There were too many shrimp for them to peel all by themselves, so Gu Tangjin took most of them to the noodle shop next door. It was well past breakfast time, so the shop was quite quiet.

“Hey, Tangjin, what brings you here?” Guan Hongchi stood up and approached him, asking, “Why did you bring shrimp? Are they for me?”

“You wish! I was hoping you could help me peel these shrimp. Fifteen shrimp for one wen—I’ve counted them, and there are over a hundred in total. I’ll charge you eight wen. Does that work for you?”

“If we’re helping, why pay?” Guan Hongchi perked up at the offer. Peeling river shrimp wasn’t physically taxing, just time-consuming. His younger sister, Guan Xiaomei, and Erlang were nimble with their hands; they’d finish in no time. Earning eight wen for nothing seemed like a bit much.

“My family’s thinking of creating a new dish. It’s not like we’re asking you to do this for just a day or two—this is a long-term job. How could I not pay you every time? I’d be too ashamed to face you otherwise.” Gu Tangjin now spoke to Guan Hongchi with much greater warmth.

Guan Hongchi: “Alright, then. Put it down. Once they’re peeled, I’ll have Xiaomei and the others bring them over to you.”

Gu Tangjin placed the eight wen into the hand of Guan Xiaomei, who had been watching him expectantly, and only then turned to leave. Guan Xiaomei held the money and looked at her older brother.

“Alright, keep it to yourselves. As if I’d be so greedy as to take your eight wen.” Guan Hongchi waved his hand, signaling for them to keep the money. Guan Xiaomei and Guan Erlang lit up with joy. Using flat, long bamboo sticks for leverage, they quickly peeled the river shrimp clean. Since their family ran a food business—and the Guans had even served river shrimp noodles in the past—peeling shrimp was a piece of cake for the two kids.

With the prospect of earning an extra eight wen a day for pocket money, Guan Xiaomei and Guan Erlang worked with great enthusiasm.

Half of the fresh shrimp meat was cut into larger chunks, and the other half was minced; the minced shrimp was then mixed with the chunks. Diced fatty pork, shrimp meat, and diced bamboo shoots were combined with a little sugar, pepper, and salt, then beaten until sticky.

Knead the proofed dough into small portions, roll them out into flat rounds, and sprinkle with salt, Sichuan pepper powder, and lard.

Add the oil first, then the salt and Sichuan pepper powder; this prevents the salt and pepper from clumping together. If the seasoning is uneven, lift one corner of the flatbread, press it down, and use a dabbing motion to distribute the salt more evenly.

Then roll up the flatbread and cut it into individual pieces.

This method ensures the baked flatbread develops natural textures, becoming crispy and fragrant. The bread itself has a salty flavor, making it delicious even when eaten plain.

The Cooking God System suddenly spoke up: “Host, there is a risk of allergic reactions from eating river shrimp. I can add a colorless, odorless anti-allergy medication. Would you like to add it?”

“Allergies?” Ji Rongxia asked in return. “What do you mean by that, Little Chef?”

Cooking God System: “Simply put, it’s when ingredients in food trigger a reaction from the immune system. Common symptoms include rashes, itching, vomiting, and difficulty breathing. You can think of it as certain people suddenly falling ill after eating a specific food.”

Ji Rongxia blinked in confusion. “So that’s what an allergy is? I’ve never heard of getting sick from eating food before.”

The Cooking God System explained further, “Based on my observations over this period, the incidence of allergies among the people in this small world is relatively low. You may never have encountered such a situation before, and mild allergic symptoms are so subtle that the person experiencing them might not even realize the discomfort was caused by a specific food.”

Ji Rongxia realized, “Oh, so that’s why you didn’t mention this before. Is it because river shrimp are prone to causing this allergic reaction? Since few people cook with so many shrimp at once, and no one has ever eaten that many shrimp in one sitting—which could easily lead to trouble—you only brought it up because you were worried?”

“Yes,” the Cooking God System confirmed.

Ji Rongxia nodded in agreement. “Then go ahead and add them.”

If someone were to die from eating it, that would be really bad luck for both me and the diner. Cooking God System: “Got it, Host.”

