His Highness Leads the Way, Food First

"How would I know? Senior Sword Douluo didn't say."

Looking at Han Cheng outside the door, Fang Ming wore a helpless expression too.

It was late at night, and he had been getting ready for bed, yet this senior fellow disciple was still thinking about dinner the day after tomorrow.

On reflection, Han Cheng agreed. Standing here asking Fang Ming was no use, so he could only head back. Before leaving, however, he asked Fang Ming to call him when he went to the Kitchen tomorrow. Going early and helping with more work certainly couldn't hurt.

Fang Ming did not refuse.

With another person helping, his own work would be easier.

The next day, Chen An cooked and cultivated as usual, adding Wensi Tofu to both lunch and dinner. Everyone naturally enjoyed the meals, and by evening, the notification in his mind finally changed.

[Wensi Tofu has reached one hundred favorable reviews. New dish rewarded: Crab Roe Lion's Head.]

Another new dish.

Chen An dried his freshly washed hands and carefully read through the newly acquired recipe, feeling quite pleased.

Naturally, he had made this dish in his previous life: pork with a balance of fat and lean, paired with freshly picked crabmeat and crab roe, simmered slowly in clear broth. Soft, delicate, and savory, it was especially suited to this bunch who refused to stop eating once meat was involved.

Pork was easy enough to get, but he would have to look elsewhere for fresh crabs.

The Kitchen did not ordinarily use them, and Uncle Zhou had never bought any specifically. Chen An went out front to ask and, upon learning that they were indeed available for sale at present, made a mental note of it.

He happened to be going into the city tomorrow, so he could look along the way without troubling someone else to make another trip.

Chen An was in no hurry. With the recipe already in hand, did he really need to worry that this bunch would refuse to eat it?

On the day of their planned outing, Xue Qinghe arrived early, just as expected.

Chen An and Ning Rongrong had just finished breakfast and were cultivating under Chen Xin's guidance when they heard that he had arrived. Ning Fengzhi took him to the Meeting Hall first and did not hurry the two children.

Ning Rongrong glanced toward the door a couple of times, but obediently sat back down.

They had already agreed to finish their morning cultivation before leaving. Besides, her father was still here, and she did not want to be left behind at the last moment.

Once cultivation ended, the little girl was the first to stand, pulling Chen An outside with her. Watching their retreating figures, Chen Xin smiled, then rose and followed.

Xue Qinghe was talking with Ning Fengzhi. When he saw them enter, he first paid his respects to Chen Xin before turning to Ning Rongrong with a smile.

"I heard from Teacher that absorbing your Soul Ring went very smoothly this time. Congratulations."

The little girl responded happily and released her Martial Soul to show him, then asked where they would be going today.

She had spent several days outside searching for a Soul Beast, but that had not kept her from thinking about going into the city to have fun in the slightest.

"We'll try some food in the city first, then look around. Didn't Xiao An want to look at ingredients too?"

Xue Qinghe clearly already had arrangements in mind. As he spoke, he turned to Chen An.

"If there's somewhere you want to go, just say so. We're in no hurry today."

Hearing this, Chen An did not stand on ceremony.

"I'd like to find some fresh crabs. We don't use them much in the Kitchen, so this is a good chance to take a look."

"That's easy enough. They sell them in the city. Once we get there, I'll take you."

Their destinations were settled in a few words. Ning Fengzhi did not keep them any longer, merely reminding Rongrong not to run off while outside before letting them leave.

With Chen Xin accompanying them, there was naturally no need to worry about safety.

Before leaving, Chen An made another trip to the Kitchen to let Uncle Zhou know. Chen Chuan was helping in the cooking area out front, and they would prepare lunch as usual today.

Seeing him come in, Uncle Zhou offered another reminder.

"Look at several places for fresh goods. You're buying them to cook with, so don't just pick the biggest ones."

"Got it, Uncle Zhou."

Chen An nodded with a smile. He had, after all, been a cook in his previous life. Choosing ingredients was hardly something beyond him.

Fang Ming and Han Cheng had already helped fill the water vat. Seeing that he was leaving, they did not keep asking about dinner, merely opening the courtyard gate to let him out.

Chen An had already said that morning that his return would depend on how things went. If he was late, Uncle Zhou should cook, and no one needed to wait.

