Mother and Daughter Finally Reunite

"From the cut surface."

"The inside is pink, perfectly medium-rare."

"And considering that 40% of the meat around the steak is still tender, I think it was cooked using the sous-vide method at a temperature below 60°C."

"Then, a blowtorch was used to sear the outside, causing the Maillard reaction."

"With the quick high-temperature heating, the juices are locked inside, and the steak has the ideal color and aroma of a top-grade steak."

Alice marveled inwardly as she savored the tender steak.

Every food has an optimal cooking temperature.

If the temperature is too low, it leaves harmful bacteria that can threaten human health.

If the temperature is too high, it can destroy nutrients and create harmful substances. For example:

Water-soluble proteins in food can coagulate into hard lumps under excessive heat.

Fats in meat, when overcooked, oxidize and lose vitamins A and D.

This sous-vide filet mignon in front of her had a moisture loss of only 5%-8%, making it especially tender!

"Strange, sous-vide is usually used in molecular gastronomy, but this filet mignon..."

"Could this be the true skill of Totsuki graduates?"

Alice cut another small piece of steak, feeling frustrated.

Then she looked around but couldn't find Erina in the crowd.

"Don't bother looking, Lady Alice."

"She already left early with Hisako, probably heading home."

Beside her, a weary Kurokiba held a bright red lobster in his hand, taking big bites without concern for manners.

"She left just like that?"

"She really hasn't changed, still such a loner."

Alice mumbled and continued eating her steak.

Meanwhile, at the vast square of the resort, a black luxury car was parked. Hisako, dragging a heavy suitcase, walked hurriedly: "Lady Erina, why are we leaving so soon?"

"If we leave now, we can arrive at the tavern before it closes at midnight."

Erina stopped, glanced back at Hisako, and said.

"What?"

"We're not going back to Totsuki, but... we're going to the tavern first?"

Hisako was stunned. The training camp had just ended, and Erina was already eager to see Zane?

**...**

Shumai, rumored to be a snack sold in Qing Dynasty bun shops or tea houses.

Another story claims it was brought back from Central Asia or the Western Regions during the Yuan Dynasty, corresponding to the Turkish word "Shirme," meaning skin bag.

In the culinary world, shumai has many names, like shaomai, shao mai, guipangtou, and kai kou xiao.

Unlike sealed buns, shumai usually leaves the top open.

This was because tea houses offered "processing services," providing wrappers and steaming tea customers' fillings.

Each customer brought different fillings—pork, beef, lamb, ginger, onion, garlic, radish, greens, tofu.

To identify each filling easily, they left the top open.

In short, shumai is distinct from main dishes.

It might just serve as a stomach filler or a novelty, but for some, simple shumai is life's meaning, just like how food brings happiness!

...

At the tavern.

Zane put medium-gluten flour into a bowl, added hot water, and mixed it into dough.

Once the flour cooled, he kneaded it by hand until it was non-sticky.

Then he covered the bowl with a damp cloth and waited for the dough to cool completely. On the workbench, he sprinkled some flour, took out the dough, rolled it into strips, and cut it into small pieces.

Finally, he pressed each piece into a disc.

He rolled each disc thinly like a dumpling wrapper, especially around the edges.

Thus, each shumai wrapper became paper-thin, with edges as delicate as lotus petals.

Next, Zane prepared four ingredients: pork, shrimp, egg, and bok choy—common ingredients easily found in any supermarket.

He minced the pork, shrimp, and bok choy.

Then he added starch, cooking wine, chopped green onion, ginger, salt, soy sauce, and a bit of water to the pork, mixing it vigorously in one direction until it became a cohesive filling.

Holding a shumai wrapper in his left hand, he placed it in his palm.

With his right hand, he folded the wrapper's edges upwards, pressing them together to form a pouch.

He shaped the filling into four uneven portions, putting them into the pouches in an 8:5:5:5 ratio: pork, shrimp, bok choy, and egg.

He steamed the shumai over high heat for 10 minutes.

Finally, a batch of shumai made with the golden ratio was ready!

...

Boom!

The moment he lifted the lid.

The steam burst out, enveloping the entire tavern.

With a swoosh, a dazzling golden light shot from the golden ratio shumai, lighting up the night.

"Impressive."

"You always use simple ingredients to create such amazing, spectacular dishes!"

At this moment, looking at the unbelievable scene, Mana couldn't hide her excitement.

"Isn't it good?"

"Occasionally letting food shine adds some charm."

"For diners, it's a sensory delight."

Zane smiled as he finished making the shumai.

Then he noticed that Mana had come alone, without Annie. He remarked, "It's rare to see you come alone. After these days of feeding, I suppose your condition has improved?"

