Gu Tangjin picked up a book on farming and sat down beside Ji Rongxia. In just a short while, Ji Rongxia had already entered the system space.

“Compared to writing, learning to cook is definitely more relaxing.” Ji Rongxia stretched his arms wide in a big yawn.

“Host, are you ready to start the mission?” the Cooking God System floated over.

“Oh, let’s not talk about that just yet. I’ll be staying in the system space for an hour and a half today. Make a note of that, or I’ll end up sleeping in again.” Ji Rongxia said to the Cooking God System first.

Cooking God System: “Yes, Host.”

Ji Rongxia’s eyes twinkled as he said, “Next, let’s go check out the kitchen at the new restaurant and learn how to use the new cooking equipment. It’ll take about half an hour—make sure to remind me.”

The Cooking God System paused, its data stream momentarily chaotic, before asking in a tone bordering on confusion, “Host, didn’t you say to yourself that these aren’t needed for now and aren’t important?”

“I don’t think it’s that important, but since you’ve recommended it time and time again, I naturally want to see how this high-tech kitchenware works.” Ji Rongxia smiled and wiggled a finger. “But listen, I can only spare half an hour, so you have to remind me.”

“Yes, of course, Host.” The Cooking God System actually felt a tiny flicker of emotion that resembled gratitude.

Although the Host didn’t fully understand what the system meant by “high-tech kitchenware,” nor was he particularly interested in it—or even convinced of its usefulness—he was still willing to set aside some of his precious time to give it a try.

Ji Rongxia entered the practice space, which looked no different from a regular restaurant on the surface. He surveyed the array of strange kitchen appliances.

Finally, he pointed at something that looked like a wooden barrel.

As his hand touched the small wooden barrel, text appeared on its surface.

【Ding, Ice Cream Maker.】

【Instructions: Place ingredients for making ice cream, such as heavy cream and sugar, into the mixing bowl. Pour ice cubes and a pinch of salt into the wooden barrel, seal the mixing bowl, and turn the handle.】

“Ice cream machine?” Ji Rongxia repeated the unfamiliar and strange name.

Attached to this wooden barrel was a peculiar iron contraption connected to a handle, and inside the barrel was a smaller iron bucket.

“Host, you can remove the entire handle, and the mixer inside can also be taken out completely,” the Cooking God System explained. Ji Rongxia tentatively began to disassemble the mixer.

As he did so, he asked curiously, “What is ice cream? It uses milk and ice—isn’t that just su shan?”

Milk, ice, and sugar—aren’t those the ingredients for su shan?

Come to think of it, Tangjin had mentioned this when reading him a travelogue. That travelogue described “butter-soaked snails,” “butter cakes,” “cream rings,” and “cheese.”

At the time, Ji Rongxia had thought that the author of this travelogue must be someone who loved sweets—how else could they know so many delicious treats? He really wanted to try them too.

He had just been married into the family and still felt a bit awkward being alone with Tangjin. Although he genuinely admired his appearance, he couldn’t help but feel nervous when left alone with him. On their wedding night, Tangjin had read him travelogues until the wee hours of the morning…

“You can think of it that way, Host,” said the Cooking God System.

The voice of the Cooking God System snapped Ji Rongxia out of his memories. Ji Rongxia lowered his head in embarrassment and concentrated on removing the handle. Soon, he had pulled the entire handle off.

“Then what? There aren’t any ingredients on this stove either?” Ji Rongxia set the handle down and looked at the empty stove with some confusion. He had almost gotten used to food suddenly appearing on the stove in the practice space.

It felt oddly strange that there wasn’t any this time.

“Host, please check the cabinet next to you,” the Cooking God System said.

Following the Cooking God System’s instructions, Ji Rongxia found a cabinet about as tall as a person.

He flung the cabinet open. Inside, it was divided into compartments, and a cool breeze seemed to be blowing through. Ingredients like whipped cream, sugar, and various jams were all stored inside.

“Is there ice in the parts of the cabinet that won’t open?” Ji Rongxia reached out and felt the fabric-covered sides of the cabinet.

Cooking God System: “Host, this cabinet is built into a simple ice cellar. True refrigeration technology surpasses the technology of this world; this is merely designed for your convenience and ease of understanding.”

Ji Rongxia smiled. “It’s pretty convenient to have fresh ice and food right when you open the door.”

