Food gives me an entry, I will be invincible if I stay alive

Chapter 169 I have always possessed the ability to communicate with the supernatural.
On April 26, Wu Zhengze and others set off back to Jichuan.

At Feng Yuanbai's invitation, Chen Xu stayed temporarily at Feng's villa.

This villa is not large, with only two courtyards. It is not far from the academy in the prefecture. Chen Xu can go to the academy to attend classes on a regular basis, and Feng Yuanbai can also come over often to teach him and give him extra tutoring.

On this day, Chen Xu finally wrote down his experience in the ghost market in a dreamlike tone.

He said, “I have a special ability to communicate with spirits, and I often encounter ghosts in my dreams. That night, the moonlight was bright, and I was walking alone in the courtyard when I unknowingly entered a market. I saw white paper lanterns and shadowy figures moving about…”

He used a chilling and eerie language to describe the various scenes in the ghost market that were different from those in the human world.

It could be "Long streets shrouded in mist, haunted by ghosts", or "Heart and liver ripped out, arms bitten and fingers devoured", or "Two sides of life, both withered and flourishing, tragically beautiful", and so on.

In short, although the background is fictional, it actually tells the story of the author's real experiences in the ghost market.

After all, what fictional story in this world could be so vivid as to surpass the real underworld?
Especially when it comes to the Ghost Market, where mortals find it difficult to enter or leave, only a masterpiece of unparalleled verse can open the path to the underworld and allow one to return to the mortal realm.

The plot twists are particularly thrilling and full of unexpected twists.

If a reader reaches this point, they will naturally be captivated, arousing strong curiosity and anticipation.

Thus, Chen Xu's goal was achieved.

He knew that although people loved poetry and literature, most poems, no matter how exquisite the language, would eventually only circulate among the upper and middle classes.

But in this world, the largest proportion of the population is never the middle and upper class of scholars, but rather the ordinary people who seem mediocre and nameless, yet are actually everywhere.

Ordinary people may not necessarily love reading, but they certainly love listening to bizarre stories and novel tales.

After all, that's human nature; who doesn't like to hear strange tales?
Whether it's highbrow or lowbrow, gossip and unusual stories always have a way of touching people's hearts.

This is actually the same path by which the two stories about "creating livestock" spread.

Write about extraordinary scenes, extraordinary people, and extraordinary events.

Once the reader's interest is piqued, the next question is whether the poems and prose in the story can achieve the effect of "amazing even ghosts and gods, and stirring the mortal world."

It must be appreciated by both humans and ghosts to truly appreciate its extraordinary nature and to be truly moving.

The three poems in the ghost market are naturally without any problem.

This is the book "Tales of Gods and Ghosts" that Chen Xu and Cui Yunqi mentioned last time.

He said a few days ago that he would write it and hand it to Cui Yunqi, but it was delayed. It's not too late to finish it now.

With the final stroke, Chen Xu added the first draft to the Fireworks Kitchen.

He then recited it from memory and wrote it down a second time.

This was done because after the first draft of the first volume of "Tales of Gods and Ghosts" was completed, Chen Xu discovered that entries were also showing up at the top of the manuscript:

[A remarkable first draft, possessing a subtle literary quality, which may be used to create spiritual food related to literature.]

If this article spreads widely in the future and its literary quality deepens, it may have unexpected and remarkable effects.

This is quite interesting, and Chen Xu naturally wanted to keep the manuscript.

Along with the original two pieces of "Creating Animals" and the original manuscript of "Ode to a Knight-Errant," similar entries have been created for these works.

Chen Xu currently has several poems, but the only one whose original manuscript is still in his possession is "The Knight-Errant".

The entry for "Xia Ke Xing" differs from the previous articles.

[A draft of a poem, "Green Smoke," with its flowing and elegant style, though not yet encompassing mountains and rivers, already radiates a chivalrous spirit. This poem is still evolving...]

The phrase "still undergoing transformation" made Chen Xu feel as if he had returned to the summit of Qihe Mountain, even though he was only standing in this small courtyard in the deep alley of the city.

From this vantage point, one can look down upon the mountains and rivers, and observe the wind and rain.

His heart stands high, a quality essential for long-term success.

But he himself was standing very low at that moment.

The title of top scorer in the provincial examination of the small Yunjiang Prefecture is quite prestigious, but what can he actually hold onto?

Chen Xu put away the manuscript and left the study.

