CH 60

Once outside the RV, Nan Fang subconsciously surveyed the camping site. The town wasn’t large, and you could almost see the edge of the town directly from this side. The location was decent, situated on an open plain. Of course, now it was covered in snow.

The bustling crowd was weaving through the campsite. Since they had just set up camp, everyone appeared quite busy. Kindling the campfire was the top priority. Fortunately, the group of mutated wild boars encountered earlier today only numbered around seven or eight. If they had come across a large herd, the losses would have been devastating.

The daytime ambush had sounded an alarm for everyone. The lengthy and uneventful migration wasn’t always tranquil. As winter continued to advance, attacks like the one today would only become more severe. What was rather frustrating was that while humans were viewed as food by mutated flora and fauna, humans couldn’t consume these mutated creatures in return.

Until today, or rather, before today’s braised meat, Nan Fang had held this belief. Walking through the lively town, Nan Fang unconsciously stood taller and lifted his head. It seemed that he had become entirely different due to those two pieces of braised meat.

After a moment, Nan Fang realized his somewhat pretentious gesture and promptly lowered his head, quickly heading toward Nan Ge.

Nan Ge cast a curious glance at his younger brother, only to see Nan Fang approaching with an air of secrecy, as if he had something to share confidentially. Nan Ge spoke up before Nan Fang could say anything. “It seems like Shui Shui’s purification method worked. The meat of mutated creatures is now edible.”

“How did you know?” Nan Fang asked in surprise.

Nan Ge gestured toward Nan Fang’s mouth. “Next time, clean your mouth before whispering secrets. You still smell of meat. Do you think everyone has poor eyesight or a poor sense of smell?”

Clearly accustomed to his slightly foolish younger brother, Nan Ge had adapted well through a multitude of instances. Under the hypnotic spell of “this is your own flesh and blood, you can’t beat them to death,” he managed to cope.

“No wonder people have been looking at me along the way. I thought the effects had shown so quickly,” Nan Fang said while accepting the tissue Nan Ge handed him and wiping the oil off his mouth.

Nan Ge’s eyes slightly brightened as he captured a keyword. “What effects are you talking about?”

Nan Fang instantly wore a smug expression. “Brother, go on, guess! You definitely won’t be able to guess!”

Nan Ge sighed inwardly again, repeating the mantra: “He’s my brother, there’s a blood relationship, we’ve even done a DNA test…”

“Brother, you won’t be able to guess it.” Nan Fang proudly leaned in, whispering near Nan Ge’s ear, revealing that eating purified meat from mutated creatures could enhance one’s strength.

Nan Fang couldn’t articulate the bunch of words that Shu Shuishui had said, but he was certain it was about enhancing oneself.

After Nan Fang provided a simple, perhaps overly simple explanation, Nan Ge quickly grasped the significance of the matter. Without further delay, he immediately headed toward Shu Shuishui’s vehicle.

Upon opening the door, a tantalizing aroma of meat immediately wafted out. Nan Ge and Nan Fang stepped into the RV and promptly shut the door. People who hadn’t encountered the smell of meat for so long would probably go crazy smelling it, but the two of them were thankful for the RV’s good airtightness.

Nan Ge was certain that the aroma of this braised meat was the most tantalizing he had ever smelled, and it wasn’t just because he hadn’t eaten meat in a while. It was genuinely a masterpiece made by Shu Shuishui.

At the simple dining table, Xie Feng and Yu Jin had clearly finished their portions and were gazing expectantly at the bustling little dormouse by the stove.

Shu Shuishui was indeed standing at the stove, wearing an apron wrapped around him! He had a chef’s hat on his head and setting aside anything else, this attire was undoubtedly formal, exuding a sense of culinary ceremony.

On the stove in front of the little dormouse were two electromagnetic heaters, where pots had been replaced with small canned containers. Shu Shuishui was using a spatula to pick the meat out piece by piece.

