Chapter 368: Golden Ear and Silver Ear
"Dinghu Shangsu and Dragon Serpent Soup, please enjoy," Qi Han said, doing his best to maintain a calm expression. "Pururu will bring the Golden Dragon Spine over shortly."
Once again, Fu Ya had predicted correctly.
At first, Yue Lengxin had resisted this kind of special treatment from Qi Han.
But after all this time, she had somehow grown used to this man personally bringing her dishes each time she dined here.
After being briefly amazed by the heavenly phenomenon of the Dinghu Shangsu, Yue Lengxin softly spoke up.
"Thank you."
Qi Han blinked. That was the first time Yue Lengxin had ever said "thank you" when he served her a dish. He quickly recovered and smiled. "You're welcome."
Naturally, he couldn't stay and chat—he was far too busy. But as he turned back toward the kitchen, his steps noticeably quickened.
Yue Lengxin let out a quiet sigh of relief as he walked away.
Whenever she dined at other restaurants, she would always thank the servers or chefs who brought her food. But when it came to Qi Han, those two words were always stuck in her throat.
Just now, the words had slipped out without her even thinking—and even she was surprised by it. Fortunately, Qi Han didn't seem to notice or make a fuss, which let her breathe a silent sigh of relief.
Then, a small trace of annoyance crept into her heart.
That was the first time I've ever thanked you!
Couldn't you at least show a little reaction? Just "you're welcome, you're welcome"?
Hmph!
But she was quickly distracted by the two dishes in front of her, and all her little thoughts were instantly thrown to the back of her mind.
This Dinghu Shangsu looked absolutely delicious!
While waiting for the food, she had reread the detailed descriptions of the three dishes she had ordered.
Yue Lengxin didn't actually know that much about heavenly herbs and treasures, but that didn't stop her from feeling intense curiosity about the Dinghu Shangsu.
This was the first time Han Shi had offered a dish made entirely from heavenly herbs and treasures. Previous dishes like Boiled Cabbage in Clear Broth or Wensi Tofu were technically vegetarian, but their soups were made with chicken broth and other ingredients—so they couldn't be considered fully plant-based or spirit-ingredient-only.
So what would a dish cooked purely with heavenly herbs and treasures taste like?
Yue Lengxin gently poked at the neatly arranged stack of the Dinghu Shangsu with her chopsticks.
The carefully layered ingredients immediately scattered with ease into the plate, slightly soaked in a thin layer of vegetarian superior broth at the bottom.
For a moment, she felt the childhood joy of knocking down a tower of toy blocks—and couldn't help but smile.
'Which one to try first…'
After thinking for a moment, her chopsticks reached for a small golden chunk of heavenly treasure on the plate.
Its slightly wrinkled appearance somewhat resembled brain matter.
Yue Lengxin wasn't averse to eating animal brains—in fact, after trying it for the first time, she had found it surprisingly delightful. So this golden ingredient, which looked a bit like it, didn't repel her at all.
This ingredient was known as Golden Ear.
Even after being cooked, the Golden Ear still retained its original wrinkled form. When she picked it up with her chopsticks, it felt soft—almost like lifting a clump of dense cotton. The peculiar texture piqued Yue Lengxin's curiosity even more.
She brought the small piece of Golden Ear closer to her nose. A fresh, delicate fragrance—intermingled with the meaty aroma of the vegetarian broth—slowly wafted into her nostrils.
The scent was vaguely reminiscent of osmanthus, and when combined with the convincing meaty fragrance of the broth, created a rather unique and elegant harmony that softened the heavier flavors.
Swallowing a bit of saliva, Yue Lengxin carefully placed the piece of Golden Ear into her mouth.
"Mmm~"
The texture of Golden Ear was entirely different from Silver Ear.
Silver Ear was soft with a slight crunch—when you bit into a large piece, that subtle crispness became even more noticeable. But Golden Ear was the complete opposite.
Once in the mouth, its texture was nothing but velvety smooth.
The Golden Ear, steamed to perfection, easily broke apart with the lightest movement of Yue Lengxin's teeth. With just a gentle press of her tongue, it melted completely in her mouth, releasing the hidden layers of flavor. The osmanthus-like fragrance bloomed more vividly, flooding her senses, while the Golden Ear's own umami taste blended rapidly into the vegetarian superior broth.
The broth was already incredibly flavorful to begin with, but the Golden Ear added a defining touch—like the finishing stroke of a masterpiece—giving the savory notes a clear identity. The richness dancing on her tongue teased her taste buds, creating a sensation that was nothing short of extraordinary.
"So delicious!" Yue Lengxin murmured softly, her face lighting up with delight.
And that was just one type of heavenly treasure?
Could the others be just as amazing?
With that thought, she carefully picked up another ingredient—a silvery-white, fluffy flower-like piece—and brought it to her mouth.
This one happened to be the Silver Ear counterpart.
Normal silver ear fungus wasn't actually silver-white in color. If the ones sold in markets were too white, they were usually bleached.
But of course, Qi Han didn't use ordinary silver ear fungus in his cooking.
This heavenly treasure substitute was called Brilliant Star Silver Flower. Its appearance was far more beautiful than the silver ear fungus found on Earth. With its pure silver-white hue, it was no less stunning than the Golden Ear, boasting incredible visual appeal.
Yue Lengxin took a bite—and her eyes lit up with joy.
Silver Ear was fluffy by nature, and fluffiness meant it could absorb more soup.
That was exactly what happened. The moment her teeth pressed down gently, a burst of savory broth exploded from the Silver Ear.
The broth came from the vegetarian soup base, but it was no longer just that.
During the steaming process, the Silver Ear had absorbed the soup and gradually infused it with its own essence and freshness. Now, the resulting liquid was full of Silver Ear's unique flavor. When that rich broth entered her mouth, Yue Lengxin was momentarily moved.
The taste had at least 80% similarity to the savory profile that emerged after the Golden Ear melted into the broth—but the remaining 20% difference completely transformed the overall experience. Despite both being part of the same dish, each ingredient gave the illusion of tasting an entirely different meal.
Amazing!
Amazed, Yue Lengxin slowly began chewing.
The texture was completely different from that of the Golden Ear. While equally soft, it lacked the sticky glutinous feel. Instead, it was delicately crisp—tender, firm, and satisfyingly bouncy, making chewing the Silver Ear even more enjoyable than the Golden.
These two heavenly treasures were ones Yue Lengxin had never even heard of before. But right then, she committed their names to memory.
'Such delicious heavenly ingredients… I wonder if I could cook them myself sometime? Would they taste just as good?'
'…No, probably not as good as when Qi Han makes them.'
She shook her head and continued tasting the rest of the heavenly treasures in her dish.
. . . . . . .
"Your Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish and white rice are ready."
Fu Ya approached with a smile, carrying a large plate of the fish. Behind her, Pururu skillfully balanced a steaming clay pot of white rice atop his head, leapt onto the table, and gestured for Yun Qing to take it.
'So this is that famous plate-carrying spirit beast cat from Han Shi?'
Yun Qing's eyes widened with curiosity. He couldn't help but reach out to pet it.
"Meow~!"
Male! No touching!
Pururu nimbly dodged the hand, hopped off the table, and scampered away.
Yun Qing didn't mind. He simply chuckled and turned his attention to the food.
'So, this is the Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish?'
He inhaled deeply, savoring the rich aroma. His face lit up with anticipation.
'Alright then—let's see just how good this Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish really is!'
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