The screen lit up, and a bank text message popped up.
[Your account has received a transfer of 730.00 USD. Note: Emily.]
The phone rang again.
Su Wei answered the call, pressed the speakerphone button, and casually tossed the phone onto the sofa armrest.
"Received it?" Emily's voice was no longer tense, and sounded much more relaxed.
"Arrive."
Su Wei slumped back into the sofa.
The Cotton Candy in his arms was woken up, let out a dissatisfied hum, snuggled into his arms, and found a more comfortable position to continue sleeping.
After the business was finished, the air was quiet for a moment.
Only the wind and snow outside the window continued to howl, occasionally sweeping across the rooftops with strange, whimpering sounds.
"What are you doing?" Emily started a conversation. "It sounds quiet over there."
"I just finished eating."
Su Wei glanced at the coffee table.
The plate was empty, with only a little brownish-red soup remaining, glistening under the light.
"Eating so late?"
"Well, processing that shipment took a bit of time." Su Wei didn't want to go into details and changed the subject. "I made some braised beef brisket with potatoes, and we just finished eating."
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the line.
Then, a very unpleasant swallowing sound came through clearly along with the electric current.
"Potatoes... stewed with beef brisket?"
Emily's voice sounded a little unsteady.
now.
In an old apartment building in Kodiak Town.
Emily leaned against the headboard, her left leg, in a cast, propped up high on the pillow.
On the bedside table was her dinner: two slices of dry whole-wheat toast, a glass of cold milk, and a box of vegetable salad from the convenience store, the leaves of which were somewhat wilted.
On a cold, chilly winter night, this so-called "healthy meal" is pure torture.
"Yes."
Su Wei seemed oblivious, his tone calm, yet incredibly powerful.
"The beef brisket I chose had tendons and membranes, and it was stewed until very tender; it melted in my mouth with just a touch of my tongue."
"The meat juices coated the rice, and every grain of rice was soaked with the rich aroma of oil."
"The potatoes were delicious too, yellow-fleshed, stewed until soft and fluffy, mixed with meat broth and rice... It's a pity there was no cilantro, otherwise I could have had another bowl."
(Braised beef brisket with potatoes)
Gulp
This time, the swallowing sound was even louder.
Emily looked at the whole wheat bread in her hand and felt like she was chewing sawdust.
" Su Wei, you are too cruel!"
Emily protested, her voice filled with barely concealed sadness.
"Do you know what I'm eating? Dry bread and cold milk! I haven't had a decent hot meal since my parents moved to Anchorage."
Her mind was filled with the pan-fried venison steak she had eaten at the camp during the day.
The sensation of scalding hot oil bursting in your mouth.
At the time, I was only concerned with filling my stomach, but looking back now, it was simply a delicacy.
"Come to the cabin when your leg is healed."
Su Wei reached for the plate, "Enough is enough."
"Really?! I've written that down!" Emily's voice rose instantly, as if she had grasped at a lifeline. "I want to eat... Huaxia food! Anything, fried, stir-fried, or boiled, as long as the meat is hot!"
"No problem."
Su Wei walked into the kitchen, and the water flowed over the porcelain plate, washing away the grease.
He glanced at the pitch-black night outside the window.
Tomorrow I need to go to the Fish and Game Department to inquire about brown bear permits, and I also need to purchase living supplies.
It's on my way.
Actually, you don't need to wait for your leg to heal.
Su Wei turned off the tap, shook the water droplets off his hands, and said, "I have errands to run in town tomorrow."
"Um?"
I'll come over at your place at noon to buy some groceries and borrow your kitchen to cook a meal.
The person on the other end of the phone was stunned.
A full five seconds passed.
A delighted scream came from the other end of the phone.
"Really?! My God, Su Wei, you're practically a savior sent by God!"
"My kitchen hasn't been used in a long time, but all the pots and pans are still there... I want to eat meat! Lots and lots of meat!"
That heartfelt joy spread throughout the cabin via the phone call.
A slight smile appeared on Su Wei's lips.
Surviving alone in this cold world, the feeling of being needed and expected is not bad.
"Okay, it's settled then."
Su Wei walked out of the kitchen and sat back down in front of the fireplace.
The fire in the stove was blazing, warming everyone cozy.
The satisfaction from that big plate of carbohydrates is quickly turning into sleepiness.
"Oh, right," Su Wei remembered the big thing outside the garage, "Your snowmobile was too heavy, I didn't unload it. What are we going to do with it tomorrow?"
"That one."
Emily clearly didn't care as much about the machinery as she did about the braised pork. "I'll call Jamie tomorrow and have him tow it away from your place. He's a mechanic at the repair shop; he used to do my maintenance."
"Okay, I'll give him the key tomorrow."
"Um... Su Wei, thank you for bringing the car back." Emily's voice softened. "It was a birthday present my dad left me. I would have been very sad if it had been lost in the mountains."
"Just something I did."
Su Wei picked up the fire hook and poked at the firewood in the fireplace.
Sparks crackled and popped, and a cluster of flames shot up.
Neither of them hung up the phone.
The conversation started with changes in the town, then moved on to the destroyed research equipment, and finally to the debts of the Su Wei.
Although she didn't go into details about Su Wei's hunting process, Emily tacitly refrained from asking further questions, instead offering nagging reminders like an old housekeeper to be careful.
Time flies.
It was a wonderful experience.
Since transmigrating, Su Wei has been constantly battling the cold, hunger, debt, and wild beasts, his nerves always on edge.
Now, hearing the girl's voice on the other end of the phone, I slowly relaxed.
This made him feel like he had returned to human society.
Humans are ultimately social animals.
After some time, the back of the phone became slightly warm.
Su Wei glanced at the wall clock.
It's almost eleven o'clock.
"Get some rest, the wounded need sleep." Su Wei interrupted Emily's reminiscence about raiding bird nests as a child.
"Ah... it's so late."
Emily snapped out of her daze, her voice tinged with a hint of lingering boredom, "See you tomorrow, Su Wei. Remember my braised pork... or stewed beef!"
I can't forget it.
beep.
The call has ended.