Ji Rongxia never imagined that the first time he helped the Cooking God System collect information on food culture, he would end up gathering data on wild vegetables.

Cooking God System: “Host, even in parallel mini-worlds, the ingredients in each world differ. It is our mission to document these differences and the distinct developments in your culinary cultures.”

“To sum it up—wild vegetables are important too.”

Ji Rongxia certainly didn’t think there was anything wrong with wild vegetables; fresh wild greens blanched, dusted with flour, salt, and Sichuan pepper, and steamed were absolutely delicious.

Spring wild greens were even better. When they were bright green and fresh, digging them up and eating them was far tastier than some of the so-called “proper” vegetables.

He was just surprised that the system, which could produce any ingredient imaginable,  had issued its very first collection task for wild greens.

“Little Chef, which kind do you want? I’ll buy them for you!” Ji Rongxia asked in his mind.

“Host, the second pile of greens on your left—that’s an edible Asteraceae plant I haven’t collected yet. Um, you can just call them ‘bitter greens’ for short.” The Cooking God System even took the trouble to translate it, afraid the host might not understand.

Now that it was put that way, Ji Rongxia understood perfectly—so it was bitter greens.

“Auntie, how much is this pile of bitter greens?” Ji Rongxia asked.

“Six wen per catty,” the toothless old woman replied with a smile.

There are more vegetables available in summer, so wild greens aren’t as valuable as they are in spring. Such fresh, tender greens would easily fetch seven or eight wen in the spring.

“Will one catty be enough?” Ji Rongxia asked the Cooking God System in his mind.

The Cooking God System replied promptly, “It’s enough. For non-premium ingredients like this, I only need to collect a sample.” Ji Rongxia wasn’t quite sure what “sample” meant, but he understood perfectly well that one catty would suffice.

“I’ll take a pound,” Ji Rongxia said decisively.

The old woman was delighted that she’d made a sale so soon after setting up her stall.

The large back baskets they were carrying finally came in handy, and Ji Rongxia placed the wild vegetables inside the wicker basket. As soon as he closed the lid, the Cooking God System took the wild vegetables away.

Ji Rongxia：“……”

Ji Rongxia’s wicker basket remained as light as a feather.

“By the way, is there no reward for the collection quest?” Ji Rongxia asked curiously.

The Cooking God System replied somewhat sheepishly, “No, the collection task is considered the responsibility of a future culinary god, so there’s no reward.”

“I see. That makes sense. You’ve been teaching me skills and giving me rewards—it would be a bit of a loss if there were no payback at all.” Ji Rongxia wasn’t disappointed; on the contrary, he was quite pleased.

The Cooking God System paused for a moment, then said, “Thank you for your understanding, Host.”

Ji Rongxia said casually, “Hey, it’s no big deal. I’m just a bit short on cash right now, so you’d better collect some less expensive items for the time being. We can collect the precious ones once we have more money.”

Cooking God System: “…I’ll do my best.”

“Come on, let’s go grab something to eat,” Gu Tangjin said once he had finished his work.

“We have plenty of good food at home. Why eat out? That’s such a waste of money.” Although Ji Rongxia was tempted, he still refused out loud. 

Gu Tangjin knew exactly how to persuade him: “We don’t get out very often. It would be a shame not to try someone else’s cooking and learn from their strengths.”

Ji Rongxia immediately changed his mind: “Right, let’s go check out what’s good to eat.”

After walking just a few steps, Ji Rongxia spotted a stall selling pickles, braised pork, and noodles.

Bowls of pickled vegetables were lined up—some were pickled radish chunks, some were sour green beans, and some were salted Chinese cabbage… The braised meat was simple: just braised pork.

You could choose from a variety of pickles. Once you’d made your selection, the vendor would slice the large pieces of pickles into strips, heat oil in a wok to sauté the pickles until fragrant, and add a bit of greens. The noodles were boiled in boiling water until cooked, then soaked in cold water. After draining the noodles, the vendor would pour the sautéed pickles and greens over them, then add a few slices of braised pork, and finally drizzle in a little rice vinegar and sesame oil. And just like that, a simple bowl of noodles is ready.

