Urban God-level Youth

Qin Hao returned home, finished his instant noodles, and then began to study his tasty roasted duck.

He used the household electronic scale to weigh out the herbs, each with a specific weight in grams.

Though the household scale was not as accurate as a specialty scale for herbs, the difference was negligible.

It took him about twenty minutes to prepare the medicine, after which he added the right amount of water and set it to simmer on medium heat on the coal stove.

These herbs were mostly common tonics, but after being fused and boiled, their effects had altered in ways no one but Qin Hao knew.

When a faint fragrance wafted from the pot, Qin Hao added a few spices.

The aroma from the pot grew stronger, provoking a ravenous appetite. Upon smelling it, Qin Hao's stomach growled again.

Qin Hao initially thought the herbal decoction would taste and smell unpleasant, as his impression of herbal medicine from childhood was that it was bitter and off-putting.

But today he realized he had been wrong, as herbal medicine could also produce such an intoxicating aroma.

He was so tempted to drink the herbal broth right away because it smelled so good.

After the potion in the pot had reduced to two-thirds and become somewhat thick, Qin Hao turned off the heat, for the duck's marinade was ready.

Then, he smacked his forehead in annoyance when he realized he had forgotten to get the duck. He covered the pot and rushed downstairs.

Once outside the residential complex, he hailed a taxi and headed to the nearby live poultry market.

He didn't linger in the market, spending thirty-six yuan on a 2-pound duck.

At Qin Hao's request, the duck had already been plucked and cleaned, and it would be ready for roasting after another wash.

After purchasing the duck, he caught a cab back home, the whole round trip taking less than half an hour.

When he arrived home again, the seasoning in the pot was still warm.

He washed the duck once more, then used a knife to score the skin, enhancing the flavor absorption.

He submerged the duck in the pot with the marinade to soak.

Five minutes later, Qin Hao removed the duck, placed it on a dish, and then popped it into the microwave.

...

The preparation of a delicious roasted duck is roughly this process. It is neither simple nor difficult to articulate.

There isn't much technical skill involved, but the most challenging part is getting the seasoning right.

Qin Hao had already decided that he would only need to prepare the marinade himself.

He could leave the rest to others since he didn't have the time to do it.

Seeing the marinade in the pot, Qin Hao poured it out, since it was no longer needed.

About half an hour later, a delicious smell wafted from the kitchen, making one drool with anticipation.

The system hadn't been boasting, as Qin Hao now found himself swallowing saliva at an unprecedented rate, unable to help himself.

Just then, the front door suddenly made a noise, and Mr. Qin and Mrs. Qin walked in.

Qin Hao's expression stiffened, "Dad, Mom, how come you're back?"

Li Shujie sniffed, "Why does it smell so good in here? What are you up to?"

Qin Youguo swallowed, "That smells amazing, what did you buy?"

Qin Hao hadn't expected his parents to return so early, "Isn't it only half past three, how come you're back already?"

Li Shujie replied, "We came back after the meeting ended this afternoon. What is that delicious smell coming from the kitchen?"

...

Seeing no way out, Qin Hao had no option but to confess, "It's roasted duck."

Li Shujie's face faltered, "You bought this from a food stall outside for over ten bucks? Haven't I told you before that although the ducks from those stalls taste good, they are all fast-grown with feed mixed with hormones? They can grow to over two or three pounds in just forty days before being sold."

"No, this doesn't taste like the twenty-yuan roast duck from outside," Qin Youguo spoke up.

Qin Hao was exasperated, almost no one in Jiangshan City bought that kind of roast duck anymore. He wasn't stupid; why would he buy something like that?

If he had gone to buy it, he would have gone to an authentic duck restaurant.

He hurriedly said, "This isn't from a stall, but from a roast duck restaurant."

Mr. and Mrs. Qin nodded slightly when they heard this.

Mrs. Qin asked curiously, "Which restaurant did you buy it from? It smells really good; I want to buy from there in the future too."

"Ah? I was out having fun today and saw a store in Jianghua District. I don't remember exactly where, but I smelled the roast duck and it seemed good, so I bought one. It's warming up in the microwave right now, should be ready soon."

After speaking, Qin Hao silently gave himself a thumbs up for his quick thinking.

This time, Mr. and Mrs. Qin didn't pursue the matter further, and Qin Hao quickly retreated to his room under the pretext of reviewing for exams.

In his room, Qin Hao hastily placed the large bag of medicinal herbs on the other side of the bed so it would be out of sight unless Mrs. Qin came looking for it.

He occupied himself with a mock math test for the standardized exam and then reviewed the answers, ending up with a score of 120.

This was still some distance from his goal, but his improvement had been quite rapid.

During the previous mock test, he had scored just over seventy in math.

He reviewed the questions he got wrong and reflected on his shortcomings.

Then he continued working on math mock tests, repeating the process over and over.

...

At six-thirty in the afternoon, Mrs. Qin finally called out, "Xiao Hao, come and eat."

He was actually already hungry; if it weren't for his studies distracting him, he felt he couldn't have lasted until now, mainly because the smell of roast duck was too tempting.

Qin Hao quickly left his room. Mrs. Qin brought the dishes to the table and took the roast duck out of the microwave.

Suddenly, the aroma in the room intensified, and the three of them couldn't help but swallow their saliva.

Mrs. Qin brought the roast duck over; it was golden brown, shiny, and fragrant.

Mr. Qin swallowed again and asked, "Xiao Hao, where did you buy this roast duck? How come I don't know of such a roast duck restaurant in Jiangshan City?"

Qin Hao spoke evasively, "It seems like it's a new restaurant. I forgot where exactly."

Qin Youguo chimed in, "This color and aroma are the best I've seen, so delicious. What brand of roast duck is this?"

"Forgot."

"Where in Jianghua District did you buy it?"

"Forgot."

...

Mrs. Qin sat down, slightly annoyed, "What do you keep in your head all day? You can't even remember this."

Qin Hao let out a dry laugh and hurriedly gave each of his parents a duck leg, "Dad, Mom, you both work hard, eat more."

Mr. Qin said contentedly, "You're finally getting sensible, my boy."

Mrs. Qin tried to give the duck leg to Qin Hao, "I've had duck legs often enough, you have it."

Qin Hao insisted, "Mom, you eat it. You definitely haven't tried this before, taste how it is."

Mrs. Qin didn't insist further, her face breaking into a smile before taking a bite, "Mm? Crispy, tender, rich but not greasy, this meat melts in your mouth. It's very delicious and not the least bit cloying."