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墨書 Inktalez
Gaiter Star is the farthest planet from Capital Star, and even with the fastest starship, it takes seven hours to travel from Gaiter Star to Capital Star. During those seven hours, aside from sleeping, Bai Tang spent all her time teaching the Fat Man and Thin Man culinary skills. She taught the Fat Man more advanced and complex dishes and noodles, while she instructed the Thin Man in simple home-cooked meals. Bai Tang planned for the Fat Man to manage a high-end restaurant in Area B and for the Thin Man to run a regular eatery in Area E. The Fat Man was smooth-talking and thick-skinned; past lessons had made him more cautious about offending wealthy people, making him suitable for working in a high-end restaurant. The Thin Man appeared cold and was not good at socializing, but he was warm-hearted underneath his icy exterior and took his work seriously. Bai Tang felt assured leaving the eatery in his hands.
Both the Fat Man and Thin Man were exhausted from Bai Tang's rigorous training every day, but they were happy despite their fatigue. Even when they collapsed from exhaustion, they could fall asleep instantly. After waking up, they would stretch their backs and arms before starting another round of intense training. They knew that the more skills they mastered, the better they could honor Bai Tang's teachings and secure their futures.
While the Fat Man and Thin Man worked hard, the other three were enjoying themselves. Although Bai Tang often criticized the dishes prepared by the Fat Man and Thin Man, Kate and her companions thought they were the best food they had ever tasted. They ate with shiny lips, and each of them gained two to three pounds on average.
Amidst cooking and eating, the starship finally arrived at Capital Star. Bai Tang looked at the blue planet on the screen; Capital Star really resembled Earth, which explained why people from Earth had once migrated here. The only difference was that this blue planet had three moons. At night, three bright moons shone in the sky—one large moon accompanied by two smaller ones—creating a scene reminiscent of a mother taking her two children out for a walk; it was both interesting and beautiful.
The port of Capital Star was indeed ten times larger than that of Gaiter Star, with starships and aircraft entering every second. The number of starships and aircraft docked at the port exceeded seven figures. After leaving the disinfection area, the five of them were greeted by a crowd. The leading man was three or four years older than Kate and bore a slight resemblance to her.
"Cousin, what are you doing here?" Kate exclaimed as she walked up beside him in surprise.
"I'm here to pick you up. Your disappearance has worried everyone; Grandpa heard you were back at Capital Star and urged me to come get you!" The worry in his eyes dissipated upon seeing Kate. Although his tone was harsh, it clearly showed his concern for her.
"You're quite the hero now? How does it feel to be chased by pirates?"
"Hehe..." Kate chuckled awkwardly, "Cousin, could you please save some face for me in front of my friends?"
"Friends?" The man looked curiously at Bai Tang and the others.
"Come on, let me introduce you," Kate said enthusiastically as she introduced Bai Tang to him.
"This is Bai Tang; she is my lifesaver!"
"Hello, Sister Bai, I am Kent Sean, Kate's cousin. Thank you for saving my brother," Kent said politely but somewhat distantly as he shook hands with Bai Tang.
"Hello!" Bai Tang smiled back, not minding Kent's guarded attitude. The Shawn Family was a super family in the Alliance, holding a quarter of its military power within their ranks; Kent's grandfather was one of the four marshals of the Alliance. Many sought to curry favor with Kent's family within the Alliance. Kent might have seen her as someone who knew Kate's identity and wanted to ingratiate herself with them.
"Cousin, Bai Tang grew up on Ancient Earth. She came to Capital Star partly to find relatives of her parents; you know many people here, so please help her!" The implication was clear: Bai Tang's connection to the Alliance was minimal; she did not understand the Shawn Family's status nor had any intention of currying favor with them after saving him purely by coincidence. There was no need for such wariness towards her; offending such a culinary master would only harm one's own palate.
Kent's aloofness faded slightly as he recalled messages sent by his brother about discovering traces of Ancient Earth and new species; this must be related to the woman before him. The fame and fortune from this discovery would be immense. Since she didn't save his cousin because of the Shawn Family's status, she seemed worth getting to know better. Kent's smile became more genuine.
"No problem, I'll take care of the search for your family."
"No need. I don't know much about my parents' home and have almost no clues. I don't expect to find my relatives, so I won't trouble Mr. Kent!" She joked, having just made up a lie; it would be strange to actually find someone. "But there is something I need to ask you for help with!"
"What is it?" Kent's smile faded; was she trying to climb the ladder?
Bai Tang chuckled, "I want to open two restaurants in Capital Star, but I don't know much about the area, so I thought of asking Mr. Kent to help me find two storefronts."
Was it really such a trivial matter?
Kent raised an eyebrow. "Sister Bai is a chef!"
Kate interjected, "Cousin, Bai Tang is not an ordinary chef; the dishes her students make are delicious enough to overturn your worldview from the past few decades!"
Was his cousin exaggerating? Kent didn't believe it.
