Chapter 161: Setting Off for the Western Mountain Mine

When going out for a stroll, you can skip visiting anywhere else, but you must never miss the finest restaurant in town. A simple taste of the local culinary arts is all it takes to truly discern whether the populace enjoys prosperity or merely a facade of it. Thus, as soon as Tang Wei and Wanwan emerged from the draper's shop, they instructed the waiter to lead them directly to the preeminent dining establishment of the city: the Gathering Affinity Pavilion.

What a magnificent restaurant indeed! Behold the ornamentation, behold the grandeur. Upon crossing the threshold, one’s gaze was immediately met with towering pillars of white jade standing at the four corners of the hall. The surrounding walls were entirely faced with sculpted white stone bricks, between which orchids fashioned from pure gold bloomed with bewitching allure. Azure curtains drifted gracefully in the breeze. A central staircase led straight to the second floor, its steps muffled by a four-season auspicious brocade-patterned tufted carpet. Woven upon a deep crimson ground, the rug featured intricate motifs in shades of orange, light yellow, pink, white, deep blue, light blue, peacock blue, and dark brown, radiating solemnity, elegance, and lavishness. The banisters on either side of the stairs were adorned with exquisite carvings, diverse in form and strikingly lifelike. A single glance inward from the entrance evoked merely two words: utter luxury.

Wanwan and her companion secured the finest private parlor on the second floor, seated at a dining table that commanded a sweeping, unobstructed view of the bustling avenue below. The capital's streets presented a scene of thriving prosperity. In the distance, a grand river spanned by a bustling arched bridge cut across the landscape. The bridge was thronged with people, pedestrians weaving like a bustling tapestry of thread. Both sides of the bridge were lined with countless small stalls—some vending various sundries, others offering pastries and dried fruits, alongside fortune-tellers and tea vendors. The central pathway of the grand bridge teemed with a shifting tide of humanity; carriages rumbled, pedestrians thronged, and most prominent of all, the sea of human heads carpeting the avenue outstripped the density of ants.

Before the waiter could even ascend with the menu, Wanwan briskly commanded him to bring forth the house specialties, followed by a torrent of rapid-fire dish names. Tang Wei barely caught any of it, though she gathered that at least a dozen dishes had been ordered.

"Wanwan, ordering this much? Can the few of us possibly finish it all? Isn't this terribly wasteful?" Tang Wei asked with a furrowed brow of genuine concern. Squandering food was practically guaranteed to invite divine retribution—a golden maxim instilled in the sisters by their grandmother from a tender age, and one Tang Wei had always kept close to her heart!

"Oh please, I'm doing this entirely for your sake! Ever since you arrived in these parts, you haven't truly had the chance to sample the local culinary delights. Isn't this the perfect opportunity to let you properly indulge? Honestly, ever since I tasted your cooking, I wouldn't dare invite you to eat anything in that little township! What sort of fine cuisine could a backwater place possibly offer? I'd be terrified of embarrassing us all the moment we ordered. So look, now that we've finally made it to the largest city, surely the fare here won't leave us disappointed!" Wanwan defended herself with a hint of nervous anxiety, her mind somewhat ill at ease.

And indeed, one had to concede: even though Wanwan had been raised within the royal palace and had arguably tasted every delicacy under heaven, upon experiencing Tang Wei's culinary artistry, she was forced to admit that Tang Wei's skills were truly peerless. The imperial chefs of the Ning Kingdom would likely struggle to catch up to her even if they rode galloping steeds. With such exquisite culinary talent, ordinary dishes simply could not be presented to her. Now that the group had reached this most ancient city and patronized its largest dining establishment, surely they would find something capable of satisfying Tang Wei's palate!

