Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Stove_1

Translator: 549690339

Seeing Mo Hua’s smile, Master Chen and the others found themselves feeling cheerful as well.

Master Chen couldn’t help but praise him, “Young brother, you really are incredible, I’ve lived for quite a while and this is the first time I’ve seen a young cultivator of your age who can draw formations.”

Mo Hua, somewhat embarrassed by the praise, said shyly, “Master Chen, please check first if the stove with the drawn formation on it works.”

Master Chen beckoned, and a few strong apprentices reinstalled the stove, put a few spirit stones inside, and soon the fire started blazing in the furnace.

Master Chen nodded, “No problem, except for being a bit small in size, this stove is no different to the expensive ones forged for the Food Building, even the flame seems stronger.”

Mo Hua let out a sigh of relief, then Master Chen asked Dazhu and several disciples to deliver the stove to Mo Hua’s home.

After discussing with his parents, Mo Hua finally decided to open the eatery in his own home.

Firstly, it was convenient, and secondly, the storefronts close to the market town were too expensive. Originally being a small business, if they spent a fortune on renting a place, they could have really gone bankrupt if it didn’t work out.

Moreover, although most of the residents near Mo Hua’s home were poor loose cultivators, it was close to a main road with a steady stream of people and quite lively during festivals. As long as the food was delicious, they wouldn’t worry about not being able to sell it.

Mo Hua’s home was rather small, just a standard living space for a qi cultivation loose practitioner with two bedrooms and a living room, plus a small courtyard. It was fine for a family of three to live in, but not enough for running an eatery.

Mo Shan talked to some neighbors, and agreed to pay spirit stones monthly to use their courtyards, then he asked friends from the Monster Hunting Team to help renovate a kitchen building, and connected several courtyards together. This way, there was a large open space in the yard where tables and chairs could be placed for people to eat and rest.

The stove was too big to fit into a storage bag, so Dazhu and several disciples carried the stove towards Mo Hua’s house. When they arrived, Mo Shan and his wife were still tidying up the yard, digging and building walls, making the place look somewhat messy.

Without complaining, Dazhu and the others helped set up the stove, then sat down for a cup of tea before taking their leave.

Although Mo Hua had assured them confidently before, and his work was always reliable, seeing that he actually managed to commission a stove, and the stove was right there in front of them, Mo Shan and his wife still found it unbelievable.

Liu Ruhua touched the stove and said, “It looks almost like the ones in those big Food Buildings, only smaller, but obviously more durable and the craftsmanship is more intricate. However, it must have cost a good deal of spirit stones, right?”

“I repaired the formation in the artifact furnace for Master Chen, and he gave me a fifty percent discount. Also, I drew the formation in this stove myself, so I didn’t spend too many spirit stones,” said Mo Hua, a bit proud of himself.

Liu Ruhua and Mo Shan exchanged glances, they knew Mo Hua had some talent in formations, but they didn’t expect that he could not only fix formations for others but had even started to draw formations on spiritual artifacts himself.

Liu Ruhua pulled Mo Hua into her arms and praised, “Huar, you are truly remarkable!”

Mo Shan also looked at his son, eyes filled with pride.

Originally worried about Mo Hua’s frailty, seeing his talent in formations now reassured him that even if he couldn’t pursue body refinement, he could make a living solely with formations in the future, and he wouldn’t have to risk fighting monster beasts like he did, which was more than ideal.

“Mom, I’ll tell you how to use the stove.”

Mo Hua took Liu Ruhua’s hand to teach her how to use the stove, the quantity of spirit stones needed, and how to control the heat. These things were actually not too difficult, and Liu Ruhua understood after being told once.

Liu Ruhua then used the stove to cook dinner, a pot of clear rice porridge, a few simple vegetable dishes, and white, soft steamed buns—simple yet tasty.

Tasting the food cooked by his mother, Mo Hua was deeply moved, especially because most of the recent meals at home were prepared by Mo Shan, the difference in taste was obvious.

Mo Hua bluntly said, “Mom, your cooking is much tastier than Dad’s!”

“You rascal!” Mo Shan ruffled Mo Hua’s hair irritably, but seeing his wife’s smiling face, he couldn’t help but smile as well.

After the family of three finished their meal, Liu Ruhua asked, “Opening a restaurant is doable, but what should we sell?”

Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua both looked toward Mo Hua.

Mo Hua, meeting her parents’ gaze, said, “Beef!”

Mo Shan was stunned for a moment, then frowned and said, “But where would we get the beef from? Meat infused with spiritual energy is very expensive, we can’t afford it, and the nearby area is full of loose cultivators who wouldn’t buy the beef even if we did make it.”

Mo Hua said, “Dad, didn’t you kill a wild ox before? We can just use that meat.”

“Wild ox meat… It’s too tough, dry, and woody. No one would want to eat it.”

“Then we stew it for two days and nights. Even the toughest meat should become tender by then, and with enough time, it should absorb the flavors well.”

“Stew it for two days and nights…” Mo Shan couldn’t help but turn his gaze toward the stove, “So, you forged this stove not only to allow your mother to cook without using spiritual power, but also to stew meat…”

“Yes!” Mo Hua nodded.

“This could work?” Mo Shan was a bit hesitant.

“It will work,” Liu Ruhua’s eyes brightened. “Meat with spiritual power is fresh and tender, it doesn’t need to be stewed for long, or it would lose its spiritual energy. But that kind of meat is expensive, not something families like ours can afford.”

“Meat without spiritual power is cheaper but tough and woody, and it needs to be stewed for a long time. Ordinary loose cultivators can afford it, but they don’t have the conditions to stew it, so they rarely eat it.”

“With this stove, we can make cheap but delicious meat that even ordinary loose cultivators can afford.”

Mo Shan nodded, then said, “But two days and nights, just maintaining the fire in the furnace will use up quite a few spirit stones, right?”

Mo Hua counted on her fingers, then said, “It should take about ten spirit stones, but one furnace can stew a lot of meat. If sold, we should be able to at least break even.”

“Okay, I’ll try stewing a pot the day after tomorrow and then calculate the costs,” Liu Ruhua said.

Mo Shan nodded and said, “I’ll go get some more wild ox meat. We’ve run out at home, but Old Zhao’s family should still have some. If this meat can sell, it would create an outlet for the meat from monster beasts we hunt, and it could improve everyone’s lives somewhat.”

Having finished speaking and with it getting late, Liu Ruhua urged Mo Hua to go to bed quickly.

As Mo Hua stood up, suddenly she remembered a question and asked,

“Mom, technically speaking, forging a stove shouldn’t be too difficult, right? But why is it that we rarely see ordinary loose cultivators using one?”

“Silly child,” Liu Ruhua touched Mo Hua’s face and said with a laugh,

“Setting aside artifact refining, the formation on the stove, if not drawn by yourself, would cost so many spirit stones to have another formation master draw it.”

“Becoming a formation master is so difficult. Once one becomes a master, naturally they think about advancing further, relying on their clan and sect to draw higher-level formations and earn more spirit stones. They wouldn’t concern themselves with poor loose cultivators like us.”

“Not just formation masters, all cultivators are the same. When people climb up, they don’t look down…”

Mo Hua felt a complex mix of emotions and found herself at a loss for words.