Sitting there, Long Jun heard the Rat Demon's thin voice and felt a sudden chill run up his spine.
Lin Qi had evil energy and wasn't a good person?
Long Jun maintained a calm exterior while his mind raced.
Assuming he was indeed [Plagued by Misfortune] due to someone's harm, then according to the Rat Demon, could the person harming him actually be Lin Qi right in front of him?
After years as classmates, Long Jun was actually unwilling to think ill of his good friend based only on a few words from a demon, but regardless, being cautious now couldn't hurt.
Long Jun's thoughts flashed like lightning while his face showed a bitter expression. He sighed and said: "Brother Muxian, though the person you mentioned is a famous doctor, with my leg injury as it is, can a famous doctor definitely cure it?
Let me tell you, the greatest cruelty in the world is to receive hope, only to lose it in an instant. Even if you laugh at me for being a coward, I won't go see about this leg injury today."
"This..." Lin Qi could never have imagined that Long Jun would refuse him with such a reason, leaving him momentarily speechless.
After a moment, he found his voice again and hurriedly persuaded: "Why be like this, worthy brother? That famous doctor is a northern recluse, normally very difficult to find, and he won't stay in Jichuan County for long. If you miss today, it will be much harder to see him again!"
Long Jun just shook his head, his expression resolute, with a countenance of utter hopelessness, saying flatly: "Brother Muxian need not persuade me further. If I miss this opportunity, let it be my fate."
Fate!
When had Long Jun ever been someone willing to submit to fate?
As he spoke these words, he was carefully observing Lin Qi's expressions without showing any trace of doing so.
The anxiety, helplessness, and even anger on Lin Qi's face all seemed quite genuine and reasonable.
"Brother Long truly won't go?"
"I won't go!"
"Even if it means your future prospects are ruined, with no chance of recovery, you still won't go?"
"I won't go."
"What if I knock you unconscious and take you there?"
"Brother Lin is joking."
"You... sigh! Long Jun, you really are...!"
Lin Qi swept his sleeves and stood up, striding out of the kitchen.
His footsteps were initially hurried and heavy, then gradually slowed, and later stopped at the courtyard gate.
Lin Qi had his back to Long Jun, his silhouette seemingly filled with helplessness and desolation.
All these actions were almost completely flawless.
But did he truly have no flaws?
No, it's very difficult to control the subtle changes in one's demeanor.
Just now, when Lin Qi mentioned wanting to knock Long Jun unconscious, his eyeballs reddened, and his gaze suddenly deepened. The faint desire in his eyes was almost identical to neighboring Granny Lai's eyes when she mentioned egg pancakes!
In that instant, a phrase from Long Jun's morning dream flashed through his mind: "envied sheep, bone-rotting howl."
A sense of horror filled his chest. Long Jun gripped his crutch tightly and slowly stood up to follow Lin Qi to the courtyard gate, deciding to play out the scene completely.
Lin Qi turned around, and the two scholars faced each other, as an early spring cold wind suddenly blew through the courtyard.
Just as the atmosphere took a sharp turn for the worse, Long Jun suddenly raised his hand and forcefully opened the courtyard gate, gesturing outward.
"Brother Lin, let me see you off a bit, please!"
Creak—
At the same time, the neighboring eastern courtyard gate was suddenly opened a crack.
The noise of Long Jun opening his gate had disturbed Granny Lai, who always loved to pry into others' business!
Granny Lai's gray-white head peeked out from the crack, her cloudy eyes flashing with curious light as she looked over.
Lin Qi's facial expression immediately changed, showing a helpless smile: "Well, indeed one shouldn't force matters. Please go back, worthy brother, take good care of yourself, and I'll come visit you another day."
With that, he cupped his hands and strode away.
Granny Lai's eyeballs rolled with curiosity for a while until Lin Qi's figure completely disappeared. Then she inquired of Long Jun: "Scholar Long, was that your classmate? Dressed in silk and jade—is he much wealthier than you?"
Long Jun let out a light breath, his palm gripping the crutch soaked with sweat.
He had deliberately opened the door forcefully to attract Granny Lai's curious gaze.
Lin Qi's immediate retreat either meant he wasn't ready to break with Long Jun or that he was concerned about his reputation and social order, not daring to break with him at this time.
Whichever way one looked at it, this supported the conclusion that even if Lin Qi had some sinister methods, his abilities were limited and not completely irresistible.
Of course, while one may strategically disdain the enemy, tactically one must take the enemy seriously.
Long Jun's heart was now enveloped by an intense sense of crisis. He immediately brushed off Granny Lai with a few words, then closed the courtyard gate and hurried back to the kitchen.
He now possessed three talents, and the most crucial one was: [I Can Become Stronger When Praised by Diners]!
The Food Cauldron Scripture prompted:
[1. For every 10 likes collected from diners, your Blood Qi +1]
[2. When accumulated likes reach 100, you can unlock the Essence Gate and Spirit Gate]
[3. When accumulated likes reach 1000, you can unlock the Food God Cultivation Method Scroll]
Long Jun decided to immediately expand his diner group, with the short-term goal: gather 100 likes at once!
In the kitchen, Long Jun thought about what he should do next while cleaning up the bowls and chopsticks on the small table.
There was still a small half pot of white porridge left, but the egg pancakes were all gone. Long Jun simply took out all the eggs and flour in the kitchen and made thirty more pancakes.
He used the bowl the Rat Demon had used the night before to specially fill a bowl of porridge, set aside five egg pancakes, and then cut the remaining twenty-five egg pancakes into small pieces and put them in a basket.
With a steamer cloth covering the basket, Long Jun carried it and left Peace Alley.
He walked very slowly with his crutch, and when he reached South Market Street, he lifted the cloth and distributed the egg pancakes to the street vendors.
He started with the tofu beauty at the entrance of the street.
Rong Siniang, with her almond eyes slanting upward, had a crisp voice with the spirited quality of a street woman: "Well, what's this? The scholar from Peace Alley isn't studying anymore—planning to change careers and become a chef?"
Others laughed, but Long Jun, without changing expression, made up a story: "The ancient sages said, the five flavors in the cauldron are like the five flavors of life, and also said reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles.
I'm too dull to understand well, so I thought of a simple method—why not use the smoke and fire of human life to interpret the five flavors of life.
Lady Rong, please try it. If you think the egg pancake tastes acceptable, give me a small piece of tofu in exchange. If you think it doesn't taste good, then consider the egg pancake my gift to you."
He began by quoting "the sages say," immediately impressing everyone.
People at this time still revered scholars, saying that all occupations were inferior except for studying. Ordinary people could hardly see beyond their immediate surroundings and only knew to respect scholarly achievements.
Originally, with his lame leg and disheveled appearance, Long Jun carrying a basket to distribute food to people on the street would inevitably invite contempt.
But as soon as he opened his mouth with two "famous sayings," who would dare look down on him?
Rong Siniang certainly wouldn't dare. She hurriedly wiped her calloused hands on her apron and carefully picked up a piece of egg pancake to eat.
Then her eyes widened.
"How—how can it taste so good?"
[Like +1]
Rong Siniang's face showed disbelief as she blurted out: "Heavens, this is even better than that pancake my good-for-nothing husband secretly stole from his mother's pot for me ten years ago!"