5

How long should it be stewed...?

One wrong step could lead to a world of difference in the final product.

Compared to Xiangling,

Hu Tao and Law were a bit carefree. The former curiously asked where these two fish were caught, planning to try fishing for some herself when she had time.

Although she hadn't noticed any difference from beginning to end,

from Xiangling's attitude, Hu Tao clearly realized that Law, this guy, was a cunning merchant, but also a man of integrity.

And Law insisted,

that a friend had given them to him, and he himself didn't know where they could be caught.

Are you kidding? Something from another world, and you expect to catch it in Teyvat?

If he had that ability, he would have long since stepped on the abyss and punched the Heavenly Principles!

Chapter 7: Imperfect Delicacy

He didn't make the two wait too long. Not long after Xiangling took the two fish to the back kitchen, a unique fresh aroma of fish soup gradually wafted out from the kitchen.

This aroma seemed to possess a special magic,

capable of whetting human appetites.

Hu Tao, who was already very hungry, instantly lost her fighting spirit.

She no longer had the energy to bicker with Law, and just stared eagerly at Xiangling, who was busy in the back kitchen,

anticipating her dinner.

Law was the same.

Even the other diners were discussing animatedly. If they hadn't almost finished their meals, they probably wouldn't have been able to resist taking out mora and ordering a fresh bowl of delicious fish soup that had just come out of the pot.

In fact, some people did just that.

Unfortunately, Xiangling stated that these were ingredients brought by other customers.

Because of this, many people whose appetites had been stirred felt a bit regretful.

"Fish soup is here!"

In less than ten minutes, Xiangling came out carrying two large bowls of fish soup, with Benn following behind her. At this moment, Benn was also carrying a bowl of fish soup in each of his two paws.

There were four bowls in total.

The two large bowls were for Law and Hu Tao.

The small bowls Benn was carrying were the remainder. Xiangling had served herself and Benn a bowl each. She didn't have much confidence with this completely new ingredient, only processing it in the same way as other fish.

Something very magical happened during the process.

So she wasn't sure how it would taste...

She should have tasted it first, but Law and Hu Tao were friends to her, and they looked dusty and tired, clearly having returned from outside late at night.

And they were waiting, hungry.

So, why not just eat together?

Just right, she also wanted to hear their opinions.

"Wow, it smells so good!"

When it was in the back kitchen, the entire Wanmin Restaurant could smell the fresh aroma of the fish soup. Now that it was served, Hu Tao couldn't resist even more, her plum blossom eyes fixed on her portion.

She eagerly reached out her hands.

Law nodded to Xiangling, who sat down next to him, also with anticipation, ready to taste the fish soup.

"Eh? Why is it tofu? Where's the fish???"

Opening the porcelain lid, what met their eyes was a somewhat clear bowl of fish soup. In the middle of the fish soup were a few pieces of tender white tofu, garnished with two mint leaves.

It looked appetizing.

However, what Hu Tao cared about was, where was the fish?

It was supposed to be fish soup, so how did the fish disappear??

It couldn't be that they really discarded the meat for the soup, could it? While it wasn't impossible... there's no need to be so particular, is there??

"It dissolved."

Xiangling glanced warily at Hu Tao and shuffled outwards a bit awkwardly. Her current proximity to Law was a bit too close, even for Xiangling.

She would feel embarrassed.

But even so, she had no intention of getting up.

Don't misunderstand, it wasn't that she had any feelings for Law; it was because Hu Tao was sitting opposite her. Xiangling was very wary of Hu Tao, who often played tricks on her.

Although Hu Tao had no ill intentions and would apologize properly afterward,

it was still necessary to be vigilant.

"Dissolved??"

Hearing this, Law, who wasn't very concerned about the matter, also became a little surprised.

He roughly understood what was going on, but it was precisely because he understood that he found it incredible.

"En, in less than three minutes, even the fish scales and bones dissolved into the soup together."

Seeing their incredulous expressions, Xiangling explained. She was also very innocent; initially, it was just because the fish scales were too fine, so she planned to blanch them with hot water to make descaling easier.

As a result, before she could even scoop out the fish, it began to dissolve inside...

She almost froze up at the time.

