Chapter 180: The celebration ends with delicious food

The Hiddleston's bloodline elevated the festive atmosphere to its peak.

If the Thorns Ridge pixie and the fast-growing magic thorns it represented were symbols of Liszt's future potential—enabling him to strive for the title of Viscount, if not in his generation then certainly the next—then with the assistance of a mid-level magical beast, the Viscount title was no longer just potential but a certainty that would adorn Liszt's head.

Those who envied him envied him even more.

Those who admired him admired him even more.

And those whose eyes burned with intensity seemed ready to ignite.

Liszt suddenly felt that this intense attention was something worth savoring. A thought emerged in his mind: "No wonder everyone is tirelessly striving to become nobles. The noble system under the rule of knights is not just a system but also a social atmosphere."

This was akin to the era of the civil service examinations in China, where everything else was inferior except for scholarly pursuits.

In this world, everything else was inferior except for knighthood.

At this moment, Liszt truly felt that he, like everyone else in this world, had developed a desire and ambition for noble glory.

Of course.

Blind ambition is not a good thing.

He spread the news about his intention to recruit followers and left the rest to time. When his speech concluded, everyone raised their glasses together, and the banquet officially began. Course after course of exquisite dishes was served by the male servants. Although there weren't many precious ingredients, there was an ample supply of chicken, fish, meat, and eggs.

There were also dishes like roasted peanuts from the peanut processing workshop, various breads from the bakery, fruit wines and rice wine from the brewery, and a variety of seafood dishes.

And there were several signature delicacies that Mrs. Abby had developed under Liszt's guidance—vegetable egg soup, tomato and egg stir-fry, tomato egg soup, onion and egg stir-fry, green bean and egg stir-fry, seafood and egg stir-fry...

"Grandmother, please try this tomato and egg stir-fry. Mrs. Abby's dish is very appetizing," Liszt suggested to Lady Penelope.

Seeing the plates filled with dishes other than the usual peculiar pies and sauces, he was quite pleased.

Chinese people place great importance on food, and so did he. When he first arrived, limited by his inability to cook and the fact that nobles should not enter the kitchen, he had to suppress his culinary desires. It wasn't until he initiated the seafood craze and encouraged Renard to invent new types of bread that he gradually "guided" Mrs. Abby.

Currently, Mrs. Abby had successfully mastered two forms of Chinese cuisine: stir-fried eggs and egg soups.

Through constant experimentation, she found suitable ingredients for stir-fried eggs and egg soups, creating numerous variations.

To the point where several times, Liszt's lunch consisted entirely of stir-fried eggs and egg soups.

"A pity the oil-to-salt ratio still lacks finesse; it's not as good as the stir-fried eggs back home." After tasting the tomato and egg stir-fry, Liszt recalled his life before crossing over, feeling a faint sadness.

The path to guiding Mrs. Abby was still long.

While stir-fried eggs were delicious, stir-frying was not limited to eggs alone. Chinese cuisine encompasses dozens of cooking methods such as stir-frying, frying, braising, deep-frying, roasting, steaming, simmering, boiling, and more.

Liszt didn't know how to cook, so he couldn't replicate all these techniques, but he understood the basics of stir-frying and boiling.

Moreover, he was familiar with hot pot, which he planned to introduce this winter in Flower Town.

"And tofu!"

"Tofu must be invented! Mapo Tofu is my favorite!"

Tofu did not exist here; only beans did, mostly peas, with some soybeans but not many. These beans were hard to digest and caused flatulence when eaten in excess, typically consumed by commoners.

Liszt had tried boiled beans a few times, finding them unpalatable.

He wanted to develop tofu but lacked knowledge of its production. He knew only that "bitter water makes tofu" and that gypsum could be used to make tofu, essentially grinding beans into soy milk and adding bitter water or gypsum to solidify it into tofu.

But why bitter water or gypsum made tofu solidify, he didn't understand.

What was bitter water, and what did it have to do with pickled pig's feet? He knew gypsum was used for setting broken bones, but how did it exist in nature?

Thus, tofu remained elusive.

For now, he had to endure.

Having stir-fried eggs was already progress; he shouldn't aim too high, lest he strain himself—this was how he consoled himself.

"Mmm, indeed a delicious dish, it's called tomato and egg stir-fry?" Lady Penelope was very satisfied with the tomato and egg stir-fry.

Liszt smiled. "If you like it, you can send your chef to learn from Mrs. Abby. This recipe is not kept secret from you."

"Baron Liszt, can we also send our chefs to learn?" asked a noble.

"If Mrs. Abby agrees, of course," Liszt used Mrs. Abby as a shield. These nobles wanting to learn cooking for free was out of the question; they must pay for the recipe.

There was no such thing as a free meal.

The fresh dishes received unanimous praise, and the celebration of the birth of the pixie came to a perfect close. After the luncheon, taking a brief rest, the nobles prepared to depart.

Passing by Hiddleston's doghouse,

they all couldn't help but glance at Hiddleston a few more times.

"My goodness, it's huge, only a mid-level magical beast could have such a physique."

"As a low-level magical beast, it's already the king of Thorns Ridge. Imagine how powerful it will be as a mid-level magical beast!"

"The stone pillars along the road, are they its doing?"

"With the knight's glory, the rise of Flower Town is imminent."

"It's incredible, standing in front of a mid-level magical beast feels surreal."

Hiddleston showed no interest in the group, not even giving them a second glance, merely lying on the lawn, lazily basking in the sun with half a bone still in its mouth.

On Tom Hiddleston Avenue.

The carriages departed one by one.

Lady Penelope kissed Liszt's forehead: "You've done well, and you haven't disappointed your father. I still remember how much he loved you when he was young. When he returns from the continent and sees Flower Town as it is now, he will be pleased."

Liszt smiled slightly: "I will continue to work hard." He didn't fully understand the father-son relationship between the count and his predecessor, perhaps because he had never been a father himself.

Lvera also stepped forward and patted Liszt's shoulder: "I hope that one day, I will be proud to call myself your sister."

With the girl no longer acting like a moody teenager, he felt somewhat unaccustomed: "I believe that day will come."

The last to leave were the Franks.

"I had planned to give you the first batch of profits from the Black Tulip today, but since today is a joyous occasion, I'll do it tomorrow instead. Have Gort or someone come to Coral City to verify the accounts. I've calculated it myself; from this batch of potions, you will receive two hundred and ten gold coins."

"I will have Advisor Gort handle it."

Frank thought for a moment and asked: "What about the potions in the Thorns? Do you plan to continue working with Levis?"

"I haven't decided yet. Let's talk about it once I've thought it through."

"Of course, whether we continue to cooperate depends on your will." After saying this, Frank stepped aside, "Shirley may have a lot to say to you. I'll get into the carriage first."