“Host, you can even adjust the flame size on this earthen stove,” the Cooking God System said. “The bellows I designed are exceptionally user-friendly.”

“I’m just afraid these kitchen tools will spoil me, and once I go out, I won’t even be able to tend a fire properly,” Ji Rongxia said half-jokingly as he placed the whipping cream on the stove. “Oh dear, what would I do if that really happened?”

The Cooking God System paused, thought for a moment, then whispered, “That won’t happen. You can ask your partner to tend the fire for you, Host. Plus, once you get the blueprints for these kitchen tools, your partner can help you build them. Those who are capable should take on more responsibility. Don’t worry, Host.”

Ji Rongxia：“……”

He was just joking, but the little chef had already started assigning tasks to Tangjin.

He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Just kidding, little chef. You didn’t even catch that.” 

Cooking God System: “Sorry about that. I’m an AI, so I don’t really get human humor.”

Of course, it didn’t say that out loud, because explaining what artificial intelligence is to its host would be too difficult.

Without a recipe, Ji Rongxia had to rely on instinct, pouring ingredients like light cream, a small handful of sugar, and a few spoonfuls of gorgeous ruby-red jam into the mixing bowl.

He placed the mixing bowl back into the wooden tub, added ice cubes, and then some salt. Then he reattached the mixing handle and began turning it.

This process was a bit boring.

Ji Rongxia asked curiously, “I get why we add ice—the cold makes the contents inside cool down too—but why do we add salt?”

“Host, there’s a saying: ‘Snow isn’t cold, but melting snow is.’” The Cooking God System paused to think for a moment before retrieving a suitable proverb. Ji Rongxia nodded repeatedly. “I know that. What’s next?”

“When snow melts, it absorbs heat, which is why it cools the surrounding area. Adding salt lowers the melting point, causing it to melt faster,” the Cooking God System explained.

“Oh, I get it. So when you add salt to ice, it melts faster, absorbs the heat from the food, and cools it down?” Ji Rongxia understood instantly. So that’s how it works.

“The host has understood it perfectly,” the Cooking God System said.

Ji Rongxia quickly turned the knob, thinking to himself that cooking really is a deep science.

Finally, Ji Rongxia felt a resistance as if something were blocking the handle.

The liquid food seemed to have solidified!!!

“Is that right? I feel like the stuff inside has frozen a bit.” Ji Rongxia spun the handle rapidly, feeling as if his hands were about to spark.

Cooking God System: “The host may judge for themselves.”

Ji Rongxia paused for a moment, then realized: he wasn’t on a cooking quest right now; he was just learning how to use the kitchen equipment. He could simply check if the ice cream was ready.

With that in mind, he stopped and opened the mixing bowl.

“Wow! It really looks just like mud—so smooth!” Ji Rongxia exclaimed, gazing at the pale pink ice cream.

【Ding, Long-Term Quest: Master the use of the system-provided kitchen tools.】

【Mission Progress: Can use the ice cream maker.】

【Mission Reward: Ice Cream Maker Blueprint.】

“Put it by my bedside. I’ll take a look later,” Ji Rongxia said casually, his attention entirely focused on the pale pink ice cream. Cooking God System: “Understood, Host. The mission reward has been issued.”

Ji Rongxia grabbed a spoon and scooped a large scoop of ice cream onto a plate.

“Can I have a taste? Or am I just supposed to look at it?” Ji Rongxia looked up at the System floating beside him. If he could only look, that would be too miserable!

“Of course you can taste it, Host,” the Cooking God System said generously.

Ji Rongxia immediately scooped up all the ice cream from the plate with that big spoon. Mmm, he took a big bite—half a spoonful of ice cream in one go!

“It’s so cold! Whoa, cold! It would be great to eat this outside—it’d definitely beat the heat,” Ji Rongxia said, taking another bite of ice cream. “What kind of jam is that red stuff? It’s sweet and sour—so delicious.”

“Host, you didn’t even know what it was and still chose it?” the Cooking God System asked in confusion.

Ji Rongxia replied bluntly, “Because it looks pretty. Besides, there are plenty of things I don’t know about.” 

“Look, this ice cream turned out so pretty—it’s all pink.”

The Cooking God System choked on its words; it seemed to finally grasp what it felt like to be at a loss for words.

The Cooking God System patiently explained, “That’s strawberry jam. Strawberries are a sweet-and-sour fruit.”

