Chapter 71: A New Day Begins with Learning the Culinary Arts

After finishing his meal, Lin Xiao greeted the elderly still dining, then returned to his own quarters. Once back, he found Sun Zhiyuan had already come home.

Sun Zhiyuan looked at Lin Xiao with surprise as he entered. Through the “One Big Happy Family” group chat at the retirement home, he’d already learned of Lin Xiao’s transformation that day. He hadn’t expected that, in such a short time apart, Lin Xiao had undergone another evolution—what an unexpected gain.

“You really are lucky, kid. Such a miraculous elixir, and you were the one to take it.”

Even now, Lin Xiao felt as if he were dreaming; he truly hadn’t expected his luck to be so extraordinary.

“Brother, I find it hard to believe myself.”

“Well, that’s fate. Better get some rest. Starting tomorrow, you’ll probably be quite busy.”

Lin Xiao understood why Sun Zhiyuan said that. Before, only Sun Zhiyuan trained him, and he was already overwhelmed. Now, more people wanted to teach him their skills. He could imagine that his days ahead would be full to bursting.

He didn’t dwell on it and simply lay down on his bed. Though he was lying there, sleep wouldn’t come easily; his mind remained in a highly excited state. Lost in random thoughts, he had no idea when he finally drifted off.

When he opened his eyes again, it was already early morning the next day. Sun Zhiyuan had woken him up.

Though he didn’t know why Sun Zhiyuan woke him so early, Lin Xiao didn’t linger in bed and got up promptly. After a quick wash, the two headed out.

Outside, the sky was still dim; Lin Xiao checked the time—only three in the morning. He’d slept late the night before and rose early, yet he felt no fatigue. Perhaps the effects of those elixirs were still lingering, for he felt quite energetic.

Seeing Sun Zhiyuan leading him toward the cafeteria, Lin Xiao couldn’t help but speak up.

“Brother, breakfast shouldn’t be served yet. Isn’t it too early for us to go?”

Sun Zhiyuan smiled. “Who said we’re going to eat?”

Lin Xiao blinked, puzzled. If they weren’t going to eat, what were they going to do at the cafeteria?

“Aren’t we going to the cafeteria?”

“Yes, but not to eat. We’re going to cook.”

Lin Xiao: ?(·????? )???

“To cook?”

“That’s right! Didn’t I tell you yesterday? Some of the old brothers want to pass their skills on to you. Song Mingze is one of them. So from today, every morning you’ll come and learn cooking from Song Mingze. Your afternoons and evenings are booked for other things, so from now on, mornings are for culinary training.”

Lin Xiao had no objections. Song Mingze was a chef of state banquet caliber. Just thinking of the dishes he’d tasted in the retirement home made him swallow instinctively. After a week here, ordinary food seemed hard to stomach. If he could master Song Mingze’s skills, he’d never worry about going hungry again. More importantly, with such expertise, opening a restaurant would surely bring riches.

They quickly reached the cafeteria, where Song Mingze was already waiting for them. Sun Zhiyuan dropped Lin Xiao off and left—he had no interest in cooking, and would rather catch up on sleep.

Song Mingze beckoned Lin Xiao over, and he hurried forward.

“Brother Song, please take care of me from now on.”

“Of course. But don’t rush. I need to see if you have any talent for cooking first. If not, I won’t waste time. Have you cooked before?”

“I used to work part-time as a kitchen helper in a restaurant, and I can make simple dishes. Cooking for myself is much more cost-effective than eating out.”

“I see, so you have some basics. Come with me to the kitchen.”

With that, Song Mingze led the way, and Lin Xiao quickly followed. This was his first time in the kitchen of the retirement home, though he’d been here a while.

He’d assumed there would just be basic ingredients, but on entering, he realized how naive he’d been. The kitchen was full of ingredients—not only familiar vegetables, but also many unknown spiritual herbs and fresh carcasses of spiritual beasts. He had no idea where these came from.

What left him speechless was the size of some of these spiritual beast carcasses; some were several meters tall.

This…

Seeing Lin Xiao’s wide-eyed wonder, Song Mingze couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Don’t be so shocked. Those are level six or seven spiritual beasts; it’s normal for them to be large. But never mind that. Make a dish for me—anything you like. I want to see your basic skills.”

Lin Xiao didn’t overthink it. With all the equipment ready, he decided to make stir-fried shredded potatoes.

He quickly selected his ingredients, picked up a potato, peeled it skillfully, washed it, then began slicing. Having spent much of his kitchen helper days washing and cutting vegetables, he felt right at home.

While cutting the potatoes, he realized his improved eyesight was an asset. His hand was steady, and every shred was uniform in length and thickness.

Song Mingze watched, a hint of surprise in his eyes. Don’t underestimate simple dishes—often, it’s in simplicity that true culinary skill is revealed. Take shredded potatoes: if the cuts are uniform, the flavor is enhanced during cooking. If they’re uneven, the texture suffers. Judging by Lin Xiao’s knife-work, there was nothing amiss.

Once the ingredients were ready, Lin Xiao heated the pan and added oil. After observing for a bit, Song Mingze stopped watching. He’d gotten a sense of Lin Xiao’s abilities: excellent knife skills, but lacking elsewhere.

But that wasn’t Lin Xiao’s fault; he’d clearly never received systematic training. At least he had talent.

“All right, that’s enough. I understand your situation. Starting tomorrow, you’ll formally begin your training. Your talent is promising.”

Lin Xiao: ( ?° ?? ?°)?

He knew he had talent.

A new day—beginning with the study of culinary arts!