The vendor had only just set up his stall, but there were already three or four people waiting under the awning. Business seemed to be booming.

Spotting the braised pork, Ji Rongxia immediately perked up.

He’d only ever eaten braised pork he’d made himself or that provided by the system, so he wondered what it would taste like when made by someone else.

“I’ll have a bowl of noodles,” said Gu Tangjin, walking over to the stall when he saw Ji Rongxia was interested.

“Ladies and gentlemen, you can pick your own pickles—there’s a bowl over there; just help yourselves to as much as you like. A bowl of noodles with braised pork is fifteen wen; without it, it’s nine wen.” The vendor was busy cooking noodles, but he didn’t forget to greet them warmly when he saw them approach.

“We’ll have the braised pork,” Ji Rongxia said, counting out fifteen wen. The stall owner’s fulang, who had been busy serving noodles to other customers, hurried over to collect the wen.

Ji Rongxia and Gu Tangjin took a small bowl to serve themselves pickles, taking a little of each variety.

The stall owner skillfully pulled and cooked the noodles, and in between those tasks, he still had time to slice the pickles, stir-fry them, and cut the braised pork. His movements flowed seamlessly.

Ji Rongxia and Gu Tangjin found a spot to sit down.

Ji Rongxia stared openly at his bowl of noodles, and Gu Tangjin followed his gaze, but couldn’t make head or tail of it.

“Look,” Ji Rongxia said, “this guy must have a great memory. It’s not even busy right now—it’s easy enough for him to remember which bowl of pickles belongs to whom. But if the place gets crowded, and he can still tell them apart, that would be truly impressive.”

Ji Rongxia added, “Not to mention, he’s pulling and boiling noodles while still finding time to stir-fry the pickles. His hands move so fast.”

Don’t let the humble stall fool you—there’s a lot of skill involved, and not just anyone can run a stall like this. Gu Tangjin nodded in agreement as he listened.

Before long, the noodles were served.

The stall owner’s fulang, thoughtfully brought them two small bowls and two pairs of chopsticks.

Since it was hot out, the noodles had been rinsed in cold water and were ready to eat. Paired with the still-warm pickled vegetables and braised pork, they were just right.

The pickles were so varied that Ji Rongxia had expected a mouthful of saltiness, but to his surprise, it wasn’t just salty. The pickles had been cured to perfection, allowing the flavors of the ingredients used in the brine to shine through.

Take the shredded pickled radish, for example—it still retained the radish’s natural crisp texture. The flavors were complex yet harmonious, and the noodles were perfectly chewy!

The braised pork here was just average, but the noodles and pickles were absolutely delicious.

“This pickled cabbage is delicious.” Ji Rongxia couldn’t help but squint as he ate the tangy cabbage; its subtle sweetness paired with a refreshing tartness was perfectly suited to his taste.

Gu Tangjin, on the other hand, preferred the pickled cucumbers. These were made from tender young cucumbers; if the plants were too densely packed, the cucumbers wouldn’t grow properly, so some of the small ones had to be pinched off. The pinched-off tender cucumbers were still edible—nothing special, but once pickled, they were incredibly flavorful. Stir-fried while still hot, they carried a hint of spice, not overpowering, but just a hint—perhaps from the cornelian cherries added during the pickling process.

Gu Tangjin and Ji Rongxia shared a bowl of noodles but were still left wanting more.

“I never expected a random little stall—even one selling pickles—to be this delicious,” Ji Rongxia said lazily after finishing his meal, gently shaking Gu Tangjin’s hand.

“Maybe it’s precisely because it’s so good that he’s able to set up shop here,” Gu Tangjin said after a moment’s thought. Ji Rongxia smiled and said, “That makes sense.”

