I practiced my spirituality alone in Hong Kong.

Back in Shek Tong Tsui, Li Chang'an was about to escort Ruan Xiaotang upstairs.

I happened to run into a few uncles and aunts who were walking downstairs, fanning themselves with palm-leaf fans.

The uncle walking at the front had his eyes light up the moment he saw Li Chang'an, and immediately called out with a smile:

"Anzai, you've really made something of yourself these days! Where have you been making your fortune lately? You've been keeping it well hidden!"

"That's right, that's right! Don't forget about us old neighbors now that Anzai's made it big!"

Li Chang'an was completely bewildered.

I asked and found out that the deliveryman from Daimaru Department Store had brought a refrigerator, a color TV, and a washing machine to my door that afternoon.

The noise from moving the goods was so loud that the whole building knew about it.

None of the neighbors in the building expected that Li Chang'an, a young man who had previously been burdened with a large debt and had to sell his house and car to move in, would suddenly be able to purchase a complete set of home appliances.

Everyone guessed that Li Chang'an's family business had recovered and he was now a small business owner.

An older woman in a floral shirt smiled and said:

"Anzai, you're not getting any younger. I have a younger sister on my family's side. She graduated from medical school and is quite pretty. Would you like to meet her sometime?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the other aunties around couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward to introduce him:

"Anzai, my aunt's family has a daughter, which is quite nice."

"My aunt's family..."

Seeing everyone chattering and introducing their potential partners, Li Chang'an broke out in a cold sweat, feeling that it was harder than fighting ten people.

Just then, Ruan Xiaotang, who had been silent all along, suddenly stepped in front of Li Chang'an, like a mother hen protecting her chicks, and said urgently:

"Uncle and Aunt, Brother Chang'an is exhausted today, so please don't tease him. My mom is calling us home to cook, so we'll be going now!"

"Eh—"

The older women watched as Ruan Xiaotang took Li Chang'an's arm and ran upstairs, and couldn't help but mutter among themselves:

"Why is this little girl from the Shen family so possessive of her food...?"

……

……

Ruan Xiaotang hurriedly pulled Li Chang'an into the house, and only when she saw Shen Daining did she realize that she was still holding Li Chang'an's hand tightly, and hurriedly let go.

Shen Daining didn't notice the blush on her daughter's face, assuming it was from running upstairs and getting tired. She said to Li Chang'an:

"Chang'an, the deliverymen will be bringing the refrigerator, washing machine, and TV this afternoon. I'll open your door and have them install them."

"Thank you for your help, Aunt Shen. From now on, if you need to do laundry or watch TV, please feel free to use my place."

"I want to go to Chang'an's house to watch TV too!"

Ruan Xiaotang excitedly raised her hand.

But Li Chang'an and Shen Daining shouted in unison:

"No!"

"...Why? Brother Chang'an already invited Mom."

"Because you're taking the college entrance exam next year, and students taking exams have no human rights."

Ruan Xiaotang's face immediately fell. She felt a pang of jealousy, secretly envious that her mother could openly go to Chang'an's house to watch TV.

After reprimanding Ruan Xiaotang, Li Chang'an quickly picked up the large pot and small bowls and went outside to prepare to cook.

However, Ruan Xiaotang rolled up her sleeves and followed along with great interest.

Li Chang'an looked at her with a puzzled expression.

Ruan Xiaotang puffed out her chest: "I want to cook with you too!"

She wasn't just saying it casually. Shen Daining had always been in poor health, and before Li Chang'an moved in, she had been in charge of all the meals at home.

In addition, Ruan Xiaotang had been working at a food stall for a long time, and she felt that her cooking skills were seriously underestimated.

Today is the perfect opportunity to show off my skills in front of Brother Chang'an and demonstrate my feminine strength!

Seeing this, Li Chang'an casually tossed the grouper to her, saying, "Then you can stew the fish for me."

Ruan Xiaotang's eyes lit up, and she said with a smile:

"Brother Chang'an, fish soup is much harder to make than poached chicken. If you entrust the fish to me, doesn't that mean you trust me more?"

