Xiao Dou felt as though her life as a chicken had finally reached its peak. She had never been treated with such reverence before. All this fuss just because she had laid a few eggs? Back home with the Jing Family, this kind of thing was perfectly normal.
Besides, in that household, if a creature didn't have some special skill, they didn't even deserve to compete for attention. Sure, she had produced a few extra eggs, but look at Da Niu, who provided 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?
They did not.
One had to stay modest and 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 to settle the feathers, tucked herself into the straw of her cozy nest, and drank the last sip of warm water. It was time to sleep. Her shift was over. She could lay more eggs later. After all, did they truly expect a chicken to work twenty-four hours straight?
Li Dayou personally stood guard over the eggs all night long, grinning like a fool in the dim light. He didn't even need to eat them. Just looking at the smooth, pale shells made him happy. He remembered when Wang Dan had asked how many eggs the chicken could possibly lay, and now, after just one night, look at this!
Jing Shu barely slept. Even with a thick mat, a heating pad, and several heavy quilts piled on top of her, she couldn't shake off the cold. The damp chill seeped right into her bones, making her whole body ache with a dull, persistent throb.
The temperature on the ship was like an ice cellar. Her tent might block the wind, but sleeping inside it still felt like camping in the open. Compared to the luxury RV she once possessed, this was miserable. Sleeping well in the apocalypse was already a luxury few could afford. Sometimes she wondered how she had even survived her previous life under such conditions.
When the muffled sound of voices drifted in from outside—people boiling water and talking in low tones—she forced herself to get up.
Auntie Wang was already waiting outside with her daughter, stamping her feet against the deck to keep the blood flowing. She was there to collect the compressed biscuits for the day to make more flatbreads. She had also brought some of the ones she had baked yesterday, the scent of toasted grain lingering on her clothes. Every meal they made had to be turned in first, then redistributed during mealtime. Whoever controlled the food controlled the lifelines of the villagers.
Wang Dan scratched his head, his hair messy from sleep. "So, what is for breakfast? Are we eating flatbreads again? The water is 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; all of 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 a stack of 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, her voice dropping. "They are tired of eating just flatbreads. They are saying all this hard work every day deserves some meat."
Jing Shu thought to herself that they should be grateful they were 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 will 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, his eyes widening. "Fifteen! The Captain has been hugging them like treasure all night!"
Jing Shu covered her face with one hand. Sure enough, when she walked into Li Dayou's cabin, he was still clutching the eggs as if they were priceless jewels. His gun was resting right beside him. From the look in his eyes, if anyone dared reach for them, he would shoot first and ask questions later.
When she said she was taking all of them, he froze. "All of them? We have only got twelve people. We can't finish that! At least leave half. What if the rescue team takes days to get here? We will be out of rations! Feeding this many people takes a lot of resources."
Even Wang Dan, who usually obeyed without question, nodded in agreement. "If the Captain hadn't started rationing a month early, we would already be dead. We have got to keep some food for backup."
Jing Shu knew that feeling too well. It was the primal fear of running out of food. Just seeing your supplies dwindle could make it feel as if your life was ending.
"Fine," she said. "Leave one. The chicken is not going to stop laying anyway."
She let him keep one egg for comfort, then took the rest without another word and went to cook.
They had used up all the flour yesterday making flatbreads, but that didn't stop her.
She boiled noodles in hot water until they were tender, then fished them out and spread them in an oiled stone pan. She left a small hollow in the center of each portion. She cracked an egg yolk into each hollow, frying the noodles slowly until the bottoms turned golden and crisp. Twelve noodle pancakes, twelve yolks. It was perfect.
She didn't waste the noodle water either. She threw in vermicelli, dried vegetables, and savory beef cubes, then whisked together the leftover egg whites with a few extra eggs and poured them in. The soup thickened immediately, white and yellow egg flowers floating to the top in delicate ribbons. She finished it off with a generous amount of pepper and vinegar. Homemade spicy-sour egg soup was ready to serve.
Soon the smell of fried noodles and rich, tangy broth filled the ship.
After sneaking a few bites of food from her Cube Space to ensure she was full, Jing Shu wiped her mouth clean and finally called the others to eat. They came rushing in, stomachs growling loud enough to echo in the narrow corridors.
"Alright, simple breakfast today," she said, waving her hand toward the steaming pots.
Each person received one pancake and a big bowl of soup loaded with vermicelli, vegetables, eggs, and meat.
Wang Dan took a sip first. The rich egg and meat flavors exploded on his tongue, and the spicy, sour heat rushed through his whole body, chasing away the morning chill. He took a bite of the pancake; it was soft, fragrant, and filled with creamy yolk. He practically moaned. "Simple? You call this simple? This is the best meal I have had in my whole life!"
Li Dayou exhaled a satisfied breath, his body finally warming up. "I thought just having boiled eggs for breakfast would have been a dream come true. I didn't expect eggs could taste this good cooked like this. It's way better than just boiling them."
Hearing that, Jing Shu smirked to herself in the corner. Before the apocalypse, she had downloaded a complete recipe collection, including 'A Hundred and One Ways to Cook Eggs.' She had only tried a dozen so far, but one day, she would 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 when they were 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. It was the kind of sound that sent chills down a person's 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?"
They didn't treat her like a chicken anymore. They treated her like a living Buddha.