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墨書 Inktalez
Qian Laoye's face lit up with joy. "You flatter me, my lord. This girl indeed possesses some medical skills, but they are merely rudimentary techniques."
Wu Shilang shook his head. "Brother Qian, you are being modest. This technique is clearly a superior form of medicinal cuisine. Girl, who is your master? Such exquisite knowledge of medicinal food cannot be taught in an ordinary clinic."
Nangong Shuang's heart tightened, knowing the critical moment had arrived. She humbly replied, "I grew up in a small clinic and learned a few basics from my master. He often said that medicine and food share the same origin, so he placed special emphasis on the art of medicinal cuisine."
"Oh? Who is your master?" Wu Shilang pressed further.
"My master's surname is Lin; he is just an ordinary commoner and not worth mentioning," Nangong Shuang cleverly avoided a direct answer.
Wu Shilang gave her a meaningful glance but did not pursue the matter further. Instead, he turned to Qian Laoye. "Brother Qian is fortunate to have such talent. This girl excels in both medicine and cuisine; if properly nurtured, she will surely be of great use in the future."
Qian Laoye nodded repeatedly. "Thank you for your guidance, my lord. I will certainly take it seriously."
"Go on," Qian Laoye waved his hand at Nangong Shuang. "There will be a reward later."
Nangong Shuang respectfully withdrew but felt anxious inside. Wu Shilang's probing was too deliberate, clearly raising suspicions about her identity.
As soon as she returned to the kitchen, Qian De entered with a dark expression. "Nangong Shuang, during the inventory check of the medicine cabinet, we found that one item, 'Zi He Che,' is missing. Do you know anything about it?"
Nangong Shuang was startled, realizing this was a trap set by Qian De. 'Zi He Che' was a precious medicinal material; if accused of theft, the consequences would be dire.
"I did not use that item," she replied calmly. "The medicinal materials used today were personally taken out by Chief Steward; I would not dare to touch the medicine cabinet without permission."
Qian De sneered. "Is that so? Then how do you explain that the 'Astragalus Braised Beef Brisket' praised by Lord Wu has the fragrance of 'Zi He Che'? This is an extremely rare recipe; how do you explain it?"
The people in the kitchen looked at Nangong Shuang in surprise. If she truly had stolen precious materials, it would be a serious crime.
Nangong Shuang remained unflustered. "Chief Steward has misunderstood. I indeed did not use 'Zi He Che,' but rather a common substitute—'He Shou Wu' combined with 'Goji Berry' and 'Huang Jing.' These three together produce a scent similar to 'Zi He Che,' and their effects are also comparable, yet they are milder and suitable for everyday consumption."
Qian De was taken aback, clearly not expecting Nangong Shuang to have such knowledge of pharmacology. "Nonsense! 'Zi He Che' is a treasure; how could it be replaced by a few ordinary herbs?"
"If Chief Steward does not believe me, we can invite Elder Xu for identification," Nangong Shuang said confidently. "'He Shou Wu' has a sweet and slightly bitter taste and is warm in nature, entering the liver and kidney meridians; 'Goji Berry' is sweet and neutral, nourishing the liver and kidneys; 'Huang Jing' is also sweet and neutral, benefiting the spleen, lungs, and kidneys. Together, they can indeed achieve effects similar to 'Zi He Che,' while being milder and more suitable for Lord Wu's constitution."
Qian De was speechless and momentarily could not find any rebuttal.
At that moment, Wang Po stepped in to mediate: "Chief Steward, I can testify that Miss Nangong indeed did not use 'Zi He Che'; all medicinal materials were taken out by you personally. As for the 'Astragalus Braised Beef Brisket,' I watched Miss Nangong prepare it from start to finish; she indeed used 'He Shou Wu,' 'Goji Berry,' and 'Huang Jing,' not 'Zi He Che.'"
Qian De's face turned ashen; his plan had clearly failed, but he was unwilling to give up easily. "Then where did the 'Zi He Che' in the medicine cabinet go?"
"Well..." Wang Po hesitated for a moment. "Last month when Chef Chen held a birthday banquet, he seemed to have used some. Chief Steward, have you forgotten? You approved it at that time."
Qian De was left speechless and could only glare at Nangong Shuang with resentment before turning to leave.
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