Chapter 122 Cooking Level 4

While Si Li was still immersed in the lively atmosphere in the academy after the provincial examination, the summer of Jingwen's twentieth year had quietly arrived.

Based on the literacy manual that Meng Taotao prepared for Si Li, the poor students of the Qunying Academy and Qunying Craftsmanship School were no longer under the pressure of the provincial examination, and gradually became part of the common people. The literacy education that started in the north and south cities of the capital quickly spread to nearby towns, and the teachers of various private schools heard of the reputation of the "Qunying Night School". Some people laughed at it, and some people waited and watched, but no one thought of their purpose.

After all, if they don't study hard and don't learn scientific articles, how can they study for long?

Compared with traditional private schools, the night school composed of students who were still studying was more in line with the needs of the people. It did not interfere with their work during the day or their meals at night, and they could even come to the night school to use some light from the lamps and oil to do their own work. Its reputation spread quickly.

Children who had never had the opportunity to learn to read and who had no intention of studying for the imperial examinations flocked to the classroom. The mere fact that there were so many children of the same age was enough to make them sit in the classroom eagerly and in awe, learning to read with wooden boards, charcoal pencils and ink. Young men and women in their prime stood timidly outside the door to listen, and they fought off countless hired thugs who were deliberately causing trouble.

As time went by, the ruffians no longer dared to cause trouble. People who came to attend the classes brought a bowl of water, a plate of freshly picked peaches, a basin of freshly cooked rice or firewood, and they gathered together in groups of three or four to raise the money left over from the night school after paying for the cost of going out of Beijing. The young teachers, who came from poor families, looked at the pairs of eyes that were eager to learn and felt extremely lucky to have gotten this opportunity.

The first words I learned were: "Food is the most important thing, living and traveling is the most important thing, and the Academy of Heroes." They are completely different from the "Disciples' Rules and Sages' Instructions" that are often used for enlightenment, and are full of the breath of life.

It wasn't Si Li's intention, it was just that the first six words in the literacy manual were like this, and the cover after the academy's promotional printing just had these ten words. Most of the students who taught did not change the literacy manual, so soon after, Wanglai Residence welcomed a large number of "pilgrims".

The foundation of the new Qunying Academy outside the city has been selected, the initial brick and tile courtyard walls have been completed, and the beams and various plans inside have not yet begun. The hottest days of the year have arrived. It is naturally impossible to rush the work in such hot weather, so the remaining work will be left to autumn. Students who have passed the prefectural examination and those who have already passed the examination are studying hard in the academy in the capital city in the summer. Even the Imperial College next to the academy has become less noisy under the scorching sun.

Si Li took out a watermelon that had already risen from the well in the academy and winked at the thirsty Zhong Qianzhen, "Grandma, have this. We'll have half each."

The surprise Si Li planned for Jiang Hengyun's birthday last time still left him with some fear, so he insisted that Si Li bring a dagger with her when she went out for self-defense, and now it was just right to use it to cut the watermelon. Qinghe, who was guarding her, took out two spoons like a magic trick, and Zhong Qianzhen was startled, watching the girl in the skirt squatting on the ground and neatly cut the watermelon into two, inserting a spoon into each.

"I thought you were going to go into the melon field and nibble on the melons like I did when I was little." The old lady looked far away, thinking of the past, and took it with a smile, "Very delicate. Be careful not to get it on your clothes."

The handkerchief and well water she brought with her have already cleaned the watermelon rind. Si Li holds the watermelon and smiles, "This is already a rough way of eating. If you want to be more refined, you should cut it into pieces and eat it with sandwiches."

Well, the freshly ripe watermelon is crisp and has a bit of cool sweetness. Although it cannot compare to the taste of modern rock candy that has been cultivated for a long time, it is already a rare enjoyment in summer nowadays.

