"If the theme is tofu, Mapo Tofu is indeed a very impressive dish. It emphasizes the five flavors in one: numbing, spicy, fresh, fragrant, and hot. I know a chef who is excellent at making Mapo Tofu."
Eri Nai said softly. This was the understanding of Mapo Tofu among the Japanese. Kuga Terunori, as an Elite Ten member, often used Mapo Tofu in his challenges. Speaking of which, these two seemed quite similar.
"I'll make a few dishes for you to try tonight. See how the taste differs from your friend's."
Hoshino Sora naturally knew the friend Eri Nai was referring to, and he spoke with a smile.
"So these are all the ingredients, right? They should be delivered in half an hour. In the meantime, you can rest. I'm going back to my room. I'll bring you the ingredients later."
"Okay~"
Drawing out his reply, Hoshino Sora stayed in the kitchen and found paper and a pen to recall the sequence.
He had seen Mapo Tofu in Japanese culinary books and had tried making it, so he was quite familiar with the process. In a short while, the paper was filled.
However, to make the most authentic Mapo Tofu, he should go down the mountain tomorrow morning to find Master Mao. Speaking of which, he hadn't been down the mountain since the Autumn Elections.
Although he had asked for leave beforehand, he still felt a bit embarrassed. As an apprentice, he didn't often show up at his master's restaurant...
In any case, he would try making it tonight to familiarize himself with the process, and then ask his master for advice on improving the method tomorrow. This way, learning would be more efficient.
Hoshino Sora had his plan well-made. While waiting for the ingredients, he would cook some rice. Whatever else was in the house, there was plenty of rice.
Half an hour later, the necessary ingredients were delivered by Eri Nai. However, her expression was subtle. After handing over the ingredients, she left without saying a word, as if something had happened.
Cut the tofu into one-centimeter cubes, chop a piece of beef into mince, mince ginger and garlic, and chop green onions and garlic leaves into florets.
Chop dried chili, Erjingtiao chili, Bullet Head chili, and Bird's Eye chili...
Hoshino Sora skillfully operated in the kitchen. Although he had only made it once, he had previously organized his memories, so following the steps made it less likely to go wrong.
At some point, Eri Nai's figure appeared at the kitchen doorway.
"Numbing, spicy, fresh, fragrant, but lacking 'hot.' It's missing something."
Looking at the Mapo Tofu that had just been plated, Eri Nai spoke after just a sniff.
"Aren't you going to try it?"
"A dish of this level, a quick sniff is enough to tell. This is undoubtedly unqualified Mapo Tofu!"
"I'll make another pot."
The problem with 'hot' meant the heat wasn't right. It probably needed to be taken off the heat just as the pot was about to burn.
Hoshino Sora worked skillfully. In about ten minutes, he presented a new dish to Eri Nai. This time, she directly picked up a spoon and tasted the dish.
"Mm."
Gripping the table, she exhaled a puff of hot air. The first sensation on her tongue when it touched the tofu was heat. Through this heat, the numbing and spicy flavors also spread throughout her mouth.
Closing her eyes, she savored it. The tofu and minced meat turned into a warm current, flowing down her throat and reaching her taste buds. Eri Nai's face flushed slightly. The taste of Mapo Tofu was truly amazing!
Her body warmed up in just a moment.
"This time it's good, but it's still missing a little something."
"This isn't its complete form yet. I'm going to improve upon this base and add a 'crispness.'"
"Crispness?"
"That's right. Starting with the tofu, then the meat. You can see the difference between the two later."
Hoshino Sora spoke without resting. He quickly cut ingredients and started cooking again. Eri Nai watched him silently, but she understood the reason for his rapid progress.
Indeed, every chef who rises to prominence puts in endless effort behind the scenes.
A sense of relief suddenly filled her. Success brought about by immense effort was not so difficult to accept.
"Please try."
Operating two woks simultaneously, two portions of Mapo Tofu were served almost at the same time, with no compromise in quality.
This was the skill he had previously acquired, Silver Chopsticks Ten Pot Return. He had already practiced it to LV2, allowing him to simultaneously control five woks to cook different dishes.
He had used this cooking technique in the match against Yukihira Soma; otherwise, it would have been impossible to complete such a collection of dishes within two hours.
"This one tastes better. As for this one... if you fry the tofu until it's crispy, the tenderness of the tofu would be extremely weakened."
"You're right. I've never seen Mapo Tofu made by deep-frying the tofu to set its shape. So, it's the crispy meat, but... tender? It seems..."
Numbing comes from Sichuan peppercorns, spicy from dried chili and various other chilies, freshness from the fresh ingredients and vibrant color, fragrance from minced ginger and garlic, green onions, and garlic leaves, crispness from the beef, and tenderness from the tofu.
