Da Zaojun

Chapter 177 Mastering the Sweetness of the Five Flavors
After Cat Constable left, Song Wuji continued making pastries.

Since he also planned to host a banquet for the ghosts and gods of the underworld, Song Wuji was reminded of a famous snack from his previous life: "Chifeng Duijia".

High-ranking officials like to eat this stuff; I wonder if the remaining ghosts and gods in the underworld like to eat it too.

Mix millet flour with lard to make an oil paste, spread it evenly on the dough, roll up the dough, cut it into pieces, shape them into cakes, and bake until crispy.

Next, take the best pork belly, marinate it first, then fry it until the skin is crispy, then braise it. After braising, coat the surface with honey and smoke it over fragrant charcoal.

Finally, slice the pancake in half and stuff the chopped pork belly inside.

Of course, once this thing reaches this realm, it should be called "Taichang Jia Dui".

The pork belly and lard are both from an eighth-grade pig demon, which shows their sincerity.

After a busy day, Song Wuji gradually gained some insights. When he made these pastries and glutinous rice cakes, they had a rich and sweet aroma even without being tasted.

This sweet aroma is not just superficial; it also carries the "food fragrance characteristics" of a hearth fire, which has a fatal attraction to ghosts.

With the Qingming Festival approaching, the lantern that Song Wuji hung above the Kitchen God's Office was a modified version of a Yin-Yang Soul-Summoning Lantern.

Then I saw the spirits of the civilians who died in the battle, emerging from a memorial stone inscribed with their names.

The stele was suggested by Song Wuji to Magistrate Tian, ​​but the subsequent work was completed under his supervision. It bears the names of many people, including Scholar Sun Shan, Doctor Li, and even Magistrate Tian later on.

People often linger in front of this monument, some touching the name on it and telling their descendants, "This is your father."

Because so many people died, it was impossible to bury all the remains, so they were all cremated. The ashes were placed behind this inscription, making it a huge tomb.

There are usually incense offerings and worship, but I never expected that so many heroic spirits were actually housed there. Under the rule of Tian Chenghuang, these heroic spirits are still ghosts and have never caused trouble.

At this moment, smelling these sweet aromas, I felt a faint sense of happiness and satisfaction.

Before long, after inhaling the fragrance to their heart's content, all those obsessions and resentments dissipated.

This is a belated ritual to deliver the souls of the deceased.

Seeing this, Song Wuji set up separate offerings, three or five offerings to the ghosts alone, and four or six offerings to the spirits. He also set aside a portion of the food meant for the ghosts and spirits to serve them separately.

"I almost forgot about you all. I hope you enjoy the food and drink. You are the true gods and spirits of Taichang City, the ancestors of most of the people."

But then one of the spirits appeared; it was none other than the old physician Li. The old physician Li had been harmed by the City God's edict, and his soul had even been scattered.

Fortunately, after the memorial to the fallen heroes was erected, incense was burned continuously and sacrifices were offered without ceasing, so gradually their remnant souls were gathered together, or more precisely, the earth soul among their three souls was gathered together.

Physician Li said, “Lord of the Realm, we are like living people down below. We can cultivate the Yin Earth and the blessed fields, and we can also cultivate as pure spirits. We just lack incense and offerings. Please burn paper money and clothes for us on the Three Yuan Festival, Qingming Festival, and Winter Solstice Festival.”

The old physician Li said, "Although we have this stone tablet, which is like a grand building, we need to assist the City God in expanding outwards to the desolate lands of the underworld. In the wilderness, there are wild ghosts, evil spirits, and mysterious realms of the underworld... We need to fight against them."

Upon hearing this, Song Wuji simply said, "Don't worry, since you can cultivate as ghosts in the Netherworld, I will naturally support you. I only hope that you can protect the people of the city."

Song Wuji comforted the spirits of the fallen heroes, then became sorrowful again: "These are the relatives that the people want to see. It's a pity that so many people were left behind nameless and faceless, to be worshipped by their descendants, and ended up as lonely ghosts." After the offerings to the spirits of the fallen heroes, they ate their fill, their bodies became more compact and solid, and then returned to the Netherworld through the Spirit Stele.

After they left, Song Wuji realized that the "Five Sweet Flavors" ritual had been completed and could be done without relying on the city's residents' holiday outings and matchmaking.

It is not for any other reason than to comfort the spirits of our ancestors, just as sweet dew relieves suffering and dispels attachments; this is another kind of sweetness.

The Five Flavors Ritual was completed in part again, but Song Wuji did not stop.

[Making Hundred Flower Pastries to comfort the spirits of the deceased, and to appreciate the sweetness of the five flavors. Life is full of regrets and sorrows, and the sea of ​​suffering is boundless and difficult to escape. Sweetness is the most precious of the five flavors, which can calm the mind, soothe the emotions, and temporarily make people forget their worries. It also slightly increases the resilience of the soul, resulting in the effect: Sweetness.]

Si Tian: We always say that after hardship comes sweetness, but many people never experience sweetness in their lives. So some precious memories, like an old cow chewing its cud, are savored again and again to comfort the soul. They are hidden deep in the heart like treasures, and whenever hardship comes, they can always get through it.

Similar to the savory "food memories," but food memories are about reminiscing about childhood flavors and close friends, while sweet memories are like ruminating on the happiest days of the past. They can inspire people's yearning for a better life, and can also relieve some of the harm and numbness brought by suffering, and increase the resilience of the soul.

After finishing the pastries, Song Wuji tasted one himself and immediately felt cheerful. For some reason, his thoughts suddenly returned to his childhood, when his grandmother was frying sesame balls by the pot, and the aroma of oil and sesame filled the air.

"Grandma! It smells so good! I can't wait!"

"Hahaha! Okay, okay, this is delicious, I'll eat more later!"

"Grandma, this is the first bite for you! You really want it! No faking it!"

Grandma was just about to pretend to take a bite when she heard this, and her heart warmed instantly: "Okay, okay, I'll really eat it!"

Just then, a voice came from the side: "What about Grandpa? Is Grandpa really eating or just pretending?"

Grandpa was faking eating! Grandma was really eating!

……

Song Wuji suddenly understood why the villains in cartoons would yell, "Stop singing!" when they heard children's songs.

Or perhaps it's because when you eat food from your hometown, you subconsciously pause for a moment, then fall into a dreamlike state of reminiscence. When you emerge from that dream, you're moved to tears, and then you turn over a new leaf.

Just like the "Heartbreak Rice" scene in Stephen Chow's movies, why does it make people want to cry?
Is it simply because onions were added?

Perhaps it's because everyone has their own past and experiences.

Life has many flavors, and these flavors are just right to be connected.

Song Wuji thought to himself, “I have mastered the three flavors of saltiness, umami, and sweetness. Bitterness is the underlying tone of most people’s lives, but it is also something I must master. The feeling of not feeling bitterness when eating bitter food and not feeling sweetness when eating sweet food is the most bitter thing. I can try to find the bitterness. As for spices, star anise, ginger, and green onions are all spices, and they are not difficult to master.”

There may not be any more secret realms related to ingredients within Taichang territory, but achieving the seventh rank is an urgent matter.

With only the strength of an eighth-rank cultivator, Song Wuji only dared to guard Taichang City. Only after reaching the seventh rank and completing the ritual of inviting ghosts and gods would he have the confidence to expand and explore beyond.

(End of this chapter)