The sight of Liu Ruyan's reddened eyes and pale face stirred an ache of sympathy. Xiao Yi ladled out a bowl of soup and pushed it toward her.
Gao Cuilan hurriedly said in a gentle voice, "Sister Ru Yan, I tried this pork tripe chicken soup. It's delicious, and it warms both the stomach and the heart. Have some more."
Su Ningxia quickly chimed in, "That's right, Sister Ru Yan. Miss specifically asked the kitchen to prepare this for you, so you could nourish your body properly."
"Thank you, Xiao Yi." Liu Ruyan gently stirred the soup with her spoon and took a sip.
Then she smiled and praised it. "Even with the same seasonings and cooking methods, the dishes at the Duke's Mansion are different. They always have a certain flavor I can't quite put into words."
Speaking of which, it was worth mentioning that all the cooks at the Duke's Mansion had been brought over from Chenlin Village.
They mainly came from three families. One was the Jiao Family, whose third-grade martial soul was the Iron Wok. They were skilled at cooking with their woks and had a unique understanding of heat control. Another was the Clay Pot Tao Family, with its second-grade martial soul. The soups stewed in their clay pots could warm a person right down to the heart. The last was the Xin Family, whose fifth-grade martial soul was the Seasoning Sage's Hand.
Yes, the Xin Family's martial souls were hands, but these were no ordinary hands.
Not every body martial soul was suited to combat. The defining trait of the Xin Family's hand martial souls was not offensive power, but perception-specifically, the perception of flavors.
They could bring every ingredient and flavor into perfect harmony, creating dishes whose deliciousness lingered long after the meal.