Everyday Life Starting with Food Wars

"Xiao Hui! Xiao Hui, cheer up!" Yoshino Yuuki was so frightened that she quickly shook her. "Don't die! Don't be scared to death before you go to hell!"

Soma Yukihira got excited and scratched his head, saying, "Oh! That sounds really interesting! Does that mean that everyone who survives that training program will be an elite of Totsuki Academy? If everyone passes, can our Polaris Dormitory just dominate the first year?"

"Idiot, do you think this is a spring outing?!" the others shouted in unison.

Chen Yuxing sighed helplessly, then put down the paper cup in his hand and walked over to Tadokoro Megumi. At this moment, Tadokoro Megumi was mechanically drawing the character "人" (person) on her left palm, then pretending to eat it, while muttering to herself, "Don't be nervous, don't be nervous, don't be nervous..."

Chen Yuxing stepped forward and grabbed Tadokoro Megumi's hand, interrupting her actions.

“Ah… Hoshi-kun…” Tadokoro Megumi raised her head with tears in her eyes, her golden eyes filled with panic.

"Alright, Xiaohui, drawing the character '人' won't help. No matter how much you eat, you'll still be nervous when the time comes." Chen Yuxing's tone was calm, carrying a reassuring power. "Starting tomorrow, come find me in the communal kitchen two hours after dinner."

"What...what do you want?"

"What else can I do?" Chen Yuxing released Tadokoro Megumi's hand. "Of course, I'll give you special training. I'll give you different tasks and put pressure on you in various ways. As long as you can keep up with my pressure, going to the dormitory training is just a formality. I believe in you."

Tadokoro Megumi froze, then rubbed her eyes hard with the back of her hand. As the panic subsided, it was replaced by a determined look: "Yes! I will do my best! I will definitely not hold Polar Star Dormitory back!"

Chapter 17 Residential Training

Over the next few days, the daily routine at Totsuki Academy proceeded smoothly, but a sense of tension emerged.

On the surface, both theoretical and practical classes were conducted as usual, but in classrooms large and small, there was a sense of impending storm. The teachers of practical classes were becoming increasingly strict, giving an "E" grade for the slightest mistake. Every day, different people were leaving the college with their suitcases.

However, Chen Yuxing was not affected by these things and went to class as usual.

However, since the Food Wars series, he now receives Food Wars challenge letters every now and then. Most of the challengers are names he has never heard of, and the stakes are at most a bento box or a seat in some fringe research club.

Chen Yuxing did not accept the food challenge like last time. He politely replied to each challenge with a handwritten letter, which said something like, "I have limited energy recently, but I welcome any friendly competition."

Several replies were seen by Ryoko Sakaki, who happened to be passing by the mailbox. After returning to her dormitory, she talked about it as news in the cafeteria. Daigo Aoki said indignantly, "These people are just trying to ride on your fame," while Shoji Sato thought, "The meal is too cheap."

However, the frequency of challenge letters did decrease after that.

Chen Yuxing's attention these past few days has been completely drawn to the rewards distributed by the system.

In the dead of night, most people on the first floor of the Polaris Dormitory were asleep, except for one light still on in front of the No. 1 cooking station.

Chen Yuxing stood in front of the cutting board, looking at a piece of old dough that emitted a slightly sour smell. This was the reward given by "The Book of Cookery"—Shu Han Old Dough.

Logically speaking, the so-called Shu Han Old Dough is not a lump of dough that has been preserved for thousands of years. Instead, each time it is made, the dough saved from the previous batch is kneaded together with the dough of the current batch. Then, after the current batch is finished, a portion is saved and kneaded for the next batch. Therefore, as long as enough dough is kneaded, no matter how many times it is made, a portion of the original dough will always be preserved. So, Shu Han Old Dough is probably just a dough with a better fermentation effect.

However, the Shu Han old dough given in "The Book of Gourmet Food" is practically a living organism. Its fermentation activity is ridiculously strong. It was only taken out a short time ago, and it has already expanded to twice its size like an inflated balloon. Moreover, the gluten stretch limit is five to six times that of ordinary flour. For chefs who make pastries, this is definitely a priceless treasure.

"call……"

Chen Yuxing took a deep breath, took out a rolling pin from under the counter, and planned to try using the White Snake Refining Technique given in the "Book of Gourmet" to process the Shu Han Old Noodles.

