Dao of Cooking

The crowd waited expectantly around the table, more than a few eager faces — just like at a special family dinner. Lei felt like more than just a cook as he looked at them. He had his staff tidying up the kitchen while he welcomed the old couple into the house. They knew the place well enough to find their way to the table, but Lei wanted to give them that deluxe treatment.

This was, after all, a business dinner.

He glanced at Zhu Luli. As planned, she had already started warming up the old couple with her charming voice. Master Li and Granny Xu knew her as a wandering cultivator with a special interest in spiritual food. They weren’t wrong, but Zhu Luli was also a member of one of the greatest clans in the Empire. Her knowledge of the cultivation world was crucial, and she was showing the pair that not all cultivators were evil.

Mortals feared the cultivators for good reason. Who wouldn’t? A Qi Condensation expert could, by mistake, blow up a whole house. They were monsters in human skin, flying on spiritual swords across the skies, commanding the winds and the elements with a flick of their wrist. They had their own truths. Theirs was a different world.

Master Li had been right when he said they would be crushed under the toes of giants if they stepped into that city. Cultivator clans, he’d said, were a terrible bunch that could suck the soul out of a man just by being there. Always demanding, always ordering around the lessers, as if gaining strength made them a higher form of existence than ordinary humans.

Lei planned to change that.

He couldn’t hide his talents forever. Somehow, it felt wrong to keep living like this. His gaze strayed toward the kids, laughing and joking around the table. He had people depending on him. More than that, though, he wanted more from this life.

The restaurant would be his first step toward that goal. He would have a chance to witness the habits of these cultivators firsthand. If he could make this work, then they wouldn’t have to remain refugees once they reached Lanzhou. No, he would have a reputation to work with in that city of cultivators.

There’s always a bigger fish. Always the next mountain to climb. If I want to do something about it, I have to take certain risks.

A pat on his back. Lei turned and glanced down at Little Jiao, who had a serious expression on her face. She nodded once, then bolted back to the kitchen, gesturing for the other kids to get in line.

“We shall begin!” Lei announced, clapping his hands. A few heads turned his way, with Granny Xu taking a long, silent glance at him. Her wrinkles seemed a tad deeper today, her smile a little stiff. She carried herself with such weight that Lei understood he’d be serving the Ironlady today, not the sweet old woman who couldn’t stop smiling around the kids.

We can do this.

The plates were lined up over the counter, the steaks well-rested, and the spaghetti steaming hot. The brownish crust on the meats was cooked to perfection. The knife sang a crisp song as Lei checked the steaks one last time.

[Rosy Steak: Mortal Grade, Low-Quality dish]: (A dish prepared by the hands of an experienced chef, carrying a hint of spirituality inside.)

Lei had spent good money on these, so he was eager to get his money’s worth. He snapped his fingers and called the boys for serving. Little Yunru and Little Chuanli stepped forward, looking up at him with rapt attention. Lei gave them a nod before turning and calling for the other two.

“It was a good session,” he said as the boys approached the plates, with the girls leaning closer to him. “I’m proud of you. Today, we worked with passion, and for that, you’ve earned my respect. That alone is enough.”

The girls smiled, and the boys seemed to stand a little taller. Good. You have to trust the work you’ve put in. That was the key here: confidence. He let them keep their stained aprons on for dinner instead of changing into new clothes, to show the old couple that this wasn’t just a selfish act.

This had been a team effort.

The serving began. Lei stood, arms crossed over his chest, watching as the boys placed the plates before the guests. He arched an eyebrow when Stone reached for the knife. He muttered a silent ‘Wait’ to him before shaking his head at the other kids. Little brats. It was hard to contain this bunch once you saw the glint in their eyes.

When everything was set, Lei eased into his seat near Granny Xu. He could see the silent question in the woman’s gaze, so he started with the pasta.

“Aunt Xu, do you remember the dish I cooked for you when you gave me a chance?” he asked.

Granny Xu nodded. Lei had made ditalini pasta for her when he applied for the chef position at her restaurant. It was, by all means, a novel dish by Jiangzhen standards, which Lei thought would win him the job in no time.

But Granny Xu had been sure of herself when she said nobody would pay for such a dish. It wasn’t about the taste, she told him, it just looked… strange. Her regulars didn’t want something new. They were happy with their usual orders: fried rice mixed with eggs, thin-strip noodles with pork on the side, cooked in a soy and sesame oil-rich soup.

