Chapter 17: Tasted, Pregnant

Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Tasted, Pregnant

The next day, Lu Wu purchased a much larger quantity of ingredients.

Her business was getting better and better. Even with a limit of two buns per person, she couldn’t keep up with demand.

The main issue was the many diners who came from out of town. Lu Wu couldn’t bear to let them make the trip for nothing, so she could only work herself a little harder.

After getting to know her suppliers, she arranged for them to deliver directly to her door, so Lu Wu no longer had to go out herself.

The courtyard was piled high with ingredients waiting to be processed. As usual, she began her slow and steady prep work.

The gate to Lu Wu’s small courtyard was shut tight, while inside, the house was a hive of activity.

Lu Wu added water to a large basin of flour, mixing it with a perfectly judged ratio. Once the soft dough came together, its surface was smooth. When pressed, it left a dent that quickly sprang back.

Proofing dough was easy here. Placing a Spirit Stone under the basin maintained a constant temperature, saving both time and effort.

’Cultivation really does change your life.’

Today, Lu Wu was changing up her recipes. The first was a beef and cellophane noodle bun.

The pre-soaked cellophane noodles were springy to the touch. She chopped them into small pieces. Besides scallions and ginger, she also used shiitake mushrooms to enhance the umami flavor.

She diced a large piece of beef into small cubes. The bright red meat sizzled as it hit the hot oil in the wok, and after it changed color, she added various seasonings. The aroma was absolutely mouthwatering.

Then, she added the cellophane noodles. The translucent strands soaked up the color of the sauce, becoming flavorful and utterly appetizing.

As for the crab roe, Lu Wu decided to make soup dumplings.

Compared to ordinary buns, the technique was far more complex.

The most crucial component was the aspic.

Lu Wu lifted a large piece of pork skin from the water. After soaking it in hot water, she scraped the skin clean of any bristles.

Lu Wu patted the slippery surface of the pork skin before placing it in a pot.

Cooking wine, salt, star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, bay leaves, and cassia bark—none could be omitted. She added water and let it simmer on low heat until the skin was meltingly tender.

Waves of intoxicating fragrance filled the air as it cooked.

When she lifted the lid, after skimming the foam from the surface, the remaining broth was thick, milky-white, and incredibly fragrant.

With a gentle poke of a spatula, the pork skin practically dissolved into the broth.

Lu Wu sealed the broth and used a Spirit Stone to cool it rapidly. The resulting aspic, at a single glance, was translucent and glistening.

She picked out the crab roe and meat, and the prepared pork was ground into a fine paste.

This time, the filling didn’t need to be cooked beforehand. She mixed the pork paste, aspic, and seasonings together directly.

The constant clockwise stirring was strenuous work, and Lu Wu’s shoulders began to ache.

By the time she finished, she checked the time and saw it was already noon.

She was so hungry she was nearly out of energy, so Lu Wu decided not to change the recipes for the other two fillings.

The dough had also finished proofing. Lu Wu decided to have soup dumplings for lunch.

She rolled the dough into a long log, pinched off small, individual portions, and rolled each one out into a thin wrapper.

The filling was tightly enveloped in the thin wrapper, and she used her fingers to pinch delicate pleats at the top.

When soup dumplings are steamed, the aspic melts and can easily leak out, so Lu Wu was careful not to overfill them.

The water in the steamer was already boiling. Lu Wu placed the prepared soup dumplings inside.

She didn’t have to wait long. After about fifteen minutes, the skins of the dumplings in the steamer began to turn translucent, and she could see the filling gently jiggling inside.

They were perfectly cooked.

As soon as she lifted the steamer lid, a fragrant aroma rushed out to greet her.

Lu Wu took a deep breath, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

Her One World Communication device beeped a few times. It was a message from Uncle Li. A quick look revealed he wanted to come over for a visit.

Needless to say, the aroma had reeled Uncle Li in again.

She couldn’t help but chuckle as she agreed.

"Ahem, Xiao Lu, what new kinds of buns are you making today?"

The old man appeared at the kitchen door with his hands behind his back, as if carried by a gust of wind; he was that fast.

