"Is it a little bitter?" Zhou Qilong watched expectantly as Mu Bai ate a mouthful of noodles. "This buckwheat is rather bitter, but there's nothing to be done. Make do with it. Once you get used to it, it'll be fine."
Mu Bai took another mouthful. It was still bitter, but as he chewed carefully, he could still taste the noodles' flavor. They were wonderfully springy, too, probably from Zhou Qilong's repeated kneading and rolling. The river shrimp were fresh and sweet, the diced potatoes soft and sweet. As the egg-drop gravy entered his mouth, savory, fragrant, and sweet, even the noodles no longer seemed so bitter to chew.
"Well? Does it taste something like the real thing?"
Like a child awaiting a verdict, Zhou Qilong stared as Mu Bai picked up the noodles, put them in his mouth, and drank the gravy. He studied every change in Mu Bai's expression, his heart pounding with nerves.
"Delicious. It just feels like there's still something missing." Mu Bai drained the gravy at the bottom of the bowl in one gulp and broke into a radiant smile. Still chewing noodles, he said indistinctly, "Add some more-if you added some peanut sauce, it would be even better..."
"Oh, you rascal! You had me worried to death!" Zhou Qilong let out a long breath, looking delighted and proud. "Where am I supposed to find peanut sauce here in the Beast Territory?"
"Brother, your noodles are already very authentic. Even in the Eastern Ridge, it's hard to find good noodles made with this much care. But I won't eat your food for nothing..."
Mu Bai finished chewing his last mouthful of noodles and swallowed it, by which point Zhou Qilong was beside himself with impatience.
"Did you bring peanuts with you? Or wheat?"
"No, neither.