She also made a mean mapo tofu, one of her specialties, and of course, Kung Pao chicken served over rice. She liked her spices, but the diversity wasn’t there. To Lei, she was playing it too safe to get to that next level, though he didn’t blame her.

But she never gave me a second chance. I could’ve cooked those dishes just as well.

Thankfully, she now knew Lei’s so-called strange dishes had been a hit at his stall, drawing dozens of people. Sure, Fatty Lou’s marketing campaign had helped, but people still liked his food.

“This one looks familiar,” she said, preferring chopsticks over the fork and knife placed near her plate. Lei smiled with relief, as they had pre-sliced the steaks before serving, but his heart sank when Granny Xu shook her head. “Noodles? Is this how you’ll convince me to give you my restaurant?”

Lei took a deep breath, feeling multiple gazes on him. He remained calm as he explained, “It looks similar to noodles, but we made this from a different dough. We used cottonseed oil mixed with eggs to get that soft texture. But the real magic is in the sauce, Aunt Xu. The sauce is where you’ll find the true flavor.”

Granny Xu looked doubtful, leaning back and whispering something to Master Li. That was when Lei gave the signal to Fatty Lou. His brother-in-arms knocked on the table twice with his fork, then leaned in and took a mouthful of the spaghetti.

The dinner table erupted into motion as the kids attacked the pasta. Forks and chopsticks flashed, the spaghetti slurping as the little devils devoured their portions. They were covered in sauce, careless about it getting into their eyes or hair, as if the red madness of the spaghetti had somehow possessed their souls.

Master Li and Granny Xu were taken aback, watching with wide eyes as the kids gobbled up the long strips of pasta.

That was Lei’s cue.

“The sauce,” he said, smiling confidently. “That’s the key here. And as you can see, they haven’t even touched the steaks yet.”

“Granny, it is delicious!” Little Jiao chimed in from beside Master Li, her eyes glinting brightly as she wiped her cheek with one hand. She then licked the sauce from her fingers before smacking her lips loudly. “Heavenly!”

“Garlic, tomato, basil,” Lei said from the side, winking at Little Jiao. She smiled mischievously before returning to her plate. “We let the sauce simmer for four hours to get that thick consistency and bring out the flavors. I would’ve used some cheese but couldn’t find the right one. You’ll find it surprisingly refreshing and filling at the same time.”

Lei had thought of going with the classic spaghetti and meatballs combo, but the Roseroot juice was a difficult ingredient to handle. He wouldn’t have been able to get the meatballs to absorb all the juice, which is why he chose the steaks instead.

“Mmmmm!” came another voice, making Granny Xu and Master Li glance at Little Mei. She was eating the spaghetti with chopsticks in one hand while feeding Little Yao and the black cat with the other. The trio looked ridiculous, but the blissful smiles on their faces as they devoured the food were so genuine that even Lei couldn’t help but gulp loudly.

“It’s like silk,” said Stone, licking his lips. “But you can eat it. Silk that you can eat. Have you ever heard of such a thing, Brother Snake?”

“Mm,” Snake said, taking a big piece of steak and stuffing it into his mouth. Juice dripped down his chin. “Big Brother Lei’s pasta is good as always, but this meat… too tender!”

Finally, Master Li gave in to temptation and started with the pasta. The sauce painted his lips red as he slurped the pasta swiftly with his chopsticks. He was tentative at first, like a deer eyeing a serene pond to see if it was really safe. Slowly, his eyes widened, and he reached for one of the pinkish stalks on his plate.

The crunch of Master Li’s first bite echoed in Lei’s ears as expectation bubbled within him. The spiritual energy… Lei waited, knowing how tasty those stalks were. He oddly likened them to pretzels with a hint of mustard sprinkled over them.

“W-What is this?” Master Li jerked back in his chair, raising one hand to his mouth as he chewed on the stalk. “Feels like wind in my mouth… but how? Little Lei, what have you done?”

The menthol taste of the spiritual energy.

Lei nodded knowingly. He remembered the first time he’d tasted that airy feeling around his throat. It was like an alien spice he didn’t know existed, yet it gave the food a whole new layer of flavor. It boosted the other flavors as well, complementing them with a masterful touch.

That must be why cultivators always preferred spiritual food. No wonder even the regular Spirit Chefs were popular. This wasn’t just about getting stronger by eating certain dishes. This was a special treat, a boon reserved for cultivators and those with means.

