9. Dried Exotic Beast Meat

Early in the morning, after returning from the fresh food market, Nan Tu brought back several large grass carp along with a bag of fresh river shrimp.

Xin Huan helped carry the items inside. Seeing the grass carp still flopping about, she curiously poked one of them. The fish tail gave a powerful flick, splashing a handful of water onto Xin Huan’s face. Far from being annoyed, Xin Huan found it amusing.

"It’s been so many years since I’ve seen such large, live fish."

Nan Tu was also curious about Xin Huan’s living environment. "What kind of meat do you usually eat where you come from?"

"The cheapest and most common is exotic beast meat," Xin Huan explained in detail. "We only get exotic beast meat when mercenaries hunt them down. In the city, we aren't allowed to raise exotic beasts; even the least aggressive breeds are strictly prohibited for fear of triggering a beast tide."

"When mercenaries venture into the Anjin Desert, they hope most for a bounty of crystals, which are high in value and easy to carry. But it doesn't always go as planned. If they don't have enough of a haul, they bring back the carcasses of non-toxic exotic beasts, which counts as income. During the annual breeding season, exotic beast meat is at its cheapest. An older sister in my squad once told me to stock up during that time, since jerky lasts for a long time anyway."

As a cook, Nan Tu was naturally very interested in unknown ingredients.

"What does exotic beast meat taste like?" Nan Tu pressed down on the struggling fish head and knocked it unconscious with the back of a knife.

Xin Huan watched from the side, thinking that killing fish should be her responsibility. It was a pity she had rarely even seen fish, let alone learned how to slaughter them. She resolved that once she learned, she wouldn't let Nan Tu worry about such chores anymore.

Hearing Nan Tu’s question, she looked troubled. "Different species have different tastes, but they are all unpleasant in their own way. Some are coarse and tough, some are sour, others are fishy or foul-smelling, or they taste like nothing at all—just like wood..."

Xin Huan held up two fingers. "Every type of meat has at least two of those characteristics."

Nan Tu looked at her with sympathy. "Forget about that jerky. We’re having three-delicacy wontons for lunch."

"Yay! I love wontons!" After cheering, Xin Huan asked softly, "What are the three delicacies?"

"Then what were you cheering for?" Nan Tu said with a helpless smile. "The three delicacies are pork, river shrimp, and fish."

"I love them! Sister Nan Tu, I love everything you make!"

Although three-delicacy wontons were delicious, they were tedious to prepare. Not only did the grass carp need to be deboned to extract the pure meat, but the river shrimp had to be peeled one by one. The river shrimp were so small that the peeled meat was only the size of a fingernail. If it weren't for Xin Huan, Nan Tu would have spent the entire day focused solely on the wonton filling, unable to do anything else.

Once all the ingredients were ready, Nan Tu minced the cleaned, fresh pork leg and grass carp meat into fine grains, added the river shrimp and seasonings, and mixed them thoroughly into a filling.

"Place the wrapper diagonally on your palm... scoop in some filling." Nan Tu carefully taught Xin Huan how to fold the wontons.

Xin Huan watched Nan Tu’s movements intently, waiting until she was sure she understood before proceeding with her own. She folded one corner of the wrapper over the filling, creating a triangular shape. What was the next step?

Nan Tu’s movements were fluid and graceful, her fair fingers dancing like a butterfly among flowers. It wasn't until she slowed down that Xin Huan saw how she tucked the two ends of the folded edge together. With that final step, the ingot-shaped wonton was complete.

"I finished one!" Xin Huan beamed with a wide smile.

Nan Tu praised her, "You folded that very well!"

Although the restaurant wasn't open for business yet, it was the perfect time to prep. If they could wrap all the filling, it would be best if it all sold out; if not, it could be frozen for staff meals. When Nan Tu and Xin Huan were too busy to cook for themselves, they could just boil a few wontons—it was very convenient.

However, that plan was interrupted.

Just as the wontons were arranged neatly on the counter, Nan Tu heard the crisp chime of a wind bell.

A returning customer from the apocalypse plane had arrived.

Ji Xiangming strode in clutching a machine gun, thrusting it forward. "Give us enough food and water for everyone, and this gun is yours!"

What would she do with a machine gun?! Nan Tu paused, her hand still holding a wonton wrapper, and said speechlessly, "Mister, where is your gold?"

Ji Xiangming’s face flushed slightly. Gold? That was, of course, traded for the gun. He had lost his weapon in the Anjin Desert last time and had traded gold bars for a new one as soon as he returned. During his time as a mercenary, Ji Xiangming had deeply realized the meaning of give and take; as long as he was alive, there was nothing he couldn't part with.

"No gold? Crystals will work just as well to pay for the meal." Nan Tu wiped her hands and patted the shoulder of Xin Huan, who had lunged in front of her in a defensive stance the moment Ji Xiangming appeared.

"Don't worry, it's a customer."

Only then did Xin Huan let her guard down and step aside, though she still watched Ji Xiangming warily.

"If you need crystals, I have them!" another voice came from the doorway.

It seemed there were quite a few customers this time. Nan Tu’s mood brightened instantly, leaving Ji Xiangming’s reckless behavior behind.

