When Xiao Tao rushed to the kitchen, Lin Su had already finished the noodles in his bowl. He had left three large bowls for Xiao Tao, Second Brother, and Yu Lou. With his sleeves rolled up, he was still kneading dough on the chopping board, while Xiao Yao hugged her empty bowl and licked the soup inside.
"Third Young Master, why... why are you still doing such lowly work? Madam said you are forbidden from entering the kitchen from now on... Xiao Yao, stop licking! How dare you eat by yourself at the side while making the young master work?"
Xiao Yao jumped in fright and hurriedly set down the bowl in her hands.
Here, Xiao Yao's position had to be explained.
In Lin Su's eyes, Xiao Yao was a little sister.
In Xiao Yao's eyes, Lin Su was an older brother.
But in everyone else's eyes, there still had to be an order of rank and status. From the moment Xiao Tao met Xiao Yao, she had been stuffing her head full of Propriety and Law. Whenever she heard Xiao Yao call him "Brother," she would roll her eyes. Xiao Yao did not provoke her; in front of her, she called Lin Su "Young Master."
"Young Master, let me do it..."
"Xiao Tao, you came at just the right time! Xiao Yao is still too young. When she stands up, she is not even as tall as the stove, so there are many delicacies she can't make..." Lin Su smiled. "Come, come, I'll teach you how to make something new. It's called steamed buns..."
Madam Lin came out of her room and quietly made her way outside the kitchen, where she saw Lin Jialiang scratching his head. "Did your Third Brother come out?"
"No!"
"Even Xiao Tao couldn't call him out?"
"Xiao Tao... he is teaching Xiao Tao to make some new food. He said he'll make the most delicious breakfast for Mother tomorrow morning."
"That child..." Madam Lin's imposing manner instantly collapsed. "Second Son, your Third Brother loves to play and make trouble. These... let him have his way. But there is one condition: from now on, you must keep a close eye on his studies. If he cannot pass the Provincial Examination three years from now, I will hold you accountable!"
"Mother, rest assured. Third Brother is a heaven-sent genius; how could he be an ordinary man? Three years from now, his name will surely be on the list."
Night fell, and Lin Su went to sleep.
With a smack, Xiao Yao slapped her own leg.
Lin Su's drowsiness vanished at once. He opened his eyes. In the darkness, his vision was exceptionally strange, and he saw mosquitoes flying through the air.
Yet strangely, the mosquitoes did not approach him at all. When they came within three feet of him, they seemed to strike an invisible screen and naturally flew away.
Literary Qi Protection?
The Literary Way Power was becoming more and more miraculous.
Summer mosquitoes had been the first pot of gold for many transmigrators after their arrival—make mosquito coils and get rich...
But that seemed to be a problem here. Those at the top, those with money and power, either possessed Literary Way Power or martial power, and some even had the power of formations. Mosquitoes could not threaten the wealthy at all. The plan of getting rich through mosquito coils ran headfirst into the great taboo of starting a business: its target customers had too little money.
Forget it. No point thinking about something so low-end.
The next day, Lin Su woke up and looked around. There were no washing supplies. He breathed into his hand and found it quite fresh. This was still Literary Way Power; its cleansing effect on the body was especially remarkable.
If Literary Way Power developed to its utmost limit, would even farting smell like orchids? Lin Su really wanted to know, but of course he would not be so bored as to actually smell it.
He had serious business to attend to: making steamed buns!
After transmigrating into this world, he did not have to rely on the cheat in his mind for everything. When he displayed his genuine skills, he could make people gape in astonishment even more.
What were his genuine skills? High-Score Material Research!
If he could even produce high-score materials, then making steamed buns was naturally child's play!
Last night, he had made a lump of sourdough starter. Sourdough starter was the key to making flour soft and fluffy.
There was no yeast in this world, so he had used a substitute. He was not sure whether it would succeed on the first try; after all, he had merely done it on a whim, without any testing.
Oh no, the two girls were already up. They must not turn that lump of sourdough starter into a steamed corn bun.
The traditional education the two girls had received was this: no matter what the ingredient was, in the end, turn it into a steamed corn bun...
When he rushed to the kitchen, he had arrived just in time.
The fire had been lit, the water had heated, and the rack had been set up. Xiao Tao held the sourdough starter in her hands and was about to place it on the rack to steam...
Her only hesitation was that this lump of sourdough starter was a little too small. If it was steamed like this, there would only be one steamed corn bun. Who would eat it?
Lin Su reached out and quickly took the sourdough starter. He inspected it carefully, sniffed it, and his heart burst into bloom with joy. It had fermented well—an utter success!
For the entire two hours that morning, Xiao Tao's eyes remained especially wide as she observed every step taken by the Third Young Master. When the steamer lid was finally lifted, she still cried out in surprise...
Heavens! More than a dozen plump, snow-white steamed buns lay inside. They were incomparably soft to the touch. At the young master's signal, she took a bite and nearly swallowed her own tongue. Madam would definitely love them...
She lifted the steamed buns and ran, charging toward Madam's bedroom.
Just as she stepped onto the Steps of the main hall, the courtyard gate suddenly opened. A mighty old man sniffed the air and, like a huge hunting dog, followed the scent until he stood before her. Xiao Tao hurriedly hugged the tray of steamed buns to her chest and watched the old man warily.
The old man sniffed the buns, and his eyes lit up. "Smells wonderful! What is this?"
"This is breakfast Third Young Master made for Madam. Old sir, you are..."
"That brat made these? Hehe, let me have a taste!"
The old man directly picked up a steamed bun, opened his mouth wide, and swallowed the bun into his huge mouth...
Xiao Tao's mouth fell wide open. Lin Su, who had just stepped out of the kitchen with a steamed bun in each hand, also widened his eyes.
Damn! Mr. Bao Shan?
Old man, do you have no bottom line as a scholar?
Never mind stealing my poem—you are even stealing my steamed buns?
Lin Jialiang came out of his room and was shocked when he saw Mr. Bao Shan. "Mr. Bao Shan!" He gave a deep bow. As a local scholar, he naturally knew Mr. Bao Shan.
"Haha, marvelous! Only this brat could make such delicacies..." Mr. Bao Shan completely ignored Lin Jialiang and reached for another steamed bun on the tray.
Just then, the door softly creaked.
Mr. Bao Shan's hand reaching for the steamed bun suddenly withdrew. Soundlessly, one of the steamed buns in Lin Su's hand vanished, while the empty space on the tray where a bun had been missing was filled.
And Mr. Bao Shan looked like an enlightened master, serene as clouds and gentle as wind.
The moment Madam Lin opened the door, she saw the great man before her and turned pale with shock. "Mr. Bao Shan!"
She had benefited from her former wealthy family's connections, so she knew most of Haining's uppermost figures.
Mr. Bao Shan was one such great man.
Mr. Bao Shan gave a slight salute. "Madam, greetings!"
"Greetings, sir!" Madam Lin gave a graceful curtsy.
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