Wouldn't that be seven flavors in one? One more flavor than six, and one flavor is stronger than six!?
Hoshino Sora's face was filled with excitement. This was truly a new discovery. Speaking of which, *Chūka Ichiban!* was created by Japanese people, so it seemed quite normal that Japanese people might not fully understand Chinese cuisine.
Anyway, he'd ask Master Mao tomorrow.
Mao Jinyu's image appeared in his mind. That Sichuan Cuisine master, if it were him, he would surely be able to answer all his questions!
He searched online for all tutorials. Although there were Mapo Tofu tutorials, most were about the five flavors in one, not much different from what he made. Did 'tenderness' and 'crispness' not count? Or were these chefs who posted video tutorials simply holding back?
After all, this world treated gourmet food like his previous world treated martial arts, perhaps even more so. This meant that learning authentic gourmet food was not easy.
Which sect would make its secret techniques public?
"Did you think of something? You've been spacing out and occasionally chuckling to yourself since a moment ago..."
Looking at Hoshino Sora, who seemed slightly dazed, Eri Nai couldn't help but ask curiously.
"Thank you very much, but let's call it a day. I'll come back tomorrow afternoon to have you taste it."
"Are you leaving?"
Seeing Hoshino Sora packing his things to leave, Eri Nai suddenly asked with an awkward expression, clearly having something to say.
"What? You're reluctant to see me go?"
"Who's reluctant to see you go? It's just raining heavily outside, especially heavily. I personally suggest you stay for the night."
"Is it raining outside?"
"Here in the kitchen, to allow for focused cooking, I specifically added soundproof walls. It's normal for you not to hear outside sounds."
Hearing Hoshino Sora's confused words, Eri Nai said it as a matter of course. Chefs usually soundproof their kitchens to have a quiet environment for research.
"I see. In that case, I'll stay. I don't want to go back drenched like a drowned rat."
With such a large residence, it shouldn't be difficult to have a room for him. Hoshino Sora thought so and didn't refuse Eri Nai's kind offer.
"Then you can stay in the guest room."
"Let's play games tonight."
They spoke almost simultaneously, but about different things. Hoshino Sora said it as a matter of course, while Eri Nai pointed to the guest room outside.
"Eh?"
"Hmm?"
"What games can two people play?"
"Old Maid. Didn't you say last time that I was always lucky? After so long, according to the law of conservation of luck, a lucky person won't always be lucky, which means I no longer have the 'I only won because of luck' excuse.
Let's have a one-on-one showdown!"
"Since you put it that way, if I don't accept, it'll look like I'm afraid of you!"
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, Eri Nai pouted discontentedly. Why was this guy's tone so strange? She didn't think she would lose again! At least not so badly!
You know, after returning from the training camp, she had special training with Hisako, playing Old Maid almost every night. Now she was already an expert!
Just you wait, this time I'll make sure you lose everything, even your underwear!
"Then let's go straight to your room."
——————
The next day, Hoshino Sora woke up early. As soon as he sat up, he saw Eri Nai, who had collapsed from exhaustion the day before.
This girl's competitive spirit was really strong. It was just that she only won one out of every five games, and she never had a winning streak, even when he went easy on her. Was it really necessary to get so carried away and play until late at night?
And she fell asleep so defenselessly in front of him. Before sleeping, she didn't even think to find him a room to stay in, forcing him to make do on her bed for the night.
If she woke up first, she would definitely mistake him for a lecherous scoundrel! Although even if he were mistaken for one, it wouldn't matter, since Eri Nai had no strength left to resist.
However, she was quite cute when she wasn't talking.
Looking at Eri Nai sleeping peacefully, Hoshino Sora thought this. Her lips were red, her teeth white, her face delicate, and her golden hair reached her waist. From behind, she looked a bit like a foreigner, but her facial features were indeed Japanese.
Because he had Alice Nakiri as a comparison, Hoshino Sora understood this very well. Westerners had more delicate and prominent facial features, while Japanese people's features were relatively flatter.
This girl was quite cute, but her personality was a little bad. However, her true nature was not bad enough to be annoying.
After staring for a while, Hoshino Sora turned and left. However, what he didn't know was that two seconds after he left the room, Eri Nai suddenly opened her eyes.
Oh no, I accidentally slept in the same bed with a boy. I'm going to get pregnant, aren't I!?
Filled with a sense of crisis, she thought of the shojo manga she had recently read, where after the male and female protagonists spent a night in bed, the female protagonist began to worry if she was pregnant.
Afterward, she even went to the hospital for various check-ups...
With her hands on her stomach and biting her lower lip, worry appeared in Erina Nakiri's eyes. Why was Hoshino Sora not concerned about this at all?
Did he not know that sleeping together could lead to pregnancy?
