"Mr. Xia... um..."
Miss Yun Jin sat on the small bed, looking at Xia Zhi with her lips slightly pursed, her words hesitant.
"What is it?"
"Um... actually... about that sunsettia soup you made for everyone yesterday..."
"Miss Yun Jin, are you also interested in that soup that can make one's figure perfect?"
"Yes!"
"Do you want to try it too?"
"I do!"
Miss Yun Jin's eyes sparkled.
Such a magical soup, what woman wouldn't want to try it?
Xia Zhi smiled and walked over, placing his hands on her shoulders and gently guiding her to lie down on the bed.
Miss Yun Jin complied obediently, but her gaze remained fixed on him, filled with anticipation.
"Actually, Miss Yanfei and Miss Ningguang just asked me the same question."
"Mr. Xia, then..."
"Ah, I can't resist you all. I'll go make it for you later."
"Thank you, Mr. Xia!"
"No problem."
---
Miss Keqing arrived.
Compared to Yun Jin, she was more composed.
She was one of the Qixing, after all.
She waited until the massage was nearly over before "casually" bringing up the sunsettia soup.
Thus, Xia Zhi repeated his promise once again.
Miss Keqing thanked him and left.
Xia Zhi shook his head with a chuckle.
He had already given the [Cotton Candy Sunsettia] seeds to his cousin to plant in the Serenitea Pot. However, like the [Rainbow Fruit], it would take some time for them to grow and be harvested.
So, if he wanted to make the soup now, he would have to spend another 150 points in the [Shop] to buy the finished product.
But this could also be considered an investment, not necessarily a loss.
Moreover, if their figures became perfect, his massage sessions would feel even better...
--
After lunch, Xiangling didn't rest but instead continued experimenting with instant noodles in the kitchen.
Today, Ningguang had brought two sizes of paper cups and bowls from the paper factory.
The paper cups were for juice, and the paper bowls were for the instant noodles.
Xiangling placed the prepared noodles into the paper bowls, then sealed them with oiled paper.
Thus, Teyvat's first cup of instant noodles was born.
Xiangling held up her creation and called out, "Does anyone want to try?"
The girls, who had already eaten instant noodles all day yesterday, shook their heads, excusing themselves, "We just had lunch; we can't eat anymore right now."
In the end, it was the two Adepti who stepped forward, willing to give it a try.
They peeled off the paper lid, poured in hot water, and waited for three minutes.
"Master Mountain Shaper, Master Moon Carver, how does it taste?"
Master Mountain Shaper took a bite of the noodles and nodded, "Much better than the noodles Ping makes."
Master Moon Carver took a sip of the soup and shook his head, "But the soup is a bit bland."
"The soup..."
Xiangling looked troubled.
She was aware of this issue, but since the noodles needed to be stored long-term, the noodles had to remain dry, making it impossible to include soup in the bowl.
"I'll think of a way to fix it."
"Hmm."
The two Adepti slowly ate their noodles.
It wasn't that they didn't want to eat, but they were just too full.
When Xia Zhi came out from the back hall to check on his disciple's progress.
"Xiangling, how are the noodles coming?"
"Almost done, but the soup..."
"The soup isn't a big deal."
Xia Zhi prepared another cup of noodles.
Xia Zhi took a sip and nodded.
"This is good enough."
"Is it? But without the soup, I feel like the noodles are missing something..."
"As long as you can have something warm to eat in the wild, that's enough for now. Focus on perfecting the noodles first; you can improve the flavor later."
"Okay."
Seeing Xiangling still looking conflicted, Xia Zhi said, "Since you're still worried about the soup, I'll assign you another task."
"Master?"
"Next, I want you to research how to make canned food."
"Canned food?"
"Basically, it's food sealed in metal cans, so even soups and liquids can be preserved for a long time without spoiling. When eating the noodles, you can heat up the canned soup to make a rich and flavorful bowl of noodles."
"!"
"Don't worry about the canning technology; I'll handle that."
"Thank you, Master!"
Xiangling's face lit up with renewed energy.
The two Adepti, who had been listening in, swallowed their noodles and exchanged glances, silently communicating.
Canned food!
We want to try that!
If we had canned food made by Mr. Xia, wouldn't we be able to enjoy delicious meals even when he's not in Liyue?
Such a good thing should be made as soon as possible!
"Ahem... Mr. Xia."
"Mountain Shaper?"
"After hearing you talk about canned food, I became quite interested. Since we also know a bit about metallurgy, could we discuss this further?"
