After a busy morning, Master Chen finally started cooking.
Master Chenâs full name was Chen Kangkang, and he was a loyal fan of Jiang Jiujiuâs livestream.
He was also quite the hands-on type. After watching the livestream for so many days, he was itching to try it himself. But each attempt was thwarted by minor difficultiesâhis ingredients would rot before he even started, a casual stir-fry would end up blackened, and a quick fry would result in burnt meat. His efforts always ended in disaster.
This time, however, he was confident.
Because it was simple.
Wash the rice, put it in the pot, add water. The water-to-rice ratio was 1:1. âOne part to one part should be about right,â he figured. Here, Master Chen cut a corner and didnât bother using a scale to weigh the water.
Once the pot was on the stove, he turned the heat to high. Heâd wait a few minutes for it to come to a boil, and once it started bubbling, he would turn the heat down to low.
He hummed a tune, staring at the pot containing the rice of his dreams. He imagined that when he opened the lid, âEven if itâs not a hundred percent as delicious as Jujuâs, it should at least be halfway there, right? After all, I followed all the steps!â
But as he waited... and waited... he started to get just a *little* bit anxious.
âItâs been five minutes. Why isnât there any sound?â
âIs something wrong with the pot?â Master Chen decided to lift the lid and take a peek.
Oh. The water hadnât boiled yet.
He closed the lid and went back to waiting. Before long, it felt like an eternity had passed, so he opened the lid again.
This repeated cycle of opening and closing the lid wasnât working. âIf I open it too many times, all the heat will escape,â he realized. So he forced himself to wait a full five minutes before checking again.
But five minutes later, the pot still wasnât bubbling. Master Chen rushed over and lifted the lidâ
The rice, which had been cooking for ages, was already starting to dry out from the bottom, revealing a scorched, blackish-yellow layer. When Master Chen saw there was no water left, he paled in horror. He quickly poured another cup of water in and started the process all over again.
ăFive minutes later.ă
After a busy morning, Master Chen took one bite of his rice, promptly flipped the steamer over in frustration, and posted his âtragicâ experience online. In return, he was met with a flood of âHAHAHAHAsâ.
While Master Chen didnât get a delicious meal, he found happiness instead! :)
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Master Mo, for whom cooking was far from his area of expertise, was also at home attempting to cook rice.
The kitchen in his home had never once been used since the day it was completed.
Mo Si picked up the cooking utensils; they felt awkward in his grasp no matter how he held them. He furrowed his sharp, handsome brows. âWhy is the spatula handle designed like this? And this pot...â
He pulled up Jiang Qiuqiuâs livestream while laying out the ingredients and tools he had prepared.
The ingredients included top-grade rice and flour delivered from Taotao Fresh. The equipment included, but was not limited to, a small robot with a micro-scale accurate to the gram, another for measuring temperature and calculating time, and yet another for monitoring atmospheric changes.
He followed the steps in Jiang Qiuqiuâs tutorial, one by one, starting with the rice. His immense spiritual power focused on every single grain and every drop of water, ensuring the 1:1 ratio was met with perfect precision.
Then: stir, level, and steam.
His expression was solemn, his eyes filled with an intense, grave focus. It was as if he werenât merely cooking, but standing on a command bridge, deciding the course of the future.
The rice was steaming.
He set the heat to high, and a bubbling sound soon followed. The very instant the water began to boil, Mo Si turned the heat down to low.
Soon, the faint fragrance of cooking rice filled the room. It wasnât as rich as the aroma from the day before, but it was fresh and delightful. Mo Siâs eyes brightened slightly.
He wanted to uncover the secret behind Jiang Qiuqiuâs food. If he could unravel itâ
âOn the interstellar battlefield, the soldiers would have a new form of recreation... and a ânatural medicineâ to alleviate their fatigue.â
The rice was ready. Mo Si took a bite, then swallowed it with a blank expression.