Just as Shen Xiaochuan was about to speak, Tang Keke suddenly rushed in.
She pointed to the dark purple cloud on the horizon, her voice trembling slightly.
Shen Xiaochuan glanced at it, but his expression remained unchanged.
He turned and walked towards the residential area.
Lilith and Lilia followed behind, dressed in coarse cloth and carrying two wooden boxes.
“God, can we really stay?” Lilith clutched the hem of her clothes, her eyes darting away, unable to meet his gaze.
“Get things done first.”
Shen Xiaochuan looked at them and said, “If you don’t do well, you won’t be able to stay.”
The two fell silent.
Upon arriving at the open space in the living area, Shen Xiaochuan had four large pots brought over, and also brought out wind wolf meat, thunder horn beef, red feather chicken, and Black Rock Giant Bear meat, each weighing one hundred catties.
“You can cook.”
He said, “Let’s start now.”
Lilia looked down at the meat: “This meat…
hasn’t been processed yet.”
“Do it yourself.”
She pursed her lips and put down the box.
Upon opening it, she found two kitchen knives, a whetstone, and several iron skewers inside.
“elder sister,”
She said to Lilith, “You scale and cut it into pieces, I’ll go boil water and scald the fur.”
The two immediately got to work.
Shen Xiaochuan stood aside and observed quietly.
With a single, swift cut, Lilith peeled the entire skin off the Wind Wolf, leaving not a trace of blood on the meat.
Lilia skillfully rinsed the tendons and membranes of the Wind Wolf beef with hot water.
Chen Yan stopped and glanced at it as she passed by.
“Who are these two people?” he asked.
“The new guy.”
Shen Xiaochuan replied, “She said she was a cook.”
“The cook?”
Chen Yan frowned.
“Warfare relies on swords, not stoves.”
“Let’s talk about it after they’ve finished.”
Two hours later, the first dish was served.
Lilith brought over a bowl of stewed wind wolf meat; the broth was clear and the meat was tender.
“I added wild chili peppers and yams to remove the fishy smell, so it’s not greasy even if you eat a lot,” she said.
Shen Xiaochuan took a bite, and the aroma filled his nostrils, instantly warming his stomach.
“Not bad.” He nodded.
The second dish was grilled beef short ribs.
Lilia skewered the meat strips onto iron skewers and slowly grilled them over charcoal, brushing them with honey syrup and crushed bay leaves halfway through.
Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, each bite bursts with juice.
“This meat gets tough easily,”
She said, “Even the slightest difference in cooking time will do.”
Shen Xiaochuan nodded again.
The third dish is red-feathered chicken broth.
The whole chicken is stewed for three hours, and a layer of golden oil floats on the surface of the soup, making it fresh, fragrant, and rich.
“The chicken must be killed and cooked immediately.”
Lilith explained, “If you leave it for too long, the flavor will be gone.”
The last dish is a braised bear paw.
Thick slices of the foreleg of a Black Rock Giant Bear are cooked with fermented bean paste and sweet potato chunks, creating an irresistible aroma.
“This meat is poisonous.”
Lilia said, “I soaked it in spring water for a day and boiled it twice before I dared to put it in the pot.”
Shen Xiaochuan finished eating the four dishes and put down his chopsticks.
Where did you learn it?
“Hometown”.
Lilith answered softly, “My parents cooked in a restaurant.
They left during the war.
We fled all the way, earning a living by cooking for others.”
Shen Xiaochuan watched them quietly for a moment.
“Starting tomorrow, the workshop will take over.
Lolia will allocate space for you to build a kitchen.”
“real?!”
“If you do it well, you can stay.”
After saying that, he turned and walked toward the Main Hall.
On the way, he opened Faith Mall.
The Huaxia Trading Channel DAO is currently running, and several messages are displayed on the page:
50 catties of premium wheat seeds (to be exchanged for high-grade meat)
30 packs of cold-resistant vegetable seeds (only exchangeable for Thunder Horn beef)
200 kg of Qinggang ORE (can be replaced with any building material)
Shen Xiaochuan checked his inventory and found he still had over 3,000 jin of Leijiao beef.
He listed 1,000 jin (500 kg) of the product for sale, with the note: “For exchange only for high-quality crop seeds, limited to Huaxia Deities transactions.”
Three minutes later, the system notified the transaction that the deal had been completed.
We received 50 jin of wheat seeds, 20 jin of corn seeds, and 30 bags of cold-resistant vegetables.
He immediately summoned Carl.
“Organize manpower.”
He said, ” That flat land on the west bank of Yuling Lake has been cultivated into fields.”
Carl took the seed bag: “Shall we go now?”
“Turn the soil tonight, sow the seeds tomorrow morning.”
“Should we offer a sacrifice to the earth first?”
“No need.
Just plant it.”
Karl accepted the order and left.
Shen Xiaochuan returned to the Main Hall and looked at the farming progress chart.
Footsteps came from outside the door.
Tang Keke walked in, his expression even more serious than before.
“That cloud.”
She said, “They’re still moving this way.”
“I know Dao.”
“It looks like it’s coming for us.”
“Then let’s wait for it to come.”
“You’re not planning to do anything?”
“I did it.”
Shen Xiaochuan put down his pen.
“The clinic is built, the wounded have been treated, now it’s time to farm, hire people, and cook.
These things are more important than relying on the weather.”
Tang Keke pursed her lips: ” Believers are all talking about the rankings.”
“What list?”
” System notification: The server-wide leaderboard will be updated tomorrow at noon.
Those who make the list will receive a golden treasure chest.”
Shen Xiaochuan raised his eyes: “Let them talk.”
“Someone mentioned Japanese Gods.
More than 30,000 people died in the last Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons).
If they make the list again this time, shouldn’t we seek revenge?”
Shen Xiaochuan put down his pen, his expression calm: “Who started it?”
“I don’t know the Dao.
But it’s being spread throughout all the camps.”
“Then let it be passed on.”
Aren’t you worried?
“What are you worried about?
Are you afraid they’ll act impulsively?
Or are you afraid they won’t dare to speak up?”
Tang Keke did not answer.
“Let them talk.”
Shen Xiaochuan said calmly, “The more we talk, the more united we become.
When we are united, we are not afraid to die in battle.”
She looked at him and nodded slowly.
“I’ll go back and keep an eye on the clouds.”
“Go.”
She left.
Shen Xiaochuan continued writing the report.
Ling Feng walked in and stood in front of the table.
“The Supreme God.”
He said, “There are people vying for beds in the refugee camps in the north.”
“Why?”
“One said he came first, the other said he had more children with him and should be given priority.”
“How was it handled?”
“I had them draw lots.”
“And then what happened?”
“Nobody’s convinced.”
Shen Xiaochuan frowned, pondered for a moment, and asked, “How many rooms are left?”
“Three rooms.”
“One room for the thin man, one room for the strong woman and her child, and leave the remaining room empty for future use.
Arrange for the construction of a new house as soon as possible.”
The thin man and the strong woman were stunned for a moment after hearing this, and then a look of surprise appeared on their faces.
Shen Xiaochuan closed his notebook: “Call them here.”
“Now?”
“Now.”
Ling Feng went out.
Shen Xiaochuan got up and walked to the window.
The city lights gradually came on.
There were no more people queuing outside the clinic; people were gradually going home.
The lights were still on at Blacksmith Shop, where Lolia and her apprentices were working on new knives.
In the distance, figures moved about in the farmland; Karl was leading his men to till the soil.
He watched for a while, then sat back down at the table.
Ling Feng brought the two back.
A thin man and a strong woman were holding a child.
“I said I claimed the land first!” the skinny man said first.
My child has had a fever for three days!
The strong woman cried out urgently, “Can’t I even sleep in a nice bed?!”
“One person per room.”
Shen Xiaochuan said calmly, “The rest will be used to build the new house tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Lord God!”
Let’s go.
The two left.
Ling Feng is also preparing to leave.
“etc.”
Shen Xiaochuan called out to him, “The new cook will be cooking tomorrow, why don’t you give it a try?”
Ling Feng turned around, curious: “What dishes are you trying?”
Shen Xiaochuan smiled and said, “You’ll know when the time comes.
After eating this dish, you’ll know if you have the strength to go to the battlefield.”
Ling Feng grinned: “Then I’ll have to eat a few more bowls tomorrow!”
“Go.”
Everyone’s gone.
Shen Xiaochuan continued writing the report.
A slight noise came from outside the door.
Lilith entered carrying a tray, with Lilia following behind.
“The Supreme God.”
Lilith said softly, “We’ve prepared three dishes, please try them.”
Three bowls of food were placed on the tray.
A bowl of rice porridge, with a faint sheen of oil on the surface.
A plate of baked flatbreads, with a golden-brown and crispy crust.
A small bowl of stew, containing corn kernels and vibrant green wild vegetables, garnished with a few bits of minced meat.
“What is this?” Shen Xiaochuan asked.
“Flour made from newly harvested wheat.”
Lilia replied, “The flatbread is made with the first day’s flour.
The porridge is made with beans soaked last night and new rice.
The vegetables are wild greens we picked, with some minced meat added for flavor.”
Shen Xiaochuan picked up the spoon, just about to scoop out the porridge.
There was a sudden knock on the door.
“God!”
It was Karl’s voice, filled with excitement, “The experimental field has sprouted!”