The obvious expression on his face annoyed Kate. "Cousin, don't doubt it. By the way, I have some buns here; you should try them."
She pulled out a bag of plump white buns and stuffed them into Kent's hands.
"Ridiculous! Who eats while walking?" Kent scolded, quickly putting the buns into his space bag. Although it was just a moment, the delicious aroma had already rushed into his nose and reached his central nervous system, doubling his saliva production. Kent was curious; just smelling the scent had sparked his appetite. It seemed Bai Tang had some skills.
"About the storefronts, I just built a commercial building and can offer two spaces to Sister Bai."
"Thank you very much, Mr. Kent." Bai Tang did not refuse. After she learned about the Sean Family's status in the Alliance, she planned to leverage their influence to establish herself in Capital Star initially. Later on, she would send a few VIP cards to the Sean Family as a way of repaying their kindness. She believed that with her knowledge of Huaxia's five-thousand-year culinary culture, her two restaurants would definitely become dining landmarks in Capital Star and even the entire Alliance. At that time, those two VIP cards would be worth more than the two storefronts.
On January 23rd, Year 015 of the Stellar Calendar, Bai Tang's two restaurants, Huaxia Restaurant and Huaxia Eatery, opened simultaneously in Zone B and District E of Alliance Capital Star. At this time, no one knew that these two differently positioned restaurants would become trendsetters for dining throughout the entire Alliance.
In Zone B, many people came to visit Huaxia Restaurant, mostly drawn by its connection to the Shawn Family and hoping to curry favor with the Sean Family. They casually ordered a few dishes, but when they were served, the aroma immediately made their mouths water; looking at how beautifully presented they were made them want to eat right away; taking a bite was almost overwhelming... Thus, everyone buried their heads in their meals, forgetting their original intentions for coming here—even Kate and Kent, who entered together to congratulate the restaurant owner, didn’t approach her. When faced with delicious food, who cared about the Sean brothers?
"Mr. Kent, Kate, you’re here? I reserved a private room for you; please come inside." Bai Tang greeted them with a smile. The welcoming duties were being handled by the restaurant manager introduced by Kent to Bai Tang. Upon seeing the two brothers arrive, he quickly notified them.
Kate smelled a faint oil smoke scent on Bai Tang and asked in surprise, "Bai Tang, did you cook?"
Bai Tang nodded, "I made a few dishes to express my gratitude for the care you both have given me!"
Kate immediately showed joy, "That's great! Although Fatty and Thin Man cook well, they can't compare to your skills. I'm going to enjoy this meal!" She turned to Kent and said, "Cousin, let me tell you, Bai Tang's cooking is truly exquisite; it's unforgettable even after months."
"Then I must try it properly," Kent replied with a smile. He had tasted the dishes made by Fatty and Thin Man once, and they were indeed delicious, leaving a lasting impression. Since their skills were learned from Bai Tang, perhaps Bai Tang's dishes would be just as good as his cousin's. Kent couldn't help but feel excited.
"Please wait a moment; I'll have the dishes brought out," Bai Tang said before leaving the private room. Shortly after, he returned with several robotic waiters carrying plates.
"These are the restaurant's signature dishes. This selection includes Blush Goose Breast, Wine Marinated Duck, Eggplant with Fish, Grandma's Pigeon Eggs, and Creamy Flaky Pastry. They come from a famous Chinese classic from over five thousand years ago called 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' so they are also known as 'Dream of the Red Chamber Banquet Dishes,'" Bai Tang introduced as he served the food.
"This dish is Golden Sliced Fish, which was once praised by a famous emperor from over six thousand years ago, Emperor Yang of Sui, as a delicacy of the southeast. The Southern Song poet Lu You even wrote a poem praising this dish: 'There is surely nothing comparable in the world; how can one exchange it for sliced fish and seaweed?'" But isn't it just sliced bass mixed with chopped pickles or sauces?
"Why does this braised pork seem a bit different?" Kate asked, pointing at one dish.
Bai Tang smiled and explained, "This is Dongpo Pork. Its preparation is similar to braised pork. It was named after Su Dongpo, a great literary figure from the Northern Song period of Ancient Earth. Su Dongpo was also a renowned gourmet; many famous dishes are directly related to him, and even more are named after him, such as 'Dongpo Knuckle,' 'Dongpo Tofu,' 'Dongpo Yushen,' 'Dongpo Leg,' 'Dongpo Sprout Slices,' 'Dongpo Black Carp,' 'Dongpo Cake,' 'Dongpo Pastry,' and 'Dongpo Tofu Pudding.' He wrote many poems about food and eating. He loved lamb soup and wrote: 'Qin only stews lamb soup; Long cuisine has bear meat.' He had a particular fondness for bamboo shoots cooked with pork, so at one food party, he casually wrote a humorous poem: 'Without bamboo shoots one becomes vulgar; without meat one grows thin. Not vulgar yet not thin: bamboo shoots braised with pork...'" (To be continued)
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