Eyes refocused as Elder Shen proudly fished out a single potato slice that had been buried deep beneath the pile of food they had tossed in earlier.
It had been sitting there for a while, soaking up the bubbling red broth, and now, as steam curled from it, the humble potato gleamed like a jewel.
Elder Shen blew on it carefully and popped it into his mouth.
And then he froze.
Potatoes—yes, he had eaten them many times before. Roasted, mashed, even stewed. But this? This was something else entirely. Spicy, soft, bursting with flavor, the heat and richness of the broth had transformed the ordinary into the divine.
His eyes rolled slightly, his shoulders sagged, and for one delirious moment, Elder Shen looked as if he was about to ascend once again.
"Elder Shen!" cried one of the other elders.
"Unforgivable! I was the one who put that potato in!"
"Nonsense, it was me!"
"How dare you steal what was rightfully mine!"
