Ordinary observers in fast time travel

Chapter 1090 Drawing Steamed Buns

A long queue stretched in front of a steamed bun shop, but the shop itself was devoid of any lively atmosphere, the aroma of steamed buns, or even the traditional steamer baskets. Upon closer inspection, the shop lacked not only steamer baskets, but also a flour cutting board and a sink.

A middle-aged man dressed in a chef's uniform took a paintbrush and made a few strokes on the paper, and a lifelike steamed bun appeared on the paper.

Immediately afterward, the middle-aged man touched the paper with his paintbrush, a red light flashed, and a steaming, fragrant bun appeared on the paper.

The middle-aged man picked up a paper bag from the side, packed the buns into it, and handed it to the customer, saying, "Please take your buns."

"Next person."

"Boss, I'd like a beef and vermicelli bun."

The middle-aged man frowned. "The beef and vermicelli bun is quite difficult to make, so it will cost 20 yuan."

"OK."

The middle-aged man then picked up his paintbrush and began to paint.

Shi Jia watched in stunned silence, forgetting even his own hunger. He swallowed hard. This was a painter!
That's just too, too illogical.

Although Sun Yu's memories had told him that this was an unusual world, he was still shocked when he saw the painting materialize.

He stared wide-eyed, growing more and more excited! He dreamed of becoming an artist too! It was amazing!
"Are you buying steamed buns or not? If not, get out of the way!"

Suddenly, Shi Jia was pushed. Already dizzy from hunger, he immediately lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground, yelling, "Ah!"

Pain swept through his entire body, from his toes to the back of his head; Shi Jia could feel nothing but pain.

His head was buzzing, and he almost stopped breathing. Suddenly, a gentle force fell on him, and the pain gradually subsided. Shi Jia was finally able to breathe again.

He opened his eyes, and a paintbrush touched his knee, beneath which lay a large band-aid. Ruohe's energy emanated from the paintbrush.

He blinked, his gaze shifting slightly upwards to a graceful woman with delicate features and a slender figure. "So beautiful!"

"Hmph!" A cold snort came from the side. "Disgusting!"

The sound was quite loud, startling Shi Jia. He instinctively turned his head and saw a burly, strong man with a clean-cut face who was looking at him with disgust.

Shi Jia was puzzled. Why was she being looked at like that? And, "Did you bump into me just now?"

The burly man's expression changed. "You weren't standing properly!" After saying that, his expression changed again, and he looked at Shi Jia with a scrutinizing and disdainful gaze. "You're supposed to be a man, not a weakling!"

"Then why are you still like a stone!" Shi Jia was naturally angry when someone said that, but he had been pampered in the Aoxing Empire for ten years, and everyone had taken good care of him. He hadn't developed the ability to argue at all, and after holding it in for a long time, he could only say this.

The burly man was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then couldn't help but laugh, as if he had never seen such a weak man before. "Haha!"

"Ah-Kui! Stop laughing!" the gentle woman said helplessly, then smiled and said to Shi Jia, "I'm sorry, Ah-Kui was in a hurry to buy me steamed buns, so he pushed you. I've already healed your injury. However, you seem a little weak. I'll have Ah-Kui pay some of your medical expenses, what do you think?"

Shi Jia nodded. The gentle woman's voice was indeed very soothing, making one feel comfortable. Ten minutes later, Shi Jia excitedly ran to the noodle shop next door to fill her stomach with her first pot of gold earned in this world.

Compared to the steamed bun shop next door, the noodle shop was full of life and warmth. Like any noodle shop in the world, it had a chef and cooking utensils. The noodles were made from flour and dough, and were fully cooked in boiling broth before being placed in the bowl. Then, pre-cooked bone broth was added, along with some side dishes, and a fragrant bowl of noodles was served.

Shi Jia couldn't wait to start eating.

According to Sun Yu's recollection, all human food was drawn. Some, like the steamed bun shop next door, directly depicted the finished product, while most involved artists drawing the raw materials, which were then processed into different products by various factories.

If an artist paints wheat, a processing plant can then process it into flour or various kinds of noodles.

Afterwards, businesses or individuals can purchase these materials, process them, and sell them themselves, or consume them, just like this noodle shop.

However, compared to food processed in various ways, the people of the Land of Painting prefer food directly drawn by artists.

Food drawn directly contains purer energy, while processed food often contains a mixture of energies from different artists. This mixture of energies is not conducive to energy absorption and is even less beneficial to the artists' cultivation.

Of course, ordinary people would prefer processed food, since it's cheaper and more filling.

Like the big bowl of noodles Shi Jia is eating now, it only costs 8 yuan. If Shi Jia orders a small bowl, it only costs 5 yuan.

The beef buns next door, which are only the size of a child's fist, cost 20 yuan, and you have to eat at least five to get one. That's simply unaffordable for the average person.

Keep in mind that the average person in this world earns only around 2500 to 3000 yuan a month, which is barely enough to afford processed food. In some cases, they even buy ingredients and cook them themselves.

However, this undoubtedly carries greater risks because ordinary people cannot perceive the energy properties of food, and the energy content of food prepared at home may be more complex than that of commercially available food. In severe cases, this could lead to energy blockages and a shortened lifespan.

Of course, things have two sides. Just as it is possible to process food with mixed energy, it is also possible to process food with fused, purified, and evolved energy.

Such food is often more expensive than the food depicted by the artist.

Shi Jia ate while reminiscing, and quickly finished the bowl of noodles. He drank the last drop of soup and let out a satisfied burp. He wiped his hands with a tissue, bought a bottle of water, and then turned and left the noodle shop.

Sun Yu's family had no food, not even water. If his rent hadn't been due before the deadline, he might have been taken to the crematorium before Ji Jia arrived.

Shi Jia rubbed her stomach and, seeing that it was still quite early, decided to take a stroll around the area and think about what she should do next!
Whether or not one can become a pie-in-the-sky pie-in-the-sky is another matter; the most important thing is to find a job and support oneself.

Only after solving the immediate problems can one be qualified to think about poetry and distant places.

Sun Yu lives in District 8, which has many processing plants nearby. Given his situation, working in a processing plant would actually be the most suitable option. After all, he lacks any marketable skills and the capital to start his own business. What else could he do besides factory work?
Of course, if he lived in the orange or yellow zone, he could deliver food. Unfortunately, he lives in the red zone, where people are already poor; how could they afford to order takeout?

Unfortunately, Sun Yu had a bad life but high aspirations. He wanted to become a painter and even spent all his money to buy spirit crystals in an attempt to increase his affinity with spirits.

Unfortunately, the spirit crystal contained very little energy. After consuming it, it only made his body feel a little better, and it didn't even cause an energy explosion.

Sun Yu was unwilling to go to the processing plant, and Shi Jia, who was there to complete a mission, was even less inclined to go. The chances of becoming an artist by working in a processing plant were too slim!

"Huh? What's this?" Suddenly, Shi Jia's eyes were drawn to a colorful poster.