Don't Lose Because You Can't Express Yourself, Qing and Meng's Outing, the Old Man at the Offal Stew Shop (4K)

Evening, at the academy's main gate.

Lin Qing stood beside the metal plaque engraved with "Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy," quietly waiting for Meng Hongchen to return.

Knowing how much Meng Hongchen valued tonight, he had gone back to his dorm to change into casual clothes as well. The youthful student had transformed into a strikingly handsome young man with urban flair, drawing extra glances from passing female students, who whispered to one another as they walked away.

After about an hour and a half, Lin Qing remained perfectly patient. A boy waiting for a girl was, after all, like someone anticipating an unopened present: he never knew what surprise might spring from the box the moment he unwrapped it.

Besides, he had his eye on Miss Meng's...

Money pouch!

"Tap-"

Light footsteps splashing through puddles came from behind him.

"I'm late!"

Lin Qing turned toward her voice. Meng Hongchen stood there gracefully, her light makeup just right, shallow dimples in her cheeks. Her long white hair fell behind her shoulders, with a blue bow clipped among its strands.

She wore a pure white dress, clean and simple, with almost no unnecessary embellishments. Its hem fell just below her knees, fluttering gently in the evening breeze.

The waist was cinched just enough to outline her delicate curves. A pale silver anklet encircled her smooth, rounded left ankle, lending her a touch of allure. She looked like a cake adorned with cream, a budding beauty who seemed to have blossomed into a breathtaking woman in an instant.

Knowing she had held him up, Meng Hongchen stuck out her little tongue and pressed her palms together before her modestly developed chest. "Sorry for keeping you waiting."

"It's all right. I only just got here myself."

Lin Qing paused before answering softly. Putting chapter three of Don't Lose Because You Can't Express Yourself, which he had read that afternoon, straight into practice, he added, "You look beautiful tonight."

"Really? (｡>∀<｡) Thank you for the compliment!!!"

At those words, the flustered feeling Meng Hongchen had developed from being late, along with her anxiety over still not looking perfect after an hour of careful preparation, suddenly vanished like smoke in the wind.

"Miss Meng, please lead the way."

"Mm-hmm, let's go!"

Hearing the distinctly indulgent address of "Miss Meng," the white-haired, blue-eyed girl perked up like a rabbit whose ears had popped upright. Delighted, she led the way with a spring in her step.

Soul guidance lamps lit up the empire's capital, a jungle of steel. Streetlights linked together along both sides of the road like two long dragons of light, spilling orange-yellow radiance over the pavement. Qing and Meng walked side by side through the streets at an easy pace.

Meng Hongchen deliberately walked on Lin Qing's right, perfectly displaying her carefully coordinated outfit. Lin Qing glanced at the girl beside him. As evening deepened, drifting wisps of everyday life softened her lovely outline, while the warm streetlights draped a faint golden sheen over her white hair.

They fell into casual conversation. Lin Qing asked Meng Hongchen what they would eat tonight, and she smiled mysteriously, saying that fancy restaurants were all there to fleece gullible out-of-towners.

Tonight, she would show him the living pulse deep within Mingdu's alleys, where the authentic local food people had grown up eating could be found.

As a clueless outsider, Lin Qing naturally deferred to his host. He remembered how authentic that bowl of flat noodles had been on his first night in Mingdu and happily entrusted his taste buds to the local guide before him.

"Lin Qing, have you gotten used to life in the Sun Moon Empire? Is studying at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy very stressful?" Meng Hongchen asked with concern.

"Both have been fine," Lin Qing said. "But the average cultivation level at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy is a fair bit higher than I expected. From what I know, it should surpass the Shrek Outer Court."

"That's normal. Everyone got there by taking pills." Meng Hongchen thought nothing of it.

"An entire population cultivating with medicine is unheard of in the three great empires. The Douluo soul master world has always treated medicine like raging floods and savage beasts," Lin Qing remarked.

"That's the difference in how our countries think." Meng Hongchen blinked her beautiful ice-blue eyes. "Soul masters in the Sun Moon Empire don't see taking pills as chasing quick results. They see it as reaching their limits in life and refusing to accept their fate.

"Take Tang Gang, whom you've met. Lone Bamboo is tough, but its offensive power is negligible. In the Douluo Three Kingdoms, he'd be a mere drop in the ocean. Even with some talent for soul tools, his innate soul power would drag him down and leave him buried in obscurity forever.

"But he was born in the Sun Moon Empire. Medicine might not let him break through to Titled Douluo, but becoming a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor would be easy. In the future, Tang Gang can keep striving for Soul King and Soul Emperor."

Lin Qing let out a quiet sigh. Sun Moon's policies were far ahead of Douluo's. While Douluo's noble lords were still restricting martial soul awakening among commoners, the Sun Moon Empire had already reached the point where everyone could be a soldier.

As long as someone's innate soul power was not level zero upon martial soul awakening, the state would fund their training and even provide medicine to raise their soul power free of charge.