Slightly bend your left leg and engage your waist muscles.

"Shh-"

The rolling pin suddenly spun in his hand. He didn't use brute force to smash it, but relied on the skill of his wrist to make the rolling pin draw an arc above the dough.

As the hand speed increased, even black afterimages were drawn in the air, like a nimble black snake slithering across the cutting board.

This rotating force continuously pulls on the Shu Han dough, stretching and folding it in mid-air, forcibly breaking up the uneven air bubbles in the dough and smoothing out its gluten structure.

A few minutes later, when Chen Yuxing stopped working, sweat was already sliding down his nose, and on the table lay a piece of dough that was as smooth as jade and exuded a faint aroma of wheat.

"The dough is so active. Only with this kind of old dough and this kneading technique can you make the 'soothing noodles' that are fragrant and calming even without thick soup, or the 'Four Gods Seafood Eight Treasure Buns' that support the four flavors of sour, sweet, bitter and spicy cooked with eight kinds of seafood."

Just as he was about to cover the dough with a damp cloth to let it rise, he suddenly heard the sound of someone swallowing saliva behind him.

Looking back, I saw Yukihira Soma with an apple in his mouth, peeking out from behind the door frame. His eyes were fixed on the old man from Shu Han, and his eyes were practically glowing green.

"Ah Xing is too freakish... What was that black afterimage he created by swinging that rolling pin just now? Is that kung fu?" Yukihira Soma muttered to himself, then looked down at his wrist.

"Want to learn?" Chen Yuxing casually picked up the leftover scraps of dough and threw them at Yukihira Soma, hitting him squarely in the face. "You can't learn just by watching. This kneading method is called 'circling,' which uses external force to knead the gluten, making the messy gluten more organized."

"Okay! I got it!" Soma ripped off a piece of dough and charged toward his workbench with fighting spirit. "I won't go to sleep until I've turned this dough into something like this tonight!"

For the next few hours, the only sounds in the kitchen were Chen Yuxing's rhythmic chopping of vegetables and Yukihira Soma's occasional screams of "Ouch, I've thrown dough in my face again!"

……

Another day passed, and dinner was over.

As agreed, Tadokoro Megumi took a deep breath and walked into the communal kitchen.

As soon as she opened the door, she felt as if the temperature in the air had dropped by five degrees.

Chen Yuxing stood in front of the kitchen counter, arms crossed, face expressionless, even his eyes revealing a cold indifference that kept strangers at bay.

This posture is exactly like that of Roland Chappell, the "Never-Smiling Chef".

"You're twenty seconds late, Tadokoro Megumi," Chen Yuxing said coldly. "If this were an exam, this kind of time management would be enough for me to give you a red card."

"I...I'm sorry!" Tadokoro Megumi bowed like a startled rabbit, her hands gripping the edge of her apron tightly.

"Enough with the nonsense. Go to table number three. Today's task is to make a dish using the basket of fish and leftover vegetables on the table. From turning on the stove to plating, you have twenty minutes. If you don't meet my requirements, you'll be responsible for cleaning the entire kitchen tonight."

Chen Yuxing took a step forward, staring intently at Tadokoro Megumi, his tone filled with intense pressure.

Megumi Tadokoro's breathing became erratic. She rushed to the kitchen counter, and her hands trembled uncontrollably as soon as they touched the knife.

Her mind was filled with Chen Yuxing's cold gaze. The more she wanted to cut the vegetables and fish quickly, the less her hands would obey her commands.

"Are you fighting with thin air by holding that knife?"

Chen Yuxing had somehow appeared behind her, his voice deliberately lowered as he spoke in her ear, "If you're afraid that fish will bite you, I suggest you don't do it. Take off your apron and go straight to your room to sleep."

"No, no, I can cut it..."

Megumi Tadokoro bit her lip and swung the knife down, but before she knew it, the fish slipped, causing the blade to veer off course.

"Hiss—" A slight stinging sensation came from the fingertip, and a drop of blood appeared.

She hurriedly tried to pull her hand away, but her heart pounded with even more panic—oh no, she'd already cut her hand so quickly, Ah Xing was definitely going to yell at her.

But the expected scolding did not come.

A dry, thick hand grasped her wrist.

Then, Chen Yuxing's voice returned to its usual gentle tone.

"Don't move."

