Flames licked the dry bark with a crackle.
Firelight danced on the walls, and the scent of firewood and rising heat soon chased away the chill.
Su Wei pulled up a chair and let the heat dry his slightly damp pant legs.
Su Wei caught his breath. What he really needed to fill now was his stomach.
Since morning, all he had eaten were two compressed biscuits, long since digested. Intense hunger was burning at the walls of his stomach.
His gaze fell on the kitchen counter.
The beef shoulder had distinct grain and snow-white fat.
The onion skins gleamed, and the potatoes still carried the scent of soil.
In this godforsaken place, that counted as a fine treat.
The old cleaver, polished to a shine, came down.
The feel of the blade cutting through muscle fibers was deeply satisfying.
He cut two pounds of beef into large chunks and soaked them in cold water to draw out the blood.
He set the pot on the stove and lit the fire.
Su Wei had already lit the primitive wood-burning stove, and the pot was hot.
A pat of butter slid into the bottom of the pot.
Sizzle-
The butter quickly melted, and its rich aroma burst through the cabin, filling his nostrils.
Su Wei poured the drained beef into the hot fat.
The surfaces of the chunks quickly tightened and turned a deep brown.
The sound was pleasant to hear.
The aroma of beef began to spread, and Su Wei heard his stomach growling.
A small, fluffy head peeked around the doorway.
Cotton Candy had returned without him noticing, and the green ball had been left on the doormat.
Cotton Candy crouched in the kitchen doorway, front paws together and blue eyes fixed on the pot, unable to resist licking a pink tongue around the mouth.
"Don't rush."
Su Wei turned the chunks of meat.
He took out the beef and fried the chopped onion in the fat left in the pot.
Once the onion was fragrant, he returned the beef to the pot, added chunks of potato and tomato, and finally poured in water.
There was no red wine, which was a slight disappointment.
He had forgotten to buy some.
More importantly, he was alone, and it didn't seem worth drinking.
Su Wei grabbed a handful of coarse sea salt and freshly ground some black pepper.
He covered the pot and turned down the heat.
While the meat simmered, Su Wei began putting things away.
He poured the flour into a clay jar and sealed the lid to keep out mice.
He put the oil container back in its place.
He locked the hunting rounds in the metal cabinet in the living room, leaning them against the Browning hunting rifle that hung on the wall.
The bolt gave a crisp sound as he pulled it, and the gun gleamed with oil.
With these large-caliber hunting rounds, it might be possible to drop that brown bear with one shot, as long as the distance was right.
Time passed slowly.
White steam began to escape around the lid, and the bubbling sounded especially clear on the quiet snowy night.
The rich aroma of meat filled every corner of the cabin.
For the moment, the smell made him forget his debts and troubles.
Cotton Candy had grown so impatient that the little creature pawed at Su Wei's pant leg, whimpering.
"All right."
Su Wei lifted the lid.
A wave of heat and rich fragrance rushed into his face.
The tomatoes had cooked down, turning the thick broth orange-red.
The potatoes had cooked soft, and the beef, full of broth, trembled in the pot.
He first dished out a small bowl and set it where the air could cool it.
This was for Cotton Candy, with less salt and left to cool.
The little one buried a head in the bowl and ate without looking up, a big, fluffy tail wagging furiously.
Su Wei served himself a heaping plateful.
There was no need for fancy plating. A spoon and an old sofa were enough.
He sat in front of the fireplace, firelight shining on his face.
He put the first bite in his mouth.
Piping hot.
The beef was perfectly stewed, tender but still pleasantly chewy. The sweet-tart tomatoes cut through the richness, and the heat of black pepper burst on his tongue.
Su Wei let out a long breath. A current of warmth flowed down his throat into his stomach, soothing his whole body.
This wasn't merely survival. This was life.
Outside, the wind howled through the treetops.
Inside, the fire burned brightly, and the aroma of meat filled the air.
The contrast made this inexpensive dinner feel luxurious.
He wiped the last of the sauce from the plate with the final piece of bread.
Su Wei put down his spoon and leaned back, sinking slightly into the cushion.
[Ding! Consumed a high-quality homemade dinner. Life Module experience +25] [Mental state restored: excellent] [Life Module lv1 (25/100): Life is the first step in life]
The system knew what was what.
Su Wei looked down. Cotton Candy had finished eating and was sprawled on the rug, snow-white belly exposed, looking like a stuffed glutinous rice dumpling.
Noticing his gaze, Cotton Candy lazily lifted a paw and waved it in greeting.
Su Wei reached down and rubbed the warm, soft belly. It felt wonderful.
After washing up, Su Wei returned to the sofa to rest.
He lay comfortably in the middle of the sofa and took out his phone to check the latest weather forecast.
But he discovered that his phone had no internet!
Only then did Su Wei remember that this wasn't Huaxia, where there might be internet even deep in the mountains.
This was a remote part of Kodiak Island, Alaska, in America.
Even Kodiak Town, the nearest town, was nearly an hour away.
Having no internet seemed only natural.
"When I have money, I have to get a dedicated internet line! Otherwise, staying out here in the wilderness will be really boring."
Su Wei turned off his phone, unable to help muttering to himself.
As if understanding his complaint, Cotton Candy moved that fluffy little body close to Su Wei's feet, tilted a head and whimpered, as if asking why he was still bored when he had Cotton Candy.
The adorable sight made Su Wei laugh, and he affectionately rubbed Cotton Candy's head.
He remembered there seemed to be a radio in the house, one his father had often used when he was alive.
He found the old radio in the storeroom and pulled out its antenna.
Out in this wilderness with no internet, it was probably the only way to get information.
Bzzzt-
After the static, a male announcer's hoarse voice came through.
"...The latest from the weather bureau: a strong mass of cold air is moving east..."
Su Wei held Cotton Candy and listened carefully.