Chapter 19: It Takes Three Generations to Know How to Dress and Eat

Chapter 19: Chapter 19: It Takes Three Generations to Know How to Dress and Eat

The human body has a way of working miracles when faced with harsh environments.

Given how awful her body’s condition was, Nan Zhi had thought she’d be too exhausted to even lift a hand the next day, especially after yesterday’s insane rush of orders.

But instead, she felt even more nimble than the day before.

’Am I getting used to it?’

Whatever the reason, Nan Zhi was in high spirits.

So, she rose early, took Nan Yi with her, and got ready to take a stroll through the nearby wet market.

The cameraman followed discreetly, camera on and aimed at the bustling, noisy market.

Filming had been underway for three days, and the audience was gradually getting used to the rhythm.

They skillfully greeted each other in the bullet comments, as if they were back in their old neighborhood:

[6 a.m. again. A little pre-wakeup workout while watching the stream. Life is good.]

[She’s so punctual. Say what you will about Nan Zhi, but she’s diligent about getting up early every day. The other guests, on the other hand...]

[No comparing and bashing!]

[What’s she planning to make today?]

[Nan Zhi: Just a little something. /smile/]

[How long has it been since I’ve seen a market like this? I always go to the supermarket. Maybe I should check out a wet market sometime.]

[Living a numb life of just work, work, work... seeing a morning like this suddenly gives me a reason to live again.]

...

The atmosphere in the comments was more harmonious than ever.

After all, Nan Yi had put on quite a show yesterday, which even made the audience see him in a new light. Nan Zhi, on the other hand, had been getting called a "good-for-nothing mom" for a long time.

It seemed it was still early, and the people who hated Nan Zhi hadn’t woken up yet.

Nan Zhi had long since gotten used to ignoring the livestream, simply treating the here and now as her everyday life.

And so...

"Let’s eat something special today."

When even Nan Zhi called it special, the viewers in the livestream couldn’t help but feel a surge of anticipation.

Nan Zhi stopped in front of a butcher’s stall selling fresh meat and leaned in to observe it carefully.

Nan Yi dutifully copied her, his eyes wide as he stared intently.

Nan Zhi cast an amused glance at him and casually began to share some tips:

"The foundation of any delicious dish is its ingredients. The better the ingredients, the better the flavor. Take this meat that hasn’t been frozen, for example. It’s bright and glossy, the cut surface is a light red, and it’s moist without being sticky—that’s a good sign. Since I’m buying pork belly, I need to look for even fat distribution, a firm texture without any sour smell, and it should spring back quickly when I press it with my finger."

Nan Zhi’s explanation was meticulous, and Nan Yi listened with rapt attention, his little face serious and taut as he nodded from time to time.

At first glance, he looked just like a tiny official inspecting the market!

The butcher had a kind and friendly face. Seeing the affectionate mother and son, he didn’t seem the least bit impatient. Instead, he laughed heartily and said:

"Rest assured! Our meat is absolutely the freshest in the market! Just delivered from the slaughterhouse this morning!"

Nan Zhi nodded in agreement.

Her eye had long been honed through countless trials, becoming incredibly discerning. She could pick this stall out from all the others at a glance precisely because, just as the butcher claimed, its meat was fresh and top-grade—the best in the market.

She gave a nod and pointed to the best cut.

The moment the butcher saw her demeanor, he knew this beautiful and delicate young woman was an expert with hidden depths.

As he deftly cut the meat, he gave her a thumbs-up:

"You’ve got a sharp eye!"

Nan Zhi just smiled faintly, unconcerned.

Nan Yi, however, lifted his little chin almost imperceptibly.

...As if he’d been the one who was just praised!

Meat in hand, Nan Zhi turned and headed for the other stalls.

She went through them one by one, occasionally explaining the tricks of the trade to Nan Yi.

In the first two days of filming, the mother and son had exchanged pitifully few words.

