When everyone in the Food Research Institute saw that Yu Mian had finally handed the bowl of snail noodles to Huo Ting, they all let out a collective sigh of relief. However, their gazes toward Huo Ting quickly turned into admiration.
Because after a brief pause, Huo Ting still took the mysterious bowl of snail noodles from Yu Mian’s hands.
“It’s really delicious! But compared to the nutrient solution, the taste is a little bit stronger. But didn’t a lot of people like the chili before?”
After handing a bowl to Huo Ting, Yu Mian immediately served himself a full bowl as well.
To be honest, after being in the interstellar era for so long, tasting snail noodles for the first time again was enough to bring tears of happiness.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Huo Ting tried a bite, while Yu Mian had already inhaled half his bowl like a storm.
Several seconds passed, and both of them were still alive!
Yu Mian even looked so satisfied while eating that everyone in the Food Research Institute started doubting whether there was something wrong with their own sense of smell.
“Are you sure you don’t want to try it? The smell actually isn’t that strong once it’s cooked! I made sure not to put too many pickled bamboo shoots or long beans.”
Yu Mian set his chopsticks down, fully content, while everyone turned in unison to look at Huo Ting.
“The taste is… quite unique.”
Huo Ting had always been honest with his words, and his expression didn’t seem fake at all.
So with Yu Mian’s enthusiastic recommendation, everyone eventually picked up their bowls of snail noodles. Holding their utensils with a serious and solemn air, they prepared to take their first bite.
However, just seconds later, the reactions were divided into two extreme opposites.
“Fuck, this is absolutely a cosmic-level delicacy!”
Those who liked it had their eyes light up just like Yu Mian’s, finishing their small bowls in just a few bites. Some even lifted their bowls, eager to scoop more from the pot.
Even the variety of side dishes was being devoured, with people wishing they could add extra portions to their bowls.
“Ugh…”
Meanwhile, those who didn’t like it… had already turned pale after just one sip of the soup.
Watching their colleagues devour it so enthusiastically only made their expressions even more twisted. Covering their noses and mouths, they desperately wanted to run outside for fresh air.
Uncle Harrison took a bite and realized that the taste of snail noodles was indeed bizarrely delicious. But still…
Looking at the chaotic dining table and the overwhelmingly strong smell, he couldn’t shake a sense of unease.
Those snail noodle fanatics, won’t they secretly cook a bowl of snail noodles from time to time at work in the future?
“I definitely won’t secretly cook snail noodles in the study, don’t worry.”
Yu Mian, still holding his bowl, looked at Huo Ting earnestly.
Huo Ting: …
He was actually a bit worried, this taste seemed exactly like something his grandfather would love.
If his grandfather developed a liking for it, the old residence would probably be filled with the strange fragrance of snail noodles for a long time.
On top of that, Yu Mian discovered that he had become even more addicted not only to aquatic products such as snails, but also to the seafood that he had loved to eat before.
For instance, when it came to small shellfish like scallops, a simple flick of his fingers was enough to pry out the fresh, tender meat. Finishing them in one bite only left him craving more.
Many types of seafood had a natural sweetness. He took one bite after another, and it was impossible to stop.
“But my nails… they’ve changed too?”
As he extended his palm, Yu Mian suddenly noticed something. Not only had his scales hardened after the previous shedding, but if he concentrated his mental power on his hands, the once soft pink fingertips would sharpen.
It wasn’t ugly, though. On the contrary, they looked like elegant, translucent golden nails…definitely non-human, but strangely beautiful.
“Is this part of the maturity phase? When they reach a certain age, mermaids need to learn to hunt independently.”
Huo Ting glanced at Yu Mian’s fingertips and quickly realized that this transformation was a natural necessity in the wild.
If Yu Mian hadn’t come ashore and had remained in the sea, he would be considered a fully matured mermaid by now.
Learning how to hunt for survival made perfect sense.
The shedding of his tail scales, the changes in her nails…everything aligned with the process of natural growth.
“Looks like I won’t need scissors anymore. I can open packages on my own now.”
Yu Mian was a bit surprised by the strange evolving nails but didn’t find it too hard to accept.
As long as his readers couldn’t see them, he wouldn’t have to worry about scaring anyone.
“Are they very sharp?”
Huo Ting reached out, brushing his fingertip lightly against them, and sure enough, a tiny bead of blood appeared.
Yu Mian: !
“You’re bleeding, don’t move!”
Yu Mian subconsciously tried to retract his nails, but he was still a step too slow. Fortunately, the wound was small, and it healed quickly on Huo Ting’s fingertip.
“They’re definitely sharp, much sharper than regular scissors.”
After a quick experimental test, Huo Ting was certain that mature mermaids had a natural degree of lethality. Otherwise, surviving in the deep sea would be impossible.
“But it’s not like I need them… Am I technically the first mermaid immigrant to move from the sea to the land?”
Opening his hands, Yu Mian flexed his fingers and gradually got used to controlling the transformation at will.
For some reason, it reminded him of big cats, to be specific, how they could extend and retract their claws whenever they needed to.
Also, was his previous fever and body changes connected to this? Was he experiencing something like human “growing pains” as he fully transitioned into an adult mermaid?