Li Chang'an shook his head: "I'm afraid you'll ruin such a good Wenchang chicken."

"Poached chicken may look simple, but it is actually the dish that tests your basic skills the most in Cantonese cuisine."

The water can't be too boiling, nor too cold. Too much heat and the meat will be tough; too little and it won't be cooked through. It looks simple, but it's actually much harder to get right than frying fish or braising meat. You can't do it.

Ruan Xiaotang pursed her lips, looking completely unconcerned, thinking he was making a mountain out of a molehill.

She turned around and bent down to scrape the fish scales, but her ears were secretly perked up, listening to Li Chang'an's voice.

Ruan Xiaotang secretly made up her mind: if Li Chang'an messes up later, she will give him a good scolding and then show off her special skill to impress him.

Just thinking about how she would teach the usually omnipotent Chang'an brother a lesson made her lips curl up, and she even let out a soft hum.

On the other side, Li Chang'an turned on the gas stove, carefully controlling the water temperature. Once the temperature was right, he lifted the chicken by the head and slowly immersed the tender chicken body into the water.

After his mental attributes improved, his memories of the past became clearer. He remembered a time when his father took him to a long-established restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui as a child, and the old chef in the kitchen once said something:

"The key to making good poached chicken is to poach it thoroughly, not boil it."

Li Chang'an dipped the chicken in boiling water three times to ensure even heating inside and out, then turned the heat down to a simmer.

Practicing martial arts not only strengthens the body but also enhances the spirit, making practitioners more acute in their observation of the energy of all things.

As Li Chang'an gained a deeper understanding of martial arts principles, his control over timing and intensity also became more refined.

Before long, the sweet and mellow aroma of chicken filled the entire small house.

As soon as the chicken was cooked, he immediately took it out and immersed it in the prepared cold boiled water to chill it.

After a short while, the chicken skin, which had been rinsed with cold water, became taut, crisp, and smooth, with a bright white color.

Li Chang'an swiftly chopped the chicken into even pieces, arranged them on a plate, chopped ginger and scallions, and poured boiling hot oil over it, instantly releasing an aroma.

The whole process takes about twenty minutes, and a plate of authentic Wenchang poached chicken is ready.

At this moment, Ruan Xiaotang had just finished scaling the fish and hurriedly threw it into the pot, added water, and started cooking.

Soon, a layer of grayish-black foam rose to the surface of the pot, making the soup look murky and giving it an earthy smell.

Ruan Xiaotang knew she must have cooked something wrong. She glanced at Li Chang'an subconsciously, then twisted her hands together and lowered her head like a little girl who had done something wrong.

Li Chang'an shook his head helplessly and said:

"You put the fish directly into the cold water without frying it first, and you didn't wash the blood away completely, so the soup is naturally fishy and cloudy. You also turned the heat up too high."

Li Chang'an walked over, first turned down the heat, then gently skimmed off the foam on the surface with a spoon, and then carefully scooped the whole fish out.

"Before making fish soup, it's best to pan-fry the fish until both sides are slightly golden brown. High-temperature frying can evaporate the fishy smell from the surface of the fish skin and flesh, while also locking in the freshness."

"Furthermore, frying the fish will render out its fat. When you add boiling water later, the rendered fat will emulsify and turn the fish soup white as soon as it comes into contact with the boiling water..."

While patiently teaching, Li Chang'an also reheated the fish soup.

Soon, the new pot of fish soup turned an enticing milky white, and the fresh aroma of fish slowly wafted out.

Ruan Xiaotang stood aside, looking at the fish soup that was completely different before and after, and knew that she had lost miserably.

But instead of acting like a victor, she walked up to Li Chang'an, hands on her hips, and said, "You beat Chang'an, so you have to punish me from now on!"

Looking at the little girl's huffy expression, Li Chang'an found it both amusing and adorable: "What punishment do you want me to give you?"

Ruan Xiaotang's cheeks flushed slightly as she declared confidently:

"Punish me... punish me so that Mom and I have to eat your cooking every day from now on!"