Chapter 104 Potatoes, eggplants, and cabbage? Boss, do you want to eat vegetarian food?

Chapter 104 Potatoes, eggplants, and cabbage? Boss, do you want to eat vegetarian food?

There was an eerie silence in the group chat at first.

Immediately following, a row of "Received" signs were neatly arranged.

But in the small group, the message instantly exploded:

[Front Desk Xiao Li]: Holy crap! Wang Datou said the lunch subsidy is gone! I even ordered Japanese food today!

[Artist Xiao Zhao]: Are you talking about your fish cake and shrimp instant noodles? The point isn't the subsidy at all! That pretty lady is the new boss!

[Client Ada]: The boss is going to cook herself? She won't poison her, will she?!

[Artist Xiao Zhao]: Ada, shut up! We can apply for workers' compensation for poisoning, but who would be willing to feed poison to cattle and horses!

[Cute Planner]: What if the takeout food is bad? I won't even have money for delivery anymore, I'm quitting!

[Receptionist Xiao Li]: Manager! The new boss is here!

Looking at Su Yingxue's delicate skin and then at his own enormous belly, Wang Datou silently swallowed: Skipping a meal won't kill him. What if what she cooks is edible...?

Just then, the office door opened, and Su Yingxue and Wang Datou walked out one after the other. All eyes in the office instantly focused on the new boss, while messages in the group chat were still flooding in...

Su Yingxue followed Wang Datou and Linda for a walk around the office area and briefly greeted the employees. Some sat and some stood, their eyes clearly showing their "life crisis," but on the surface they still politely greeted her as "President Su."

"Everyone, you've all seen the company's situation since then." Su Yingxue stood at the door of the break room, trying to make her voice sound confident. "The company is currently facing a tight budget, but lunch is still necessary. I plan to make boxed lunches for everyone at noon. Linda and Manager Wang will be responsible for purchasing the ingredients and seasonings."

Linda, the finance manager, adjusted her glasses and asked in a low voice, "Mr. Su, about the budget..."

"Let's focus on that first." Su Yingxue glanced at the notebook in her hand. "We can only buy vegetables. Meat and stuff..." She paused, "We're not considering it for now. The company doesn't have much money. Vegetables are cost-effective and will fill our stomachs."

Manager Wang immediately raised his hand: "Don't worry, boss, I'll go buy it! I know the market well!"

Su Yingxue nodded: "Then I'll trouble Manager Wang. Linda, please help me make a list. We'll just buy common things like potatoes, eggplants, and cabbage, and some tofu too, which is cheap and nutritious. As for seasonings, we'll just buy the basics: oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. We won't buy anything else for now."

Twenty minutes later, Wang Datou huffed and puffed as he rushed into the company gate, carrying a crumpled plastic bag. The back of his white shirt was soaked with sweat, beads of sweat dripped from his forehead and down his chin, and the bag in his hand was heavy, with the purple skins of potatoes and eggplants faintly visible through the opening.

Linda came in from behind carrying some bottles and jars with the receipts.

"Mr. Su! I've bought it!" Wang Datou put the bag on the floor of the tea room, panting heavily as he leaned on his knees. "Ten pounds of potatoes, ten pounds of eggplant, two cabbages, five pieces of tofu, and..." He pulled out a handful of change from his pocket, counted it, and said, "It cost exactly one hundred and fifty. The seasonings were bought at the supermarket; they have salt, soy sauce, and vinegar!"

The entire office fell silent for a second, and then—

"Pfft!" The shrimp and fish cake noodles in Xiao Li's hand fell onto the table with a "thud".

She stared at the still-steaming bowl of instant noodles, then glanced at the mountain of potatoes and eggplants piled on the floor of the break room, and her lips twitched: "Suddenly, I feel like my instant noodles taste better than all these vegetables the boss has to offer..."

Art student Xiao Zhao stared wide-eyed, circled the pile of vegetables, and poked a round potato: "Boss, this... this is really for us to eat? Not for feeding the pigs?"

Account manager Ada slumped in his chair, looking up at the sky and sighing, "I knew it! I knew it! A pay cut isn't the case, but canceling subsidies will definitely have consequences! I told you, there's no such thing as a free lunch!"

Mengmeng covered her eyes and peeked out through her fingers: "Potatoes, eggplants, cabbages...even dogs won't eat them!"

She suddenly remembered something and looked up sharply. "Wait! Manager Wang, are you buying so many potatoes so that we can eat potato shreds, potato slices, mashed potatoes, and potato stew with eggplant every meal?"

Wang Datou wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking completely innocent: "President Su said she wanted to buy some vegetables, aren't these all vegetables? I picked the cheapest ones... Um, the tofu is quite tender, how about we have Mapo Tofu for lunch?"

Su Yingxue stood aside, looking at the pile of vegetables on the ground, then at the employees' expressions of disbelief, and silently clenched her fists.

Before leaving home that morning, she was mentally encouraging herself: "It's just managing a company and making boxed lunches on the side, right? I learned to fry eggs in first grade!" But now, looking at this pile of potatoes and eggplants, she suddenly felt a pang of regret—she should have asked the system for some start-up funding…

"Um..." she said hesitantly, "Mr. Wang bought quite a lot, let's try it first. I'll make shredded potatoes, eggplant casserole, and cabbage and tofu soup for lunch, everyone... please make do?"

"Make do?!" Xiao Li shrieked. "President Su, I haven't even received my full salary from last month, but I'd rather use that money to buy some spicy hot pot! Who can stand that!"

Ada suddenly stood up, pointing at the pile of vegetables: "Boss, I'm asking to use this month's annual leave to pay for my meals! I'd rather go home and eat instant noodles!"

Mengmeng had already pulled out her phone and was typing rapidly: "I'm searching for 'how to resign gracefully'..."

Xiao Zhao crossed his arms, looking utterly hopeless: "I was hoping this job would allow me to save money for art classes, but now it seems... Oh well, I'll eat something first, and then I'll check out Bass Zhipin this afternoon."

Seeing the crowd's rebellious look, Su Yingxue took a deep breath and suddenly had a flash of inspiration: "Wait! I promise, the food I make... isn't bad! Really! And—" She paused, her eyes lighting up, "If you stick to eating boxed lunches for three days, I'll reward you with a cup of milk tea!"

The office fell silent for a moment.

Xiao Li hesitated before asking, "Really...really? Bubble tea?"

"Bubble tea." Su Yingxue nodded, "Double the pearls."

Xiao Zhao immediately raised his hand: "Then I want red bean milk tea!"

Ada rubbed his fingers together: "Taro milk tea with ice cream!"

Mengmeng and Xiaoli exchanged a glance and said in unison, "Bubble tea, 30% sugar, no tapioca pearls!"

Su Yingxue looked at the group that had suddenly become lively. They were still searching for recipes. She silently breathed a sigh of relief, turned around and walked towards the tea room, muttering to herself, "It's just vegetarian food... Do you think I'd let you go hungry?"

Wang Datou scratched his head and whispered to Linda, "President Su used to... be a chef?"

Linda rolled her eyes: "Have you ever seen a chef get this scared by a pile of potatoes?"

In the break room, Su Yingxue turned on the tap, looked at the mountain of potatoes piled up in the sink, took a deep breath, and picked up a kitchen knife—

"Peel them, we can't really let you eat instant noodles..."

It's just potatoes, they taste good no matter how you cook them, just wait and see!

Wang Datou wiped his sweat and watched the boss still working hard peeling potatoes.

They immediately went over to offer their help. "Boss, I'm here too."

I'll help!