Chapter 160: Juan'Er's Egg Tarts of Darkness
Translator: OnGoingWhy Editor: Vermillion
Her rosebud mouth slightly opened and closed down on the soft and crispy Spirit Turtle Egg Tart, biting off a small piece while her face was flushed in anticipation. As she chewed her food with minimal jaw movements, she demonstrated the mannerism of a lady from a noble family.
The longer she chewed, the more her eyes widened. The delicious flavor instantly spread from her mouth and coursed throughout her body. The rich aroma of milk engulfed her and made her feel as if she was standing among a herd of spirit beasts.
A gentle wind breezed past as the herd of spirit beasts quietly grazed on the verdant field of grass.
"Hmm..." As Juan'Er swallowed the morsel of egg tart in her mouth, she was suddenly overwhelmed by a strange feeling that caused her to let out a moan. Her pretty face became even redder as if she was intoxicated. A breeze carrying the strong smell of the sea came whistling toward her as if attempting to blow her clothes away.
"De… delicious!" Juan'Er earnestly said with eyes filled with delight.
This was her first time tasting such a delicious dish. She could not believe that the feeling of being immersed in a surging ocean actually came from such a tiny egg tart. It was simply unbelievable.
She no longer cared about the hotness of the egg tart as she clasped the egg tart in her hands and gnawed at the egg tart. She was completely unable to stop herself. Her face was flushed as if she was basking in the happiness of the delicious flavor.
Luo Sanniang's mouth was wide open as she stared at Juan'Er who was currently ruining her own image. Was this still the Juan'Er that she knew? That Juan'Er who carried the mannerism of a young lady from a noble family, smiled without exposing her teeth, and ate her meals at a snail's pace?
Luo Sanniang felt as if her world view was completely overturned. Was Owner Bu's dish really that enchanting?
Yang Chen was also curiously watching Juan'Er whose face was filled with pleasure as he ate his Sweet 'n' Sour Ribs. This was unlike his impression of his second sister-in-law.
Bu Fang had never tasted the egg tarts before as this was his first time making them. Therefore, he did not know what Juan'Er was feeling at the moment. However, he knew the taste of the egg tarts were pretty good based on her reaction.
A smile appeared on Bu Fang's lips before he let out a deep breath and sat down on a chair for a small break.
After finishing the first egg tart, Juan'Er immediately picked up the second one. She lightly exhaled from her mouth and then continued eating. She completely lost the grace and elegance of a young lady from a noble family. At that moment, she seemed like a glutton who was enjoying her favorite food.
The two egg tarts disappeared into her mouth before the eyes of the bewildered Luo Sanniang and Yang Chen just like that. Their mouths were hanging wide open from astonishment.
"I'm done eating! Owner Bu… These Spirit Turtle Egg Tarts… are truly delicious!" Juan'Er placed her hands together and bowed toward Bu Fang as she earnestly said, "Thank you for letting me taste such a delicious dish."
Bu Fang blinked in surprise. Her solemn attitude made him feel slightly uneasy, so he only responded with a rather awkward nod.
Yang Chen and the others soon finished eating as well. The group ordered quite an amount of dishes.
Seeing the pained expression on Yang Chen's face as he paid the bill, the group of women could not help but chuckle while covering their mouths. Oh, other than Luo Sanniang, who openly laughed with her hands placed on her waist...
"My dear sisters-in-law, like I've said before, Owner Bu's culinary skill is definitely the best in the imperial city! No one believed me back then. What about now?" Yang Chen seriously said while lifting up his chin.
Luo Sanniang was slightly annoyed when she saw Yang Chen's smug expression. She struck him on the back of his head with her palm and said in exasperation, "Why are you the one bragging when you're not Owner Bu? Since we're done eating, let's go back and train some more. In a few more days, the Marquis will be checking your cultivation level. When the time comes, you're really going to get it if you don't meet his standard!"
Yang Chen's expression immediately sank like a wrinkled tomato as he weakly headed outside of the store.
The group of women left one after another as well after bidding farewell with Bu Fang. The store suddenly regained its tranquility once more.
...
Juan'Er returned to the Marquis' Manor in a daze. She was somewhat distracted during the return trip and even nearly tripped over when getting off the carriage.
Fortunately, Luo Sanniang was right next to her the entire time and managed to stop her from falling face first into the mud.
"Juan'Er… What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?" Luo Sanniang asked with a frown.
Juan'Er's eyes were dull and lifeless. Suddenly, she looked up at Luo Sanniang with a gaze that sent chills up her spine.
"Good heavens… It's terrifying if you stare at me like that!" Luo Sanniang thought as a chill went up her spine.
