A large basin of sour fish, tender and smooth, sour and spicy, appetizing; braised pork with alternating layers of fat and lean, sweet and soft, melting in the mouth; a nourishing and delicious dried bamboo shoot and old duck stew, oily but not greasy, crispy but not mushy; and finally, Mapo Tofu, numb, spicy, hot, fragrant, crispy, tender, fresh, and lively, an absolute delicacy.
After the initial discomfort, Xia Zeshi and Xu Hengyi had no time to speak. Both were hissing and drawing in cold air while constantly shoveling food into their bowls, showing none of the demeanor of noble scions.
Xie Jiang ate little of each dish. Seeing their desperate shoveling, her appetite dwindled significantly. She finally drank half a bowl of the old duck soup and then put down her chopsticks, retreating to the side.
Xu Hengyan, as always, was noble and elegant, but as expected, he broke out in a sweat from eating and showed no signs of stopping.
Guang Bai and Yishan had already swallowed their drool and run off. The kitchen had prepared plenty of ingredients, and Xie Jiang had only asked them to serve one portion to them, leaving the rest in the kitchen for themselves.
"It's too delicious! No wonder you said this is a rice-eating artifact, it's amazing! What was this rice-eating artifact called again, chili, right? I declare that from now on, my favorite food is spicy..."
Xu Hengyi's lips were swollen from the spice. While gasping, he shamelessly expressed his thoughts.
Xia Zeshi nodded vigorously, "Mmm, satisfying, this chili is too satisfying... delicious..."
Xu Hengyi and Xia Zeshi, who had initially used small bowls to serve their rice with restraint, eventually resorted to holding porcelain basins, and finally, they lay on the soft couch, clutching their stomachs and unable to move.
"This meal today is the most delicious meal I've ever eaten in my life. I suddenly feel like everything I've eaten for the past ten-plus years was... no wonder Young Master Xie said my family's cook made pig slop..."
Xie Jiang: "I never said that, you said it yourself."
You just didn't say it out loud, but your eyes clearly conveyed that meaning!
"Young Master Xie, you are too amazing. How can you be so outstanding in both medicine and cooking? How are we supposed to live?"
"After eating today, I don't want to eat my family's cook's dishes anymore..."
"I don't want to either..."
"Young Master Xie, do you know how to make other dishes? When will you have time to make some more for us?"
Hearing this, Xia Zeshi immediately looked eager, "Yes, yes, yes! Next time Young Master Xie cooks, you must call me! No matter what I'm doing, no matter where I am, I will rush over immediately. Young Master Xie's cooking is not to be missed, otherwise, I will regret it for life..."
The two were so full they burped continuously. Unable to move their bodies, they used flattery to aid digestion.
Xu Hengyan also praised Xie Jiang's culinary skills. He was never one to indulge his palate, but today he couldn't help but eat an extra bowl of rice. If Xia Zeshi and Xu Hengyi hadn't eaten so crudely, he might have had another half bowl.
"Young Master Xie, was this chili also brought from Lan Yong?"
Xu Hengyan was much more discerning than those two. He liked spicy food and intended to promote chili cultivation, showing foresight.
He personally brewed a cup of tea and handed it to Xie Jiang.
It was impossible to avoid doing it himself, as there was no one to be found inside or outside the flower hall, likely all huddled in the kitchen enjoying themselves.
Xie Jiang took the teacup and took a sip. It was the sweet and refreshing flavor she liked. "I can't live without spice, so I naturally don't forget to bring chili wherever I go. Do you have an interest in chili, Young Master Xu? However, chili is just a condiment; it cannot be eaten as a meal."
"I know, but chili can stimulate the appetite. If it can be cultivated, allowing everyone to have an additional flavor on their dining table, it would be quite good."
"There's still quite a bit of dried chili left from earlier. I'll have Guang Bai pick out the seeds later. I know how to grow chili; I used to grow it myself." In her past life, she had grown it in flowerpots with her grandmother and still remembered. "Soak the seeds in water for about an hour and a half, then sprinkle them into the soil. It's best to cover them with straw to keep them moist, and remove it once they sprout."
Xu Hengyan listened attentively and silently committed it to memory.
Xia Zeshi, burping, listened in a daze and whispered to Xu Hengyi, "Does Young Master Xie also know how to grow vegetables?"