Sensing Xiang Youyou's disappointment, Li Nianlong felt very conflicted. But he really couldn't cook! He had rarely stepped into the kitchen since he was a child. The only time he tried to help was in the third grade, and he ended up breaking three bowls and two plates and cutting his hand. Li Ying was so frightened that she never let him in the kitchen again.
Feeling Li Nianlong's predicament, Nalan Ruyue tugged at his hand. When Li Nianlong looked at her, she gestured with her hands: "Brother, since Sister Youyou wants to eat something you made, I'll teach you the simplest stir-fry dish."
"Oh? What is it?"
Tomato and scrambled eggs.
"..."
In the Liu family's kitchen.
The head chef was overjoyed to hear that the master wanted to cook personally and was about to volunteer to teach Li Nianlong how to cook. However, seeing that Nalan Ruyue had already picked up the ingredients and knife, he stepped back to watch her teaching.
The chef was left in tears, squatting in the corner and drawing circles.
First, wash the tomatoes, cut them, and place them on a plate. Then, break the eggs into a bowl and stir them evenly with chopsticks. Chop some scallions. Heat the oil in a pan, pour in the beaten eggs, and fry them until done, then set them aside. Pour in more oil, add the scallions, then the tomatoes, stir-fry for a bit, add the eggs back in, season with salt, and when the tomato juice appears, turn off the heat and plate the dish.
A plate of bright red and yellow, aromatic and flavorful tomato and scrambled eggs was ready.
Nalan Ruyue smiled slightly and gestured with her hands: "Brother, isn't it simple?"
"Yeah, it seems pretty easy." Li Nianlong nodded. Judging by the process, it wasn't difficult, and it only took a few minutes to make a dish.
"Brother, give it a try!"
Nalan Ruyue handed the tomato to Li Nianlong.
Li Nianlong held the tomato, tossed it in his hand, then picked up the knife. With the precise control of a Grandmaster in martial arts, his actions were identical to Nalan Ruyue's, as if he had been a chef for decades.
Nalan Ruyue was astonished to see Li Nianlong cutting vegetables, plating, beating eggs, and chopping scallions with such proficiency. In just a few minutes, a plate of tomato and scrambled eggs was placed next to the one Nalan Ruyue had made, looking identical.
"Life Profession Triggered – God of Food. The host is currently a Junior God of Food. Strength +3, Intelligence +5, Experience +1000, Money +10000. Due to the host's exceptional physical control and intelligence beyond the range of a Junior God of Food, the system estimates the host's level to automatically upgrade to Perfect Level. Strength +12, Intelligence +20, Experience +20000, Money +200000."
God of Food (Perfect Level): Everything in the world is your ingredient. Even a pile of dung can be made into a supreme delicacy.
Oh my god!
Li Nianlong immediately opened his attribute panel. Upon seeing the immense power of the Perfect Level God of Food, he almost wanted to hit his head on the ground and die to apologize to the world.
Turning dung into a supreme delicacy? What kind of nonsense is this?
Li Nianlong seemed to see a gold-paved path to unlimited wealth.
Spreading dung cuisine around the world… uh, he wanted to vomit.
"Brother, you're truly a genius."
Seeing the amazement and admiration in Nalan Ruyue's eyes, Li Nianlong snapped out of his thoughts and chuckled, "Not bad. I didn't expect cooking to be so simple."
Nalan Ruyue smiled slightly: "That's because you have talent. Want to make a few more dishes?"
"Sure." Li Nianlong's mind was suddenly filled with various cooking methods, even for a single dish, there were hundreds of ways to cook it. Who needs hundreds of ways to eat one thing? It's like they have too much time on their hands.
But the chef profession really is for those who have too much time and end up developing it. Li Nianlong endured it.
The Liu family's ingredients were different from the pesticide-contaminated or other problematic ingredients on the market. All the vegetables were strictly inspected high-quality produce, and the meat came from free-range animals, making it extremely fresh and delicious, top-quality by national standards. Even a simple dish like cucumber salad was a rare delicacy.
Li Nianlong made a total of six dishes: tomato and scrambled eggs, vinegar cabbage, braised eggplant, fish-flavored shredded pork, sweet and sour pork, and candied apples.
The Liu family's chefs were stunned, and Nalan Ruyue was even more amazed. Looking at the colorful, fragrant six dishes, it was hard to believe that they were made by someone cooking for the first time, let alone a man.
Li Nianlong took off his apron and said, "Bring the dishes to the dining room."
Immediately, servants came to carry the plates. Nalan Ruyue looked at Li Nianlong with eyes full of disbelief and admiration: "Brother, is this really your first time cooking? Just now, I thought you were as good as the chef who taught me to cook."
Li Nianlong chuckled: "It's indeed my first time. Looks like I have some talent."
Nalan Ruyue nodded repeatedly: "Brother, you're a genius, really amazing."
"Not bad, not bad." Li Nianlong smiled widely, holding Nalan Ruyue's hand: "Come, let's eat."
