"One coconut crab, two coconuts, two pots, a bowl and chopsticks for each person, plus three jin of rice and a cleaver. What do you think, Director Chen?"
Chen Liqing smiled bitterly. "Mr. Gu, that's not a discount, that's daylight robbery."
Gu Wancheng said calmly, "I think my coconut crab is worth it."
Chen Liqing thought for a moment. "No."
[I knew Director Chen wasn't that kind of person.]
[Does Gu Wancheng think everyone will give in to his threats?]
The very next second, "Add another two jin of shepherd's purse."
The haters who had just been slapped in the face stared at Chen Liqing in shock. Their faith had been misplaced after all.
[Chen Liqing, truly 'unyielding in the face of power.']
[How dare you! Director Chen just knows that a wise man adapts to circumstances.]
[Why put it so delicately?]
[Director Chen just chickened out.]
"Go get it yourself. I won't deliver it. Oh, and remember to send over a lighter and tools for eating crab."
Chen Liqing looked at Chaochao, who was puffed up like a pufferfish, then glanced at Gu Wancheng.
The latter gave him a puzzled look, then understood.
He pinched Chaochao's cheek, manually deflating him. "Chaochao, it's all right now. Go play."
Chaochao asked in his babyish voice, "Is it really all right now?"
"It really is."
Chaochao patted his chest and looked at him as though he were a child. "Then tell me next time someone bullies you. As long as I'm here, I definitely won't let anyone bully you."
[Turning the natural order upside down, huh? Which one of you is the dad and which one's the son?]
[Okay, okay, next time three-year-old Chengcheng gets bullied, make sure you tell Big Brother Chaochao.]
Gu Wancheng looked at the little cub defending him, his face full of pride. That was his cub, all right.
Jian Yue gave Gu Wancheng a thumbs-up. "That's you, all right."
Gu Wancheng accepted the compliment without a trace of modesty, completely forgetting the greatest contributor: the cub's dear old father.
Jian Yue frowned, feeling they had missed something. Suddenly, he slammed his right fist into his left palm. "Right, did we gather firewood?"
Ah! Huh?
They stared at one another, seeing the same confusion in each other's eyes.
Gu Wancheng slapped his forehead. "Let's go gather some now, then cook when we get back."
With the sun about to set, they moved quickly. Any slower and it would be dark.
Chen Liqing had the staff deliver everything they wanted and leave it on the table where they had eaten lunch, which had not been taken away.
After Gu Wancheng and the others returned with the firewood, they built a simple stove out of stones.
Jian Yue asked, "Who knows how to start a fire?"
Chu Yi'an said, "I do."
Jian Yue let out a long breath of relief and hurriedly shoved the lighter into his arms. "It's all yours, hero."
Chu Yi'an: "..." You really don't have to call me that.
With someone handling the fire, Gu Wancheng and the other four divided up the washing of bowls, vegetables, and rice.
The moon snails had sand inside them, so they needed time to purge it. They would eat them tomorrow.
As the eldest in the group, Zhao Chengyu volunteered to prepare the octopus.
Faced with the writhing octopus, he had no idea where to start and fumbled helplessly. Finally, he brought the cleaver down and chopped its head straight off.
Several tentacles were still wriggling. Zhao Chengyu pushed them aside with the cleaver and sliced open the head. A large mass of black ink spilled out. He paused at the sight, then rinsed it in the water with an expressionless face.
[Why can its tentacles still move after its head's been chopped off?]
[Let me explain. Because... therefore... it moves.]
[? Are you sure you actually said anything?]
[You don't understand. This is the emperor's new text.]
[Wait, what's that supposed to mean? A personal attack?]
[No, no, no, you've misunderstood.]
[Heh.]
[They're not attacking you. They're clearly attacking everyone here.]
[??]
[Confused kitten.jpg]
[You're taking on an entire army solo?]
[Impressive.]
By the time he finally finished cutting up the octopus, the vegetables had been washed too.
Gu Wancheng took out the seasonings they had found that day. Jian Yue looked them over. "Did Director Chen give you these?" His tone was full of suspicion toward Chen Liqing.
