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

Chapter 303 Food is the most important thing for the people, and the true fire burns the elixir.

Chen Xu went out and arrived at the streets of Pingyang Prefecture.

He kept pondering the two clues from the jade burial suit: there are wondrous images at the bottom of the well, and a hundred flavors in the marketplace.

He could go down into the well at any time to investigate the secrets at the bottom, but as for the flavors of the marketplace, Chen Xu felt that he had just realized something at this moment.

He didn't rush down the well, precisely because he had realized something.

Therefore, Chen Xu decided to add fuel to the fire.

As for how to add fuel to the fire, one must naturally go into the streets and observe more closely.

Baique Street was bustling with people.

There are all kinds of shops on both sides, at least a third of which are related to food.

It could be a grain store or rice shop, a general store selling all kinds of oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, or a restaurant, tavern, or pastry shop, etc.

Because of the hot weather, there were also shops specializing in beverages.

They don't sell anything else, just a variety of refreshing drinks.

If ice is added, the price will double.

Although Baique Street is located in the southern part of the city, it is still quite prosperous, and a considerable number of the locals are willing to spend money to buy drinks with ice.

But this world is also fragmented.

Some people are willing to spend a lot of money just to eat iced drinks in the summer, while others hide in a corner and gnaw on coarse flour buns covered in dust on the ground, fighting tooth and nail for a bite to eat.

Those were beggars on the roadside.

They fought in a dark alley, and in the end, a thin, blood-covered boy smashed his opponent's head with a mud brick.

After his opponent fell, he carefully picked up the dirty piece of steamed bun from the ground, his eyes shining as if he had found a treasure.

He quickly blew the dust and stains off the steamed bun.

Of course, this action was futile.

The bun was already covered in filth, so how could it possibly be cleaned by blowing?

The boy didn't care. He just cherished the food and started eating from the dirtiest part, looking around warily as he ate.

Then, he bent over, quickly climbed over the high wall beside the alley, and fled the scene.

Even after he escaped, he only ate half of that dirty steamed bun.

He carefully tucked the remaining half into his arms, his movements even more meticulous than those of Aunt Xiao, who had received the meat pie earlier.

It's as if this dirty steamed bun is the most delicious food in the world, something to be cherished and handled with utmost care.

Is a dirty steamed bun really that delicious?
No, a dirty steamed bun is not tasty, but for people who are starving and impoverished to a certain extent, any food that they can control should be the ultimate delicacy.

This is the secret to why steamed buns are "delicious"!

Thinking of this, the flames in Chen Xu's dantian grew stronger without him even realizing it.

He was slightly shaken.

It's not unusual for beggars to fight, but Chen Xu found the answer to the question of "what kind of food is the most delicious in the world" for the first time.

This answer is not unique; it varies from person to person.

For that small group of people who are used to a life of luxury, they want to eat refined food, exotic food, food that they have never heard of or seen before, and food that is effective and spiritual!

This is what is conventionally considered a top-tier delicacy.

For ordinary people like Aunt Xiao, the definition of "delicious" is much simpler.

Beautiful, fresh, and satisfying to the taste buds – that’s what makes it “delicious”!
If it is meat, it is even better.

why?
Because people need to eat meat. Eating meat makes people strong, and the more expensive something is, the more expensive it becomes, and the cheaper something is, the cheaper it becomes.

For a beggar who has to fight tooth and nail for every bite of food, nothing is unpalatable.

Anything that can fill your stomach is good food!
The flames in Chen Xu's dantian continued to grow stronger. He continued to walk on Baique Street, observing the various aspects of life in the city, but only observing and not participating.

He sometimes buys street food to try.

For example, sheep's milk cheese, which was also known as ice crystal agate at the time, was said to be a way of eating that originated in the palace. When it reached the common people, it naturally became a symbol of high price.

If ordinary people eat a bowl of this, they will feel completely comfortable and can boast about it for days.

There are also affordable items, such as roasted pork skin sold on the roadside.

Despite the sweltering summer heat, the business of roasted pork skin was more than several times better than that of goat milk cheese.

The stall was surrounded by people, and the aroma of roasted pork skin could be smelled from afar.

There are also seasonings sprinkled on top, sizzling and fragrant with oil.

When the wind blew over, the aroma was even more overpowering and irresistible than the thousand-layer roasted meat pie that Chen Xu had made before.

Chen Xu saw a child staring at the meat stall with his mouth watering, refusing to move. The adults patted and hit him, coaxed and persuaded him, which eventually led to a quarrel between the parents.

The child ultimately didn't get to eat the pork skin and meat; all that was heard was the father sighing sadly:
"It's not that we're reluctant to give you this. Do you think we can afford it? The weather is so hot these days, and we've already spoiled a few batches of tofu. We won't be able to open for business today."

You're enjoying your meat, but what if we can't afford rice and grain? Are we going to starve to death in the city?

Your mother has been so worried about this that she hasn't eaten for two days. Look at her... Oh, Su Niang! What's wrong with you?"

As he spoke, he noticed that his wife's expression was off, as if she was full of conflicting emotions.

The man pressed for details, and his wife suddenly gritted her teeth and said, "Honey, I have actually eaten something these past two days."

I secretly used some of the cloudy wine from home to wash away the white mold from the tofu, then mixed it with salt and ate it.

I originally thought that eating this stuff might shorten my lifespan, but to my surprise, not only am I fine, but I'm still alive and well.

That tofu is edible, and it's delicious!

The man's expression changed drastically. He was both anxious and angry, and couldn't help but say angrily, "Are you... are you crazy?"

You said you felt suffocated and couldn't eat, but it turns out you ate those spoiled tofu pieces.

Are you out of your mind?

“But I’m still alive, I’m even doing very well,” Su Niang said stubbornly.

The man was furious: "How could you do this?!"

He was anxious, but Su Niang was very bold:
"Anyway, I'm alive. Boss, what do you think about that stuff? With some added seasoning, could we sell it? It's a new dish, nobody's ever eaten it before."

The man stared at him, then exclaimed, "Are you crazy? It's one thing if you eat it and nothing happens to you, but you actually want to sell it? Aren't you afraid of causing problems for your customers?"

Su Niang said, "It's so hot these days, some tofu will spoil if we don't sell it all, and our lives are getting harder and harder."

Now that a way out has been found, how can we not seize it?
Don't worry, I'll try it for a while longer, maybe ten days, half a month, or even a month or two. If I'm still fine after that, then this product can definitely be sold!

"Let's go home. From now on, I'll make sure my son can afford to eat roasted pork skin too."

Su Niang led her husband and son back to a tofu shop not far away, while Chen Xu, who had witnessed everything, had a single thought pop into his mind:
Fermented bean curd!

fermented bean curd!
He already understood that the reason the woman was unharmed after eating the moldy tofu was because she had accidentally made fermented bean curd.

Chen Xu suddenly felt a wonderful sense of witnessing "food history".

He suddenly gained a completely new understanding of the Food God's Manual he was practicing.

(End of this chapter)