"What would you like to have? Today’s special is three-delicacy wontons," Nan Tu said, glancing at the system’s recommended price. "One bowl for just one Tier 2 crystal."

She took in the expressions of everyone present, not missing Xin Huan’s reaction either.

A Tier 2 crystal was equivalent to one hundred yuan here, but what was its value in the apocalypse plane? Would anyone think it was expensive?

Xie Wei’s expression remained calm; in fact, she found the price surprisingly low. In their situation, the price they paid wasn't just for food—it was the price of their lives.

Wontons were perfect—soup and filling meant they could get full and replenish their hydration at the same time. She produced two Tier 3 crystals. "There are seven of us. Let’s start with seven bowls of three-delicacy wontons."

"Sorry, this shop doesn't give change," Nan Tu said.

Finally, she had heard a somewhat unreasonable request. Xie Wei actually felt relieved. If they had been greeted with overwhelming enthusiasm the moment they entered this miraculous restaurant, anyone would have sounded the alarm bells, suspecting it was a trap. The other party’s curt attitude actually made her feel more at ease.

"Then make it ten bowls," Ji Xiangming said. He had experienced this rule before; they were hungry mercenaries, so surely seven people could easily finish ten bowls.

Nan Tu turned to boil the wontons.

Xin Huan was a bit excited. This was her first time serving customers from her own plane. She wanted everyone to know how outstanding the Nanlai Restaurant was and how extraordinary the boss’s skills were.

"Aren't the others coming in?" she asked, looking toward the door. It was clearly a seven-person mercenary squad, so why had only two entered?

Naturally, it was because they were afraid of being wiped out if they encountered a trap. Xie Wei’s expression didn't change as she explained, "Some of our teammates are injured and covered in the scent of blood; we were afraid of disturbing the shopkeeper."

Xin Huan felt that Xie Wei was very considerate of the restaurant, and she couldn't help but feel a bit closer to her. "You are very thoughtful."

She looked at Ji Xiangming with a hint of reproach. "Mister, it’s a good thing there aren't any other customers right now, otherwise you might have scared them off by walking in with a gun like that!"

Xin Huan muttered, "I really should remind Sister Nan Tu to set some rules..."

Xie Wei probed, "Does this place serve other customers, too?"

"Of course! We serve anyone who walks through that door. We have customers like you from Tianling City, and others from different places. As long as you can pay, you are our customer."

She gave a subtle hint: "Although the boss has a very gentle personality, if anyone disrupts the restaurant’s business, the boss will lose her temper."

Xie Wei and Ji Xiangming exchanged glances. Judging by what the clerk said, it sounded as if this restaurant in the middle of the desert had many customers. And would customers really be scared by a gun? Even three-year-olds in Tianling City weren't afraid of guns.

Her eyes paused as she suddenly realized a truth: if the boss had the ability to make a restaurant appear out of thin air in the Anjin Desert, then having it appear elsewhere wasn't so inconceivable, was it?

She and Ji Xiangming stared intently at the front door, which hadn't been rolled up yet. Their experience as mercenaries made them constantly aware of their surroundings, and their hearing was sharp. Outside the door, there were shuffling footsteps, occasional whispers and laughter, the low rumble of vehicles, and even the faint sound of street vendors calling out their wares.

What kind of place was behind this door?

It definitely wasn't the Anjin Desert!

Both of them stiffened, feeling as if they were sitting on pins and needles. Their subconscious told them that playing deaf and dumb, and not digging for the truth, was the best choice.

Their thoughts were interrupted by a faint, fresh aroma that tantalized their appetites.

Round, plump wontons rolled gently in the pot. The hazy steam was like a mysterious veil, and the wontons were like small boats navigating through waves and mist. Finally, their journey reached its end as Nan Tu scooped them out and into bowls.

The clear chicken broth in another pot had come to a boil. Nan Tu ladled a spoonful over each bowl, the soup cascading down to open up the egg ribbons, seaweed, and chopped cilantro already placed in the bowls, releasing an even more complex, savory fragrance.

Xie Wei couldn't help but stand up and head straight for the serving counter. "I’ll take these to everyone."

Ji Xiangming quickly stood up to help.

Outside in the Anjin Desert, the other teammates were huddled in the shade of the restaurant, eyes fixed unblinkingly on the door nearby.

Why haven't Old Ji and Xie Wei come out yet? Should they go in and check?

Under their anxious gazes, the door finally opened. Xie Wei and Ji Xiangming rushed out, each carrying a bowl, and thrust them into their teammates' hands. "Quick, take them!"

Pan Yang took the bowls with nimble hands, looking alert. "Which way should we run?"

Xie Wei paused. "Why would we run?"

Pan Yang was confused. "With the two of you rushing out like that, isn't there some kind of danger...?"

"..." Xie Wei replied, "I was rushing because the bowls are very hot."

She added, "Don't just stand there, go inside and carry the rest of the wontons."

Pan Yang went in, dazed, helped distribute the wontons to his teammates, and then sat down at the table in Nanlai Restaurant, still feeling quite bewildered.

"Is it really safe to eat this?" he asked, licking his dry lips.

The only answer he received was the sound of Xie Wei and Ji Xiangming devouring their three-delicacy wontons.