Chapter 3: Roasted Dried Fish
Chu Jiu tried clicking on the recipe and received a prompt: [Insufficient pioneer points, insufficient spirit beast].
As expected, he couldn’t open the farmland without a spirit beast.
As for bypassing the blueprint and actually taking a hoe to cultivate a piece of land himself—Chu Jiu was very self-aware.
Putting aside everything else, just clearing these trees that had been growing for who knows how many years and leveling a piece of land was not something an ordinary person could do with a hoe and a machete.
Chu Jiu clicked on [Spirit Beast Status] again, and it was still [Spirit beast summoning conditions not yet met, option temporarily unavailable.]
The system didn’t even prompt what this “summoning condition” was.
Chu Jiu sighed and decided to put this matter aside and go to the forest to dig up eggs and catch fish first.
*
Chu Jiu walked even further than yesterday.
He didn’t stop until the map’s exploration percentage reached 2.1%.
Along the way, in addition to [Screaming Mushroom X2], [Firewood X20], [Sturdy Thatch X30], he also picked [Exploding Pine Cones X5].
These pine cones were covered in sharp thorns, and when thrown forcefully, they would explode upon landing, making them the simplest “throwing weapon.”
Chu Jiu tested them, and two pine cones could knock down a Screaming Mushroom.
Although the damage was low, it was at least a ranged attack, which could come in handy in the future.
Walking further into the forest, around a mud tree shaped like a breadfruit tree with mud constantly flowing from its bark, Chu Jiu finally found what he needed: [Demon Eggs].
The name “Demon Eggs” sounded scary, and they looked terrifying too: their exterior was a bumpy black shell that emitted a sulfurous smell.
If these things were dropped on the road, people would avoid them, never imagining that they were actually edible.
However, for Chu Jiu, Demon Eggs were a material like this:
[Demon Eggs: Eggs left behind by some unknown bird. Due to being wrapped in the mud tree’s mud and the special climate in the forest, these eggs undergo a peculiar chemical change inside.
After removing the hard outer mud and the eggshell with special patterns, you get an edible egg that is black and smooth, with a transparent surface and intricate patterns.
However, not everyone can appreciate the taste of these eggs—or rather, most people cannot regard these black eggs as food.
Gathering area: Edge of the Forgotten Forest]
Chu Jiu picked three Demon Eggs at once.
Good, now he had “bait.”
Chu Jiu took the Demon Eggs to the stream, knocked off the mud and eggshells, and washed the eggs in the water, trying to dissolve and spread the eggs’ unique smell into the water as much as possible.
After washing them, Chu Jiu found a protruding rock on the bank and placed the Demon Eggs in the most conspicuous spot.
Now, all he had to do was wait quietly.
Three minutes passed.
Five minutes passed.
Finally, the stream gurgled, and two round-headed fish with eyes that had degenerated into slits emerged from the water, using their pectoral fins to push themselves onto the bank, wriggling up the mud and pebbles.
These were two Blunt-Headed Fish, Chu Jiu’s main target today.
[Blunt-Headed Fish: An edible fish with degenerated vision. Blunt-Headed Fish have delicious flesh and only one large bone, making them especially suitable for the elderly and children.
They usually hide at the bottom of the water and rarely swim up, making them difficult to catch. But they love Demon Eggs, and the slightly pungent unique smell is enough to make them come ashore regardless of the danger.
Who would have thought that a fish’s favorite food would be an egg from the land?
Gathering area: Water areas of the Forgotten Forest]
Chu Jiu silently squatted in the bushes. When the Blunt-Headed Fish approached the Demon Eggs, he struck with his knife—
[Blunt-Headed Fish X2].
Phew, success.
After cleaning the Blunt-Headed Fish, retrieving the Demon Eggs used as bait, and cutting down two [Thorny Cucumbers] from the stream, Chu Jiu happily walked back.
The fish for Grandma Zhu, and two meals for himself, were now settled.
*
Grandma Zhu lived alone in the southwest corner of the village.
When Chu Jiu handed her the Blunt-Headed Fish, which was still half a meter long after removing the head and tail and was cleaned thoroughly, Grandma Zhu was surprised and delighted:
“I didn’t know there were such big fish in the Forgotten Forest!”