“Actually, this could be useful…perfect first hand writing material?”
While deep in thought, Yu Mian suddenly found himself inspired, this would make for an amazing story concept!
In the deep sea of the interstellar world, there were large and dangerous creatures with razor-sharp claws and powerful tails that could strike down their prey!
A mysterious tale about a human scientist accidentally wandering into the deep sea, encountering unfathomable beings lurking in the depths…
Cool. This was way too cool!
A completely different take from Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid”.
Huo Ting watched as Yu Mian’s mind spun with ideas for a new book. The worry that he might feel troubled by his transformation gradually faded.
Perhaps moving to the Starry Sky Lake area would be a good idea, it did seem more suitable for a mermaid.
Ever since Ernis recommended it last time, Yu Mian had been planning to go look at the houses. However, with the script competition project and the recent game copyright negotiations, the plan had been briefly put on hold.
Still, maybe it was Yu Mian’s natural connection to water, but the latest chapters of “God of Cooking” depicting various aquatic delicacies were even more vivid and alluring.
His descriptions of lakes and oceans captivated countless readers, making them yearn for seaside or lakeside vacations. Many even started planning their next trips.
Although the release of this work was initially met with a lot of negative voices because it did not achieve immediate success like many of his previous works, the current results spoke for themselves.
“God of Cooking” was proving to be a slow-burning yet immensely powerful force.
Not only had its readership steadily grown and reached a broad audience, but its collaboration with the Food Research Institute had created a surge in popularity for the various dishes introduced in the book.
As soon as new dishes appeared in the novel, they immediately sparked a wave of bloggers and anchors attempting to recreate them live, and the popularity was very strong.
Not to mention that after the development of the game “Taoyuan Restaurant”, the phenomenal level of interactive gameplay brought immeasurable traffic back to the original work.
Lu Zhen’s interstellar version of pastoral countryside life had undoubtedly reignited many interstellar residents’ longing and love for nature.
[To be honest, after reading “God of Cooking”, I’ve been taking my children and elders for walks in the park more often. It wasn’t until I reconnected with nature that I realized how beautiful and peaceful it truly is.]
[And studying food together as a family or with close friends is really fun! Making delicious dishes and sharing them strengthens friendships. After all, the food in the book is delicious!]
[I can only say that this is a book that has made us refocus on nature.]
The breathtaking scenery, the delicious food, and the natural philosophy in “God of Cooking” had won over many readers. They believed that Fish Soup Noodles’ book should not be judged by conventional standards.
However, everything took a bizarre turn with the introduction of snail noodles.
When the recent serialized chapters of “God of Cooking” featured Lu Zhen successfully making a series of aquatic delicacies such as squirrel fish, garlic scallops, steamed hairy crabs, seaweed egg soup etc, everyone was both amazed and ate with relish.
Who would have thought that ingredients from the water could produce such a diverse range of delicacies? Then how delicious and extraordinary must the snail noodles that Teacher Fish Soup Noodles emphasized be?
But when snail noodles finally made its debut in the novel, it triggered a wave of controversy far more intense than the previous cilantro debate.
#Urgent, need help! What should I do if my roommate keeps cooking snail noodles in our shared dormitory! I’m seriously about to collapse!#
As soon as this post appeared on the largest social platform on the star network, It skyrocketed to the top of the hourly trending list due to its eye-catching title.
[Fuck, so it wasn’t just me…SNAIL NOODLES! This instant snail noodles pack from the Food Research Institute is driving me crazy. Where can I hire an assassin to take out the person responsible for selling this stuff?!]
[I refuse to believe that Teacher Fish Soup Noodles actually wrote this as a delicious dish. I demand that he immediately remove all mentions of snail noodles from “God of Cooking”! This is an absolute nightmare! My mom has become addicted to snail noodles and cooks it at home every day. My dad and I are on the verge of a mental breakdown.]
At first, when Yu Mian introduced snail noodles in “God of Cooking”, the novel’s captivating descriptions had readers craving it desperately.
And when they logged onto the Food Research Institute’s website, they discovered to their delight that there was actually an instant snail noodles pack available!
Compared to buying the ingredients and making it from scratch, the convenience of the instant version naturally led to skyrocketing sales. However, it wasn’t long before the snail noodles packs became a hot search for an entirely different reason.
It wasn’t about anything else, it was just that the instant snail noodles pack was simply too bizarre. It had an intoxicating aroma and a taste that was intensely polarizing.
Those who loved it bought it in bulk, ordering boxes at a time after their first bite. But those who disliked it turned pale just from tasting a single spoonful of soup.
That alone wouldn’t have been a problem.
After all, those who liked it could eat more, and those who didn’t could simply avoid it, nothing out of the ordinary.
But the real issue lay in the fact that the snail noodles’ “magical assault” made it impossible for fans and haters to live under the same roof.
[How should I put this…? I once heard that there are three things in life that cannot be hidden: a cough, poverty, and love. But now, I think the smell of snail noodles should be added as the fourth.]
[Don’t even mention it. The pot used to cook snail noodles has basically become a dedicated snail noodles pot. I tried boiling milk in it afterward, and what I got was snail noodles flavored milk. The taste is… indescribable.]