Ji Rongxia thought for a moment and added, “Oh, and thanks, little chef. You’re still so thoughtful. Next time you come across food like this, just go ahead and add the medicine. Let me know, and I’ll make a note of which foods are likely to cause allergies.”

The Cooking God System replied, “Understood.”

【 Ding, Random Quest: General Knowledge Supplement.】

【 Ding, Quest Details: Identify foods likely to cause allergic reactions from a list of 300 ingredients, with an accuracy rate of at least 50%.】

【 Task Deadline: One day.】

【 Reward: Ten randomly selected foods identified as likely to cause allergic reactions, ten pounds each.】 

Ji Rongxia’s eyes lit up. Another quest!

“Did I trigger another mission? How do I figure this out?” Ji Rongxia asked.

“It’s based on the experience you’ve gained through cooking. I’ll provide the options,” the Cooking God System replied. A light screen appeared before Ji Rongxia, densely packed with the names of ingredients.

Ji Rongxia frowned in frustration. “I see. So I have to guess. System, you’re acting a bit strange. You’re actually asking me to guess out of thin air?”

The Cooking God System hesitated before answering, “Um, this is a random task you triggered—it’s from the system’s question bank. Logically speaking, this is common knowledge—it’s basically a gimme, not a guessing game.”

Ji Rongxia：“……”

So it was his own fault for knowing too little—his problem, not the little chef’s.

“I’ll make my choice now.” Ji Rongxia looked down and flipped the shrimp patties to prevent them from burning.

Cooking God System: “Now?”

Ji Rongxia: “It’s all just a guess anyway. Whether I guess now or later, it’s still a guess. Why drag it out?” Truth be told, Ji Rongxia was just that kind of impatient person.

The Cooking God System replied, “…Alright.”

Gu Tangjin, who was tending the fire, sensed something was off with Ji Rongxia. He was clearly frying the patties, yet he seemed to be spacing out. Xia-ger must be talking to the young apprentice. Seeing this, Gu Tangjin divided his attention, keeping a close eye on Xia-ger’s movements. Ji Rongxia looked at the dense wall of text before him and felt a bit dizzy.

Although he’d been learning to read recently, there were just too many characters—way too many! Ji Rongxia pursed his lips and began to guess.

He wasn’t just picking at random; first, he went through all the river delicacies. Since they all came from the river, they should be pretty similar, right?

Fish, in particular, was something they ate often, and he hadn’t seen anyone have an allergic reaction to it, so after hesitating for a few seconds, Ji Rongxia went ahead and selected it.

Besides things from the river, Ji Rongxia also went through the items from the sea. He’d only heard of the sea and had never actually seen it, but since there were also fish and shrimp in the sea—and they all shared the same name—it should be close enough.

Ji Rongxia also selected foods one by one that he didn’t usually get to eat or didn’t even know what they were. Of course, he also picked out things that sounded delicious just from their names.

Just in case this mission succeeded, he might even get to draw something he really wanted to eat.

Like these strawberries and mangoes, or walnuts, almonds, chestnuts, and chocolate…

His guess wasn’t entirely unfounded. He’d never met anyone with allergies—didn’t that prove the food he was currently eating was probably safe? But what about these foods he’d never even seen before? Maybe they were more likely to cause allergic reactions?

Gu Tangjin saw that Xia-ger was still “spacing out,” so he stood up and carefully served out the fresh shrimp patties, which even someone like him, who couldn’t cook, could tell looked edible.

The Cooking God System watched as Ji Rongxia made his selections at lightning speed, hesitating for only a few seconds at most when it came to the “fish” category.

Once Ji Rongxia had finished selecting, the Cooking God System was surprised to discover that, aside from the major category of gluten-containing grains—which are known to cause allergies—Ji Rongxia had not chosen any of them. Yet, for the other categories of foods prone to causing allergies, he had actually selected the vast majority!

“Alright, I’m done. Take a look,” Ji Rongxia said casually. He’d just picked them at random anyway.

If it works out, great; if not, so be it—Ji Rongxia was quite relaxed about it.

【 Checking…】

【Check complete.】

【Ding! The accuracy rate is 61%. Mission complete!】

【Would you like to claim your reward?】

“I guessed so many of them right?!” Ji Rongxia beamed with pride, “I’m really amazing!”

Even the Cooking God System couldn’t help but marvel—the host was truly amazing, completing the task purely by guessing.

