Upon returning to the base, Squad Leader Li arranged for help to deliver all the duck eggs Ji Nanxi had purchased to the small courtyard where she lived.
After seeing off the assisting soldiers, Ji Nanxi didn’t even take a moment to rest.
She carried the basket of newspapers, old books, and the copy of “Complete Collection of Chinese Recipes” into the house.
After locking the courtyard gate, Ji Nanxi focused her thoughts in the backyard and summoned the pale blue interface of the Space-Time Mall System.
Without hesitation, she opened the search bar in the [Sell] section and entered: Starbeast Meat.
Immediately, a dazzling array of product listings refreshed before her eyes.
Just as she had expected, the Astral Beasts, considered garbage in the Interstellar world, were not only astonishingly cheap but also came in a wide variety.
The product images showed relatively intact Astral Beasts, at least cleaned up decently on the outside.
The types of Astral Beasts were indeed numerous, but without exception, their unit prices were absurdly low.
“1 Credit Point can be exchanged for 1 [Wind-Feather Chicken].”
“1 Credit Point can be exchanged for 1 [Ice-Feather Duck].”
“1 Credit Point can be exchanged for 1 [Iron-Beak Goose].”
“2 Credit Points can be exchanged for 1 [Iron-Clad Pig].”
“2 Credit Points can be exchanged for 1 [Rock-Shell Ox].”
“2 Credit Points can be exchanged for 1 [White Snow Sheep].”
“…”
Looking at these familiar yet unfamiliar names, a flicker of excitement flashed in Ji Nanxi’s eyes.
She quickly browsed through the options and selected [Wind-Feather Chicken], [Iron-Clad Pig], and [Rock-Shell Ox].
After adding the Starbeast Meat to her shopping cart, Ji Nanxi entered another term in the search bar: purifier.
She specifically filtered for “medical-grade” and “portable.”
Soon, a sleek, silver-gray instrument resembling a flashlight appeared in the product list.
[Name] S-7 Portable Manual Medical Purifier
[Function] Can thoroughly remove radiation residue and biological contamination
[Price] 150 Credit Points
Ouch!
The purifier was quite expensive!
But for the sake of having meat to eat in the future, Ji Nanxi didn’t even blink before making the exchange.
Her current total Credit Points were 1,088, plus the +200 points from scanning books today.
Spending 5 points on Starbeast Meat and 150 points on the purifier today was no problem at all.
Ji Nanxi curled her lips slightly. “Exchange all items in the shopping cart.”
[Exchange successful.]
[Deducted Credit Points: -155.]
[Host Credit Points: +1,133.]
[Items have been delivered to the System Space and can be retrieved by the host at any time.]
Ji Nanxi walked to a relatively open area in the backyard and, with a thought, three Astral Beasts of varying sizes, wrapped in special plastic wrap, appeared out of thin air, neatly arranged on the clean stone slabs.
There was also a silver metal case the size of an arm—this was the S-7 purifier.
Opening the case lid, she found a complex control panel and several purification lenses of different sizes.
Following the instructions, she directly selected the largest lens and attached it.
Setting it to purification mode, this function could thoroughly remove radiation residue and biological contamination.
Pressing the start button, the purifier in her hand emitted a faint hum, and a pale blue glow lit up on the lens.
Ji Nanxi enveloped the Astral Beast Wind-Feather Chicken with this glow, circling it from head to tail before the process was complete.
As the humming stopped, the glow faded.
The electronic panel of the purifier displayed: [Purification complete. Contamination index: 0. Biological activity: Excellent.]
Ji Nanxi eagerly tore open the plastic wrap of the Wind-Feather Chicken, and an indescribable, incredibly pure and rich aroma of meat wafted toward her, completely free of the usual foul, gamey odor that Astral Beasts naturally carried.
The surface of the Wind-Feather Chicken had a healthy sheen, looking tender and delicious.
She carefully touched it with her fingertip—the texture was springy and supple.
“Success!”
A delighted smile spread across Ji Nanxi’s face.
