"With you saying that, I'm relieved. At least one of us will advance to the finals. I hope you can win the championship."
Hisako Arato nodded slightly. From her appearance, she showed no sign of dejection and was full of composure, but this, in turn, made people a bit worried.
"It's getting late. I have to go back and prepare dinner. Otherwise, Lady Erina will have nothing to eat when she gets back, and she'll probably be starving. I'll take my leave now."
After saying this rather quickly, she left hastily through the contestant passageway without waiting for Gin Dōjima to announce the theme for the finals. In a moment, she was gone.
"Hisako…"
In the VIP box, Erina Nakiri saw Hisako Arato leave after just a few words. Her heart, which had just been put at ease, was now full of anxiety again. She hurriedly left the box to look for her.
Before long, she saw Hisako Arato by the pond outside the Tsukiten-no-Ma. Hisako was leaning her hands on the railing, gazing into the distance. Erina's hurried steps immediately slowed, and her anxious heart settled.
"Hey there, beautiful. All by yourself?"
Walking up and patting Hisako Arato's shoulder, Erina Nakiri stood naturally beside her, following her gaze into the distance.
Graceful lotuses stood tall, and black swans played in the pond.
Everything was so peaceful. If it weren't nighttime, their view would have been limited, and they would only be able to see the scene illuminated by the streetlights.
"Lady Erina…"
"I'm sorry, I've disappointed you."
Turning her head and seeing it was Erina, the emotions Hisako Arato had managed to suppress instantly became hard to contain. She bit her lower lip and spoke.
"Not at all, you did great. Victory and defeat are a common part of battle. Losing doesn't mean you didn't try. If even you fall into self-doubt, shouldn't the people who lost to you go find a block of tofu to smash their heads on?"
Erina Nakiri said in a joking tone. She knew Hisako Arato's skills best—a genuine first-grade head chef whose cooking had no issues. She was simply outmatched.
This was a very normal thing. After all, there were so many talented chefs in the world. Before one truly matured, who could dare say they were definitely better than others?
The number of chefs who weren't Special Grade defeating Special Grade Chefs was small, but it was quite common for a one-star Special Grade to beat a two-star, or even a three-star Special Grade Chef.
The reason for this was that in the later stages of cooking, the gap wasn't that large. It was very possible that a single minor detail wasn't handled correctly, causing the dish's grade to drop and leading to eventual defeat.
"But…"
Hearing Erina Nakiri's comfort, Hisako Arato wanted to say more, but Erina placed a hand over her lips, stopping her from speaking.
"No 'buts.' What you need now isn't to dwell on failure, but to find a place to rest well, recharge your spirits, get in the right state of mind, and then continue to work hard."
She remembered the first time she was defeated by Alice Nakiri. Back then, she was much like Hisako now, in a state of constant dejection.
But, such situations usually improved after a night's sleep.
"I'll listen to you, Lady Erina."
She opened her mouth as if to say something more, but seeing Erina Nakiri's earnest expression as she gave advice, Hisako Arato ultimately nodded.
She didn't want to worry Erina Nakiri. As her secretary, her job was to solve problems for her, not to make her worry. To do so would be completely unprofessional!
"Good. What do you want to eat tonight? Want to try a new dish I've developed?"
Seeing Hisako Arato's brows relax, and thinking her comfort had been effective, Erina Nakiri looked into her eyes with deep affection and spoke.
"I do, I do!"
Hisako Arato responded with an enthusiastic nod.
"The final will be held in one week. The venue is still the Tsukiten-no-Ma, and the theme is [Loach]."
"The loach is a nutritious and delicious ingredient. In Chinese folklore, it's known as the 'Land Dragon.' Summer is also the season when loaches are at their fattest, making it very suitable for cooking into a delicacy…"
Holding a microphone and looking at Liu Yu who had just entered from the back room and was now standing beside Megumi Tadokoro, Gin Dōjima announced the theme for the final round with a powerful voice.
"Loach? That's an unusual theme. Its meat is firm and elastic, with a delicate and fresh taste, and a unique umami flavor."
