I'm a Druid at a farmhouse.

Chapter 22 [Vibrant Yellow Flowers]

That refreshing and tangy flavor exploded in Zhao Qian's mouth.

His chewing motion stopped instantly.

It's not just ordinary sourness, nor is it simply salty. It's an extremely complex, layered, and vibrant flavor.

The cucumber's natural sweetness is perfectly preserved, brought out by just the right amount of sourness, and finally leaves behind an indescribable, refreshing fragrance that makes one feel completely comfortable.

Zhao Qian froze, his chopsticks hanging in mid-air, his usually calm eyes now filled with disbelief.

He has fished all over the country and eaten all kinds of food, so he considers himself to have a good appreciation for flavors.

But today, he felt like he was eating cucumbers for the first time.

"This taste." His Adam's apple bobbed, and after a long pause, he managed to squeeze out two words: "Absolutely amazing."

Looking at his expression, Song You had already expected it.

This plate of pickled cucumbers uses "vibrant cucumbers" from his vegetable garden, and is simply pickled in the old pickling brine left by his father.

The power of nature and the fermentation of time combine to produce effects far superior to those of ordinary ingredients.

"Eat more if you like it." Song You pushed the plate towards him.

Zhao Qian didn't stand on ceremony. He moved his chopsticks quickly, and in a few swift movements, half a plate of cucumber was gone. He felt a cool sensation slide down his throat, dispelling the last trace of drowsiness from staying up all night, and he felt much more refreshed.

He put down his chopsticks, a rare look of embarrassment appearing on his face.

"Boss Song, do you have any ham sausages here?"

"Huh?" Song You didn't quite catch up with his train of thought.

Zhao Qian pointed to the unopened bucket of braised beef noodles at his feet and coughed lightly: "I'd like to add a sausage to my instant noodles."

Song You almost lost his composure.

A nouveau riche, driving a luxury car and using fishing gear worth hundreds of thousands, was by the reservoir in the middle of the night, eating a plate of pickled cucumbers, but all he could think about was an ordinary sausage.

"Yes, wait here." Song You turned and went back to the kitchen in the courtyard.

A short while later, he returned with two peeled sausages and a pair of chopsticks.

"Thanks." Zhao Qian took the sausage, skillfully put it into the instant noodle cup, poured in boiling water, and closed the lid.

After doing all this, he felt as if he had accomplished something great, and he relaxed completely, leaning against the fishing box and looking at the faint blue light on the water.

"Boss Song, do you know Wang Guoming?" Zhao Qian suddenly asked.

Song You, who was helping him tidy up the trash, paused for a moment, then looked up: "Brother Wang, do you know him? He was just here a few days ago. One's chubby, and the other's skinny, right?"

"Yes, the fat one is it." Zhao Qian nodded. "I've heard him mention your place, but I didn't expect your skills to be even better than he described."

"Brother Wang is a really interesting guy, he's very particular about food," Song You said with a smile. "The two of them studied the dishes I made for ages, they almost tasted through my spice bottles."

Zhao Qian laughed upon hearing this: "That's just his personality. We all call him Little Chef Wang, not because his cooking skills are amazing, but because of his mouth. He can analyze anything you put in his mouth and make it sound like he knows everything."

"Judging from what Brother Wang said, it seems he's also a cook?" Song You asked casually.

"He's more than just a cook." Zhao Qian sighed, his tone filled with respect. "He's the only direct disciple of Wang Tong, the grandmaster of Hunan cuisine. He won the gold medal in the National Young Chef Competition and is already a certified Level 3 chef at such a young age."

Song You's heart skipped a beat.

A level three chef is considered a very high level in the culinary world.

No wonder Wang Guoming is so eloquent; he's a top-notch expert with formal training.

"After he went back last time, he raved about your place at one of our dinner parties," Zhao Qian shook his head. "It's a pity that everyone there considered themselves gourmets. They listened to his flowery praises and said they'd go, but none of them took it seriously."

"They probably thought, how good could the food be at a farmhouse restaurant in a remote mountain village? It must be Wang Guoming bragging after drinking too much."

Song You understood.

It turns out that Wang Guoming's WeChat Moments post was a failure, a case of targeted advertising going wrong.

However, he didn't care. Having someone like Zhao Qian was a good thing.

"Brother Zhao, from what you're saying, you're all in the same circle?"

"Not really." Zhao Qian lifted the lid of the instant noodles, and a rich aroma wafted out. But he didn't rush to eat. Instead, he looked at Song You and said, "I'm just a errand boy for the hotel. I don't really belong in any circle. But I have met Master Wang Tong once."

He then steered the conversation back to the topic: "Boss Song, your cooking skills are really good. You should go to that Hunan cuisine exchange meeting; there are a lot of new dishes there."

"Is the threshold for this exchange meeting very high?" Song You wondered to himself.

"Not high," Zhao Qian laughed. "You can get in without buying a ticket, and they even give you free oil and rice if you participate in the event."

Song You felt reassured; this was actually quite good—he could get something for free.

Tuesdays are usually a slow day for agritourism businesses. It's a good opportunity to take a day off and go to Xiangcheng in the morning to see what the rules of that exchange meeting are.

By the way, I can also go to the agricultural supply market to buy some lime sulfur and insecticides to solve the problems in the orchard behind the mountain, and buy some things that the village store doesn't have.

One trip, two things done, it's a good deal.

"Okay, I'll make time to go check it out tomorrow," Song You decided.

Zhao Qian nodded, picked up his fork, and prepared to tackle his deluxe instant noodles with two sausages added.

Just then!

"Buzz—buzz—!"

The top-of-the-line fishing rod on the tackle box suddenly bent sharply at the tip, followed by a piercing screech from the reel, like a chainsaw cutting through the water!

The sound of the wire breaking out was so sharp in the quiet night that it could pierce your eardrums!

Under the night fishing lights on the water, the float had long since disappeared, and a thick fishing line was taut and surging wildly towards the depths of the reservoir!

coming!

Zhao Qian's eyes instantly turned red.

The composed, confident, and authoritative demeanor he had just displayed vanished completely.

Without a second thought, he threw the bucket of freshly made, steaming braised beef noodles on the ground with a thud.

Soup and liquid spilled all over the floor, and two sausages rolled out forlornly.

But he didn't even glance at it.

He was jolted up from the fishing box as if he had been electrocuted, his hands gripping the fishing rod that had been pulled to its full length.

"Holy shit!"

An unimaginable force came from underwater, almost dragging him into the water.

Zhao Qian planted his feet firmly in a horse stance, then suddenly exerted force in his waist and abdomen, leaning back and using all his strength to fight against the enormous creature underwater.

"What strength!" He gritted his teeth and squeezed out a few words, the muscles in his arms bulging from the excessive force!