Daily life with the ship girl

"Be humble." Bismarck was a little helpless.

"Okay, let's continue tasting the remaining two dishes. This one should be the candied sweet potato. As a dessert, it's sweet but not greasy. The taste is pretty good. The only problem is that the sugar is not maltose, so the candied sweet potato is not thick enough."

Li Ran said, and he commented on each dish he ate:

"Is this Mapo Tofu? No, it tastes sweet and sour, but not like vinegar. It has a slight fruity taste."

Bismarck was just a listener. She noticed that when Li Ran talked about these delicacies, his eyes were bright, revealing an emotion called love.

It is said that women like men who are focused. When Bismarck saw the admiral focusing on evaluating the quality of the dishes, he was particularly charming. She couldn't help but have a hint of tenderness in her eyes.

Li Ran suddenly realized that he seemed to have been talking too much. He quickly stopped talking and looked at Bismarck staring at him blankly. He felt a little strange and touched the corner of his mouth:

"Is there something on my face?"

"No." A trace of panic flashed across Bismarck's face, and then she regained her composure.

Li Ran looked at Bismarck who was concentrating on eating. He knew that he might be nagging too much, so he also concentrated on eating.

After finishing the meal and drinking the soup, Li Ran felt that the seafood fish soup was the most satisfying. Whether it was the freshness of the seafood or the taste of the soup, it could be said that Li Ran could not find any major faults at all.

Bismarck looked at Li Ran who was just drinking soup without commenting, feeling a little strange:

"Admiral? Would you like to comment on this fish soup?"

"Four words: delicious and tasty."

Li Ran's words were concise and to the point, which surprised Bismarck. It was the first time she saw Li Ran so satisfied with a dish. After taking a few sips, she found that, as expected, the texture of the seafood and fish as well as the taste of the soup were impeccable.

Li Ran looked at Bismarck with a satisfied expression, and then said:

"This restaurant is really as good as its reputation. Now that we're full, let's go and pay the bill."

As he spoke, Li Ran took Bismarck downstairs to pay the bill. When he was about to leave, he found that Master Lin and the old man were still chatting at the table at the door after dinner. He paid the bill, then walked over to the old man and asked:

"Uncle, why are you closing your stall so early today? I just saw that your stall was crowded with people, wasn't it?"

Master Lin was talking to Mr. Li. When he saw Li Ran, he thought that Li Ran didn't know about Mr. Li's affairs, so he explained:

"Little brother, I don't know, but Mr. Li met a master when he was setting up his stall today."

"Brother?" Mr. Li turned around and looked at Li Ran. He was stunned for a moment, then excitedly said to Master Lin:

"Old Lin, this little brother is the master."

Li Ran was confused. Huh? When did he become a master?

"Mr. Li, you don't think this little brother is the one who can tell you the pros and cons of your ancestral shrimp cakes? Don't be ridiculous, this little brother looks so young."

"Old Lin, I won't joke about our ancestors' craftsmanship. Little brother, I've lived for most of my life, but I still don't see things as clearly as you do. I'm ashamed."

Mr. Li stood up and was about to bow to Li Ran. Li Ran held him back and said quickly:

"Don't shorten my life, old man. Just say whatever you want to say."

As the inheritor of traditional snacks, Mr. Li knew that the special seasoning formula was a secret, so he said with some embarrassment:

"Little brother, what is this vinegar you just mentioned? I have lived in vain for most of my life and have never heard of this condiment."

"Yes, brother. I just heard Mr. Li talking about the vinegar you mentioned. Is it so magical? I don't mean anything else. If it is your ancestral recipe, we won't ask too much. We all know the rules of this industry."

When Master Lin saw that Li Ran didn't say anything, he thought that the vinegar was Li Ran's secret recipe passed down from his ancestors, so he quickly bowed and apologized.

"No, this vinegar is not a rare thing. How about this, Master Lin, do you have a pen and paper? I will share the process of making this vinegar with you, but you two must promise me that in the future, no one will be allowed to privately possess the recipe of this vinegar, but it must be popularized for the benefit of everyone."

"Well, Lao Lin and I can initiate a joint letter in the name of the Centennial Flag. As long as the little brother makes the vinegar formula public, we will immediately jointly ask the Xia Kingdom Royal Culinary Selection Hall to print the vinegar formula to the entire Xia Kingdom."

"Since everyone says so, I will believe you two."

Li Ran thought about it, came up with a recipe for a more commonly used vinegar, and then said:

"This is roughly the recipe. Some brewing details need further exploration. This recipe is also relatively common. I believe that some people who are better than me will be able to mix better vinegar in the future."

"Thank you for your generosity, little brother." Master Lin and Mr. Li couldn't help but join hands to give Li Ran a big gift, which made all the diners almost pop their eyes out.