Although she had only learned about this two days ago, she used to foolishly believe that babies were brought by fairies in a basket from the Island of Deliverance.
What to do! How did she accidentally fall asleep? A high school student with a child? She would be ridiculed...
Full of inner turmoil, Erina Nakiri quietly got out of bed, walked around the room for a long time with her hand covering her stomach, her steps slightly heavy. She wanted to ask Hoshino Sora what he was thinking and if he planned to keep the child.
However, for some reason, despite her great worry about this matter, she uncharacteristically felt no disgust, which scared her and made her wonder if she was abnormal.
Was this just an accident, a so-called one-night stand?
Arriving in the kitchen, Erina Nakiri did not see Hoshino Sora, feeling a sense of confusion. She then searched the house thoroughly, inside and out, but still couldn't find the person she was looking for.
Could it be that he didn't want to take responsibility, so he ran away?
"Ahhh, so annoying..."
Helpless, she returned to the kitchen, clutching her hair in frustration. It seemed there was a certain probability of not getting pregnant, but what if she really did?
Erina Nakiri didn't dare to think further and could only stay in the kitchen, feeling depressed.
It would be great if Hisako was here at this moment.
Hisako Arato's image appeared in her mind, and Erina Nakiri suddenly felt a bit wronged, so she lay on the table, tears flowing uncontrollably.
She was also human, not a truly perfect superhuman. When faced with such a situation, she would also panic and feel at a loss, especially when she was alone.
It felt like...
She had returned to her childhood.
On the other side, Hoshino Sora had already arrived at the foot of Far Moon Mountain, at the Sichuan Cuisine restaurant in the alley.
"Morning, Xiang Ling, where's Master Mao?"
Looking at Xiang Ling, who was sitting at the bar, seemingly lost in thought, Hoshino Sora greeted her as he entered the restaurant, then inquired about Mao Jinyu's whereabouts.
"Grandpa went back to China. This restaurant is temporarily entrusted to me."
"Huh? Master Mao went back to China? So suddenly?"
Hearing Xiang Ling's words, Hoshino Sora was first puzzled, then said with surprise, a hint of sadness in his eyes. Master Mao had left without saying goodbye...
"Did you finish your competition? Is there anything you need today?"
Putting down the rag, Hoshino Sora could clearly feel that Xiang Ling was not as energetic as usual.
"Just a small matter. I want to ask you how to make Mapo Tofu? How many flavors are there in total?"
"You've asked the right person for this. Among the Sichuan Cuisine dishes I've learned, I've made Mapo Tofu the most. The common version in the market usually has five flavors, but Mapo Tofu actually has eight authentic flavors, emphasizing the unity of all eight. Instead of talking so much, I'll show you."
Considering that Hoshino Sora was half a closed-door disciple of Mao Jinyu, Xiang Ling had no intention of hiding anything. She directly led him into the kitchen, found the ingredients for Mapo Tofu, and demonstrated on the spot.
"The so-called Mapo Tofu emphasizes eight flavors. The unity of these eight flavors is the true pinnacle. These are numbing, spicy, hot, fragrant, crispy, tender, fresh, and lively."
"First step, roast the Sichuan peppercorns. Roast them slowly over low heat. This is key for the numbing sensation."
Turning to Hoshino Sora, Xiang Ling extended her finger and slightly bowed. The Sichuan peppercorns in the pot were stirred back and forth with a spoon, and soon after, their fragrance wafted from the pot.
"After roasting, let them cool, then crush them with a rolling pin and sieve them."
"Take a piece of soft tofu, cut it into 1-centimeter cubes. Add salt to the pot and blanch the tofu. This removes the beany smell of the tofu, solidifies its protein, and makes it less likely to break after cooking. Don't move it while it's in the pot."
"During this time, we can prepare some ingredients. Mince the secret Pixian bean paste to enhance its aroma. Then wash the dried fermented black beans twice with water, soak them, and add them in to continue mincing."
"After that, cut some small ingredients..."
Xiang Ling's voice was soft. She spoke and demonstrated the actions simultaneously. Hoshino Sora listened very carefully, occasionally taking notes. It had to be said that Xiang Ling had truly mastered this dish.
It was practically a nanny-level instruction!
"That's roughly it. Did you learn it?"
"About eighty or ninety percent. I'll head back now. I'll come find you if I don't understand anything."
Time passed. After Hoshino Sora had learned all the steps, he immediately rushed back to Far Moon. He wanted to cook this dish for Erina Nakiri and then ask her what the difference was from yesterday's.
In terms of steps, Xiang Ling's method was definitely more detailed, and so was the taste. It could only be said that she was indeed a legitimate heir of Sichuan Cuisine!
"I'm home."
After giving a few instructions to the security guard at the gate, he entered the courtyard, then took out the key Erina had given him yesterday, opened the door, and naturally called out, "I'm home," as he opened it.
