Chapter 303: Boiled Greens? Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Broth!
Lucifer's sudden exclamation drew everyone's attention. A flicker of panic crossed her face as she remembered her queenly facade, but it was too late. The moment Ren had called out to her, the carefully constructed mask had crumbled.
With a resigned sigh, she accepted her lapse and returned to her seat, smoothing her dress and forcing a calm expression. Cerberus, however, bounced in her seat, her curiosity piqued. "Lucifer, Lucifer, Lucifer! What was that you said? Boiled greens?"
Lucifer shook her head, a hint of playful mystery in her voice. "I don't know the details. Ren won't tell me. He said most people probably haven't heard of this dish, so he wants to keep it a surprise."
Hearing this, the woman who had been waiting with such anticipation shot a strange look at the smiling Clow Reed. It was confirmed. These two were cut from the same cunning cloth. The road ahead, she mused, was going to be a difficult one.
Yuuka Kazami, another one of the so-called 'victims' of Ren's culinary suspense, simply sat in quiet observation. Her reasons for staying were twofold: she was curious to see what these two guests from another world were planning, and she was always on the lookout for any strange new creatures that might wander into the shop.
While everyone was lost in their own thoughts, Ren emerged from the kitchen, pushing a dining cart before him. Clow Reed, who had been waiting with thinly veiled impatience, immediately swept the notebooks and pens from his side of the table, clearing a space with practiced efficiency.
The woman finally understood the feeling that united all of Ren's patrons. The man was a master of gentle torment. He pushed the cart with a leisurely, almost theatrical slowness, each soft roll of the wheels stretching their anticipation to a fine thread.
When the cart finally came to a stop between their tables, the knot of anxiety in their chests loosened. Ren carefully placed their respective dishes and wine before them, one by one, before offering a gentle smile. "Please, enjoy."
Clow Reed's own smile was laced with amusement. "I thought you might perform the grand unveiling yourself, Shopkeeper Ren."
Ren paused for a moment, then chuckled. "Much like unwrapping a gift, the surprise is always more potent when the recipient lifts the lid themselves. I can, however, serve as your guide."
"Then I'll have to trouble you," Clow Reed nodded graciously.
With that, he lifted the silver cloches from his dishes. Instantly, a wave of intoxicating aromas filled the air, revealing a spread that was a feast for the eyes. The colors, scents, and presentation were flawless.
"Although you are familiar with them," Ren began, his voice warm, "I shall announce them all the same."
"White Cut Chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork, Guo Bao Rou, and Wensi Tofu."
Clow Reed inhaled deeply, a flicker of genuine emotion in his eyes. "Indeed, Shopkeeper Ren. Simply from the fragrance alone, it's difficult to believe these are the same dishes I once knew."
"Eh? Is that Guo Bao Rou? I've missed it so much!" he exclaimed, his gaze lingering on the glistening, golden-brown pork.
Ren nodded, pleased. "I recall you have a fondness for sweets, so I prepared this for you. It seems my choice was not mistaken."
"Hmm. To be honest, it has been a very, very long time... I am truly looking forward to this."
"Then please, begin."
As Ren finished, he heard the woman clear her throat. "So, Mr. Ren, would you mind introducing my dishes as well? I'm especially curious about those mysterious 'boiled greens'."
"Of course."
As her lids were lifted, the woman's eyes widened. Before her sat a platter of beautiful, rosy pork ribs, glistening with a tempting sweet and sour glaze. And beside it... was a bowl of what looked to be, for all intents and purposes, very rich-looking boiled greens.
Ren's voice was as gentle as ever. "Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs. And this dish is not called 'boiled greens'. Its proper name... is Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Broth."
"Boi... Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Broth?!"
The woman stared, utterly dumbfounded. Good heavens, that name sounded even less appealing than 'boiled greens'. Across the room, Lucifer, Yuuka Kazami, and the others wore identical expressions of bewilderment.
Clow Reed let out a soft laugh. "I knew you'd make that face."
Ren simply nodded, a satisfied smile on his face. "This proves that keeping it a secret was the right decision. Now, please, both of you, enjoy your meal."
He turned and returned to his own seat by the counter. Lucifer immediately leaned in, her voice a conspiratorial whisper. "Is this... 'Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Broth' thing based on the same principle as Longjing Shrimp or Coconut Chicken?"
Ren blinked, momentarily confused. "The same principle? What do you mean?"
"You know!" Lucifer said, a touch of impatience in her tone. "How the name describes the cooking method. This Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Broth isn't just cabbage boiled in plain water, is it?"
Ren considered the question with deep seriousness. Then, under Lucifer's incredulous gaze, he nodded.
Lucifer's jaw went slack. "How did you make boiling water and cabbage smell so fragrant?"
"It is indeed boiled in 'water'," Ren explained, "but the word 'water'can be extended to mean things like'soup'or'broth'. It's a bit like how there's no fish in Fish-fragrant Pork, no ants in Ants Climbing a Tree, and no wife in a Wife Cake."
Lucifer nodded slowly, conceding the point. That was acceptable. Then she paused, her curiosity reignited. "Ants Climbing a Tree? Wife Cake? What are those? Your dish names are so strange..."
"They are," Ren agreed. "Even now, I can't quite grasp why minced meat and vermicelli came to be called Ants Climbing a Tree, though the name is certainly memorable."
"Minced... minced meat and vermicelli?" Lucifer muttered, shaking her head. "Humans are truly a peculiar race... And what about the Wife Cake?"
"A Wife Cake, hmm. You can think of it as a type of sweet pastry. Though," he added with a slight smile, "it seems some parents do trick their children into eating more of it by telling them it will help them find a wife later on."
Lucifer absorbed this, then pressed on. "Are there any other strange dishes like that? Besides Almond Tofu and Fish-fragrant Pork."
"Fish-fragrant Eggplant?"
She slapped his arm lightly in exasperation. "Not the Fish-fragrant series! Are there any others?"
"Quite a few," Ren mused. "For example, there's Husband and Wife Cake, Husband Cake, Fly's Head, Lion's Head... there are many."
"Fly's... Fly's Head?!"
The name struck Lucifer like a physical blow. Her mind immediately conjured an image of that gluttonous fly, Beelzebub. Fly's Head. No matter how Ren might explain it, she could only picture that. The thought was so repulsive she felt she could never un-think it.
Nearby, Cerberus was peppering Ren with her own questions, while Yuuka Kazami listened quietly, the corner of her lips twitching in faint amusement as the truth behind some of the names was revealed.
At his table, Clow Reed smiled at his dining companion. "If you don't eat soon, your boiled greens will get cold."
The woman's eye twitched. She knew perfectly well he was mocking her. "This dish," she said through gritted teeth, "is called Boiled... Cabbage... in Supreme Broth! Not boiled greens!"
Clow Reed merely offered a serene smile and said nothing more. He picked up a piece of the pristine White Cut Chicken, dipped it delicately into the accompanying sauce, and placed it in his mouth.
In that instant, the world seemed to fall away. A deep, sublime flavor exploded on his tongue, so perfect and so pure that he felt a sudden, dizzying conflict—a feeling that after tasting this, he might as well just die, for no other experience could ever hope to compare.
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