The Reviled God of Cooking Tries to Slack Off - Chapter 49

Afterwards, Jiang Tingzhou quickly went through the raw material prices one by one, saying he could get them cheaper, even marking the milk brand that the factory was using.

“This price is fine, and this brand isn’t bad,” he said. “But at the same price you might be able to source something better—a domestic dairy farm, not super famous, but the ranch is run really well and has many years of experience. When you have time, go take a look.” He jotted down the brand name and contact details.

Manager Mo nodded approvingly.

She nodded slightly, feeling that Jiang Tingzhou must have been in the industry for years. Not only did he calculate material costs precisely, but he also estimated labor and other losses very accurately.

He quickly calculated and set the prices himself.

Manager Mo glanced over them and nodded in agreement.

Jiang Tingzhou then turned to speak to the viewers in the live broadcast room.

“The small buns aren’t cheap because we use good ingredients. I’ve calculated the cost, and it really can’t be lowered,” Jiang Tingzhou explained. “When Xiaoping returns to Yongqing, I’ll have him go to the factory and film it for you to see. The raw materials used are exactly those listed. The hygiene standards at the bakery match those of the sugar factory. You can trust that.”

As soon as he said this, the barrage filled with comments.

【”I checked the brand. The butter really isn’t cheap. Many high-end private bakeries use this brand. No wonder this bread tastes much better than what’s sold elsewhere. Bread made with such ingredients can’t taste bad.”】

【”What attention to detail. The walnut kernels are even selected by origin.”】

【”The bread here really isn’t cheap. A small bun from an ordinary store costs 20 yuan, let alone those from famous restaurants. It’s nowhere near as delicious as this. This tastes better and the price isn’t insane—I’d still buy it.”】

After hearing “not cheap” several times, Jiang Tingzhou looked at the price written on the board in the live broadcast room.

“12 yuan for a box of 9 original-flavor pieces,” Jiang Tingzhou said. He drew a line on his palm to show that one loaf was about half the size of this. “The size hasn’t changed. Other flavors are pricier because besides the cost of raw materials, they require more time to make. Also nine per box, about two RMB more—selling for 13.8. If you’re nearby, you can pick them up at the bakery. If you want them mailed, you’ll have to pay shipping. At present, shipping is faster but not cheap. Xiaoping can’t offer free shipping.”

Then Jiang Tingzhou noticed the barrage flashing rapidly.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Do you think it’s still too expensive? This price can’t be lowered anymore, and the bakery still has to make a profit.”

He calculated clearly: after deducting costs including labor and raw materials, the bakery netted about 15% to 20% profit. Unlike a small shop, the factory benefited from large shipments, and as long as this profit margin was maintained, the factory’s operation stayed stable and the bread quality was guaranteed.

Street stalls might sell cheaper—like several RMB for a small bag—but their ingredients were completely different and incomparable.

Jiang Tingzhou immediately saw responses flooding the barrage.

【”You call this expensive??? Prices in Yongqing have gone up so much.”】

【”12 yuan for 9 pieces? I bought 4 on the street for 10 yuan and they tasted awful, smelled like old oil…”】

【”They use top-quality butter—Brother, don’t you know how crazy toast prices are now? Many stores don’t even charge 12 yuan for a donut, and their butter isn’t as good as this.”】

【“Seriously? Are you really selling a box for just over 12 yuan? I recorded this—no backing out or raising the price!”】

【”So where’s the link? I’ll share it with my colleagues and order immediately. The postage won’t cost much if we share.”】

【”Brother, I’m checking the link now! I can’t wait—I’ll buy a box of the 12-yuan fragrant mini buns tomorrow!”】

Jiang Tingzhou watched for a while, then concluded everyone could accept the price, so the matter was settled.

He said, “Manager Mo, it’s been a pleasure working with you. For future details, Xiaoping will coordinate with you. If he can’t reach you, you can still contact me.”

Manager Mo was a little surprised. She didn’t expect things to go so smoothly. They discussed everything over lunch and even worked out the details.

She shook hands with Jiang Tingzhou, still a bit dazed.

“Boss Jiang, aren’t you going to get involved?” she couldn’t help asking. “This… it’s not a small deal.”