"Thanks to you, I've overcome my anorexia."

"Although the God's Tongue still rejects most dishes, as long as I continue to enjoy your... your cooking, I can gradually regain my strength."

Mana smiled.

Thinking back to everything that happened recently, it felt like a dream.

From anorexia to becoming addicted to Zane's cooking, she couldn't stay away from the tavern or him.

But, as fortune would have it, being able to eat again had improved her health. She no longer needed nutritional injections to survive!

"Over the years, taking care of someone with severe anorexia must have been exhausting for Annie, right?"

Seeing Mana's healthier complexion, Zane sighed.

"Indeed! She's my best secretary. Without her care and support, I wouldn't have made it this far."

Mana nodded in agreement.

...

Unlike dumplings and buns.

This small steamer of golden ratio shumai had translucent, paper-thin skins.

With a glance, you could see the fillings inside, a result of using hot water dough and expert rolling techniques!

"The shape of these shumai is unusual."

"They're divided into four uneven pouches, and each pouch holds different fillings. Why is that?"

Mana blinked in confusion.

Despite being a top WGO executive, this shumai method was beyond her understanding.

"Humans have about 10,000 taste buds."

"One gram of vinegar has 10^22 acetic acid molecules, more than enough for all the taste buds in the world."

"So when tasting food, the tongue's taste buds usually sample it."

"While encountering a flavor, they gauge its concentration and imagine the overall taste."

"Your God's Tongue can concentrate your taste buds, distinguishing subtle flavors!"

Zane explained his view after some thought.

"Yes, that's true."

"But how does that relate to your shumai?"

Mana agreed with Zane's point.

"Your sense of taste is more acute, so you should understand that not all food needs to be uniformly mixed. Sometimes uneven seasoning can enhance the taste!"

"This shumai uses the golden ratio, filling each pouch separately."

"Golden ratio?"

Mana was puzzled but soon realized: "I thought you made four pouches to symbolize happiness, prosperity, longevity, and joy."

"That's also correct."

"This shumai is similar to the Four Happiness Shumai in Tian Dynasty cuisine."

"But in terms of flavor and texture, I assure you it's the best shumai you'll ever taste!"

Hearing Zane's confidence, Mana didn't hesitate.

She quickly used her chopsticks to pick up a shumai, taking a small bite.

...

Instantly, she felt the broth filling her mouth.

The sweetness of the pork, complemented by bok choy and egg, became rich and satisfying, warming her and filling her with energy.

Then, the bouncy shrimp provided a unique texture.

"How can this..."

"Using just four simple ingredients, how do they complement each other so well?"

"No single ingredient overwhelms the others."

"This taste is truly delicate!"

Mana's eyes became dreamy, lost in the flavor.

As she swallowed, a blush appeared on her cheeks, and she trembled as if losing consciousness.

"It's not enough, I need more."

"This shumai is just as good as any previous dish!"

She picked up another shumai.

This time she ate it in one bite, her cheeks puffed up.

Her manner of eating was amusing, far from her usual dignified and noble demeanor.

"I see, the pork is the main ingredient."

"But pork alone can't satisfy my God's Tongue or support the whole dish."

"So you used an 8:5 ratio for pork, shrimp, vegetables, and eggs to create a balanced flavor, the golden ratio."

"This way, the four ingredients complement each other perfectly!"

"Wonderful!"

"This is truly amazing!"

Using pork, shrimp, bok choy, and egg in a golden ratio, this dish had won over Mana's heart.

...

At that moment.

A beautiful figure entered the tavern!

She stopped, her smile freezing as she stood there.

Finally, she clenched her fists and managed to speak: "Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"You... you are..."

Mana, still enjoying the shumai, heard the soft voice clearly.

She was shocked, snapping out of her food reverie, and quickly turned around.

"It's really you, Mom!"

Seeing Mana's

 face clearly, Erina's face showed unprecedented sorrow.

But she quickly composed herself, her eyes filled with anger, resentment, and pain!

"Erina, you... how are you... oh, the training camp has ended?"

Seeing Erina, Mana was equally surprised.

She had hoped to avoid meeting her daughter by frequently visiting the tavern during the training camp.

But despite her efforts, Erina arrived here right after the camp ended, leading to their unexpected reunion!

**...**

Looking back.

Everything was due to the "God's Tongue."

Because of it, Mana left home, Azami was expelled from Totsuki, and Totsuki entered the "Jewel Generation."

While chefs aspired to conquer the "God's Tongue."

Neither Mana nor Erina liked their inherited ability.

Despite sharing the same pain, it didn't mean this mother and daughter could understand each other.