Chapter 12: The Taste Doesn’t Lie

Chapter 12: Chapter 12: The Taste Doesn’t Lie

Nan Zhi bought more than just ingredients for the evening’s food stall; she also picked up some odds and ends to decorate their little home—

An electric wok, not too big, but large enough for the mother and son to cook their own meals at home.

A pea-green tablecloth, just the right size to cover the dings and dents on the coffee table, making it look brand new.

Pure-white, lace-trimmed curtains to hide the rusty security bars on the window, making even the slanted sunlight feel gentler.

A large wall calendar with a landscape painting, which covered the mottled patches on the wall and instantly elevated the room’s entire aesthetic.

And a rough clay pot she had found, now filled with a handful of wildflowers, added a touch of vibrant life to their little home.

...

The audience watched, dumbfounded.

[She really knows how to live. She got everything for next to nothing.]

[That’s because the lady was so kind. The electric wok was clearly in good condition, but she insisted she didn’t want it anymore and just gave it to Nan Zhi.]

[This is a world of difference from the dilapidated shack we saw yesterday!]

[I have to admit, Nan Zhi has pretty good taste...]

[Oh, come on. It’s all just for the camera!]

...

No matter how stubbornly they denied it, the audience couldn’t help but feel a sense of tranquil beauty from the scene.

Their words said one thing, but their actions said another. They kept complaining, yet they couldn’t stop watching with rapt attention.

They’d completely forgotten that they had only dropped by Nan Zhi’s stream to take a quick peek.

「When lunchtime arrived.」

Nan Zhi said, "Let’s have something simple for lunch."

Nan Yi nodded.

’The wariness and resistance he’d shown after the cameras turned off yesterday seemed like it had all been her imagination.’

He seemed exceptionally docile, staying silent and trying to make himself as small as possible.

’But she knew the distance between them hadn’t vanished. It was like the unseen part of an iceberg, hidden beneath the surface.’

Fortunately, she was patient enough. Pretending she hadn’t noticed a thing, she began to prepare lunch.

First, she made a red date and yam congee. She brought the water to a boil, added the rice, and once it boiled again, she added yam, red dates, and rock sugar, letting it simmer until the congee was thick and creamy.

Next, keeping a child’s palate in mind, she decided to make tomato fish balls. She deboned the fish, scraped the flesh into a fine paste, and mixed it with scallion-ginger water, Shaoxing wine, egg whites, and starch. After mixing it thoroughly, she shaped the paste into balls and cooked them. Then, she stir-fried some tomatoes, seasoned them, added broth, and brought it to a boil before adding the cooked fish balls.

Finally, to ensure a balanced meal, she blanched some vibrant green spinach and lightly stir-fried it, seasoning it with only a pinch of fine salt.

Out of habit, Nan Zhi plated each dish with meticulous care.

Even though the dishes were just ordinary white porcelain borrowed from their neighbor, in Nan Zhi’s hands, they were arranged with the elegant, exquisite flair of a top restaurant from the Gourmet Record.

"Alright, let’s eat."

Nan Zhi placed the dishes on the tablecloth-covered coffee table.

Nan Yi dragged a small stool over and sat across from Nan Zhi.

When he got a clear look at the lunch, his movements stuttered to a halt for a rare two seconds.

Nan Zhi noticed his subtle reaction.

"What’s wrong?"

Nan Yi struggled to speak.

"It’s... a feast."

Nan Zhi was genuinely surprised.

"Really? It’s pretty simple."

[Damn it all, I can’t believe she said that. You call *this* simple?]

[Suddenly I feel like I’ve been eating pig slop. /forced smile/]

[This can’t be just for her image anymore, right? When did Nan Zhi learn how to cook like this?]

[I just want to know when phone companies are gonna release a phone with smell-o-vision!]

[Maybe it tastes terrible and just looks good...]

[Look at Nan Yi’s reaction! You just know it’s gonna be absolutely delicious!]

...

No, it wasn’t just "absolutely delicious."

It was a flavor so sublime it defied all comprehension!

