Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

Shen Qing pushed the cart out of the stall.

The academy is located in a rather remote area, not in a bustling or prosperous place, and is rather quiet and deserted.

Shen Qing parked her stall cart at the entrance of the academy, and set up her stall amidst the sound of students reading aloud.

There weren't many people around, but the academy itself was crowded, and everyone was studying diligently.

Shen Qing sighed. This task was clearly much more difficult than the previous two.

Previously, whether it was the morning market or the ghost market, it was a place where people gathered. But at the entrance of the academy, although there were scholars, there were not many people on the road.

She lit the stove, and under the high temperature, the braised pork bones in the pot gradually emitted an enticing aroma.

The aroma wafted through the academy gates and into the academy itself.

"Those who wish to govern their state must first regulate their families; those who wish to regulate their families must first cultivate their personal lives..."

The teacher above was lecturing with his head swaying, when suddenly his nose twitched twice, and a fragrance entered his nasal cavity.

The aroma was rich and intense, with a subtle sweetness that made him swallow hard.

But he still tried his best to control himself, after all, this was a class.

"Those who wish to rectify their hearts must first make their intentions sincere..."

The explanation continued, but the thoughts drifted away.

I wonder which family is cooking? It smells so delicious.

Perhaps it was because he was hungry.

Judging that it was about time, I finished explaining this and then let everyone leave so we could have lunch.

Master Zheng could control himself, but the scholars below could not.

For a moment, they began to whisper and murmur among themselves.

"It smells so good!"

"Can you smell that? What's that? It smells amazing!"

"Oh my god, I can't take it anymore, my mouth is watering!"

"..."

Almost no students could resist; their minds were no longer on their books, but only on trying the flavor.

Master Zheng wasn't blind, so of course he saw the situation of the students below.

He threw the book directly on the table and sneered, "The desires of the palate are like an anthill bursting its banks; unless one is unaware, they will eventually become uncontrollable!"

"How can one understand principles and cultivate oneself while indulging in gluttony? You have studied diligently for many years; how could you not understand this principle?"

At this, all the students below fell silent, no longer daring to whisper among themselves, and obediently picked up their books.

They come here to study hard for the sake of passing the imperial examinations and for the sake of governing the country and benefiting the people. How can they let a few bites of food corrupt their minds?

The students below all looked ashamed.

Seeing this, Master Zheng nodded with satisfaction and continued his lecture.

However, the fragrance grew stronger and stronger, swirling throughout the room, and the sound of students swallowing their saliva could be heard one after another.

Master Zheng coughed and cleared his throat: "It's time, everyone, please rest and have your meal."

After saying that, he closed the book and walked out the door.

The academy had its own kitchen, and after students paid their tuition fees, they basically ate and slept at the academy.

Of course, students who live close to home will also go home.

Today's meal consisted of steamed buns and pickled vegetables, along with porridge made from brown rice.

This is the most common food at the academy.

For scholars, food is merely for sustenance, and indulging in gluttony is considered a sin.

As usual, Master Zheng took two steamed buns, a bowl of porridge, and a small serving of pickled vegetables.

I took a bite, and my mouth felt all rough. I chewed for a long time, but I still couldn't swallow it.

I barely managed to drink a mouthful of porridge before flushing it down.

"Sigh!" For some inexplicable reason, he sighed.

The lingering aroma on my nose assaulted my senses, creating a stark contrast with the steamed bun and pickled vegetables in my mouth.

The food I eat every day seems particularly hard to swallow today.

"Just indulging in gluttony," he scoffed.

After saying that, he took another big bite of the steamed bun.

......

After Master Zheng left, all the students couldn't control themselves and headed out of the academy.

"It smells so good, it seems to be coming from outside."

"Yes, although we shouldn't indulge in our cravings, it should be fine if we only try a little bit."

"Yes, yes, everything will be fine."

"Look! There's a stall at the entrance of the academy!!"

"..."

Shen Qing waited for a long time before finally seeing a large group of people heading towards his stall.

As long as there are customers, her food will definitely sell.

"What are you selling? It smells so good!" asked Li Shun, the student running in front, his face full of anticipation.

In an instant, a group of students rushed up and surrounded Shen Qing's stall, asking him all sorts of questions.

Shen Qing smiled and introduced, "Braised pork ribs, 60 coins per piece."

"60 coins? That's so expensive!" Li Shun exclaimed in surprise, his eyes wide.

"Yeah, that's way too exaggerated. There doesn't look like much meat on those bones." Another person next to him chimed in, swallowing hard as he spoke.

"Whether it's worth it or not, you'll know once you try it," Shen Qing said confidently.

Of course, the price wasn't set by her, but by the system, mainly to prevent the host from selling food cheaply and taking advantage of loopholes to complete the mission.

Li Shun hesitated, gazing at the braised pork bones in front of him. The reddish-brown color of the bones had an amber glow, and he could even see the white bone marrow inside.

The rich and mellow aroma kept surging into my nose, like an unstoppable army that directly conquered the high ground.

He touched his money pouch, gritted his teeth, and took out sixty coins.

"I want one!"

Shen Qing quickly scooped a piece of silver from the pot and asked, "Are you going to eat it right away? It's best when it's hot."

Li Shun swallowed again: "Just eat it."

Shen Qing used a large spoon to hand the braised pork ribs to Li Shun, indicating that he should take them with his hands.

For a long while, Li Shun didn't move, as if he had been shocked.

After a long pause, he finally asked, "Do you have chopsticks?"

"No, you can't use chopsticks to eat braised pork ribs, you can just hold them with your hands and gnaw on them," Shen Qing replied.

With your hands?

Li Shun glanced at the large bone covered in sauce and involuntarily took a step back.

Gnawing on something with your bare hands—how is that any different from being a savage?

That's incredibly rude! This is a disservice to Master Zheng's teachings.

He had only intended to have a simple taste, but he never expected that appreciating a delicious meal would require such an impolite act.

After hesitating for a long time, he remembered what Master Zheng had just said.

The desires of the palate are like an ant hole breaching a dam; at first, they go unnoticed, but over time, they become uncontrollable!

He took a few more steps back.

Just as Shen Qing was wondering, Li Shun's voice rang out:

"I...I...I don't want it anymore."

After saying that, the sound of swallowing saliva was heard.

Shen Qing was taken aback, and then immediately understood that the scholar disliked the idea of ​​holding the food in his hands and chewing on it, as it was considered unseemly.

But there's no way around it, that's why braised pork ribs taste so good.

She didn't make things difficult for Li Shun, nodded, and prepared to put the braised pork bone back into the pot.

Just then, another voice rang out:

"Wait, I want that big bone!!"