She could only watch it being processed, adding two pieces of tofu, a little salt, and garnishing it with mint.

And that was the final product.

In terms of difficulty, it could be said there was no difficulty...

But the simpler the dish, the harder it is to make, because with fewer areas to manipulate, it truly tests one's skill.

This is also why

Xiangling felt uncertain.

"How peculiar! I like it, I'm digging in!"

Hu Tao mumbled a few words, then eagerly picked up the soup spoon, bringing a mouthful of soup with a small piece of tofu to her lips.

"Mmm! Delicious, so good!"

Tender tofu, combined with hot, fresh fish soup—having a bowl of this late at night was simply a delight. Unlike its seemingly light appearance,

the fish soup carried a hint of the fish meat's unique sweetness, as if small fish in a river were releasing their tenacious vitality.

It felt like eating meat, even though she was drinking soup.

There was not a trace of fishy smell, only a mouth full of fresh aroma.

Her stomach felt warm, and she felt a surge of strength throughout her body.

This was the first time she had tasted such delicious fish soup!

"As expected of Xiangling."

Seeing Hu Tao's exaggerated reaction, Law also became curious. Although he knew that products from the Gourmet World wouldn't be so simple, knowing and tasting were two different things.

It was a rare opportunity.

It would be too much of a loss not to experience it properly.

Xiangling was the same.

However, their expressions after tasting it were completely different.

Law, like Hu Tao, was captivated by the deliciousness of the fish soup. However, he also noticed that even though it was just a bowl of soup, the energy it provided was far beyond what ordinary food could compare to.

After finishing this bowl, he probably wouldn't be able to eat anything else.

However, this situation was also within his expectations. The Gourmet World nourished super eaters, and while delicious, the nutritional value and satiety were also very strong.

At least for ordinary people,

drinking half a bowl would probably be their limit.

Of course, this was also because Xiangling had prepared large bowls.

This was also why he had only brought out two small fish.

On the other hand, Xiangling directly frowned.

It wasn't that the soup wasn't delicious... Among all the fish soups she had tasted, this one ranked high. But in the end, it was because of the ingredients.

It really had little to do with her skill.

It was her first time working with this ingredient.

She hadn't handled it well... and the pairing wasn't very good either. Although she had used the best, most tender tofu, it still fell short by more than a notch when combined with the fish soup.

She had no experience the first time, and the heat was a bit too high...

This caused slight flaws in the taste, and the fusion of the tofu and fish soup wasn't very perfect...

As a professional chef, Xiangling could find too many places that weren't done well and could be improved.

But... but...

There were no more ingredients!

Xiangling, who had rarely felt such strong fighting spirit, felt a bit burned out...

"Brother Law... do you have any more of this kind of fish??"

However, if she didn't ask, Xiangling estimated she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. Getting a definite answer, even if it meant giving up, would be fine... At the same time, she also held a glimmer of hope.

If Law could still get his hands on them...

Would there be even more magical ingredients?

Out of a chef's keen intuition, she felt that this matter seemed to have a chance.

Chapter 8: Xiangling's Fighting Spirit

Xiangling had great expectations for this question.

Hu Tao, who had already finished her soup and looked satisfied, quietly pricked up her ears. This was good stuff; after drinking this bowl of soup, her whole body felt warm and cozy.

If there were more good things like this,

she, Hu Tao, couldn't miss out!

"Well, this kind of fish... isn't uncommon over there... and there are even more magical and delicious ingredients, but the transportation cost is very high, and the quantity I can get my hands on isn't much... so the price..."

Xiangling's question invigorated Law.

Here, business came!

Smuggling goods from another world, the expensive part was the cost. It was understandable for him to charge a little more, wasn't it?

After all, this was unique in all of Teyvat!

Not only Xiangling, this chef, but also alchemists like Albedo and the scholars in Sumeru were potential big clients. Those who do research don't lack money.

Adding two more zeros after the mora, wouldn't be too much, right?

"Ah... it costs mora... Um, how much? If it's too expensive, I can't afford it?"

Hearing this, Xiangling's previously excited expression immediately fell, and her eyes became a little uneasy. With Wanmin Restaurant in her family, Xiangling herself wasn't short of mora.