Nan Yi first took a sip of the congee. It was soft, fragrant, and silky smooth, its aroma lingering in his mouth.

Then he tried a fish ball. It was sweet, tangy, and refreshing, with a delicate, savory flavor. The fish was as tender as tofu.

Then he tasted the seemingly plain stir-fried spinach. His mouth filled with a fresh, sweet aftertaste; it was shockingly delicious.

Nan Yi had only intended to take a small bite, but he immediately began to wolf down his food.

"Eat slowly."

Nan Zhi reminded him softly.

’She had noticed Nan Yi’s startling fixation on food long ago.’

’Perhaps he had been starved so badly in the past that now, whenever he saw good food, he wanted to stuff it all in his belly and hide it away.’

Nan Yi’s movements paused almost imperceptibly.

He mumbled an affirmative grunt but didn’t slow down in the slightest.

Nan Zhi sighed in resignation. She didn’t press him further, simply making a mental note of it.

After the meal and a short afternoon nap, they began preparing for the evening’s business.

She planned to go to the night market early to claim a spot, so they left just after four o’clock—almost two hours earlier than the day before.

When they arrived at the night market, both Nan Zhi and Nan Yi froze in unison—

In the spot where they had been yesterday, there was now another food cart.

And it was another fried rice stall!

Unlike Nan Zhi, who only sold egg fried rice, this stall was clearly new. Its menu was extensive, with everything from Yangzhou fried rice to sausage fried rice to shredded pork fried rice...

In the most prominent spot hung a sign with the four words "Golden Egg Fried Rice"!

[What the hell? They obviously saw how good Nan Zhi’s business was and did this on purpose! That’s so low!]

[That just makes my blood boil!]

[The behind-the-scenes competition between these small stalls is super intense. I know from experience.]

[You can’t blame them. It’s fair competition, and the customers have the right to choose.]

[You call this fair competition?]

...

Perhaps the viewers themselves hadn’t even noticed, but more and more of them were starting to see things from Nan Zhi’s perspective and speak up for the mother and son.

Nan Zhi herself, however, was quite calm.

She patted Nan Yi’s shoulder.

"Let’s find another spot."

Nan Yi didn’t move.

His little hands were clenched into fists, his cheeks puffed out slightly with anger.

His clear, bright eyes were wide, and he looked like he wanted to march right over and give that fried rice stall a piece of his mind.

Nan Zhi had already taken a couple of steps before she turned and realized Nan Yi wasn’t following.

"What is it?"

Seeing Nan Yi’s profile, his cheeks puffed up like a little dumpling, Nan Zhi found it slightly amusing.

"Are you angry?"

Nan Yi’s face was tense as he said, word by word,

"They’re copying us!"

Nan Zhi, however, had a more magnanimous view.

"These spots aren’t assigned. They’re free to set up a fried rice stall if they want."

Nan Yi looked at Nan Zhi, his eyes filled with utter incomprehension.

Even the live comments thought Nan Zhi was being a bit of a pushover.

[I don’t want to see her confront them, but I also don’t want to see her just walk away like nothing happened. I’m so conflicted.]

[This is insane. I’m actually starting to think that psycho Nan Zhi is kind of pathetically spineless!]

[I’m so mad, I’m so mad, I’m so mad!]

[You’re gonna give us all an ulcer!]

...

Nan Zhi was oblivious to the audience’s frustrated tirade.

Pushing the food cart along, she nonchalantly tossed out a comment.

"Besides, what makes you think they could ever replace me?"

’In the Otherworld, she was a culinary god at the very top of the pyramid. Countless people had tried to challenge her position.’

’Their methods were low, despicable, and utterly unscrupulous—far more excessive and vicious than this paltry fried rice stall!’

’But Nan Zhi had held her ground every time.’

’Because...’

"Flavor doesn’t lie."

Nan Yi stared, stunned, at Nan Zhi as she walked away.

It was as if, in her slender, frail silhouette, he could see a majestic, towering mountain in all its splendor!