"Of course."
Xiangling went out to find Miss Ningguang and handed over the recipe she had developed over the past two days. Looking back at the pile of instant noodles in the kitchen, she felt a bit worried.
It seems like no one really likes them anymore, and even Guoba's tastes have been spoiled by Master...
Just then, Xiangling's gaze fell on Miss Yelan.
That's right!
Isn't Miss Yelan heading to The Chasm tomorrow?
That place is desolate, and with all the rocks underground, there's not much to eat except for some dry rations.
In that case, why not have them take these instant noodles with them?
Xiangling walked over with a smile and made the suggestion to Miss Yelan.
Yelan thought it was a good idea and thanked her.
She followed Xiangling to the kitchen, where she saw Xia Zhi and the two Adepti deep in conversation. She greeted them.
Xia Zhi noticed Yelan storing the instant noodles in her spatial device and asked, "Are you planning to take them for the journey?"
Yelan smiled, "Yes."
Xia Zhi pondered, "Eating only instant noodles for days isn't good for your health."
Xiao, being an adeptus, wouldn't mind, but Yelan and Yanfei were his people; their meals couldn't be so casual.
Yelan waved her hand, "It's fine. Having hot noodles is already good. I used to only eat dry buns and water on missions..."
Xia Zhi shook his head, "That was then, but now it's different... I'll make some dishes for you."
"But the dishes..."
"It's fine. I'll make some sauces. Since it's still cold, they should keep for a while."
"Oh, thank you, Mr. Xia."
"Xiangling, come help me chop the vegetables."
"Okay!"
Yelan watched Xia Zhi walk toward the stove, her eyes filled with warmth.
My husband still cares about me.
Soon, the sizzling sounds of cooking filled the kitchen.
The rich, enticing aroma wafted from the pot.
The two Adepti smelled the aroma, swallowed their saliva, and their noodle-eating speed unconsciously quickened.
The sauce Xia Zhi was making was a mushroom and meat sauce, similar to the "Lao Gan Die" he had given to Keqing before. It was made with exquisite ingredients, soaked in oil, and enhanced with [Melk Stardust].
Adding just a spoonful of this sauce would instantly transform the bland noodle soup into a rich and flavorful meal.
Xiangling placed the sauce into jars and said, "We can have Shenhe draw a talisman to seal them."
Mountain Shaper quickly interjected, "No need to trouble her, I can do it."
"Then thank you, Lord Mountain Shaper."
"You're welcome!"
Mountain Shaper took out his long-unused talisman to seal them."
Mountain Shaper quickly offered, "No need to trouble Miss Shenhe; I can do it."
"Then I'll trouble Lord Mountain Shaper."
"Not at all!"
Mountain Shaper took out his long-unused talisman tools.
Xia Zhi thought for a moment and decided to use the [Dragon-Turning Pot] to pickle some more vegetables.
Xiangling walked over to watch Mountain Shaper draw the talisman, then noticed the noodle bowl in Master Moon Carver's hands.
"Master Moon Carver, haven't you finished your noodles yet? There's more sauce in the pot; if the broth is bland, you can add some."
"Okay."
Moon Carver obediently added a spoonful.
He mixed it and took another bite.
Holy!
This tastes completely different from the previous bowl...
Moon Carver glanced at Xiangling.
She still had a long way to go.
Xia Zhi placed the vegetables into the [Dragon-Turning Pot], and they were instantly pickled.
This type of pickled vegetables could also be stored for a long time.
He also pickled a jar of salted duck eggs and preserved eggs.
"You can bring some rice. If eating instant noodles feels too greasy in the morning, you can cook some porridge and add a couple of preserved eggs..."
"Okay, okay."
Yelan listened to Xia Zhi's instructions, her eyes smiling.
It felt nice to be taken care of like this.
The pickled vegetables exuded a tangy aroma. Moon Carver tore his gaze away from the pickles and glanced at the sauce in Mountain Shaper's hands.
With such treatment, he suddenly felt the urge to join them on their journey...
After finishing all this, Xia Zhi thought about making the "Sunsettia Soup" he had made yesterday.
He bought another [Cotton Candy Sunsettia] from the [Shop] and used the [Eternal Spirit Knife] to cut it open, extracting the milky white pulp.
He simmered it over a low flame.
This time, he changed the recipe slightly, adding ingredients to aid digestion.
It wasn't the thick soup from yesterday but more like a light, refreshing dessert soup.
After finishing, he served it to everyone.
Once again, it received unanimous praise.