Zhong Qianzhen was old and weak, and the watermelon that Si Li picked was not big, only two or three pounds, just enough for a fresh meal to relieve some of the summer heat. As the writer of the first textbook, Si Li was about to continue discussing with the old lady how to adjust the later sections of the embroidery textbook when he suddenly heard a mechanical sound.

【System: Culinary Level 4, achieved.

Congratulations to the host for reaching the peak on the road to becoming a chef god. You are only one step away from success. Your name is the trend, and your will is the wheel of the times. Please cherish your ability and treat every diner seriously. 】

The long-lost system prompt startled Si Li and she almost choked on the watermelon in her mouth.

After she was promoted to level three before she came of age, the system tasks had never been refreshed. She still remembered the system prompt for the last upgrade, so she had been studying hard with the Imperial Food Bureau and the Imperial Chef, trying to find her own direction. Unexpectedly, she hadn't found her direction yet, and she hadn't been back to her house to cook for a month, but she was promoted?

"Cough cough cough..." Si Li cried out until she was hoarse and couldn't even think carefully anymore.

Zhong Qianzhen was frightened by her, and leaned over to support Si Li who almost fell to the ground, and signaled Qinghe to help pat her back, "Hey, what happened?"

It took Si Li a while to recover. "No, it's okay. I'll go wash my face first." The shock just now made the watermelon juice in her hand splash all over her face. Whether she was looking for a clean place to communicate with the system or continuing to discuss the teaching materials with Zhong Qianzhen, she couldn't be so rude. Si Li quickly got up to wash up. A handful of cool water came on her face. She exhaled and stared at herself in the water.

The girl in the water had a relaxed look, a little blushed, familiar yet strange. She suddenly realized that she couldn't remember what she looked like in the past.

After shouting a few times in her heart but getting no response from the system, Si Li opened the panel. The silver panel, which was full of futuristic technology, diluted her previous disappointment and made her feel more at ease. The mall and task panels were still the same, and Si Li felt relieved. She took a last look at the tasting module and was stunned.

The sophisticated system modeling disappeared, leaving only the round table she saw at the beginning, as if a cycle was about to end and the tasting was about to close.

"System, are you going to disappear?" Si Li blurted out, unable to tell whether she felt regret or panic in her heart.

The words turned into a note and hung on the upper corner of the tasting table, but the system did not respond. Only Qinghe, who was guarding outside the door, heard the sound from inside the house and knocked on the door gently to inquire.

Si Li was confused and searched her pockets. She found the peach cake she had used to reward the obedient children in class and put it into the translucent system panel. The peach cake appeared on the round table, but no one took it away and it disappeared soon.

[System: The dish is graded A-. You still need to work harder to innovate.]

There was no new note, nor any reward from the seniors. Although the system sounded as mechanical and stereotyped as before, Si Li always felt that something was wrong.

"So, why did I upgrade this time?" Si Li asked in her heart, but got no answer.

Reason for upgrading, level 3 to level 4, the road to becoming a chef god... Si Li tried many possible keywords until she asked, "Does my upgrade have anything to do with cooking?"

【System: None.】

Si Li was stunned. In the past, the chef system clearly stated the cooking skills and recognition requirements for upgrading cooking skills, but there was no such thing for level 4. The system also said it had nothing to do with cooking skills. So why did she upgrade? Recognition?

【System: Yes.】

The vague sense of weirdness finally cleared up. The previous system had a bit of an intelligent AI feel, but now it's more like a question-and-answer machine, or the simplest kind that can only answer yes or no.

Si Li buried her face in the cold handkerchief, and the questions that the system had avoided answering when she mentioned them in the past came to her mind.

'When I become a chef god, can I go home?'

【System: Yes. 】

The question had an answer, but Si Li was not happy at all. Jiang Hengyun's gentle smiling eyes appeared in her mind, the noisy Xiao Qi, the talented Meng Taotao, Jiang Rufei who watched her reintegrate into life, the silly but hardworking Xiao Que, Mrs. Jian who treated her like her own daughter, the bad-tempered and protective Second Uncle Jian, and the eldest uncle Jian who would help her hate Si Baifu... Unknowingly, she already had so many concerns in Daning.

