Chapter 27: The First Stir-Fried Dish of the Tang Dynasty Freshly Served

"Alright, first add the scallions and ginger, stir-fry them a few times, and then add the luffa. Don't rush, be careful..." Xu Chengyue stood sternly before the stove, directing Qiulu in the cooking process.

The iron wok had just arrived today, and she had been itching to try it out, but Qiulu and Xiahe had blocked her from doing the actual work. Although she was a master of theory—having spent her past life immersed in the food sections of various websites and knowing the recipes of the eight great culinary traditions by heart—her practical skills were zero, leaving her with little confidence in her own cooking. Furthermore, not knowing how to start the fire in the stove, she stood to the side to direct Qiulu instead.

Qiulu was extremely nervous, sweat beading on her forehead. Her eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the sizzling oil in the pot. Following Xu Chengyue's instructions, she picked up the bowl of chopped scallions and ginger and carefully tipped them into the hot oil.

With a loud splash, smoke and oil splattered everywhere. Xiahe, who was busy stoking the fire, watched with curiosity. Qiulu felt like she was about to cry. She knew how to cook, but only by stewing, roasting, steaming, or boiling. She rarely even did deep-frying—a skill usually reserved for veteran chefs. Her mistress wanted to eat this "stir-fry" and had intended to do it herself, but how could she allow the mistress to handle the kitchen? She had no choice but to bite the bullet and take over. But the oil splattering everywhere—it was terrifying!

Finally, thanks to Xu Chengyue's verbal guidance and Qiulu's frantic efforts, the first stir-fry dish of the Tang Dynasty—luffa with eggs—was freshly completed. Qiulu looked at the dish with wavering eyes; the luffa was vibrant green and the eggs were golden yellow. It looked good, but was this really edible?

"Sit down and have a taste, both of you," Xu Chengyue said, waving her hand as she saw them standing there, stunned and silent.

"How could this servant..."

"Sit down! I’m going to get angry!"

Qiulu’s refusal was cut short by Xu Chengyue's command. Xu Chengyue didn't like being served while she ate; the feeling of being superior didn't make her proud, it just made her uncomfortable. From the moment she arrived in Luoyang, she had invited them to eat with her every time. After the initial few refusals, she learned to simply command them to obey. Just like now, hearing her words, they immediately sat on the crescent-shaped stools in front of the high-legged dining table.

Yet, it still felt strange to her. Was this just another form of "oppression"? Forcing others to do things they didn't want to do? Shaking her head, Xu Chengyue cast those overthinking thoughts aside.

The aroma of the food kept drifting to her nose, and she couldn't wait to pick up her chopsticks. As soon as the food hit her tongue, Xu Chengyue’s eyes lit up. This was the flavor—the fresh, sweet taste of the luffa mixed with the richness of the eggs. Even a simple combination was delicious enough. After so long, she finally had a hot stir-fried dish! She chewed and savored it slowly, the familiar taste crossing a millennium to reach her taste buds.

For some reason, a wave of soreness rose from her nose to her eyes; suddenly, her eyelids reddened and grew moist. *Xu Chengyue, you really are pathetic. It’s just a stir-fry! What is there to cry about?* She blinked rapidly, brushing away the moisture. Even if she was in a foreign land, she had to live well.

After a few bites, Xu Chengyue set down her chopsticks. Because it was cooked with lard, the flavor was too rich, and she found it a bit greasy; her tongue, accustomed to a lighter diet, couldn't quite adapt. Qiulu and Xiahe, however, ate with great relish, finishing the rest of the dish.

They couldn't stop praising it. "Stir-frying is so delicious! Why have we never seen anyone else do it before?"

"Well, because they are too slow-witted to think of it. Our mistress is so clever, she's different from them!" Xiahe answered decisively.

"You're right!" Qiulu nodded earnestly in agreement.