“Though the braised pork isn’t as good as mine,” Ji Rongxia said with a touch of pride. “If you like those pickled cucumbers, I’ll make some for you when we get back. I should be able to get them about seventy or eighty percent as good.”

“Sure,” Gu Tangjin replied.

Ji Rongxia suddenly glanced around, trying to find the stall he was looking for: “Oh, right, I almost forgot—I was thinking of buying some spices. I wonder if they sell them at the night market.”

Gu Tangjin: “I hadn’t really paid attention to that. I’ve never bought spices at the night market before. Let’s take our time and look around.” As they walked and looked, they didn’t find any spices, but they did spot a stall selling glutinous rice cakes.

These glutinous rice cakes were made by steaming glutinous rice—long, slender grains—and red dates, layered one on top of the other. The ingredients were simple, but the aroma was irresistible. As soon as Ji Rongxia saw them, he could hardly bring himself to keep walking.

Not many people in the county town made this glutinous rice cake—it required glutinous rice, sugar, and red dates, and had to be steamed fresh. It looked simple, but it was a lot of work to make. Ji Rongxia had only tried it twice; he cut off a tiny corner with a knife, and the first bite was fragrant and chewy.

“I’ll have a small piece of glutinous rice cake. Just a small piece will do,” Gu Tangjin said to the woman selling the cakes.

The tall, slender woman picked up her knife, made a few practice cuts in the air over a large block of glutinous rice cake, and said with a smile, “Sir, would you like me to cut it here?”

“Just cut it from this corner,” Ji Rongxia gestured lightly toward a small corner of the glutinous rice cake.

“Sure.” The rice cake vendor’s hand moved swiftly, slicing off a small piece. “Forty wen per catty; this piece is seven wen.”

Gu Tangjin counted out seven wen and took the small piece of rice cake.

It was really small; it was gone after just two or three bites between the two of them.

Gu Tangjin held the rice cake up to Ji Rongxia’s lips. Ji Rongxia took a big bite; the aroma of red dates and glutinous rice blended together. It was simple, yet so delicious that Ji Rongxia felt like jumping up and down right there.

“Is it really that good?” Gu Tangjin found it amusing.

Ji Rongxia’s eyes widened, and he said firmly, “Try it yourself—it really is delicious.”

Gu Tangjin took a bite of the glutinous rice cake himself. It was indeed quite good. The cake was fresh, and glutinous rice and red dates are delicious on their own; simply steaming them made for a delightful treat.

The glutinous rice cake was truly delicious at first bite—fragrant and sweet—but after a few bites, it became a bit cloying and filling. It was easy to feel full after just a few bites, so it was a good thing they’d only bought such a small piece; it satisfied their craving without leaving them feeling sick of it.

After wandering around for a while, the two of them actually found a few stalls selling spices. Of course, the most common sights were still the food stalls. They didn’t buy much in the way of spices, but they did eat until their bellies were full. The pair also joined the crowd to listen to a traveling opera troupe perform. It was a mystery how they trained their voices—the moment they started singing, their voices could be heard clearly from far away, clear and bright, with countless twists and turns!

After finishing their tour of the night market, Ji Rongxia hadn’t received any new collection tasks. Although there were no rewards, he was still more than happy to help the Cooking God System. But as it turned out, just wanting to collect something didn’t make the ingredients appear. By the end of the night, Ji Rongxia had only managed to gather that pitiful little pile of bitter greens.

He really didn’t know whether to be happy or not.

By the end of the day, Ji Rongxia felt like he’d put on a little weight.

“I can’t keep eating like this—it’s expensive and makes me feel stuffed,” Ji Rongxia said with a chuckle, patting his little belly.

Gu Tangjin said indifferently, “But it’s delicious.”

Ji Rongxia couldn’t help but agree, “Right, it’s delicious.”

The two exchanged a smile, held hands, and strolled back to their rented apartment under the moonlight.

