Chapter 15 Rose Wine
Jiangyou set up a small pot, poured in clean water, and waited until bubbles began to appear in the pot, then put in small pearl dumplings made from glutinous rice flour and hot water.
She actually preferred small balls made with pumpkin, taro paste, and sweet potato. But the green plums in the backyard were just beginning to ripen, and she judged it was late spring or early summer. There were a few pumpkin vines in the corner of the yard, but they were just beginning to bloom, so it would take several months before she could eat pumpkin.
Since the conditions are not good enough, we can only give up for the time being. Fortunately, as long as the rose wine is good enough, simple glutinous rice dumplings will also be delicious. I think the local residents here should not be too picky.
She was confident in her craftsmanship, and with Jericho's consent, she had just tasted his emotional soul fire and felt that the taste was roughly in line with her expectations.
Food always evokes a myriad of thoughts in people - just like drinking refreshing lemon soda in the summer, which makes people feel refreshed and comfortable, and having a bowl of creamy soup in the winter, which makes it seem as if the body and mind are soaked in the aroma of milk... When the lich feeds on the emotions generated by these associations, he can taste the original flavor of the food.
——It’s a bit like translating from Chinese to English and then from English to Chinese. Depending on the ability of the translator, some flavors may be lost in the translation process, or they may be perfectly restored 1:1... But as long as you can taste a similar flavor, it’s already a victory.
She has done a lot of experiments in the past few days. Aunt Talia Wolf, who has seen a lot of things, is a top translator. Whether it is rose jam, green plum preserves, green plum wine or green plum vinegar, she can perfectly reproduce the taste of emotions; and Jericho may not have experienced such rich emotions, so the taste is a bit sloppy... It can only be said that it has the fragrance of flowers and the taste of glutinous rice, and a strong sense of fullness, and all the scoring points are met.
—I wonder what the soul fire of this black-haired knight tastes like... What's his name, by the way? Hmm... I think Jericho just introduced him?
Her thoughts drifted for a moment, then returned as the dumplings in the pot floated in the boiling water. She gave the knight and his squire a bowl of dumplings each, then ladled the hot rice wine into the crucible, adding two candied fruits to each bowl.
Overheating the fermented rice will turn it sour, so this temperature is just right. Judging from her experience and touch, the finished product should be quite delicious, so she handed it to the hungry master and servant beside her: "Try it?"
The black-haired knight and the brown-haired squire, one silent, the other delighted, took the bowls of soup. Jericho eagerly sipped the soup, letting out a sigh of surprise and satisfaction. The knight fiddled with the bowl with a detection spell, confirming it was safe before he reservedly scooped a meatball into his mouth with a spoon.
"...delicious!" His green eyes suddenly lit up. "The alcohol isn't overly strong. At this level, it's more like the fruit wine that noble ladies like. The sweetness is just right."
"I love this rice!" Jericho commented simply, "It's sour, sweet, and fragrant, super delicious!"
"Can I have a taste too?" Jiang You asked sincerely, "Just a little bit of your current emotions will give it some flavor."
Jericho nodded vigorously: "Yes!"
Andre hesitated for a moment and said, "Okay, but I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."
Jiang You didn't care about that. She took action as soon as she heard the word "OK". She stretched out her bone claws and easily drew out two soul fires. Jericho's fire had a color similar to sweet rice wine soup, and Andre's fire... was as white as a steamed bun... ?
Takumi: “…?” That’s a bit weird, but whatever! It’s food! Let’s eat!
She happily picked up the two soul flames and slurped down Jericho's first, smacking her lips as she savored the taste. "Hmm, still the same flavor. All the key points are there, but it's a little sloppy and doesn't quite capture the essence."
She picked up Andre's flower and sniffed it: "...Huh?"
This soul fire is very strange. It has no flavor at all, and no emotion can be tasted, but the energy is so high...
If I really have to use a food analogy, it would be a perfectly fermented, freshly baked, steaming hot northern steamed bun. It has a strong wheat aroma, becomes more chewy and sweeter the more you chew it. You can eat the whole thing on an empty stomach, and you’ll feel full for three days after eating it!
Although Jiang You was from the south, she also loved delicious steamed buns. As a lich, she had been hungry for a long time since she came here. Now, she finally got a "big steamed bun" full of energy. She happily held it and gnawed on it for a long time, eating with gusto. After finishing the meal, she wiped her mouth and asked curiously, "Why can't your soul fire taste emotions?"
——This handsome knight doesn’t look like someone with emotional deficit disorder. He has quite a lot of facial expressions!
"I forgot to introduce myself before." Andre said, "I am Andre Lu Huntington. Although I am only an insignificant descendant of the royal family, my soul is still blessed by the Moon Goddess like all other members of the royal family.
"Simply put, whether it's a lich or any other magical creature, they can't perceive our emotions or thoughts through any mind-reading magic or similar talents... but you can still draw energy from them."
"So that's it!" Jiang You understood that this was the royal family's self-protection measure!
Come to think of it, if the emotions and thoughts of His Majesty the King or his confidants can be sensed by a lich simply by licking the soul fire, then all the secrets of this country will be laid out in front of Jiang You... If that were to happen, let alone issuing the "Black Magic Charter", Jiang You would probably be hunted down to the ends of the earth by the Knights of the Kingdom!
It seems that Aunt Talia is the most reliable food taster! When Auntie comes home later, she should bring a bowl of rose wine over to "hand in the task"!
"By the way, Mr. Knight!" Jiang You asked excitedly, "What do you think about me reopening this brewery and selling these brewed snacks and sauces? Will there be any customers?"
Andrei pondered for a moment, his eyes constantly glancing at the "wasted" Crucible of Time. After a long inner struggle, he finally nodded: "This is indeed a rare delicacy. Once someone tastes it, they will definitely come back. But..."
He pondered for a moment, then looked at Jiang You again and again. "...But, there is one thing I feel I must tell you first: We suspect that Mi You and her mother Mi Funa have joined the mysterious sect 'Evil Eye Moon', and are related to certain cases I have been pursuing for several years...
"Now that they are dead and there is no evidence, you are the last clue I have found."
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