75: Lotus Seed, Pear and Tremella Soup

Between stuffing himself to death and satisfying his cravings, Zhang Kai ultimately chose fishing.

After all, in a fisherman's world, only fishing can solve a thousand sorrows!

But with no rod, how could he fish?

"No!!!! My rod!! No!!!"

A startled cry from the lakeside made Lu Chuan, who was happily enjoying his grilled fish, jump.

He looked up and saw a man clutching his head and weeping bitterly.

You finally noticed… Lu Chuan silently offered his condolences, then continued to enjoy his meal.

A few minutes later, as the last bite of fish went down, he rubbed his belly contentedly.

Looking up again, he saw Zhang Kai was already packing up his gear, ready to leave.

"Ready to go?"

He asked.

"Yes, ready to go."

Zhang Kai nodded sorrowfully.

"Coming back tomorrow?"

Lu Chuan continued to ask.

"Are you still setting up your stall here tomorrow?"

Zhang Kai's expression shifted, and he looked up with anticipation, asking.

"Yes."

Lu Chuan nodded.

"Then I'll come back tomorrow."

The sorrowful expression on Zhang Kai's face vanished, and he instinctively licked his lips.

"Good."

Lu Chuan nodded with a smile.

"Bye-bye."

"See you tomorrow."

Under the moonlight, the vendor and the customer waved goodbye.

With the fisherman's departure, the Nameless Lake returned to its usual tranquility.

Lu Chuan idly pulled out his phone, preparing to scroll through some videos.

He found the signal extremely poor, and it took forever to load a single video, so he had no choice but to give up.

He waited by the lake for half an hour, but no new fishermen arrived.

Lu Chuan shook his head helplessly.

It seemed this wild fishing spot wasn't famous, or perhaps it was because news of world anomalies was increasing, and even fishermen were hesitant to fish at night.

Seeing that it was already half past ten, Lu Chuan simply packed up his stall and went home.

Today, he sold one grilled fish and consumed one himself.

Revenue: 150, Profit: -110, appetite coins: 3.

Congratulations!

Keep up the good work tomorrow!

Lu Chuan put the grilled fish from his cart back into the refrigerator, then trotted up to the attic.

He rubbed his hands, his face full of anticipation, and pried open a floorboard, retrieving a white lotus pod wrapped in layers of plastic bags.

"System, how do I eat these lotus seeds? Raw, or made into a dessert?"

Both are fine, it won't affect their efficacy.

Lu Chuan immediately smiled.

For last week's mission, the system had provided a complete dessert recipe book.

At the time, due to various factors, he could only choose to make mung bean paste and double-skin milk.

This time, he could perfectly use these white jade lotus seeds to make a classic Cantonese dessert—Lotus Seed, Pear, and Snow Fungus Sweet Soup.

Lu Chuan cradled the lotus pod like a treasure and ran downstairs to the kitchen.

Passing the refrigerator, he conveniently took out dried snow fungus, a pear, rock sugar, goji berries, and red dates.

Then he soaked the snow fungus in warm water for an hour, peeled and diced the pear, and scrubbed the pear skin with salt water for later use.

An hour later, Lu Chuan removed the lotus seeds from the pod, gave them a quick rinse, and placed them in a clay pot with the rehydrated snow fungus and red dates, adding an appropriate amount of water and bringing it to a boil over high heat.

Then he reduced the heat and simmered for 40 minutes until the collagen was fully extracted.

At this point, Lu Chuan added the pear cubes, pear skin, and goji berries, continuing to simmer for another 30 minutes over low heat.

For the last 10 minutes, he added rock sugar, stirring constantly until it dissolved and the soup became thick.

After plating, Lu Chuan sprinkled a handful of dried osmanthus for fragrance and drizzled a small spoonful of wild honey to create amber-colored patterns, enhancing the overall delicate appearance.

In the sky-blue ceramic bowl, the translucent snow fungus formed the main backdrop.

Paired with the pale yellow flesh of the pear, the creamy white, round lotus seeds, the bright red goji berries, and the warm orange red dates, it created a visually layered effect.

Lu Chuan inhaled the fresh, sweet aroma, a happy smile unconsciously spreading across his face.

He picked up a spoon and gently stirred, then scooped up a spoonful of the crystal-clear, silky, gelatinous snow fungus soup.

A pale yellow osmanthus flower floated within it, and lotus seeds were half-submerged, half-floating.

The pear was soft and almost melted, and goji berries were scattered like rubies.

The clear, slightly thick soup clung to the edge of the spoon, with translucent, stringy collagen dripping down.

"Gulp."

Lu Chuan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he brought the spoon to his mouth, blew on it a few times, and then, unable to resist any longer, took a mouthful.

His teeth gently met, his tongue lightly held it, and the exquisite taste made him close his eyes immediately, savoring it intently.

First, the gelatinous substance from the stewed snow fungus instantly coated his tongue, a silky smoothness that melted in his mouth, as delicate as silk.

Then came the slightly elastic but not sticky lotus seeds, powdery and subtly chewy when masticated, with a sweet aftertaste.

Next was the soft and dense pear after stewing, its juice blending into the soup, providing a natural fruit pulp sensation.

The soup in his mouth was rich yet not greasy, with distinct layers.

The slipperiness of the snow fungus, the chewiness of the lotus seeds, and the softness of the pear created a textural contrast.

The slight crispness of the goji berries and the denseness of the red dates added a touch more interest.

The texture was already so rich, what about the taste?

Lu Chuan curiously began to explore each element, savoring it like a wine connoisseur.

The top notes were fresh, sweet, and lingering, with the pure sweetness of rock sugar as the base, intertwined with the natural fruitiness of the pear and the subtle fragrance of the lotus seeds.

The middle notes offered a clean, slightly bitter aftertaste: the subtle sweetness of the snow fungus's gelatin, the bitter-sweetness of the lotus heart, the refreshing sweet-sourness of the pear, the slight tartness of the goji berries enhancing the flavor, and the warm sweetness of the red dates removing any astringency, all subtly balanced.

The finish left a lingering aroma in his mouth: the fragrance of osmanthus and the sweet richness of honey, leaving his throat moist and comfortable, instantly dispelling the summer heat without a trace.

"This soup, with its core of freshness, smoothness, and layers, combines visual and gustatory pleasure, as well as health benefits and deliciousness—it's simply perfect!"

Even though he was the creator, Lu Chuan couldn't stop praising it.

He had to admit, as his culinary skills improved, the dishes from the system's recipes tasted even more perfect.

He sighed, then emptied every last drop of soup from the pot into his stomach.

"Burp~"

Lu Chuan burped, patted his belly, and asked the system.

"System, after eating these lotus seeds, there doesn't seem to be any change?"

Host, please wait.

"Huh?"

3

"(⊙o⊙) What?"

2

"Wait..."

...

Begin.

As soon as the system's voice fell, Lu Chuan suddenly felt as if his entire body was being gnawed by insects.

The intense pain made him vomit a mouthful of fresh blood.

Then he collapsed to the ground, rolling around uncontrollably.

Host, hold on, you are about to be reborn.

The system, for once, cheered Lu Chuan on.

However, Lu Chuan, who was in agony, was clearly no longer listening.

He wanted to scream to vent the pain, but his throat felt like it had been doused with sulfuric acid, riddled with holes.

It was intensely itchy!

Painfully extreme!

Lu Chuan began to bang his head against the ground, hoping to use another kind of pain to numb the pervasive agony deep within his body.

But it was no use.

Regret… awakening?

Lu Chuan didn't know; he was in no state to consider that question now.