Chapter 4

Maige twisted open the tap and gulped down several mouthfuls of water. He leaned against the edge of the sink and took a deep breath, finally feeling alive again. Waking up without drinking water had left his mouth incredibly dry, and the crispy pancake had almost choked him to death. Now, his throat felt a bit sore.

If this were in his previous life, he would have written a lengthy condemnation, wishing for the closure of the shop. Was this thing even meant for human consumption?

"Father, are you okay?" Amy appeared by his side, holding onto his clothes and asked worriedly.

"Hmm, Father is fine, just choked a little." Maige quickly lowered his head to look at Amy, reached out to touch her hair, and a smile appeared on his face. The feeling of being cared for and depended upon warmed his heart, and it lessened his ill feelings toward the crispy pancake.

He was just an ordinary father now, and he had no desire to repeat the things he did in his previous life. He didn't want to go through another transmigration.

"Father, you should eat slowly. Although the crispy pancake is delicious, you shouldn't rush. Take small bites, so you won't choke." Amy breathed a sigh of relief, as if she felt reassured. Then, with a stern face, she started lecturing Maige.

"Yes, Little Mi is right." Maige looked into her eyes and nodded earnestly. Only then did the little one return to her seat, satisfied.

Instead of rushing out, Maige observed the kitchen.

The kitchen had a rectangular layout, occupying about ten square meters, which could be considered spacious. There were four built-in gas stoves on the countertop, a silver side-exhaust range hood, and a large refrigerator with double doors beside it.

It was a highly professional and modern kitchen, but most of the areas were still empty. There was only one wide Chinese kitchen knife hanging on the knife rack, and there were no pots, bowls, or utensils in sight.

"System, did you forget to put in the appliances and kitchen utensils during the renovation? The refrigerator is also empty," Maige closed the empty refrigerator, realizing that his plan to cook something to eat had fallen through.

"The host currently doesn't have the permission to use those appliances. They will be unlocked one by one after completing the tasks. At this stage, only the ingredients needed for the recipes the host has learned are provided, and the host needs to purchase them before using them," the system's voice sounded.

"It seems you've gone to great lengths to make sure I learn cooking properly..." Maige paused for a moment, feeling a bit helpless. It seemed that he wouldn't be able to make anything else to eat today. Moreover, the system mentioned that he would need to buy the ingredients for future meals. Could it be that the system would directly provide the required ingredients?

After wandering around the kitchen and confirming that there was nothing to eat, Maige had no choice but to pour two bowls of plain hot water and carried them out of the kitchen. It seemed necessary to complete the tasks as soon as possible. Otherwise, he would have a mountain of gold but nowhere to spend it.

Moreover, after tasting the awful crispy pancake, he was really looking forward to Yangzhou fried rice. Whether it was to let Amy taste the delicacies from Earth or to conquer the world with a plate of Yangzhou fried rice, it was all an interesting endeavor.

Maige reviewed the memories of his previous life once again. In this world, due to the thousand-year-long racial war, the culinary style of humans was somewhat similar to British cuisine—simple and straightforward cooking methods, mostly boiling and roasting.

No spices were added during cooking. Seasonings like salt and pepper were sprinkled according to personal taste when eating. The main goal was to eat enough and have a balanced diet, as there weren't many luxuries to focus on during the war era.

Although there had been a hundred years of peace, culinary development had only made limited progress. The minds of chefs were rigid, and even with efforts to improve, the dishes remained simple. There hadn't been many refreshing cooking methods or dishes.

If even food enthusiasts among humans were like this, it was even more so for other races. The food of the elven race was mostly derived from nature, focusing on various wild fruits. Dwarves ate more casually, as long as it was cooked, they could eat it. As for demons and orcs, they would even eat their prey raw...

"This is like a virgin land of gastronomy, waiting for me to cultivate," Maige shrugged and looked at Amy, who was happily nibbling on the crispy pancake in her hands. A gentle smile appeared on his face. He didn't have much interest in spreading the great ideal of culinary culture, but the thought of letting his daughter eat real delicacies and live a comfortable life made him realize that learning to cook was something he could accept.

Due to hunger, Maige could only soak the pancake in plain hot water to soften it before reluctantly swallowing it.

Amy had a good appetite. She crunched on the pancake, finishing it quickly. She lifted the bowl and took a big gulp of the plain hot water, satisfied as she let out a satisfied burp. She looked at Maige, who was still using chopsticks to scrape the paste in the bowl, and smiled mischievously, "Father, the crispy pancake is super delicious, isn't it?"

"No, this can only be considered as something to temporarily satisfy hunger. Xiaomi, in the future, I'll make you a complete Chinese feast, just for you to enjoy and eat until you're full," Maige shook his head, reaching out to gently tap Amy's tender little nose, and said with a smile.

"A complete Chinese feast? Is it really tastier than the crispy pancake?" Amy's eyes lit up completely, but as she looked at Maige, a trace of hesitation appeared on her small face. The food her father cooked before had such strange flavors. Could he really make something a hundred times tastier than the crispy pancake?

"Of course, it's true. And a complete Chinese feast is not just one dish, but a grand banquet consisting of 108 exquisite delicacies from mountains and seas. You can enjoy it for three consecutive days," Maige nodded seriously, naturally understanding the little girl's thoughts. In her eyes, the crispy pancake was the most delicious thing. However, the cooking skills of his previous self were nothing to boast about, not much better than his current self. It was probably a psychological shadow left on the little girl.

"One hundred and eight exquisite dishes?" Amy pointed her finger, her little head struggling to imagine a table filled with things even tastier than sweet and crispy cakes, and the scene of being able to eat continuously for three days. Her eyes grew brighter and a happy smile spread across her face. She jumped down from the chair and cheerfully exclaimed to Mage, "Yay! Xiao Mi wants to eat the Manhan Quanxi feast. Father, please make it for Xiao Mi! Xiao Mi wants to eat it right now!"

"Uh..." Mage looked at Amy's expectant gaze and suddenly felt a bit awkward. He didn't even know how to make a simple Yangzhou fried rice. However, he had the Chef Cultivation System with him, so making a Manhan Quanxi feast in the future would definitely be possible. But looking at the expression on the little girl's face, who wanted to eat it immediately, it seemed like he had boasted a bit too soon.

"Father definitely wants to make it for Amy, but our restaurant is not open yet, and the kitchen lacks ingredients. We can't make so many delicious dishes right now," Mage reached out and ruffled Amy's hair, apologizing.

"Is that so..." Amy felt a little disappointed but quickly raised her head. She held Mage's big hand with her small hand and gently patted the back of his hand, comforting him, "It's okay, Father. Xiao Mi thinks the food you made before was delicious too. When Xiao Mi grows up, I'll earn money and buy lots and lots of delicious food for Father, so you can make the Manhan Quanxi feast."

Looking at Amy's serious expression, Mage suddenly felt a tingling in his nose. He sniffed and smiled, shaking his head. "The present Father is different from before. Taking care of earning money to support the family is my responsibility now. I will definitely keep my promise to make the Manhan Quanxi feast. It's our agreement, and it's my commitment." After saying that, he extended his pinky finger toward Amy.

Amy looked up at Mage, blinked her eyes, and it seemed like today's Father really had changed. He seemed taller and more approachable. She also extended her own pinky finger and hooked it with his, happily saying, "Hmm, Xiao Mi believes that Father will definitely be able to do it."