“When we used to fish in the village’s small river, we could only catch small fish and shrimp the length of our fingers, and catching a fish the size of a palm was considered a good harvest.”
Chu Jiu smiled and told Grandma Zhu that this kind of fish had no small bones, and it would be delicious if boiled with water and a little salt.
As previously mentioned, Grandma Zhu should have given Chu Jiu a handful of radish seeds. But she never expected that Chu Jiu would bring her a big fish that was enough for her to eat for several meals.
If she exchanged just a handful of radish seeds for such a big fish, the old woman felt like she was taking advantage of the young man.
So, in addition to the radish seeds, she also found a fresh, juicy radish and gave it to Chu Jiu. Knowing that Chu Jiu’s place was empty and lacked everything, she also gave him a ceramic pot and a set of bowls and chopsticks that she didn’t use.
Leaving Grandma Zhu’s house, Chu Jiu’s backpack contained [Large Radish X1], [Radish Seeds X10], [Ceramic Pot X1], [Bowls and Chopsticks X1].
Even more exciting for Chu Jiu was the system’s prompt: [The villagers are very satisfied with the goods you delivered, favorability increased, pioneer points +30].
*
With the ceramic pot and bowls and chopsticks, Chu Jiu could cook himself a pot of “cucumber and egg soup.”
Cut the Demon Eggs into pieces and peel the Thorny Cucumbers.
The Thorny Cucumbers had hard, steel-needle-like thorns on the outside, and the skin was as hard as bark, requiring a machete to cut open to reveal the juicy, clear cucumber flesh inside.
Add water and a little salt to the ceramic pot, and after the water boils, add the Demon Eggs and cucumbers. Soon, the unique smell of the Demon Eggs, combined with the fresh fragrance of the cucumbers, filled the empty kitchen.
Chu Jiu swallowed his saliva and quickly cut the Screaming Mushrooms and Blunt-Headed Fish into chunks, skewered them, and roasted them over the fire.
A moment later, lunch was ready.
Skewered roasted Screaming Mushrooms and Blunt-Headed Fish, with refreshing cucumber and Demon Egg soup.
Chu Jiu ate until his stomach was round again.
Looking at the remaining Blunt-Headed Fish meat, he decided to make some easy-to-carry dried food for himself—roasted dried fish.
After all, exploring the map and gathering materials in the forest consumed stamina, and using recipes to cook consumed spirit points, so it was most convenient to carry some dried food with him.
Slice the Blunt-Headed Fish, marinate it with salt, and slowly roast it over the fire, turning it as you go, until both sides are golden brown.
Although Chu Jiu didn’t have other seasonings, this Blunt-Headed Fish itself had no fishy smell, and upon careful tasting, it even had a hint of sweetness. Roasted in this simple way, it yielded dried fish with a delicate taste and a long aftertaste. A bite of the fish meat was slightly sweet, not dry or tough, slightly chewy, but not enough to make your teeth sore.
It’s a high-quality protein source and an excellent snack.
If you could watch videos and eat dried fish here, you could probably keep chewing all afternoon.
By the time only a large fish head remained of the Blunt-Headed Fish, and the rest had become dried roasted fish, it was already evening.
Chu Jiu wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking at the [Roasted Blunt-Headed Fish Jerky X50] in his backpack, feeling a great sense of accomplishment.
Two portions of fish jerky could fill him up halfway, and paired with the vegetables and fruits that could be gathered in the forest, it was enough to walk a long distance.
Dinner that day was naturally roasted Blunt-Headed Fish Jerky with radish and fish head soup.
After a delicious meal of meat and soup, Chu Jiu let out a long sigh, took out his towel and toothbrush from his backpack, and strolled to the stream for a simple wash.
The wooden house didn’t have running water pipes, nor did it have water tanks or buckets for storage, which was very inconvenient in the long run.
While washing his face, Chu Jiu wondered if he should make some basic furniture first? Like a bed, chairs, and water buckets and basins…
The methods for making these things seemed to be in the “Manual” given by the old village chief, and he should be able to make them if he followed the instructions step by step, right?
