The bigger the chef, the more likely he is to enter the kitchen
The autumn air was crisp and clear, and the forests were ablaze with color. Several leaves had fallen from the trees in the courtyard, finally revealing a bare branch. A bird flew over and sat for a while, but when it saw Yue Lang trying to greet it, it quickly flapped its wings and flew away.
"We've been neighbors for so long, why are you still afraid of people?"
Beneath the tree, someone regretfully withdrew their hand, looking on in bewilderment without any self-awareness.
When Meng Yanfang came out of the house, what he saw was this painting of a young master grieving and shedding tears in autumn.
"Perhaps it doesn't like your outfit today." She tried to find a less sad reason for Yue Lang.
The person under the tree looked himself up and down, shook his sleeves and straightened his clothes. After a long silence, he said with a wronged tone, "But when I wore other clothes before, they ignored me too."
You mean that after you insisted on helping to incubate the eggs in spring and almost knocked over the nest, you still expect them to get along well with you?
Meng Yan thought for a moment, but the words that came to mind were, "I'll ask my master another day what bright colors his little sparrows like, and have Xiao Ming make you a dress to attract birds, okay?"
"That would be wonderful! Thank you, Yan Yan, thank you, Master and Junior Sister!" Yue Lang pounced and knocked Meng Yan back into the house.
.
Just as the weather turned cool and all the orders in hand were sold out, Meng Yan received a letter from Chu Ming. He took a break and flew back to Ping An Valley with Yue Lang to freeload a meal.
Although the midday sun was scorching, it did not dampen Meng Yanyue's appetite at all. He and his old acquaintances found a shady spot under a tree, set up a table, and the whole family chatted and laughed as they devoured the dishes on the table.
After exchanging simple words of concern about each other's recent lives, the dining table fulfilled its proper purpose. Amidst the clinking of bowls and chopsticks, a sense of contentment permeated every dish.
Seeing this, and considering the portion size in his bowl, Yue Lang sighed, "Home-cooked food always tastes the best!"
Upon hearing this, the senior brothers and sisters smiled and put even more food into his and Meng Yan's bowls.
"Speaking of which, we've tasted Junior Sister Yan's cooking a few times, but now you've eaten it all. When are you going to show us your skills?"
"That's right, you've lured away the best cook in our valley. All these years, haven't you shown your elders how well he's learned?"
The address of "elder" ignited everyone's passion, and they all urged Meng Yan to give them a chance to see Yue Lang display his extraordinary abilities.
“No, you might be good at mechanical inventions, but he’s really not good at cooking.” Meng Yan insisted on refusing.
Given her understanding of Yue Lang's sect's culinary practices, since the two moved out of the valley, Meng Yan has been in charge of cooking everything from raw to cooked, while Yue Lang helps with buying vegetables, slicing, washing pots and pans, and cleaning dishes. If she really handed over the cooking power to him, she couldn't say for sure what would happen.
"Good things shouldn't be kept secret, junior sister!"
"Exactly! We're all family here, just cooking something simple like home-style dishes. We're not looking for delicacies, just want to try something new!"
Unable to refuse such hospitality, Yue Lang confidently agreed, patting his chest and saying he could borrow the kitchen that evening. San Leng immediately bumped fists with him in agreement.
Meng Yan took the opportunity to shovel a few more mouthfuls of rice into his mouth, thinking to everyone to pray for their own good fortune.
As mealtime approached, Chef Yue rushed into the kitchen carrying a pile of talismans. Flames and the sound of water occasionally peeked out from the window cracks, which amazed everyone.
"Taoist priests are indeed different from us ordinary mortals!"
Meng Yan and Chu Ming were strolling in the valley when they reached the vicinity of the kitchen. Hearing their senior brothers' high praise, they pushed open the door and went into the kitchen without saying a word.
The ice stove kept the room warm, and even though the fire was flickering, it wasn't so hot that she felt dizzy, which actually allowed her to see the scene in front of her more clearly.
"Yan Yan's here!" Yue Lang winked at her from within the black and white mist, then turned around, waving a spatula around excitedly. "Did you come to see how my battle went?"
His response was the fleeting sound of Meng Yan closing the door.
Meng Yan left, not to see the food he made...
In other words, she came here to see him in person! That gave her even more motivation!