"However, if not prepared properly, the bitter and fishy taste will be particularly strong. It's an interesting ingredient."
Hearing the theme for the final, Dylan's expression became subtle. He lightly tapped the armrest of the chair next to him. The theme was loach. It seemed they were planning to test the contestants' adaptability.
"Everyone's tired of the common ingredients. The final definitely needs something unusual. We don't normally use an ingredient like loach, so naturally, it's novel."
Alice Nakiri propped up her small face, speculating on the organizers' intentions.
Chicken, beef, lamb, pork, fish—these ingredients had appeared too many times in past competitions. The audience was somewhat immune to them. Using something different could stir up the atmosphere and test the contestants at the same time.
For instance, right now, after hearing the competition theme was [Loach], the audience erupted into a heated discussion, while the contestants on stage began to think.
Loach…
What kind of dish should they make…
Megumi Tadokoro pursed her lips and fell into deep thought, standing motionless. Liu Yu, on the other hand, turned and left with Wang Jing, who was waiting for her at the entrance of the Tsukiten-no-Ma.
"I should go back to the countryside again."
Megumi Tadokoro suddenly looked up. Just like taro, loach was an ingredient commonly eaten by ordinary people. Asking those old men for advice would surely be the right move!
As she was thinking this, an unknown amount of time passed.
When she came back to her senses, a curious, pretty face appeared before her. Looking closely, she saw it was Yūki Yoshino, with Ryōko Sakaki standing beside her.
By now, the crowd had dispersed.
Not many people were left in the vast Tsukiten-no-Ma.
"Yūki, do you know where to find a lot of loaches?"
Looking at the familiar face and thinking that Yūki Yoshino was an expert in animal husbandry and might have considerable knowledge about loaches, Megumi Tadokoro couldn't help but ask.
"Loach farms, you mean? If I had to say, Akita and Tottori prefectures have a large number of them. Akita Prefecture uses box cultivation for loaches, which saves a lot of space, while Tottori Prefecture has established breeding farms.
But if you want to buy good loaches, I suggest you go to Gunma Prefecture. Although this place isn't as large-scale as the two prefectures I just mentioned, its farming methods are the most advanced.
They use the terraced fields in the mountains for rice paddy aquaculture of fish and loaches. Because they've done research on water flow, volume, and temperature changes, the loaches they raise are large, fat, and very popular."
Yūki Yoshino was truly an expert in this field. After hearing Megumi Tadokoro's question and thinking for a moment, she gave her very sound advice.
"Gunma Prefecture? I see. I'll go there this week for a field study. Since it's a production area for the ingredient, the local people should also enjoy eating loach. I hope I can learn something."
Hearing Yūki Yoshino's suggestion, Megumi Tadokoro also thought for a moment, then nodded, deciding to buy a ticket to Gunma Prefecture tomorrow.
Since it was a place where loaches were raised, they would surely have unique insights into how to prepare them. She might learn something by going there.
Meanwhile.
After leaving the Tsukiten-no-Ma, Liu Yu and Wang Jing were also thinking about what kind of dish to make. In the end, they didn't return to the dormitory but opened a map app and searched for shops in Tokyo that sold loach dishes.
Summer is the peak season for loaches. Although not many people in Tokyo liked to eat loach, there were quite a few shops that sold it. A quick search brought up more than a dozen.
"Let's start with this one here. We should be able to try all the loach dishes in the Tokyo area in three days. Then we can study them properly."
Leaving Totsuki Academy, they got on a public bus. Looking at the shop names on the map app, Liu Yu planned out their time.
The first three days for visiting shops, the next four days for research.
Before long, Liu Yu and Wang Jing arrived at a small shop on a street corner. The shop was very small, with only an old man inside, who was currently wiping a clean table with a cloth.
『Meishuya』
This name was written right above the shop.
Obviously, this was a shop specializing in loach cuisine. However, seeing how deserted the business was, one could imagine that the loach dishes here were not very popular.
