288: Morning Dew Comfort Meal

The seven-colored glass salt didn't just bring saltiness; it was a complex, multi-dimensional, umami-rich flavor with a mineral quality and subtle fruity and woody notes. It was like a masterful conductor, perfectly orchestrating all the flavors.

The richness of the ham, the sweetness of the scallops, the lusciousness of the butter, the refreshing sweetness of the you lan honey... each primary flavor was clearly discernible, yet under the influence of the "Essence of a Hundred Flavors" and Lu Chuan's exquisite skill, they blended seamlessly, forming an unprecedented, grand, and harmonious symphony of "umami."

Even more wondrous was the subtle numbing and warmth brought by the "Nightmare Pepper." It didn't cause any stinging; instead, it acted like a key, instantly heightening the sensitivity of all taste buds, amplifying every detail of this culinary feast to the extreme.

And the crisp sweetness of the thousand-year stalactite marrow was like a clear spring, timely smoothing over any potential greasiness, bringing a consistent warmth and clarity throughout.

After slowly chewing this mouthful of Seven-Colored Fried Rice, and swallowing it, the aftertaste lingered far longer than imagined.

His mouth felt as if it had been cleansed, fresh and comfortable, with the cool fragrance of orchids, the clean scent of bamboo leaves, and the subtle sweetness of fruit wood intertwining and lingering for a long time.

A gentle yet powerful warmth rose from his stomach, rapidly spreading to his limbs and bones. Wherever it passed, fatigue vanished, and even his spirit was invigorated, his thoughts seemingly becoming clearer and sharper.

At the same time, he clearly felt that the previously dormant Gourmet Cellss in his body, stimulated by this pure and powerful energy and the extreme deliciousness, began to activate, cheer, and leap with unprecedented speed! It was as if parched land had welcomed sweet rain, every cell greedily absorbing the magical energy contained within this fried rice.

His heart stirred, and he asked the system.

"System, has my Gourmet Cells awakening rate increased?"

"Ding! Detected host's consumption of the rare-grade dish 'Seven-Colored Exquisite Heart Fried Rice,' Gourmet Cellss received deep nourishment and stimulation, awakening rate increased! Current awakening rate: 16%!"

The system's prompt confirmed his feelings.

He had only eaten one mouthful of fried rice, and his awakening rate had increased by 1%!

This effect was simply defying common sense!

Lu Chuan suppressed the excitement in his heart, and upon reflection, found it quite reasonable.

After all, the recipe for this Seven-Colored Exquisite Heart Fried Rice and its main ingredient, "jade marrow rice," being given as a reward by the system, showed its extraordinary nature.

Not to mention that after cooking was complete, it could even provide feedback on culinary skills and experience!

Given this, its significant boost to Gourmet Cellss was understandable.

Lu Chuan looked at the full plate of fried rice, estimating that eating it all would likely increase his awakening rate by another five or six points.

Thinking of this, he smiled and continued to savor this fried rice, which was nothing short of art and a miracle.

After finishing, he wiped the oily corner of his mouth, felt the power surging through his body, and checked the system's feedback.

"Indeed, the awakening rate has already reached 21%!"

Amidst his joy, he sighed with emotion.

"It's a pity that Gourmet Cellss are too picky; once a delicious taste has been experienced, the effect is negligible the next time. Otherwise, continuously eating this Seven-Colored Exquisite Heart Fried Rice would easily raise the awakening rate to 100%."

He shook his head, no longer dwelling on it.

It was already five or six in the afternoon, and the time left for him to prepare bento boxes for tomorrow's stall task was running out.

Lu Chuan looked up at the window, and a fiery cloud entered his sight, suddenly filling him with an inexplicable emotion.

"The setting sun is infinitely beautiful... but it's near dusk..."

"rebirth set meal..."

As he murmured, the expression on his face slowly softened.

He suddenly understood the deeper meaning of the system's task.

In a place filled with sadness and farewells, any flashy marketing or noise would be inappropriate.

The only thing to rely on was the purest, most essential warmth and power of the food itself.

Following his previous thoughts, he decided to abandon the straightforward name "rebirth set meal." Combining the morning time and the desired effect, he ultimately named the set meal "Morning Dew Comfort Meal."

Considering the morning chill and the possibility that the relatives of the deceased might have difficulty eating, he decided to focus on liquid and easy-to-eat foods.

Thinking of this, Lu Chuan immediately placed an order.

Two hours later, the delivery guy came to his door again.

After getting the necessary ingredients, he began his trial production.

First, the main course.

The main course was named [Warm Jade Soothing Porridge].

It used high-quality local rice, mixed with a small amount of P4-grade otherworldly ingredient [Earth Vein Perilla] to simmer the porridge base, taking advantage of its gentle nourishing and calming properties.

The porridge needed to be simmered until it was extremely soft, melting in the mouth.

Finally, a trace of diluted [thousand-year stalactite marrow] was added to enhance a gentle sweetness, effectively soothing emotions and warming the spleen and stomach.

The side dish was [Golden Cup Steamed Egg].

It used the colostrum of [Alpine Dairy Cows] to replace part of the water, steamed with local eggs.

The finished steamed egg was as smooth as a mirror, with a rich and fragrant taste.

A few crushed hearts of [Jade Ice-Heart Vegetable], lightly pickled with [seven-colored glass salt], were used as garnish, like jade in a golden cup. While highly appealing visually, they also provided a crisp texture and a faint salty umami, making it appetizing and easy to digest.

The drink was [Clear Heart Flower Dew].

It was made by brewing tender leaves of [Calming Spirit Flower] and [Soul Soothing Grass] with a little [secluded valley orchid honey] and warm water.

Its color was elegant, its fragrance subtle, and drinking it could calm the mind, soothe the spirit, and alleviate the emotional distress caused by grief.

This "Morning Dew Comfort Meal" did not use overly expensive P5-grade core auxiliary ingredients, but the selected P4-grade ingredients were by no means ordinary.

Combined with Lu Chuan's already advanced culinary skills and his application of the "Heart Fire Tempering" talent, he was confident that this simple meal could contain enough power to soothe people's hearts.

And indeed, after the trial dishes were brought to the living room for He Jingrui and Ding Xinyang to taste.

The two, as always, gave extremely high praise, followed by a customary battle over the food... The sky was faintly bright, and the morning mist had not yet dispersed.

Lu Chuan and the other two drove the food truck to the solemn and tranquil funeral home on the outskirts of the city.

They chose a secluded corner next to the path leading to the cemetery to park their car. They played no music, hung no conspicuous signs, but simply set up a sun umbrella and a few simple tables and chairs.

On the food truck, only the words "Morning Dew Comfort Meal" were written in elegant script.

Next to it was a small line of text: "A touch of warmth, a small token of our sincerity."

The atmosphere was entirely different from any previous stall setup.

A faint sorrow permeated the air, and most of the people passing by had mournful expressions, red-rimmed eyes, and heavy steps.

The occasional suppressed sobs further enveloped the area in a low-pressure atmosphere.

Ding Xinyang and He Jingrui both appeared somewhat reserved and solemn, unconsciously softening their breathing.

He Jingrui even reined in all his aura, standing still like a rock, fearing to disturb this sorrow.

Lu Chuan stood quietly behind the food truck, looking at the various sad faces, understanding even more deeply the difficulty and significance of this task.