Ma Liu was wiping the kitchen when he saw Dragon Mother. His face immediately broke into a bright smile, trying to please. Ma Liu stuttered a bit when he talked, so he basically didn’t speak often.

“What are you looking at? Never seen a beauty before? Don’t covet my good looks, or I’ll gouge your eyes out.” Saying this, she slapped Ma Liu on the forehead, “What ingredients do you have left? Bring them out, Little Li wants to show off his skills to everyone.”

Ma Liu obediently opened the curtain covering the ingredients. They were mostly cheap vegetable leaves, likely leftovers from the market. There was some meat; without meat, there’s no energy to work. The only meats available were some coarse chicken and pork. The chicken was quite large but tough and tasteless, while the pork was reserved for slaves and gladiators. Even so, they were mostly unappealing and fishy, as if these scraps from the market all got sent here.

Li Xin scanned through them, not finding a single decent piece. The way they cooked here was okay for the occasional meal, but doing this every day was torture.

Spices and such weren’t fully available here either, since this was a place where even salt was considered a luxury. Li Xin bought some himself at the market, and brought some from the Celestial Capital. Anyone who traveled often knew to bring their own favorite seasonings, which could transform the mundane into something special.

Ma Liu looked at Li Xin with some doubt. This youngster looked so young, could he really cook?

Seeing these ingredients, the painter and the magician were a bit disappointed. They had hoped to see if anything was hidden for guests like David, but they didn’t find what they were looking for.

Li Xin picked out a large piece of fat meat, started the fire, and began cooking. Fat meat could be rendered into lard, and it would smell amazing. Lard scraps stir-fried with vegetables could absolutely transform the mundane into something special.

Li Xin began working. The entire kitchen was filled with an unpleasant aroma. The painter and magician pinched their noses and left. Dragon Mother hesitated but couldn’t hold back, “Make sure you do it well! Mess it up and next month’s rent doubles!”

Li Xin confidently waved her off, “Dragon Mother, just wait for the taste test later.”

Ma Liu watched curiously as Li Xin worked. He didn’t know what Li Xin intended to do. Lard was simple, but Dragon Mother thought it was a waste.

Before long, the lard was ready. The lard scraps were set aside, and Li Xin wouldn’t overdo it since there wasn’t much to use here. One dish was stir-fried miscellaneous vegetables with lard scraps, and another was an imperfect Sichuan-style Kung Pao Chicken. For this chicken dish, if it wasn’t spicy, even immortals couldn’t save it.

There’s not much to say about stir-frying with lard scraps; it’s very suitable for large meals. The chicken dish, however, required skill. Li Xin took a chicken leg quietly, because if you’re going to try, you should use good meat. The chicken legs were clearly meant for guests like David, with slightly better texture.

For the Kung Pao Chicken, knife skills were crucial. Chop into finger-width strips, then change direction to chop into cubes of the same width. Once chopped, put it into a bowl to marinate. Sprinkle in the seasonings evenly. Although slightly lacking, it should suffice for these people who haven’t seen much of the world. Massage, massage, and massage again, sprinkle some oil, and massage once more.

The freshly rendered lard went into the pan, and in went the chilies, a crucial part. Whether they could handle the spice was not his concern, his mouth was already watering. The food recently was practically pig slop. Into the pan for a stir-fry, and a colorful, aromatic, and flavorful Dao Yuan’s first spicy chicken cubes dish was ready.

Ma Liu watched Li Xin busily work from the side, dazzled, nearly losing his eyes. How could it be done like this?

With two plates of dishes ready, they saw Dragon Mother was teasing the painter and the magician, but fortunately the two stuck together for support, so they probably weren’t taken too much advantage of.

Seeing Li Xin bring up the dishes, the three of them looked suspicious, “This first plate is called ‘Return to Simplicity’, which means using the simplest ingredients to make the most appetizing dish. The second plate is called ‘Descent of the Gods’, even the gods would praise it.”

The three found the names awkward and the styles peculiar, but the aroma was quite special. Dragon Mother glanced at Ma Liu, who was also confused; he had never seen or tasted this before.

“Kni… kni… knife skill… skill is… good!” Ma Liu said.

Dragon Mother looked at Li Xin, “Didn’t expect you’d be a good talker. Let me try it.”

She picked up a piece of chicken; it had to be the coarse chicken. This stuff tasted the worst, bland…

???

Chili?

But what was this aroma, a complex blend of spicy, savory, and sweet exploded on her taste buds, like a refreshing, vigorous exercise directly hitting her brain. A bit strange, but very tasty.

Seeing Dragon Mother’s expression, the painter and magician couldn’t resist trying it either. Instantly their minds were enlightened; food could taste like this.

“Hmm, a bit different. Let me try again.” The painter reached out, only to have his hand slapped away by Dragon Mother, “Eat, eat, that’s all you know. Do you even know how expensive these ingredients are!”

“What is this?” Dragon Mother pointed at the more ordinary stir-fried wilted vegetables and some unknown scraps, which smelled quite fragrant.

“Try it.”

Dragon Mother tasted a few bites of the dish, her eyes widening with surprise at how fragrant it was. She then tasted the scraps, exclaiming, “Damn, it’s delicious!” Seeing her enjoying it, the painter and magician were drooling.

“You all try it,” Dragon Mother suddenly said generously.

Everyone dove in, and soon couldn’t stop eating. Li Xin was also hungry, and soon the two plates were cleared.

Dragon Mother stood up, looking at Dalivin and Kan, “You need to make good money. If you want to eat like this again in the future, you know what to do, right?”

Just a moment ago, Dalivin and Kan were very satisfied, but suddenly their faces fell. Having just eaten such flavorful and appetite-whetting food, making them go back to those disgusting fat meats, how could they bear it?

Dalivin grabbed his drawing board, Kan put on his faded wool gloves, and they went out to make money.

Turning back to Li Xin, Dragon Mother grinned with her bright red lips, “Little Li, Dragon Mother has treated you well, right? When you first arrived in Hedan with no one to rely on, it was Dragon Mother who took you in and gave you a chance. Shouldn’t you repay Dragon Mother well?”

Li Xin instinctively shifted his butt back against the wall, “Dragon Mother, I don’t have many requests. Just improve the meals and give me a slightly cleaner room, and I’ll work hard.”

“Very well, from today, you’re promoted. You’re Lirong Inn’s hired mysterious chef, specializing in affordable high-end cuisine. Room change, whatever ingredients you need, let Ma Liu handle the purchases. The salary is 100 Lira per month. There’s no one else like you on the Dao Yuan Continent.”

Dragon Mother immediately went all in. Such talent was worth keeping. It wasn’t just about tasting good, but using the cheapest ingredients to make it taste good—that was the real skill.

“Thank you, boss!” Li Xin was extremely happy; he could finally change rooms. Listening to the pounding next door was pure torture.

After Li Xin left, Ma Liu looked pitifully at Dragon Mother, feeling like he was about to cry. The boss wouldn’t keep idle hands; was he going to lose his job?

Smack~~~

“Look at you, such a coward. You’re the confidant of this place. The business of the inn still depends on you. He’s temporary, so watch, learn, and use your brain!” Saying this, she poked Ma Liu’s forehead.

Knocked over by the poke, Ma Liu immediately grinned, touching his head and laughing foolishly.

Dragon Mother wiggled her full hips and left. Finally, she had someone who could help her make money from the damned tenants who loved to owe rent. Indeed, good people get rewarded.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep