He figured that with the sofa blocking him, no one would notice him even if he fell asleep, keeping him safe from being carried away!
"Mommy, aren’t I smart?" Xiao Bao tilted his little head up, his expression practically begging for praise.
He knew he was adorable and handsome; if someone really did snatch him away, his mommy would definitely be worried!
Chen Momo was speechless. Amused yet exasperated, she poked her son’s forehead. "Smart, my foot. From now on, no matter where you go, you have to tell Mommy first. Got it?"
Chen Xiaobao flashed an innocent smile. "Xiao Bao gets it."
Chen Momo helplessly poked his head again. Seeing that innocent little face, she swallowed back the words of reprimand that had just surfaced. This precious little angel was simply too cute; she really didn’t have the heart to scold him.
She packed up the cushions wedged between the sofa and the corner, putting them away in the cabinet. It was ridiculous that her son had even managed to find such an obscure nook to hide in. She was truly at a loss for words.
In the afternoon, Chen Momo curled up on the sofa again, bored out of her mind as she binge-watched TV shows.
Today’s pick was *Go Go Squid!*, starring Yang Zi and Li Xian. This was already the tenth series she had binged since the apocalypse began. Before the end of the world, she had constantly run herself ragged—taking care of the family, tending to her husband, and helicopter parenting her son. Throughout her years of marriage, she had orbited this large family like a tiny planet, nearly forgetting what it meant to have a sense of self. It wasn’t until the apocalypse descended that she finally had time to herself, returning to the cozy, carefree lifestyle of her college days.
But simply watching shows was a bit dry; one had to pair it with the perfect binge-watching snacks. For instance, Zhou Hei Ya—a famous brand of braised duck from Han City.
The local specialty involved braising various parts of the duck, offering everything from wings and paws to gizzards and hearts. The most famous item was the duck neck, but Chen Momo wasn’t a fan because it was too much of a hassle to eat. Her absolute favorite was the duck heart. She could unknowingly polish off an entire box over the course of an episode. Paired with a Coke, it was pure bliss.
She had hoarded a massive supply of Zhou Hei Ya in her spatial dimension. Aside from the meat, there were plenty of vegetarian options too: braised kelp, yuba, dried tofu, and more.
Delicious as the duck was, it had one major flaw—it was far too salty and heavily seasoned. She could only ever eat one box at a time; any more, and she’d have to chug massive amounts of water. Furthermore, it wasn’t something she could eat every day. Consuming it too frequently would take a toll on her health and strain her body.
After finishing a box of braised duck hearts, Chen Momo was suddenly struck by an idea. Why couldn’t she try making a lighter, refreshing version of the braised duck? If she could pull it off—retaining the savory umami of Zhou Hei Ya without the heavy seasoning—it wouldn’t burden the body. Wouldn’t that sell even better?
No sooner said than done!
Chen Momo immediately started searching the internet for various braised duck recipes. After carefully comparing and analyzing them, she developed her own recipe: the "Refreshing Braised Duck," also known as "Black Duck 2.0."
With the formula perfected, she began a trial run right away! She chose to braise duck paws, as they were rich in protein and absorbed flavors the best. Fetching two frozen ducks from her dimension, she chopped off the paws—four in total—and began braising them according to her custom recipe.
Two hours later, the aromatic "Black Duck 2.0" was finally ready!
Looking at the initial product, Chen Momo could hardly contain her excitement. She immediately called out toward her son’s room, "Son, come out!"
Xiao Bao was busy studying a new invention via video. Hearing his mother call, he came running out of the room, his footsteps going PIT-PAT against the floor. "Mommy, what’s wrong?"
Chen Momo held a plate containing four pitch-black duck paws. "I made braised duck paws. Hurry up and try one." With that, she picked one up with her chopsticks and handed it to him.
Pinching the blackened paw, Xiao Bao smiled politely, internally agonizing over whether he should eat it.
"This is your mother’s newly invented ’Black Duck 2.0.’ I improved upon the original Zhou Hei Ya process," Chen Momo said, enthusiastically pitching her creation to Chen Xiaobao. "It retains the signature fragrance but reduces the burden on the body. You could say it combines taste and health—a rare, innovative delicacy! Come on, try it, son. It might look darker than Zhou Hei Ya, but it’s much healthier."
Chen Xiaobao wondered if she was entirely sure about that. Could something this black really be healthy?
However, seeing the eager look in Chen Momo’s eyes, he just couldn’t bear to crush her enthusiasm. He figured that if the legendary Shennong could brave tasting a hundred unknown herbs, then since his own mother was asking him to eat this, he would just risk it all!
Lifting the pitch-black paw with his little hand, he placed it in his mouth and gave a few CHOMP SMACKs. The pungent, salty, and fishy taste nearly made him pass out. Still, Chen Xiaobao forced a grin, took a difficult bite, and returned the remaining large chunk to his mom.
"Mommy, it’s delicious!" he offered an enthusiastic yet polite review.
No one knew a son better than his mother. Chen Momo instantly saw through his professional-level perfunctory response and demanded sternly, "Tell the truth!"
Left with no choice, Chen Xiaobao confessed, "Mommy, Black Duck 2.0 is... yucky."
"How is that possible?" Chen Momo asked.
She picked up a duck paw herself, popped it into her mouth, and chewed. Before she could even get through the second chew, she dashed to the trash can and spat it all out with a flurry of BLEGH BLEGH BLEGHs.
It wasn’t just "yucky"—it was absolutely foul!
And just like that, "Black Duck 2.0" was officially declared a failure!
"Xiao Bao, Mommy will keep improving the product. I’ll invite you to taste it again when version 3.0 comes out," Chen Momo said gently, wearing the smile of a loving mother.
Chen Xiaobao shivered in fear.
"Mommy, Xiao Bao is going to his room to read!" He quickly scurried away, his feet going PIT-PAT as he fled, terrified that his mother might impulsively whip up Black Duck 3.0 for him to test.
Chen Momo stood up and walked to the window. The world outside had been reduced to a canvas of pure white. The sky was still choked with dark clouds, while the ground was a vast expanse of snow. An aura of death shrouded the entire world.
The snow had already piled up to the height of a three-story building, and the temperature was still plummeting.
To prevent her son from catching a cold, Chen Momo pulled two more electric space heaters from her dimension and hooked them up to the solar panels. With the additional heating equipment, the room’s temperature finally began to recover.
Suddenly, the sound of smashing objects erupted from the apartment across the hall. Zhang Qiang was fighting with his pregnant wife, Yang Hong.
Perhaps the hallway was just too eerily quiet, but even through two thick doors, Chen Momo could faintly hear Yang Hong screaming, "Are you even human? I’m pregnant! I take a nap, and you eat everything? Do you have any conscience at all?!"
As it turned out, Zhang Qiang and Yang Hong had managed to loot quite a bit of supplies from those two households earlier today. Upon returning home, Yang Hong had taken a nap because the pregnancy left her exhausted. Little did she expect that her husband would hog all the food behind her back. Taking advantage of her slumber, he had devoured everything they had scavenged today, not leaving a single crumb for her.