"Welcome, ladies. What would you like to eat? The menu is on the wall. We have loach with fine noodles, spicy loach, braised loach sections, loach tempura…"
Finally seeing customers arrive, the old man immediately put down his cloth and came forward with an expectant look on his face to introduce his menu.
"Sir, we'll have a serving of the loach with fine noodles."
Her gaze swept across the shop. The storefront was not large, and the menu hung on the wall, listing a dozen or so dishes, which was quite a variety.
The owner was an old man in his 60s. Despite his age, he walked with a steady gait and was dressed in white, looking very capable.
"It will take some time, about 20 minutes. Is that okay?"
"That's fine, we're not in a hurry."
Hearing Liu Yu's words, the old man nodded, then put down the cleaning cloth and went inside to prepare the loach with fine noodles for them.
"I know this might be a bit rude, but could we watch from the side? We're very curious about how loach with fine noodles is made."
"If you're curious, come on in."
Seeing the curiosity on the two girls' faces, the old man paused his steps, thought for a few seconds, and nodded in agreement. They were all common techniques, nothing worth hiding.
Besides, he didn't think these two delicate young things could steal his skills.
"Great."
Liu Yu and Wang Jing exchanged a glance, both seeing the excitement in each other's eyes.
Although the man wasn't a famous chef, he ran a shop specializing in loach cuisine. He must have some unique insights in this area.
Soon, the two followed the old man into the kitchen.
The small shop's kitchen was clean and tidy. Though small, it had everything it needed. The most eye-catching thing was the wood-fired stove.
It was hard to imagine that in today's society dominated by electricity, a small shop would still have a wood-fired stove, with some chopped firewood placed beside it.
"Here, we use small loaches for the noodles. Compared to large ones, the meat of small loaches is more delicate and firm. The noodles cooked with them are exceptionally fresh and delicious."
"By the way, all our loaches here are killed to order. I keep a tank of them here, which ensures their freshness. But it takes a relatively long time, and customers are unwilling to wait, so we don't get many people."
The old man explained to Liu Yu and Wang Jing, who were standing behind him watching, as he scooped loaches from the fish tank. His voice carried a hint of bitterness.
Because of his insistence on the quality of his dishes, his serving time was relatively long. And in today's fast-paced society, this led to a small number of customers.
"Does every single loach here have to be processed like this? Isn't that a bit too much trouble…"
Watching the old man pick up the loaches and process them one by one, Liu Yu's brow furrowed slightly. No wonder he said it would take some time. Just this slow, methodical processing meant it couldn't be fast.
"That's right. It's quite troublesome for the average person. Very few people have the patience. When you process a live loach, if you're not careful, it can just fly right out of your hands. You can't hold back the force, and it's easy to get cut."
The old man answered Liu Yu's question with a cheerful smile.
The truly difficult part of making loach with fine noodles lies in processing the loach. Most people would see it and not want to bother. This was the basis of his business.
That's why he didn't mind Liu Yu and Wang Jing coming in—to show off his hard work, make them feel it was worth the price, and hope they would come again.
"I see."
Liu Yu nodded slightly, then said no more, quietly watching the old man process the loaches. After about ten minutes, the old man had finished processing eight loaches.
"Alright, sir, we'll go out now."
"Okay, you can wait outside. Cooking is actually a very boring thing, just repeating the same action over and over. I'll try to speed things up a bit."
As he spoke, Liu Yu and Wang Jing went outside, their faces showing no particular emotion. The old man chattered on, busy by himself inside.
"The next shop is here. Go forward and turn right. It's about a kilometer from this shop, so walking is the fastest way."
"Okay, let's go after we finish the noodles."
After seeing the old man's method for killing loaches, the two lost all expectation for his cooking. At the same time, they understood why this shop had so few customers.
Killing loaches wasn't difficult. The first step was to take a large iron basin, pour the loaches inside, and add table salt.
This way, the loaches would die in about two minutes. By then, the motionless loaches would be very easy to handle, requiring hardly any effort.
Although they had only seen the process of handling the loaches, they could tell the old man's skills were not great. A shop like this wasn't worth much attention.
