It was already the fourth year after the apocalypse, and food was scarce across the frozen world. Even the high-ranking officials and regular workers who had managed to live decently didn't dare flaunt their rations anymore. Chickens and ducks were all hidden away in secret basements or guarded coops. The leader of this mission team, Jun Bao, had brought along Hong Bin and Lǚ Liu, and no one really knew what kind of people they were beneath their polished exteriors. Naturally, Jing Shu had to stay cautious.
But it was already mealtime, and still, no one made a move toward the small kitchenette area. Hao Yunlai and Yang Yang were both quiet as mice, perhaps waiting for a signal.
Jing Shu had planned to see what everyone else was eating before deciding what to have herself. After waiting so long that she had secretly finished a whole bag of fried twists in the corner of her tent, and still hearing nothing but the low drone of the engine, she finally stepped out and went to the luggage compartment to grab her heavy suitcase.
Anyone who knew Jing Shu well could tell what that meant. This bigshot was about to cook.
Hao Yunlai poked his head out from the shadows of the upper bunk, while Yang Yang coughed twice and struggled to drag out two huge vacuum-packed bags of rice from the luggage compartment.
"What is all this? This is Daohuaxiang long-grain rice! Good stuff."
"Well, we're short on time and have a lot to do. I was planning to make some rice balls to bring along. Do you think this rice is enough for me and Hao Yunlai for a few days?"
Hao Yunlai looked at her hopefully, his eyes shining in the dim cabin light.
They had all been through life and death together, and Jing Shu's cooking was famous for being irresistible. If they could eat with her, they would count themselves lucky even if they bit their tongues off from how good the food was.
Rice balls? Sure, anyone could make those, but even the best ones can't compare to what came out of Jing Shu's hands.
"Yeah, there's plenty." Jing Shu casually weighed the bags in her hands. It was dozens of kilos, enough to feed her whole family for half a month.
"Not plenty at all. We're already getting a great deal just by sharing rice." And that wasn't true. Forget about the fuel problem. Once you added eggs and meat into the mix, the cost was way more than the rice itself. Even if she didn't use anything else, whatever came from Jing Shu's pot was worth the price.
"Alright then, same rule as always. Whatever I eat, you eat too," Jing Shu said. Her appetite was big anyway, so sharing a little didn't bother her.
When you had friends who worried about taking advantage of you, you couldn't bring yourself to shortchange them either.
"Then let's keep dinner simple tonight."
"Do whatever you want, just call me when it's ready," Hao Yunlai said, flopping back down to sleep as if the mere promise of her food had settled his stomach.
Seeing that Lǚ Liu and the others still had no intention of cooking, Jing Shu didn't bother with them. She really did go simple this time. She cooked a big pot of plain white rice, then tossed in sliced sausage, savory braised pork, dried scallops, and dried shrimp. While it simmered, she washed her face with the warm rice water. Then Xiao Dou, her fat chicken, used the same water to clean its feathers. Jing Shu still didn't throw it away afterward.
When the thick smell of cooking rice filled the minibus, she cracked in a few dried vegetables and the fresh eggs Xiao Dou had just laid. The moment she turned off the fire and let it sit for five minues, the yolks were half-cooked and silky soft—the perfect mix-in for the grains.
She made a glossy sauce from oyster and soy sauce and poured it over the steaming rice. The moment she stirred it all together, the rich aroma of egg, meat, and rice exploded through the whole bus, reaching every corner.
Jing Shu scooped the crispy, golden layer from the bottom of the pot and placed it neatly on top. After all, the best part of claypot rice was always the toasted crust.
She divided up the portions, hugged the pot, and was about to head back to her tent when she turned and spotted Jun Bao squatting beside Xiao Dou. He was wearing a fuzzy pajama set, holding his hand warmer, and watching the chicken with intense interest. On the ground beside him were several empty pet food cans, a few energy bar wrappers, and a big open bag of high-quality pet feed.
Xiao Dou was pecking away happily at the expensive grain. Before long, it laid an egg as big as a fist, which made Jun Bao's eyes go wide. He picked it up, examined it for a long time, and was deep in thought when a pointed cough sounded from behind him.
Jing Shu could feel her blood pressure rising. She was about to explode.
Xiao Dou froze, slowly raised its head, and when it saw Jing Shu's stony face, it clucked nervously and waddled over to hug her leg like a guilty child seeking forgiveness.
Jing Shu ignored it and walked straight past. The chicken instantly realized she was really angry. But honestly, hadn't her friends fed it before too? And no one would ever try to poison it—the bird was immune to everything. Even if an enemy tried to feed it poison, Jing Shu would probably be glad to save on her own rations.
Still, Jing Shu didn't want too many people to know what Xiao Dou could really do. Having something that special was dangerous, especially when Jun Bao was Jin Tianci's family, the man in power back in the capital. What if he took a liking to her chicken and decided to keep it?
"The world really is full of wonders," Jun Bao said, getting up without the slightest embarrassment. "No wonder the first generation's traits were so superior in every aspect."
He held out three freshly laid eggs in his palm.
"These are the ones you fed your grain to, so you should keep them," Jing Shu said sharply, glaring at Xiao Dou. They weren't even that close. How dare that chicken eat someone else's food like it owned the place?
Jun Bao handed the eggs to Lǚ Liu, then glanced at Jing Shu's pot. "I'm hungry," he admitted honestly.
Lǚ Liu's eyes widened. Jun Bao, who had suffered from extreme anorexia for years, was saying he was hungry? The man who had puked after eating any delicacy was now tempted just by the smell of rice? If the old lady heard about this, she would probably cry tears of joy.
But they hadn't brought a chef on this trip. Cooking on the road was a pain, and since Jun Bao couldn't eat much anyway, they had stocked up on energy bars and snacks instead.
Now that he said he was hungry, that clearly meant he didn't want energy bars anymore.
She looked at Jing Shu's pot again. Could it be?
Lǚ Liu quickly said, "I will grab some food."
Jun Bao turned back to Jing Shu with curiosity. "So this is that dino-chicken that's supposedly a throwback species? Too bad they're hard to breed, otherwise they would be perfect for large-scale production. My uncle's second-gen bird doesn't even come close. If you breed them normally, the genes degrade. What a waste."
Ah, so Jin Tianci was his uncle.
Jing Shu let out a quiet sigh of relief. At least Jun Bao hadn't investigated her too deeply. The real dino-chicken was still back at her villa, happily reproducing under Grandma Jing's care.
"Yeah, they're hard to breed," Jing Shu said casually. With enough Spirit Spring, she could breed as many as she wanted, or even make stranger creatures. If only she had infinite Spirit Spring, she could save the whole damn world with it.
Unfortunately, even after her Rubik's Cube Space had leveled up so much, the Spirit Spring output was still pitifully small. She had to ration every drop. The more she used it, the more she realized how vital it really was for her survival.
"I have some ideas in progress," Jun Bao continued. "If I manage to make breeding them easier, I will let you know."
Jing Shu nodded vaguely. As long as it didn't involve her Spirit Spring, he could do whatever he wanted. Seriously though, why was a grown man so interested in chickens anyway?
While they talked, Lǚ Liu returned with a pile of neatly packed pastries and snacks, placing them between Jun Bao and Jing Shu.