She can go home once she reaches the maximum level, so there is no reason why the queen cannot go home either. Was the queen back then also kept back because of these concerns?

"Your Highness?" Qinghe knocked on the door again. Si Li answered, tidied up her messy hair, and walked out.

Zhong Qianzhen, who had moved to the shadows, cast a concerned look at Si Li. Si Li forced a smile and said, "I feel a little uncomfortable. I have just told you most of the textbooks. I will go back and think about what other questions I have. How about we meet tomorrow to discuss it in detail? Thank you for accompanying me for so long, grandma."

Zhong Qianzhen smiled as if he was an experienced person. "Young man, you should take care of your health and remember to see a doctor."

Si Li hurriedly left the Qun Ying Academy, her mind blank. Qinghe asked her if she wanted to go back to the palace, and Si Li shook her head, "No..." She didn't want Jiang Hengyun to see through her clues. She couldn't tell the source of her troubles, and asking questions would only make him sad.

"Go to Laiju."

The carriage rumbled along, and as it approached the East Market, it slowed down to an extremely slow speed. There was a loud noise ahead, and Si Li was disturbed by the noise. She frowned and asked, "What's going on?"

It didn't sound like the usual hawking or harassment in the East Market. It was not the business hours of Wanglaiju at noon, so the noise was totally unprovoked. Si Li asked a question and looked out through the curtains. It was Wanglaiju that was surrounded by people on the three floors inside and the three floors outside.

The people around Wanglaiju and the sugar water shop next to it were dressed simply, but their food was clean. Si Li was not far away and could see young boys and girls held by women and children being carried in their arms. They called out in a husky voice, "Mom, this is Wanglaiju!"

They spoke with an accent, like people from the suburbs of Beijing. Si Li stopped Qinghe from going forward to disperse them, and listened carefully. Soon he heard a man sighing, "There's a Master Meng, and someone is sent to teach our Crown Princess. This exchange is really a great good!"

"Everyone, everyone! The boss is not here, and our store is closed for business. Why don't you sit down and have a glass of water and go back early? It's so hot, it's not easy to come here, don't get sunburned!" This is Wang Ting.

Si Li listened for a while and understood the origin of the crowd. They were people from the surrounding villages and towns who had benefited from the Qun Ying Night School. They took the opportunity to send the young teachers back and came to the capital to broaden their horizons.

Whether young people or children, there is a gleam of curiosity and gratitude in their eyes.

Perhaps, the recognition of her promotion to level 4 came from this. Si Li realized that she just wanted to do something she could do, but she didn't expect that it would turn out to be the direction of promotion.

The Queen brought changes to Daning. She couldn't do much, but the changes these small changes brought to people were enough to make people laugh.

The carriage did not stop for too long at the roadside. After drinking the patchouli distributed by Wanglaiju to cool off, the people who came to visit Wanglaiju gradually dispersed. The people of Wangting who were standing in front of the door and sweating profusely breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly they looked up and saw Si Li's carriage. Their screams were stuck in their throats and their faces turned red.

"Let's go."

The carriage circled and slowly stopped in the back alley. Si Li saw the people waiting at the back door and smiled, "Well done."

After guiding Ah Xiang through her confusion in cooking, Si Li took the ice bowl handed to her by Madam Li. The promotion of the saltpeter ice-making method has made ice bowls and ice jelly the best-selling items in the shop. Adding fruits and taro balls, which are the most common in summer, to each of them is a great enjoyment.

Si Li thanked them and asked everyone to rest. In summer, a kitchen is just like a steamer even if you put a lot of ice in it. The employees who had been busy all morning and served the people should rest as much as possible.

The noisy sounds soon stopped. Si Li leaned back in a recliner under the shadow of the eaves and opened the Queen's Notebook. She read through this diary-like notebook one by one according to the date, just like reading a story. Now only the last few pages were left.