The next morning.
Okabe was woken up by Ikaros at eight o'clock.
After drinking the milk Ikaros prepared for him as breakfast, he arrived at the schoolroom at half-past eight under her escort.
It was called a schoolroom, but in reality, it was no bigger than a quiet chamber, furnished with seven standard cushions.
And at the very front of the quiet chamber, a fully equipped cooking station stood silently.
When Okabe arrived at the schoolroom, the two Nakiri sisters had already arrived. They were sitting obediently on their cushions, showing not the slightest hint of impatience.
Beside them.
Nakiri Mana and Nakiri Leonora also wore serious expressions.
They were the chaperones for the day, sitting there to handle any unexpected incidents.
"Since you're here, don't just stand there in the doorway. Come in."
The old man said, turning his head towards Okabe, who had appeared at the door and was surveying the surroundings.
"Yes."
In response, Okabe answered softly, took off his shoes, and strode forward. Behind him, Ikaros gave a polite bow and followed him inside.
"Over here, little Okabe, over here."
"Good morning, Brother Okabe."
"Good morning to you, too."
Watching Okabe walk over, Nakiri Leonora waved at him. Alice Nakiri, sitting beside her, also watched him with wide eyes. When she saw him come and sit next to her, a bright smile instantly bloomed on her face.
On the other side, Erina Nakiri saw this and felt a slight urge to move.
But then she remembered the rule her mother had taught her before they left.
Once seated, one should not change places lightly, lest they leave a bad impression on the teacher. So, she could only remain where she was, looking a bit glum.
"The day's plan is made in the morning. Today, we will explore how 'flavor' is constructed."
His gaze swept over the three young students before him as the old man began to speak slowly, his expression solemn.
"But before we begin, I imagine you all have some questions. Who am I? And what right do I have to stand here and teach you.
This old man is Liu Anqing, the former head chef of the Juxiang Restaurant in Sichuan. It has been more than ten years since my retirement. You may simply call me Grandpa Qing."
At this point, Liu Anqing smiled to himself, wondering how much of this self-introduction the three little ones could understand. He reckoned they would forget it completely by the next day.
However, the proper etiquette was essential.
This was the beginning of their tutelage, and more importantly, it was to let them know from whom they were learning.
"Juxiang Restaurant?!"
Hearing this name, Okabe, who had been a little drowsy from waking up early, was instantly energized.
"Could it be that this isn't just the world of Shokugeki no Soma, but also includes the timeline after Chuuka Ichiban!? Is the man before me a descendant of the Little Master Chef?"
Beneath his calm expression was a tempest raging in his mind.
Because this Juxiang Restaurant was none other than the starting point for everything for Liu Mao Xing, the protagonist of Chuuka Ichiban!.
If it were just a shared name, he would at most think it a coincidence.
But the location was Sichuan, and the old man before him called himself Liu Anqing, with the surname Liu. All signs pointed to this world being an extension of the world of Chuuka Ichiban!.
"Hello, Grandpa Qing." *3
Though his thoughts were racing, his expression remained unchanged as Okabe joined the two Nakiri sisters in their greeting.
"Hello to you too. The flavors of this world are numerous and complex. If meticulously categorized, there could be over a hundred. But from a broader perspective, they can be divided into five basic categories: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami.
If I explain too much at once, you won't be able to digest it. Therefore, today we will discuss the sweetness in cooking."
Hearing the address from the Nakiri sisters and Okabe, Liu Anqing nodded in satisfaction. He then began to introduce the five great flavors of cooking, and as he spoke, he moved to the cooking station set up at the front of the quiet chamber.
"Next, I will have you remember what sweetness is with your bodies."
A cleaver had appeared in Liu Anqing's hand at some point. Those present saw him flick his foot, and the pumpkin and sweet potatoes prepared on the floor flew into the air.
With a flash of silver light, the skins of the pumpkin and sweet potatoes fell away in unison, piling up into two small mountains of different colors.