“This deep purple jam is blueberry jam, this orange one is orange jam, and this brown one is chestnut jam…”

Ji Rongxia listened to the Cooking God System’s introduction to the various jams while eating his ice cream.

“Can I make other flavors?” Ji Rongxia was fascinated by the taste of these sauces. As he ate, he went from eating ice cream to eating the sauces themselves.

The flavors were excellent, though eating the jam straight was too sweet. If he were eating this outside the System Space, he’d probably get sick of it after just a couple of bites. But since he wasn’t actually eating it within the System Space, Ji Rongxia savored it to his heart’s content.

“Sure. It hasn’t even been half an hour yet, so the Host can learn how to use a new piece of kitchen equipment,” the Cooking God System said.

“Then I’ll make the ice cream again, and after that, I’ll learn how to use the oven. This oven has an opening at the bottom, which is different from the ones in the kitchen that open from the top.” Ji Rongxia glanced at the kitchen; aside from that strange wooden barrel, the oven was what interested him most at the moment.

Without even touching the oven, Ji Rongxia could figure out how to use it just by reading the text prompt. The oven had a platform in the middle where you could place items directly to roast them, making it ideal for foods that needed to be laid flat.

Ji Rongxia made another serving of blueberry ice cream. As he ate, he studied the oven, trying to figure out where the firebox was, how to load food into it, and so on.

“I think I’ve got it.” Ji Rongxia figured it out after a quick look around. He set down the ice cream in his hand and tried lighting the fire. “Hmm, this is pretty easy. Let’s try making some crumbly pancakes.”

Ji Rongxia rolled up his sleeves; crumbly pancakes were the dish he made best. No sooner had he spoken than the ingredients for the pancakes appeared on the stove.

He whipped up the flatbread in no time and slid it into the oven’s “big belly.” Ji Rongxia served himself another bowl of ice cream and waited while eating.

“This mission is so laid-back. It’s just like playing a game,” Ji Rongxia said lazily, chewing on his spoon.

Cooking God System: “…Host, that’s because you’re exceptionally talented and a quick learner.”

Ji Rongxia laughed, bobbing his head up and down, and accepted the compliment without hesitation: “I’ll take that as a compliment, Little Chef!”

“Hmm, I can smell it now. It should be done.” Ji Rongxia didn’t even need to keep track of the time; he could tell how the pancakes were coming along just by the aroma.

He opened the oven and took the flatbreads out.

The crumbly pancake was evenly baked, crisp, and fragrant. The juices from the minced meat had seeped into the bread, releasing a rich, meaty aroma.

【Ding, Long-Term Quest: Master the use of the system-provided kitchenware.】

【Mission Progress: Can use a simple oven.】

【Mission Reward: Oven Blueprint.】

Ji Rongxia waved his hand. “Just put them all by my bedside.”

“Alright, Host. There’s still half an hour and a cup of tea’s worth of time left. Would you like to continue learning how to use the kitchenware, or…?” The Cooking God System prompted. Ji Rongxia reluctantly set down the blueberry-flavored ice cream he was holding.

“Sigh, I’m done playing. Let’s go make some congee!” Ji Rongxia walked toward another dining area. Back in a familiar environment, he felt even more at ease.

Various ingredients and different types of sugar reappeared on the stove. Ji Rongxia began selecting ingredients for the eight-treasure porridge.

He abandoned his original plan to focus on a single type of eight-treasure porridge until it reached 95% completion, instead selecting and pairing ingredients over and over again in the order he had tasted the perfect finished products.

In less than half an hour, Ji Rongxia had brought over a dozen varieties of eight-treasure porridge to around 90% completion. When the eight-treasure porridge with corn kernels he had prepared reached 97% completion, a special reward was triggered.

【Ding! Detection confirms the eight-treasure porridge seasoning has reached 97% completion, exceeding 95% and triggering a special reward.】

【Ding! Special Reward: The Eight-Treasure Porridge seasoned by the Host and its detailed recipe.】

“Little Chef, how long has it been?” Ji Rongxia stretched.

“Not even half an hour,” said the Cooking God System.

Ji Rongxia: “Huh? Only half an hour has passed?”

“Then let’s call it a day.” Ji Rongxia stretched.

Having witnessed his host’s efficiency in completing tasks, the Cooking God System didn’t try to persuade him to keep going, but simply said, “Good night, Host.” Ji Rongxia logged out of the system. Opening his eyes, he found that Gu Tangjin hadn’t gone to sleep yet; instead, he was leaning against the bedside reading.

