As expected, the guests returned just in time for the welcome lunch in the cafeteria. Although the cafeteria was not large, it could expand its sitting capacity whenever needed by pulling out the spare tables and chairs from the storage. Anji liked the view of the lotus lake and decided to sit on the outer deck with her family. The weather was nice as there was a huge parasol over the dining area, providing them with ample of shade.
One by one, the kitchen staff brought out the food. It was not a fancy eight or ten-course meal. If anything, the welcome lunch was closer to a showcase of the new cooks and their talents.
"My successor must have explained previously that the meals here are fixed according to a schedule that cycles once every two weeks, changed by season," Yan Ping stood up for the speech, and everyone fell silent.
"Although it might not suit your palate, I can assure you that the cooks worked very closely with our medical team to create a well-balanced diet made with the freshest ingredients from our farms and mountains. The only things the Mystical Qilin Sect lack are sea salt and ocean-caught fish. Today’s welcome lunch is a preview of the meals you can enjoy during your time with us. Cheers to a fruitful exchange program."
To call it a ’balanced meal’ was understating the efforts of the kitchen crew. When the dishes rolled out, almost everyone’s jaws fell. Only Zhao Mingshen had a huge smile when he recognised the delicacies on the plate. Although the scholarly young master was a fan of refined food, he had to rough it out lately for work with the Gentleman Club. The classy change of pace was highly welcome.
For the appetiser, there was a side of homemade tofu drenched in scallion oil and light soy sauce. Even those who were not fans of plain tofu enjoyed it immensely. Then, the main course appeared with steamed freshwater fish that was as big as a cat with lots of ginger and a dipping sauce. The various mountain vegetables were stir-fried with wild mushrooms. However, it was the soup that made everyone’s eyes pop.
"This is a herbal mushroom soup double-boiled with mountain pheasant," Yan Ping introduced. "It is good for nourishing the body and reducing fatigue."
Herbal mushroom... Zhao Wanting wondered if this was the sect’s form of humbleness. It was clearly the miraculous mushroom — Lingzhi!
Without standing on ceremony, the White Tiger Sect and the Azure Dragon Sect warriors dug in enthusiastically. They didn’t seem to care much as long as there was good meat and rice. Anji studied her mother’s troubled expression and reached out to push a pair of chopsticks into her mother’s hands.
"Don’t worry, this is just regular lingzhi. It’s not the hundred-year lingzhi or any priceless treasure. Living on a vast mountain means it grows everywhere."
Slightly numb from the shock, Zhao Wanting listened to her daughter and ate. Gu Ying had long grown accustomed to how the sect used its resources. She sometimes pitied the retired inner disciples who worked hard at their retirement jobs only to be overlooked and underappreciated by busy researchers who could not afford even a spare glance for them. The Mystical Qilin Sect was not a place to stop and smell the flowers. As such, the cooks desperate for even one person to eat in a day honed their skills to something even imperial chefs would envy.
The only sound filling the cafeteria was chewing and chopsticks shovelling food. The cafeteria staff peeking from the kitchen rejoiced silently and beamed when the first man raised his empty bowl.
Almost immediately, a new bowl of fresh steaming rice reached the surprised warrior.
"Enjoy your meal!" the cook Anji spoke to earlier beamed and returned to the kitchen.
Smiling from her seat, Anji offered her mother a piece of the fish from the plate.
"Mother, please eat more. The kitchen staff were very enthusiastic today. We don’t have large feasts very commonly here, but the food is delicious."
Nodding, Zhao Wanting accepted the food and ate more comfortably. If this was how the sect treated guests, Anji would most definitely be in good hands.
Now that the tour and her duty as the sect’s successor were officially over, Anji allowed herself some room to smile and joke with her older siblings.
"Aiyah, I did not expect our youngest to act so adult-like in front of so many adults. How can you be so mature when you’re still so short?" Zhao Ruiting teased.
Ruffled, Anji pouted. "I remembered what I had to do perfectly!" she insisted. "I did not get lost while showing everyone the Lotus Lake. Do you know how big the place is? Why do Lotus flowers have to grow so tall? I can’t even see what’s ahead, thanks to them. Not to mention, the elders said that I should not use a map to guide the guests. It would seem like I was an outsider."
Chuckling, Zhao Mingshen praised his younger sister to soothe her unhappiness.
"Our Anji worked hard. It’s a pity you had to memorise the layout. If you had been a few inches taller, you would have been able to see the road ahead unblocked by the beautiful lotus flowers."
Originally, Anji was happy to receive acknowledgement of her efforts. However, when that praise turned into a jab at her height, the flustered girl turned to her mother and Gu Ying to complain about her bullying siblings.
Grinning widely at the daughter she was familiar with, Zhao Wanting also joined in the teasing.
"Anji, ah... Mother was so shocked when you behaved so maturely earlier. It’s good to remain short for a little while more. Let me enjoy your childhood a little longer. Since you’ve already decided to grow up, surely you can delay growing tall by a little longer." ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ nοvelfire.net
Shocked that her mother would side with her older siblings , Anji quickly turned to Gu Ying, who was her last hope.
"Please say something nice!" she begged.
Unfazed and unbiased, the Manchurian beauty nodded.
"You did amazing memorising your script without stumbling today. Well done."
When the cultivators at the nearby tables heard it, they had to stifle their laughter. The intimidating successor seemed more human than her teacher. Of course, they should have known better. After all, what kind of six-year-old child would be so mature? Anji must have taken after her shifu’s personality in fear of being looked down upon. However, they now knew better that it was merely a persona she used to hide her nervousness.
What an adorable child!