Chicken Cartilage and Braised Beef: Which Tastes Better?

Arriving at the snack street, both Na'er and Gu Yue were filled with curiosity.

Na'er was curious because she hadn't moved to Eastsea City long ago, and since the Tang Heng brothers were usually busy with school, she never had the heart to come here and wander around alone, so she kept looking left and right.

As for Gu Yue, everything around her was simply a novelty.

A shut-in dragon who had been holed up in the Star Dou Great Forest suddenly arriving at a food street brimming with the hustle and bustle of human life was truly like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden.

The street wasn't particularly wide, lined with shops on both sides. As soon as they reached the entrance, waves of fragrance drifted out from within.

"Sugar-roasted chestnuts! Freshly roasted sugar-roasted chestnuts, buy a pound and get half a pound free!"

"Step right up, don't miss out! Volcanic stone grilled sausages, three yuan a skewer, ten yuan for three!"

Vendors called out one after another, their voices rising and falling across the street in a lively, bustling display.

Gu Yue followed behind Tang Heng and Na'er, observing her surroundings with curious eyes, her pace gradually slowing.

"What are you planning to eat?" she asked in a low voice to Tang Heng, who was walking ahead with a relaxed air.

Tang Heng looked left and right, quickly spotting a rather prominent shop by the roadside.

"We definitely have to start with the Braised Pot Beef. You know about this Eastsea City specialty, right?"

Braised Pot Beef is a delicacy cooked in a brownish-yellow earthenware pot; the beef is cleaned, then stewed with slices of scallion and ginger.

The pot locks in the moisture and savory flavor of the beef perfectly. Once the meat changes color, a dozen or so spices are added to stew for a long time until the beef is completely tender and succulent, the spices having fused perfectly with the meat. It is a famous snack in Eastsea City.

In the original story, it was Xie Xie who took Tang Wulin and Gu Yue to eat it. When Tang Heng read that part of the text, he thought it sounded delicious.

But at the time, he was still young, his studies were heavy, and his energy was limited, so he soon forgot about it.

Now, he could finally taste what this famous Braised Pot Beef was actually like.

"Yay! I wonder if the Braised Pot Beef is better or the Chicken Cartilage is better."

Tang Heng smiled helplessly, reached out to pinch Na'er's nose bridge, and said, "You, oh you, you love eating Chicken Cartilage every single day. Maybe I should just call you the Chicken Cartilage Queen from now on!"

"Hehe, 'Chicken Cartilage Queen' doesn't sound good. Call me Queen Na'er!"

Na'er naturally wrapped her arms around one of Tang Heng's, clinging tightly to him as she walked with her brother.

Seeing this scene, Gu Yue subconsciously reached out her hand.

But the moment she realized what she was doing, she quickly pulled it back.

"What is this strange feeling..."

Gu Yue muttered under her breath.

She truly couldn't understand it, as she had never experienced such an emotion before.

In the end, Gu Yue could only attribute it to Na'er.

Back then, her memories and power were sealed, and although it was the Na'er personality in control, it was still the same body, which was why this inexplicable emotion had suddenly surfaced.

Yes, it must be muscle memory.

Having comforted herself, Gu Yue hurried to catch up.

The three of them arrived in front of the shop and began to observe carefully.

The shop wasn't large, and the stove was outside, featuring nearly a hundred small fire pits, each holding an earthenware pot of stewing beef.

The steaming aroma of the beef made the pot lids rattle, the scent taking the opportunity to slip out and tempt the passing pedestrians.

"Boss, give us three... thirty portions of Braised Pot Beef."

Tang Heng suddenly remembered his and Na'er's appetites, and with Gu Yue added to the mix, these three dragons would definitely need to eat a bit more, so he ordered accordingly.

The boss heard the request for thirty portions at once and, seeing that the three were just children, frowned slightly: "Kids, are you ordering this much to take to others? Our portions are very generous; if you order too much and can't finish, it'll be a waste."

Na'er spoke up first: "Thank you for your kindness, Uncle, but this is all for the three of us~"

"We'll need another ten portions later to take home for our family."

"Are you sure you can eat all that?"

Tang Heng nodded and said with a smile: "The three of us are Spirit Masters with rather special Martial Spirits, so we eat a bit more."

The boss nodded; so they were Spirit Masters, that explained it.

On the Douluo Continent, anything strange or inexplicable could be explained away by Martial Spirits; this had almost become a default rule for everyone.

After all, Martial Spirits were truly marvelous things.

Although with the development of technology, the status of Spirit Masters was no longer as transcendent as it had been tens of thousands of years ago, and ordinary people could live relatively prosperous lives through various means, people still respected Spirit Masters more than the average person.

The boss arranged a larger round table for Tang Heng and his group.

Soon, ten portions of Braised Pot Beef were served one after another, along with three bowls of white rice and three plates of oyster sauce greens.

Tang Heng picked up his chopsticks and said softly: "What are you waiting for? Let's eat." As he spoke, he had already lifted the lid of the pot in front of him.

A rich aroma of beef wafted from the pot, the broth a dark gold color, with individual chunks of beef visible inside.

Tang Heng touched it with his chopsticks, and the beef was already tender enough to fall apart.

He carefully picked up a piece, placed it on his white rice, and ate it together, his face full of enjoyment.

Na'er had long since been unable to hold back, mimicking Tang Heng's manner as she began to eat.

"So delicious."

She exclaimed in praise; it truly was incredibly tasty.

The rich aroma of the beef, accompanied by the savory broth, was perfectly balanced by the white rice, creating a flawless combination.

Although, it was still a notch below the Chicken Cartilage.

I wonder if they make braised Chicken Cartilage?

Tang Heng devoured his meal with gusto, while Na'er's mind wandered elsewhere, though her mouth never stopped moving. Beside them, Gu Yue, who had been sitting upright and composed, swallowed hard at the sight. After a moment of hesitation, she followed their lead, picking up a piece of beef and mixing it with the rice in her bowl before taking a bite.

So delicious!

Gu Yue's beautiful eyes widened; the tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef dissolved the moment it touched her tongue.

In the Star Dou Great Forest, she had never eaten proper cooked food. In fact, most of the time she didn't eat at all; while recovering from her injuries, she had remained curled up in the Lake of Life, absorbing the aura of living beings and the power of nature.

Suddenly tasting seasoned cuisine, the sensation was truly beyond words.

Gu Yue glanced sideways, looking at the other people in the shop.

There were not only elderly people and children but also many young people resting after work, all gathered together, enjoying the delicious food to wash away the fatigue of the day.

It was just such a small shop, with dim, warm lighting and simple tables and chairs, yet it held such stunningly delicious food.

The beef, the rich soup, the side dishes, and the white rice—eating it all left one feeling warm and content.

This scene was something one could never see in the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Is it good?"

Tang Heng wiped his mouth and suddenly asked.

Gu Yue snapped back to reality and nodded hurriedly.

"If it's good, then eat more. If it's not enough, I'll just order more. I just finished an order and made a ton of money."

Tang Heng smiled; his pockets were quite full now.

After finishing the meal, they took Tang Wulin's portion and the three of them walked out of the shop together.

Halfway there, Di Tian and Yun Ming found them.

Both of their clothes were a bit disheveled, but their expressions were much better than before, especially Yun Ming's.

Perhaps it had been a long time since he had encountered a powerhouse of Di Tian's caliber, and the exchange of blows had given him some new insights and realizations, leaving him looking rather excited at the moment.

"Want some beef?" Tang Heng took a container of beef and waved it in front of Yun Ming.

Yun Ming was stunned for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "Thank you, I don't eat beef."