"Let's just consider it a lesson in what not to do."
Leaning against her chair and noticing that Liu Yu next to her was a bit distracted, Wang Jing spoke softly.
Good cooking methods could be learned from, and bad ones could be used to eliminate errors. It was definitely not a problem to walk around and see more.
"I was thinking the same thing. I'm starving after coming down from Totsuki, so let's just have a snack for now."
Liu Yu nodded, as Wang Jing had seen through her thoughts. She then rested her head on the table and waited.
This old man really was slow. No wonder he had asked if they could wait when they first came in. They thought it was just politeness, but he was actually that slow.
"Sorry for the wait, the loach with fine noodles is here!"
Just as they were grumbling inwardly, a steady voice came from the kitchen. The old man walked out carrying a bowl of loach with fine noodles and two small bowls.
He came straight to Liu Yu and Wang Jing's table, put down the loach with fine noodles, and, worried the two young ladies wouldn't have enough, he had added extra noodles.
"Thank you."
"These noodles are handmade. If they soak for too long, the texture won't be good. It's best to eat them quickly while they're hot."
After saying this, the old man retreated and continued to wipe a table nearby. Even though the table was very clean, it was the only thing he could do.
"It looks pretty good."
"Indeed, it's not as bad as I imagined."
Looking at the noodles in front of them, Liu Yu and Wang Jing muttered softly, then picked up their chopsticks and began to eat.
The soup for the loach with fine noodles was a soy sauce color. On top was a row of loaches cooked until tender, and on top of the loaches were some chopped green scallions.
Overall, it didn't look special, but it gave off a rich aroma that made one want to swallow. Then, Liu Yu picked up one of the loaches.
"Fresh, fragrant, tender, and soft."
"In the warm soup, the long, thin noodles are as smooth as silk, gently entwined, having absorbed the essence of the broth, becoming both soft and elastic."
Liu Yu tasted the loach first, while Wang Jing started on the noodles. Having soaked up the broth, the noodles had an exceptionally mellow flavor, with an enticing fragrance that spread through her mouth.
"Before being boiled, these loaches must have been pre-processed, and dry-fried. There's no starch on their surface, so all the ingredients' fragrance has been released, entered the soup, and been absorbed by the noodles!"
Seeing Wang Jing's delighted expression, Liu Yu also took a mouthful of noodles, pairing them with a loach soaked in the broth, and savored the taste.
"Unexpectedly delicious."
Wang Jing couldn't help but praise it. After seeing the old man's processing method, she had lost all hope, but she never expected it to be so delicious.
Unfortunately, they had come out when the old man was halfway through cooking and hadn't continued watching, so they didn't know the deeper details.
"Sir, we're still a bit hungry. We'd like to try the home-style loach, and a dry-fried one too. Your skill is really excellent."
Liu Yu praised him without hesitation, and her words were sincere. The level of this loach dish was close to that of a first-grade dish.
For a folk chef in a small shop, having this level of skill was already very impressive!
"Well, I've been dealing with loaches for over twenty years and have run this shop for over twenty years. If I didn't have some skill, I would have been weeded out long ago."
"Unfortunately, a new restaurant opened across the street. Their prices are cheap and they're fast. I don't think my little shop can last much longer. Before that happens, I'll just cook a few more dishes."
The old man put down his cloth, his face full of pride. But that pride quickly faded as he went into the kitchen to prepare their new dishes.
Liu Yu and Wang Jing exchanged a look and followed him in. This time, they would watch closely from the side to see how he made them.
The old man didn't say anything about this. It was rare to have two young ladies who liked loach cuisine, and he couldn't just drive them away.
Perhaps because someone was watching, the old man felt he was in particularly good form today, and the dishes he made were even more fragrant than usual.
______
✅ Until 40 advanced chapters of ALL stories!
✅ Exclusive content and updates!
Help us hit our community goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 55 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters of ALL STORIES!
Claim your 40% OFF spot and unlock everything now:
👻 P - Walnutchan