Meng Yan was in a daze, thinking he had escaped death. The smell of cooking in the house made it hard to associate it with food, but fortunately, the pots and pans in the valley were of good quality and strong, and even after Yue Lang's destruction, they did not fall apart, saving him the cost of a set of kitchen utensils.
The much-anticipated mealtime has begun. There's no lingering aroma of smoke, no colorful embellishments, just the simple, homely dishes. The entire table reflects the words: "Simplicity is the essence of life."
"I haven't had this kind of simple and unpretentious cuisine in so long."
The senior brother, though far away, sighed deeply. But as he drew closer, he suddenly shut his mouth, pondering the possibility that everyone had lost their memories.
At first, everyone was chatting and laughing, but their useless tacit understanding suddenly came into play after they saw what was on the table. The word "worried" appeared on their faces, and they frowned from their brows to their chins, making their handsome faces look like pretzel knots.
"What is this? Can you eat soot from a pot?"
Everyone says children speak without thinking, but maybe we should be more careful. Everyone gasped and pulled the junior brother behind them, some covering his mouth and others pressing his head down, though they all secretly agreed.
Fortunately, not everything looked like it had been poisoned; a few dishes were still passable and could be considered distantly related to food.
Hearing that a reclusive master had appeared, a table was set up in the kitchen tonight, and disciples from all the courtyards rushed to watch. The senior brothers and sisters gave way to the children, voluntarily handing them the opportunity to taste the delicacies. Their gentleness and kindness were unforgettable.
Of course, the main reason why it is unforgettable is that I never thought I would be able to eat such a thing in my lifetime. The question of "what is this?" spread like ripples on the water, as if a dragonfly had just touched the surface.
"Why are you all just standing there and not eating...?"
Senior Brother Hao arrived just in time. The banquet was ready, but all that was missing was a brave soul to test the poison on himself.
He immediately slipped, grabbed Meng Yan, and lowered his head, asking, "Is it really okay to eat this?"
"I haven't eaten it before. Aren't all the senior sisters in the medical team here? Even if something happens, there'll be time." Meng Yan encouraged him by patting his back.
Everyone watched as Senior Brother Hao walked forward, turning back every few steps. Not far ahead of him was a seemingly ordinary yet extraordinary dinner. Chef Yue, who had silently performed an astonishing act, smiled broadly and handed him a pair of chopsticks.
If I had known it would be tonight, why did I shout so loudly at noon?
Brother Hao cursed himself in his heart as his hand reached for the bowl and chopsticks. He almost knocked them over with a slight tremor, but Yue Lang steadily helped him back to his feet.
"……Thanks."
He reached for the stir-fried green peppers and shredded pork dish, which was closest to a normal dish, and carefully picked out a shredded piece. After several attempts, he finally put it in his mouth and couldn't avoid it. He closed his eyes to calm himself down and savored the... shredded ginger in his mouth?
Could I have misread it?
Senior Brother Hao didn't believe it. After an internal struggle, he picked up another shredded ginger and, taking advantage of a moment when no one was looking, tossed it into his mouth. After quickly chewing it, he came to the same conclusion: it really was shredded ginger.
If the shredded pork is made by ginger, then surely the green peppers can be real, right?
Oh, there really is one. I wonder what tricks Yue Lang used to stir-fry vegetables like bell peppers, with perfect color and sheen. It's just a matter of seeing and tasting it.
Seeing that Senior Brother Hao could still sit after eating three big bites, everyone tentatively reached out to pick up some food, not wanting to dampen the joy on Yue Lang's face.
However, it was only when they tasted it that everyone realized how lucky Brother Hao was, and understood that sometimes goodwill doesn't have to be so abundant.
After eating, the junior brothers looked dazed and felt weak in the legs. They were helped back to the medicine room by their junior sisters. The senior brothers felt normal after eating, until they saw grass and trees flying everywhere and the moon rising from the ground.
After eliminating all the dishes they had tried, they finally decided on some less harmful odds and ends. They hurriedly ate half a bite of the dish with three mouthfuls of rice.
"Brothers and sisters, I am not very talented and my cooking skills are lacking, but I still have a heart to learn from you." Yue Lang said earnestly, then turned to the question he had been curious about for a long time: "May I ask how the food tasted?"
