"Give me ten skewers of those dumplings."
"Mm… and two servings of that pastry."
"Ten portions of grilled meat, to go."
"And two cups of clear tea."
After making a long circuit of the market, Mui finally returned home with her arms full of parcels—bags of ingredients and all sorts of snacks.
Well… mostly snacks.
"No spicy sticks? Tch. One star, terrible service."
Mui pouted as she glanced down at her haul.
Among the bags of treats and ingredients that would last her a week, there was also a hefty pile of supplies specifically meant for making spicy sticks.
[Spicy Stick Recipe: Unlock with 1 Corruption Point]
Ingredients:Tofu skins, oil, chili powder, chopped fresh chili paste, Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise, ginger, sugar, cooking wine, soy sauce (all in suitable amounts).
Method:
Marinate the tofu skins with salt and cooking wine for a short while.
Blanch the tofu skins in boiling water. Heat oil in a pan and fry the skins until golden, then remove.
In the same pan, stir-fry minced ginger until fragrant. Add chili paste, chili powder, peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise, and sugar, cooking until the aroma fills the air. Pour in soy sauce and a small bowl of water, then bring to a boil.
Return the tofu skins to the pan. Simmer until the flavors soak in. Remove from heat.
Slice the finished product and enjoy.
In her past life, spicy sticks had been Mui's absolute favorite snack. No matter what the news reported about the questionable production process, she had never cared.
But since arriving in this world… it had been years without tasting them. She was nearly going mad.
(Come on, come on—memorize this recipe! What if one day you get isekai'd somewhere without spicy sticks? I'm already memorizing it myself… —Author)
"Well then… guess I'll try making them myself from now on."
Sure, the taste might not measure up to store-bought ones, but still… spicy sticks were spicy sticks.
That said, Mui didn't rush to make them right away. After all, she'd gone without for so long—what difference would a little longer make?
Right now, she had more pressing concerns: the fresh snacks she'd bought would go cold if she didn't eat them soon. The grilled meat especially…
She plated the food, poured two cups of tea, and carried everything out to the backyard.
As expected, Kakashi was already up and training.
"Wow. So diligent."
"Hmph. Unlike you. Tell me… how long has it been since you last trained properly?"
"Uh… can't remember. My current mission is just refining chakra. I can't be bothered with anything else."
Kakashi once again found himself—he'd lost count how many times now—envying Mui's talent.
He knew he was considered a genius within the Hidden Leaf. That wasn't just self-flattery. His father had told him so himself. Even though he hadn't yet attended the ninja academy, and his chakra reserves hadn't reached genin standards, there weren't many genin who could match him.
Well… the ones without actual battlefield experience, anyway.
But Mui… she was different.
The first time they sparred, she fought like an ordinary person, clueless about combat. But the second time, she was already dodging and parrying attacks with some semblance of skill.
In just a handful of matches, she had not only copied all of Kakashi's techniques and strategies, but could even execute them better than he could.
That was true genius.
"By the way, when's your old man coming back?"
"Mm… soon. A few days ago, Father sent me a letter. If nothing goes wrong, the war should end within the week. With victory, of course—naturally, it'll be Konoha's."
For once, excitement lit up Kakashi's face.
"Oh… is that so…"
Mui nodded absently, as if the news was little more than small talk.