Investing in My Crippled Wife: Every Return Makes Me Stronger

Soren lifted the cloth, revealing the golden ball. Its surface had become smoother and slightly matte. He pressed a thumb into the side; the indentation stayed, showing the dough had lost its elasticity and was now perfectly supple.

He grabbed a handful of flour and scattered it across the table, creating a thin sheet of white to prevent any sticking. Using a knife, he sliced the dough ball cleanly down the middle, set one half back under the cloth, and placed the other half in front of him.

He then flattened the piece with the palm of his hand, then picked up a long wooden rolling pin. Starting at the center, he began rolling the dough outward. After a few strokes, he skillfully lifted the expanding sheet, gave it a quarter turn, and rolled again, keeping it circular.

Gradually, the dough grew wider and wider, stretching across the table until it was as thin as parchment. He ran his palms lightly across the surface, checking for any thick spots. Once he was fully satisfied, he paused, wondering whether to cut it into rectangles or circles.

’Hmm... We have to present them later too...’

Thinking of that, he decided to go with the circles first, as they would look like half-moon pillows once finished.

’I can make the other part rectangular.’

Nodding to himself, he searched the table, and his eyes landed on a glass. He took it in his hands and measured it. ’Yeah, this should do it.’

He turned it upside down and pressed firmly into the thin sheet of dough. With a swift twist of his wrist, the glass sliced through the dough, leaving a perfect disk behind.

’Good.’ He smiled and continued until the sheet resembled a honeycomb. He then peeled away the leftover dough scraps, leaving a grid of circles on the table.

’And now...’ He picked up a wrapper. After dipping his index finger into water, he lightly traced the dampness along the edge. He then carefully folded the circle over to create a semi-circle. Working from the outer corners inward, he pinched the edges together and stopped before reaching the center. He had to leave a small gap to put in the filling later.

’Hmm... It looks good enough.’ He smiled as he put it away on a plate he had already prepared. ’Though I will have to add some final touches to make it look more pleasing to the eye.’

With that in mind, he continued with the rest of the wrappers until a neat row of identical half-moon pouches lined the plate.

He then checked the water and noticed it was ready to use.

’Let’s add some salt and vegetable oil.’

’...Hmm. Now, the final step.’ He picked up a dough pouch and held the small gap open with his fingers. He poured the liquid egg filling straight into the opening, filling it three-quarters full. Next, he sealed the gap shut and dropped it into the boiling water. Within seconds, the dough ballooned into a plump shape and floated to the top. He worked quickly, dropping the rest until the pot was full.

’While they are boiling, I should get started on the other half,’ he muttered while adjusting the flames. ’And prepare some sauce to go with them...’

Time passed as he worked through the remaining dough, shifting between the bubbling pot and the floured table until he used the last of the filling and had no dough left.

Finally, he scooped the ready egg dumplings out of the water with a slotted spoon, letting the excess moisture drain away. He carefully placed each on a large ceramic platter and put a small bowl of sour cream sauce in the center.

”...Done!”

He smiled in satisfaction as he looked at his masterpiece.

The taste, the look, the smell, the texture... everything turned out exactly as he envisioned. He covered the platter with a lid to keep it warm, then finally allowed himself to glance at the others.

Nuelia was... she was struggling more than Soren had expected. Like usual, she was cooking something vegetarian. However, she struggled with the fire, her hands hovering uncertainly over the flames as she adjusted the wood again and again. It was clear she wasn’t used to cooking without mana, and open flame was too wild to her liking. Her usual calm expression had long since become tense, but Soren had to give it to her since she didn’t give up and kept trying.

’I guess she is more stubborn than she looks.’ Chuckling inwardly, he turned his attention to the next station where Damir was constantly stirring his pot. ’Hmm... Is he making some kind of soup?’

Soren guessed after giving a quick look at the station. ’Whatever it is, he seems like he’s doing well, at least.’

Soren guessed Grandmaster Tamimi must have taught him everything, including ordinary cooking. After all, one couldn’t become a magic chef without learning the basics first. There was even a chance Damir became his disciple at a young age, and since he had been just a kid with no mana, he could only learn traditional cooking.

Satisfied with that reasoning, Soren let his gaze drift past Damir to the last station at the other side of the stage. ’Hmm... It’s a bit hard to tell from here. However, it is clear that he is working hard, as everyone else.’

Lucent’s head was down, his hands moving non-stop, while a faint smile lingered on his lips. There was no hesitation in his movements; it was as if he had done it many times before.

’I guess he really loves cooking...’

The thought crossed his mind as he watched Lucent work.

’Perhaps he wanted to participate in this competition but couldn’t, since he is unawakened. So he asked, or ordered, these guys to help him. And since he was their spoiled young master, they had agreed and came up with this plan...’

It sounded ridiculous at first, but it also made sense somehow.

After all, Ethea said they do whatever they want whenever they want, and most of the time, there is no greater plan behind their actions.

’...Let’s just hope this theory is true.’