Here it comes, the flattery is back again. The earlier melancholy was instantly shattered. Xu Chengyue helplessly covered her forehead. In her past life, the only time she received such blunt praise was in reader comments; hearing it in person was quite embarrassing. Still, how should she put it? It didn't feel half bad. Her lips curled upward uncontrollably.

***

Because the afterword of the previous volume stated that today’s release would be the final one, readers who wanted to collect the promised portraits were specifically instructed to bring all their previously purchased volumes to claim them. Fearing they would arrive late and miss out, people began lining up early in the morning.

The crowd gathered at the entrance of the bookstore far exceeded the usual numbers. The long queue snaked back and forth along the street, blocking it entirely and making it difficult for pedestrians to pass. The patrolling guards, seeing this, dispatched extra men to maintain order and prevent chaos.

"Well, well, Wang Er, I told you to patrol, and here you are lining up in the queue instead!"

Wang Er looked innocent amidst the crowd. "I am merely embedding myself in the masses to better facilitate my duties, while incidentally buying a book. I haven't neglected my official business!"

The surrounding crowd burst into laughter. His colleague, who had called him out, shook his head and gestured at him from a distance before walking away. More and more people arrived, and the tail of the line stretched toward the next street like a giant serpent.

The summer sun was fierce, baking down on them. The people at the front weren't moving, and everyone grew irritable, idly chatting with those in line beside them. The whole street was filled with noise.

Finally, when the city drums began to strike, each beat more powerful than the last, echoing into every corner of the West Market, the giant snake finally began to move.

Those at the front who received the final volume and the portrait held the painting tightly, not letting anyone else see it, and walked through the crowd with heads held high, enjoying the envious and anxious gazes of those still waiting. Those squeezed in the line felt a secret resentment but were helpless, looking at the long queue ahead and hoping for it to speed up.

At the head of the "serpent," the shopkeeper and his assistant were busy serving customers buying books and claiming portraits. They answered endless questions until their throats were dry, their hands never stopping, busy to the point of exhaustion. The shopkeeper was not as young as his assistant, and as the work intensified, his disadvantages showed—his legs and arms ached. Unable to hold on, he called for another assistant to handle things while he went to the back hall to rest.

Rubbing his arms, he walked to the back, grabbed a cup from the table, gulped down some water, and collapsed onto a couch, panting until he finally caught his breath. He asked Lu Hongzhuo, who was also busy counting book volumes nearby, "Sir, a customer just asked if there would be sequels or other similar stories after this one. How should I answer?"

Lu Hongzhuo paused in his work. "Mistress Xu said she would write stories about food."

When she had told him that, he had been interrupted by a disturbance at the door and hadn't managed to voice his doubts. In truth, he was somewhat skeptical. It wasn't that he didn't trust Mistress Xu, but he didn't think there were any interesting stories to be told about food. Was she going to write about how to cook? Furthermore, the few things that could be called "gourmet" were already well-known to the common people, who had no interest in them. Or they were the secret recipes of noble families, passed down only as dowries—how could they ever be revealed to others?

"What!" the shopkeeper exclaimed.

*See? Even the shopkeeper thinks it won't work,* Lu Hongzhuo thought with a sense of relief.

"You think it's unreliable, too, don't you!"

"Mistress Xu is truly ingenious!"

The two spoke simultaneously, then stared at each other in shock. Realizing what the other had said, the shopkeeper condemned him, "Sir, despite Mistress Xu trusting you so much, how could you think of her that way? That’s not what you said before!"

Lu Hongzhuo: ... *You weren't saying that before, either!*

As if reading his mind, the shopkeeper held his head high and said smugly, "I was blind at first, but I corrected my mistake and will never repeat it." He shook his head in sorrow, "But you, sir, have forgotten your original intention. Alas! Things have changed!"

With that, he gave Lu Hongzhuo a look of disdain and walked away with his hands behind his back, leaving Lu Hongzhuo stunned and speechless. *When did the shopkeeper become like this?!*