286: Chalcedony rice matures

On Sunday, the first ray of morning sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, falling upon Lu Chuan's face.

He slowly opened his eyes, and after a moment of daze, a vague premonition stirred within him.

Sure enough, the system's familiar, slightly mischievous prompt sounded in his mind right on time.

“Ding dong! A new week has begun! Is the diligent Little Chef God ready? A freshly baked stall mission, brimming with the system's affection, has been delivered. Please check it out~”

Lu Chuan's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, and he took a deep breath.

“View.”

“Now releasing next week's stall mission.”

“Stall Location: Magic City, outside the funeral home, by the essential path leading to the cemetery.”

“Stall Time: Monday to Friday, daily from 6 AM to 10 AM.”

“Recipe: Rebirth Set Meal.”

“Mission Requirements: 1. Successfully sell at least one hundred ‘Rebirth Set Meals’. 2. Ensure at least ten relatives of the deceased provide clear feedback of ‘Mind Bug being comforted’ after tasting the set meal (defined as: their emotions visibly calming down on the spot, stopping crying or reducing sadness, and actively stating that the food brought warmth and strength).”

“Mission Reward: ‘Spiritual Tongue’ (significantly enhances perception of hidden characteristics and the most subtle differences in taste of ingredients).”

Lu Chuan: “!!!”

He stared at the text on the mission panel, speechless for a long time.

Outside a funeral home? Selling “Rebirth Set Meals”? And needing to comfort the Mind Bug of the deceased's relatives?!

This was beyond outrageous; it was practically defying the heavens!

In such a place, with such an atmosphere, people immersed in sorrow—who would be in the mood to taste delicious food? And to feel comforted by it?

The difficulty coefficient was ten times more preposterous than making financial elites lose their composure and celebrities bow down, combined!

“System,” Lu Chuan said expressionlessly in his mind, “I suspect you don't want me to conquer the tongues of the whole world; you want me to be labeled as mentally ill by everyone.”

“Oh my, host, don't be so pessimistic~”

The system's voice remained cheerful.

“The location is a bit special, but precisely in such times, people need warmth and strength the most! Think about it, a delicious meal imbued with sincerity and ultimate taste might truly soothe a wounded Mind Bug, right? This is a boundless act of merit!”

“And the reward is ‘Spiritual Tongue’! Combined with your ‘Heart Fire Tempering’, your control over taste will truly reach perfection, and no subtle change in any ingredient will escape your perception! This is an essential talent on the path to becoming a Chef God!”

“Cut the act!”

Lu Chuan rolled his eyes in exasperation and replied,

“Selling bento set meals at the entrance of a funeral home… this idea is too ‘netherworld-ish’! How am I supposed to even speak?”

After a pause, he continued,

“For example: ‘My condolences, relative, how about a Rebirth Set Meal to warm your Mind Bug? I'm afraid I'd be beaten up for provoking people!’”

“Relax, relax~ Host, you must believe in your craftsmanship, and even more so, in the power of delicious food! Turning decay into magic, soothing pain invisibly—this is the realm of a top Chef God! I have high hopes for you, dear~”

Lu Chuan rubbed his throbbing temples, feeling that reasoning with the system was utterly futile.

He sighed resignedly and began to ponder countermeasures.

The location couldn't be changed, the time was so early, and it was such a special occasion… conventional marketing methods simply wouldn't work.

Perhaps, he could only rely on the power of the food itself, which transcended words.

“Rebirth Set Meal…”

Lu Chuan mused for a moment, finally coming to a decision.

“The name can't be like that, it's too direct. It can be changed to ‘Warm Heart Morning Porridge’ or ‘Comfort Rice Ball’ or something similar. The ingredients should be gentle, easy to digest, and capable of bringing warmth and a sense of tranquility.”

His mind rapidly scrolled through various options in the P4 and P5 ingredient libraries, combining his “Heart Fire Tempering” talent with potentially redeemable auxiliary ingredients, and began to conceive a recipe.

Just then, he took a slight sniff and immediately followed the scent to the planting box placed on the room's windowsill.

A look of joy immediately appeared on his face.

The jade marrow rice was ripe!

Lu Chuan temporarily put the outrageous mission aside, got out of bed, and quickly walked to the planting box.

Opening the lid, an even richer, purer aroma wafted out.

Inside the planting box, stalks of rice plants, about half a meter tall and as warm and smooth as white jade, stood gracefully. The rice ears hung low, filled with translucent grains, each about the size of a peanut, seemingly with milky white luster flowing within.

It was indeed jade marrow rice!

They emitted a faint, sweet fragrance; just a light inhale could make one feel refreshed and invigorated.

Lu Chuan carefully snipped off the rice ears and threshed the grains.

He ultimately harvested about half a bowl of jade marrow rice, roughly three hundred grains, each plump and brimming with spiritual energy.

He kept about a third as seeds, replanting them back into the spiritual energy planting box, anticipating the next harvest.

Looking at the half-bowl of jade marrow rice in his hand, which resembled works of art, Lu Chuan's eyes sparkled with excitement.

The main ingredient for “Seven-Colored Exquisite Heart Fried Rice” was finally in his hands!

Without hesitation, he immediately used the points credited yesterday to redeem several P5-grade ingredients through the internal platform.

Such as the five-colored phoenix-tail chicken, highland cow's milk, and crystal fish he had browsed yesterday.

The auxiliary ingredients included:

seven-colored glass salt (5 grams), thousand-year stalactite marrow (3 drops), secluded valley orchid honey (10 milliliters), and a newly discovered P5-grade auxiliary ingredient called Hundred Flavor Condensate.

The effect of Hundred Flavor Condensate was to excellently blend various flavors, making their transitions more natural and harmonious, and it played an excellent role in the fusion of main and auxiliary ingredients.

After waiting for half a day, the personnel arranged by Lin Wei finally delivered the ingredients.

Lu Chuan took a deep breath, calming his excited mind.

He didn't immediately start cooking; instead, he first lit incense and sat in meditation to adjust his state to the optimum.

The “Mind Bug” talent quietly operated, making his mind clearer and more perceptive.

The “Saint Like Buddha” state was also activated.

Only then did he finally begin to process the ingredients.

The jade marrow rice had a pure and unblemished texture, so no washing was needed.

Lu Chuan gently stirred it with a special jade spoon, ensuring it was evenly heated.

Next, he began to process the seven auxiliary ingredients, corresponding to the seven colors:

Red: Take the most essential part of the loin from the Golden Pig, slice it into hair-thin shreds with a mystic crystal kitchen knife, and marinate with a small amount of seven-colored glass salt and Hundred Flavor Condensate.

Orange: Mince the chicken breast of the five-colored phoenix-tail chicken into an extremely fine paste, mix with a little secluded valley orchid honey, and beat until firm.

Yellow: Select butter refined from the richest colostrum of the Highland Cow, and the egg yolk of a free-range chicken.

Green: Select the tenderest heart of the Jade Ice Heart Vegetable, and chop it finely.

Cyan: Shred the rehydrated deep-sea scallop into extremely fine threads.

Blue: Blend the powder of ice crystal tear bamboo rice with clear broth simmered from crystal fish to form a light blue starch solution.

Purple: Extract a deep and magnificent purple juice by mixing black wolfberry with a small amount of nightmare pepper.

Throughout the entire process, Lu Chuan was fully concentrated, striving for perfection in every step. His control over heat, strength, and timing reached an unprecedented level of precision under the dual talents of “Mind Bug” and “Heart Fire Tempering.”

When all preparations were complete, he finally began the final stir-frying.