This was a habit he had formed over many years.
"What's wrong with you? Did you cry...?"
Looking at Erina Nakiri, who came towards him, her eyes held a mix of surprise, confusion, and a slight evasiveness. Most importantly, her eyes were a little red.
"How could that be!"
"Look at your red eyes. Did something happen? Tell me."
"It's all your fault!"
"How is it my fault? Explain in detail."
Hearing Erina Nakiri's words, Hoshino Sora felt a bit speechless but was too lazy to argue, so he directly asked for the reason.
"It's all because you didn't leave last night and slept in my bed for a whole night. According to the manga...
Seeing Hoshino Sora's indifferent expression, Erina Nakiri immediately became even more annoyed. At this moment, she had completely lost her usual tsundere demeanor, looking just like a bullied little girl.
She was incoherently recounting her grievances.
Listening to Erina Nakiri's words, Hoshino Sora was utterly bewildered, until she mentioned that two people sleeping together could lead to pregnancy, at which point he couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"What are you doing? At this point, you still have the heart to laugh. Hoshino-kun is indeed a terrible person."
Clenching her fists and stamping her foot, a hint of dissatisfaction appeared on Erina Nakiri's face. What was wrong with this guy? Did he not know he was about to become a father?
"Wait, let me calm down. Your Far Moon Academy Middle School, besides teaching cooking-related knowledge, didn't teach biology at all? This... makes one want to laugh."
"What do you mean?"
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, Erina Nakiri's face slightly cooled. She had thought he would take responsibility when he returned, but now it seemed he wanted to shirk it.
He had been laughing non-stop since earlier.
"Come with me. I'll give you a proper biology lesson."
Some misunderstandings needed to be resolved through teaching, Hoshino Sora thought to himself. Then he dragged Erina Nakiri into the room and gave her a vivid and engaging biology lesson.
It took a whole afternoon.
"So, do you understand? Boys and girls sleeping together will not lead to pregnancy."
"I know! You don't have to explain it so clearly!"
Upon learning the truth, Erina Nakiri said with a flushed face. On one hand, she was utterly embarrassed, and on the other, she was shocked by his explicit words.
"Isn't there a little idiot who is inexplicably telling me to take responsibility? Of course I can take responsibility, after all, we slept together!"
"Who wants you to take responsibility! Don't flatter yourself."
After learning that sleeping together couldn't lead to pregnancy, Erina Nakiri returned to her normal state. Although her face was flushed, that tsundere tone was indeed Erina herself.
"A mere greenhorn who hasn't even kissed, yet now she's worrying about getting pregnant."
Hoshino Sora didn't continue speaking, but his smiling eyes clearly conveyed his thoughts, which inexplicably annoyed Erina Nakiri.
"Who said I haven't kissed."
Erina Nakiri lied. Where would she have had the chance to kiss? But in this situation, she had to say it, otherwise, she would lose her momentum against Hoshino Sora.
"Oh, that's surprising. So, what did your first kiss feel like?"
Hoshino Sora could easily tell that Erina Nakiri was lying. This girl couldn't stop fidgeting with her clothes when she lied, yet she thought no one noticed.
In reality, all her actions were clearly seen by him. What an easy girl to read.
"Huh? Why should I tell you that? Such a private topic..."
It was impossible to articulate something she hadn't experienced. Erina Nakiri's expression was shy, her hands clutching her clothes, and her voice revealed a hint of stubbornness.
"Then, do you want to try it again? Just the two of us."
"What are you saying?! What do you mean 'just the two of us'? Are you being a pervert with me?"
Erina Nakiri's voice trembled slightly. Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, she subtly shrank her neck, swallowed, and her eyes were filled with wariness, though her heart seemed to be somewhat moved.
"It's just a kiss, it won't lead to pregnancy. And after saying so much, do you really feel nothing?"
"How could I! I'm not a monkey in heat."
This was a lie.
Being alone in a room with a boy for so long, and discussing all sorts of restricted adult topics, Erina Nakiri had already reacted, but was too embarrassed to say it directly.
Words can sometimes be very powerful.
Especially when dealing with a naive girl like her.
"Then let's try it a little. For my sake, it can also be a reward for being your secretary, you know."
Whether a girl was aroused or not, Hoshino Sora probably wouldn't have been able to tell before, but now, after so much experience, his proficiency in this area was quite high.
Of course, it was mainly because the other party's reactions were too obvious, that expression of clearly thinking, he just needed to be a little more assertive...
Their feelings had already been well-established, having gone through all sorts of things together. Hoshino Sora could tell that Erina Nakiri didn't dislike him.
But, waiting for things to develop naturally would take too long. Sometimes, you just needed to add a strong catalyst!
Kissing was the best catalyst at the moment.
-----------------------
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