Melina took the bottle that Cheng Xiaofan handed over and said, "Mr. Cheng, you've truly worked hard. You stayed up all night to refine this pill for me. I'm truly touched."
There was nothing to be touched about.
Cheng Xiaofan thought to himself, all she needed to do was pay him a little more.
He suddenly remembered that Melina had already paid him in advance in Huaxia on behalf of Mary. The words that were about to come out of his mouth were swallowed back.
He immediately put on a smile and said, "Mary, as I've said, you are Melina's best friend, which makes you my good friend too. This is what I should do!"
How good these pretty words sounded!
Mary said to Melina, "Melina, I'm so envious of you! Your devoted boyfriend is truly a rare and wonderful person in this world!"
Melina's heart felt a pang of sadness.
She could have been with Cheng Xiaofan last night, but because he had to refine pills for his friend, they were forcefully separated.
She knew Cheng Xiaofan had to rush back today, so she had no reason to ask him to stay another night.
But!
Hearing her friend's words, Melina had to say some polite things.
She linked her arm with Cheng Xiaofan's, tilted her chin slightly, shrugged her shoulders lightly, and put on a proud expression. Smiling, she said, "Mary, of course. My devoted boyfriend is absolutely the most perfect man in this world!"
Upon hearing this, Mary said, "Melina, I'm almost dying of jealousy!"
Melina's spirit rose. "Mary, stop joking. My boyfriend stayed up all night to refine pills for you, expending so much energy. Why don't you quickly prepare something to help my boyfriend replenish his strength!"
Mary smiled and said, "Don't worry, Melina. I've already asked someone to specifically prepare a large pot of "Ten Perfect Replenishing Soup" for Mr. Cheng. Come, let's go to the dining room!"
As they entered the dining room, they saw an old chef bringing a large earthenware pot to the table.
Even before the lid was lifted, a rich aroma wafted towards them.
Cheng Xiaofan twitched his nose and smiled at the chef, "Master, don't be in a hurry to lift the lid. Let me guess what ingredients you've put into this Ten Perfect Replenishing Soup."
The old chef was in his early sixties, wearing a blue jacket with floral patterns. He had a ruddy complexion and was very healthy.
Upon hearing this, the old chef chuckled, "Alright, sir. Please guess!"
Ten Perfect Replenishing Soup had appeared as early as the Song Dynasty, and by the Qing Dynasty, it was even a delicacy exclusively for the emperor.
The soup, made by every chef in every dynasty, was not static. There were always variations in the ingredients.
This particular Ten Perfect Replenishing Soup was made from the old chef's family's ancestral recipe. He truly didn't believe Cheng Xiaofan could guess it.
Cheng Xiaofan could also tell from the old chef's expression that he didn't believe he could guess it.
He smiled faintly at the old chef and said, "In this pot, you've put a piece of white chicken breast, a pair of white plum duck feet, a pair of goose wings, half a wild boar's stomach, half a pound of beef steak, a whole pork knuckle, along with winter bamboo shoots and half a pound of black carp meat."
"In addition, you've added one gram of Poria cocos, one gram of Codonopsis pilosula, one gram of Astragalus membranaceus, one gram of White Peony Root, two large red dates, one gram of Rehmannia glutinosa, ten grams of peanuts, ten grams of sesame oil, zero point three grams of licorice, zero point six grams of cinnamon, fifty grams of cooking wine..."
The old chef's eyes widened with each word.
He even guessed the exact grams of each ingredient. This was simply unbelievable!
Melina and Mary's eyes were also wide open. They wondered if he was really that accurate. He was being incredibly precise!
At this moment, Cheng Xiaofan continued to speak eloquently, "Cooking method: First, chop all the meats into walnut-sized pieces, and place them in the earthenware pot with the winter bamboo shoots and black carp."
"Then, wrap the Codonopsis pilosula, red dates, and peanuts in gauze. Wrap the Sichuan peppercorns and star anise in gauze. Wrap the remaining nine medicinal ingredients in gauze as well. Put all three bundles into a clay pot."
"Add fifty grams of water, spring onion, ginger, and garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off the foam."
"Then add rice wine and salt, and simmer over low heat."
"And when stewing, you placed the medicinal ingredients beneath the meat. Only in this way can the delicious and mellow aroma be infused."
Having said this, Cheng Xiaofan smiled again, "Master, am I correct?"
"Yes, yes, yes! You are absolutely correct!"
The old chef said excitedly, "Young man, I only knew that the distinguished guest Miss Mary invited was a very capable person. How did you guess this?"
Cheng Xiaofan chuckled and said, "Master, you might not believe it, but I could smell it from the aroma of this Ten Perfect Replenishing Soup."
"I can discern the ingredients, the control of heat, and the preparation process from the aroma of dishes made by others."
The old chef was utterly impressed with Cheng Xiaofan.
He said, "It seems that no matter who it is, and no matter what ancestral Western medicinal cuisine they prepare, it can't be hidden from you."
Cheng Xiaofan laughed heartily and said, "Master, please rest assured, I will not reveal the recipe and preparation method for your Ten Perfect Replenishing Soup."
The old chef smiled and said, "Thank you, sir!"
Cheng Xiaofan smiled and said, "Master, please sit down. Let's eat together!"
Today's breakfast was very rich. In addition to the special pot of Ten Perfect Replenishing Soup prepared for Cheng Xiaofan, there were also pan-fried dumplings, fried dough sticks, egg crepes, xiaolongbao, siu mai, soy milk, and millet porridge.
Mary must have heard from Melina that Cheng Xiaofan was quite a big eater, as he had prepared so many dishes for breakfast.
Upon hearing Cheng Xiaofan's invitation, Mary also quickly said to the old chef, "Master, since Mr. Cheng has asked you to eat with us, please don't be polite. Sit down and join us!"
"Alright, thank you, Miss Mary, Mr. Cheng!" the old chef said.
Cheng Xiaofan said, "I can't possibly finish this large pot of soup by myself. Come, let's all share some!"
He picked up bowls next to everyone and served each of them a large bowl of meat broth.
Taking a sip of the soup, Cheng Xiaofan nodded repeatedly and said, "The soup tastes truly good. The weather has turned cold, and drinking a large bowl of this soup every morning is indeed very beneficial."
He couldn't help but glance at the old chef and said, "If I'm not mistaken, Master, your ancestors must have been imperial chefs in the Qing Dynasty, am I right?"
The old chef looked stunned and said, "Mr. Cheng, you are truly amazing. You can even guess this?"
Cheng Xiaofan laughed heartily and said, "Because some of the ingredient combinations in the Ten Perfect Replenishing Soup you've made were improved in the Qing Dynasty."
"And these improvements were limited to the imperial palace!"
The old chef immediately bowed to Cheng Xiaofan and said, "Mr. Cheng is truly learned and talented. I am filled with admiration!"
"There's a Chinese chef competition happening in Chinatown tomorrow. I wonder if Mr. Cheng would be interested in attending?" he asked Cheng Xiaofan.
Before Cheng Xiaofan could reply, Melina excitedly exclaimed, "Darling, why don't you sign up for the chef competition? I believe you can definitely win the championship!"