With that much said, what else could they do?

Surely they couldn't trail behind Senior Sword Douluo and ask every little while when he would be coming back.

Everyone could only eat a little more breakfast before going off to cultivate.

Upon reaching Heaven Dou City, the carriage stopped beside a bustling street.

As soon as Chen An stepped down, he caught the aromas drifting along the street. There was meat roasting over a stove, as well as flour-based foods freshly taken from steamers. People passing back and forth stirred the white steam, spreading it along with the fragrance of scallion oil.

Unlike his last trip to buy seasonings, someone was guiding them this time, so he did not have to search everywhere with a slip of paper in hand.

Xue Qinghe did not lead them straight into some grand restaurant, either. Instead, he walked farther down the street, stopping to look whenever they came across something that interested Chen An.

At first, Ning Rongrong was still thinking about the little stalls beside them, but after walking a while, she discovered that Chen An stopped even more often than she did.

He stopped at the sight of a large pot of stewing meat, stopped at a row of dried goods set out to air, and, upon reaching a sauce shop, even studied the earthenware jars they used to hold their goods for quite some time.

Still, the little girl did not hurry him.

When she had bought hair ties last time, Brother Chen An had stayed beside her for ages. Now that it was her turn to wait a little, there was nothing wrong with that.

She merely grew bored waiting, so she pulled Chen Xin over to look at the little wooden animals on a nearby stall.

Chen An tasted a little sauce the shopkeeper ladled out, asked about its ingredients and price, and chose a small jar before leaving.

The Kitchen had this sort of thing too, but the flavors of the two were not quite the same. He could try it when stewing meat or stir-frying a few home-style dishes later.

Xue Qinghe watched from beside him, a smile on his face all the while. Only after they left the shop did he speak.

"Teacher said you liked cooking. Seeing you today, it's certainly true."

When ordinary children entered this street, most first looked at the food stalls, yet Chen An first asked what ingredients people used and how they made their food.

Even with a jar of sauce, he had to distinguish its saltiness and fragrance, and had already decided what meat to pair it with once he took it back.

No wonder he had such cooking skills.

"I'm usually in the Kitchen. There are some things I haven't seen before, so I have to come out and take a look."

Chen An answered with a smile.

He had known how to make plenty of dishes in his previous life, but here, the ingredients were somewhat different. He ordinarily relied on Uncle Zhou to prepare them, and familiar ingredients were naturally easy to handle. When he encountered something he had never used, however, he could only feel sure after tasting it himself.

Xue Qinghe nodded without pressing him about why he knew so much, simply leading them onward.

Walking beside him, Chen An gained a little new understanding of this Brother Xue.

Regardless of whether the person before him was truly the one from his memories, at least he had genuinely put thought into today's outing. Their stops lay along the way, and he chose to talk about things that interested Chen An. Being with him was not uncomfortable.

Still, Chen An would not casually speak of things that ought to remain in his heart.

After walking a while longer, they stopped before a restaurant facing the street.

The establishment was not particularly grand, but quite a few people were already seated inside. Near the door stood a large steaming pot. When a waiter lifted its lid, a fresh, savory aroma surged out with the heat.

Chen An had been looking at the menu board beside him, but the moment he caught that scent, his gaze shifted over.

There, in the steamer, was a row of crabs that had already turned a glossy red.

"This place prepares fresh seafood quite well. It's all delivered the same day, and both the steamed dishes and the soups have their own flavors."

Xue Qinghe offered this introduction with a smile, then gestured for him to look inside the shop.

Several bamboo baskets near the door held live crabs that had not yet gone into the pot. Their claws were neatly bound, and a waiter was taking them out one by one.

After a few glances, Chen An's interest immediately stirred.

Their shells were broad and thick, and their legs were all intact. Though he had yet to break one open and look, the savory scent from the steamer alone told him this batch would not be bad.

"Brother Xue, can we buy the crabs here?"

"Yes. If you want a lot, we can go straight to the shop that supplies their fresh seafood after we eat."

Xue Qinghe had clearly already thought of this. Smiling, he led them through the door.

"Try them first. If they suit your needs, buy them afterward."

Chen An smiled too.

This trip had certainly been the right choice.

Before they had even eaten, the most important ingredient for his new dish was already accounted for.