After the holiday started, he sent off three girls who were reluctant to leave.
Professor Mu Lin found a job for him at the library, organizing books, which was exactly what Mu Lin had hoped for. Mu Lin spent another week at the school library, reading nearly ten thousand books.
Although Mu Lin had cultivated his divine consciousness, it was essentially an extension of his vision, not like in some novels where a sweep of the divine consciousness could instantly imprint half the library into one’s mind in an afternoon.
His divine consciousness was like having a telescope added to his senses, and when it became tangible, it was like gaining an extra pair of hands. However, the divine consciousness was cultivated from spiritual energy and had a significant impact on the spiritual realm.
Since Mu Lin had already unlocked his intellect, his reading speed was far faster than that of ordinary people, but he didn’t want to stand out as an anomaly in the mundane world. Therefore, to the eyes of ordinary people, Mu Lin was simply someone who often browsed books at the library and didn’t borrow many. Now that he had this opportunity, Mu Lin naturally wanted to make the most of it.
Moreover, he had heard that there were some ancient Chinese books smuggled or looted from China in the library. The library staff usually conducted a general organization of the books during holidays. Taking this opportunity, Mu Lin saw some Chinese calligraphy and paintings, a book titled “The True Interpretation of the Great Dao,” and several volumes of “Dunhuang Daozang.” These were all rare editions, especially “The True Interpretation of the Great Dao,” which was said to have been authored by Chen Tuan from Mount Hua. When Mu Lin saw this book, he was almost stunned.
Mu Lin had heard from his great-uncle about this book. It was said that in the late Ming Dynasty, this scripture had triggered a major catastrophe in the cultivation world. This “Interpretation” was rumored to be the cultivation method used by Chen Tuan, who had genuinely ascended to immortality through cultivation. Therefore, countless cultivators fought fiercely over this “Interpretation.” At that time, almost all cultivators were drawn into this disaster, and countless cultivation techniques were lost as these cultivators perished. The Chinese martial arts and cultivation worlds were nearly devastated and never fully recovered. Eventually, “The Interpretation” disappeared without a trace. Now, Mu Lin thought, perhaps it was the Manchu rulers during the late Ming Dynasty who had thrown this out as bait to weaken the martial arts and cultivation communities by inciting them to fight amongst themselves.
Without hesitation, Mu Lin first placed the book into his ring. He swapped the contents of the Dunhuang Daozang volumes with regular Daozang books, creating a sandwich-like replacement. “Damn it! Let you all work hard for nothing, and in the end, it still benefits me!” This discovery brought Mu Lin immense satisfaction.
In a little over ten days, it would be the traditional Chinese festival, the Spring Festival. “Stinky brother! It’s almost the New Year, and you don’t even spend time with us or cook for us! We’re so tired of eating Western food!” Hearing this voice, Mu Lin knew that his two younger sisters were already impatiently coming to bother him.
Sure enough, as soon as Meizi saw Mu Lin, she ran into his arms, hugged his neck, and kissed him. Mefang grabbed his arm and shook it excitedly.
“All right! All right! Brother will go back with you right away, okay? My face, Meizi! Brother already washed his face this morning!”
Helplessly, Mu Lin had to explain the situation to the library manager and prepared to return home to accompany his sisters. Anyway, he had already taken everything he needed, so he didn’t plan to come to work anymore.
The head librarian was very sympathetic toward Mu Lin and reluctantly approved, telling him that he could always come back to work here in the future. After thanking the supervisor and greeting the other staff members, Mu Lin went to the supermarket to buy some food and then returned to where his sisters were staying.
After all, the Spring Festival was mainly a Chinese holiday. Claire Lacey hadn’t finished work yet, while Bess and Daise were watching TV at home, giving Mu Lin only a brief greeting. Although these two girls were familiar with Mefang and Meizi, they were still not very close to Mu Lin.
Mu Lin found it somewhat strange that Claire Lacey was Asian, yet had a black and a white daughter. Mefang and Meizi were too shy to ask, so this question remained in Mu Lin’s mind. After all, Mu Lin was only a fifteen-year-old child.
Mu Lin cooked while Mefang assisted, and soon dinner was ready. The aroma of the food drifted into the living room, and Meizi was already circling the dining table like an eager puppy, only hesitating to start eating because they were in someone else’s home. Although Bess and Daise were also reluctant, they eventually couldn’t resist and came out too, circling the table with Meizi, asking her the names of the dishes while circling. Meizi, however, had no mind to answer them, only sniffing the delicious smells, and she herself didn’t even know the names of the dishes.
When Mu Lin and Mefang finished cooking and came out, they saw the three girls circling the table like little dogs, finding it quite amusing. But knowing Meizi’s clingy nature, neither Mu Lin nor Mefang dared to laugh. They sat in the living room, waiting for Claire Lacey to finish work and come home.