But today, thanks to their trip to the market, they’d already said more to each other than in the last two days combined!

[I was listening so intently too! I suddenly feel confident enough to take on the market myself!]

[Me too, LOL! Who knew you could learn practical life skills from a livestream!]

[Nan Zhi’s exclusive little tips for picking produce are incredible! There’s an auntie next to her who keeps eavesdropping! I’m dying!]

[Bwahaha, how can something be this hilarious? The cameraman was almost mistaken for a stalker and got an earful from a bunch of aunties dishing out some justice! I could laugh about this for a year!]

...

At first, the comments were still lighthearted and cheerful.

But at a certain point, the mood shifted:

[You’ve got to be kidding me. Is Nan Zhi teaching him so seriously because she plans to have Nan Yi learn how to cook?]

[I’ve been speechless for a while now. Nan Zhi is really clueless. Calling her a good-for-nothing yesterday wasn’t wrong at all!]

[What’s the big deal?]

[Nan Yi is a super genius! A wild SSR! A future pillar of our country! And his mother, Nan Zhi, is teaching him *this*?]

[Exactly! Does Nan Zhi want her genius son to become a chef? What a complete waste of his talent! If he were my kid, I’d definitely...]

[The education system in our country is a joke! Parents have no idea how to nurture talent! A perfectly good genius is being wasted in a wet market! This is ridiculous!]

...

Nan Zhi was still unaware of the fierce debate her actions had sparked among some viewers.

’Telling Nan Yi all this wasn’t because she expected him to become a chef, too. He could, or he couldn’t; she was just teaching him offhandedly. She was also reminded of the great noble families in the Otherworld. When they raised their children, they didn’t just teach the classics and literature. They also taught feng shui, divination, astronomy, traditional medicine, and so on. The point wasn’t for them to make a career out of it, but for them to understand the basics so they wouldn’t be easily fooled. And the culinary arts were of the utmost importance. There’s a saying, "It takes three generations of officials to learn how to dress and eat properly." There are endless subtleties to it. What Nan Zhi had told Nan Yi today was merely scratching the surface.’

Once they had all the ingredients, Nan Zhi led Nan Yi back the way they came.

It was only 7:30 a.m.

Nan Zhi got out the flour, preparing to make Three-Dice Buns.

It was a world-renowned dim sum from the Huaiyang region, famous for its fermented dough and meticulously prepared filling.

In the Otherworld, Nan Zhi had once made these Three-Dice Buns for the Emperor and his Concubines, earning their unanimous praise.

Although, to be precise, what she’d made back then were Five-Dice Buns, which used five different fillings—

Sea cucumber for nourishment, just enough to be restorative; chicken for umami, just enough to be savory; pork for rich fragrance, just enough to be satisfying without being greasy; winter bamboo shoots for crispness, just enough to be firm without being hard; and shrimp for tenderness, just enough to be delicate without being mushy. The five flavors combined, providing restoration, umami, fragrance, crispness, and tenderness—this was known as the "Five Balances."

However, sea cucumber and fresh shrimp were expensive, and Nan Zhi was short on funds. So, she only used chicken, pork, and bamboo shoots, dicing them in order of size. She then seasoned and cooked them in chicken broth until the juices were completely infused into the three ingredients, before setting them aside to cool.

Only then could it be used as the filling for the buns.

After making the Three-Dice Buns, she still had some ingredients left over.

Nan Zhi then used them to make Diced Meat Mantou, another snack beloved by Old Yanjing people. The common recipe called for finely diced pork belly mixed with yellow bean paste, sesame oil, and minced scallion and ginger to create a savory, fragrant filling.

But Nan Zhi’s method was different.

She used pork belly paired with diced bamboo shoots. Besides minced scallion, ginger, and sesame oil, she mixed sweet bean sauce with the yellow bean paste and seasoned it with sugar and salt. Once wrapped and steamed, the buns had a flavor that was sweet yet savory, fresh and delicious—a taste that children were sure to love.