Xiao Dou felt like her life as a chicken had finally reached its peak. She'd never been treated so well before. All this fuss just because she laid a few eggs? Back home with Jing Shu, this kind of thing was totally normal.
Besides, in that household, if you didn't have some special skill, you didn't even deserve to compete for attention. Sure, she'd laid a few extra eggs, but look at Da Niu, who produced tens of kilograms of milk every single day. Did Da Niu act all proud about it? Or take Gou Dan and Da Hua—those two had to work hard every day pairing up, laying eggs, and hatching them too. Did they ever show off?
No.
You had to stay modest, stay low-key.
That was what Jing Shu always said, and Xiao Dou took those words to heart. Feeling extra noble, she gave her plump backside a little wiggle, settled into her cozy nest, and drank the last sip of warm water. Time to sleep. Her shift was over. She could lay more eggs later—what, did they expect a chicken to work twenty-four hours straight?
Li Dayou personally stood guard over the eggs all night long, grinning like a fool. He didn't even need to eat them. Just looking at them made him happy. He remembered when Wang Dan had asked how many eggs the chicken could lay, and now, after just one night, look at this!
Jing Shu barely slept. Even with a thick mat, a heating pad, and several quilts piled on top, she couldn't shake off the cold. The damp chill seeped right into her bones, making her whole body ache.
The temperature on the ship was almost like an ice cellar. Her tent might block the wind, but it still felt like camping in the open. Compared to the luxury RV she'd once had, this was miserable. Sleeping well in the apocalypse was already a luxury. Sometimes she wondered how she'd even survived her previous life like this.
When she heard voices outside—people boiling water and talking—she got up.
Auntie Wang was already waiting outside with her daughter, stamping her feet to keep warm. She was there to collect today's compressed biscuits to make more flatbreads. She'd also brought some of the ones she'd baked yesterday. Every meal they made had to be turned in first, then redistributed during mealtime. Whoever controlled the food controlled the villagers' lifelines.
Wang Dan scratched his head. "So, what's for breakfast? Are we eating flatbreads again? Water's already boiling."
He really wanted to eat the dishes from yesterday, but he knew better than to ask. Food that good wasn't something they could have every day, and all that came from Jing Shu's private stash. With a dozen grown men to feed, her supplies couldn't possibly last long.
Jing Shu yawned, handed Auntie Wang some biscuits, and gave her a list of chores for the day. But before leaving, Auntie Wang hesitated. "Some folks in the village have been complaining," she said. "They're tired of eating just flatbreads. They're saying all this hard work every day deserves some meat."
Jing Shu thought, "They should be grateful they're even eating at all."
She nodded. "Got it," she said simply, without offering any solution. Auntie Wang patted her chest before leaving. "Don't worry about them. They just want trouble and a bit of extra benefit. We'll keep working hard on the flatbreads and rations."
When Jing Shu saw her off, she asked casually, "So, how many eggs did the chicken lay? I'm not eating those flatbreads for breakfast."
Wang Dan grinned. "Fifteen! Captain's been hugging them like treasure all night!"
Jing Shu covered her face. Sure enough, when she walked into Li Dayou's cabin, he was still clutching the eggs like they were priceless jewels. His gun was right beside him, and from the look in his eyes, if anyone dared reach for them, he'd shoot first and ask questions later.
When she said she was taking all of them, he froze. "All of them? We've only got twelve people. We can't finish that! At least leave half. What if the rescue team takes days to get here? We'll be out of rations! Feeding this many people takes a lot."
Even Wang Dan, who usually obeyed without question, nodded. "If Captain hadn't started rationing a month early, we'd already be dead. We've gotta keep some food for backup."
Jing Shu knew that feeling too well—the fear of running out of food. Just seeing your supplies dwindle could make it feel like your life was ending.
"Fine," she said. "Leave one. The chicken's not gonna stop laying anyway."
She let him keep one egg for comfort, then took the rest without another word and went to cook.
They'd used up all the flour yesterday making flatbreads, but that didn't stop her.
She boiled noodles in hot water, then fished them out and spread them in an oiled stone pan, leaving a small hollow in the center. She cracked an egg yolk into the hollow, frying it slowly until it turned golden and crisp. Twelve noodle pancakes, twelve yolks. Perfect.
She didn't waste the noodle water either. She threw in vermicelli, dried veggies, and beef cubes, then whisked together the leftover egg whites with a few extra eggs and poured them in. The soup thickened, egg flowers floating to the top. She finished it off with pepper and vinegar. Homemade spicy-sour egg soup, ready to serve.
Soon the smell of fried noodles and rich broth filled the ship.
After sneaking a few bites of food from her Cube Space, Jing Shu wiped her mouth clean and finally called the others to eat. They came rushing in, drooling, stomachs growling loud enough to echo.
"Alright, simple breakfast today," she said, waving her hand.
Each person got one pancake and a big bowl of soup loaded with vermicelli, veggies, eggs, and meat.
Wang Dan took a sip first. The rich egg and meat flavors exploded on his tongue, the spicy, sour heat rushing through his whole body. He took a bite of the pancake—soft, fragrant, and filled with creamy yolk—and practically moaned. "Simple? You call this simple? This is the best damn meal I've had in my whole life!"
Li Dayou exhaled a satisfied breath, his body finally warming up in the cold. "I thought just having boiled eggs for breakfast would've been a dream come true. Didn't expect eggs could taste this good cooked like this. Way better than just boiling them."
Hearing that, Jing Shu smirked to herself in the corner. Before the apocalypse, she'd downloaded a complete recipe collection, including 'A Hundred and One Ways to Cook Eggs.' She'd only tried a dozen so far, but one day, she'd make them all. Still, Li Dayou wasn't wrong—sometimes the simplest way to eat eggs was the best.
The finest ingredients often tasted best cooked plain. A boiled egg with a sprinkle of salt could be absolutely divine.
Just as she was enjoying the peaceful morning, a sudden scream cut through the air outside. The kind that sent chills down your spine.
Wang Dan grabbed his weapon and ran out. Jing Shu followed close behind, while Li Dayou scooped up Xiao Dou, his eyes sparkling with excitement as if silently asking, "So, when are you clocking in for work again, boss?"