"Sanniang, come with me to the kitchen, I'll cook something for you! You must help me taste my cooking!" Juan'Er pitifully pleaded while placing her hands together.
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Luo Sanniang was surprised for a moment and then she was immediately dragged into the kitchen by Juan'Er.
"Xiao Chen'zi, make sure to practice hard. I'll come and check your training later..." Even while she was being dragged away, Luo Sanniang did not forget to nag at Yang Chen.
...
"Bang!"
From the kitchen of the Marquis' Manor, a dull sound rang out and was followed by the faint smell of something burnt drifting out...
Luo Sanniang was standing in the kitchen while looking at Juan'Er, whose face was covered in soot. The latter was holding a white porcelain plate and staring at Luo Sanniang with her innocent eyes.
"Sanniang, these are the egg tarts that I made, give them a taste!"
Luo Sanniang's gaze froze for a moment and then shifted toward the contents on the porcelain plate. She saw a pile of weirdly shaped lumps covered in burnt marks on the plate. The faint smell of something burnt was emanating from them.
"Egg tarts? Are you telling me those things are egg tarts?"
Recalling Owner Bu's Spirit Turtle Egg Tarts and then looking at the black lumps made by Juan'Er in front of her eyes, Luo Sanniang suddenly felt the entire world had turned dark.
"Juan… Juan'Er, are you sure… this thing is edible?" Luo Sanniang asked in bewilderment, which Juan'Er responded by continuously nodding.
"Just have a bite and stop eating if doesn't taste good." Juan'Er was filled with expectation as she stared at Luo Sanniang.
Luo Sanniang could not stand Juan'Er's pitiful appearance and immediately acceded to her request. She picked up a badly burnt egg tart and slowly observed its surface. She finally found a spot which was not burnt and started eating.
"Hmm?" The disgusted frown on Luo Sanniang's face suddenly disappeared and she gave Juan'Er a surprised glance. As she chewed the morsel in her mouth, she exclaimed in astonishment, "Juan'Er, you're incredible. This actually tastes pretty good. Even though the aroma and appearance are a lot worse than Owner Bu's Spirit Turtle Egg Tarts, the taste is still alright!"
Luo Sanniang was speaking the truth. Juan'Er's culinary skill was pretty good in the first place. She frequently helped the cook of the Marquis' Manor with making the side dishes. Furthermore, she also enjoyed making pastries as a hobby. Her culinary skill was not weak in the slightest.
The taste of the extremely unappetizing egg tarts before her eyes were still passable.
"That's great, then I shall bring them over to Owner Bu tomorrow and let him give me some advice. I've discovered that I've fallen in love with egg tarts! I must research the recipe for making egg tarts!" Juan'Er excitedly said.
Luo Sanniang's face stiffened for a moment. The corners of her mouth twitched as she stared blankly at Juan'Er, whose expression was serious.
"Let Owner Bu taste them... Are you sure about that?"
...
It was a dark and windy night with a snowstorm raging on.
Inside the alleyway, the store had already closed up for the day and the tranquility in the store was restored. Bu Fang was bustling about in the kitchen. After a short while, he finished making an egg tart and was tasting this delicious dish himself.
The Spirit Turtle Eggs which were filled with spirit energy had a flavor that was far superior to ordinary chicken eggs. After tasting the egg tart, he felt as if he was submerged in the deep ocean.
"The taste of this egg tart is not bad at all… However, it's still rather lacking as a reward for this time's mission." The taste of the Spirit Turtle Egg Tart was indeed pretty good but receiving such a dish as a reward after spending so much effort to obtain first place in the Hundred Family Banquet was evidently quite unfair for him.
The egg tart was delicious but it was still just an after-meal dessert in the end…
"Is it because the previous abrupt mission is not completed yet? Therefore, the mission reward given this time was so pathetic?" Bu Fang muttered to himself with a frown.
The previous system mission required Bu Fang to develop and brew a wine that could surpass Dragon's Breath. According to Ni Yan's explanation, that Dragon's Breath should have been produced through numerous complex processes. It was definitely going to be hard to surpass.
Bu Fang was pondering over the problem while he headed for his room. Since it was time, he was going to bed to maintain his sleep.
"I need to find some time to gather some high grade spirit herbs. If I want to develop a wine that surpasses Dragon's Breath, relying solely on the Phoenix Blood Herb and Three Stripes Path-Understanding Fruit is still not enough… I still need to find some other ingredients!"
Bu Fang lay down on his bed and pulled a thick blanket over himself. As he pondered about the problem, he slowly closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.