Chapter 7: The Goal Is... Becoming a Master Chef
When it came to other cats in the village, Chen Jingle wasn’t interested in playing with them. His interactions were more about scaring them off and driving them away.
There wasn’t much choice in the matter.
In rural areas, cats were rarely spayed or neutered. Female cats reproduced frequently, and most families couldn’t handle the extra kittens. Few people wanted to adopt local mixed-breed cats, and the kittens were often abandoned far away to fend for themselves.
Those that survived would become strays.
The village had no shortage of stray cats now. Combined with the fact that most owned cats weren’t fed adequately, the cats roamed everywhere, scavenging for food.
Many of these strays and underfed cats had their eyes on his cat food. On multiple occasions, the food he prepared for Tiger Cub was raided by these feline bandits, which left Chen Jingle grinding his teeth in frustration.
In spring and autumn, the nights were particularly noisy. The strays would howl outside his house, their cries eerily similar to a baby’s wail—utterly spine-chilling.
Chen Jingle knew he was limited in what he could do. He couldn’t care for so many cats, and if all the strays in the village started gathering around his home, any trouble they caused would be blamed on him.
Not long ago, a stray cat broke into a neighbor’s kitchen. Since that particular cat was often seen near Chen Jingle’s house, the neighbor assumed he was the owner and came to confront him.
It took a lot of explaining to clear things up.
Luckily, the cat language proved incredibly effective. After a round of scolding and growling in cat-speak, no stray dared linger near his property.
Chen Jingle was quite pleased with himself.
[TN: Baby Chen Jingle, the cat whisperer]
He imagined that word had spread among the cat community: a human-shaped monster had mastered their language.
Of course, he kept his efforts subtle. He didn’t want anyone in the village noticing him meowing at the cats. Otherwise, rumors would spread like wildfire—things like him being possessed by a cat demon or cursed by some malevolent spirit.
The birth of a new rural legend.
Yikes.
Never underestimate the power of rural gossip.
A simple misunderstanding could spiral out of control. If you delivered takeout for a living, they could twist it into you selling yourself outside.
Even someone as confident as Chen Jingle had to tread carefully when back in his village.
[Time for some hands-on practice! Clever babies not only learn theory but must also get hands-on experience. Chen Jingle, please choose one of the four compulsory practical courses: Cooking, Planting, Animal Rearing, or Health Care. One hour is allotted. You can do it, baby!]
After a ten-minute break, the system notification popped up again.
Another practical session.
This time, Chen Jingle decided against planting and chose cooking instead.
He had already experienced the planting course and was curious about what the cooking course would entail.
As the course began, everything seemed normal. Chen Jingle didn’t think much of it as he walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge, which still had a decent amount of ingredients left.
Then something magical happened.
As soon as his eyes landed on any ingredient, countless dish options related to that ingredient flashed through his mind. Some recipes used it as the main component, while others used it as a side.
Many of the dishes were ones Chen Jingle had never even heard of before, yet they now appeared vividly in his mind.
Even more astonishing, he felt as though he fully understood the essence of each dish—the kind of mastery that could only come from years of experience as a top-tier chef.
It was as if he had been possessed by a culinary grandmaster.
“Hiss…”
Chen Jingle took a deep breath, his eyes widening in shock.
“This feels even more intense than the planting skill!”
It seemed that his familiarity with cooking made the experience more profound. These weren’t just basic kitchen skills—this was the level of a star hotel’s head chef or even a culinary master.
A combination of exceptional talent and countless hours of practice had culminated in this level of skill.
But just how powerful was it?
Only testing it would tell.
What was he waiting for? Time to get cooking!
“How about… sweet and sour pork?” Chen Jingle mused.
There was a small piece of pork tenderloin left in the fridge from lunch, when he’d made stir-fried pork with chili over rice soup. Combined with a few other ingredients, making sweet and sour pork wouldn’t be a problem.
Sweet and sour pork, or "Guō Bāo Ròu," is a classic dish from Northeast China. Though Chen Jingle had never cooked it before, he had eaten it plenty of times and remembered it vividly.
His first impression? Delicious. So good, in fact, that he could easily devour more than half a plate without feeling the slightest bit sick of it.
When the thought of making sweet and sour pork crossed his mind, techniques and tips for the dish surged into his brain like an unstoppable fountain.
In that moment, Chen Jingle felt like he was the culinary prodigy from Cooking Master Boy!
[TN: A Japanese manga and anime series center around Liu Mao Xing, a boy from ancient China and his journey into becoming the best chef in the land]
“Ah, so this is what being a master chef feels like?”
Brimming with confidence and determination, he cracked his knuckles, ready to show off his newfound skills.
Sweet and sour pork doesn’t require many ingredients. Pork tenderloin is the star, accompanied by julienned scallions, ginger, garlic, carrot, and a few sprigs of cilantro.
Luckily, his kitchen had everything he needed, including basics like pepper powder and cooking wine.
Everything was prepped and ready to go!
The first step was to slice the tenderloin.
To make the flavors seep in better, he lightly pounded both sides of the slices with his knife before marinating them.
This was a trick only seasoned chefs would know, yet Chen Jingle executed it with effortless precision.
Next came the starch slurry.
After letting the starch water settle, he poured off the top layer of water, leaving behind the concentrated starch at the bottom for coating the meat.
Then he moved on to the sauce, the soul of sweet and sour pork.
Depending on the region, the sauce could be vinegar-based, tomato-based, or even orange-flavored.
Different cuisines reflect the tastes of different places.
There wasn’t a hard-and-fast rule about which to use—it all came down to personal preference.
Getting the sauce right was crucial; otherwise, the dish could easily flop.
Even though he’d never made the dish before, Chen Jingle somehow intuited the perfect balance for the sauce.
He dipped a chopstick in, tasted it, and exclaimed, “Yep, that’s the right ratio!”
Sweet and sour pork is a deep-fried dish, notorious for its heavy oil usage. While the oil consumption might make moms everywhere gasp, Chen Jingle wasn’t worried—it could be reused for everyday stir-frying.
The meat needed to be fried in three rounds.
First fry: Cook through and set the shape.
Second fry: Lock in the moisture, ensuring the meat stays juicy and tender.
Third fry: Add a golden, crispy finish for the perfect crunchy exterior.
Although Chen Jingle rarely cooked deep-fried dishes, every step felt natural to him. He moved with ease, his performance flawless.
Finally, it was time to coat the meat with sauce.
Using a bit of oil, he stir-fried the aromatic ingredients, poured in the prepared sauce, and let it bubble before tossing in the crispy pork slices. He expertly flipped the wok, ensuring every piece of meat was evenly coated in the rich, glossy sauce.
With that, the dish was complete.
The aroma was heavenly.
The vinegar-based sauce gave the dish an irresistible tangy kick, perfect for whetting the appetite.
Even the scent alone was enough to make anyone drool.
Though the frying process had filled the kitchen with smoke earlier, now all that lingered was the mouthwatering aroma of sweet and sour pork.
The fragrance wafted outside, instantly catching the attention of his neighbors.
“Where’s that smell coming from?”
“What’s that kid next door up to? Smells amazing!”
“It’s only 3 p.m., and he’s already cooking?”
“Meat, every single day—such a wasteful way to live. Doesn’t he know how to save?”
…
Clearly, the entire neighborhood was salivating.
But too bad for them—Chen Jingle had no plans to share. This dish was all his.
“Time to dig in!”
Without hesitation, he picked up a piece and popped it into his mouth.
The explosion of flavors on his taste buds sent waves of euphoria through him. He chewed, swallowed, and then stared at the dish in disbelief.
“This… This is really something I made?!”
