In the kitchen, Chen Muxue was unaware that the original owner's cooking skills were so poor that the children complained about them. She just glanced at the available seasonings in the kitchen and felt a bit surprised.
Unexpectedly, this ancient fictional world is quite good; even chili peppers are available, and apart from the absence of MSG, the condiments are quite complete. It's probably thanks to everyone's ability to cultivate, making overseas places not too difficult to access.
To think the original owner had such complete condiments, their cooking skills shouldn't be too bad!
After searching for a while without finding oil, Chen Qin opened the large jar next to him where things were stored, and a chill rushed to his face.
Upon closer inspection, he found that the interior of the jar was embedded with a large ice-blue gem, and Chen Muxue guessed it was some kind of Immortal Stone that could transform a regular jar into a refrigerator.
Inside the huge jar, there was only a pitiful bag of white flour and a small piece of fatty meat.
Chen Muxue sighed and took out the fatty meat, carefully cutting off the layer of pork skin, afraid of accidentally cutting off a bit of meat.
The rice in the earthenware pot was almost steamed, just needed to simmer for a little while longer. Due to the lack of oil, Chen Muxue added just a little bit of water to the iron pan to simmer the fatty meat, to prevent burning.
The downside of adding water is that when the oil is simmered out, the scene tends to be somewhat "explosive."
As the sizzling sound subsided and the oil stopped splattering, a tempting aroma of cooked meat filled the air.
At this moment, Xiaohua arrived at the kitchen door and smelled the fragrance of meat, feeling a bit incredulous.
Lately, the Sect Leader hasn't bought any meat, and besides...
Xiaohua recalled eating boiled fatty meat in plain water before and couldn't help but pause.
Chen Muxue poured out the excess oil to save for later, estimating it could be used to fry dishes two or three times more. She'd have to buy some lard to simmer later.
As for the pitifully small amount of leftover oil residue, it was all placed in the pot, likely not enough for the kids to eat.
Being a cultivator, Chen Muxue hadn't reached the level of fasting or hadn't specifically practiced fasting. She would feel hungry, but eating a little less wouldn't affect her much, so she didn't look as haggard as the children.
Garlic and bright red chili were thrown into the pan, with a "sizzle," a slightly spicy aroma instantly spread. It was springtime, when wild vegetables were at their tenderest, and they didn't need blanching—just stir-frying would make them delicious.
The fragrance of meat and wild vegetables intertwined, and only a little salt was needed for them to be very tasty. The dishes stir-fried in the large iron pan were particularly aromatic, and Xiaohua, poking her head in at the door, was already drooling at the smell.
Although Xiaohua was young, she had some memories from when she was taken away. The food at home was considered delicious, but it tended to be bland, and she had never smelled such a fragrance as what the Sect Leader had cooked today.
The dish was plated, with golden crispy oil residues and one or two bright red chili segments adorning the vibrant green wild vegetables, and Chen Muxue nodded in satisfaction.
She had been a highly praised private chef, and unexpectedly, after traveling through time, she still got to use her skills.
"Achoo!"
Upon hearing the sneeze, Chen Muxue saw Xiaohua at the doorway and brought the dish over, smiling, "Xiaohua, hungry, aren't you? It's time to eat."
Xiaohua looked at the dish in Chen Muxue's hand and swallowed, not forgetting her original purpose for coming. She reached out and pulled out the red string from around her neck, revealing a Jade Pendant that exploded into a brilliant display of light upon seeing daylight!
Chen Muxue was suddenly taken aback and quickly put down the dish, rushing forward to cover the Jade Pendant, only to feel a gentle and abundant flow of Spiritual Energy coursing through her palms.
"Sect Leader, selling this could buy lots of buns..." Xiaohua didn't understand why Chen Muxue was so flustered, "Mother said before she fell asleep that this is extremely, extremely precious. Xiaohua knows, precious things can be exchanged for lots and lots of money!"
Chen Muxue was a bit helpless, "Did your mother ever say that such a precious thing must be kept safe and never lost?"
After thinking for a while, Xiaohua frowned, "I didn't hear clearly; mother fell asleep and everyone was so noisy and chaotic. Xiaohua was carried away, and then went to sleep too."
Chen Muxue paused, it seemed Xiaohua did have some background. She speculated that Xiaohua's mother's 'falling asleep' might mean she had passed away.
It seemed Xiaohua's kidnapping involved sordid affairs within a big family...
In the book, Xiaohua was just an insignificant supporting female character, only noteworthy because she had a connection to the major villain, Chen Muxue, and sought revenge on her. Her background was not elaborated in the book.
Chen Muxue frowned; even she could sense that the Jade Pendant was no ordinary item, keeping it with Xiaohua was indeed quite dangerous.
"Xiaohua dear, let the Sect Leader keep this safe for you. When you've grown up, I'll return it to you, alright?" Chen Muxue said, reaching to take the Jade Pendant.
However, the red string seemed to be no ordinary object. When it discerned Chen Muxue's intention, a strong sense of intimidation emanated from it.
Xiaohua nodded and removed the Jade Pendant herself.
Chen Muxue's eyes gleamed as the red string's threat disappeared the moment Xiaohua acted independently.
"Alright, let's go eat," Chen Muxue said, taking the Jade Pendant and placing it against her chest, considering that there might be some Magic Treasure within the sect for storing items. She planned to find a place to put it later.
In the dining hall, Dagui sniffed, "Do you smell something really good?"
Xiaohu's stomach grumbled defiantly, and his face turned slightly red, "Seems like there's a hint of meat smell..."
"But even if Sect Leader cooks meat..." Dagui's interest quickly faded as he recalled the meat Sect Leader had prepared before.
They had tasted good meat too, like when the Sect Leader would bring meat buns from the town. Before Dafu and Dagui were sold, their family had meat during New Year celebrations, so they knew meat could be delicious.
But the boiled meat in plain water the Sect Leader made before...
Just as the little ones were feeling anxious, Chen Muxue came in, holding a dish in one hand and the earthenware pot in the other, with Xiaohua carrying bowls and chopsticks, looking very happy.
The Sect Leader had even given Xiaohua a piece of crispy oil residue earlier! Although it was spicy, it was very fragrant, and Xiaohua was happy.
The other three little ones widened their eyes when they saw the dish in Chen Qin's hand, was this made by the Sect Leader?!
How was it made? Not only did the aroma wafting over seem enticing, but it was also oily, which stimulated hunger just by looking at it!
The three little ones' stomachs began growling involuntarily.
Even when the dish was placed in the middle of the table, the three little ones were still in disbelief.
"Why'd you pinch me?" Dafu suddenly slapped Dagui.
"Hehe... I just wanted to see if I was dreaming..."
Xiaohu was the most surprised; he had grown up with the Sect Leader, and had gotten used to eating boiled dishes. Now suddenly seeing a stir-fried dish was somewhat unrecognizable.