Service at the Gathering Affinity Pavilion was remarkably swift. In less than half an hour, the veritable feast—brimming with every variety of fowl and fish—was fully laid out. It was evident that Wanwan had put genuine thought into her selection. Yet the moment Tang Wei laid eyes on the dishes, a flicker of disappointment crossed her face. A single bite confirmed her fears: not only was the timing and heat control slipshod, but even standard aromatics and seasonings were omitted entirely. It seemed utterly hopeless to expect any decent gastronomy on the Lupi star; the culinary culture was dreadfully backward. Most likely, their entire philosophy of cooking consisted of tossing ingredients into boiling water with a pinch of salt until done.

Wanwan, meanwhile, ate with relish, declaring between bites, "As expected of the finest restaurant! The flavors of these dishes are simply sublime!"

Tang Wei managed no more than a couple of perfunctory bites from a few dishes before pushing her chopsticks away in defeat. Yet Wanwan kept enthusiastically raving about how delicious everything was. Good grief, what sort of standards was this?! If *this* passed for delicious, it was small wonder that a single humble roasted fire-rabbit had reduced her to acting like her life depended on it, howling for it day in and day out.

Tang Wei had not brought her full arsenal of seasonings, retaining merely a jar or two upon her person. Yet those improvised roasted meats, elevated solely by newly discovered chili peppers, had elicited such boundless praise from Wanwan. If the girl were to taste dishes prepared by Tang Wei with a full pantry of spices, she would likely swallow her own tongue in ecstasy! A small town was a small town indeed, lacking in every department. Truly, living on Earth was not a bad deal at all!

Wanwan and Sangye, aided by the waiter, thoroughly gorged themselves, whereas Tang Wei chewed listlessly through a few perfunctory mouthfuls. With their meal concluded, the party prepared to return. The surplus of goods proved impossible to carry back by hand, necessitating the hiring of two additional laborers to transport the parcels to their residence, thereby bringing this shopping excursion to a satisfactory close.

The subsequent events were hardly worth recounting, consisting mostly of trivial, mundane matters. By the following morning, the middle-class man who had initially escorted them into the city was waiting by the gates of their residence. He ushered them into a carriage and drove them straight out of town. After the carriage had traveled a dozen or so kilometers without the man showing any sign of dismounting, Tang Wei grew puzzled. Tugging gently at Wanwan's sleeve, she asked, "Why isn't that subordinate of yours turning back yet?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. He'll be traveling with us from now on; you can just call him Chen Jiu," Wanwan explained with a smile. "I was worried that leaving his trail exposed might lead back to us if anyone went looking, making it all too easy to trace others. So I simply brought him along for the journey. Besides, having someone familiar with the roads will make our future operations much smoother." A sudden playful gleam lit up her eyes as she added with a smirk, "Besides, whenever we want roasted fire-rabbit in the future, we'll have someone to run errands for us, and he can handle driving the carriage when we're idle. At least I won't have to do the heavy lifting myself."

"I see you're just looking for an excuse to be lazy!" Tang Wei chuckled, tapping her playfully on the nose.

"Wanting to take it easy is only natural! What, are you the only one allowed to live a life of leisure while I'm barred from a little ease and comfort?" Wanwan wrinkled her nose, entirely immune to Tang Wei's teasing, and replied with absolute conviction.

"Fair enough. You can learn a thing or two from me from now on!" Tang Wei retorted with mock arrogance. It seemed laziness, too, could be elevated into a style and a badge of honor!

Wanwan rolled her eyes, assuming an expression of supreme disdain, unwilling to engage in further banter with such a thick-skinned wretch for the sake of her own dignity.