At the same time, the peeled pumpkin and sweet potatoes landed steadily on the cooking station's surface.
"What incredible knife skills! To be able to peel oval ingredients like pumpkins and sweet potatoes in mid-air! What an astonishing technique!"
Watching Liu Anqing's fluid, graceful movements, a look of admiration couldn't help but appear in Okabe's eyes.
Besides him, Erina Nakiri's and Alice Nakiri's gazes were also captivated by his movements, their eyes sparkling with wonder as if they had discovered the most interesting toy in the world.
"Clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack..."
Liu Anqing's hand and knife moved as one, the blade flashing rapidly across the cutting board. The pumpkin and sweet potato, diced into uniform pieces, flew into the air as if summoned and landed in a steamer basket. The entire process took but a single breath!
The steamer was immediately placed on the stove over medium heat.
Having dealt with the pumpkin and sweet potatoes, Liu Anqing wasted no time, his gaze falling upon the pearl rice that had been soaking for two hours on the side.
He casually picked up a few grains. The rice, having absorbed plenty of water, crumbled with a slight press of his fingertip. Seeing this, a flicker of satisfaction crossed his face.
Soaking softens the internal starch structure of the rice grains. Without soaking, they can easily gelatinize during cooking, creating unpleasant, off-flavors. It also affects cooking time, texture, and even nutritional content.
He took a small pot, poured in the soaked rice along with the water, brought it to a boil over high heat, and then immediately turned it down to low.
During this time, Liu Anqing did not rest. He held a long spoon and patiently stirred the rice paste in the pot, both to prevent it from sticking and to ensure the grains cooked evenly, until every single one had bloomed and become as soft as mush.
This process continued for fifteen minutes, and a rich aroma of rice began to fill the air.
With a "poof," the stove flame was extinguished. Liu Anqing poured the cooked rice paste into a high-speed blender. He then uncovered the steamer, pierced the pumpkin and sweet potatoes easily with a chopstick to confirm they were cooked through, and added them to the blender as well. He also added pre-mixed milk powder and a few crucial drops of walnut oil, which contains unsaturated fatty acids that enrich the pudding's aroma.
The finished paste was poured out of the high-speed blender, left to cool naturally, then poured into molds and placed in the refrigerator to chill.
"Go on, try it. Golden Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Rice Pudding. There are no seasonings added, only the original, natural sweetness of the ingredients.
I'm going to take a walk outside. Class is dismissed for twenty minutes. Take this time to truly experience the sweetness of the pumpkin and sweet potatoes."
Taking the Golden Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Rice Puddings, which had been made a few hours in advance, from the refrigerator, he handed them to the people before him. Liu Anqing then left the quiet chamber with his tobacco pipe, thoughtfully sliding the door shut before he departed.
For this dish, he utilized the natural sweetness and umami of the pumpkin and sweet potatoes to create a rich, sweet flavor base. At the same time, through blending and cooking, he achieved the smooth, dense, and soft pudding texture that young children love.
It was a very pure form of baby food.
Of course, there was nothing stopping a 300-month-old baby from wanting to eat it too.
At that moment, Nakiri Mana and Nakiri Leonora looked at the rice pudding before them, their faces filled with desire. Without hesitation, they picked up their own portions.
The spoon plunged in.
They fiercely scooped up a corner and brought it to their mouths.
The next moment, a dazzling light flowed around Nakiri Mana's entire body.
Her clothes seemed to burst from within by an invisible force, and a blush like that of a young girl in love appeared on her face.
This power radiated outward from her, causing the nearby Nakiri Leonora to suffer the same fate.
At that moment, within a hundred-meter radius of the quiet chamber, a chain reaction occurred throughout the Nakiri household.
"Even after walking this far, I couldn't completely escape it? The Nakiri family's clothes-bursting curse, combined with the influence of the God's Tongue, has become truly terrifying."
Liu Anqing looked at his tattered and drooping clothes, a hint of helplessness flashing across his face, before returning to his room to change.
_____
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