Upon hearing the sound of the door opening, Shu Shuishui turned to glance at Nan Ge. “Xiao Ge Ge arrived just in time, otherwise those two might have not been able to hold back.”

Nan Ge was caught off guard by the term “Xiao Ge Ge” but eventually realized that once he became familiar with Shu Shuishui, Shu Shuishui’s young age automatically triggered him to adopt an elder or big brother role, taking care of others and addressing them in increasingly strange ways. First, it was Gu Gu, then Mao Jin, followed by Fang Fang. Now, it was finally his turn.

Nan Ge wasn’t sure whether to be happy or helpless. “How should Shui Shui address Nan Fang? Little Fang Fang?” She was curious, and compared to that, “Little Ge Ge” didn’t sound so bad.

Nan Fang no longer had the energy to mess with his big brother and quickly rushed back to his seat, slamming the table in frustration. “Why is there one piece missing? Who ate it?”

Yu Jin and Xie Feng both shook their heads.

“Shaking your heads won’t help. Besides you two, there’s no one else!” Nan Fang recounted the braised meat once again, and indeed there were five pieces. He himself had eaten only two pieces, eight pieces per person…

“It’s alright, don’t argue. I’ll give you a piece later.” Shu Shuishui’s tone sounded like taking care of children was so difficult.

Everyone else: “…”

Nan Fang cleared his throat. “Never mind, Shui Shui, you don’t need to give me one. If there isn’t enough for you, I’ll give you one.”

Xie Feng and Yu Jin immediately shared a look. So cunning! Shu Shuishui would surely look after Nan Fang even more now.

“Little Fang Fang, if you don’t eat soon, it will get cold. If you can’t finish, I’ll help you!” Yu Jin promptly interrupted Nan Fang’s buttocks-patting behavior.

Nan Fang cupped his hands around his bowl. “Why are you calling me Little Fang Fang? Don’t gross me out!”

Yu Jin shrugged it off. “Ask Shui Shui. He definitely called you Little Fang Fang.”

Shu Shuishui had already scooped out the braised meat stewed in the last two cans, turned off the heaters, and taken off his chef’s hat. While placing the food on the table, he answered. “No, it’s just Little Fang. Not Little Fang Fang.”

Nan Ge moved forward to take the bowls, intending to help Shu Shuishui transfer the food to the table. However, he managed to grab the bowls but not the mouse, which had already been swiftly picked up by Gu Langu. “Why not Little Fang Fang?”

Shu Shuishui cleared his throat and then solemnly began, “Because we have a song back home, it goes like this～～There’s a beautiful little girl～～and her name is Xiao Fang～～ Huh? It doesn’t quite fit, but it’s probably something like that.”

Everyone: “…”

Thanks to Shu Shuishui’s song, they woke up from their daydreams of braised meat quite a bit.

Nan Fang: “…”

Might as well be called Xiao Fang Fang. Fortunately, the Cang Hai Galaxy doesn’t have this song!

Nan Ge, holding a bowl, glanced at the stove. There were seven or eight identical canned containers on top of it. The cans were small, perhaps to facilitate Shu Shuishui’s cooking, measuring only seven to eight centimeters in height. With such small containers, each holding about four to five pieces of braised meat, one could imagine Shu Shuishui busily cooking.

Amid the expectant looks of the group, Nan Ge took a piece of braised meat and, after finishing it, realized that everyone was still watching him.

Even Shu Shuishui, who had put on a little bib and was holding a knife and fork, meticulously cutting the well-cooked meat into smaller pieces, was watching him.

“Brother, how does it taste?”

Nan Ge pondered for a moment. “Perfectly cooked, melting in the mouth, the meat’s texture is just right, tender and flavorful without being greasy, leaving a lingering aftertaste.”

Everyone “…”

Nan Fang was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter. “Brother, you can be slow sometimes too!”

Shu Shuishui wiped his mouth and beard with the bib, then explained his discoveries and assumptions once again. His elegant dining posture made the others feel as if they were sitting across from an aristocratic mouse.