In the dining room, Old Master Liu, Shao Meiyun, and Xiang Youyou, who had been waiting for a while, were surprised to see such a table full of delicious-looking dishes. Shao Meiyun asked, "Who made all these dishes?"
She couldn't believe that Li Nianlong had made them.
A servant respectfully said, "Miss Shao, these were all made by the master."
"What!?" The three of them were shocked. Shao Meiyun exclaimed, "Impossible! Menglong has never been in the kitchen. How could he make such beautiful dishes?"
The servant quickly said, "Miss Shao, it's true. These were all made by the master himself. I wouldn't dare lie."
Shao Meiyun looked at the six dishes on the table, perfectly balanced in sweet, sour, and savory flavors, and beautifully presented. The aroma was so tempting that it made her mouth water: "These were really made by Menglong? What a monster. Is there anything he can't do in this world?"
"Having babies, I can't do that." Li Nianlong entered, holding Nalan Ruyue's hand, looking at Shao Meiyun: "Cousin, don't think I'm such a freak, okay? Cooking isn't that hard. Just watch once and you'll know how to do it."
"You still say you're not a freak?" Shao Meiyun was truly jealous of Li Nianlong now. It was fine that he was good at martial arts, men should be strong, but cooking better than a woman on his first try, what was he up to? How was anyone supposed to live up to that?
"Say what you want." Li Nianlong sat at the table. Xiang Youyou immediately asked, "Big brother, did you really make these?"
"Why, don't you believe it?"
"A little." Actually, she didn't believe it at all. A man who had never been in the kitchen making professional-level dishes on his first try, she wouldn't believe it even if she were beaten.
Sensing Xiang Youyou's skepticism, Li Nianlong shrugged: "Ask Ruyue, she never lies."
Xiang Youyou immediately turned to Nalan Ruyue: "Ruyue, did big brother really make these dishes?"
Nalan Ruyue smiled and nodded: "Yes, he is a genius, he learned it just by watching once."
"What did Ruyue say?" Old Master Liu and Shao Meiyun didn't understand sign language, so they looked to Li Nianlong for an explanation.
Before Li Nianlong could speak, Xiang Youyou said, "Ruyue said big brother learned it just by watching once."
What?
"Learned it just by watching once!?" Old Master Liu and Shao Meiyun were dizzy. They had heard of geniuses, but never such a genius. This wasn't just a genius, it was a deity!
A deity! Take my knee!
"Don't look at me like that, it's embarrassing." Li Nianlong scratched his face, looking genuinely embarrassed.
"..."
"Hahaha…" After a long while, Old Master Liu suddenly laughed out loud and shouted, "Bring the wine!"
Immediately, a servant brought a special bottle of wine. Old Master Liu was overjoyed: "Today is Menglong's first time cooking. We must have some wine. Those who can drink will drink, and those who can't will have a soft drink!"
"Grandpa is right." Shao Meiyun also reacted, smiling: "This is my cousin's first time cooking, very memorable. I'm honored to taste Menglong's first dish. I could die happily after this."
Sweat!
Li Nianlong looked at Shao Meiyun speechlessly, shook his head, and handed a pair of chopsticks to Xiang Youyou. "Youyou, try my cooking."
"Thank you, big brother." Xiang Youyou took the chopsticks and looked at the table full of dishes. "They all look delicious! Which one should I try first?"
"You're really something to be indecisive about such a small thing," Li Nianlong teased, picking up a piece of candied apple and placing it in her bowl. "Start with an appetizer."
"Uh…" Xiang Youyou said timidly, "Big brother, I actually wanted to try the tomato and scrambled eggs first."
"Do you believe I'll make you into tomato and scrambled eggs?" Li Nianlong glared at her.
"Hehe…" Xiang Youyou quickly stuffed the candied apple into her mouth. The next moment, her eyes widened. She chewed slowly, savoring the sweet and smooth taste that she had never experienced before. It was as sweet as a first love, lingering in her memory.
"Is it really that good?" Seeing Xiang Youyou's expression of enjoyment, Shao Meiyun was curious. She also picked up a piece of candied apple. The caramel threads were crystal clear and very beautiful, making it very appetizing just to look at.
Putting the apple in her mouth, the next moment, Shao Meiyun's eyes also widened...
After a long while, Xiang Youyou and Shao Meiyun opened their eyes almost simultaneously. They didn't say a word, just stared at the table full of dishes with shining eyes, looking at each other warily as if preparing for a battle over the food.
"..."
Old Master Liu looked at them in astonishment. "What are you two girls doing?"
Shao Meiyun and Xiang Youyou came back to their senses and saw Old Master Liu looking at them in surprise, causing their faces to turn red.
Shao Meiyun cleared her throat. "I really didn't expect Menglong's candied apple to be so delicious. The sweet and sour taste, the smooth texture, I've never thought a dish could make me feel so much. It's like a dish is a book, and the knowledge inside captivated my soul."