Ruoxi walked over and said, "The star beast world has inexhaustible star beasts. Since we can't hunt them all, we don't lack meat. Each star beast only eats its essence."
Eating beef only for the pure beef, just as eating cabbage only for the core, or eating dumplings only for the filling.
Just then, Fuyan Bei walked in and looked at the head chef, saying, "How come lunch isn't ready yet?"
The chef looked embarrassed and said, "The cow we hunted today had skin as tough as armor. We've only just started to dismember it..."
Fuyan Bei glanced at the huge cow head and couldn't help but tremble.
Lately, Yanshuai had been upset and weak, and he had ordered a cow to be hunted and prepared to be eaten.
However, who could have imagined that this group of idiots would have caught a steel giant cow known for its defensive capabilities?
No wonder the chefs were troubled.
"How did you finally dismember it?" Fuyan Bei couldn't help asking.
Ruoxi sweetly smiled and pointed at Xie Xuan, saying, "The young man here made a butcher card and solved the problem."
"Oh?" Fuyan Bei was slightly stunned and looked at Xie Xuan with some amazement, saying, "A butcher card?"
Before he could finish, Xie Xuan took out the Pao Ding card.
Fuyan Bei looked at the Pao Ding card with interest and couldn't help but praise, "Good card, very good card!"
This card was more straightforward and subtle compared to the Iron Man card, aiming directly at the main theme.
He had only casually mentioned a few words earlier, and this card had seen such a significant improvement, indicating Xie Xuan's high level of enlightenment.
Moreover, what he found most interesting was the card's skill.
Pao Ding butchering a cow?
He suddenly thought of his own Iron-armored Rhino card. If Xie Xuan was at his level and had the Pao Ding card, the probability of triggering it would probably directly disable the Iron-armored Rhino.
The others were slightly amazed at Fuyan Bei's praise as well.
After all, Fuyan Bei was not only the head of the Card-making Department but also Yanshuai's strategist, the military adviser of the Star Cloud Legion.
His vision was very critical, and it was truly difficult to earn his praise.
"What a shame," Fuyan Bei looked at Xie Xuan with some regret. Such good brainstorming, such solid drawing skills, but it's a pity not to be able to sense the source energy and become a star card master.
Xie Xuan did not become complacent because of this praise but chuckled and said, "If it wasn't for the minister's guidance, I wouldn't even know what a star card is."
Feng Yebei nodded slightly, then looked at the head chef and said, "Last time the beef you made, Yanshuai didn't eat much…"
Hearing this, the head chef broke out into a sweat and said, "It's my fault."
"Of course, it may be because of the hot weather, and at the same time, Yanshuai's beloved pet is sick, making Yanshuai irritable, and his appetite is not good…" He glanced deeply at the head chef and said, "Yanshuai has been physically weak recently, and needs to eat some beef to replenish his strength."
"However, in the preparation of the beef, you need to put in some effort and come up with some new ideas."
The head chef looked troubled - what new ideas could he come up with for just beef?
Sour and spicy beef?
Potato beef?
Three fresh beef?
He had tried all sorts of ways to prepare beef, so how could he be innovative at Feng Yebei's request for something new?
The surrounding chefs also fell into contemplation.
Xiao Xuan, who had been silently observing on the side, was now focused on a piece of ribs, lost in thought.
After a brief silence, he took a step forward, and with a smile, said, "Since it's difficult to put effort into the beef, why not change perspective and start with the ingredients?"
"Starting with the ingredients?" The head chef was slightly taken aback, then disdainfully said, "The minister said to focus on the beef."
Xiao Xuan picked up a piece of rib and said, "There's beef on this too."
The head chef glared at him and sneered, "You don't want to eat the ready-made beef, but are going for the leftover meat stuck to the ribs, why bother?"
"Oh?" Xiao Xuan stared at him and said, "What's your plan?"
The head chef thought for a moment and said, "Since Yanshuai has a poor appetite, I'll make a dish of sour and spicy beef, to give it a bit of a kick."
"If a girl eats too spicy, she will get pimples," Ruo Xi said.
Feng Yebei's face turned cold - adding more spiciness, would that be considered innovative?
The head chef fell silent for a moment.
Feng Yebei looked at Xiao Xuan with interest and said, "Xiao Xuan, we usually discard the ribs here, can they be used to make a dish?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xuan's expression became serious, and he said earnestly, "Minister, in our hometown, ribs are the essence of a cow and can be used to make many different dishes."
"Such as braised ribs, sour and spicy ribs, stewed ribs, salted ribs…"
The head chef mumbled, "Will your hometown's recipes be comparable to the officially recognized recipes of Tianyuan Star?"
"Enough," Feng Yebei interrupted their argument and said, "Since that's the case, both of you should use beef and ribs to make a dish each, and let Yanshuai have a taste."
