Finally, Success

Opening the jars, we peered into each of them respectively. Jar 1 was my original idea, frying the red mixture before soaking them in sun dust, a different type of base. When we opened the jar, there was no sour smell, but instead a sort of sweet and spicy smell. Looking at each other with wide smiles, we scooped out two spoonfuls to give it a test. Like always, while we were scooping, Sazzy gave her report on how edible our mixtures were.

[Doesn't seem poisonous to me.]

Tasting the new base, our happy smiles were replaced with a focused frown. This version of the base was slightly too watered down. It was kind of lacking the punch we were looking for. However, in a sense, it was still a success so we wrote this combination down into our personal terminals. Maybe this base recipe would be used again in the future? It was always better to have more options anyway.

Closing jar 1 and setting it aside, we looked into jar 2. Jar 2 was slightly worse, with a little sour smell and a slimy texture. Shaking his head, Ken directly poured the contents of Jar 2 into the trash. We didn't even have to look closer to know, it was inedible, a failure. However, compared to its predecessors, it was much closer to success.

Opening jar 3, we discovered a similar sight, except that the texture was more sandy than slimy. There were hard particles that were visibly inside the mixture. We threw it out immediately as well.

Jar 4 was much much better then jar 2. The sliminess was mostly gone but it still retained a slight sour smell. This could be considered progress. we set it aside next to jar 1.

Finally, jar 5. While reaching out our hand for the lid, Sazzy exclaimed in my head.

[Stop! Don't open it! It's poisonous!]

The moment I heard her, I immediately slammed my hand on the lid and shook my head at Ken. We then both backed off from the jar to take some masks and gloves to transfer the poisonous waste outside for disposal.

I had mentioned before to Ken that I had a special way to test whether there was poison in the food that didn't require us to stick our necks out for it. I had promised him this was true, and that I couldn't explain how it worked but he had to trust me. At that moment, Ken had just sighed and waved away any worries of mine, just saying that he trusted me and he would 'follow the head chef'.

After we disposed of the waste, we sat down at the kitchen counter and stared at our two 'successful' jars. One was a new base, the other was a product that was one step away from success. Sighing, I casually mixed the two of the final products together. Might as well try, I thought.

The moment both of them mixed ... nothing happened.

I scooped the new base into a bowl and looked at it. The fried red mixture had coagulated at the bottom into a sort of paste. Removing the water from the paste, we then spread out the paste on a bowl.

Surprisingly, the moment we exposed the inner layer of the paste, a fragrant sour and spicy smell hit my nose. Staring in shock at each other, we took up our spoons again and took a small taste of the inner layer of the paste.

It was spicy! It was sour! It tasted slightly peppery which served to enhance the entire experience. The only minus point I could give it was that it was not crispy, but rather pasty. However if we changed the recipe and instead soaked vegetables in this base, it would certainly reach the height of its flavor.

Pouring out the other jar, we prepared a new batch, our 17th, with just slight changes to the amount of water added into the jar. Maybe water was what was holding us back.

Setting the jars aside once more, we drew up the day's practice menu and dove straight into practice once more.

That night, when we were about to part ways for bed, the both of us were especially excited for the next day. It was as if the end of the tunnel was just in sight. Only a little bit more and all these days of experimenting would be worth it.

And the next morning, we had both woken up earlier than usual, passing by each other on the way to our different toilets. Candice had allowed me to use the master bedroom toilet, while Ken was using the other toilet that was on the first floor.

The moment we washed up, we waited impatiently at the kitchen counter for the clock to strike 12, which was when we were allowed to open the jars. This ensured that each experiment had roughly the same amount of soaking time as the others.

Sitting down onto the floor, we opened the five jars once more.

In order of descending water content, the first jar had around 20% less water then our original jar 1 from the day before. Then every jar after that had 15% less water until the last jar had no water.

Digging out the paste at the bottom of each jar, we tasted both the outer and inner layers. As expected, the more water there was the more of an unpleasant sourness there was on the outer layer. And at the more optimal water content, jar 3, where the water content was just enough to mix the ingredients together, the unpleasant outer layer was either incredibly thin or even not present in some areas. As we tasted, we removed the bad areas, leaving only the tasty parts. This recipe only needed a slight tweaking and it would be perfect!

Tasting the sour and spicy fruit of our labor, Ken and I high fived before we stored the perfect kimchi into a prepared container and put that into a dark place where it can ferment even more.

"Say, for the livestream, why don't we prepare several batches of kimchi that have been fermented for different time periods. Then we can let the viewers taste the difference!"

Ken suddenly exclaimed after we put away the kimchi.

"Oh! That sounds like a brilliant idea!"

Together we approached the kitchen counter to begin our discussions once more. However, before we reached, a voice came from the kitchen doorway.

"So I take it that you both have finished creating whatever you have been creating for the past two weeks and a half? Can I have a bite?"

Turning around, Candice was smiling from the kitchen doorway, her hands filled with several bags worth of ingredients and food.

"Since thanks to you guys, our business has been turning a much better profit these days, I have decided to buy some treats for our two little chefs. Here! The ingredients you both ordered, as well as some musk rat meat skewers."

Placing the bags on the kitchen counter, Candice took one bag away from the rest and pulled out several sticks of rat meat skewers. As she handed them to us, I asked her what she meant by turning in a much better profit.

"Since I sneaked out before anyone could see me, I thought business would return to mostly normal by now?"

Candice laughed.

"Well, when your fans came to the inn to find you, some of them came with empty stomachs and full pockets. So, they convinced themselves that since you probably ate in the inn, the inn food was most definitely safe and delicious to eat. And you know I didn't disappoint them, so the inn has had a boom in the number of return customers. In fact, Thomas, the second eldest son, has decided to stay at the inn for a while longer. And if the inn stays quite busy, he might become permanent staff. Samuel, the eldest son, on the other hand has been smiling so much lately I think he has facial paralysis. He keeps complaining that he wants to go back to his job, but he has also been happy with the increased income."

While eating, we caught up with Candice about what happened at the inn, as well as the outside world.

"By the way, I almost forgot to say this, but Thomas and Samuel might visit you in the coming week. They've been wanting to talk with Alex, but whenever anyone comes here you two are so engrossed in cooking that you don't even notice us enter."

Apologizing to Candice, we hung our hands in shame while munching on the skewers.

"Don't think you can fool me by apologizing while eating. Instead, after you two finish that important livestream then you can come down to the inn and apologize to everyone for ignoring them."

She admonished softly while pulling out a container from the bag in her hand.

"In fact, Jim also came to visit once. He saw you two working so hard that he created some off season fish porridge for you to try. He said it was thanks for helping out with the fish farm a while back."

Handing two big and warm containers to us, Candice then excused herself from the house to go back to the busy inn. In the end, she only stole one scoop of the Kimchi before leaving with a thoughtful face. Seeing her off, the both of us then sat excitedly at the table and opened the lid of the containers.

"It's been almost forever since I've eaten fish porridge! I can't help but remember the taste!"

Looking at Ken's sparkling eyes and drooling mouth, I could feel saliva pool in my mouth as well. Fish porridge! I wonder how it would taste!