The first thing Jiang Qiuqiu made was lamb soup. Lamb soup is absolutely delicious on a cold winter day; you could have it a hundred times and never get sick of it.

After preparing the meat and setting it to stew, she cut some pork. This time, however, she wasn’t making braised pork belly but rather stir-fried pork with garlic scapes. The garlic from Taotao Fresh had been very fresh lately, so even a simple dish would be delicious.

In addition to the pork, Jiang Qiuqiu also prepared a seafood dish. The Agricultural College had been releasing a lot of new products recently. Winter might not have been crab season in her own era, but here? ’Who cares!’

The crabs were plump anyway, with rich, red roe. They looked delicious at a single glance.

Along with the seafood and meat, Jiang Qiuqiu also added a vegetable dish. And of course, bamboo shoots were a must!

’We’ve eaten spring bamboo shoots more often. I wonder if he likes winter ones.’

’Hmm... I’ll make them anyway. If he doesn’t like them, I can just switch back to spring bamboo shoots next time.’ 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

She grabbed a large handful of bamboo shoots, placed them on the cutting board, and sliced them on a diagonal. The slices couldn’t be too thin or too thick. Poorly prepared winter bamboo shoots had an astringent taste, but when cooked properly, they truly lived up to their reputation as a "mountain delicacy."

’Are five crabs enough?’ Jiang Qiuqiu wondered. After a moment of thought, she added two more.

She cheerfully heated the wok and began to stir-fry. It was a shame there wasn’t a mirror in the kitchen, or Jiang Qiuqiu would have been quite surprised by the sight of her own face.

What could make a chef beam with a constant smile, even while cooking?

Was it love?

Of course it was!

The process of cooking was a pleasure. Cooking for *that person* was also a pleasure. With this double dose of joy, time flew by.

The soup gradually turned a milky white as waves of fragrance wafted from the kitchen. Jiang Qiuqiu lifted the lid of the lamb pot for a peek. ’Whoa, it smells incredible—even better than usual.’

She placed the finished dishes into a warming container while they were still hot. The Rice was almost done too. Glancing at the time, she used the last few free moments to whip up a small dessert.

The ingredients were milk and tapioca starch she had ordered from an Agricultural College relief drive two days prior, along with some toasted soybean flour she had made herself while experimenting with tofu.

Making fresh milk mochi was incredibly simple. You just needed a clean non-stick pan. First, pour in the milk, then the tapioca starch. Stir until thoroughly combined, add some sugar, and wait for the liquid to thicken into a sticky, solid-like mass. And that’s it!

’It smells so good.’ She sent a quick message asking Mo Si to come over for lunch.

An idea struck her. Jiang Qiuqiu had the butler bring over a scanner, then opened her online food showcase and uploaded all of today’s dishes.

’Mhm~ I should share today’s delicious meal with everyone!’

Just as she finished setting the table, Mo Si and the others arrived. Upon entering, Mo Si saw Jiang Qiuqiu carrying out dishes and immediately headed for the kitchen to help her bring everything out to the living room.

Mo Chengyu stood to the side, quietly admiring the scene for a moment.

Soon, lunch began.

First came a bowl of steaming, tender lamb soup.

Mo Chengyu was the most effusive, needing to voice every ounce of her appreciation. "This is so delicious! I feel like all the broken pieces of my work-shattered heart have been glued back together!"

"If only Spirit Nourishing Liquid could taste this good!"

"Then again, that’s impossible."

After they finished the soup, Jiang Qiuqiu moved to serve Mo Chengyu some Rice, but she held up a hand. "No, no, no, I can get it myself!"

After getting her Rice, she showered every single dish with praise. "So good! This is amazing! I absolutely love it!"

Mo Si found her a bit loud, feeling that she was disrupting the quiet atmosphere.

But when he turned to look, he saw Jiang Qiuqiu watching Mo Chengyu with a gentle expression.

He remembered something she had said:

As a chef, the greatest joy is earning the diners’ approval.

...