"Little Beiran, Little Beiran, what are we playing today?"
In the Mirror Flower Garden, Shi Fenglan rushed into the flower beds and called out to Jiang Beiran, who was watering the plants. Lifting the watering can, Jiang Beiran turned to Shi Fenglan and asked, "Hall Master Shi, are you interested in fishing?"
"Fishing? No way! Sitting there motionless is so boring."
Shi Fenglan shook her head vigorously.
"I want to play Nine Tiles! Or even finger-guessing would do."
After a week of interaction, Jiang Beiran had come to realize that Shi Fenglan was truly an amusing "big child." Despite wrinkling her nose every time she drank, she always clamored for more wine. She carried an agate-mouthed rosewood tobacco pipe, but the pouch was filled with weng flower powder—though it smelled similar to tobacco, it was completely non-addictive.
Her gambling skills were abysmal, yet she insisted on gambling every day. She was like a rebellious young girl desperately trying to fit into the "adult" world.
"Little Duo, are there any fish in the kitchen?"
Jiang Beiran called out to the distance.
"Huh?"
Little Duo blinked in surprise before thinking for a moment and answering, "Yes, there are several perch fish in the water vat."
"Good, take me to the kitchen."
"Oh? Little Beiran, you know how to cook too?"
Shi Fenglan asked curiously.
"I do. Want to give it a try?"
"Yes, yes! Let’s go, hurry!"
Shi Fenglan pushed Jiang Beiran toward the kitchen as she spoke, her impatience evident. The three arrived in the backyard, where Jiang Beiran had Little Duo dismiss the servants and cooks before entering the kitchen.
Standing before the stove, Jiang Beiran first retrieved a set of differently shaped knives from his Universe Ring, then took out seven porcelain bottles of varying colors. The curious Shi Fenglan immediately leaned in.
"What’s inside these bottles?"
"You can open one and smell it," Jiang Beiran replied as he lit the fire.
Never one to hold back, Shi Fenglan casually picked up a blue bottle, uncorked it, and took a deep whiff.
"Wow~ such a rich, savory aroma!"
She then handed it to Little Duo.
"Here, smell it."
Little Duo leaned in and inhaled, her eyes widening in surprise.
"I’ve never smelled a spice like this before! Senior Brother Jiang, what is it?"
Jiang Beiran smiled faintly.
"A secret recipe."
Once all the preparations were complete, Jiang Beiran scooped out a perch fish weighing about two catties from the vat. Placing it on the cutting board, he drew a santoku knife and began cleaning the fish while preparing the accompanying ingredients—scallions, ginger, and garlic.
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap…
Watching Jiang Beiran swiftly gut the fish and mince the ingredients into fine pieces, Shi Fenglan and Little Duo couldn’t help but gasp in amazement. Next, he heated the wok, poured in oil, and added scallions, ginger, garlic, bay leaves, and his own secret sauce. Instantly, an irresistible aroma wafted from the pan.
Gulp…
Shi Fenglan and Little Duo swallowed simultaneously. Though they hadn’t been particularly hungry earlier, their stomachs now growled loudly. After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Jiang Beiran’s secret braised perch was ready.
Sprinkling a few chopped scallions as garnish before plating, he elicited an eager reaction from Shi Fenglan, who grabbed her chopsticks and repeatedly asked, "Can we eat now? Can we eat now?"
"Mm, go ahead."
With a cheer, Shi Fenglan snatched up a piece of tender belly meat and popped it into her mouth.
"Mmm~ puff-puff…"
Beneath the crispy, pan-fried skin, the piping-hot fish burst with unparalleled flavor. The rich aroma sealed in by the hot oil instantly flooded Shi Fenglan’s entire mouth. Without a word, she immediately went for another bite.
Seeing how much Hall Master Shi was enjoying it, Little Duo couldn’t resist either. She picked up a piece of meat near the tail and blew on it gently. Puff~ puff~ After cooling it slightly, she placed it in her mouth.
The next second, her eyes widened in shock. This was an entirely new level of deliciousness she had never experienced before. Her mind was instantly consumed by the thought, "This is so good!"
But when she reached for another bite, she found that the entire two-catty fish had been reduced to just the head, which still had a little meat left.
"Hall Master Shi, don’t eat the bones too," Jiang Beiran cautioned.
"It’s fine, these bones won’t hurt me. Besides, even the bones are tasty."
"Then at least leave some for Little Duo."
"Oh…"
Only then did Shi Fenglan glance apologetically at Little Duo.
"It was just too delicious, I didn’t notice…"
Little Duo quickly waved her hands.
"It’s alright, Hall Master, you can have it."
But staring at the nearly empty plate, Shi Fenglan could only bite her chopsticks and plead with Jiang Beiran, "Little Beiran~ make another one… no, two more!" Seeing his plan succeed, Jiang Beiran—who was already wiping down his knives—replied, "Fish freshly caught from the river taste even better. So, how about it?
Do you want to go fishing now?"
"Okay, okay! Let’s go fishing! We’re going fishing today!"
As soon as Shi Fenglan finished speaking, Yu Manwen’s crisp voice sounded from the doorway.
"Wow, what’s that amazing smell? What delicious thing did you make?"
Seeing Yu Manwen enter, Shi Fenglan immediately ran over.
"It’s perch fish made by Little Beiran! It’s so good! We’re about to go fishing—do you want to come, Manwen?"
Yu Manwen blinked in surprise.
‘Fishing…? Our Hall Master, who can’t sit still for more than five seconds, actually wants to go fishing?’
Having already stored his spices and tools back into his Universe Ring, Jiang Beiran turned to Yu Manwen.
"Want to join?"
"I’d love to, but I have things to attend to this afternoon."
She then beckoned to him.
"Come, step outside. I have something good to show you."
"Alright."
Wiping his hands, Jiang Beiran said to Shi Fenglan and Little Duo, "Wait for me a moment." Once outside, Yu Manwen took out a square box from her Universe Ring and handed it to Jiang Beiran.
"These are peacock grass seeds. I thought you might like them."
"Peacock grass?"
Jiang Beiran’s expression flickered with surprise. Though not as rare as Soul Infant Fruit, peacock grass was increasingly hard to come by due to its strict growing conditions. Acquiring it now was no easy feat.
"Mm, I went through a lot of trouble to get these. Consider this proper compensation, yes?"
"More than enough. Thank you, Guardian Yu."
Holding the box, Jiang Beiran smiled brightly. Two of his pill recipes had been stalled due to the lack of peacock grass. This "compensation" satisfied him greatly.
Seeing the sparkle in Jiang Beiran’s eyes, Yu Manwen not only felt relieved but also suddenly understood a truth—everyone had their own path. Forcing one’s own understanding onto others would only backfire. Relaxing, Yu Manwen glanced at the kitchen before turning back to Jiang Beiran.
"I want to try your perch fish too."
"No problem. I’ll make a big one for you when we get back tonight!"
(End of Chapter)