"Excuse me, is anyone inside?"
Pushing open the old wooden door, Hoshino Sora loudly greeted inside. Immediately after, a girl with a double-bun hairstyle appeared before his eyes, her hair a blue-purple color.
"Is there anything? If you want to book my grandfather's food, you can register here, but the time might be scheduled five years later. If you want to try mine, you can do so now."
Wiping the wooden dining table that had been wiped countless times, Xiang Ling put down the rag in her hand and spoke with a smile, looking at Hoshino Sora and Alice Nakiri who had pushed open the door and entered.
"You're that little girl, do you remember me? The girl who used to come here often asking for food a couple of years ago, but I remember you didn't cook, did you?"
"You are...? Ah, it's you! It's really been a long time. What happened to your leg...?
I only became the Master Chef of this restaurant today. Before, my cooking skills weren't up to par, far from reaching the level for sale, so I actually do know how to cook."
After carefully observing Alice Nakiri for a long time, Xiang Ling tried hard to recall the other person's identity, and then, as if a light bulb went off, a look of sudden realization appeared on her face.
"I accidentally got a small injury this morning, but you've become a Master Chef now, that's amazing!"
Hearing the proud voice of the girl in front of her, Alice Nakiri spoke with a hint of surprise. This person had actually become a Master Chef. Did she also have the skill of that old man?
Impossible, absolutely impossible! The other person looked about the same age as her, how could she have that level of skill!
"Hehehe, want to try my creative dish?"
With a simple and honest smile on her face, her hands by her sides, and a hint of excitement in her eyes, Xiang Ling looked at the two people in front of her and spoke expectantly, as if she had thought of something.
"Creative dish?"
They exchanged glances, both seeing curiosity in each other's eyes. It was a rare trip here, and it would be a shame not to try this so-called creative dish.
"Alright, two guests, please wait here for a moment. I'll prepare your food right away."
Whether it was his imagination or not, Hoshino Sora always felt that Xiang Ling's expression subtly changed after they accepted the creative dish.
It might have been an illusion.
Watching Xiang Ling skip away lively, Hoshino Sora raised his hand and scratched his head, then pushed Alice Nakiri to a table in a corner and sat down, surveying the restaurant's environment.
Cramped, that was his first impression.
Old, that was his second impression.
Clean, that was his third impression.
"Can you eat spicy food, guests?"
Poking her head out from the kitchen, Xiang Ling tentatively asked, holding a handful of dried chilies. Seeing this, Hoshino Sora's mouth couldn't help but twitch.
"I can eat it, but just a little bit."
Raising his hand to make a gesture for just a little bit, Hoshino Sora's face was slightly bitter. Eating that many chilies would kill someone, wouldn't it? It definitely would!
"Alright, then I'll just put a little bit of spice."
Whether it was his imagination or not, Hoshino Sora saw a hint of disappointment in Xiang Ling's eyes, and his expression became subtle, not knowing what to say.
He inexplicably felt like he had gotten into a shady ride...
"Is this restaurant really reliable? I mean that girl."
"It's hard for me to say now. I've never eaten her cooking, but since she's the Master Chef of this restaurant, her cooking skills shouldn't be bad."
"I hope so."
Hoshino Sora was deeply skeptical about this, because no matter how he looked at her, she didn't seem like a chef. Compared to a chef, she looked more like a lively little girl next door who liked to play and show off.
"This smell is indeed fragrant. Sichuan Cuisine?"
Two or three minutes later, a rich spicy aroma wafted from the kitchen. Hoshino Sora guessed after smelling it, and then heard cute sneezing sounds coming from inside.
"Why don't you go in and take a look?"
"The Master Chef is cooking, and it's a creative dish. Wouldn't me going in be seen as a provocation?"
"You're right, let's wait a bit longer..."
She was also lying on the table, wondering what she was thinking, playing with the panda doll Hoshino Sora had won for her, occasionally pinching its cheeks because it was truly super cute!
However, the business here was really bleak. It was clearly mealtime, but besides them, there were no other customers in this restaurant. One must know that this restaurant had been open for at least two years.
Logically speaking, even if it was in a remote location, business shouldn't be this bleak.
Were they all dissuaded?
According to Alice Nakiri's experience, this possibility was extremely high.
"Have you been waiting long! You two are really lucky, this batch of ingredients is new stock that just arrived this morning, super fresh!"