Coincidentally, Wang Xuan, the seasoning master who had just returned to Hong Kong today, happened to arrive at the alley of the Lin Family Restaurant. As soon as he walked in, he saw Mr. Li, who usually had a weird temper, and Master Lin, who was always proud, bowing to a young man. He squeezed through the crowd and asked:

"What's going on? What are you two doing?"

"Master Wang, you came at the right time. This is the name of a seasoning that has never appeared before and was provided by this young man. Please tell us about it. We don't understand the recipe, but I think it's correct." Old Li admired Li Ran for being able to figure out the secret of his own shrimp cakes at a glance, so he handed the recipe to Wang Xuan.

Chapter 04: The Mysterious Gourmet

Li Ran looked at the man called Master Wang with some curiosity. He was dressed in a white navy uniform and looked very respectable. He asked curiously:

"Excuse me, are you from the navy?"

"Young man, you have a very accurate eye. Master Wang is a royal chef at the Royal Naval Academy of the Xia Kingdom and one of the seven deputy directors of the Royal Culinary Selection Hall. He is also the honorary chairman of the World Condiment Association, Master Wang Xuan." Master Lin introduced Wang Xuan's background to Li Ran. This series of titles made Li Ran secretly amazed.

"Master Lin, you are too kind, but you are right. I am from the navy, so I wonder where you got the recipe for this seasoning?"

"Ah, this is a recipe from my family, you can think of it that way."

"Little brother, you mean that this recipe called vinegar belongs to your family. In that case, I'm afraid we can't accept it."

Wang Xuan is very familiar with the rules of the world's culinary world. Some ancestral secret recipes should not be stolen or taken for personal use. This is the rule for all chefs. He said to Master Lin and Master Li in a serious tone:

"You two elders, have you forgotten the rules of our industry?"

"Master Wang, we..."

Mr. Li and Master Lin felt a little ashamed, which made Li Ran very puzzled. He said:

“Is there something wrong with the recipe for this vinegar?”

"It's not about the recipe. I didn't know it was your ancestral secret recipe, otherwise I wouldn't have taken a look at it. Oh, it's all because of you two. Where do you put the rules of our industry?"

"Wait a minute, Master Wang, the recipe for my vinegar is actually very common in our hometown."

"I wonder where your hometown is, little brother?"

"It's hard to say. Master Wang, don't worry too much. In fact, vinegar is the same as all condiments. As a chef, you should know that sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty and other condiments are all great for delicious food. Even if I don't hand over the vinegar formula today, someone will invent this condiment in the future. Instead of doing that, I might as well let everyone take fewer detours. Isn't this a good thing?"

"Even so, this is your ancestral recipe, your ancestors know it..."

"Don't worry. My family motto is that as an excellent chef, I should have the awareness to make delicious food for everyone. If I work behind closed doors and even hide the vinegar formula, wouldn't I be violating the ancestral motto?"

"This..." Wang Xuan couldn't help but stand in awe, then he thought about it, this piece of paper that looked thin was actually heavy at this moment, he thought about it and said:

"I don't know if you have any ideas, little brother. I can recommend you to enter the Royal Cooking Selection Hall. From now on, your name will be written as the inventor of this vinegar."

"No need for that. I am just a deputy chef. I originally wanted to inherit the family business, but unfortunately my current status does not allow it."

Li Ran shrugged. If he had not become an admiral, perhaps Wang Xuan's suggestion would not be bad. Unfortunately, now that he has become an admiral, cooking can really only be regarded as a hobby of his.

Seeing Li Ran reject Wang Xuan's invitation, Mr. Li and Master Lin became anxious. Master Lin said quickly:

"Little brother, I think you will get married and start a family in the future. If you don't think about yourself, you should also think about the partner around you."

Mr. Li also hurriedly persuaded: "Yes, my little brother's girlfriend is so beautiful. With this recipe of yours, she will enter the Royal Cooking Selection Hall in the future..."

"No need to say more." Li Ran looked at Bismarck's blushing cheeks. He felt that if the two old men continued talking, the relationship between him and Bismarck would become very awkward.

Wang Xuan was about to speak, but he saw a few people coming over. Seeing that they were wearing admiral uniforms, he immediately went up to them:

"Lieutenant Colonel Yadro, how come you have time to come here?"

Why did Li Ran feel that this name sounded familiar? He turned around and saw an acquaintance from the Admiral Academy Governor's Investigation Team who was next to the First Ship Girl Academy delegation. He was stunned for a moment and then said:

"Hey, Yarod, long time no see."

"It's you? You damn European seal, how did you get here? Why isn't Lexington with you?" Yarod never dreamed that after the First Ship Girl Academy was rescued, he would be sent to Qiyun Port as the head of the Qiyun branch of the Far East Admiral Academy at the headquarters of the Admiral Academy. After several days of hard work, he finally arrived at Qiyun Port at noon that day. He was about to find a restaurant to eat, but he didn't expect to not only meet Master Wang unexpectedly, but also run into the trainee admiral Li Ran who made the aircraft carrier goddess of the First Ship Girl Academy fall in love with him.