"Sigh! Yesterday was such a letdown. And they called it the finest restaurant—the flavors were utterly atrocious! When I have the time, I'll just have to cook a few proper dishes myself to satisfy our cravings!" Seeing Wanwan's comical expression of mock outrage, Tang Wei deliberately shifted the topic, though inwardly she thought: *Hah! A single roasted rabbit was enough to reduce you to such a state of longing; let's see how composed you remain once I whip up something truly exquisite.*

"Other food? Tang Wei, can you actually cook other delicious things?" Wanwan took the bait instantly, dropping her aloof facade to press close once more. Her tone grew honeyed, her demeanor fawning, and her expression thoroughly sycophantic—she looked every bit the professional flatterer, acting as though she hadn't eaten in eight lifetimes. If Tang Wei hadn't known better, she would have suspected the Prince of Ning had been starving the girl. Perhaps the former Prince of Ning had raised her in a pigsty since infancy, which explained why her ears perked up so violently at the mere mention of food.

"Indeed I can! What about it? Got a problem with that?" Now the tables were turned, and Tang Wei assumed a posture of lofty superiority. *That'll teach you to act so smug and condescending. Let's see you put on airs now!*

"Hehe, leisure is wonderful! In this life, a person simply has to enjoy themselves. Aren't the three great joys of existence eating, sleeping, and watching the commotion? I have plenty to learn from you..." Wanwan rattled off a breathless string of flatteries, groveling shamelessly and even abandoning her pride to quote Tang Wei's own golden axioms back to her in a bid for favor.

"Fine, fine! In light of your utmost sincerity, I shall grace you with a display of my culinary prowess another day, so you may truly witness what real cooking is. Then you'll realize your so-called greatest restaurant isn't even fit to hold a candle to my home-cooked meals." Tang Wei knew full well that even joking required moderation; she had pushed the teasing far enough, lest it genuinely strain their bond.

"Splendid! Splendid! Don't you dare forget!" Wanwan was ecstatic, thinking with mounting glee: *Wonderful! This guarantees a magnificent meal. What an absolute bargain!*

"I'll give it a try once we reach West Mountain. We're still on the road now, and time is too tight—I simply can't be bothered!" Tang Wei deliberated for a moment before replying.

"No matter, as long as you're willing to cook, waiting another couple of days is fine by me!" For Wanwan, as long as Tang Wei agreed to cook, nothing else mattered. Listening to her boast about her formidable skills—claiming even the whole roasted rabbit was merely a casual effort—she couldn't help wondering if it was true or pure hot air. Wanwan had never witnessed Tang Wei prepare anything other than the roasted rabbit, and she privately suspected Tang Wei of tall tales. Naturally, she seized every chance to put those claims to the test!

"Let me ponder... what shall I make? Kung Pao chicken? Pickled cabbage fish? Braised pork ribs? Or perhaps pork with pickled cabbage and vermicelli? Ah, decisions, decisions!" Tang Wei hadn't tasted her own cooking in a long time; the mere mental inventory of those delectable dishes made her mouth begin to water.

Though Wanwan had never tasted any of the dishes rattled off in that exotic menu, the mere recitation of their names caused her own mouth to water in sympathy. The more she imagined them, the hungrier she grew, prompting her to hastily intervene, "Stop! You're torturing me. Save the menu planning for later! Just hearing the names is making me lose control."

After swallowing a great gulp of saliva herself, Tang Wei retorted, "Indeed. You've made my stomach rumble as well." *As if you weren't drooling on purpose! What a hypocrite.*

The journey by carriage from Haizhou City to West Mountain took roughly two days and a bit. With Chen Jiu lending a hand, the carriage made even better time. By the time the sun had yet to dip below the horizon on the second day, they had reached the maple grove not far from West Mountain township. Having grown thoroughly accustomed to camping outdoors during their travels of late, they had no intention of entering the town. Their camping gear was fully stocked, and provisions were the least of their worries. However, since Tang Wei intended to demonstrate her full culinary repertoire today, she had already dispatched Chen Jiu to the township to procure the necessary ingredients.

The three women gathered some dry firewood with their own hands and kindled a cheerful blaze, awaiting only Chen Jiu's return to commence their culinary operations.

Wanwan felt as though she had waited until her hair turned white for this very moment—no, rather, until her accumulated drool formed a veritable river!