Old Man Jun chuckled, "These are rare delicacies, with only two or three caught in a whole year. They're said to be on the verge of extinction."
Looking at the endangered ingredients, none of which were higher than level five, that had just been stored, Zhang Wei knew the old man was doing this deliberately.
Old Man Jun laughed heartily, and Zhang Wei joined him.
"Is this old geezer messing with my head?"
"How dare I."
"Stop the nonsense and tell me what you want."
"Oh dear, look at my memory."
Old Man Jun put on a show of sudden realization and retrieved a food preservation box from his thatched hut.
[Usable ingredient found: Pot Spirit]
[Capture Level: 29]
[Type: Fungi]
[Description: Pot Spirits are magical fungi that are born in soup pots continuously simmered for ten years and exceeding 300 liters in volume. They are semi-humanoid with thin wings and emit a faint glow. They interact freely in hot soup. Adding one while simmering soup can elevate its flavor to the next level.]
Upon reading this, Zhang Wei's smile grew even more strained.
"Hahaha~ Old man, do you have any more? Hurry up and give them all to me at once."
"Oh my, of course not. Am I the kind of person who is disrespectful in old age?"
"You actually know the meaning of 'disrespectful in old age'? Remarkable, remarkable."
"I'm ashamed, truly ashamed."
Zhang Wei's laughter became more unrestrained as he put an arm around Old Man Jun's shoulder and said, "Tell me, what do you want?"
"Let's be friends."
Old Man Jun pushed the two preservation boxes forward. "The previous five were to fulfill our bet. These two are a gift for you."
"Things that are free are often the most expensive..."
Zhang Wei took the two boxes and said, "You count as a registered friend, considering the gifts."
Wang Yue Zhai truly lived up to its reputation as an established shop, its ability to collect items far surpassing that of Wine and Beauties.
Mo Du still needed a lot of work to catch up!
"Since we're friends, can I ask for the truth?"
"What do you want to ask?"
"The chef from Wine and Beauties, that's you, isn't it?"
Zhang Wei was taken aback for a moment, then nodded.
"How did you find out?"
"I've known countless chefs in my life, but none, like you, could elevate cuisine to such an extreme!"
Old Man Jun continued, "Whether it was the 'Beggar's Seven Treasures' or 'Poem on Chrysanthemums After Failing the Exam,' in terms of skill and understanding of human nature, you are second to none!"
This level of meticulous detail made Old Man Jun feel suffocated!
"Thank you for the praise. When it comes to cooking, I am quite confident."
"Who is behind you?"
"No one."
Zhang Wei said, "My participation in the Northern Chef's Grand Banquet was purely coincidental."
"Not interested in a seat in the United Government?"
"What's the use of that?"
"If you can win the championship and become the number one organization in the North, wouldn't it be easier to collect rare ingredients with the power and wealth you'd gain?"
Holy crap?
This is possible!
"Old man, you've successfully ignited my greed."
Old Man Jun poured more tea, saying meaningfully, "This Northern Chef's Grand Banquet is turbulent, with many new faces. Perhaps the championship would be more beneficial for the North if it were you."
"I have no interest in being a savior. Power struggles are too troublesome for me."
Zhang Wei left these words behind and turned, disappearing from the thatched hut.
Old Man Jun stood up, pulling out a stack of documents with a worried expression.
Several days ago, a large quantity of Salt Essence appeared in the Northern black market...
During this grand event, various factions went on a buying spree, and the price of Salt Essence once soared above 6500...
A mysterious force made its move, clearing the market...
Investigation revealed that the mysterious force did not belong to any organization in the North...
"If it weren't for the Salt Essence, this force infiltrating the North wouldn't have revealed itself."
"Who exactly is selling Salt Essence, and with such immense wealth!"
"The North today is like a sieve, full of loopholes!"
...
Treasures Hall
With the ingredients procured during this period, along with the unique items from Mo Du and Old Man Jun, there were over ten more usable ingredients.
Especially Old Man Jun's Sharp Water Pond Crucian Carp and Pot Spirit, both excellent aids in achieving the Nameless state.
[Stored: Sharp Water Pond Crucian Carp]
[Replication Time: 135]
[Stored... Replication Time... 127...]
[Sharp Water Pond Crucian Carp... 120...]
[Pot Spirit... 185]
After processing all the crucian carp, the replication time was compressed to 95 days.
There was only one Pot Spirit, not even enough to attempt repeated storage.
"The time is too long, I need to find a way to get more!"
"This is the trouble with these rare ingredients; shortening their replication cycle is extremely difficult."
However, having entered the Treasures Hall, it meant the seeds were permanently preserved, eliminating the risk of extinction.
From another perspective, Zhang Wei was also a vanguard of the protection of flora and fauna.
He took out five frying pans and poured hot oil evenly.
"First, add chopped scallions, ginger, and star anise..."
"Then, pan-fry the crucian carp, seasoned with cooking wine to remove fishiness, until it's three-tenths cooked."
"After frying and roasting hard-boned fish, the calcium in the bones easily leaches out, and the fish meat will turn milky white after stewing."
"Sharp Water Pond Crucian Carp has extremely high active calcium content, making it an excellent choice for brewing milky soup."
The essence of milky soup is that it contains not a single drop of milk, yet it achieves a color akin to milk.
Scallions, ginger, cabbage, tofu, crucian carp, black-feathered chicken, duck frames, beef tripe, pork bones, donkey-hide gelatin...
These were all the ingredients needed to make milky soup.
While many raw ingredients could turn soup milky white, Zhang Wei had to consider compatibility more carefully, so every ingredient selection was made with extreme caution!
"The heat needs to be controlled when simmering donkey-hide gelatin; it must not be scorched!"
Donkey-hide gelatin itself was not precious; Mo Du had collected hundreds of sheets casually.
These donkey hides were blanched to remove hair, cut into pieces and strips with a sharp knife, and simmered in thousands of pots simultaneously.
When donkey-hide gelatin is added with red dates, goji berries, and brown sugar, it becomes the renowned Ejiao!
Among these, the Ejiao from Jiaozhou is the most famous, considered an excellent tonic for replenishing Qi and blood.
However, traditional preparation methods require simmering donkey-hide gelatin until it turns a golden-brown color, and its taste is slightly bitter...
Therefore, Ejiao is neither a medicine nor a delicacy, but rather an ancient health supplement.
"What a waste of this old brand."
"Those selling health products are no different from pyramid schemes."
"May their consciences be damned, cheating old people out of their burial money..."
The clarified gelatin resembles water, and will solidify once the temperature drops.
However, repeated heating would ruin the flavor. Zhang Wei took out about thirty pounds, storing the rest in the right wing hall.
Next was the primary broth, made by simmering pork bones, black-feathered chicken, and duck frames.
The surface of the broth was covered with oil.
Another crucial point for milky soup is that vegetable oil must never be used!
Animal fats like pork lard and beef tallow are milky white due to their fatty acids.
A few drops of golden vegetable oil floating on the milky white broth would ruin this top-tier creation.