"After we get out, Brother Qin Mu will make you something delicious." Qin Mu had a good impression of this sweet-talking little girl and comforted her with a smile.
"Brother Qin Mu, really?" Xiangli Yanran asked, her eyes lighting up.
"Of course, I'll make several kinds of really delicious snacks!" Qin Mu said with a smile.
"I didn't know you could cook."
“What’s so strange about that? Poor kids learn to be independent early,” Qin Mu said.
Qin Yue knew that Qin Mu had not grown up in the Duke's mansion, so she understood what he meant. However, precisely because of this, she admired him even more.
"Brother Qin Mu, tell me, what delicious food can you cook?" Xiangli Yanran asked with wide eyes.
"What's the use of saying it now? I can't conjure it up for you."
"Tell me about it, just to satisfy my craving," the little girl said, tugging at Qin Mu's arm and shaking it affectionately.
"Talking about satisfying your cravings? You can do that?" Qin Mu couldn't help but chuckle.
"Why not! You'd better tell me some good things I haven't tried before," Xiangli Yanran said, pouting.
"I know a lot of delicious food, but I don't know how to cook them. I only know a few dishes," Qin Mu said after thinking for a moment.
The food in the other world is incredibly diverse, but to be honest, it's not bad here either. It's all natural food, which makes it taste much better; it just doesn't have as many varieties.
The eight major cuisines of China include frying, stir-frying, boiling, stewing, braising, pickling, marinating, mixing, roasting, and steaming. Unfortunately, I know very little of them myself.
"It's okay, just tell me about all the delicious food," Xiangli Yanran said without any hesitation.
It was clear that the little girl just wanted to have some fun, which Qin Mu couldn't refuse. He figured he was free anyway, so he might as well tell her about it and let her reminisce about the past.
"Ahem! This is what I saw on a tattered scroll. This person was a great gourmet. He divided the dishes of the Central Plains into eight major cuisines according to region: Shandong, Sichuan, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Fujian, Zhejiang, Hunan, and Anhui. He also listed the methods of stir-frying, quick-frying, braising, deep-frying, cooking, boiling, stewing, etc."
As the saying goes, "Frying, stir-frying, boiling, stewing, braising, pickling, marinating, mixing, roasting, steaming. A beautifully presented lamb sliced with a knife, a fragrant fish cooked in a cauldron." Qin Mu cleared his throat and began to speak.
"The best ingredients are further divided into eight delicacies from the mountains, eight delicacies from the water, and eight delicacies from the birds; there are also pastries, snacks, beverages, wines, and sauces. Different cooking methods, paired with different seasonings, create all kinds of exquisite delicacies."
Even the most ordinary poultry has braised pork knuckle that's fatty but not greasy, and spicy and fragrant Kung Pao chicken; soup dumplings, crab roe buns, pork floss cakes, leaf-wrapped rice cakes, spring rolls, brown sugar osmanthus cakes... hundreds of dishes, and thousands of varieties of pastries and snacks." Qin Mu boasted for a while, bringing up many foods he remembered from another world, since no one knew if they were true or not.
"Gulp! Gulp!" Qin Mu, who was talking enthusiastically, heard a few discordant sounds. Upon closer inspection, he found that the people were swallowing hard.
That makes sense. Although they had the Bigu Pill to keep them from getting hungry, they had been in the secret realm for more than three days and hadn't eaten anything with oil or salt. Hearing him say that, how could the young people stand it?
"Hundreds of dishes, thousands of varieties, it sounds so real." Seeing the two women staring at Qin Mu, Li Chongyi said sourly.
Unfortunately, he only attracted angry glares from the two women. The saying goes, "Looking at plums quenches thirst," meaning that even without eating them, just hearing about them makes one's mouth water and puts one in a good mood. But someone had to disagree, which naturally made him unhappy.
"That's true! Even in the palace, there might not be that many dishes." Li Chongyi looked innocent, indicating that he was right.
Unfortunately, he didn't understand that you should never try to reason with a woman, even if you are right. She will always find a reason, or at the very least, she will bring up old arguments.
"Young Prince, how do you know that ancient book wasn't written by the Imperial Chef? Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't exist." Qin Mu retorted irritably to Li Chongyi, who was trying to get his attention.
Qin Mu's implication was that Li Chongyi was ignorant and ill-informed. However, Li Chongyi couldn't refute this, since he was currently isolated and helpless, with no one to speak up for him, and of course, taking action was even more out of the question.
"Brother Qin Mu, don't be angry. There are so many dishes, which ones can you make? Can you make some for Yanran?" Xiangli Yanran asked expectantly, like a teddy bear begging for food.
"Ahem! I only know a few of those." Qin Mu said somewhat embarrassedly, having just boasted a bit too much.
"It's alright, Brother Qin Mu, as long as you remember how to do it, I'll have someone do it a few times." Xiangli Yanran shook her head and said.
"That's not a problem."
"Brother Qin Mu, tell me, what's the best dish?" Xiangli Yanran asked with a beaming smile after Qin Mu agreed.
"If I had to pick the most delicious dish, I would say it would be 'Buddha Jumps Over the Wall,' also known as 'Fu Shou Quan,' which is made with eight delicacies from poultry, eight delicacies from the sea, and eight delicacies from herbs."
It is said that the aroma wafted through the neighborhood, and even a Zen Buddhist climbed over the wall to find the delicious treat, hence the name "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall." However, I've never tried it myself,” Qin Mu said with a slight smile.
"It must be very troublesome. Is there anything that is simple, delicious, and easy to carry?" Xiangli Yanran asked with a troubled expression.
Judging from her expression, Qin Mu understood that she clearly wanted snacks. He also guessed that this little girl didn't actually love food, but was simply used to having something to eat all the time. It was probably a psychological issue stemming from something that happened in her childhood.
Of course! It's not a good idea to tell her this, and I'm not a therapist, so telling her wouldn't help. Besides, snacking is just a minor issue; there's no need to force someone to change it.
"Simple things, I have them! Roasted chestnuts, popcorn, dried fruit, candy, ice cream, cake. I'll figure out how to get them for you after we get out," Qin Mu said after thinking for a moment.
These things can still be made as long as you have the materials. There used to be a street downstairs selling all kinds of snacks. I passed by it every day and saw many of the things. Although I don't know the specifics, I can let them figure it out themselves.
I'll give you a rough estimate, and after a few tries, I should be able to get something similar. They don't really know what it should taste like anyway. Besides, I've already told them I only read it in a book. The key is that it's only a fragment. In other words, I have the final say in the interpretation.
"Yes, yes! I'll do it right away! Brother Qin Mu, you can't lie to me!" Xiangli Yanran nodded repeatedly, her head bobbing like a chick pecking at rice.
Don't worry! I won't lie to you.
"A liar is a dog!"
"Okay! I'll be a dog if I lie."
"Pinky promise!"
"Okay, pinky promise." Such childish behavior left Qin Mu speechless. He nodded listlessly and held out his finger.
Seeing Qin Mu's utterly hopeless expression, Qin Yue covered her mouth and laughed.
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