Chapter 8: Even My Smile is Pure
Chen Jingle often cooked for himself and had dabbled in dishes from the Eight Great Cuisines of China, but his skills never surpassed the level of basic home-cooked meals.
After all, cooking requires a certain degree of talent.
Hard work alone can't compare to true talent. At best, it raises the floor, but it doesn’t push the ceiling much higher.
Yet, this plate of sweet and sour pork went far beyond the level of home cooking. To be blunt, it was even better than the so-called "authentic" Northeast cuisine he had tried in Qiongzhou—cooked by a professional chef in a fancy restaurant and sold for 58 yuan a plate!
Let’s not forget that this was crafted by a trained professional in a high-end establishment.
“If I can retain 90% of this dish’s quality even after the lesson ends, that’ll be more than enough,” Chen Jingle mused, grinning from ear to ear.
With just this dish, he could set up a food stand near the school someday and never have to worry about going hungry.
“Hm, the restaurant charges 58 yuan per plate. If I set up a stall, how much should I sell it for? If it’s too pricey, people might not buy it. Eight yuan, maybe? But eight yuan feels like a loss—pork tenderloin costs at least 15 yuan a pound nowadays...”
His thoughts began to drift further and further until he shook his head, dispelling the unnecessary daydreams.
“Forget it. Let’s eat first. Everything else can wait!”
Pairing the sweet and sour pork with the leftover chili stir-fried pork rice from lunch, he savored each bite.
Delicious. Absolutely divine.
They say food is the cheapest source of happiness, and that’s no exaggeration.
The sheer joy this single plate of sweet and sour pork brought Chen Jingle could sustain his spirit for three whole days.
After a long day, coming home to a dish like this? Totally worth it!
Cooking, eating, washing dishes, cleaning up—by the time he finished everything, the system finally chimed in with a delayed notification.
[You’re amazing, baby! Task completed successfully. Reward: Minimise facial pores.]
“What? Minimises pores?”
Chen Jingle froze, bolting back to his room to grab a mirror. He examined his face closely, touching his skin with his fingers.
“Huh… It really does feel smoother.”
Previously, his pores weren’t so large that you could plant rice seedlings in them, but they were definitely on the rougher side.
Years of late nights, irregular sleep schedules, oily skin, and indulgence in junk food had wreaked havoc on his skin. Though his choices satisfied his cravings, they came at the cost of his appearance.
The damage wasn’t immediately visible, but over the years, it had become increasingly obvious.
As everyone knows, damage is easy, but repair is hard. Achieving this level of skin refinement through cosmetic treatments like hydrating injections or intense pulsed light therapy would have cost him thousands, if not tens of thousands of yuan, spread over multiple sessions.
“This just saved me a fortune! That’s money in the bank!”
Chen Jingle beamed with satisfaction.
This system reward had transformed him completely.
While he couldn’t call himself a heartthrob just yet, his refined skin, healthy sun-kissed glow, and naturally symmetrical features now gave him a “boy-next-door” kind of charm.
He was undeniably on his way to becoming a bona fide stud.
“Damn, this beauty filter effect is insane!”
His face lit up with joy.
Being attractive has its perks. In today’s image-conscious society, good looks can open countless doors. Even in dating, good looks often make the other person take the initiative.
And if you’re handsome enough, you can disregard other factors entirely and just coast on your appearance.
The success of certain idol celebrities proves this point perfectly.
Even at a slightly lower level, consider the internet influencers. Who cares if they graduated from prestigious universities like 985 or 211 schools? Does anyone ask if they’re masters or Ph.D. holders? Is their work experience or status as fresh graduates even relevant?
All that matters is a pretty face.
So yes, being attractive is incredibly important.
If they had a choice, who would willingly live as a goblin or troll, mocked and humiliated by golden-haired heroes and saintly maidens?
With this newfound affirmation from the system, Chen Jingle’s confidence in his future was through the roof.
“Even my smile is pure!”
Chen Jingle initially thought it would take a week to see any noticeable changes in himself.
To his surprise, just one day in, the difference was already apparent.
The most significant change was in his facial skin—his pores had visibly shrunk. And let’s not forget, he had also successfully mastered the art of making top-tier sweet and sour pork. With this, his excitement for the upcoming lessons only grew.
After a brief 10-minute rest, the system chimed in again.
[Now, it’s free activity time. Smart babies, having completed the previous lessons, should now take the initiative to schedule their own learning activities that will contribute to their growth. I’m sure you can do it!)]
"Free activity?"
Chen Jingle was momentarily confused. "Does that mean I can do anything I want?"
[As long as it’s something that will help you grow, you’re free to choose!)]
Chen Jingle thought for a moment. "I’ve completed theory lessons and practical skills. There’s just one more class left: physical exercise."
"Why not do some exercise?"
He wanted to see if completing these activities would trigger additional rewards.
[That’s fine! You can choose any exercise you like!)]
"Great, thanks."
Chen Jingle decided on a mix of push-ups and squats. He had just eaten, and his food hadn’t fully digested, so intense activities like running or jumping weren’t ideal. He didn’t excel at ball sports either, so push-ups and squats would suffice.
Both of these exercises worked a large portion of the muscle groups.
However...
Chen Jingle may have overestimated his physical abilities.
Even 50 push-ups turned into five sets, and by the last set, he was practically doing the "butterfly wings" version.
"I can't do it anymore... I’m exhausted!"
After finishing the 50 push-ups, he collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.
Ugh, it had been too long since he’d exercised. His body had become weak and unfit.
As expected, once a person falls into bad habits, it’s hard to pick up the routine of exercising and maintain it.
[You're already doing great, baby! It’s okay not to get everything perfect right away. Keep at it every day, and soon you’ll have a strong, healthy body!)]
Despite his poor performance, receiving the system’s praise and encouragement made him feel like the effort hadn’t been in vain.
Feeling touched, Chen Jingle got up with some effort. "I’ll do squats now; my arms have no strength left."
Squats were much easier than push-ups, so he managed to do 50 in one go.
By the end, his thighs were sore and tingling, and he had to rest again.
Fueled by the hope of receiving more rewards, he kept going without the system needing to prod him further.
An hour later, he had completed over 200 push-ups and 250 squats.
Exhausted, Chen Jingle lay on the ground, completely still, feeling like a lifeless dog.
"My God, that’s probably the total amount of exercise I’ve done in the last three months!"
Not even exaggerating!
Had it not been for the system’s positive reinforcement, he probably wouldn’t have made it through.
Now, he eagerly awaited the system's reward.
[You did amazing! You’ve successfully completed the exercise task. Reward: Height +0.1 cm, Strength +0.2 kg. Your current height is 173.1 cm, and your strength is 32.9 kg.])
Chen Jingle: "...!"
Translator’s Notes
Eight Great Cuisines of China;
Shandong (Lu) Cuisine: features seafood, vinegar, and salted dishes.
Sichuan (Chuan) Cuisine: famous for its spicy, hot, and numbing flavors.
Guangdong (Yue) Cuisine: emphasizes fresh and tender ingredients, especially seafood.
Fujian (Min) Cuisine: known for its soup and seafood, and its use of wild ingredients.
Jiangsu (Su) Cuisine: characterized by its light, sweet, and delicate dishes.
Zhejiang (Zhe) Cuisine: focuses on fresh and soft ingredients, and mellow flavors.
Hunan (Xiang) Cuisine: renowned for its hot, sour, and aromatic dishes.
Anhui (Hui) Cuisine: based on the local ingredients from the Huangshan Mountains.
