I Awakened to a Farming TALENT

## Chapter 66: Taro Rice—Sect Master, You're Slacking Off Again

After a full day of busy work in the kitchen, even Jiang Tingyun—despite her enhanced physical fitness from the awakened talent—felt tired.

The only thing that gave her relief was looking at the day's revenue.

She had no idea that a rival had come to spy on her business today, quietly calculating her revenue and costs, and concluding that her ingredient costs were staggering and her profits low.

If she had known, Jiang Tingyun would have laughed herself silly.

So-called "premium Qiongzhou lemons"? Those came from the few lemon trees in her backyard that she had rescued from near-death. Later, after looking closely, she realized the variety was just the most common "Eureka" lemons.

So-called "specially sourced vegetables"? Those were just whatever she picked up from the grannies' stalls at the morning market after haggling back and forth. And those cost money—in summer, her vegetables were even homegrown.

The biggest cost was actually the time and labor of everyone at Qionghua Sect.

But if they weren't working, they'd just be lazing around anyway. So maybe that cost wasn't worth much.

Lately, it was peak season. Though revenue had clearly increased and profits were considerable, after half a month of nonstop work, everyone was exhausted.

They stared miserably at the messy dining hall, the greasy kitchen piled high with pots, pans, bowls, and chopsticks. Their hearts trembled.

"Xiao Jin Jin, where's that dishwashing robot you promised?" Zhu Lili wailed as she squeezed dish soap.

"And a cleaning robot," Pei Jingmo muttered darkly while mopping the floor, feeling life was too hard.

Jin Feifan scratched his head. "Sorry, everyone. I've been focused on making that Parkinson's walking aid. The dishwashing robot might take a while."

Jiang Tingyun had no expectations for this so-called dishwashing robot. She just sighed deeply.

"Ah... We'll sell simpler dishes from now on. Even if business drops, we can't run ourselves into the ground."

She sniffed her own hand and looked despairing. "And after handling pork intestines and cutting fish all day, my hands smell so bad!"

Hurry up and end, October tourist season!

She might be the first farmhouse restaurant owner wishing for the off-season to come quickly.

Speaking of which, the taros at the market had finally developed tough skins—meaning they were fully ripe. She might as well slack off tomorrow and just sell taro rice.

Decision made!

Jiang Tingyun quickly pulled out her phone and posted in the Qionghua Eatery foodie group.

---

**【Qionghua Eatery - Chef Jiang: Everyone, no dishes tomorrow. Just taro rice. Come if you want.]**

**【Bro Jie: ?? What's going on, boss? I didn't even get to try the lemon fish today. I was planning to come tomorrow.]**

**【Win Through Hard Work: Wow! I love taro rice! Boss Jiang, you're actually selling taro rice from my hometown? It's really good!】**

---

Actually, taro rice wasn't a local dish here.

Though the area also produced plenty of taro, locals preferred braised taro with pork belly—slicing large taros and layering them with cured or fatty pork, then simmering in a clay pot until the taro turned soft and absorbed the savory pork fat. It was so fragrant that restaurants around here loved selling that dish.

Another method was learning from the neighboring province to make candied taro or taro cake—also delicious.

But all those dishes were troublesome to prepare. Jiang Tingyun preferred to slack off and make taro rice.

She had learned this recipe from a colleague's house. That colleague's grandmother came from Minzhou and was very good at making this rice.

The next day, Jiang Tingyun went to the market and bought a basket of taro (also known as betel nut taro).

Making taro rice was incredibly simple—not much different from the other rice dishes she had made before.

She peeled the taro, cut it into small pieces, and deep-fried them until they turned slightly golden. Then she set them aside.

Next, she added some pork belly and rendered its fat. Once the oil rendered, she threw in the prepared mixed vegetables and stir-fried them briefly.

The vegetables didn't matter much—add whatever you like. Jiang Tingyun used the classic combo: shiitake mushrooms, dried shrimp, carrots, and diced cured pork.

After a quick stir-fry, she added the fried taro pieces and started seasoning.

Before she even began simmering the rice, the aroma had already filled the entire kitchen.

Once the vegetables were done, she tossed in the pre-soaked rice, added water, and cooked everything in a large iron pot over a fire.

Jiang Tingyun hummed a tune as she fed the firewood and controlled the heat, thinking to herself: If only I could sell rice every day. This is so easy.

...

Meanwhile.

Liu Yanghe had traveled all the way from the north, trekking over mountains and rivers, and finally boarded the tourist bus heading to the scenic area near Fenghuang Town.

"This address is so hard to find! Where exactly is Qionghua Sect?"

As soon as he sat down, he pulled out his phone to check the map, then took out the note with the address his family had written for him, comparing the two.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

A voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up and saw a young woman in her twenties looking for a seat.

"Uh, no, no. Go ahead." Liu Yanghe quickly shook his head.

"Thanks." The young woman sat down, looking familiar with the place. She pulled out her phone and sent a voice message: "Wanzi, I'm on the bus to Fenghuang Mountain now. I'll get to Qionghua Eatery in about an hour. If you get there first, save me a seat."

"Qionghua?" Liu Yanghe had sharp ears. Hearing that familiar name, he immediately got excited.

The young woman turned in slight surprise. "What's up? Are you going to Qionghua Eatery too?"

Liu Yanghe frowned in confusion. "Sorry, where exactly is this Qionghua Eatery? It might be where I'm trying to go."

Hearing this, the young woman's eyes lit up. She chatted away familiarly.

"Is this your first time here? Did you see it online or get a recommendation from someone? Let me tell you, the food at Qionghua Eatery is really delicious! It's only a few hundred meters from the bus stop. If you don't know the way, just follow me. I'm heading there too."

Liu Yanghe smiled gratefully. "My surname is Liu. Just call me Xiao Liu. Thank you so much. I'll follow you later."

"OK. You can call me Fangfang."

They chatted a bit more, then Fangfang leaned against the window and dozed off. But Liu Yanghe couldn't sleep. His heart was full of questions.

What was going on? He had come looking for Qionghua Sect.

But why, instead of finding Qionghua Sect anywhere, did he find Qionghua Eatery?

Was Qionghua Eatery related to Qionghua Sect?

He sighed. Whatever. Since both names shared two characters and were both near Fenghuang Mountain, there must be some connection. He decided to go check it out in person.