Free Web NovelChapter 523: Chapter 435: The Temptation of Bread, A Courageous First Step
"Today, we also have bread-like items. There are lots of things that look delicious, and I think you’ll definitely like them."
The siblings’ dormitory isn’t large, about ten square meters or so, one room and one bathroom, without even a kitchen, just an induction cooker. They usually rely on the dining hall for meals.
"Let’s start with these egg tarts: original, red bean, taro mochi, and creamy chicken mushroom. Which one would you like to try first?"
Lin looked at the four flavors of delicately crafted egg tarts in the box, her eyes showing a hint of amazement.
She had definitely eaten egg tarts before, but had never seen ones this small, as if they could be popped into your mouth in one bite.
"Let’s try the original first to see how it differs from the ones here."
Lin glanced at the box in front of her brother, saw that the contents of the two boxes were identical, and then confidently grabbed an original egg tart, taking a big bite.
Egg tarts are best when freshly baked, sweet and fragrant. Once they cool, the flavor diminishes considerably and they become more cloying.
"Crunch."
With a series of crispy sounds, the crust quietly shattered, scattering tiny crumbs into her outstretched palm.
The egg tart’s filling was exceptionally smooth, with just the right sweetness, like a high-quality egg custard pudding.
The overall aroma of butter and egg custard was incredibly rich. Even when cold, it wasn’t cloying at all.
"Delicious!"
With just one bite, Lin’s eyes sparkled with surprise.
The overall taste and texture of this egg tart were similar to the larger ones she usually ate, but if she carefully savored it, she could taste many subtle differences.
The most important thing was that it wasn’t overly sweet, so eating a few more bites didn’t feel overwhelming.
After finishing an entire egg tart, she didn’t feel satisfied. Instead, it was as if her appetite had been fully awakened. Hastily, she grabbed another egg tart, ignoring the filling, and stuffed it into her mouth.
At the moment she bit into it, the dense red bean paste with whole red beans burst on her tongue, providing a completely new taste experience with contrasting textures.
The red bean paste was a bit mild, and paired with the sweet egg tart filling, the overall sweetness was even less than the original, yet the ratio felt just right.
She had never tasted such a mild egg tart before, yet her tongue felt very comfortable, enjoying the pleasure of dessert without any discomfort.
Having eaten two sweets, even though she felt she could eat more, she cautiously decided to try the savory creamy mushroom chicken tart.
When the creamy sauce burst in her mouth, her appetite was like a flood bursting through a dam, unstoppable.
By the time she came back to her senses, she realized the entire bag had been devoured without her noticing.
Daniel wasn’t any better off. He was still gobbling down, holding half a piece of bread in each hand, alternating between bites.
Through the cross section of the bread, you could clearly see the hidden fillings, both sweet and savory—he just couldn’t stop switching back and forth.
Noticing his sister staring at him, Daniel swallowed what was in his mouth, glanced at the half-eaten piece of bread in his hand, and offered it to her.
Lin shook her head and pushed his hand away, "You eat it. I’m full. It’s just rare to see you eating with such enthusiasm."
"I’ve never seen you eat so fast either, haha. Although these aren’t made by Chef Lin, they were created by the new Great Xia chef hired by the restaurant a few days ago. What do you think? Delicious, right?"
"Mm-hmm!" Lin nodded emphatically, "Super delicious. I never thought I could eat so much bread in one go and still feel completely fine afterward."
"What were they thinking to come up with so many novel flavors that taste better than the bread from the local bakeries?"
After eating those delicious sandwiches yesterday, she felt an intense curiosity about the restaurant where her brother delivered goods every day.
And after today’s meal, her curiosity grew even stronger, yearning to visit the place herself.
If even the cold bread is this good, imagine how delicious it must be when freshly baked!
Seeing the gleam in her sister’s eyes, Daniel curved his lips into a triumphant smile and spoke in a low, enticing voice.
"Since we’re both off tomorrow, would you like to come with me and see for yourself?"
"That... doesn’t seem right?"
"There’s nothing wrong with that. We’re paying for what we eat, not freeloading."
Not giving his sister another chance to hesitate, Daniel pointed at the crumbs left on the table in front of her, "These were also bought with my money, just like yesterday’s. They really don’t mind whether you eat here or there."
"When I went there today, I happened to hear them talking about hiring. Do you want to give it a try?"
If it were yesterday, Lin would have outright refused.
But now, for some reason, she found herself hesitating.
The thought of possibly being separated from her brother in the future filled her heart with inexplicable fear.