With soul tools in hand, even a group of Soul Grandmasters whose cultivation had stalled at level twenty-nine could form an army with considerable fighting power.

Medicine undeniably had certain side effects, but strength reigned supreme on the Douluo Continent. Being a soul master meant standing above others. Who would willingly give that up?

These vast numbers of low-level soul engineers were undoubtedly the solid foundation of the Sun Moon Empire's military strength. Now, the Sun Moon Empire was a hidden dragon in the depths, growing stronger by the day, sharpening its weapons and feeding its horses as it quietly awaited the right moment to attack.

"Speaking of which, do you and your brother take pills?" Lin Qing asked, his curiosity stirred.

"We do," Meng Hongchen admitted frankly. "There are lots of different kinds of medicine. We only take the high-grade stuff that doesn't affect our soul power foundations... hey, that reminds me of something that really makes me mad!

"It turns out your Douluo Three Kingdoms have pills too, and their effects are much better than ours!

"Grandpa once paid a fortune to get a Mystic Water Pill for research. Mingde Hall's sample analysis showed that it contained the blood essence of dozens of water-attribute soul beasts. A single pill costs as much to make as a whole basket of ours! But the production process seems closely tied to the Xuanming Turtle's innate ability, so we can't replicate it!"

The more she spoke, the angrier she grew, her cheeks puffing up like balloons. At the sight, Lin Qing felt an almost irresistible urge to poke this puffed-up Meng Hongchen-to prod the soft, fair little Meng pufferfish until she leaked air.

Along the way, the two opened the floodgates of conversation, chatting about everything under the sun.

Most of the time, Lin Qing chose to listen, hearing Meng Hongchen grumble about the Douluo Three Kingdoms, complain about the Sun Moon Empire, disparage her idiot brother, and animatedly recount amusing childhood stories...

When she described poisoning her brother unconscious during their first fight, Miss Meng proudly flashed a victory sign. When she reached the part where he gradually developed poison resistance, her lips drooped in dejection.

Later, she had discovered that Ice Toad Poison still worked as long as she fed it into his mouth, and Meng Hongchen perked up again.

Every frown and smile was lively and vivid, like bright sunshine on a fresh spring day. Lin Qing's understanding of Meng Hongchen began taking on depth, and he occasionally chimed in with a few words. How could Master Xiao possibly compare with Meng!

They crossed the bustling main street and turned into an inconspicuous alley. It was an old neighborhood much like Star Luo City's old district, with shops neatly lined up along it. The aromas of all sorts of food collided and mingled in the narrow space, stirring the appetites of passersby.

"Ta-da! Here it is!"

Meng Hongchen stretched out a slender, jade-like finger, excitedly pointing at an illuminated soul tool sign.

Lin Qing followed her finger. The large characters reading "Authentic Mingdu Offal Stew" were dazzling under the soul guidance lights. Beside them stood another soul tool sign listing the shop's specialties: liver stew, offal stew, steamed buns, Gray Juice, fish in vinegar sauce...

Meng Hongchen lifted her pretty chin. "Don't underestimate it. Mingdu's most authentic food is hidden in little gems like this."

They lifted the heavy door curtain, and a wave of heat laden with delicious aromas hit them. It was dinnertime, and the shop rang with voices. Several dozen wooden tables were nearly full, the crowd packed shoulder to shoulder.

The stove stood to the left of the entrance. Two enormous pots bubbled away, their reddish-brown broth constantly churning around assorted ingredients, fragrant steam billowing upward.

The old cook behind the stove wore an apron around his waist and worked deftly. He ladled a bowl of offal stew, cut up several pieces of baked flatbread, scattered a handful of minced garlic and cilantro over them, then poured on a large ladle of stock. His movements flowed like clouds and running water, all in one smooth sequence.

Meng Hongchen pulled Lin Qing through the crowded aisle and found an empty table in a corner. Without needing to study the menu, she waved toward the counter and called in a clear voice:

"Boss, two bowls of liver stew, two bowls of offal stew, two baskets of buns, and one bowl of Gray Juice at the end!"

"Coming right up!"

An answering call came from behind the counter.

A little while later, their dinner arrived. Meng Hongchen bobbed her head as she introduced it:

"Liver stew has to be made fresh with fresh liver. Properly cleaned liver and intestines, fried tofu, sesame paste, fermented bean curd, cilantro, chive blossom sauce, and a ladle of stock to give it soul. Three rounds of thickening and two additions of garlic-none of those steps can be skipped.

"Offal stew is all about generous portions at a good price. The flatbread is soaked through with broth, and there's heart, intestines, and lungs, every last one. Plenty of solid ingredients, just the right saltiness, and flavor right through to the center.

"The buns need pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean, thin wrappers, plenty of filling, and eighteen pleats. No cutting corners whatsoever. Go on, try them!"

Where had that local accent come from just now...?

Lin Qing looked around and finally confirmed it had come from the white-haired girl before him. He picked up a spoon and scooped some liver stew from the center. Two thin slices of pork liver floated in the thick broth, its glossy sheen irresistibly tempting.

