Who Looks Better? (Third Update)

Aside from Japanese culinary oddities, there are very few things in this world that Liu Chang'an hasn't eaten. He knows a lot about all sorts of strange and unusual raw materials and cooking methods, but it's impossible for him to have tried them all. However, he has tried a great many edible foods, especially those that are highly poisonous and cannot be neutralized. He is probably the only person who has eaten them and is still alive.

"What would you like to eat today?" Qin Yanan asked Liu Chang'an as she drove.

"Let's see if we can buy a sheep's head," Liu Chang'an said, looking at Qin Yanan's profile and observing her expression.

"Sheep's head must be hard to buy, right? But I do know a place nearby that sells mutton, so maybe you can find some. But you don't really have much choice then. I'd like to see if your skill in selecting ingredients is as good as your ability to eat." Qin Yanan smiled gently.

"You can witness my knife skills and culinary expertise. Of course, I should personally prepare such a grand dish." Liu Chang'an withdrew his gaze.

"You're being too smug. You don't know, do you? My family used to eat mutton head every year after the beginning of autumn. Boiled mutton head, mutton head in white soup, braised mutton head, and I can even make mutton head with variegated patterns." Qin Yanan said with a hint of pride.

"A mutton head with flowers... a famous court dish recorded in the 'Essentials of Diet and Nutrition,' specially prepared for the emperors of that time. Actually, it has a coarse and mixed flavor, but it was just suitable for the rough palates of the Yuan people. In reality, it was nothing special," Liu Chang'an said with little appreciation.

"I've already made improvements!" Qin Yanan said defiantly.

"We're only eating mutton head meat. To make it a mutton head with spots, you also need mutton kidneys, tripe, lungs, and a whole bunch of other ingredients. Do you want your kitchen to smell like mutton for the next week?"

As a girl, this was certainly hard to bear, but after thinking about it, I compromised. Besides, I wasn't even sure if I could buy a sheep's head.

"Do you know why your family eats sheep's head after the start of autumn?"

"I heard it's because my great-grandmother and great-grandfather were unwell when they first arrived in the Capital, especially my great-grandmother who was weak and cold, so she ate some mutton head meat to nourish herself." Qin Yanan knew this, even though her great-grandfather was unwilling to talk about many past events, and sometimes he would suddenly choke halfway through the conversation, as if he couldn't continue, and then he would leave on his own, completely ignoring the children and grandchildren in the room who were listening to him.

"Yes, your family's practices are probably a continuation of what my great-grandfather did."

Qin Yanan didn't doubt it, she just laughed, "When people talk about a long and deep relationship, I think it's not just about blood ties, but also about the little things in our interactions. The closer the relationship, the more it's reflected in everyday family matters, rather than just blood ties and marriage."

"Your great-grandfather was a very loyal and affectionate man. It's said that the blessings of a virtuous person last only three generations... Let me elaborate on that saying. You see, the bond between your family and the Su Family goes far beyond three generations." Liu Chang'an coughed lightly, then turned to look at Qin Yanan. "However, if your great-grandmother were alive, she would probably still hold a grudge against Su Mei."

"Yes, although I don't know what happened back then, I heard from Little Fairy that when Old Madam Su talked, they would avoid mentioning my great-grandmother." Qin Yanan frowned slightly. "These old people don't talk about it. Are they going to take all those things from the past to the grave?"

"Are you cursing them to be finished?"

"I didn't!" Qin Yanan quickly spat twice to dispel the bad luck.

This is Qin Yanan. Liu Chang'an confirmed that the claim of spirit possession should be analyzed scientifically to dissect its absurd nature, rather than being verified by superstitious methods of summoning spirits.

However, Qin Yanan still seemed a little off... Liu Chang'an didn't think he was overthinking it; he was just relying on his intuition and conscious or unconscious observation, and the information he had gathered was not enough to draw a direct analytical conclusion.

"The summer solstice is coming soon, are you going back to visit the elders?" Liu Chang'an then asked.

"He won't allow it." Qin Yanan said helplessly.

"When I came up, I talked to Zhu Juntang about the first and second poems of 'Zhou Nan'. The first poem is 'Guanju' and the second poem is 'Ge Tan'. The former is about the love between a man and a woman, and the latter is about a woman who is far away and misses her parents. You can copy 'Ge Tan' and send it to him. Even if he is your great-grandfather instead of your parents, he will understand what you mean," Liu Chang'an suggested.

Qin Yanan couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Are you from ancient times? Only ancient people like to be so subtle and roundabout. Copying poems, huh? According to your logic, if I had copied a poem for him back then, none of this would have happened. The correct approach is to act cute with the old man, but even that didn't work."

"Then you can stay in Junsha." Liu Chang'an was a little embarrassed, suddenly realizing that some of his habits were indeed outdated. But that was alright; it was good to retain some habits when living in modern times.

"It's a good deal for you that I'm staying in Junsha." Qin Yanan's eyes sparkled, with a hint of allure. However, she realized the implication after saying it, but she was too lazy to explain. A shy expression arose. She was so beautiful that she looked exceptionally charming and captivating.

Her original intention was simply to say that she could cook for Liu Chang'an, and she was sure he would understand. Deliberately explaining would only leave a trace, and there was no need for it. He was so much younger than her; what was the point of explaining?

"You're overthinking it." Liu Chang'an shook his head, even though a woman's allure is perhaps the most beautiful sight.

Qin Yanan slammed on the brakes, her blood rushing to her head. Luckily, she was wearing her seatbelt, and the dress she was wearing today wasn't the kind that would explode.

"What I mean is, our relationship is very simple. Even if you try to take advantage of me, I won't," Liu Chang'an explained.

"You're crazy too! What I mean is, I'll stay in Junsha and cook delicious food for you!" Qin Yanan reached out and punched Liu Chang'an on the shoulder.

"So that's how it is. The Book of Songs, in short, is about pure thought. It seems my thoughts haven't been very pure lately. I'll go back and read the Book of Songs." Liu Chang'an sighed. "But speaking of which, Confucius really did commit some sins. He collected thousands of poems, but he only edited them down to 305. If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have..."

"What have you gotten yourself into now?" Qin Yanan said irritably. No wonder Liu Chang'an and Zhu Juntang seemed to have a good relationship; they both had the same self-satisfaction about their feelings.

"No, your statement was ambiguous, and it's understandable that I misunderstood it. I hope you can understand. Let's not argue about these trivial things. There are few things in this world more important than buying groceries," Liu Chang'an reasoned with Qin Yanan.

Qin Yanan wasn't Liu Chang'an's girlfriend, so she was reasonable and nodded, agreeing with his statement that "there are few things in this world more important than buying groceries."

The two arrived at the market and found the stall that Qin Yanan had mentioned often sold mutton. There happened to be a sheep's head on the stall.

Give me this sheep's head.

They spoke in unison, both pointing at the sheep's head with two fingers. However, it wasn't Liu Chang'an and Qin Yanan who spoke in unison, but rather Qin Yanan and another woman.

The stall owner looked troubled, tapping the cutting board with his knife. "Who should I give this to?"

"Just give it to whoever is good-looking," Liu Chang'an said casually as he looked at Yang Dandan.

"Then who do you think is prettier?"

Liu Chang'an turned around, feeling truly embarrassed; he had only said it casually.

Various Requests.