Though the profit margin was low, small profits and quick turnover was still a way to make money. With customer enthusiasm, the income would grow steadily.

Jiang Tingzhou waved his hand. “I don’t care about the online store. It’s too troublesome. I don’t understand that stuff. Besides, I’m planning to take a nap this afternoon. I also need to water the garden later. Xiaoping is more suited for it. Xiaoping and I are family. Family doesn’t make distinctions. What he does is the same as what I do.”

Everyone in the live broadcast heard that sentence. Before, many wondered why he and An Xiaoping didn’t share the same surname, suspecting if they were really brothers—now they finally got the answer.

If this wasn’t a real family, then what was?

An Xiaoping never minded that 80% of the people under his account talked about Jiang Tingzhou, nor that most fans in the fan group discussed Jiang Tingzhou instead of him. Even though he handled all the videos and post-production, he was not jealous of Jiang Tingzhou’s popularity.

Not only did he not mind, he enjoyed it. He encouraged Jiang Tingzhou to open another account and worked hard to attract traffic for him, hoping his brother would be happy.

Jiang Tingzhou treated him the same way.

Besides, An Xiaoping and several roommates were growing more skilled at running the online store. They were young, motivated, and truly making money. With this bakery collaboration, they became more and more proficient and better suited for the next venture.

Manager Mo had nothing more to say.

When she was about to leave, Jiang Tingzhou suddenly remembered something and stopped her.

“If you like, let the sugar factory try to produce a batch of Black Sugar following the original method.”

This seemed to be what Jiang Tingzhou really cared about.

“Last time Uncle Nan bought me black sugar, and it was almost all used up, but I still wanted some. He was right—although the black sugar from the old sugar factory is more expensive, it’s the best. As long as the original quality is kept, it’s fine if the price is a little higher. It’s not that people can’t accept the higher price, but they have to clearly understand the quality, right?”

Besides, the black sugar from the old sugar factory wasn’t really that expensive.

There were several sugarcane harvest seasons in the producing areas throughout the year. There was still time to transport sugarcane and make a new batch of black sugar.

Manager Mo nodded and said seriously, “Okay, I will discuss it with them. I believe the sugar factory will agree.”

Their black-sugar production line had been halted for a year and a half; everyone assumed it was gone forever. The factory had gradually declined, but now it was different.

Manager Mo was halfway out when she suddenly turned back and said to Jiang Tingzhou, “Boss Jiang, thank you so much.”

Jiang Tingzhou asked, “Why?”

“Before this, we didn’t think we could hold on any longer and had to lay off a group of people. Everyone thought as soon as the sugar factory project came through, we’d file for bankruptcy and relocate,” she said. “But now… I feel like we can even bring the old workers back. Our company might actually make a comeback.”

Jiang Tingzhou was stunned. “Actually, you don’t have to worry so much. Miss Li, who plans to take over the sugar factory project, has no intention of closing the factory.”

Li Shuyan cared about the sugar factory—not just the money. Judging by her progress during this period, signing the sugar factory project was only a matter of time.

“I know—but it’s still an investment. How long can just feelings withstand if the returns aren’t enough?” Manager Mo replied, “Boss Jiang, you’re different from many people I’ve met. Thank you for saving the sugar factory and the bakery. The factory has been running for nearly fifty years—it’s a blessing that it didn’t shut down during our time. I didn’t even expect we could still make some money. That’s an unexpected surprise.”

With those words, she left. There were still matters to attend to at the factory.

That crispy-bottom mini-roll was so popular—she could easily have ignored the profit rate and flipped the price to 20+ RMB per box; plenty would still buy it. But she didn’t. When he showed her the margins, she didn’t hesitate.

Some of the persistence from the older generation may have seemed stubborn, but it had meaning. It was precisely because of that persistence that they could adjust the taste so quickly to meet Jiang Tingzhou’s standards.

Jiang Tingzhou sat in silence for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. Only after a while did he remember he was still live.

He waved at the camera.