Just as he was about to put it in his mouth, Meng Hongchen corrected him, her face plainly declaring that this was not the proper way to eat it.

"Fresh liver stew is scorching hot, and scooping it with a spoon can make the thickening break down. You have to sip around the bowl, drinking the layer on the surface. Work your way around the rim and slowly drink down through it. You absolutely can't let the thickening break down-you've got to savor that sticky texture!

"My grandpa loves this most. A bite of liver, a piece of intestine, then a little sip of liquor on the side. It doesn't get more authentic than that!"

"Young as you are, little lady, you're quite the seasoned foodie!"

The hearty compliment suddenly came from the neighboring table. A tall old man wore a smile, his silver hair meticulously combed. Traces of his youthful handsomeness could still be seen in his aged face.

"I'm Mingdu born and bred!"

Meng Hongchen accepted the compliment without hesitation.

The old man laughed. "My... beloved usually enjoys this sort of thing. While traveling the continent, we tried offal stew in all the major cities.

"The day I first came to Mingdu with her, our very first meal was at this old shop. She knew full well I couldn't enjoy a meal without meat, yet insisted on dragging me here for offal. I could only indulge her."

"Then have you tried Mingdu's specialty, Gray Juice, sir?" Meng Hongchen asked.

"I have. It left quite an impression." The old man instinctively leaned back. "From what I can see, the young fellow opposite you probably hasn't. He absolutely must have a bowl."

As he finished speaking, the grand finale arrived. A server brought over a bowl of gray liquid and perceptively placed it in front of Lin Qing.

"Go on, try it."

"Indeed. You won't find this anywhere outside Mingdu."

Meng Hongchen turned back to find Lin Qing staring at her with suspicion. The old man also earnestly urged him on. Having been caught in the rain themselves, they simply had to shred the next person's umbrella.

"I'll... have a little taste."

Unable to withstand the girl's half-pleading, half-expectant gaze, Lin Qing steeled himself and lowered his head to take a small sip. He instantly froze, his face turning the green of a man who had been constipated for thirty years.

It tasted like licking the armpit of a bearded man on the street on a forty-five-degree day.

The first assault on his taste buds was the sharp acidity of aged vinegar-a complex sourness from fermented beans, mixed with a slightly rancid stench resembling old crock-pickled cabbage. Thick enough to cling to his throat, it grew richer the longer he tasted it, making sweat break out all over his head in a single second!

Watching Lin Qing look as though he had seen a ghost, Meng Hongchen and the old man exchanged a glance and laughed, a sly glint of triumph flashing through their eyes.

The two complete strangers had reached a silent understanding without needing another word. Every Mingdu native loved taking friends to drink Gray Juice and admiring their spectacular expressions, as though they had eaten a lump of crap.

"Boss, one serving of Gray Juice to go."

Once Lin Qing realized he had been tricked, his first response was not to accuse Miss Meng of inhuman cruelty, but to decisively order a bowl to take away.

Joy shared was better than joy alone. He would bring it home for Ye Guyi to try tonight and cleanse the Holy Angel's filthy little mind.

"This young fellow has a good temperament. He's more emotionally steady than I was back then," the old man teased. "Little lady, you've chosen well."

Meng Hongchen's eyes immediately lit up. "Grandpa, do you think we make a good match?

"A talented man and a beautiful woman. A match made in heaven."

Hearing that, Meng Hongchen smiled even more happily. Resting her elbows on the table, she gazed at Lin Qing with curved, smiling eyes. "Hehe, I think we're both super good-looking. Heaven made us for each other."

"Exactly."

The old man was exceptionally accommodating, agreeing with Meng Hongchen as romance stirred in her heart, while silently recalling his vanished youth.

Once upon a time, he had roamed the world with his brother and his beloved, boldly declaring his love to the girl who had captured his heart. It had later brewed into love and hatred that entangled three mighty figures for their entire lives.

Now he was old, so old that death was close, and could only look enviously upon the happiness that belonged to the young.

At this moment, the worldly old man could clearly see the flames blazing in the white-haired girl's chest, while the boy opposite her maintained a certain distance.

The girl's feelings brightened in an instant like light; the boy's understanding lingered like fog, slow to dawn.

The conversation between the three chance acquaintances ended there. The shop was crowded, with too many eyes and ears for discussing soul tool armor, so Qing and Meng planned to continue outside.

Before leaving, Lin Qing solemnly put the Gray Juice into his Storage Soul Tool, keeping it separate from his important belongings. They would share sweetness and bitterness alike; Miss Angel absolutely could not refuse.

Watching the young pair leave the shop, the old man called out:

"Another serving of liver stew, a bowl of offal stew, and a bowl of Gray Juice."

"Oh? Why are you ordering Gray Juice today, Elder Long? My father said you hated the stuff!" the owner joked.

"You youngster wouldn't understand. This is the taste of youth revisited..."