"Spicy Crispy Locusts, our restaurant's special creative appetizer. The taste will definitely exceed your imagination!"
Just as this doubt arose in their minds, Xiang Ling came out of the kitchen carrying a large plate of food, but what she brought out made both of their faces change dramatically.
Especially Alice Nakiri, her pupils were trembling a bit. Seeing the Spicy Crispy Locusts in front of her, she was utterly collapse, and even began to regret coming to this restaurant for lunch.
What in the world was this?! Although she had heard that locusts could be eaten, that only remained at a conceptual level. To actually make her eat this, putting everything else aside, the mental hurdle was incredibly difficult to overcome!
"This is the creative dish you were talking about..."
"That's right. The traditional method is simple deep-frying and then sprinkling powder. On top of that, I added a spicy flavor and stir-fried it twice in the wok. The taste is definitely more fragrant than those sprinkled with seasoning powder!"
Picking up a golden-red, crispy fried locust with chopsticks, Hoshino Sora felt a little nauseous physiologically, but his sense of smell told him that this thing was very fragrant, and the taste shouldn't be bad.
Closing his eyes, Hoshino Sora still decided to taste it, because the rich aroma of the Spicy Crispy Locusts was constantly tempting the Gourmet Cells in his body. He could be sure that this was definitely not unpalatable.
"What are you doing? Are you really going to eat this...?"
Looking at Hoshino Sora picking up a locust with chopsticks, Alice Nakiri's eyes held a hint of disbelief. Was he really going to eat this ugly bug?
It felt...
"This is a work that someone painstakingly completed. If I deny it hastily without even taking a bite, or even dare not taste it, it goes against my Way of Food!"
Hoshino Sora spoke righteously, then hardened his heart and put the locust from his chopsticks into his mouth. The strange taste of bugs he had imagined did not appear; instead, it was an extreme sensation of numbing spiciness, freshness, and aroma.
And an extremely crispy fried texture!
[Analyze Dish]: Spicy Crispy Locusts
[Quality]: Silver (Medium)
[Analysis 21%]: Dish ingredients include rice field locusts, Sichuan peppercorns, Erjingtiao chilies, toasted sesame seeds...
His dull eyes instantly brightened. Hoshino Sora frantically picked up the locusts from the plate, not even satisfied with picking up only one or two with chopsticks, and simply started grabbing them with his hands.
Once certain settings are accepted, there's no going back!
Hoshino Sora ate frantically. The locusts had thorns on their legs and various nodules on their bodies, but they weren't at all prickly to eat, which was somewhat beyond his expectations.
And seeing such a frenzied Hoshino Sora, Alice Nakiri couldn't help but shiver beside him, hugging her chest and shrinking into the chair. She still sometimes couldn't get past that mental hurdle.
"Let me help you. Stop dilly-dallying, you'll know after eating just one of these!"
Extreme deliciousness, numbing spiciness, and freshness are the essence of Sichuan Cuisine. Now, all of them were concentrated in this Spicy Crispy Locust dish. It had to be said that this young girl's cooking skills were indeed good.
No, it should be said they were very strong!
Such deliciousness should not be disliked because of its appearance, so Hoshino Sora made a bold move, which was to forcefully feed it to Alice Nakiri against her will.
"No...Woohoo..."
A muffled sound came from her mouth as an foreign object was forcefully shoved in. Looking at the drooling and struggling Alice Nakiri, Hoshino Sora inexplicably felt a bit aroused, unconsciously fantasizing about other scenarios.
"Mmm, so delicious!"
Once certain settings are accepted, there's no going back.
After being fed, Alice Nakiri chewed a couple of times and then no longer held back, grabbing handfuls of the locusts in front of her and eating them. The superb texture and taste completely revolutionized her culinary perspective.
Why, why is this thing so delicious!
It was clearly just a dirty bug, but it was too fragrant! She wanted to refuse, but her hands simply couldn't stop!
Passionate like fire, numbing spiciness and freshness,
The locusts had a crispy texture and a unique aroma. If she hadn't been told it was a locust, she would never have associated it with that!
"How is it? I didn't lie to you, did I?"
Only after finishing all the locusts on the plate and seeing Alice Nakiri licking her fingers did Hoshino Sora speak with a smile. He knew she would like this taste.
"You shouldn't treat a girl like that, but thanks to you, I didn't miss out on this dish."