Daniel had practically raised her single-handedly, like both a brother and a father. He could instantly sense her inner turmoil and hesitation.
"Don’t overthink it, Lin. It’s a five-star hotel after all. The recruitment criteria are undoubtedly strict. I just suggested you give it a try so you could see more of the world outside."
"Although I really want to praise you, the waitstaff over there are truly high-quality. You’ll know when you see them in person. It’s not like I can just say a few words of praise and get you selected. At most, it’s just a try, a way to build your courage, understand?"
After hearing Daniel’s words, Lin was stunned for a moment, clearly not used to her brother’s serious attitude.
In the past, her brother was always full of emotional support, praising without much thought. But this time, it was quite different.
He didn’t explicitly say she wouldn’t get selected, but the implication was clear between the lines.
Suddenly, a surge of defiance arose within Lin.
Even knowing she likely wouldn’t be chosen, she still wanted to see what kind of people could work at such a high-end restaurant.
When it came to work capability, she couldn’t say she was that strong, but in terms of endurance, she believed no woman in the warehouse could outshine her.
"Alright, let’s go see then. Who’s afraid? What time do we leave?"
"I usually get there around five to five-thirty, so we have to leave by four at the latest."
Even though the job involved long-distance travel and paid well, no one was willing to do it. Daniel’s willingness to work overtime on his day off puzzled his coworkers.
Despite not understanding, no one was foolish enough to ask. Getting into trouble would be a hassle.
Daniel was smart too, trying not to show the food he brought back in front of others, unless it was something like a common sandwich that wouldn’t attract much attention.
Today, he took the bag of bread directly to the dorm, eliminating any chance of exposure.
He originally worried that working overtime on his day off might attract attention, but no one cared, and people were actually glad if he handled the route full-time.
He was also glad no one asked, just pretending he needed the money and was willing to work overtime. Anyway, others always saw him as that kind of person.
"Alright, let’s settle this then. I’ll sleep early tonight and get up at three to do makeup. Is that enough time?"
Daniel glanced up and down at his sister, hesitantly saying, "There’s no need to wake up that early. You can do your makeup in the car, and dressing up... doesn’t seem necessary?"
"Do you want to get hit!!!!"
Wang Aiguo, passing by the siblings’ door, heard the commotion inside and shook his head with a smile.
"Those two have a really good relationship, but that’s to be expected. After all, they’re blood-related siblings. It would be strange if they didn’t get along."
...
Time flew by, and the next morning arrived quickly.
In the refrigerated truck, Lin was holding a mirror, busy doing her makeup, and she had even donned her rarely worn outfit, saved for celebrating New Year.
Calling it a battle outfit, it was actually just a normal qipao.
Wang Aiguo had given it to her as a New Year gift a couple of years ago, and she’d never had the courage to wear it out, only posing in front of the mirror in her room.
Today, she dared to wear it out, clearly spurred by some motivation.
Previously, Daniel had advised her to watch some of Lucas’s videos, where glimpses of beautiful waitstaff appeared, to mentally prepare herself.
But Lin refused on the spot without thinking.
Even if she didn’t say why, Daniel could roughly guess his sister’s thoughts.
Both of them had dark skin, and no matter how good the figure was, sexy clothes didn’t look good on them.
Not to mention, when she was younger, lack of nutrition and constant hunger left her with no figure at all, just a stick-thin shape.
Daring to come along this time was likely because she was tempted by the food and bolstered by his encouragement, willing to give it a shot.
Deep down, there was no real hope.
"We’ll be there in about ten minutes, are you almost done?"
"Almost, almost done, just need to apply mascara!"
As the truck arrived at the back door of the restaurant, Lin looked at the grand building with its flashing neon lights in the distance, suddenly filled with regret.
A black girl with neither figure nor looks, coming to compete with curvy white beauties for a waitstaff position?
Wasn’t she just setting herself up for embarrassment?
She instinctively clutched the backpack on her lap, containing the loose T-shirts and faded jeans she usually wore.
"Brother, where’s the bathroom here?"
Daniel gave his sister a deep look, said nothing, opened the door, jumped down, and entered a combination on the roll-up door’s lock to open it.
"Follow me. There shouldn’t be anyone in the restaurant right now."
On the way over, he saw the restaurant was dark; he was used to arriving earlier three or four days a week.
Lin grabbed her backpack tightly, hopping out of the truck and following Daniel with small strides. Her steps looked strange, clearly not accustomed to the mix of qipao and high heels.