"Wait, do you two know each other?" Wang Xuan was a little dumbfounded. You know, Yarod is an admiral. Generally speaking, only an admiral can be friends with an admiral. He got to know Yarod because he and Yarod's father were former rivals. But he didn't expect that the person who contributed the vinegar recipe was also an admiral.

"I guess we know each other. What's going on? Are you in any trouble?" Yarod looked at the crowded streets. He was a little annoyed by being watched like a monkey.

"No, I just contributed a seasoning recipe, but these old gentlemen refused to accept it."

"Is that so? Let me tell you." Yarod nodded. It was very common for admirals to help each other. After all, no one would expect that one day you would need assistance from other garrisons.

"Thank you for your help." Li Ran shrugged. Having someone to help him deal with these things saved him a lot of trouble.

Wang Xuan listened to Yarod's explanation of Li Ran's identity, and then he said at the end:

"I have tasted his cooking skills, so please don't teach him how to cook. He comes from a family of culinary experts and is now an admiral. Naturally, he would look down on this seasoning recipe. But if you really want to, you can write Li Ran's name as the inventor of vinegar. That's it, Master Wang, don't say anything more."

"Okay then." Wang Xuan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He felt that he was really blind. He wondered why he didn't realize that the man had such a beautiful female companion by his side, and his identity must be unusual. But he never expected that the other party would be an admiral.

"Okay, it's done." Yarod shrugged and waved to the crowd:

"Let's all disperse."

When everyone saw Admiral Yarod speak, they all dispersed. Then Li Ran breathed a sigh of relief and said:

"Thank you very much. Bismarck and I have something else to do, so we'll leave first."

"Well, let's contact each other when we have time. Sometimes you need to put on the admiral uniform, and there won't be so many problems. Some places in Qiyun Port are still a mixed crowd, so be careful." Yarod waved his hand and walked into the restaurant.

"Well, everyone. I'll be leaving first." Li Ran scratched his head, then said to Master Lin and others who were already a little shocked.

"Goodbye, Admiral." The three of them quickly stood up and watched Li Ran go away.

Li Ran didn't breathe a sigh of relief until he walked out of the alley, then he said to Bismarck with a wry smile:

"I would have kept my mouth shut if I had known."

"Admiral, the girl who was with Arod just now was very strong."

"Little girl?" Li Ran frowned. He was busy talking to Yarod and the scene was so chaotic that he thought the blonde girl was Yarod's daughter. When he heard Bismarck say that, he asked as he walked:

"Is she also a ship girl?"

"Yeah, and probably a battleship too."

……

Yarod and Andrea Tolia walked into the Lin Family Restaurant. He said to his secretary ship in a flattering manner:

"My princess, what would you like to eat?"

"The ship girl next to the admiral just now is very strong, didn't you notice?" Andrea Tolia frowned. Bismarck gave her a sense of oppression, which was a subtle feeling that only battleship girls could feel.

"You mean Li Ran? That guy is the admiral recognized by Lexington. I heard that the Governor of the Pacific even met this guy. I didn't expect that he could even build a Bismarck. He is indeed a damn European seal."

"Hmph, Admiral? Are you envious?" Andrea Tolia snorted coldly.

"No, how could I dare to do that? I am already very satisfied with you, my little princess."

"That's pretty much it."

……

Li Ran and Bismarck squeezed out of Qiyun South Street. After what happened just now, he no longer had the interest to go shopping.

What Li Ran didn’t know was that because of this little episode, the name of a mysterious gourmet would spread throughout the world from Qiyun Port in the future.

He is also known as the inventor of the condiment vinegar.

Chapter 172: Encounter by Chance

Li Ran and Bismarck walked to the square in front of the Governor's Palace.

Li Ran looked at the sky which was getting gloomy and looked like it was going to rain at any moment. He was a little worried:

"It looks like it's going to rain. Let's go buy an umbrella."

As he spoke, Li Ran took Bismarck's hand, found a passerby, asked for the direction of the umbrella shop, and then called a car not far away. After getting in the car, he said:

"Go to the Nangong Umbrella Shop on North Street."

"Understood." The driver was a middle-aged uncle. He turned the car around and drove towards North Street. He asked while driving:

"Brother, you are traveling with your girlfriend, right?"

"Yes." Li Ran responded shamelessly, then put his arm around Bismarck's shoulders with a smile, causing Bismarck to roll his eyes.

"Brother, this is your first time in Qiyun, right? Let me tell you, if you want to date, there is a love bell tower on North Street, near the umbrella shop you are going to. You can go and take a look later. There is a celebration being prepared recently, and many young couples will go there."

"Thank you, uncle." Li Ran saw that Bismarck was not angry, but he did not dare to move his hands. After all, he understood the character of his own ship girl.

"You're welcome. By the way, little brother, your accent sounds like you're from overseas?"

"Ah, yes, I am not from Xia country."