“Alright, the deal is done. The mini buns will be available soon. Also, by the way, look out for a black sugar flavor coming out soon—try them out. That’s my favorite,” he said. “Why are you all thanking me? If the black sugar is really back in production, I should be the one thanking you. Okay, I’ll clean up and go take a nap. As for the next live broadcast… I don’t know when. There’s no fixed schedule. I’ll come on when I feel like chatting with you all. So, see you next time.”

There wasn’t any particular skill involved in his livestream. Just like his earlier videos, he simply let the camera run overhead for long periods. Most people wouldn’t look good from such angles, but Jiang Tingzhou was the kind of person people couldn’t take their eyes off, even from a dead angle.

As the stream ended, he smiled at the camera, his eyes shining. Then the screen went black.

Lu Baiyu stared at the black screen for a long time. He didn’t react until the car stopped and the driver called out to him.

Jiang Tingzhou’s live broadcast went on for quite a while. When it started, he only had a few thousand fans. But with An Xiaoping’s dedicated promotion, the number quickly soared into the tens of thousands—and kept climbing.

The livestream soon became a hot topic, drawing in many passersby. Some doubted him when Jiang Tingzhou mentioned A Bite of China, but they were quickly drawn in by the content. Once they heard about the ingredients and saw the pricing, they all wanted to give it a try.

Recently, honey crispy bread was making a comeback. Many people remembered it from their childhoods, and now, they had a reason to join the discussion. People were curious—was it really as good as the fans claimed? The roadside versions didn’t seem that special.

No one expected to see such a casual yet professional partnership unfold live.

By the time the stream ended, the viewership exceeded 100,000—far more than his current follower count.

It was certainly an engaging livestream, but what Lu Baiyu noticed most wasn’t just the praise for the bread.

Jiang Tingzhou was very experienced.

He chose a natural setting—eating and chatting—which made viewers feel close to him. He clearly explained everything on camera, from costs to production, building trust. The pricing was honest, calculated openly, and the ingredients were high quality. The bakery offered technical expertise, so even if others tried to copy the product, they couldn’t easily match the combination of quality and price.

It was a smart business move. The strategy was long-term, even if it didn’t look like much on the surface.

Too many manufacturers were already producing crispy-bottom bread. The technique wasn’t hard to replicate, and with such high popularity, copycats were inevitable. The flood of imitators could dilute the market, and traffic alone wasn’t enough. What was needed was a brand—something distinctive and solid to sustain long-term development.

Jiang Tingzhou didn’t say much about these strategies to Manager Mo, but everything he did—down to the smallest detail—showed he’d already thought it through. None of it was accidental.

Even if the profit margin was thin, the bakery was building its name. Once the brand became trusted by consumers, the road ahead would be easier.

Lu Baiyu spent the last two days thinking about what Jiang Tingzhou said to him that night. He wondered if Jiang really meant it when he said he loved him—maybe he didn’t understand him at all.

But now, he had to admit: he didn’t—at least, not fully.

He never really faced him properly before. He never fully acknowledged what Jiang Tingzhou was capable of. Maybe these things weren’t worth much in the eyes of a giant like the Lu Group, but one day, they would accumulate into real strength.

And as his partner, Lu Baiyu only just came to realize it—ever since Jiang Tingzhou left home that day, he’d been thinking about it.

He rewatched the stream several times, analyzing the details more closely than any fan. All the way home, it stayed on his mind.

His back injury was still causing a low fever, and sometimes he got flashes of strange memories—things he couldn’t quite grasp. But he had a vague sense he experienced this kind of awareness before—not for the first time.

He remembered a time they fought after getting together. He remembered feeling like he didn’t deserve Jiang Tingzhou, realizing his mistakes when he was at his lowest, and desperately trying to fix them.

“We’re lovers. What’s mine is yours—we should never be apart. Please, really become part of my life, Tingzhou. The Lu Group can give you a better platform, better resources. You deserve those,” Lu Baiyu had said. “Let’s start with A Bite of China.”

If their careers were aligned—if they were moving in the same direction—they could be together more often, always close, never apart.

Back then, he spoke with a soft tone, but deep inside, he was desperately tying Jiang to him. In that moment, with little effort, he succeeded in winning him back.

But now the reality was different.

And that frightened him. It made him feel like Jiang Tingzhou was slipping away.