The cold, aloof "examiner" was gone. Chen Yuxing pulled her to the sink, rinsed the wound with clean water, and after confirming that the wound wasn't deep, took out a band-aid from his apron pocket and skillfully bandaged it for her.

Why are you focusing your attention on me, Xiaohui?

Chen Yuxing didn't let go, but instead grasped her shoulder on that side, making her face the cutting board again.

He was very close, and Tadokoro Megumi could even feel his steady heartbeat against his strong chest. Tadokoro Megumi's face flushed red instantly, and even her ears felt hot. She was so nervous that she forgot about cutting her hand.

"The examiner's job is to score, while your job is to focus wholeheartedly on cooking. The ingredients are right in front of you, waiting for you to work your magic, but you're preoccupied with what others think of you. Isn't that putting the cart before the horse?"

Chen Yuxing reached out and placed his hand on the back of her hand holding the knife, guiding her to slowly adjust the angle of the blade.

"Take a deep breath. Don't look at me, look at the knife in your hand, look at the fish, and handle it the way you're best at. It's just your food."

Tadokoro Megumi obediently took a deep breath, and her previously pounding heart actually calmed down slowly with the help of his deep voice and the warmth from his palm.

Looking at the fish in front of her, she recalled the feeling she had when she was at home, wanting only to cook delicious stewed fish for her family.

“I…I can use these fish to make Japanese dashi broth…” Her voice was still a little shaky, but her movements had become steady. “The leftover vegetables can be used to make tempura shreds. Would that make a refreshing fish soup rice porridge?”

"of course can."

Chen Yuxing released her shoulder, took a half step back, and smiled slightly. "That's it, Xiaohui. Keep this posture. Even if there are ten Nakiri commanders standing in front of you, you will still be the only one in control of this kitchen."

That night, Megumi Tadokoro's special training dish was perfect.

Every day after that, Chen Yuxing would play the role of a "weird guest" or a "devil instructor" who would make things difficult for people.

At first, Xiao Hui would panic, but as soon as she remembered what Chen Yuxing said when he held her shoulder that day, her knife stopped trembling. Later, even when Chen Yuxing was making noise with a hairdryer next to her ear, she could still cut the radish into translucent slices without changing her expression.

Watching Xiao Hui, the little rabbit, gradually change and evolve into a chef in the making, Chen Yuxing felt quite gratified.

……

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

That morning when we set off for the Far Moon Resort.

As dawn broke, rows of colorful suitcases lined the entrance to the Polar Star Dormitory.

"Hurry up! The bus won't wait for anyone!" Yoshino Yuuki, with a large noise-canceling headset around her neck and a bag in her hand, urged them on like a tour leader.

Soma Yukihira, carrying a backpack wider than himself and with an apple still dangling from his mouth, exclaimed, "Yosh! I heard that I'll meet a lot of amazing upperclassmen over there, and I can't wait to spar with them!"

"Stop it! Make sure you don't get expelled first!" Ibuzaki Jun suddenly poured cold water on his enthusiasm.

Tadokoro Megumi stood next to Chen Yuxing, carrying a small backpack. She put away the "person" she used to hold in her hand and replaced it with her small notebook filled with writing and even colored markings.

She turned her head and secretly glanced at the black-haired boy yawning beside her. She gently touched the slightly wrinkled band-aid on her fingertip, and a relieved smile appeared on her cheek. As long as everyone was there and Ah Xing was there, there was nothing to be afraid of.

"Gentlemen."

Under the porch, Isshiki Satoshi, unusually dressed in Totsuki Academy's school uniform, was unusually serious for once. The autumn wind blew through his clothes, making him look somewhat cold.

He put his hands in his pockets and looked at the group of energetic first-year students in front of him.

"During the days you are away from the palace, you will face unimaginable trials. Whether you are friends or rivals, once you are in the kitchen, you can only rely on yourselves."

He paused, a slight smile playing on his lips: "The cabbages and tomatoes I planted in the backyard are almost ready for a bumper harvest. After the residential training ends, I hope that every single one of you will be sitting here eating at the celebration banquet at Polaris Dormitory."

"We will definitely come back together!" everyone shouted in unison.

Isshiki Satoshi watched this scene without saying anything more. After everyone had boarded the car, Isshiki Satoshi waved lightly towards the car door, then put his hands back into his pockets and turned to head back towards the Polar Star Dormitory.

