Business had been booming lately at Chen Ma's eatery. By the time Song Miaozhu stepped inside, every table was full.
Not that she minded. With a wave and a casual greeting to Aunt Chen she headed straight toward the kitchen like she owned the place. "I'll eat in the back—saves a seat and gives me a chance to chat with Shuanghe."
In the kitchen stood a small table where Aunt Chen and her daughter, Chen Shuanghe, usually had their meals. "Of course! Just tell Shuanghe what you want to eat!" Aunt Chen called out cheerfully.
Inside, Shuanghe was mid-flip at the stove when she spotted Miaozhu. "Well, well, look who it is! A rare guest. Weren't you staying over in Huaihua Alley lately? What brings you back here?"
"I came to check on the renovation progress at the old house." Miaozhu's eyes lingered on Chen Shuanghe for a moment before drifting toward the shelves. "Got any fresh ingredients in today?"
"Just pulled a fresh river catfish out of the Jiang this morning. Want one?"
"Perfect. Braise it for me. And toss in a seasonal veggie dish too."
"Give me a sec—soon as I finish these orders, I'll get right on it." Chen Shuanghe wiped the sweat off her brow with the towel slung around her neck.
"I'm in no rush. Take your time."
Miaozhu settled by the small table, her gaze fixed intently on Chen Shuanghe's movements as she flipped the wok with practiced ease.
Of all the kitchen stations, this one—Chen Shuanghe's—had the highest concentration of floating spiritual light particle.
Such a dense cluster of spiritual energy could only mean one thing: something nearby was attracting it. And since it was all centered around the stove… it could only be Shuanghe herself.
"So cooking could draw in spiritual energy too."
Well, why not? A chef was a craftsman in their own right.
Cooking, like papercraft, woodcarving, embroidery, and papermaking, was a form of skilled labor. A true artisan's craft.
Miaozhu continued watching Shuanghe cook dish after dish. Most of the time, the spiritual light particle just gathered faintly around the stove.
But when she made one particular dish—stir-fried pork with chili peppers—one of those light particle would pierce through the layers of air and meld right into the food.
"Shuanghe, is stir-fried pork with chili your specialty?" Miaozhu asked.
"Every dish on my menu—and even the ones that aren't—if it makes it to the table, it's a specialty of mine!" Shuanghe grinned.
"...Of course it is," Miaozhu thought to herself. "Classic Shuanghe—ask a straight question, get a cheeky answer."
"That said," Shuanghe added, "the chili pork's definitely the crowd favorite lately. I've had tourists showing up just for that one dish, and I have no idea why!
I'm making dozens of plates a day. Honestly? I'm almost at my breaking point."
Just then, Miaozhu's phone buzzed.
[Yuanyuan] "Hidden Gem in Far Mountain Town: 'Divine Chili Pork' That Elevates Any Meal!" (Repost from Xiaohongshu)
[Yuanyuan]: This is from your hometown! Have you tried it? Is it really that good?
Clicking the link, Song Miaozhu instantly understood the dish's popularity.
The post had thousands of likes and unanimous praise. Strangely, she'd never actually tasted this famed version—last time she'd had it here, years ago, Aunt Chen had been the one cooking.
Without hesitation, she looked up and called out, "Shuanghe! Add a plate of stir-fried chili pork to my order!"
"You too?! You're getting the chili pork too?" Shuanghe looked personally betrayed. "Isn't the braised catfish enough for you? Order something else, come on."
"Nope. Chili pork!" Miaozhu grinned. "My roommate all the way in Jiangcheng's heard of it and asked if I've tried it yet!"
"Wait—I'm that famous now?" Shuanghe blinked, stunned.
Miaozhu got up and showed her the viral food blog. "See? Your chili pork's a sensation! Looks like you'll be stuck stir-frying that dish for quite a while!"
Shuanghe stared at the screen with a mix of disbelief and dread. "I really don't want to keep making just one dish forever…"
"Look on the bright side," Miaozhu said, trying to comfort her. "Most customers won't only order that one thing. If they try your other dishes, who knows—something else might go viral next?"
"I just want to make different things each day. You do the same dish too much, and it turns into a mindless routine." Shuanghe sighed.
"Maybe so, but your chili pork's legit amazing. Not a single negative comment in the entire review section. Every single one's glowing praise!" Miaozhu smiled. "So get to it. I wanna try it too!"
"Alright, alright!" Shuanghe groaned dramatically—but her hands were already at work.
She claimed she was sick of making the dish, but when she cooked it again, her focus was sharp, her movements steady. Like always, she gave it her all.
When the dishes arrived, Miaozhu first took a picture for Yuanyuan, then took a bite of the chili pork.
One bite—and she was hooked.
It wasn't just delicious. The flavor was rich, with a depth that felt almost elemental. The pork had this unbelievably fresh taste, so clean and satisfying that she could've eaten bowls and bowls without tiring of it.
The stir-fried greens and the braised catfish were fresh too—good quality, farm-style ingredients. Some of the vegetables even came from Aunt Chen's own garden. The fish? Caught right from the Xiao Li River.
They were all delicious. But not… extraordinary.
Unlike the chili pork, which had something more. A touch of something beyond.
Miaozhu couldn't help but suspect—this difference came from the spiritual energy.
Note to self: Fewer deliveries, more dine-in—preferably where I can watch chefs work.
After eating, she lingered until the dinner rush passed and the restaurant emptied. As Aunt Chen and Chen Shuanghe prepared their own meal, Song Miaozhu explained the spiritual revival and cooking's role in it.
She'd been completely open with Grandpa Zhao and Zhao Mumu—with these lifelong friends, secrecy was unthinkable. Whether they believed her or not, they deserved warning.
Especially since Aunt Chen also attracted spiritual energy while cooking—slightly more than her daughter. Sooner or later, they'd awaken their Heavenly Eye. Without mental preparation, that kind of thing could be terrifying.
"Spiritual energy's returning? And my chili pork is popular because of that?" Shuanghe blinked. "Miaozhu, are you pranking me? Is it April Fool's or something?"
Aunt Chen, however, shot her daughter a look. "Since when does Miaozhu spout nonsense?"
She'd always known the Song family had… unusual talents.
And now that this… thing had involved her own family, she had to take it seriously:
"Miaozhu, are you saying that by cooking, my daughter and I have been attracting this… spiritual energy thing? And that we might start seeing strange things, like you do?"
Song Miaozhu nodded. "Grandpa Zhao at the woodcarving shop already glimpses them sometimes. We think skilled craftsmanship is the key."