With a thought, Draco conjured a wooden table and two soft armchairs, placing them under the oak tree. The table was laden with food: poached chicken, sweet and sour pork ribs, pan-fried fish, sweet potato leaves with shrimp paste, and stir-fried squid with garlic—four hot dishes. In the center was a pot of warm porridge, accompanied by four bowls and two pairs of chopsticks and spoons.
Hermione exclaimed with delight, "A new dish again!"
"Of course, Easterners won't let anything go to waste."
Upon hearing Draco's words, Hermione realized something and said, "Before, it might have just been about filling our stomachs, but judging from the seasoning and color, it's probably more than just that."
"In ancient times, the emperors in the palace had very discerning palates, so if the imperial chefs couldn't come up with something new, they had to constantly develop new dishes."
Draco joined in the discussion.
"That makes some sense. Ancient emperors had the best resources and would indeed constantly demand that their imperial chefs create new dishes, which would then spread to the common people. Once ordinary people could afford seasonings, they would certainly have thought about how to make their food taste even better."
"Perhaps, but it could also be a restaurant or eatery that's in business," Draco suggested. "Restaurants might buy recipes to attract customers and promote innovation in local culinary arts."
"That makes sense. No matter how innovative the imperial court is, it always uses the same few chefs. Restaurants and eateries in the private sector do research new dishes to attract customers. Plus, with competition, they always need to introduce different flavors to attract diners, and they also improve old dishes and learn from other restaurants' methods. Some owners collect recipes and even hire skilled chefs at high salaries."
Hermione sniffed the aroma as she spoke, Draco, seeing her reaction, laughed, "You look so hungry, sit down and eat."
Upon hearing this, Hermione sat down without hesitation.
The porridge ladle was already automatically ladling porridge for the two of them.
While Draco was scooping porridge, he placed a piece of sweet and sour pork rib in Hermione's hand and said, "Try it..."
Hermione looked at the rib coated in a glistening sauce.
Curious, he asked, "What is this?"
"Sweet and sour pork ribs," Draco continued, adding to the order.
Hermione took a bite; the outer skin was crispy, while the inside remained tender and smooth. The sweet and sour juices burst on her tongue, the perfect amount of sourness awakening her taste buds, followed by the sweetness of sugar. The two blended perfectly, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
As she chewed, Hermione curiously examined the rest of the dishes on the table, her gaze settling on the poached chicken. "The chicken isn't browned enough, and this plate of leafy greens smells so uniquely salty and savory." Pointing to the plate of shrimp paste and sweet potato leaves, she asked, "What kind of plant is this?"
"Sweet potato leaves," Draco replied.
"These are sweet potato leaves? Sweet potato leaves can actually be used as food?" Hermione was very surprised. In her previous knowledge, no one had ever considered sweet potato leaves as food.
In England, just like in the wizarding and Muggle worlds, most people simply discard the vines and leaves after harvesting sweet potatoes.
"They probably find it tasteless and not very nutritious," Draco guessed.
"It's not that they can't do it..."
Draco chuckled, "That's possible."
"Many delicious dishes rely on the combination of seasonings; if you use butter to prepare them, they naturally won't taste good."
As he spoke, Draco placed a piece of sweet potato leaf on Hermione's plate:
"Seeing is believing."
Hermione took a bite; the leafy greens were crisp and refreshing, and the unique salty and savory flavor of the shrimp paste was locked inside, making it incredibly flavorful.
"You eat too..." Hermione's appetite was whetted.
The two began to eat. Hermione once again indulged her appetite, praising the food as she ate, taking one bite after another with great relish.
Draco responded, and the two of them officially began their work.
Hermione abandoned her usual restraint and ate one bite after another, occasionally letting out soft exclamations of praise, thoroughly enjoying her meal.
As she chewed, Hermione couldn't help but exclaim, "I've never tasted anything so unique! But it's really delicious, no wonder people go to the trouble of studying recipes."
Draco was pleased to see her eating so contentedly. "Eat as much as you like, there's plenty."
Hearing Draco's words, Hermione touched her lower abdomen and hesitated, saying, "I can't eat too much, what if I get fat?"
"If you get fat, you'll end up like Hagrid."
Hermione pictured Hagrid's massive frame in her mind and shook her head violently. "You're so mean! How could you joke about Hagrid? Hagrid's just got a superhuman physique, he's not fat from eating too much."
"Alright, enough joking with Hagrid. Actually, even if Miss Granger really gained a little weight, I wouldn't mind. I'd rather see what she looks like then."
Hermione didn't believe a word of it. "You're lying. I knew this since elementary school: boys don't like fat girls at all. You want to see me get fat? What if I don't look good?"
"If you don't look good, I can help you lose weight."
Hermione seized on his words, pouting, and said, "Look at you! You just said you'd like me no matter what I look like."
Draco chuckled, "Alright, I admit that being too fat isn't very appealing. The appealing kind is the kind that's fat but looks good. But my Miss Granger is definitely different. She was so beautiful when she was thin, so she certainly won't be ugly when she's fat."
"Otherwise, how could there be someone who looks good even when they're overweight?"
"Isn't that just a matter of looking good when you're thin and then getting fat?"
"Therefore, those who claim that fat people can look good when they lose weight are talking complete nonsense."
"Maybe those people just want to sell their weight loss courses and products, so they're just scamming people."
"Wow, that's actually possible." Hermione exclaimed in realization.
"Right? Good-looking people stand out no matter what, while ordinary people, even if they're as skinny as a dog, are just so-so."
Hermione finally had a reason. "Since you put it that way, then I'll try a little more, just a tiny bit!"
As she spoke, she picked up the pan-fried fish and put it in her mouth. While savoring it, she secretly glanced at Draco, observing his expression, and said, "If I really get fat, you can't laugh at me."
"How could that be... Come here!"
Draco picked up another piece of food and put it in her bowl.
After taking several more bites, Hermione asked, "Seriously, does your weight loss method really work?"
Draco smiled and nodded, "Don't worry."
With Draco's assurance, Hermione ate some more, and after finishing most of the remaining food, she was finally full.
Looking at her empty plate, Hermione felt a little embarrassed. "Oh dear, I think I ate a bit too much. I'll be stuffed if I eat any more."
"Let me see your tummy." Draco held out his hand, and Hermione immediately pulled in her stomach and slapped his hand away.
"Don't want!"
Draco didn't press the matter, withdrew his hand, and stood up.
"Alright then, let's take a walk."
After saying that, he had a thought and used a small amount of Fortune Points to have the system automatically clear all the tableware and chairs. Then he took Hermione's hand and slowly accompanied her for a stroll in the woods.
A gentle breeze rustled through the trees, the leaves swayed softly, and the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees created a serene and tranquil atmosphere. Hermione, having eaten her fill, felt exceptionally content.
"The scenery here is really nice. Although it's not as grand as Hogwarts, it has its own unique charm."
Draco turned to look at her and said, "That's because our Miss Granger is in a good mood right now. When you're in a good mood, everything is good; when you're in a bad mood, you can't appreciate even the most beautiful scenery."
You always manage to come up with a reasoned argument.
Hermione glanced at him too.
That's it!