She wasn’t reading an agricultural manual, but a book titled *The Waterways of the Southern Dynasties*.

Gu Tangjin was so engrossed in his reading that he didn’t even notice Ji Rongxia had woken up.

“Oh my, and you said I was the one staying up late? The oil lamp is about to go out—reading like this is bad for your eyes.” Ji Rongxia gently tugged at Gu Tangjin’s sleeve.

Gu Tangjin snapped out of his trance and put the book down. “I got a little too absorbed in it.”

Ji Rongxia quietly defended himself: “I tend to lose track of time when I’m cooking, too. We’re really exactly the same.” 

“Hmm, if you stay up late again next time, I definitely won’t say anything to you.” Gu Tangjin agreed readily. After all, since they were both like this, neither of them could really say anything to the other.

Ji Rongxia smiled slightly: “I’ve already made the eight-treasure porridge. Would you like to try some?”

“Maybe tomorrow. I’ve gained so much weight from eating late at night all the time,” Gu Tangjin said.

Ji Rongxia’s index finger and thumb easily encircled Gu Tangjin’s slightly slender wrist: “You call that being fat? Then you should be even fatter.” 

Gu Tangjin: “……”

“Oh, right, did you see the blueprints?” Ji Rongxia asked, giving Gu Tangjin’s wrist a gentle shake.

Gu Tangjin placed the book on his lap, picked up the blueprints from the bedside table, and said, “I see. One of them is an oven, but I can’t quite make out what the other one is. These blueprints are quite ingenious, though; they’ve given me plenty of ideas.”

“This is an ice cream maker. Hmm, it’s used to make ice cream cones. You put whipped cream and sugar in the metal bucket, ice and salt in the wooden bucket, and when you turn the handle, it turns into ice cream cones inside!” Ji Rongxia leaned against Gu Tangjin and pointed to the ice cream maker on the blueprint as he explained.

Gu Tangjin grasped the concept immediately, but there was one thing he didn’t understand. He asked, “Why add salt?”

“Hey, hey, hey, hey!!! You asked the exact same thing I did!” Ji Rongxia exclaimed excitedly. “The young apprentice told me that adding salt makes the ice melt faster. When the ice melts, it absorbs heat, which helps the ice cream freeze together. It’s like how snow isn’t cold, but melting snow is.”

“So if the roads freeze over in winter, sprinkling salt will make the ice melt faster?” Gu Tangjin pondered. “Different things melt at different speeds—there really is a mystery to it.”

“Too bad salt is so expensive,” Gu Tangjin shook his head, dismissing the idea. “If the roads freeze over, shoveling the snow and ice is still faster.”

“True. I wouldn’t dare make ice cream outdoors even if I had the equipment. But in winter, it might be possible.” Ji Rongxia shivered at the thought. “I wonder what ice cream tastes like in winter.”

Gu Tangjin ruffled Ji Rongxia’s hair. “Little Master knows a lot. You should ask him more questions.”

“Does it like eating ice cream in winter? Does it know what…” Ji Rongxia stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing Gu Tangjin didn’t mean that. “Oh?! You mean adding salt to ice, right? Little Master knows a lot; let’s sneak a little bit of that knowledge.”

“We’re asking openly—how can you call that ‘stealing’?” Gu Tangjin said, shaking his head playfully.

Ji Rongxia was amused by his playful demeanor and gave Gu Tangjin a light pat on the shoulder.

“This book was actually a gift from a friend of mine. I was thinking, once we’ve bought the land, we should make a trip to the provincial capital. We’ll tell everyone we’re going to buy some seeds—that way, we can plant your taro in the ground openly. And if there are any good varieties in the capital, we can buy those to plant too. It’s a win-win.” Gu Tangjin said, looking at the book in his hands.

“Go to the provincial capital?! Great! Great!” Ji Rongxia sat up with a start. “I’ve never been to the provincial capital before. Is the friend you mentioned the one who helped you find someone to fit your leg braces? Then we’ll have to pay him a visit and thank him properly.”

Gu Tangjin: “Yes, that’s him.”

Ji Rongxia rubbed his hands together excitedly. “Then when we set up our stall tomorrow, I’ll tell everyone we won’t be selling for a few days—we’re going to buy some land first, and then head to the provincial capital!”

Just the thought of going on a long journey made Ji Rongxia burst with joy!