"..."
The sound of chopsticks hitting the bowl stopped, and all was quiet.
"Well, oh, right, I suddenly have something to do and I'll be leaving now."
"You have your problems, and so do I."
"We're talking about the same thing, aren't we?"
Bringing up the rear were the kitchen crew, who were usually reluctant to waste food. But at this moment, they whispered to Meng Yan behind a tree, "Junior Sister Yan, remember to throw it away before you leave... pack it up and take it back with you."
The crowd came and went, leaving only Yue Lang and Meng Yan at the table.
Seeing Yue Lang's pitiful eyes, Meng Yan closed his eyes tightly, took the bamboo chopsticks from his hand, and casually reached into the dish.
With just one bite, a bitter look rushed to her brow, spreading across her entire face before she managed to stop it.
She couldn't find a single word to praise it; for such a dish that had no color, aroma, or flavor, she could only commend Yue Lang's courage and creativity.
"How about..." Meng Yan pondered, thinking about how to properly invite this grand feast of immortals out without hurting someone's stubborn heart.
A sudden inspiration struck her, and the dishes looked much better. She suggested, "Why don't we take them to your sect? It'll be a good opportunity to let them taste your senior brother's superb culinary skills when we get back."
Seeing the undisguised joy on her face, Yue Lang composed himself and said dejectedly, "Is it really that bad?"
"It's not that it tastes bad." Actually, it has little to do with the food itself.
"Never mind." Yue Lang somehow consoled himself, then looked up with a harmless smile. "It's not bad to let my junior brothers savor my cooking skills. Let's go!"
Filled with gratitude, the kitchen staff watched the two leave. Without a moment's rest, they rushed back to their own work area, only to find that the treasures were not only undamaged, but even cleaner than in the afternoon.
The junior students were astonished: "Did he really cook with a pot?"
The senior students were numb: "I don't know, I really don't know."
.
The Yue Lang sect was still a fairyland shrouded in clouds and mist. To save time and effort, the two of them took the Heavenly Road as before, and their landing location was unchanged, except that it was now overgrown with weeds.
Soon after landing, a chorus of "Senior Brother" poured over him.
“Since you call me senior brother, I cannot simply reply with a casual junior brother.”
Yue Lang gracefully emerged from the mechanical kite, carrying a box in each hand, while Meng Yan did the same on the other side.
Along the edge of the bushes, bathed in the setting sun, a group of people dressed in disciples' robes sat on the ground, their backs against the trees, holding the food that their senior brothers had painstakingly brought for them.
Meng Yan couldn't bear to look at the food in the box any longer, so he went to the small hut next door to drink tea, waiting for Yue Lang and his junior brother to finish catching up before going home together.
A bird, seeing a stranger sitting by the window, flew over curiously, tilted its head to look at Meng Yan, and hopped lightly into her palm.
The cool evening breeze carried the heartfelt words from outside to Meng Yan's ears. Meng Yan hesitated for a moment as he teased the bird, his hand resting on the feathers, unable to move.
"Senior brother is back! Everyone's back! It still tastes just like before!"
"Yan Yan." Yue Lang looked at the little sparrow clinging to her, and changed the subject from inviting her home, asking, "Shall we stay inside tonight or...?"
"Go back." Meng Yan made a quick decision, worried that if his sect celebrated with a banquet, the consequences would be even more unimaginable.
“Alright! I’ll go back and try out this new outfit to see if it can attract birds. When they land on my shoulder, you can sit next to them and play with them.”
.
Unfortunately, Yue's grand plan ultimately failed to materialize. No matter how much he danced under the tree, no birds paid him any attention. On the contrary, when Meng Yan smiled under the eaves, passing sparrows would come up to him and greet him.
On a still gloomy morning, Meng Yan poked Yue Lang's face with his palms and showed him the little object hidden inside.
A small wooden bird sat obediently in the palm of his hand, looking exactly like the nest on the branch in front of the door, down to the two gray-white sections of its tail feathers. He activated the mechanism under its feet, and the bird gently turned its head, flapped its wings, and flew into Yue Lang's arms.
Since then, a proud figure has been seen outside the door carrying the bird around in circles, regardless of whether it's sunny or cloudy.
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