Kitchen Xiuzhen, Chapter 56 – Shaken State of Mind
[Hong!]
From the depths of the steamer basket, a dazzling light burst out like sparkling shards of glass.
In the middle of the light show, Luo Xiu’s young face, suffused with self-confidence, was seen.
All those who saw the powerful emitted from this dish were shaken.
The moment the lid of the steamer was completely removed, a white dragon shaped thing shot out and hit the roof.
This was actually the steam that was struggling to get out.
Steam from the steamer enveloped the whole of Nine Gates Restaurant. The hot white vapour carried with it a powerful fragrance.
Clearly the fragrance within the steamer was very compact, even such a large space as the Nine Gates Restaurant could not contain such a powerful aroma.
With the scent having permeated the entire place, everyone could smell the curious fragrance of Mao Shou milk and Insect Nectar. Most of the people here never had the chance to even experience such fragrance in their life time before this.
Rich and mellow, as though it was pinnacle of all scents.
At that moment, everyone swallowed slightly.
Too fragrant.
It was just too irresistible…the fragrance just seduces the appetite, until most of the could not help themselves as their Adam’s apple trembled.
Within the whole of the Nine Gates Restaurant, all eyes were fixed on this incredible scene.
They trembled from head to foot, en-spelled within this beautiful aroma, entirely incapable of freeing themselves.
This included Wang Xi.
Though he had inadvertently closed his eyes, his spiritual meridians had spread opened and he had felt the spiritual powers in the very air vibrated.
The moment the cover was removed, it was as if all the spiritual essence of the heaven and earth have converged onto that dish created by Luo Xiu.
Within the Nine Gates Restaurant, the spiritual essence was very concentrated.
The only person who was able to remain normal was Luo Xiu, who had lost his sense of smell…He could not smell the fragrance and thus was completely unaffected.
Luo Xiu glanced inside the steamer, and felt very satisfied with the quality of this particular batch of Bai Luo Man Tou.
After a while, the spiritual essence and aroma gradually faded away from the immediate surroundings, and the people started to wake up from their drunken stupor. They seemed to turn alert in an instant, and all eyes were fixed upon the contents of the steamer basket.
Just what kind of dish was it that could give out such kind of aroma?
Spiritual food, there’s no doubt about it.
“This kind of aroma, I… I really want to eat, ah. From the smell alone I know, since it’s Chef Luo, it has to be!”
“Who says it’s not?”
“Too bad… we can’t be the first to eat.”
Countless of people couldn’t help themselves as they said this. Their eyes stared anxiously at the steamer basket, unable to suppress the desire to eat even if they wanted to.
However, with Wang Hao there, they were afraid to be too presumptuous.
“Okay, the Man Tou are done!”
Luo Xiu lightly rapped a dazed Ye Wei Ling, “Go and get those dishes and lids we had made yesterday!”
Plates made of Jade Wood Bamboo were taken out and placed beside Luo Xiu.
Luo Xiu then gently and carefully took out each white and tender Bai Luo Man Tou, and placed them on the plates.
Then, he covered them with the lids.
Wooden dishes with lids, the mysterious food covered.
“This…what do you call this dish?”
Wang Xi couldn’t resist any more and asked that million spiritual stone question.
“Man Tou!”
“Bai Luo Man Tou!”
Luo Xiu said once more with extra emphasis, and pushed the bamboo plate in front of Wang Xi, “Have a taste.”
“Very well!”
Wang Xi did not even have a trace of hesitation, his eyes shone with enthusiasm.
Such a richly aromatic dish, there’s no doubt about it, there was definitely nothing ordinary about the food in his hand.
After receiving the plate of Bai Luo Man Tou, Wang Xi could not wait to take off the bamboo cover.
Nie Ji and Ma Fei hovered around Wang Xi couldn’t help themselves as they swallowed. They were waiting to see just what mystical thing this Man Tou might do.
[Shua!]
The lid was removed, and a mysterious thing happened.
A dense steam erupted, bursting into Wang Xi[s nose.
Most of the people around weren’t prepared for this and cried out in alarm.
“En?”
Wang Xi took a direct hit, his whole body started to quiver, his eyes wide open, completely stunned.