Following the same method, she proceeded to purify the Iron-Clad Pig and Rock-Shell Ox meat one by one.
After purification, the next step was processing.
The Starbeast Meat sold in the Interstellar market had its fur removed but not its internal organs; only the exterior was cleaned thoroughly.
Astral Beasts were massive, estimated to be about ten times larger than poultry back on Earth.
One Wind-Feather Chicken was equivalent to ten regular chickens.
Trying to process an entire Iron-Clad Pig or Rock-Shell Ox with an ordinary knife was impossible.
Left with no choice, Ji Nanxi spent another 10 Credit Points.
From the Dimensional Mall, she exchanged for an alloy knife equipped with Interstellar C-grade Mecha weaponry, using it to butcher the Astral Beasts.
Holding the alloy knife, slicing through the thick Iron-Clad Pig meat felt as effortless as cutting through soft mud.
Ji Nanxi worked swiftly, soon dividing the Iron-Clad Pig into several large sections: the four trotters for stewing, the four hocks for braising, part of the pork belly cut into cubes suitable for red-braising, and another part sliced thinly for stir-frying; the ribs and bones were also separated and chopped up.
The Rock-Shell Ox was processed in the same way, and then all the meat was wrapped in plastic wrap again by Ji Nanxi and stored back in the System.
Left outside were one Wind-Feather Chicken and the pork and beef offal.
Just processing these had nearly used up all the large basins and clay pots in the house.
Looking at the two basins piled high with Wind-Feather Chicken pieces in the courtyard, Ji Nanxi wiped the sweat from her forehead, her heart filled with a sense of accomplishment.
“Let’s start with the simplest—making a pot of braised meat!”
She cleaned the large iron wok, lit the fire, heated it up, and scooped in a spoonful of lard.
Once the oil was hot, she tossed in a handful of sliced ginger, garlic, and dried chili peppers to stir-fry until fragrant, then poured the entire basin of pork and beef offal into the wok.
“Sizzle—”
The moment the boiling oil met the meat, a loud sizzle erupted.
Along with it, an even more intense and domineering aroma of meat surged upward, quickly filling the entire small courtyard and even drifting beyond the walls.
Ji Nanxi stir-fried the mixture, poured in enough boiling water, added a spice packet for braising, covered the wok, and turned the heat down to a low simmer.
Over an hour later, when she lifted the lid, a rich, spicy aroma of braised meat flooded out.
Ji Nanxi picked up a small piece with her chopsticks, not minding the heat, and popped it into her mouth.
With a gentle bite, the meaty flavor exploded in her mouth—tender, juicy, fragrant, and spicy.
“So delicious…”
Ji Nanxi’s eyes lit up; the taste far exceeded her expectations!
After purification, Starbeast Meat was not only safe and harmless, but its texture and flavor were absolutely top-tier ingredients!
Iron-Clad Pig meat and Rock-Shell Ox meat could easily be processed into products that were easier to preserve and sell, such as jerky, meat paste, or canned meat—they could even be sold to Interstellar users in the Mall System!
Thinking of this, Ji Nanxi first transferred the entire pot of spicy braised meat into a large clay pot to keep warm, then started making braised chicken with potatoes.
After everything was done, Ji Nanxi stroked her chin.
The meat was cooked, and she thought it was delicious, but no one would believe her just like that.
Only after the Base cafeteria manager tasted it could it be decided whether Starbeast Meat could be purchased!
So, I still need to find a taste tester!
Ji Nanxi smiled, using a clean large sea bowl to fill two generous portions.
One bowl of braised chicken, and one bowl of spicy marinated meat.
After locking the courtyard gate, Ji Nanxi picked up the basket, carrying those two large bowls of meat, and headed toward the Base cafeteria.
She knew that at this time, Squad Leader Li would definitely be busy in the cafeteria’s kitchen.
And nothing could provide a more objective evaluation of the value of these new ingredients than an experienced mess sergeant.
Perhaps, Starbeast Meat could even open a new door to improving the entire Base’s meals from now on!