up with you?