Although using ribs to cook was beyond his imagination, Feng Yebei was curious. Xiao Xuan had astonished him in the card-making world, but could he also create stunning dishes?
"Yes, sir," said the head chef respectfully, agreeing outwardly, but feeling somewhat constrained inside.
Although making cards was interesting, making a card-maker compete with himself, a chef, wasn't this lowering his value?
Xiao Xuan walked into the kitchen and went to look at the seasonings first. Suddenly, a pile of bottles and jars appeared before his eyes.
Sugar, salt, chili, cooking wine, pepper, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, chicken essence…
"Is this all the seasoning?" Xiao Xuan asked.
The cook proudly said, "How about it, isn't it enough?"
"Fairly enough to get by," Xiao Xuan's mouth twitched. The variety of seasonings in his home was even greater than the sum of these.
The cook twirled his mustache and stared, saying, "The seasonings here are of starry-standard,"
Xiao Xuan gave him a sympathetic look.
The look made the head chef even more upset, and he said, "Alright, tell me a few I don't know."
Xiao Xuan glanced lightly at the seasonings and said, "Let's talk about soy sauce alone."
"We have salad dressing, ketchup, hawthorn sauce, caviar, noodle sauce, yellow sauce, bean paste, seafood sauce, watermelon sauce, sesame sauce, sweet bean sauce, soybean sauce, pizza sauce, jujube sauce, teriyaki sauce, red koji sauce, pearl sauce, Oden sauce!"
The chef was stunned and said, "What are all these?"
Xiao Xuan looked at him as if he were stupid, then turned around, picked up a kitchen knife, and began to chop the ribs.
"Hmph, it's all nonsense. I've never heard of these things, you must have made them up!" the head chef said angrily.
The other chefs also joined in, saying, "That's right, even sweet bean sauce, can noodles be turned into sauce? What in the world is Oden sauce?!"
"This is nonsense, having a card-maker teach us to cook?"
"Hmph, if it weren't for the strategist's orders, he'd have been kicked out long ago!"
Ignoring the nonsense around him, Xiao Xuan was engrossed in chopping the ribs.
After chopping the ribs and washing them, he dried them and then sprinkled them with salt, soy sauce, cooking wine, scallions, and ginger, marinating them for half an hour.
Then, he cut some green peppers, pounded a garlic clove, and prepared scallions and ginger.
Eggs and starch were mixed into a paste.
The ribs were coated with the egg paste and fried in oil heated to 50%, then removed and drained.
Stir-fry chili and finely chopped onions with a suitable amount of salt and then put in the spare ribs and stir-fry evenly.
In a short while, a pot of fragrant spare ribs in salt and pepper are ready to be served.
He prepared two portions, one for Yanshuai, and one for Ruoxi.
A chef came over, took a look at the spare ribs, and then said disdainfully, "It looks dry, it doesn't look tasty at all."
Xiao Xuan looked at the golden spare ribs in salt and pepper, feeling a sense of accomplishment arising within him.
"Previously, Fengyebie said that Yanshuai didn't have much of an appetite due to the hot weather..." Xiao Xuan frowned and thought for a moment, then looked at the few small chefs around him and said, "Do we have shaved ice?"
The chef hesitated and said, "I've only heard of ice. What in the world is shaved ice?"
Xiao Xuan twitched his face and said, "What fruits does Yanshuai like?"
The chef counted on his fingers and said, "Strawberries, coconuts, cherries, and cantaloupes."
Xiao Xuan nodded and said, "Prepare a portion of these fruits, along with ice."
"So much trouble," the chef grumbled as he walked away.
In less than five minutes, the fruits and ice were all brought over.
Xiao Xuan crushed the ice into shards and put them in a bowl, then placed the cut fruits in it, finally sprinkling some coconut juice on top.
A simple shaved ice was thus completed.
"Okay, let's go deliver it," Xiao Xuan clapped his hands.
The chef sneered, "After all that effort, this is what you came up with?"
The other chefs also looked puzzled. How could a few dry bones and some fruit ice be enough to impress Yanshuai?
Xiao Xuan said, "Let's go quickly, it won't be good when it gets cold."
The chef lifted up the best sour soup beef with a smirk, and looked at Xiao Xuan sarcastically, saying, "I have to thank you too. Although my sour soup beef is the old trick."
"But with your little efforts, Yanshuai will naturally discover its deliciousness."
Xiao Xuan couldn't be bothered to respond, thinking about meeting with Yanshuai with a lack of enthusiasm.
He prepared the spare ribs in salt and pepper and shaved ice with great care, not just to fill his stomach, but to make Yanshuai happy.
Just imagine, if Yanshuai really liked the spare ribs in salt and pepper, then his favorability might increase a little bit.
If his favorability increased to an extreme in her heart...
Well, maybe, he could make some excessive requests.