Chapter 517

Yes! That's it!

After making up her mind, Ando Chizuru raised her clear eyes to look at Xia Xia Xia Mujun, revealing a sweet smile with a hint of encouragement, and said softly:

"Big Brother Xia, one of the dishes my grandfather... likes to eat the most is Mapo Tofu."

"He often says that Mapo Tofu seems simple, but it most directly tests a chef’s balanced control of the seven flavors—'numbing, spicy, fresh, fragrant, hot, crispy, and tender'—as well as the precise grasp of heat."

"It is a combination of 'sincerity' and 'basic skills'."

Xia Xia Xia Mujun blinked upon hearing this:

"Mapo Tofu... is it?"

This Chinese dish had extremely high popularity and seemed like a home-cooked meal.

But as Ando Chizuru said, wanting to make it authentic, make it stand out, and reach the level of being "approved" by an old craftsman who had been obsessed for half a lifetime and had a picky palate, was by no means an easy task.

This required extremely solid cooking fundamentals and a precise understanding of seasoning ratios and heat sequences.

However, just as Xia Xia Xia Mujun began to think about how to meet this challenge, his expression suddenly stalled.

A key problem surfaced in his mind.

He had just handed the "Damaged Oden Immortal’s Soup Ladle," which might contain a "cooking enhancement" effect, to Master Ando Toshio for repair!

Now, he had no special equipment for cooking to assist him!

At the moment, he was completely unable to prepare cuisine, let alone challenge Ando Toshio’s picky palate.

All hope could only be pinned on the day after tomorrow.

Pinned on Master Ando Toshio successfully repairing that soup ladle, and the repaired ladle being able to eliminate the "damaged" state and restore its original special effect.

If that could really happen...

Then, with the enhancement of the special equipment, he might truly have a sliver of confidence to try and obtain that "Water Chant kitchen knife" that radiated a pale blue luster.

Around six in the evening.

Xia Xia Xia Mujun pushed open the door to his home.

What came into view was an entryway and hallway that appeared incomparably spacious and bright compared to the previous three-mat room.

The ten-mat space was meticulously arranged to be clean and tidy, with the atmosphere of a fresh start permeating every corner.

Almost at the same time the sound of the door opening rang out—

A rustling movement came from the direction of the living room.

Two small heads, one left and one right, cautiously poked out from the wall at the living room entrance like startled little animals.

Their gazes were cast in unison toward the entryway hallway.

When they saw the familiar, upright figure at the door, an undisguised, bright joy instantly bloomed on their two small faces.

"Big Brother—!"

Accompanied by a crisp and cheerful shout.

Xia Mururi, wearing clean little white socks, "tap-tap-tapped" on the slightly cool wooden floor, rushing over quickly like a fledgling bird returning to its nest.

At the boundary between the entryway and the hallway, she opened her arms and threw herself lightly into Xia Xia Xia Mujun’s embrace.

Her hands wrapped tightly around her brother’s waist, her small face buried in his chest, her voice full of reliance and joy:

"Welcome back!"

Xia Xia Xia Mujun was pushed back half a step by this enthusiastic "attack," but then he steadily caught his sister.

A gentle smile naturally spread across his face, his arms wrapped lightly around her, and he patted her back.

"Mm, I’m back."

Behind Xia Mururi, Kaga Reisa also walked out slowly.

She stood a few steps away, her hands clasped somewhat nervously in front of her, her clear eyes watching the hugging siblings, with a clear sense of envy flowing deep in her eyes.

That kind of intimacy and trust was something she secretly longed for in her heart but could not easily possess.

She could only suppress that flutter, lowered her head slightly, and when she raised it again, her face had already changed to her habitual, slightly shy and sweet smile, and she greeted him softly:

"Big Brother Xia... welcome back."

Xia Mururi only then raised her small face from her brother’s embrace.

Her fair cheeks were stained with a faint blush from excitement, and her eyes looking up at Xia Xia Xia Mujun were sparkling, as if they were filled with stars.

"Big Brother!"

"Congratulations on successfully advancing to the sixth round!"

"The prize money for this round of the competition is 160,000 yen!"

"So much, so much!"

"Added to the 150,000 yen you saved before, we’ve suddenly become well-off!"

"Now, we can continue to rent this 60,000-yen-a-month house for half a year, and it’ll be completely fine!"

Xia Xia Xia Mujun looked at his sister’s happy and leaping appearance, and his heart was also filled with warmth.

He nodded with a smile.

"Mm."

Xia Mururi smiled happily, pursing her lips, feeling as if a honey pot had been overturned in her heart.

Recalling last month, when they were still tossing and turning, unable to sleep, meticulously calculating every yen for the next month’s rent, utilities, tuition, and living expenses...

It felt like it was just yesterday.

And now, that heavy, suffocating sense of anxiety seemed to have quietly begun to melt away the moment her brother stepped onto the shogi tournament stage.

Looking at it this way, her brother’s decision to hide it from her and resolutely decide to participate in that competition was truly a very correct, and one could even say life-changing, decision.

Kaga Reisa stood to the side, her beautiful eyes, which always carried a hint of weakness and shyness, now also rippling with softness.

She looked at Xia Xia Xia Mujun and said softly and earnestly:

"Big Brother Xia... Ruri-chan and I watched the live stream of your competition together today."

"It was really... super amazing!"

"Congratulations on successfully advancing."

Xia Xia Xia Mujun turned to her and returned a gentle smile.

"Thank you."

The three of them talked as they walked back to the living room naturally.

In the center of the living room was a small table, on which were scattered a few open shojo manga and sketchbooks.

The LCD TV hanging on the wall was playing a program, emitting a soft background sound.

At this moment, what was playing on the screen was not a currently popular comedy variety show, but a shojo manga-adapted anime with a fresh art style called "Kimi ni Todoke."

However, the two young girls in the living room clearly had no mind to pay attention to the anxiety-inducing progress of the male and female leads in the show.

Xia Mururi sat next to her brother, watching him without blinking.

Her small face was intertwined with happiness, pride, and a little bit of confusion that could finally be released, carrying a hint of coquettishness.

She suddenly reached out, shook Xia Xia Xia Mujun’s arm, and muttered in a low voice:

"Big Brother..."

Her tone carried inquiry.

"When exactly did your shogi... become so amazing?"

"You were actually able to win even against a semi-professional player?"

"I clearly remember before... when you played shogi with Dad, it seemed like you didn't even win a single game?"

The more she thought about it, the more suspicious she felt, her eyes narrowing slightly like a little cat that had discovered a secret.

"Could it be... Big Brother, your shogi situation is the same as your drawing; you’ve actually always been very good, but you were just too lazy to play seriously with Dad, so you deliberately lost, and then took the opportunity to sneak back to your room to play games?"

She proposed a "conspiracy theory" that she herself felt was very reasonable.

Kaga Reisa, to the side, couldn't help but be attracted by this guess, curiously blinking her beautiful big eyes, her gaze landing on Xia Xia Xia Mujun’s face, waiting for his answer.

Xia Xia Xia Mujun was slightly stunned by his sister’s sudden "deduction."

Of course, he couldn't explain the surreal existence of "panels" and "special equipment."

Since his sister had imagined such a reasonable explanation herself...

He was happy to go with the flow.

And so.

Xia Xia Xia Mujun laughed it off: