"Feng Yi, Guoba and I are here to help! We should be the earliest, right?"
Xiangling brought Guoba and arrived at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor early in the morning.
Feng Yi was seen setting up a wooden table in front of the parlor. A kettle of freshly boiled tea was steaming on the table, and Feng Yi sat on a stool beside it, leisurely sipping clear tea.
"Xiangling, Guoba, you've arrived at the perfect time. Aside from those who already live here, you are the first to arrive. Xiangling, I'll entrust you with the catering for today's hot spring party. Here's the menu. Do you see any issues?"
Feng Yi put down his teacup and stood up to greet them.
"Hmm... Crystal Shrimp, Tender Chicken with Sweet and Sour Sauce, Grilled Tiger Fish, Lai Lai Cuisine, Sweet and Sour Squirrel Fish, Boiled Blackback Perch... Aren't these all signature dishes from Wanmin Restaurant? I'm very familiar with them, so I'll take care of it!"
Xiangling took the menu and gave it a brief glance, indicating that she had no problem with it.
"Ahem, there's more behind it..."
Feng Yi pointed to the back of the menu.
"Hmm... Golden Thread Shrimp Balls. No problem either. It's just that this last dish has so many requirements: exquisite, simple, pure, and delicate... Fulfilling all four requirements for one dish is quite difficult!"
Xiangling frowned slightly, pacing back and forth, pondering what kind of dish could satisfy all four conditions simultaneously.
"Xiangling, I have a suggestion. The 'Gathering of Heroes Assorted Soup' you made for me last time basically met these conditions. Only minor adjustments in the details are needed..."
Feng Yi suddenly remembered something and spoke up.
The soup base for the 'Gathering of Heroes Assorted Soup' was made by separately preparing ingredients like old hen, old duck, cured ham hock, ribs, and dried scallops, then boiling them and seasoning them with cooking wine, ginger, garlic, and other condiments for at least 4 hours.
Next, the chicken breast was minced into a paste, mixed with fresh broth to form a slurry, and then poured into the pot to absorb impurities.
After repeating this absorption process two or three times, the slightly cloudy chicken soup would become as clear and pure as boiled water... perfectly meeting the "exquisite" and "pure" requirements proposed by Ningguang.
And the soup only contained radish as a side dish, making it extremely simple, thus satisfying the "simple" condition.
Only the "delicate" condition remained, which required a bit more effort.
Feng Yi's suggestion was to replace the radish with cabbage hearts.
Using large cabbages that were not fully cooked as raw material, only selecting the yellowish tender hearts from the center. They were then lightly blanched and cooled in cold water to remove the raw cabbage smell, and then scalded with "boiled water"-like hot soup until cooked.
This way, the "delicate" condition was also perfectly achieved!
Feng Yi's predecessor's famous dish, "Boiled Cabbage," was the culmination of exquisiteness, simplicity, purity, and delicacy. If Xiangling could perfectly replicate it, he believed that even the discerning Ningguang would be highly satisfied.
"Feng Yi, you're a genius! How did I not think of that?! However, simmering the soup base takes a lot of time. I need to start preparing as soon as possible. I hope there's enough time. Guoba, let's go!"
Time was of the essence, and Xiangling needed to rush back to prepare the necessary ingredients and kitchenware. She called Guoba and hurried back.
"Wait, Guoba, I need your help with something..."
Feng Yi grabbed Guoba.
"Feng Yi, hurry up and say it! Xiangling still needs my help!"
Guoba's fluffy little ears were pulled by Feng Yi, and he looked at Feng Yi helplessly.
"It's like this, I need to receive guests outside and can't get away for now. Guoba, since you're so lively and cute, I'll ask you to entertain the guests inside the Serenitea Pot..."
Later, all the beautiful women would gather in the Serenitea Pot, and it would be awkward if the atmosphere turned cold.
Feng Yi originally wanted to let Yuanbao liven up the atmosphere, but thinking of Yuanbao's personality, it might have the opposite effect.
So, he set his sights on the cute and adorable Guoba. It would be a shame not to use such an excellent Archon as a mascot!
Feng Yi believed that no one would be wary of a harmless mascot.
"Feng Yi, it's not that I don't want to help you, but I still have to help Xiangling with the cooking. So, you should find someone else for this."
Guoba suddenly smelled a hint of conspiracy, feeling that Feng Yi was plotting against him.
How could he, the dignified Stove God, fall into such a low-level trap?
"Alas~ I was thinking if Guoba agreed, I would take out my treasured premium ice cream as a reward. Do you know what premium ice cream is? It's made from green-plumed swan eggs raised by Cloud Retainer herself. Its texture is at least a hundred times finer than ordinary ice cream. It's Yuanbao's favorite; he can eat several bowls in one sitting. It seems Guoba, you won't have the good fortune to taste it!"
As Feng Yi spoke, he glanced at Guoba's reaction from the corner of his eye and sighed regretfully.
Ah... slurp~
Feng Yi saw Guoba drooling, and the words "It's settled!" appeared in his mind.
"I, Guoba, have always been helpful. Since you, Feng Yi, are asking for my help, and given our deep friendship, I, Guoba, will definitely help! It's not for that... premium ice cream made from green-plumed swan eggs, with a texture a hundred times finer than ordinary ice cream!"
Guoba wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth and patted his chest, declaring that everything was under control!
As long as he didn't forget that... treasured premium ice cream!
Guoba: What? A low-level trap?!
I, Guoba, am not for anything else, I just want to see what dangers are inside this trap!
Blame my damn curiosity!
"Then I'll entrust the matters inside the Serenitea Pot to you, Guoba. Just don't let the atmosphere get awkward. Don't worry, I won't forget the ice cream!"
Seeing Guoba gazing at him expectantly, Feng Yi reassured him again.
"It's a deal!"
"It's a deal!"
Guoba's little paws and Feng Yi's palm clasped tightly together.
With premium ice cream in sight, he had forgotten all about helping Xiangling move things.
"Guoba? Guoba!"
Seeing that Guoba was taking too long, Xiangling worried that he might have gotten lost and returned the way she came, calling out loudly.
"Feng Yi, Xiangling is calling me. I'll go over now."
Guoba bid farewell to Feng Yi and hurried towards Xiangling with his short legs.
Guoba's mind was filled with the premium ice cream Feng Yi had described, and he drooled with a silly smile as he ran.
With the most important matter settled, Feng Yi's heart finally felt at ease. He sat back on the stool, brewed tea, and hummed a little tune.
"Feng Yi, did I come too early?"
Feng Yi didn't expect Xiangling and Guoba to return with ingredients and kitchenware. Not long after entering the Serenitea Pot, Yun Jin arrived.
Yun Jin, carrying a bag of pastries, greeted Feng Yi softly with a hint of shyness.
"Not at all. Hutao and Yuanbao are already in the Serenitea Pot, and it's lively in there. You should go in quickly!"
Feng Yi opened the lid of the Serenitea Pot and gestured for her to enter.