According to usual routine, Claire Lacey should have come home by now. After waiting for a long time, she finally returned, greeted Mu Lin, and then noticed her two daughters and Meizi circling the dining table, which puzzled her.
“Hey! Bess! Daise! Meizi! Hello! What are you doing?”
“Mommy! You’re back! Daniel cooked such a delicious meal! Let’s eat quickly!” Bess and Daise greeted their mother.
Seeing the table full of Chinese dishes that Mu Lin had prepared, Claire Lacey couldn’t help but be surprised. “Daniel, did you cook all this? It’s amazing!”
“Yes, ma’am. Can we start eating now? I think Bess, Daise, and Meizi are already hungry!” Although Mu Lin noticed that Claire Lacey’s expression was a bit off, he didn’t pay much attention and just urged her to start the meal.
“Sorry, I had some things to do and came back late today. Let’s eat now!” Claire Lacey said, inviting Mu Lin to the table.
During the time he worked in the restaurant, Mu Lin was at the late stage of the early Foundation Core period, making no progress for a while. To raise funds, he worked in a restaurant kitchen, mainly responsible for cooking for his great-uncle and teachers. Back then, he only needed to cook food that was edible.
Now he noticed that chefs paid great attention to the pairing, cooking techniques, seasoning, and other details of each dish. He gradually developed an interest in cooking. Chinese cuisine was characterized by strict ingredient selection, precise knife work, careful combination, diverse seasoning, emphasis on cooking techniques, and the requirement that the dishes be visually appealing, aromatic, flavorful, and well-shaped. It was composed of various regional cuisines, minority cuisines, imperial palace cuisine, official cuisine, and temple cuisine, each with its own unique cooking techniques and flavor profiles.
To cook dishes that were visually appealing, aromatic, flavorful, and well-shaped, one must understand the sources, properties, advantages and disadvantages, and nutritional value of various ingredients, as well as their processing and storage. Otherwise, even the most skilled cooking techniques would struggle to create exquisite dishes. Secondly, there were various cooking methods, divided into cold dishes and hot dishes, with more than 50 methods for hot dishes alone. Surprisingly, it was often the everyday home-cooked meals that best reflected a chef’s skill.
Take the common dish “Dry-Fried Shredded Beef” as an example. The beef used was from the sides of the cow’s rump, with the tendons removed. The accompanying vegetables could be celery, green garlic, or garlic sprouts, but only one kind should be used. The key was the timing and heat control during frying. If overcooked, the beef would be tough to chew; if undercooked, the meat would be soft and fail to showcase the distinctive texture of dry-fried dishes—”the main ingredients are dry, fragrant, crisp, and delicious, with an endless aftertaste.”
Without excessive seasoning, too many side dishes, or complicated cooking methods and time, simple home-cooked meals actually revealed the essence of cooking. This was known as “the simplicity of the great Dao.” When Mu Lin realized this principle after three years, he suddenly broke through the early stage of the Foundation Core and entered the initial stage of the mid-Foundation Core. Some cultivators might take 50 or even a hundred years to achieve such an understanding. This further solidified Mu Lin’s determination to cultivate while living in the mundane world.
Now, Mu Lin simply prepared eight dishes and one soup, which excited Claire Lacey’s family and his two sisters, who began scrambling for the food. Meizi was the first to act, unhesitatingly grabbing the plate of her favorite dry-fried shredded beef and placing it in front of her.
Next was Daise, who was the same age as Meizi. She wasn’t used to chopsticks and couldn’t eat quickly with a knife and fork, so she boldly claimed a plate of fish-fragrant pork and a plate of sautéed shrimp for herself. Then came Bess and Mefang. At first, Claire Lacey, being older, felt embarrassed to join in the scramble, but seeing that if she didn’t act soon, there would be nothing left, she eventually gave up her dignity and joined the competition.
Now each person had one or two dishes in front of them, while Mu Lin had none, except for a bowl of West Lake beef soup placed in the center of the table. Mu Lin sat there, holding his rice bowl in stunned silence, resigned to eating his rice with soup. Eventually, Mefang felt sorry for Mu Lin and gave him some of her home-style tofu, and Meizi also lovingly added some food to his plate. Feeling embarrassed, Claire Lacey’s family also offered Mu Lin some dishes, though no one suggested putting the food in the center of the table for everyone to share.
While eating, Bess kept saying, “So delicious! Daniel, is this really Chinese food? Mefang was absolutely right—it’s amazing! Mommy! You’re Chinese too, why don’t you cook Chinese food for us? Why have we never eaten Chinese food before?” She continued eating without waiting for her mother’s response.
Only Mu Lin noticed that Claire Lacey’s expression had turned somewhat grim, and she was clearly eating more slowly. However, Mu Lin, considering it a personal matter, didn’t pay too much attention.
After finishing the meal hastily, Mu Lin returned to the living room to wait for his sisters. He planned to tell Claire Lacey that they would return to their home in Salt Lake City the next day to celebrate the Spring Festival.
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