I started on a deserted island and encountered Ying Zheng, who insisted I was an immortal.

Nanyang Prefecture, the coast.

The black Qin army banners, like a desolate forest, were planted on every high ground along the coast.

Li Si stood on a cliff overlooking the sea, the sea breeze whipping his hair and beard wildly, his wide prime minister's robes fluttering in the wind.

Below us are countless ships.

Warships, fishing boats, and warships filled the entire bay.

Further away, two hundred thousand elite Qin soldiers and nearly five hundred thousand convicts and laborers were forcibly conscripted from the construction sites of the imperial highways, forming a massive search net along the long coastline.

The scouts of the Xuanwu Guard were delivering newly drawn nautical charts to the central command tent.

The plan has been finalized.

When encountering an island, small teams are dispatched to explore it.

At night, a beacon fire was lit every ten miles, forming a fiery dragon to guide the lost emperor.

Li Si's heart was colder than the sea in late autumn.

The news of His Majesty's disappearance can no longer be suppressed.

In Xianyang, the nobles of the former six kingdoms, who were usually silent, began to whisper among themselves in the shadows.

In the imperial court, the expressions of several high-ranking officials as they looked at him carried a hint of something indescribable.

He even heard that Wang Jian, the Marquis of Tongwu, who was far away on the northern border, had begun to inquire about the matter.

That old general, commanding the most elite border troops of the Qin Dynasty, if he were to consider personally marching south…

Li Si dared not think any further.

He withdrew his gaze from the sea and clenched his fist in his sleeve.

Find His Majesty.

If you can't find it...

He also needed to plan a way out for himself and the Li family.

……

Island, cave.

Zhang Ying poked the fermented dough in the earthenware basin with her finger.

The dough is soft and elastic; when you press it with your finger, it leaves an indentation that slowly bounces back without collapsing.

perfect.

He took the dough out, placed it on a stone slab sprinkled with dry flour, and began to knead it to release the air.

The filling is ready.

One dish contained finely chopped fresh pork, seasoned with wild onions and salt.

The other dish contained finely diced chives and tender dried bamboo shoots, stir-fried in lard, emitting a fragrant aroma.

The four members of the Qin group have already automatically been assigned tasks.

Ying Zheng stood to the side with his hands behind his back, overseeing the overall situation.

Wang Ben, full of energy, squatted in front of the stove, responsible for adding firewood and boiling water, his face flushed red in the firelight.

Meng Yi then took the bamboo steamer basket woven by Zhang Ying and meticulously laid a layer of damp cloth on it.

Wang Ruoshu still had an ice pack on her ankle, but she moved a small stone stool over and sat down, imitating Zhang Ying by picking up a small piece of dough and clumsily kneading it.

"Turn the fire down, don't make it so hot."

Zhang Ying said to Wang Ben without looking up.

"If the water boils dry and the buns aren't cooked yet, are you planning to steam them with your saliva?"

Wang Ben's face darkened further, and he silently pulled out a few more pieces of firewood.

"Yours."

Zhang Ying then pointed to the dough ball in Wang Ruoshu's hand.

"There was too much filling, and the dough wasn't rolled out evenly."

"Thin skin, big filling, and eighteen pleats are what Goubuli (a famous steamed bun brand) uses. But yours will be fried into a flower the moment it hits the pan."

Wang Ruoshu blushed, stuck out her tongue, and moved her hands even more gently.

Soon, the first batch of steamed buns was ready.

Meng Yi carefully placed them one by one in the steamer, leaving enough space between each bun.

He noticed that the bottom of the bamboo-woven steamer had many evenly distributed small holes.

Presumably, this is to allow water vapor to penetrate better.

This gentleman's thoughts are truly meticulous.

The water in the pot was boiling, and white steam was escaping eagerly from the gaps in the lid.

"You can put it up now."

Zhang Ying spoke.

Meng Yi followed his instructions and steadily placed the steamer rack on the large earthenware pot, then covered it with the lid.

The waiting time wasn't long, but it was incredibly agonizing.

The savory aroma of pork, mixed with the unique wheat fragrance of fermented flour, seeps out from the gaps in the pot lid, dominating the entire cavity.

Wang Ben's stomach growled unexpectedly, and he awkwardly shifted his body.

Finally, Zhang Ying said, "It's done."

Meng Yi stepped forward and lifted the pot lid.

A thicker cloud of white steam, mixed with an irresistible aroma, exploded out with a bang.

In the steamer, the small, delicate dough balls have now been transformed into plump, fluffy, and adorable buns.

Ying Zheng was the first to reach out his hand, and without caring whether it was hot or not, he picked one up directly.

"hiss……"

He gasped as he was burned, but he couldn't bear to let go, so he quickly switched the heat between his two hands.

He blew on it and eagerly took a big bite.

The soft dough wraps around piping hot, savory meat filling, and the rich juices burst in your mouth instantly.

"Fragrant! Soft!"

Ying Zheng praised vaguely, "They finished one in just a few bites."

Wang Ben and Wang Ruoshu each picked one up and ate it with their mouths full of oil, not even bothering to lift their heads.

Only Meng Yi.

He picked up a steamed bun, weighed it in his hand, and then looked at the rest.

This drawer contains exactly twelve, no more and no less.

He broke one open and looked at the filling inside and the outer skin.

Then, he silently walked to the bag of remaining flour, grabbed a handful, and walked back to compare it with the buns in his hand.

His expression gradually changed from initial anticipation to confusion, and then to shock.

After finishing his second steamed bun, Ying Zheng wiped his mouth contentedly, just in time to see Meng Yi's utterly astonished expression.

"Old Meng, what's wrong now?"

Meng Yi didn't answer. He simply walked quickly to Zhang Ying and handed her the half-eaten bun he was holding.

"gentlemen."

His voice trembled uncontrollably.

"Just now, we used four catties of flour."

"These twelve buns were steamed."

"Yi Fang roughly estimated that each of these buns weighs more than half a pound."

He swallowed hard, speaking each word with great effort.

"Twelve buns, in total, weigh more than six jin."

Meng Yi bowed deeply to Zhang Ying.

"Sir, I am dull-witted."

"Please enlighten me, sir. Those two extra pounds that appeared out of nowhere... were they truly created from nothing using your 'potential-tapping' method?"

Zhang Ying looked at Meng Yi with an expression as if he were an idiot.

"Can't you guys tap into your own potential?"

"If the flour is dry, and you add water to make dough, will it become heavier?"

"What do you use to steam it? It's the steam from boiling water!"

"What is water vapor? It's water! It's the vapor formed from water that you can see and touch!"

"During the steaming process, the dough absorbs all the water vapor; do you think it wouldn't be heavy?"

Zhang Ying felt like she was being driven crazy by this group of people. Wasn't this just a junior high school physics concept?

Meng Yi was still puzzled: "But water vapor is invisible, how can it have a weight?"