The bus carrying a group of silent first-year students traveled along the winding mountain road outside the Yuanyue Mountains. The trees outside the window gradually grew taller and denser. Chen Yuxing drew the curtains and closed his eyes to rest.

Megumi Tadokoro looked down and flipped through her preparation list.

I carefully checked the completion of each preparation, pointing my finger along each line of key headings, word by word.

As the bus exited the last tunnel, the entire view of the Far Moon Resort unfolded outside the window.

The marble exterior of the six-star main building reflected a cool light in the morning sun. The dozen or so affiliated restaurants were arranged in a fan shape along the hillside, and smoke was already rising from the kitchen chimneys. The air was filled with the aroma of toasting bread and the faint smell of salt water wafting from the distant seafood market. Everything was quiet, clean, and orderly.

The car was quiet for a moment, then Soma Yukihira was the first to stick his head out of the window. Sunlight shone on his face, and he grinned.

"Alright! During this training camp, I'm going to eat everything I can!"

Yoshino Yuuki immediately shouted, "Staying in a six-star hotel! I want to sleep in the softest bed!" Her shout startled Aoki Daigo, who was still dozing off next to her.

The tense atmosphere that had been building up on the bus for the entire journey was finally broken. Tadokoro Megumi was suddenly embraced by Yuuki, almost slamming into the back of the seat in front of her, but the corners of her mouth curved into a smile.

The bus pulled into the station, and the door creaked open, letting in the cold mountain air mixed with the smell of pine resin and sulfur from the distant hot springs. Chen Yuxing picked up his knife case and stepped off the bus, his feet sinking into the dew-dampened asphalt road. He looked up at the main building of the giant hotel known as "Totsuki Rikyu"—the real accommodation and training program was about to begin.

Chapter 18 officially begins

The bus slowly came to a stop in the square in front of the Far Moon Resort. With a hissing sound of the exhaust valve, the doors popped open.

The unique fresh air from the deep mountains instantly rushed into the carriage, carrying the fragrance of high-altitude pine resin and the faint sulfurous smell of distant hot springs, instantly energizing the group of first-year students who had been cooped up on the train the whole way.

Chen Yuxing stepped out of the car carrying the knife case, his feet sinking into the asphalt road damp with morning dew. He looked up at the colossal building known as the "Distant Moon Palace," its marble facade reflecting a cool light in the morning sun.

Around the main building, more than a dozen restaurants and hotels of different styles spread out like a folding fan along the mountainside, and wisps of smoke were already rising from the chimneys of their kitchens.

The air is filled with the aroma of premium wheat being roasted and the faint salty scent of the sea wafting from the distant seafood warehouse, creating an overwhelming sense of luxury just by standing there.

"Wow, it's huge!" Yoshino Yuuki jumped out of the car, looking up so high she almost broke her neck. "This hotel must have fifty floors, right?"

“Forty-eighth floor.” Marui Zenji pushed up his glasses. “Totsuki Palace, the core hotel of the Totsuki Resort. This is where we’re staying tonight. Normally, the cheapest room costs 80,000 yen a night.”

"Eighty thousand yen!? That's a month's rent!" Soma Yukihira stared in shock at the Totsuki Ridge Palace before him.

The number announced by Marui Zenji made Aoki Daigo, who had just gotten off the bus, gasp loudly enough for people on the bus next to him to hear it clearly. Sato Shoji patted him on the shoulder speechlessly: "Calm down, it's not like you're paying."

"I'm so excited because I don't have to pay for this kind of super high-class hotel and I can enjoy it for free!" Daigo Aoki rubbed his hands together excitedly.

"Let's talk about it after we've finished today's assignment," Ibuzaki Shun said, pouring cold water on the idea.

A group of people from Jixingliao stood in the square, looking up like country bumpkins who had just arrived in the city, each of them craning their necks and looking around.

Soma Yukihira slung his backpack over his shoulder and was humming a tune as he headed toward the hotel entrance when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps beside him.

"Yukihira! You, stop right there!"

Mito Ikumi strode over, her school uniform jacket tied around her waist, revealing a glimpse of her slender waist with defined abs. She pointed a finger at Yukihira Soma's nose: "Where did you hide after the last Food War? Do you know that after you won, the Rice Bowl Research Club's funding tripled? Now people come to challenge us every day, and you, the biggest contributor, ran away so fast, we can't even find a trace of you!"