Chapter 487: The Truth About Pururu
Ru Yi's quiet muttering inside the system space was something Qi Han could not hear. At this moment, Qi Han had no idea what had just happened. He calmly placed the plate containing Fried Pork in Scoop on the partition, then turned around to start kneading dough.
Small plates like this could simply be handed over to Pururu. He still had to continue preparing the Dragon Beard Noodles.
Pururu skillfully curled its tail around the plate, balancing it steadily on its head, then trotted toward the only customer in the dining area.
Since the test with the Level 9 Life Detection Spirit Tool had yielded no results, half of Yao Hongchen's purpose in coming here had already been accomplished. Noticing the movement beside him, he shifted his gaze and carefully observed Pururu as it nimbly approached him.
Earlier, he hadn't paid much attention to the cat inside Han Shi, simply assuming it was the restaurant owner's pet. But after the scan from the Life Detection Spirit Tool earlier, Yao Hongchen had already discovered Pururu's true nature.
It was a thousand-year spirit beast.
Moreover, the way this spirit beast skillfully delivered the plate to Yao Hongchen demonstrated intelligence far beyond that of an ordinary thousand-year spirit beast.
What kind of spirit beast was this?
Yao Hongchen narrowed his eyes slightly.
He had seen every type of spirit beast known to exist within the Sun Moon Continent, yet he had never heard of this strange feline spirit beast—nor could he think of any similar species.
Could it be… a spirit beast native to the Douluo Continent?
With that thought, Yao Hongchen glanced again at Qi Han, who was busy in the kitchen.
If Qi Han were truly someone hiding here with ulterior motives, why would he place such a conspicuous spirit beast—one that might expose him—out in the open?
Forget it. This had nothing to do with him or with the purpose of today's visit. If Prime Minister Zhou Yuan failed to notice this detail at tomorrow's court session, he could simply mention it then.
With that thought, Yao Hongchen withdrew his gaze from Pururu and looked at the Fried Pork in Scoop placed before him.
From the moment Pururu appeared, a rich and unusual aroma had begun to spread throughout the dining area—a blend of a tangy-sweet fragrance mixed with the pure scent of meat.
A hint of surprise flashed in Yao Hongchen's eyes. Just smelling this appetizing sweet-and-sour scent made his already hungry stomach react, causing his mouth to water slightly. A dish capable of producing such an effect was certainly no ordinary food.
It seemed the owner of Han Shi really did possess exceptional culinary skill. After tasting it, he would probably have to pack a portion for his father.
With that thought, Yao Hongchen picked up his chopsticks and reached toward the Fried Pork in Scoop.
For a Ninth-Level Spirit Engineer capable of engraving Level 9 core formations with a carving knife, learning to use chopsticks was something that could be mastered after a single glance, so it posed no difficulty for Yao Hongchen.
The surface of the Fried Pork in Scoop was golden in color. Each slice of pork glowed with a bright sheen. This luster came from the light yellow sweet-and-sour sauce thickened and poured over the dish, adding a crystal-like gloss to the golden meat and making it look even more appealing.
Thin orange-red carrot shreds, tender green cilantro strips, and white scallion threads were added to the Fried Pork in Scoop during the final stir-frying process. They were evenly mixed throughout the dish, yet they did not become soft or mushy—each strand retained its own shape. Their varied colors blended with the golden hue of the pork, making the dish even more visually vibrant.
Such an enticing plate of food, combined with its rich sweet-and-sour aroma, struck Yao Hongchen's senses of sight and smell at the same time, naturally stimulating his appetite.
With ease, he used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of Fried Pork in Scoop. Even he himself did not notice that his movements carried a hint of urgency, quite different from his usual calm and unhurried demeanor. The next moment, he bit into the piece with a crisp crunch, taking half of it in one bite.