He walked down the small steps of the courtyard. Feng Yuanbai had arranged seven or eight servants in this villa, from stewards to cleaners, leaving nothing out. He saw Chen Xu pass through the small garden in the courtyard and head straight for the east wing of the villa.

The servants sweeping the road quickly bowed and greeted him: "Master Chen."

Then, to everyone's astonishment, Chen Xu walked into the kitchen in the east courtyard.

The cook was so startled that she dropped the spatula. "Ouch!" she cried out in a panic. "Master Chen, this kitchen is so filthy, how could I ask you to come here personally? Is there something I did wrong?"

Chen Xu walked a few steps in the kitchen and found that although it was a separate courtyard kitchen, the level of detail in the functional division was even more refined than that of the kitchen at Gaosheng Inn.

The variety of kitchen utensils has also increased, especially for pastry and dessert dishes.

This small kitchen has a dedicated steamer and oven, and a wide variety of ingredients, some of which Chen Xu can't even buy outside.

Chen Xu recalled what Master Hong had said before: You would never guess where the best pastry chef in the entire Yunjiang Prefecture is.

Master Hong also said that Chen Xu would know the answer if he went to the Qiheshan Literary Gathering.

In fact, Chen Xu did not get an answer at the Qiheshan Literary Gathering.

But now, seeing the small kitchen in the Feng family's villa, and recalling the exquisite pastries flowing on the trays by the winding stream at the Qihe Mountain literary gathering, I realized that...

Chen Xu suddenly realized: Where is the best pastry chef?
It seems that he was not among the common people, but rather from a prominent family.

That's it!

But is that really the case?
Chen Xu couldn't draw a conclusion yet; he simply asked the cook, "What are you best at making? Make a few for me to see."

The cook exclaimed "Ai!" and quickly perked up. Although she felt that Chen Xu's instructions were a bit strange, she immediately said warmly, "Then please move aside, Mr. Chen. It's smoky and noisy in here. I'm afraid I'll offend you."

"My specialty is the Jadeite Roll, which is filled with a variety of ingredients. Please tell me what you like and what you can't eat."

She took several small, snow-white dishes and placed in them, in turn, Taihu white shrimp, chopped water chestnuts from Yunheng County, pine nuts from the mountains, matsutake mushrooms, and shredded winter bamboo shoots...

Each time she brought out an ingredient, she would explain its origin.

All ingredients are valued for their quality rather than quantity. From origin and season to transportation, preservation, and acquisition, everything is carefully considered.

Although Chen Xu possessed the Culinary Manual and always believed that he had attained enlightenment through food, he had never made such a grand display when preparing any dish before.

And this was just a random cook in Magistrate Feng's villa, yet she was already so meticulous in preparing and cooking food.

Chen Xu was unaware that Magistrate Feng had sent his family's best cook, whose skills had been passed down for the longest time and whom he always took with him, to a separate residence.

Although the Feng family is not as prosperous as before, its heritage remains.

As the saying goes, "clothes last for three generations, food lasts for five generations," and this is the best cook in the Feng family, so how could she be anything but good?

Chen Xu carefully observed the cook's movements, noting that she was efficient and not flustered, and that the main and auxiliary ingredients were well-matched. He couldn't help but nod in approval.

This was a completely different style from Master Hong's. Chen Xu watched and learned, and sometimes asked a few questions.

The cook had no idea that this distinguished guest of her master was actually trying to learn cooking from her; she had only thought he was testing her.

She was respectful and enthusiastic, answering every question without hesitation, using all her strength, hoping that the other party would speak well of her in front of their lord.

"This 'Jadeite Roll' not only requires meticulous fillings, but the key lies in its jadeite-colored silk skin."

The cook enthusiastically explained, "The purpose of this ice silk skin is twofold: to adjust the color and to make it light and thin. It must be as green as jade, as thin as a cicada's wing, and yet resilient without breaking."

In the small kitchen, Chen Xu gradually walked over and took the initiative to try it out.

The cook was initially a little anxious: "Master Chen, these sheets of dough need to be steamed one by one in the pot. The thickness and the heat must be controlled very well... Oh, how come you spread this ice silk dough so evenly?"

Later, the cook started wrapping a stack of glass and jade rolls, and Chen Xu also started wrapping a stack of glass and jade rolls.

"Master Chen, what do you put in this filling?" the cook asked curiously.

Chen Xu smiled but did not answer, only saying, "Later, Steward Sun can try it."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a familiar laugh came from outside the door: "Xuzhi, what new insights have you gained? What delicious dishes have you prepared?"

(End of this chapter)