Liyue Harbor
Inside Yanfei's Residence
"Big Brother Bosacius, chop the meat. Grind it into mince. Oh, and try not to break the knife!"
"Lord Menogias, could you wash the vegetables? After that, peel and slice the potatoes!"
"And Sister Bonanus, clean the fish. Make sure you scrape the scales off properly!"
Yanfei was busy stir-frying while directing the Yakshas.
She wasn't sure what any of them were good at, so she just had to make do.
"Easy! Leave it to me!" Bosacius patted his chest confidently. It was simple—nothing too difficult. He could handle it easily.
As long as he controlled his strength, that is. Otherwise, the kitchen knives and cutting boards would be split in half.
"Understood. I'll take care of it." Menogias nodded. He already knew how to cook, so he could help with many tasks.
"Second Brother gives off such a reliable vibe!" Bonanus clapped.
Menogias really seemed like the ideal domestic partner.
"It's nothing." Menogias smiled at Bonanus, then turned to prepare his ingredients.
"What about me?" Xiao asked, confused. Why didn't he have a task? Was he being left out?
"Want to help me clean the fish? I have no idea how to do it." Bonanus said helplessly. She had never grilled or cooked fish before.
She certainly didn't know how to gut and clean one.
Simply put, Bonanus only knew how to eat. If she tried to help, she would probably just make things worse.
"Alright." Xiao nodded. He wasn't very good at it either, but he would give it a try.
...
A few minutes passed
The aroma of food filled the entire room. Dish after dish was placed on the dining table. The atmosphere felt like New Year's Eve, like coming home for a reunion dinner.
Yanfei's cooking went smoothly. Bosacius and Menogias did well too.
After finishing their own prep work, they didn't just stand around.
They joined Yanfei in the kitchen to help cook.
With so many ingredients, one person alone would have taken too long.
Menogias, of course, knew how to cook.
As for Bosacius, not only did he not get in the way, he even managed to make a few edible dishes!
They looked decent, smelled good, and tasted just right.
Yanfei was surprised by Bosacius's performance. She never expected this burly Yaksha to have such cooking skills.
He wasn't exactly a master, more like a beginner, but still—he was a huge help!
Yanfei had thought Bosacius would cause a disaster, but to her surprise, everything went smoothly.
Bosacius laughed heartily at her surprise. He loved Liyue's cuisine, so he had studied cooking methods.
He had even tried cooking himself. It had been a hassle, and he had failed many times, but overall, he had gained a lot of experience.
...
Compared to the smooth progress on that side, Xiao and Bonanus were a bit lost. Neither of them had any experience.
"Sister Bonanus! Grab it! Don't let it get away!" Xiao frowned. The fish they were handling were incredibly lively. They couldn't hold them!
"Hold on, they're hard to catch..." Bonanus said anxiously. Her big paws made it difficult to grip the slippery fish.
"Don't just stand there! Help me, Alatus!" Bonanus said, half-laughing, half-crying. She knew cleaning fish was hard, but she hadn't expected it to be this difficult.
"I'm coming..." Xiao sighed internally. Wait, he didn't really have room to complain, since he didn't know how to do it either.
Watching the two fumble around, the others shook their heads. Who would have thought the ones holding everyone back would be these two?
And they still weren't done after all this time. Were those fish immortal or something?
They exchanged glances, each wearing a mix of amusement and restraint.
"Let me help you..." Menogias walked over helplessly. With a single grab, the unruly fish were caught in an instant.
Fast. Very skilled.
"You've never done this before, so of course you wouldn't know. Let me show you."
Menogias said gently, placing the fish on the cutting board. No matter how much it flapped, it couldn't escape.
"Sometimes, the best way to deal with live fish is..." Menogias looked at Bonanus and Xiao, teaching them patiently.
With that, a rock-hard club formed in his hand. Thwack! The club came down on the fish's head.
One swing, and the struggling fish went still.
"Like that."
Menogias smiled gently at everyone, his expression unchanged.
As he spoke, he continued working.
He scraped off the scales, sliced the fish in half, and removed the guts and gills.
He made a dozen cuts along the fish's body, deep but not reaching the bone.
Seeing how easily Menogias handled the difficult fish, Bonanus gave him a thumbs up. As expected of Second Brother. Impressive!
Poor fish. She would definitely eat two big bowls of it later, with tears in her eyes.
"Haha! Who would've thought even the great Alatus would get stumped!" Bosacius slung an arm around Xiao's shoulder and laughed.
In the past, it was always Alatus who looked down on others. Look at him now!
"Hmph... This was just a try." Xiao crossed his arms and looked away.
"Sister, if you didn't know how to clean fish, you should have said so earlier. I thought you were good at it..." Yanfei rubbed her face.
She glanced at the fish patterns on Bonanus's clothes and shook her head, cursing her own carelessness.
"Hehe, I thought Alatus would know how..." Bonanus twirled her hair with her finger, feeling a little embarrassed.
She really hadn't expected Alatus not to know either!
In her impression, Xiao was so reliable, but she forgot that everyone had their strengths and weaknesses.
"Yanfei, did you prepare the seasoning for the fish earlier?" Menogias asked without turning around.
"Ah! I got it ready before I started cooking. It's here!" Yanfei pointed at an iron basin nearby. Inside was the mixture to remove the fishy smell.
The seasoning was made from ginger, scallions, salt, vinegar, and baijiu.
Fish had a strong odor, and this marinade would help reduce it while enhancing the flavor.
"This dish will take a bit longer to finish. I hope the other dishes don't get cold." Menogias said, a little worried, as he placed the cut fish into the marinade.
"Don't worry about that. I can control the heat with my Pyro abilities. I can warm things up." Yanfei waved her hand reassuringly.
"That's a relief. I have to say, Yanfei, your kitchen is really well-stocked. Seems like you have everything." Menogias remarked.
"Of course. We have a foodie in the house, don't we?" Yanfei put her hands on her hips and shook her head lightly.
"Impressive." Bonanus praised. She thought Yanfei was talking about herself.
But just as she finished speaking, her stomach let out a loud rumble. Clearly, she was hungry.
After all that work, she hadn't gotten anything done, and now she was hungry. What a useless eater.
"Haha! That's not very ladylike, little sister!" Bosacius laughed at the sound.
"Everyone gets hungry! You're no different, big brother!" Bonanus said, blushing. Damn, she had lost all face today.
"Alright, looks like we have more guests. Someone go greet them." Menogias turned his head. His keen senses had picked up footsteps outside the door.