-23- Stop the chit-chat

"Linwin, do we have any bread? Just the regular kind is fine."

"I'm not picky."

A slightly embarrassed voice sounded behind him, nearly making Linwin burst into laughter.

Wait, this little guy, Powder, insisted on having bread even though she's not picky?

Well, Linwin had actually prepared it in advance for Powder.

And Powder was well aware that there would always be something tasty on Linwin.

Moreover, if it weren't for the inconvenience of bringing the ice cream from Piltover, Linwin actually wanted Powder to taste the ice cream. After all, growing up in Zaun, Powder definitely hadn't tried that.

Without turning his head, Linwin said, "Check in my bag."

"Thanks!"

Powder's face lit up with joy, and she quickly trotted to the table. Then, she tiptoed and took down the backpack Linwin had hung up when he entered.

Opening Linwin's backpack, Powder quickly found what she wanted.

It was a large oiled paper bag, containing two beautifully colored and very soft loaves of bread. On the side, there were several different colored candies and something like a blackboard, black but emitting a sweet smell.

"Wow!!!"

Powder looked at the pile of little candies and exclaimed in excitement, "Can I have this too?"

"Everything in the oiled paper bag is for you."

"Is this... Is this chocolate?"

Powder exclaimed again, "No, Linwin, Linwin, can I eat this too? This should be very expensive, right?"

She was extremely surprised!

She had heard that this was super expensive!

And it's only sold in Piltover, because something like this would never appear in Zaun; it's simply not suitable.

Not only was it pricey, but it was also just a small piece. As for the price... this small piece in Zaun could probably buy several dozen fish?

Powder was a bit skeptical, but, but, but, it was in the paper bag.

So she grabbed it, then looked at Linwin's figure and asked loudly.

Linwin turned around and saw Powder holding a piece of black "slate" in her hands. It was a chocolate the size of Linwin's palm. Powder was now cradling the dark chocolate in her small hands, looking at Linwin with disbelief.

But there was hope in her eyes, and her little head was tilted slightly, resembling a cute little blue kitten.

Linwin: "."

It was just a piece of chocolate, but Powder made it seem like she got something extraordinary. Linwin couldn't help but smile. After all, he was getting a bit tired of the fancy food during his stay in Piltover with Jayce and Viktor.

As a member of Piltover's aristocracy, Jayce wasn't just a guy focused on inventions; he truly knew how to enjoy life. 

Afternoon tea was an essential ritual, and Jayce's childhood friend, although Linwin hadn't met her yet, was known for preparing delicious treats. 

From the delicate appearance of these cakes, so similar to certain champion's abilities, Linwin guessed who the pastry chef was.

These exquisite cakes were either cream filled or chocolate, but they all used the finest ingredients. She was, after all, Lady Kiramman's daughter, a councilwoman in Piltover.

Linwin nudged Vi with his arm and said, "Everything in the oiled paper bag is for you and Powder. But for now, let's stick to eating the bread. Save the candy for after the meal."

"Okay!"

Powder opened the oiled paper bag on the table and divided the items into two portions.

Since the number of candies couldn't be divided equally, Powder gave the extra portion to Vi, intending to have one less candy herself.

Upon hearing that she had her share, Vi, who was standing by the sink, changed her expression and immediately wore a smile.

Of course, she wanted to eat something delicious too. But being the older sister and considering the circumstances, Vi had to suppress her desires. She also liked beautiful things and wanted to eat aesthetically pleasing food.

For instance, exquisite cakes, tasty pastries, though not red tea, Vi couldn't get used to that kind of drink.

Inside the small room, Powder stood behind Linwin, holding the bread in her hands and chewing. Vi, however, was caught by Linwin and he wanted to show this defiant gal how to cook.

"You handle the fish first and let me see how you cook."

"What more do you need to do with this? It's really annoying. Just cut it open and throw it in the pot," Vi said, holding the fish Linwin had prepared and was about to throw it into the pot.

"Ow, it hurts!"

Then, she clutched her hand and glared at Linwin.

"Did Vander teach you to cook like this?"

"No, what are you thinking? He can't cook. He just buys things for us to eat." Vi rubbed her hand that Linwin had hit with a spoon and answered.

Seeing her nonchalant demeanor, Linwin spoke again, "But you've seen me cook so many times. How about learning to cook properly from me?"

"Watching you cook is troublesome!"

"I'm more interested to learn fighting from you," Vi said with a smile, "Who needs to learn to cook from you? Besides, you cook for me and Powder anyway."

"You little..., Mylo and Claggor have definitely got the boss wrong."

Linwin gently tapped Vi's brow with his finger.

But surprisingly, being trusted and relied upon by Vi, this stubborn character, felt pretty good.

So, Linwin began handling the fish on the wooden board. These fish fillets, brought by Ekko for Vi, had colorful fish skins, with each section displaying different hues. The fish meat itself was white, but it contained a peculiar kind of mucus inside. A gentle squeeze and it splattered out like oil.

If this mucus wasn't handled properly, the fish meat would emit a fishy smell. So, Linwin pressed the fish meat, rinsed it with water, repeated this twice, then cut open the fish meat with a knife, spreading the spices placed nearby onto the fish.

Cooking itself wasn't a very difficult task. However, in a survival environment like Zaun, most people were too lazy to enjoy such things.

When survival became a problem, talking about enjoyment seemed a bit extravagant.

But actually, Linwin believed that it was important to occasionally indulge and enjoy. That's how people could survive better. At least, processing ingredients reasonably, tossing them in a pot, and making the food tastier was not a very difficult task, was it? Making the meals more delightful to eat. If this wasn't considered important, then Linwin felt there might not be anything significant in this world.

So Linwin grabbed the girl that was holding her bread and was about to escape to eat. He pressed her down beside him and earnestly said, "Watch me carefully and learn how to cook. At least strive to learn something from me. Don't always let Powder criticize your cooking."

"It's such a hassle!"

Vi, holding the bread, muttered.

But to be honest, as Linwin carefully handled the fish on the cutting board step by step, she was watching attentively.

Then, a not-so-fancy dish was cooked by Linwin.

It was a slightly salty fish soup, filled with fish pieces slightly scorched after a simple frying.

"This looks even more delicious than what Vi makes."

Holding a spoon, Powder complimented Linwin at the dining table, downplaying her sister's cooking. Then, she split her own bread, handed a large piece to Linwin, and said, "You eat, I already had mine."

Linwin smiled and shook his head.

Little Powder was only ten years old, but she knew how to share. Good upbringing! Childrens of Zaun mature early.

"Are you really not eating, Linwin?"

Powder blinked, and after Linwin nodded again, she didn't insist further. Instead, with a contented expression, she broke her bread into small pieces and put them into the fish soup.

This was a method Linwin had taught her earlier. Good bread was soft, and once soaked in the soup, it combined the unique aroma of wheat with the savory taste of the fish soup, creating a wonderful eating experience. 

That's why she liked Linwin.

And these bread brought from Piltover were definitely of better quality than those from Zaun.

Linwin lowered his head to sip the fish soup, finding it a bit salty, but it might be just right for Vi and Powder. 

Just as he thought about this, something bumped into his face. He raised his head and saw Vi sitting beside him, tilting her head, holding bread in her hand, and offering it to Linwin.

She didn't look at Linwin but loudly said, "I, I can't finish it alone, and I don't really like this, so help me eat some."

Linwin: "."

Who was it that was cherishing the bread so much earlier? 

"Are you sure?"

Vi tossed a huge chunk of bread into Linwin's big bowl and held the bowl, pretending to drink the fish soup.

"Stop the chit-chat."