“I’ll save the prize draw for tonight—I’m still frying pancakes.” Ji Rongxia suddenly gasped, “Oh right, my patties!!!”

He’d been spacing out for so long—the patties must be burnt!!! He quickly looked down.

There, on a plate, were the shrimp patties, golden brown on both sides. The delicious aroma made Ji Rongxia smile with satisfaction. Tangjin must have taken the shrimp patties out for him.

His eyes lit up as he looked at Gu Tangjin beside him.

Instead of asking anything, Gu Tangjin leaned in and said, “I want to try one!”

“No way. I told Mother I’d let her try it first—you’re second in line.” Ji Rongxia’s eyes crinkled with laughter, but he still pretended to be dead serious.

Gu Tangjin feigned disappointment: “Oh, I see. So you won’t let me have some first?”

“Next time there’s something good, you’ll be the first to get it. Besides, we’ll sneak some treats at night anyway.” Ji Rongxia whispered the second sentence so softly it was almost a breath, and only Gu Tangjin could make out what he’d said.

Then Ji Rongxia said earnestly, “You can’t be so bossy—just let Mother have a taste first.”

“Mm, okay, I’ll be good.” Gu Tangjin had been teasing his little Fulang all along, so he obediently bumped his forehead against his and took his place in line to be the second to taste the meat pie.

Ji Rongxia also realized the little rascal was teasing him and gave him a “menacing” glare. Yao Tianlan and Gu Chuncai, seeing the pair like that, both pretended to be busy with their work.

When Ji Rongxia brought over the steaming shrimp patties, Yao Tianlan finally broke into a smile. “Oh my, they’re ready already? Let me have a taste.”

She picked up her chopsticks and picked up a piece of the cake.

Ji Rongxia was very thoughtful; knowing she was busy and didn’t want to get her hands dirty, he had cut the shrimp patties into small pieces that could be easily picked up with chopsticks. The patties were layered, and as the flaky crust was cut, crumbs scattered across the plate. Even without tasting it, one could tell they were golden and crispy, and the aroma was irresistible.

Yao Tianlan had never realized just how fragrant cooked shrimp could be.

This sort of thing doesn’t fill you up, and Yao Tianlan had never been fond of it. Making a river fish soup with it, however, was a good idea—the broth was delicious. But cooking the meat was out of the question; it was too much trouble, and she was too lazy to bother.

Yao Tianlan picked up a piece and popped it into her mouth in one bite.

The shrimp was springy and tender. She had no idea how Xia-ger had cooked it, but the meat wasn’t dry or tough at all—it was smooth and tender, and every now and then she’d bite into a refreshing piece of bamboo shoot.

Yao Tianlan: “This is so good. Did you add bamboo shoots to this? I never thought shrimp could be this flavorful.”

While Yao Tianlan was eating, Ji Rongxia had already quickly picked up a piece and held it to Gu Tangjin’s lips. Gu Tangjin lowered his head and ate it.

To be honest, compared to the lighter crystal shrimp dumplings, these pastries with their flaky crust were much more to Gu Tangjin’s taste. One bite, and it was pure flavor.

“There’s fatty pork mixed in. It’s finely chopped into the filling so you can’t really taste it, but it adds plenty of flavor.” Gu Chuncai’s palate was clearly more refined than Yao Tianlan’s or Gu Tangjin’s; even without closely watching how Ji Rongxia prepared the filling, he’d guessed the general idea just by tasting it.

“That’s exactly it—we added fatty pork. Otherwise, we could sell them for a lower price,” Ji Rongxia explained crisply.

After the four of them finished one of the flaky shrimp patties, Gu Tangjin hung the newly written menu on the wall.

“We can start selling the shrimp and pork pastries today.”

Ji Rongxia did a quick calculation: the restaurant still had some glutinous rice, regular rice, red beans, red dates, and goji berries—enough to make a modest batch of eight-treasure porridge. Seeing this, Gu Tangjin instinctively hung up the sign for the eight-treasure porridge as well.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Wu Baoquan strolled over to Zhu Pengyi and said, “Let’s go eat at Gu’s restaurant today.”

Zhu Pengyi replied, “Yes, sir. I’ve already hitched up the donkey cart.”