Chaochao immediately announced loudly, "I found them."
Tongtong said, "Wow, Chaochao, you're amazing."
Zuozuo asked, "Where did you find them?"
Mi Tu said, "Well done, Chaochao."
Xiaoxiao nodded silently, also thinking he was impressive for finding a box on the very first day.
Praised by his little friends, Chaochao grew even happier, his head practically raised to the sky. "Oh, it was nothing. I spotted it right away."
Jian Yue looked at the proud Chaochao and pinched his cheek. "Wow, Chaochao's so amazing, finding the first box."
Chaochao covered the cheek he had pinched and said loudly, "You can't pinch my face!"
Jian Yue raised an eyebrow. "But Gu Wancheng can?"
Chaochao immediately said, "Daddy can. Don't you have your own son? How can you pinch someone else's son?"
The corner of Jian Yue's mouth twitched. Sorry, but he really didn't have a son of his own.
From beside them, Zuozuo piped up quietly, "My brother doesn't have a wife. He only has a little brother."
Chaochao froze, then gave Jian Yue a sympathetic look. So he didn't have a wife.
[That's right, Brother Jian's a single dog.]
[Without a wife, Brother Jian can only play with other people's kids.]
[See? A single dog with no wife.]
Jian "single since birth" Yue, pitied by a four-year-old for not having a wife: ...
Long live being single, okay? I can do whatever I want.
Gu Wancheng coughed lightly to hide the upward curve of his lips. "Chaochao found it today, hanging from a branch. There's a pretty comprehensive selection of seasonings inside."
There were no other ingredients to go with it, so they finally agreed to stir-fry the octopus with the shepherd's purse.
Something occurred to Gu Wancheng. "How long does rice take to cook over a fire?"
Jian Yue rubbed his chin and looked at Chu Yi'an. "Hero, what are your thoughts?"
Chu Yi'an felt exhausted. "Could you stop calling me that..." His toes were practically digging out an entire fairy castle from embarrassment.
Jian Yue said, "Sure, hero. So what are your thoughts?"
Chu Yi'an: My silence is deafening...
Helplessly, he explained, "About thirty minutes, I think. Bring the water and rice to a boil, then scoop out the rice along with the cooking liquid and drain it. Put the drained rice into a big iron pot, poke some steam holes with chopsticks, and let it finish cooking slowly over low heat."
Xu Xiashi had only ever cooked rice in a rice cooker and had never used firewood. Puzzled by the process, she asked sincerely, "Why do you have to scoop it out and drain it?"
"The rice will turn mushy in the pot. The bottom can easily form a crust while the inside still isn't cooked."
[Brother Chu knows so much.]
[So that's how it works? Shocked kitten.jpg]
[No wonder I cooked mine for so long before, and it ended up burnt but still undercooked. Cat sobbing.jpg]
"So that's how it works. I've learned something." Xu Xiashi nodded.
Jiang Yu smiled and offered praise. "Yi'an, you're only nineteen. I didn't expect you to know so much."
Inside, he thought nothing of it and was utterly disdainful. Who wants to know how to cook rice over firewood? What a country bumpkin.
Gu Wancheng yawned and rubbed his eyes, feeling a little sleepy again.
He lowered his head and met Chaochao's disapproving gaze.
Gu Wancheng: ?? Meow, meow, meow?
Chaochao sighed and patted Gu Wancheng's leg, a hint of earnest admonishment in his babyish voice. "You can't rub your eyes with dirty hands. Little bugs will get in."
Gu Wancheng, who had just finished washing vegetables: "...Okay."
[For a moment, I couldn't tell which one was the son.]
[Chengcheng's getting lectured by Chaochao again, hahahaha.]
[LOL, first time I've seen a son lecturing his dad.]
[Chengcheng looked so well-behaved saying 'okay.' Running out of oxygen.jpg]
Chaochao scrunched up his little face, sighing and shaking his head. Daddy really makes people worry. I'll be sure to keep a close eye on him.