“Old Li, are you sure?” Granny Xu’s voice still carried doubt, but she seemed hesitant in the face of what she saw. Everyone, even Master Li, was too taken by the dishes to spare a moment for conversation. They were afraid. Afraid that the food would be taken from them.

A single nod from Master Li erased the last of Granny Xu’s worries. She took her chopsticks and dipped them into the swirling strips of spaghetti. She started with just one, feeling the warm pasta against her tongue. Lei smiled, leaning back in his chair. He hadn’t even taken a single bite, but watching people enjoy his dishes made him feel full.

“Ah!” Granny Xu exclaimed, gulping down the pasta. She picked up one of the Roseroot stalks. It crunched in her mouth. “Oh!” She visibly shivered, eyeing the steak next. “Oho!” She smacked a hand on the wooden table as a piece of meat dissolved in her mouth.

Lei felt a spike of fear drilling through his scalp when he saw the old pair muttering to themselves. Intoxicated. Mesmerized. Taken… Storms! Had he put too much spirituality into those dishes? But he hadn’t even made the spaghetti spiritual; he’d just poured some juice over the steaks. And the stalks were just stalks, grilled without any extra steps. He hadn’t used the skill on them!

“What do we do?” Fatty Lou’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. His brother-in-arms, as experienced as he was, had already moved behind him, gazing nervously at the old couple. “What if they see… those things?”

Lei remembered the blonde princess on the wall, beckoning him from beyond the wooden planks. How beautiful she was, except for the fact that she was actually Fatty Lou, and they had shared a warm hug under the night sky, all alone after a good meal. He’d been thankful that episode ended with just a hug.

But what if Master Li and Granny Xu experienced something similar? What if their episode didn’t end with a simple hug?

“Aunt Xu, if you’re not feeling well—”

“Well?” Granny Xu slapped her knee with one hand, barking out a laugh that shook the table and chairs. “Well?!” she muttered, shaking her head. “I have never felt more alive!”

“Mm!” Master Li reached out and pulled her closer to his chest. “I can feel life coursing through these old veins of mine again! I remember this feeling. Just like when we were young, eh, Old Xu?”

“Young…” Granny Xu mumbled, a distant look in her eyes. “How handsome you were. I begged for you to work with me in the restaurant, yet you insisted on opening that bakery. Bah! A stubborn goat, but that’s why I loved you. That passion, those stubborn eyes… I could never say no to you, but you were different.”

Master Li sighed deeply. “Times were different, Old Xu. I wasn’t worthy of you, and your father made sure I knew that. He drilled into me that I couldn’t be with his precious daughter, that I was just a poor fool, a dreamer trying to grasp clouds with his hands. Then I met Xie Zhu. She filled the hole in my heart, yet I failed her. I—”

“I know,” Granny Xu said, placing a hand on Master Li’s thigh. Lei felt as though he were peering into their youth, two lovers separated by fate. And now, after all these years, they had found each other again. “We spent years with the lost ones, gave them our time. We let the memories cloud our hearts, Old Li, but what of the living? What of our pains? Better to live with guilt than die with shame. They will understand.”

“Life moves on,” Master Li nodded deeply.

“We deserve a second chance, eh?” Granny Xu said after a moment, her eyes melting into Master Li’s. “We have but a few years left in this world. Might as well do some good for ourselves.”

A deep silence settled around the table as the old pair embraced. The kids stood silent, gazing curiously at them. Lei felt a sudden warmth inside his heart. It felt right seeing them like this, even though he was unaware of their past pains.

“Little Lei,” Granny Xu said, wiping tears from under her eyes. She pulled out a long, bronze key and gently placed it on the table. “It’s rare to find a dish that speaks to the heart, and even rarer to find such a fine young man who cares. Take the restaurant. Do what you must. You have my blessing.”

“I—” Lei sputtered. Seeing the Ironlady shedding tears in front of him made his breath catch in his chest. “I will do my best, Aunt Xu. You won’t be disappointed.”

Granny Xu shook her head with a small smile. “Don’t lose that heart of yours. I ask for nothing more.”

Lei nodded deeply, though he was sure he didn’t fully understand her words. But he didn’t have time to ponder more, as the kids bolted toward him and wrapped him in a tight hug.

“Big Brother Lei, you’ve done it!”

“Big Brother Lei, we’ll have a restaurant!”

“I’ll never stop eating your dishes!”

Lei let them pull him to the ground, covering him in sauce and kisses. Though they were heavy, and though they got him all sauced up, he let them be.

He was happy. He couldn’t get enough of this feeling.