“Old Zhu, you really do know what I’m thinking,” Wu Baoquan said with a smile.

Gu Tangjin had just laid out the braised meat and vegetables on the counter and opened the door when Zhu Pengyi and Wu Baoquan arrived. Gu Tangjin was puzzled—was their new county magistrate really that idle?

Or was this magistrate exceptionally capable? Gu Tangjin could only hope it was the latter.

Wu Baoquan: “New dishes today? Let’s start with six of those shrimp and pork patties, then two pounds of braised pork, one pound of braised vegetables, a plate of stir-fried greens, a bowl of meatball soup, and two bowls of eight-treasure porridge. We’ll eat here.”

“Alright.” Gu Tangjin helped them serve the braised pork and braised vegetables, while Yao Tianlan went to the kitchen to tell Ji Rongxia and Gu Chuncai what they’d ordered. Yao Tianlan whispered, “It’s our county magistrate who’s here.”

“We should just go about our business as usual. We don’t shortchange customers when we cook.” Ji Rongxia was already quite calm. This man clearly treated their place like a canteen; they couldn’t stay on edge all the time.

Yao Tianlan gave a helpless smile and returned to the restaurant to attend to the customers.

The fillings and dough had been prepared in advance, so the pancakes and dishes were soon served.

Today’s stir-fried greens were tofu and celery, the meatball soup was garnished with some fresh, green water spinach, and the braised pork and braised vegetables were each served on separate plates, along with two bowls of eight-treasure congee heaped to the brim.

Six shrimp and pork patties were arranged on a large porcelain platter; with their golden-brown, flaky crust and the rich aroma of meat and seafood, Wu Baoquan couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

Wu Baoquan: “These patties look delicious just by looking at them.”

He didn’t use chopsticks; he picked one up with his hands and took a bite. The shrimp was fresh, sweet, and juicy—and there were no shells!!!

With every bite, he encountered either shrimp and diced bamboo shoots or the crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside pastry. He could eat big mouthfuls without worrying about biting into a shell, allowing him to simply savor the deliciousness of the shrimp.

“This is pure bliss. Old Zhu, you’ve gotta try this pancake—I have no idea how they made it, but the shrimp is so tender and smooth, not dry at all.” Wu Baoquan said this and then had no time to speak, burying his head in his food.

Wu Baoquan wasn’t the type of gourmet who demanded the finest cuts of meat or the most delicate preparations; he was the kind of person who, when he came across something delicious, would immediately tuck in and eat it in big, hearty bites.

He hadn’t had much good food as a child and had grown up skinny and scrawny. After finally becoming a county magistrate, he was exhausted, but in the past two years, he’d been able to eat whatever he wanted. Having been so severely deprived in the past, this was Wu Baoquan’s only hobby now, and he simply indulged himself.

It’s a good thing he has a strong stomach; eating like this doesn’t bother him at all. On the contrary, it made him plump and fair-skinned.

Wu Baoquan devoured the dish like Zhu Bajie devouring a ginseng fruit, taking several large bites before he could faintly detect that the shrimp paste must have been mixed with a bit of fatty pork. No wonder a single cake costs ten wen!

Having thoroughly enjoyed his own meal, Wu Baoquan didn’t forget to order another forty-odd fresh shrimp cakes to take back for his servants and clerks. This time, Wu Baoquan made sure to bring a large basket to carry the cakes.

With such a loyal customer, Ji Rongxia quickly sold out of the filling for the fresh shrimp cakes he had prepared for the day!

“Why does the food taste especially delicious today?” Zhu Pengyi said as he took his last sip of the eight-treasure porridge.

He wasn’t much of a foodie; since he ate well following his master’s lead and never lacked for good food, he had even less desire to think about eating. Yet today, he’d eaten almost as much as the adults in his household.

“The food’s delicious. I’m really enjoying it today, too.” Wu Baoquan had a hearty appetite to begin with, and when the food was tasty, his appetite grew even stronger. That his appetite was just a little bit better today was hardly worth mentioning.

Zhu Pengyi assumed he was overthinking it; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t fathom that it was simply because they’d switched tables today. Everyone dining there today seemed to be enjoying their meal with particular relish.