Perhaps it was because he’d been to the night market today, but Ji Rongxia was in an exceptionally good mood. That evening, as he mixed the spice powders in the system space, everything went exceptionally smoothly.

The quality of the braised pork with taro was gradually improving.

Ji Rongxia seemed to have entered a mysterious state of mind; the taste of the perfectly finished dish he had once eaten danced on his tongue, while the various “failed attempts” kept playing out in his mind as he repeatedly adjusted them.

As Ji Rongxia focused intently on the preparation, the completion rate actually managed to reach ninety-six percent!

【 Ding. Detection confirms the seasoning completion rate for the braised pork with taro is 96%. Exceeding 95% triggers a special reward.】

【 Ding! Special Reward: The detailed recipe for the Taro Braised Pork seasoned by the Host himself, and the recipe for the Perfect Taro Braised Pork.】

Ji Rongxia snapped back to reality: “Oh my god, how long has it been? How long have I been at this? I’m supposed to visit Tangjin’s friend tomorrow—how did I suddenly get to 96%?!”

“Calm down, Host. It’s only been a little over half an hour,” the Cooking God System hurriedly said.

Ji Rongxia blinked in bewilderment, then said proudly, “Only half an hour? I’m so amazing—I’m practically the Kitchen God reincarnated!”

Cooking God System：“……”

“Host, would you dare say that out in public?” the Cooking God System asked.

Ji Rongxia replied boldly yet timidly, “Of course not. How could I possibly mention the Kitchen God out in broad daylight? But it’s different here with you, Little Master. You’re made by a god, too—we’re both divine beings. Who knows, maybe we even work together.”

The Cooking God System thought to itself, The Host’s imagination is still so wild. As far as I can tell, the Supreme God doesn’t have a colleague named the Kitchen God. 

Cooking God System: “Anyway, the Host is really amazing.” Who cares? Just give the compliment.

Not only Ji Rongxia, but even the Cooking God System thought the Host would never be able to recreate the braised pork with taro. Yet, to everyone’s surprise, he pulled it off.

Ji Rongxia couldn’t wait any longer. “I’ve got to go! Leave a small bowl of taro and braised pork out for me.” 

The Cooking God System: “Sure. See you tomorrow, Host.”

No sooner had the System finished speaking than Ji Rongxia vanished from the System Space. Ji Rongxia poked Gu Tangjin’s cheek with his finger.

Gu Tangjin was quickly roused by the noise. He smiled, rolled over with his eyes closed, then opened them: “I bet you made taro braised pork this time.”

“That’s right! Tangjin, you’re still so prescient! Would you like to try some?” Ji Rongxia sat up.

Although Gu Tangjin wasn’t hungry, he never wanted to spoil the mood, so he sat up as well. Ji Rongxia brought over a bowl of braised pork.

Gu Tangjin picked up his chopsticks and took a bite.

The taro had absorbed the broth, becoming exceptionally rich and flavorful—so delicious it hardly tasted like taro at all!

Not to mention the braised pork—with its perfect balance of lean and fatty meat, each bite brought a burst of flavor as the meat and juices melded in his mouth.

“Ah.” Gu Tangjin let out a heavy sigh after finishing.

Seeing him sigh, Ji Rongxia asked anxiously, “What’s wrong? Didn’t you like it?”

Gu Tangjin feigned sadness and said, “If I keep eating like this, I’m bound to get fat. Then my face won’t look good anymore. Xia-ger fell for my looks—he’ll probably end up looking down on me.”

Ji Rongxia burst out laughing the moment he heard that. He’d thought Tangjin didn’t like the braised pork with taro he’d worked so hard to make, but it turned out Tangjin was just teasing him! He put on a serious face and reached out to pinch Gu Tangjin’s cheek.

“Hmph, don’t worry about that. I’ll make sure you work hard in the fields. I’ll make sure everything you eat turns into muscle!” Ji Rongxia sounded like a little bully as he said this.

Gu Tangjin couldn’t help but laugh first.

“I shall certainly live up to your expectations!”