Ignoring Lu Wu’s teasing gaze, he stared eagerly at the soup dumplings, his mouth watering uncontrollably.

’How can these buns be so beautiful?’ Uncle Li’s eyes were practically glued to them.

"These are crab roe soup dumplings. Please be careful when you eat them, Uncle. Take small bites, and watch out for the hot soup inside—it spills easily."

Lu Wu arranged the dumplings on a plate and handed it to Uncle Li.

Gazing at the plump dumpling with its delicate skin, Uncle Li carefully picked one up by its pleated top and held it to the light.

Sunlight dappled the dumpling, and through the translucent skin, he could see the liquefied filling gently swaying with his movement.

It looked like an exquisite, crystal-clear work of art.

After being held up for a moment, the delicate skin clearly began to struggle under the weight, starting to sag.

Uncle Li eagerly took a bite.

His eating method was the same as usual: down in one go.

But the true charm of a soup dumpling lies in that sudden, unguarded moment when your teeth bite down, the thin skin tears, and the hot soup bursts forth.

The inexperienced Uncle Li naturally fell victim.

"Ouch!"

Uncle Li cried out, clutching his mouth. Soup had already splashed onto the front of his robe.

Despite soiling his new clothes, Uncle Li didn’t care in the slightest. His eyes were filled with pure, unadulterated bliss.

The advantage of eating it in one bite was that all the flavors of the soup dumpling were locked inside his mouth.

Lu Wu used only the highest quality crab, and her careful preparation preserved the ingredient’s natural umami flavor.

This flavor, fully activated by the high heat and enveloped in the rich broth from the melted aspic, became a warm current that slid straight down Uncle Li’s throat.

The taste was so divine that Uncle Li was reluctant to even part his lips, as if afraid the flavor might escape.

Watching Uncle Li’s struggle, Lu Wu’s expression was as sly as a little fox’s.

She, on the other hand, was far more experienced. She bit a small hole in the wrapper and slowly sipped the broth from within.

The soup dumpling had surpassed all other flavors, becoming the new number one in Lu Wu’s heart.

Lu Wu finished one and wiped her mouth.

’Not bad at all!’

Having been made a fool of in front of a junior, Uncle Li could no longer maintain a straight face.

His eyes darted pointedly toward the remaining dumplings in the steamer, clearly hinting at something.

Lu Wu understood instantly.

"This whole steamer is for you."

She had made a large batch, and knowing that Cultivators have big appetites, Lu Wu was feeling generous.

"Xiao Lu, rest assured. I won’t let you down."

Pushing Lu Wu aside to take the steamer himself, Uncle Li said something cryptic that Lu Wu didn’t understand.

After eating his fill and taking the rest to go, Uncle Li finally returned home, patting his bulging stomach.

He opened his One World Communication to contact the members of the sect.

"You all did very well last night. The time has come to be rewarded for your deeds."

"The top three performers from the operation will each be allotted two buns. A disclaimer: it’s a new variety. Tasted. Life-changing."

"As for the rest of you who did not receive a reward, remember to get in line early today."

He sucked in his bulging stomach and then looked at the six soup dumplings remaining in his hand. Uncle Li was extremely reluctant to part with them.

’I think I could still eat a few more,’ he thought.

But his followers had performed too well; he had to reward them.

In a certain residence in Xiaohe Town, the moment he saw Uncle Li’s message, a triumphant smile spread across Lou Xiaotian’s face.

And why not? He had ranked third among the top three performers.

First place went to some prodigy who was too secretive to use their real name, going by the codename "Sworn to Kill Dahuang." Second place was Miss Feng Rong of the Baihua Building.

Both of them were forces to be reckoned with. Lou Xiaotian couldn’t compete with them, so he had to settle for third.

Just last night, they had coordinated with a pair of siblings from the Hidden Spirit Sect who had defected. Together, they found the remaining members of the Evil Cult and completely purged them from Xiaohe Town.

From this day forward, Xiaohe Town would be as pure and clean as Boss Lu’s buns.

They, this band of Guardians, would continue to move like shadows in the night, sworn to defend Boss Lu’s safety to the death.

And it was all for this moment.