Chapter 405 Deep in Memory
The hidden taste gradually reveals itself as the heart flows.

Like stones exposed by the river.

It has been forgotten and covered up, but it has not disappeared. It is just waiting quietly, waiting to be discovered one day.

But this wait seems hopeless, because more and more sand accumulates on it, and people always get tired of the old and love the new. There are always new and better things appearing, and the old things in the past are either placed in the corner to gather dust, or thrown outside to make room in the house.

No matter how much you once loved something, your love for it will diminish as time goes by.

How long can the so-called love last?
Aren’t the vows of love that we once thought would never change forgotten in the blink of an eye?
Being able to allow it to gather dust in the corner and not being willing to throw it away is already a sign of your love for it.

This stone buried in the heart is like this. Newer and more beautiful stones are pressed on it, more sand and rubble are piled up, more memories, more emotions, each one is a thousand times better than it.

Who cares about it, who craves it?
Why go back for something that is useless and has lost its appeal when there are so many better alternatives?
It is destined to be forgotten forever.

But suddenly, the clear river rushed past, scattering all the light stones and rubble, leaving only it buried deep inside, and finally it began to show its little bit.

But what's the use?
Having seen so many new and beautiful things, what is the point of something that has long lost its color and is no longer beautiful?

Even if it shows its potential, it is ultimately just a useless thing left deep in memory.

However, a pair of hands gently picked it up, brushed away the dust on it, allowed it to reappear in the world, and allowed the dusty memories to return to the light.

Even if it is not beautiful, it is not useless.

Even if there are many better things, nothing can replace it.

Even if it is placed in a corner and covered with dust, it is still a unique thing in the world, and once lost it will never come back.

That was the taste that Xu Qing once liked.

Even if it is buried by time, even if it is replaced by new things, this former love still hides in my heart.

What it brings back is not only the taste, but also the memories hidden in the taste.

It was a very simple dish, stir-fried shredded potatoes. Xu Qing didn't know why he liked this dish so much.

Whenever he goes to a restaurant, the dish he must order is stir-fried shredded potatoes.

Some restaurants cook the dishes well, with a crispy taste, just the right amount of sourness and spiciness. They are refreshing and stimulating when eaten, stimulating the taste buds and appetite while also bringing plenty of pleasure.

Some restaurants overcooked the food, and the potato shreds were fried soft. Half of the dish was filled with water, and the potato shreds were soaked in the soup and softened. The seasoning was not good either. It was not sour or spicy, but they didn't even add more seasoning. Potatoes have no taste, and without some seasoning, it's like eating starch.

But even so, he still finished the whole plate of shredded potatoes.

Even if it doesn't taste good, it is still his favorite dish among all the dishes.

But why does he like it so much?
Xu Qing didn't know that this memory did not tell him the answer.

He can only find it again by himself, and search for it among the taste.

Xu Qing opened his eyes, looked at Ke Ling and said, "Ke Ling, you've worked hard. Thank you for your almond tofu. I finally found a dish that I really like."

Ke Ling asked curiously, "What is it?"

“Stir-fried shredded potatoes.”

So ordinary.

Ke Ling couldn't help but say, "I thought you would like some complicated dishes, like boiled cabbage or something like that."

Xu Qing shook his head and said, "Boiled cabbage is not something that ordinary people can easily eat. In comparison, I prefer home-cooked dishes."

Ke Ling asked, "The next thing to do is stir-fry shredded potatoes, right? Shredded potatoes must be a test of your knife skills, I don't know if I can do it well." Xu Qing smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. The stir-fried shredded potatoes in my memory were not always delicious, but I always ate them cleanly."

Hearing Xu Qing say this, Ke Ling felt relieved.

The most in-demand ingredient is potatoes.

Potatoes are a very interesting food ingredient. Not only are they nutritious and cheap, they are also durable to store. If you put them in a cool and ventilated place, they won’t change at all for a week.

Moreover, it can be cooked in a variety of ways, such as frying, stir-frying, and deep-frying.

Whether it is shredded, diced, or even mashed into a puree, it still tastes great.

It is really a versatile style.

This versatile ingredient has evolved into numerous dishes, and its presence can be seen everywhere from north to south.

As an alien species, potatoes first appeared only in court dishes. As the number of plants planted increased, they gradually entered ordinary people's homes and became a part of home cooking.

Shredded potatoes is a common way to cook potatoes. Simply cut them into shreds, stir-fry them in a pan, and add a little seasoning before serving.

It is extremely simple, convenient and fast.

Therefore, each restaurant’s menu may be very different, but shredded potatoes are always present.

Ke Ling’s knife skills are really not that good. Even if she tried her best to cut the potato shreds, the size and thickness were inevitably uneven.

The size and thickness are uneven, so the doneness cannot be guaranteed when frying in the pan. When the thick potato shreds are still hard, the thin potato shreds have already been fried soft.

By the time the thick potato shreds are fried soft, the thin potato shreds are almost melted.

In addition, potatoes contain a lot of starch, so if you add too little water, the potatoes will easily stick to the pan. If you add too much water, the potatoes will become watery. Even if the originally crispy shredded potatoes are soaked in the soup, they will become soft after a while.

When Ke Ling first started, she was so flustered that she made all kinds of mistakes.

And Xu Qing just watched without saying a word.

The final product was comparable to the worst shredded potato dish Xu Qing could remember.

Ke Ling's face turned red with embarrassment. This was Xu Qing's favorite dish, but she cooked it like this. It was so embarrassing.

Ke Ling whispered, "Ah Qing, why don't you just not eat this dish? I'll make it again for you. The first time is the first time, the second time is the second time, I'm sure I can do it right the second time!"

Xu Qing shook his head and said, "No, this one is great."

"Where's the good?"

Ke Ling muttered.

Even she, who cooked the shredded potatoes herself, didn't think there was anything good about it, so Xu Qing could actually say this?

Ke Ling could see that Xu Qing was not trying to comfort her intentionally, but really thought the dish was delicious.

This made her even more confused.

Xu Qing smiled and said, "Just because it's not a very good dish of shredded potatoes, I can understand why I still like it. It's natural for delicious food to be loved by people, but there must be a reason why unpalatable food is still loved by people. What I need to find is this reason."

　I broke my promise and still haven't made up for it. I'll put it off until tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)