Chu Jiu planned to try it during the day tomorrow.
*
Back in the hut, Chu Jiu took out the “Camera Mirror” again by the firelight.
Just as he was about to record today’s log, the system prompt sounded:
[It is recommended that the host display the actual items harvested on the day during recording, which is conducive to obtaining a high evaluation.]
So, he had to show the harvested items!
The requirements for this video log were quite strict.
Chu Jiu took out the remaining Screaming Mushrooms and roasted fish jerky, and patiently explained to the mirror.
*
Arsa Star.
Lu Qingyan’s optical computer received a message from Adjutant He:
[Your Excellency, another suspicious live broadcast has appeared on the StarNet. The source is still untraceable.]
[We have blocked the signal, and only approved personnel can monitor this live broadcast.]
Lu Qingyan responded briefly: [Send it over.]
Half a second later, a clear projection appeared in front of Lu Qingyan—
A handsome young man, by the dim light of the stove, was intently speaking some incomprehensible words.
The previous video was the same.
Yesterday, the young man’s expression and voice were somewhat stilted. He spoke word by word about how he cut down a Screaming Mushroom, how he removed its head and skin, and then cut it into strips…
The adjutant at the time was very nervous as he gave his speculation: “This may indicate that the insectoid race has taken control of a certain other world and has taken inhumane extermination measures against the natives.”
Later, the young man also mentioned branches and firewood. The adjutant said, “This is probably describing his gun and ammunition reserves.”
Lu Qingyan didn’t give his opinion immediately yesterday, only telling the adjutant that he would pay attention to it.
He understood the adjutant’s concerns.
After all, the insectoid race had extremely strong camouflage abilities, and they could completely steal human appearances and then find opportunities to transmit messages.
However, his intuition, formed through countless actual combat experiences, told him that the young man in the video was not deliberately conveying any ulterior information.
Today, this intuition was even stronger.
Then what was the purpose of this video? And where did it come from?
Lu Qingyan examined the young man in the projection.
Unconsciously, a half-person-tall, cat-like black quadruped appeared beside Lu Qingyan.
This was his spiritual entity.
Three years ago, Lu Qingyan would not have easily released his spiritual entity; he would have kept it in his spiritual landscape.
But since his spiritual power was overdrawn, irreparable terrifying wounds appeared on its body, and it would often run out of the spiritual landscape uncontrollably, emitting painful whines and roars.
Correspondingly, Lu Qingyan himself was constantly enduring bone-gnawing pain.
Imperial physicians had consulted on this many times, but they were still helpless, only telling Lu Qingyan: “It’s better to dredge than to block,” and “Letting the spiritual entity move freely from time to time is also helpful for your recovery.”
Therefore, Lu Qingyan allowed his spiritual entity to stay by his side, watching this strange video with him.
In the video, the young man hesitantly picked up a fluffy, bread-like object, squeezed it as if he were kneading a toy, and then squeezed it with both hands.
The young man smiled, saying as if to himself:
“The elasticity of this mushroom is really good, and it feels similar to a stress ball.”
“Ah, but food is not a toy, you can’t play with food like this.”
Lu Qingyan didn’t have any extra expression on his face.
The quadruped, however, tilted its head slightly, and even quickly swiped its paw forward, as if wanting to squeeze the soft mushroom.
The young man put the mushroom aside and took out a piece of brown object, saying somewhat shyly and proudly:
“This, this is my latest achievement today—roasted Blunt-Headed Fish Jerky!”
“I didn’t add any seasonings except a little salt, but it tastes very good.”
“It tastes slightly sweet, and the fish is especially tender and fragrant.”
As he spoke, the young man picked up the fish jerky, sniffed it under his nose, and his eyes naturally curved into crescents:
“It’s smoked with natural firewood, and the aroma is very pure.”
“I plan to use this as lunch when I go to the forest tomorrow.”
Lu Qingyan remained calm, only his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest of the chair.
But the “big cat” beside him, the spiritual entity that would usually be moaning from the pain of its wounds, was now squatting aside, staring intently at the fish jerky in the young man’s hand.
It even stuck out its rough tongue and quickly licked its lips.
The fish jerky… looked really fragrant.
