Ah Fu and Ah Gui were enthusiastically introducing the special features of the establishment while eating.
Indeed, compared to the menu of Dongsheng Tavern in Dai County, the chefs of Ying County were undoubtedly superior.
Especially the squab and the mutton jelly showcased the lavishness of the Old Imperial Capital.
Li Wenli tasted each dish with interest, and soon enough, the head chef of the Dongsheng Tavern personally came over.
Ah Fu and Ah Gui had long been praising how exceptional the talents of this young genius chef were.
With such a reputation, as a fellow chef, he naturally wanted to exchange culinary insights.
Li Wenli hadn’t expected the head chef to come over to hear his feedback, and feeling somewhat embarrassed, he lightly scratched his head and said, "Since you all want to hear it, I’ll just chat a little."
So, Wenli began discussing how the squab was, how the mutton jelly was, and even gave many innovative and unique cooking ideas.
These were all unprecedented creative dishes, worth their weight in gold.
The chefs got along so well they forgot about the time, and only when the Shop Assistant came to urge them did they reluctantly return to the kitchen to start cooking again.
Li Wenli, feeling like he had been granted a pardon, quickly ate and escaped from the place.
Bai Junjun looked at Li Wenli with amusement, knowing full well that he had the ability to reach the heavens, yet he preferred interacting with ordinary people and even generously shared his recipes.
You see, in ancient times, these recipes were secret formulas held in the hands of masters, never to be passed on until their dying day; after all, teaching the apprentice might starve the master.
But Wenli never cared about that.
He would say that in his Space, there were thousands of books about gourmet food, and teaching them all wouldn’t matter much; the more people that mastered them, the less likely they would be lost, and they could be further developed and enhanced.
Junjun was also taken aback, not having expected such deep thoughts within the mind of the Fox.
Her desperate wish for books was also because human civilization had lost continuity, hadn’t it?
Thus, Bai Junjun suddenly understood Li Wenli’s mindset.
Ah Fu and Ah Gui had prepared river lanterns early on and, after a satisfying meal, even distributed one to each of them. The lanterns were random, in every color of the rainbow; at the riverside, Ah Fu asked everyone to write their wishes on their own little lanterns.
These wishes, carried by the floating lanterns, would drift to the residence of the Flower Goddess, who, upon seeing them, would help fulfill them one by one.
The ancient people’s piety and unwavering faith in deities was something later generations could not match.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do; Bai Junjun wrote a wish as well.
Seeing these children who could write, many illiterate commoners curiously asked if they could help.
This was a great opportunity to practice writing.
Li Wenli swept his arm and instructed the Seven-Person Team to join in the community service.
So, Ah Dao and the others unwittingly took on the task, becoming overwhelmed by the commoners’ wishes.
Seeing the crowd suddenly swarm around them, Bai Junjun couldn’t help but laugh. Just then, Li Wenli grabbed her hand.
"Let’s go release the river lanterns."
"What about them?" Bai Junjun pointed at the children being "enslaved."
"They’ll come find us after they’re done. Let’s go secure a spot for them."
After saying this, Li Wenli waved goodbye to Ah Fu and Ah Gui.
Fu Gui, noting the couple wanting some alone time, very aptly nodded and said he’d take the other young masters to release the river lanterns later and told them not to worry.
Li Wenli then smiled and led Bai Junjun away.
There was a river running through Ying County, and at this time, many people on both sides of the riverbank were releasing lanterns.
Wenli took Junjun along the river, walking until they came to the end where there were fewer people, and he shook his head in resignation.
"The population of Ying County is truly immense," he remarked.
Saying this, he led the young lady down the staircase.