Wu Baoquan and Zhu Pengyi waited a while before Ji Rongxia finished making the forty shrimp meat patties. After paying, the two left. At the county office, Tao Xingsheng had also been given a shrimp meat patty today.

He gathered with a few familiar old constables to chat.

Zheng Zhongzhong remarked curiously, “Our county magistrate is truly generous. We never see him taking money from merchants, and even the deputy magistrate can’t find any grounds to accuse him. Where do you think his money comes from?”

Zhang Dachuan took a bite of his shrimp patty and shot him a glance. “Hey, don’t talk about what you shouldn’t, and don’t ask what you shouldn’t. Anyway, we’ve got food and drink—that’s good enough.”

Liu Hongfang pursed his lips. “Maybe he’s got some property back home. We just need to mind our own business. Why worry about it so much?”

Zheng Zhongzhong: “It seems to me that those clerks and low-ranking officials aren’t listening to the deputy magistrate anymore. From now on, this county will be a one-man show run by the magistrate.”

Liu Hongfang slapped his thigh and laughed, “Hey, what are you saying? If the county office doesn’t listen to the magistrate, what else can it be?”

Tao Xingsheng listened without saying a word. That Tangjin sure had a knack for marrying off his son to this Xia-ger—he’d heard that Magistrate Wu had even bought a house on Xitai Street! Still, these shrimp cakes were delicious. He’d eaten one and was already craving a second. When he had a chance, he’d swing by the eatery to buy a few to take home for his Fulang and Yue’er to try.

Zheng Zhongzhong changed the subject: “You’re right! These shrimp cakes are truly delicious. It’s the first time I’ve realized shrimp could taste this good.” 

Zhang Dachuan chimed in: “You bet. These cakes are even more fragrant than the ones made with just meat—I have no idea how they do it.”

Hearing this, Tao Xingsheng perked up immediately: “These cakes were bought right at Old Gu’s place—they were made by Xia-ger, Xiucai Gu’s Fulang.”

“The family of your sworn brother?” asked Liu Hongfang.

Tao Xingsheng nodded. “That’s the one. Everyone, make sure to stop by and support the business when you have time.”

Zhang Dachuan stuffed the last bite of shrimp cake into his mouth and mumbled, “If all the dishes at his restaurant are this good, I’ll definitely go.”

“Don’t worry about it. The braised pork from last time was from his place too—everything there is top-notch.” Tao Xingsheng couldn’t resist helping Old Gu attract more customers.

Zhang Dachuan realized, “Oh, I see. So that’s why the magistrate took notice of this place—because of that braised pork. We really have you to thank for that.” Tao Xingsheng tugged at the corner of his mouth. How could he possibly take credit for this? Who knew the magistrate was such a foodie!

“Constable Tao, what are you two discussing over here?” Magistrate Zhong had approached without anyone noticing.

Tao Xingsheng quickly put on a cheerful, carefree expression and said, “Your Honor, we were just chatting about nothing in particular.” Seeing his evasive manner, Deputy Magistrate Zhong knew they weren’t telling him the truth.

Rage surged within him.

A mighty dragon cannot overpower a local snake.

And Wu Baoquan was certainly no dragon. Ever since he’d arrived in Qingchi County, Wu had been at cross-purposes with him day in and day out, and the people in the county office were paying him less and less respect.

Today, he had finally deigned to lower himself to chat with these lowly constables, only to find upon arrival that these disreputable men had been bribed with a few worthless pastries. Deputy Magistrate Zhong snorted coldly: “Since the squad leader is unwilling to tell the truth, there’s nothing more to discuss. You may take your time eating.”

With that, he flung his sleeves and walked out.

Tao Xingsheng and the others exchanged bewildered glances.

Liu Hongfang rolled his eyes dramatically. “Deputy Magistrate Zhong really doesn’t know his place. He’s getting on in years—if he’d just step down gracefully, do you think the county magistrate would really go so far as to destroy him completely? He’s got fields and a house—what more could he possibly want? I thought he was a pretty smart guy back in his youth. How did he end up like this?”

Tao Xingsheng shook his head helplessly: “He’s had too many good years. The county magistrates in the past weren’t much to speak of, and they spoiled him rotten.” 

Zhang Dachuan sighed: “The way he looks, I don’t think he’ll ever figure it out.”