The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

Ye Shu tied on an apron and began to inspect his troops.

He firmly believed that he had a great talent for cooking. Even if he wasn't at the level of Little Chef who could put a flashlight in the pot, he was at least at the level of Chef Xiao Fugui, the head chef of Empress Dowager Cixi.

The reason I couldn't cook well before was simply because I didn't have enough money. What's that old saying again? Even a good wife can't cook a meal with stones.

Things are different now. As the saying goes, fortunes can change drastically in the morning and afternoon. Don't underestimate a young man's potential.

Ye Shu rummaged through the bags one by one, and sure enough, they were different from the cheap goods she had bought; they were all premium or specially selected items.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

Hey! I ran into someone I know! Isn't this the "Philosophy Cabbage" guy?

Ye Shu held the box up to his face, a sneer of villainous triumph on his lips, and pointed at the fresh, vibrant vegetable leaves with his finger:

"Hmph, you little punk! Weren't you so arrogant at the supermarket during the day? Thirty-odd yuan a pound? Now that you're in my hands, I'll make sure you're dealt with properly!"

With a smug look on his face, Xiao Ye put down the Philosophy-themed Cabbage and then pulled out an even bigger bag containing a cleaned white duck.

Ye Shu scratched his head, looked at the fat duck, and a flash of inspiration struck him. He remembered Xia Qing chugging beer in front of the TV last night.

"Hey? How about... we make beer-braised duck?"

It not only showcases craftsmanship, but also seems to... inexplicably cater to Xia Qing's preferences?

Just do it!

He took out his phone and searched for "home-style recipe for beer-braised duck," muttering to himself:

"I should be able to learn and apply what I've learned immediately, given my talent."

Meanwhile, in the living room, Xia Qing was sprawled on the sofa without any regard for her image, her feet swinging freely in the air, her eyes glued to the variety show on TV, occasionally letting out silly giggles, completely oblivious to the various noises coming from the kitchen, acting like a hands-off manager waiting for dinner to be served.

After Ye Shu prepared the duck according to the tutorial, she went to the refrigerator and opened the door.

Good heavens! The fridge is crammed full; looks like Xia Qing restocked. The packaging is colorful and varied.

Which one should I use?

He stroked his chin, pondering. The tutorial only said "one can of beer," without specifying a brand.

After looking around, his eyes fell on the smallest can of beer.

"This one will do. It's small, so there's no waste. It just needs to have the flavor of beer."

He thought to himself, and casually picked up the smallest can of beer that looked the most harmless. He examined the can closely, but apart from a few foreign brand names he couldn't understand, he couldn't find any information such as the alcohol content.

"It's all in foreign languages, it's quite mysterious."

Ye Shu didn't think much of it. He took the jar of "foreign liquor" and the prepared duck meat and returned to the stove.

The clanging sounds in the kitchen were gradually replaced by the sizzling of oil and the aroma of cooking. The fragrance, like a tiny hand, drifted through the living room and pinched Xia Qing's nose, who was lying on the sofa.

Glug glug...

A thunderstorm was brewing in Xia Qing's stomach. She propped her head up and called out towards the kitchen in a drawn-out voice:

"Ye-Shu-Are you done yet? How much longer? I'm starving! If you don't serve food soon, you're going to lose your lovely roommate!"

"Right away, right away!"

Ye Shu's voice came through the sound of a spatula:

"It should be about half an hour more."

"Ah...! Half an hour?!"

Xia Qing let out a wail, slammed her head back into the cushion, activated Magikarp's move "Splash," and thrashed around on the sofa a couple of times.

This is torture! Surrounded by the aroma but unable to eat, Xia Qing felt that half an hour was longer than half a world, and she could feel the fat on her body burning.

Just when she felt like she was about to starve to the point of losing her soul, she finally heard that heavenly voice.

"Dinner's ready!"

Xia Qing, who was just like a slime monster, instantly revived. She sprang up from the sofa with a somersault and, without even putting on slippers, teleported barefoot to the dining table.

Ye Shuzheng was placing the last pot of white rice on the table. He wiped the sweat from his brow, looked at the table full of dishes, and began to list the names of the dishes with a touch of pride:

"Xia Qing, come here, let me introduce tonight's menu. Stir-fried bok choy, 'ants climbing a tree' (a Sichuan dish), 'volcano snow' (a Sichuan dish), and the main course, beer-braised duck, served with seaweed and egg drop soup—everything's ready!"

Xia Qing's eyes swept across the table, finally settling on the "Snow Under the Volcano" dish. She reached out and poked at the tomato chunks with her chopsticks, somewhat speechless.

"Isn't this just tomatoes with sugar? And 'snow falling on a volcano'? What a clever name!"

Ye Shu smiled somewhat embarrassedly and explained:

"We're pressed for time and have a lot of work to do. Beer duck takes too much effort, but this is easier, sweet and sour, and it cuts through the greasiness."

Upon hearing "beer duck," Xia Qing's attention was successfully diverted. She couldn't wait to pick up a piece of glistening duck meat and put it in her mouth.

"Um!"

The next second, her eyes widened suddenly. Ignoring the heat, she breathed on the wound and mumbled a praise:

"Mmm! Delicious! Ye Shu, you're really good! You've got some skills!"

Next, Xia Qing completely entered a whirlwind eating mode, munching on one piece after another with great relish, her cheeks bulging out.

Ye Shu sat opposite Xia Qing, watching her eat without any regard for her image. The sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that comes with being a cook was almost overflowing in his heart.

Sure enough, seeing others so enthusiastically eat the food I made tastes a hundred times better than eating it myself.

"This is really good. It would be a shame not to have some drinks with such delicious food."

Xia Qing slammed her chopsticks on the table and asked Ye Shu:

"Ye Shu, can you drink? Want to have a drink with me?"

Ye Shu swallowed the food in her mouth:

"I... have a low alcohol tolerance, I can handle a little bit."

"Tsk, a boy shouldn't act like a little girl. Besides, what's the big deal if he drinks too much at home? He can just go to sleep, just you wait!"

As she spoke, she looked down and searched the floor for a while but couldn't find any slippers, so she simply ran barefoot into the kitchen with a "pat-pat" sound.

After a series of clinking sounds from the kitchen, Xia Qing's slightly puzzled voice came from inside the refrigerator:

"Ye Shu, come here and take a look. Did you see that small silver can of beer I put in the fridge?"

Ye Shu's heart skipped a beat, a sense of foreboding washing over him. He steeled himself and tentatively confirmed:

"Is it... the one with all English on it, the really small one?"

"Yes, yes, that's it! You saw it? I clearly put it here..."

Oh no, it seems I've gotten myself into trouble.

Ye Shu felt a bit of sweat on her back, and her voice lowered slightly:

"Um...that...I...I used it for cooking..."

The sounds from the kitchen abruptly stopped.

Xia Qing slowly peeked halfway out from behind the refrigerator door, her face clearly saying, "You must be joking, right?"

Her eyes were on Ye Shu's face, trying to find a trace of a joke.

But Ye Shu's expression, a mixture of embarrassment, guilt, and "I'm doomed," was utterly sincere.

The aroma of beer-braised duck still lingered in her mind, as if asking, "Don't you find this familiar after eating so much?"

She seemed unwilling to give up, turning her head to look at the trash can on the ground.

The small, exquisite silver beer can lay quietly, with a somewhat pitiful air, among a few vegetable leaves.

The air seemed to freeze at that moment.