The early morning exhaustion was cleansed away in an instant by this charging fragrance, his whole body felt pure and cleaned out.
The white steam was not too hot, it was as though he had breathed in an immortal’s sigh.
“Fragrant, just too fragrant…my whole body feels weak…just from the scent of this Man Tou, it feels like my body has opened up, I really want to taste it, this delicious food in front of me, ah!”
Wang Xi seemed lost in his own world.
However, Nie Ji and Ma Fei were still staring from the side, eyes never leaving the contents of the plate.
On the charming little old fashion looking plate, laid like a piece of art, was the Bai Luo Man Tou.
Under normal circumstances, this would have looked wrong.
However, this Man Tou was truly beautiful…and therefore, there was no sense of awkwardness.
Smooth and white and round, compared to a young girl’s skin, it was even more glossy and supple.
The most unique point of this Man Tou was its shape. It looked like a perfectly formed peach, a mythical peach of immortality from the heavens.
Not a single blemish or spot or wrinkle on its thin skin. Forming a semi-circle arc…
“This…this, why is this Man Tou so lovely to look at, I don’t dare to eat it now, ah…”
Wang Xi was also struck dumb by the sight of the Man Tou on his plate, he really could not bear to touch it, afraid that to destroy this beauty.
[Gu du–]
From the side, Nie Ji could not restrain himself any longer as he swallowed. Suddenly, swift as lightning his hand shot out.
“Yi?”
Wang Xi’s reaction was swift, the thieving hand found itself suddenly pinched in place.
“Ah!?”
Nie Ji finally woken from the trance he fell in, and was frightened into a cold sweat. “M…Master!”
“It’s fine, standing so close, there was no way anyone could have resisted this delicious aroma.”
Wang Xi let go, Nie Ji quickly wiped at his cold sweat, just now he had almost… snatched his master’s Man Tou, ah!
This dish… has quite an unexpected magical power!
[Chi la!]
Wang Xi had just tore off a piece of the Bai Luo Man Tou. An even more powerful fragrance permeated from the opening, spreading out into all four directions.
The torn surface looked loose and fluffy, but only for awhile. In the next instant, it shrank back and formed a new skin over the torn surface. It actually looked a little awkward, like a deformed man tou with a missing corner.
However, this weird reaction still caused Wang Xi’s pupil to contract in surprise.
It’s still a new dish after all, and one that would suddenly transformed itself after getting ‘injured’.
As everyone knows, the most delicious part of a man tou was the skin, it has the firmest, chewiest texture.
There were plenty of people in his previous world that would actually eat the skin part of the man tou and threw the insides away.
However, Luo Xiu’s Bai Luo Man Tou would actually reformed its skin after a part of it had been torn away…this was the one of the main differences between Bai Luo Man Tou and regular man tou. It was all down to the kneading technique. The dough had been kneaded to the point that it was completely interconnected. Not a single loose part existed. Each layer connected to each other, creating a chewy texture that could be compared to the actual skin.
“Even the Flour Clan’s bread are not as mysterious as this!”
Wang Xi muttered this, and shoved the torn off piece of man tou into his mouth.
Immediately, the scent of Mao Shou milk and Insect Nectar’s blended together into a unique sweetness. Penetrating his whole body all at once.
The soft piece of man tou released a sweet fragrance when bitten into, and actually has a good chewy texture to it.
Soft, not greasy or cloying, also incredibly chewy. It’s texture was certainly different from other kinds of food as it mysteriously slipped down the throat.
[Hong!]
It was when Wang Xi was immersed within the enjoyment of eating Bai Luo Man Tou when the spiritual powers in his body, having received that piece of man tou within his belly, pin pricks of light suddenly began to revolve around his stomach area.
The starlight would not stop flickering, the spiritual waves within Wang Xi’s body was actually being agitated.
The air flowed into something like a whirlpool under the force of spiritual wave…it suddenly solidified and attacked.
Acupoints, open!
Wang Xi’s tightly closed eyes shot open…within his pupils a light shone out.
The one facing this light, was Luo Xiu’s calm face.
Four eyes met!
Wang Xi looked away, his state of mind all shaken.