The surface of the Fried Pork in Scoop was coated in a golden batter. This coating was not thick or heavy. Although frying normally produces a crisp texture, the sweet-and-sour sauce poured over it afterward created a subtle transformation. The sauce slowly seeped into the countless tiny holes within the crispy coating, altering its texture so that it formed a gradual transition—from soft to crisp—from the outside inward.
Yet the coating's wonderful texture was still merely a supporting role in the overall mouthfeel of the dish. The real star was the meat inside.
The pork used for Fried Pork in Scoop was tenderloin from a Cinnamon Pig, the most tender cut of pork. Wrapped in batter and cooked under high heat to form a compact outer layer, the meat inside was perfectly cooked without becoming tough, remaining tender and juicy. The pure flavor of the meat intertwined with the texture of the outer coating, and as Yao Hongchen chewed, he could clearly feel this interplay—an experience that was simply incomparable.
Meanwhile, the sweet-and-sour sauce blended with the savory meat flavor, elevating the freshness to an entirely new level while also removing the slight greasiness typical of fried food.
What an interesting dish.
After swallowing that bite, Yao Hongchen's eyes showed a trace of surprise.
It was truly the first time he had eaten such a delicious dish. This pure and incredibly flavorful Fried Pork in Scoop nearly overturned his understanding of food, and it even made him feel a faint sense of empathy for his father's long-standing love of cuisine, something he had never quite understood before.
Perhaps his father's love of fine food wasn't unreasonable after all. If one could enjoy a dish like this during moments of leisure, Yao Hongchen felt that his mood would certainly improve. Perhaps even his thinking while researching spirit tools would become more inspired.
With that thought, Yao Hongchen couldn't help but place the remaining half of the Fried Pork in Scoop in his chopsticks into his mouth and begin chewing.
His father… seemed to like sweet-and-sour food as well, didn't he?
Yao Hongchen thought uncertainly, then suddenly felt a faint sense of shame.
As a son, he had never even paid attention to what kind of food his father liked.
Forget it. Once the Empire finished its preparations for the coming war with the Douluo Continent, he would devote more of his energy to spirit tool research. That would also give him more time to spend with his father.
Just as his father had said, he had been wasting too much of his attention on trivial matters. He lacked true passion for spirit tool research, and that was why his cultivation had been held back, preventing him from reaching the level of a Tenth-Level Spirit Engineer.
Otherwise, as the son of a Tenth-Level Spirit Engineer, he certainly had both the reason and the ability to reach that level himself.
Though his thoughts wandered, the movements of Yao Hongchen's hands did not slow in the slightest. The delicious Fried Pork in Scoop diminished at a visible rate, and before long only a small portion remained on the plate.
Truly delicious. He wondered what the other dish—the staple called Dragon Whisker Noodles—would taste like.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, Qi Han walked toward him carrying a large bowl.
"Dragon Whisker Noodles. Please enjoy."
Yao Hongchen nodded toward Qi Han, then looked at the noodles with anticipation.
The Sun Moon Empire had no tradition of noodles, but that did not stop Yao Hongchen from skillfully picking up the hair-thin strands with his chopsticks and placing them into his mouth.
The moment the noodles entered his mouth, he felt them almost melt instantly, releasing the pure fragrance of wheat, along with the delicate savoriness of the broth lightly coating the noodles. His eyes brightened immediately.
This Dragon Whisker Noodles dish was completely different from the Fried Pork in Scoop in both texture and flavor. Yet they shared one very obvious trait:
They were delicious.
Quickly savoring the noodles, occasionally picking up another piece of Fried Pork in Scoop to eat together with them, Yao Hongchen soon finished everything. Before long, only an empty plate and an empty bowl remained in front of him.
"Bill, please. And pack one portion of Fried Pork in Scoop and one portion of Dragon Whisker Noodles for me."
A relaxed smile—rarely seen on his face before—appeared on Yao Hongchen's expression.
He was certain that his father would definitely like these two dishes.
<+>
Tn: I updated the story daily, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Latest Chapter: Chapter 505: Qi Han's Choice[1]
Link: https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-155496005[2]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-155496005
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-155496005