Baggins?
Bilbo Baggins?
Levi was stunned.
Could things really be this coincidental?
Mystery solved... no wonder that wooden chest looked familiar.
Wasn't that his mother's dowry chest?
Hiss...
He looked at Bilbo.
This poor hobbit had no idea what his home was about to endure.
Nor did he know that his mother's dowry chest would one day be used by a certain dwarf to wipe his feet.
At this moment, Levi suddenly felt a bit mischievous.
He stood at the door again and bowed formally. "Levi Stonecraft, at your service."
This phrase indicated that he was making a proper visit.
Seemingly not expecting him to suddenly do this, Bilbo was also stunned for a moment before instinctively straightening his waistcoat and replying, "Bilbo Baggins, at your service."
After completing this ritual, Levi bent down again and stepped into the cozy hobbit hole.
It must be said that perhaps all hobbits had a bit of a hoarding nature. He immediately spotted a large pile of food and drinks stored in the depths of the house.
This was enough storage for thirteen dwarves to hold a feast... quite substantial indeed.
"Levi, you can find somewhere to sit first. Afternoon tea is at four o'clock, though it's not quite time yet, but I don't mind eating early. By the way, what do you like to eat? How about fried sausages with some bread?"
The hobbits' warm hospitality wasn't just talk.
Even though his arrival as a guest had some unexpected factors mixed in, once at home, Bilbo still showed the enthusiasm of an old friend.
"Of course, anything is fine. When in Rome, do as the Romans do... I'll follow your lead." Levi nodded.
"When in Rome, do as the Romans do? Well then."
Bilbo scratched his head and took out a string of sausages from the pantry, along with a plate piled high like a small mountain of bread.
Then, under Levi's watchful gaze, he cut the sausages and placed them beside a frying pan.
While lighting the fire and heating the pan, Bilbo stepped away briefly to get some other things.
Levi couldn't help but be curious, so he stood up and moved closer to observe the small stove.
It was a very ordinary fire stove with a small frying pan, just that the counter was a bit low... the right height for hobbits to use.
"Are you interested in cooking?"
Bilbo's voice suddenly came from behind. Levi tactfully stepped aside, letting Bilbo stand in front of the hot pan to start working.
"This pan has quite some history... my family has always used it. It's a good pan."
Sizzle...
The sausages went into the pan, spattering tiny drops of oil.
After a few seconds of silence, seeing that Levi didn't speak, perhaps feeling the atmosphere was a bit awkward, Bilbo said, while watching the sausages frying in the pan, hands on his hips, "Speaking of which, I'm quite confident in my cooking skills, whether it's frying, roasting, or boiling... I learned all this from my mother."
As he spoke, Bilbo flipped the sausages over.
The other side was already golden brown, giving off an enticing meaty aroma.
Grumble...
His stomach growled embarrassingly.
Gulp.
Levi swallowed.
After a while, finally, Bilbo placed the fried sausage on a plate and sprinkled some pepper on it.
Just as he couldn't help but stand up to ask if he could eat one first, suddenly, a notification appeared before his eyes.
[Function Unlocked: Crafting Table]
[Learned Recipe Branch Formula: Fried Sausage]
[You can check what you can craft at any time. The crafting table will update dynamically based on items you encounter.]
Huh? Crafting table!
Clack.
The plate with the sausage was placed in front of him, interrupting his thoughts.
"I guess you've been hungry for a long time."
Bilbo was still so considerate.
"Thank you."
Levi said, and tears of gratitude couldn't help but flow from the corners of his mouth.
Then, he cleaned the plate in just a few bites.
So quickly that Bilbo didn't even have time to walk back to the stove.
Hunger restored by two bars out of ten total.
"Bilbo," he suddenly called out, "Could you let me try? I mean, cooking."
Bilbo was stunned, obviously not expecting Levi to make such a request.
"Oh, sure, um... of course, go ahead."
Bilbo stepped back to make room.
Levi immediately bent down and stood by the pan. Just as he grasped the panhandle, feeling somewhat bewildered, a tutorial notification box appeared.
[Cooking Steps: Select Recipe - Prepare Ingredients - Lock Tool - Begin Cooking]
Normal cooking was definitely a technical skill, always with many steps, and requiring the chef to precisely control variables like heat and seasoning. But for him with the system, this was just a complex version of a furnace... everything just needed to follow the steps.
Sizzle...
Sausage into the pan.
Levi stood quietly in front of the frying pan, as if nailed in place, his body not even showing the slightest tremor from breathing.
He looked as if he was daydreaming.
Seeing the sausage about to turn golden brown, Bilbo, who had been watching the action, was just about to open his mouth to remind him when he saw Levi's arm twitch, the pan tilted, and the sausage inside flipped over precisely.
An expert!
Bilbo couldn't help but admire in his heart.
Was this person a professional chef?
Not quite sure, let's keep watching.
Whoosh...
A moment later, another flip, and a golden-colored, slightly oil-shiny, steaming sausage rolled onto the plate. But that wasn't the end... finally, Levi ground a tiny bit of fine salt powder and sprinkled it evenly on top.
The fine salt, carried by the steam, melted onto the sausage.
The two flavors combined into one.
For some reason, just looking at this sausage, Bilbo couldn't help but swallow.
[Cooking Complete]
"Sorry for the wait."
Levi placed the plate in front of Bilbo.
Bilbo tried cutting open the sausage, and saw a puff of white steam emerge, with the center showing perfect doneness.
He took a light taste.
Whoosh...
The meaty aroma, seasoning, and the taste of tiny melted salt crystals exploded in his mouth. Even though the just-cooked sausage was quite hot, bringing tears to Bilbo's eyes, this stubborn hobbit just couldn't bear to open his mouth and let the aroma escape along with the heat.
The doneness and flavor were perfect to the point of seeming impossible for a human to achieve. The tiny bit of added salt perfectly balanced the sausage's slightly bland taste... a small change that greatly enriched the layers of flavor.
Perfect!
Instantly, the hobbit's eyes widened, and he stood up on the spot, pushing his chair back several steps.
Bilbo stood at attention.
"Mr. Levi, I swear, this is the best fried sausage I've ever eaten in my life!"
"You're too kind." He nodded, somewhat puzzled by Bilbo's strong reaction.
In his habitual thinking, wasn't food produced by the system basically like pre-made meals?
However, in reality, technology was never a bad word...
"No, Mr. Levi, this isn't excessive praise. I'm serious... I've been eating this type of sausage for many years, but today I feel like I'm tasting it for the first time. I never knew it could be this delicious!"
"Oh?"
Levi raised an eyebrow, detecting something unusual.
Really? Let me try.
Sizzle...
Several more sausages came out of the pan, served on a plate.
He took a bite.
He took another bite.
Levi calmly set down his knife and fork, smiled and nodded at Bilbo.
However, the corners of his mouth were already twitching uncontrollably.
Holy crap, it's delicious!
I can make something like this?!
[Chapter Complete]
***
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