After hearing Shu Shuishui’s explanation, Nan Ge fell into deep thought for a while. The remaining pieces of meat were savored more intensely, but unfortunately, as Nan Fang had said, there were times when he could be slow as well. Shu Shuishui’s words might have been too abstract, and being someone who always adhered to a scientific worldview, Nan Ge found it difficult to comprehend at the moment.

So in the end, only Gu Langu and Xie Feng reaped the benefits from this braised meat feast.

Shu Shuishui reassured the others once again. Sensing spiritual energy wasn’t something that happened overnight, and even if they couldn’t sense it, spiritual energy would still transform their bodies. It just meant that the effects might be slightly inferior.

After being comforted, everyone finally relaxed. Nan Ge asked about some aspects he didn’t understand, while Yu Jin eagerly inquired about the next time they would have meat.

Shu Shuishui regretfully informed Yu Jin that he couldn’t supply enough because he ate so much, but he could offer purified pork instead.

Though Yu Jin missed Shu Shuishui’s braised meat, he understood that cooking a meal was also quite a task for a little mouse.

Because matters related to cultivation were too complex and hard to comprehend, the group decided not to disclose this information for the time being. They would only announce that mutated animals and plants could be purified for consumption. As for the exchange terms, Nan Ge mentioned that he would set a reasonable price. Regarding the two wild boars they collectively hunted, those would be divided among the three bases. Shu Shuishui could keep a portion of the pork as his reward.

Shu Shuishui generously agreed. After all, he didn’t exert himself much when hunting the boars, and the purification array didn’t consume much spiritual energy. He could continue using the residual spiritual energy left from purifying energy stones as before.

As for how many people can sense spiritual energy after eating the wild boar meat, it depends solely on individual luck. When the time is right, at least after reaching their destination, they will consider making the information public.

However, even the simple purification of mutated animals and plants created a huge sensation in the camp. Food and meat naturally aroused appetites, and no one could resist.

The Gu Langu Base was once again in a frenzy, and the news quickly spread to the other two bases.

This time, Hu Sichen arrived ahead of Fei Luo, pleasantly securing the portion for his own base. Learning that it was once again Shu Shuishui’s contribution, Hu Sichen was so excited that he almost knelt to him in gratitude. He even invited Shu Shuishui to stay at his base without showing any shyness, but was promptly kicked out along with the others by Gu Langu.

Fei Luo followed closely behind, arriving alone once more. With the foundation from the previous micro-farm, both sides conducted their trade happily.

With the availability of meat, the upcoming migration journey became even livelier. People from all bases in the convoy were spirited and on high alert. If they encountered a surprise attack by mutated creatures, there was practically no one retreating. Everyone rushed forward in a competitive frenzy, fearing that their share of the meat would be snatched away.

The atmosphere within the convoy suddenly transformed. From avoiding encounters to actively seeking them, whenever the weather allowed, members of the bases would spontaneously form hunting teams to venture out in search of mutated animals and plants.

This eerie phenomenon and behavior occasionally caused silence wherever the convoy passed through. Mutated creatures weren’t always in a frenzy. They understood how to seek advantages and avoid threats. This convoy was not to be trifled with; naturally, they would hide and seek out other humans.

At times like this, Shu Shuishui would always marvel at the power of food lovers. Food lovers, fearless in the face of anything, no matter the threat. As long as there’s something to eat, and if it happens to taste good, then it’s not a threat—it’s sustenance.

The little dormouse took off the apron and chef’s hat, then tilted his small body to look at Gu Langu on the other side. “Gu Gu, it’s time for dinner. Today, it’s braised spare ribs. One piece is enough for me, and the remaining six pieces are all yours.”

Once again, the evening had arrived, and the convoy was setting up camp. Shu Shuishui was served by Gu Langu with both the dormouse and the food on the table. The little dormouse struck the posture for eating steak, holding the knife and fork, about to start eating. Suddenly, he heard a commotion outside the vehicle. Gu Langu went out to check and found that they had encountered another convoy on the move.