Alice Nakiri's face was slightly red. Thinking of Hoshino Sora's rough method just now, his fingers seemed to have gone in too, and a lot of her saliva had fallen on them.
From the looks of it, Hoshino Sora had licked his fingers several times while eating the locusts just now, so he must have ingested it. It was originally an insignificant matter, but why did she feel so embarrassed?
Noticing this, Alice Nakiri's heart pounded wildly. All the events that happened today flashed through her mind. Why did it feel so much like a date?
And a very happy date at that...
"Hehe, seeing you two eat so happily makes me happy too. I've decided, I'll give you another dish!"
Looking at the cleaned plate, Xiang Ling, who had been standing silently nearby, revealed a blissful smile. The meaning of her cooking was to see the smiles on the diners' faces!
"Are you busy? We have guests."
An elderly but robust man in a Zhongshan suit walked in from outside. He first glanced at Hoshino Sora and Alice Nakiri sitting in the corner of the restaurant, then turned to Xiang Ling and said,
"Yes, they are my first and second guests, and they seem very satisfied with my food."
"Fried locusts, huh? Serving something so strong-flavored for your first time receiving guests. I wonder who you inherited that from."
Sniffing his nose, smelling the lingering aroma in the air, Mao Jinyu smiled wryly and shook his head, then turned his gaze to Alice Nakiri and Hoshino Sora.
"Thank you both for taking care of Xiang Ling."
Mao Jinyu nodded in acknowledgment, then carried two black fish into the kitchen. Just as he was about to enter, he paused and turned his head.
"If you don't mind, please also try this old man's cooking."
After saying that, Mao Jinyu entered the kitchen, leaving Hoshino Sora and Alice Nakiri looking at each other, and even Xiang Ling's face showed a look of surprise.
"Grandpa, are you going to cook yourself? Yay! I finally get to eat Grandpa's food!"
"This old gentleman is your grandpa?"
"That's right!"
With a smile even more satisfied than before on her face, their restaurant was very strange. The Master Chef only cooked three times a month, and he would not serve people he had served before a second time.
And her grandfather, Mao Jinyu, was the Master Chef of this restaurant.
Perhaps due to his old age, he only cooked three times a month and never made a move otherwise. She usually did the cooking, but every time her grandfather tasted her dishes, he would offer suggestions.
And she would improve her dishes based on his suggestions, making them taste better and better. This life continued for five years, and she lived here for five years. In these five years, her cooking skills improved rapidly.
"Guoba, you're awake! You didn't wake up just because you heard Grandpa was going to cook, did you?"
"Ah Lelu~"
Perhaps the noise woke up the small raccoon hiding under the table. This should be a small raccoon, right? With brown fur, looking chubby, it hopped and skipped over to Xiang Ling's side.
"Hmph, Guoba is such a glutton."
"Whoa, is that Little Guoba?! But has he gotten much fatter in the past two years? Speaking of which, his species should be a small raccoon, right?"
Looking at the plump and round Guoba, Alice Nakiri's attention immediately shifted. Her face showed a melted expression as she reached out to pinch and hug him, but he jumped away, forcing her to awkwardly retract her hand.
"I'm not quite sure what animal Guoba is. Be good, sit here. Have this."
Handing the specifically left-over fried locusts to Guoba, Xiang Ling pulled out a chair and sat down, then patted the spot next to her, inviting him over.
And this little Guoba seemed to understand human speech, taking cute steps and waddling over, tilting his head with a human-like goofy smile on his face.
"What a fragrant smell!"
During their conversation, a rich aroma wafted from the kitchen. This smell was even more exaggerated than when Xiang Ling cooked. To what extent was it exaggerated?
Just smelling the aroma, Hoshino Sora's Gourmet Cell reacted with even more excitement than when he ate the locusts.
One must know that his Gourmet Cell was already Lv3 at this time, and it wouldn't react to ordinary silver-grade dishes, yet now it was reacting so intensely.
His inner anticipation instantly reached its peak, a large amount of saliva secreted in his mouth, his heartbeat slightly quickened, and he didn't hear their conversation at all, his gaze unconsciously shifting to the kitchen door.
No way, it was just too fragrant!
Standing up, his steps uncontrollably moved towards the kitchen. He wanted to see, he wanted to see how such a dish was made, that just its aroma could move him so much!
Unconsciously, Hoshino Sora appeared in the kitchen, staring intently at the old man busy at the stove.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/TripleCrown07
If you guys wanna check it out.