Chapter 8

Despite Chen Duxiu being quite stingy with experience points, Jiang Feng still cooked two dishes for him.

Those who had tasted the old man's cooking naturally wouldn’t think Jiang Feng’s dishes were particularly delicious.

Throughout the cooking process, the delightful system prompt “Ding, gained 10 experience points” occasionally mixed with “Ding, gained 1 experience point.”

Those who had tasted the old man's cooking had a lukewarm reaction to his dishes. Chen Xiuxiu, who had only tasted the dishes made by Comrade Jiang Jiankang, barely acknowledged his cooking skills. The roommates would get as excited as if they had found a girlfriend every time he used the small, broken rice cooker in the dorm to make a bowl of pork rib rice.

Without comparison, there was no hurt.

Jiang Feng felt it was better to cook for those who didn’t understand the craft.

The experience points gained were more.

In the following days, Jiang Feng cooked all the common porridge recipes he could find online.

Sometimes, when he cooked too much, it all became Comrade Jiang Jiankang’s dinner, making him look pale.

However, the effect was significant. After eating regular three meals for a few days, Chen Xiuxiu’s face, which had been sallow, regained some color.

After finishing the relatively simple porridge, Jiang Feng began to challenge the more difficult shrimp porridge.

He didn’t need to look up tutorials online; Comrade Jiang Jiankang knew how to make it.

After a somewhat lackluster remote guidance from Comrade Jiang Jiankang, the porridge in the pot was starting to take shape.

“Ding, achieved: Not Afraid to Ask.”

Another achievement?

Jiang Feng opened the attribute panel and looked at the achievements section.

Achievement: Diligent and Inquisitive (No attribute bonus)

Not Afraid to Ask (No attribute bonus)

Jiang Feng: ...

Over the past few days, thanks to Chen Xiuxiu’s favor, Jiang Feng had leveled up to level 3, but still hadn’t unlocked any new features, and the attribute panel hadn’t changed at all. Jiang Feng even suspected that when he completed the side mission, the reward would change from unknown to none.

Given the game’s current stinginess, it was capable of such shameless acts.

After the shrimp porridge was done, Jiang Feng tasted it first. The flavor was okay, but just okay.

[A pot of shrimp porridge with incorrect ingredient ratios]

Over the past few days, except for those with obvious taste issues, all the porridge displayed the same message: incorrect ingredient ratios.

What was the correct ratio?

As an ambitious and aspiring member of the Jiang family, Jiang Feng was at a loss.

“Ding, gained skill: Porridge Making (Beginner).”

Skill?

Jiang Feng was surprised. He had merely thought about how to find the correct ingredient ratios, and the game generously gave him a skill.

Skill: Appraisal (Beginner): You can only obtain basic information

Porridge Making (Beginner): You can only grasp the correct ingredient ratios

This game was really interesting. Whatever he thought of, it appeared, truly embodying the phrase "let the player explore on their own."

Looking at the pot of porridge again, Jiang Feng subconsciously felt something was off.

The shrimp seemed to be overdone, a few grams of salt were missing, and he should have added more water before cooking.

Was the beginner skill really this useful?

If he had gained the advanced level of Porridge Making...

Wouldn’t the porridge start glowing?

Jiang Feng even thought about dumping this pot and cooking a new one, but considering the time, he had to give up. He had finally gotten Chen Xiuxiu used to drinking porridge at 5:30 PM every day and couldn’t let all his efforts go to waste.

He could only make Comrade Jiang Jiankang suffer again and drink this subpar porridge. Tomorrow, he would let him taste the porridge made with the newly acquired Porridge Making (Beginner) skill.

The next day, Jiang Feng decided to cook the century egg and lean meat porridge he had made at the beginning.

He chopped the century eggs, marinated the lean meat...

The same steps, but the process felt completely different.

It was as if an invisible hand was helping him control the amount of each ingredient, and even the fire control was more skillful than before.

Jiang Feng stood in the kitchen, not letting his guard down for a moment.

With about ten minutes left before it was ready, someone knocked on the door.

When he opened it, it was Chen Xiuxiu.

“Jiang Feng, I... Oh, you’re cooking century egg and lean meat porridge today?” Chen Xiuxiu’s words died in her throat.

She had just weighed herself and hadn’t lost a single pound in the past few days. She had intended to tell Jiang Feng not to cook porridge for her anymore, but the smell of the century egg and lean meat porridge at the door changed her mind.

Today’s porridge... seemed different.

Just the smell made it seem especially delicious.

“Is it Uncle Jiang cooking the porridge?” Chen Xiuxiu didn’t believe Jiang Feng could cook at this level. She knew his culinary skills well, having grown up with him.

“I cooked it.” Jiang Feng was secretly pleased. “It’ll be ready in ten minutes. Want to have two bowls?”

“One bowl.” Chen Xiuxiu held her ground.

“What brings you here?” Jiang Feng asked.

“I... I... I followed the smell. I thought it was Uncle Chen cooking the porridge.” Chen Xiuxiu didn’t mention her intention to stop drinking the porridge.

Jiang Feng: ?

Followed the smell?

This was truly in line with Chen Xiuxiu’s style.

Soon, the porridge was ready.

A steaming bowl of century egg and lean meat porridge was served, and the aroma was very inviting.

[A bowl of century egg and lean meat porridge with inappropriate cooking time]

Jiang Feng: ...

It felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, cooling him down from the skin to the subcutaneous tissue.

This game had high standards.

Chen Xiuxiu scooped a spoonful of porridge, blew on it carefully, and took a sip.

“Ding, gained 37 experience points.”

Comrade Chen Xiuxiu was a good comrade!

Jiang Feng couldn’t help but marvel.

Not only did she give experience points generously, but she also ate slowly, taking over twenty sips for a small bowl of porridge. Unlike Comrade Jiang Jiankang, who gave experience points one by one and drank the porridge like he was swallowing a mountain, finishing half a pot in a few gulps.

The experience points were given per sip, and Comrade Jiang Jiankang’s behavior was extremely wasteful!

After finishing the bowl of porridge, Chen Xiuxiu felt warm in her stomach.

“Which...”

“Shall we make mushroom and chicken porridge tomorrow?” Jiang Feng asked. The mushroom and chicken porridge had given the highest experience points recently.

“Sure.” Chen Xiuxiu swallowed the words “no need to trouble you to cook porridge for me anymore.”

Just one more day, just one more day, and she would definitely not eat so much the next day.

Chen Xiuxiu made up her mind.

Jiang Feng didn’t notice Chen Xiuxiu’s internal struggle. After she left, he happily opened the attribute panel and leveled up to level 4.

Level: 4 (0/500)

Remaining experience points: 56

Still no changes.

Jiang Feng went to the kitchen, covered the pot, and set it to keep warm for Comrade Jiang Jiankang.

Poor Comrade Jiang Jiankang had been eating subpar porridge for several days. It was time to let him have some decent porridge.

At least the ingredient ratios were finally correct, right?