Chapter 164
Squad 11 had voluntarily stayed behind to fight the mutants so the others could reach the porridge stall safely. Though they arrived unharmed, many bore fresh injuries.
Thus, despite their reluctance to part with their spot in line, everyone was willing to let Squad 11 go ahead.
Hearing the repeated cries of “Squad 11” and the familiar sounds of laughter drawing nearer, the thin-faced figure at the front of the line—hidden under a cloak—stiffened slightly.
After a long pause, he hastily lowered his head, tugging his hood even further down.
Yi Chunqing led Squad 11 to the front of the line, and the group cheerfully greeted Jian Yunlan:
“Boss Jian!”
“Long time no see! Glad to see you looking so well.”
“Hehe, we can’t wait—give us two bowls of that porridge, Boss Jian!”
Jian Yunlan smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries. Assuming they hadn’t heard his earlier announcement, he patiently repeated: “Today, we have two types of porridge—seafood and pumpkin… Oh, right.”
He then turned to the cloaked customer. “Sir, which porridge would you like?”
Jian Yunlan always adhered to the first-come-first-served principle. This customer had waited in the snow for who-knows-how-long, nearly getting buried alive—he was undoubtedly the first arrival, so the first bowl naturally belonged to him.
Before the crowd arrived, Mu Dongsheng had been clinging to the porridge bucket like his life depended on it. But at some point, he had quietly stood up, hunched over, shrinking into the shadows of his cloak, making himself as inconspicuous as possible.
At Jian Yunlan’s words, the crowd’s attention shifted to Mu Dongsheng.
Their gazes were a mix of curiosity and scrutiny.
—They had set out from the base the moment they got the news. How had someone arrived before them? Had he been waiting since yesterday? Who could survive overnight in the Death Desert?!
Squad 11 also studied this strange, cloaked figure but said nothing, patiently waiting alongside Jian Yunlan for his response.
Under the sudden scrutiny, Mu Dongsheng froze.
But… there was porridge right in front of him.
That fragrant, sweet porridge.
In the end, appetite conquered all other fears. Under the crowd’s watchful eyes, Mu Dongsheng shakily extended a hand, pointing to the bucket on the right.
Jian Yunlan smiled. “One bowl of this porridge? This is the pumpkin one.”
Mu Dongsheng nodded—then violently shook his head.
“?” Jian Yunlan was baffled. “Not this one? The other one?”
Mu Dongsheng shook his head even more frantically, holding up five fingers.
Not one bowl. Five!
“……”
The crowd’s gazes toward the cloaked figure shifted.
Damn, five bowls in one go? That’s some audacity!
With so many people here, if everyone ordered five bowls, those at the back wouldn’t even get to lick the pot clean!
Fortunately, Jian Yunlan quickly intervened.
“Sir, today, each person is limited to one bowl per type of porridge,” he said apologetically. “How about I serve you one bowl to try first?”
The cloaked figure fell silent for a moment before reluctantly nodding.
The crowd collectively exhaled in relief—though their relief was mixed with disappointment. They were glad more people would get to taste the porridge, but one bowl per person? That was nowhere near enough…
Seeing no vehement objections, Jian Yunlan also relaxed.
He lifted the lid off the pumpkin porridge bucket, and as the seal broke, a cloud of steam rushed upward, carrying the rich aroma of the porridge with it!
Everyone instinctively held their breath, eyes widening—
The fragrance was sweet but not cloying, a delicate blend of pumpkin and rice, with a hint of honey-like sweetness. The natural flavor of ripe pumpkin had been fully drawn out, wafting through the air and teasing the senses.
A closer look revealed the porridge’s vibrant hue—creamy pumpkin melded seamlessly with glistening rice grains, and as the ladle stirred, chunks of golden pumpkin surfaced.
Under the warm glow of the stall’s lantern and the rising steam, the porridge’s surface gleamed, its smooth, velvety texture making it impossible not to imagine how it would taste on the tongue…
The sound of swallowing echoed through the crowd:
“It smells so sweet and fragrant…”
“I never knew pumpkin could be used in porridge. I thought porridge had to be savory or spicy.”
“Sweet porridge sounds kinda weird. Would it even taste good?”
“Are you kidding? Boss Jian’s porridge not tasting good? If you don’t want it, I’ll take yours.”
Those at the front of the line instinctively leaned in for a better look, while those further back stood on tiptoe, blocked by the crowd, and could only sniff the air desperately for another whiff of that intoxicating aroma.
Jian Yunlan swiftly served the cloaked customer first, then turned to Squad 11.
All eyes were glued to the bowls, envy radiating toward the cloaked figure who had gotten the first taste.
Under the crowd’s ravenous stares, Mu Dongsheng hugged his bowl tighter.
Pulling his hood even lower, he stepped aside, bringing the bowl to his lips.
Gulp, gulp.
After a few mouthfuls, even Mu Dongsheng couldn’t suppress a contented murmur:
“Delicious.”
—”So sweet!”
The louder exclamation came from Squad 11, drowning out the cloaked customer’s mumble.
Yi Chunqing didn’t speak, sipping his porridge methodically, but the bliss on his face spoke volumes. The younger members of Squad 11, however, couldn’t contain their excitement.
The buzz-cut Wang Li, after downing half the bowl in large gulps, finally paused to wipe his forehead and gasped:
“So sweet… so fragrant…”
Unlike the savory century egg and pork porridge or the mushroom and chicken porridge from before, this pumpkin porridge was a completely different experience.
—The first sip was mild, not as explosively flavorful as the salty variants, but somehow, it made you crave more with each spoonful. The warmth spread through the body, comforting and satisfying.
Amid the light, sweet aroma of pumpkin, the warm porridge flowed smoothly over the tongue, its honey-like sweetness spreading gently, incredibly refreshing.
The flavor was unlike any porridge Wang Li had ever tasted, laden with artificial enhancers—there was nothing industrial or cheap about it. Instead, it carried the natural sweetness of the ingredients and rice itself, never cloying, only making you crave more with each bite.
The long, slow simmering had completely dissolved the ripe pumpkin into a velvety, sandy texture, seamlessly blending with the sticky rice grains. Though no solid chunks of pumpkin remained, every mouthful was infused with its mellow sweetness.
A single spoonful melted on the tongue, the smooth, fragrant richness utterly addictive.
At first, Wang Li hadn’t expected much, but after a few hearty gulps, he was completely won over by this seemingly ordinary pumpkin porridge. Despite standing in the icy, perilous wasteland of the apocalypse, holding that bowl made him feel warm and comforted from head to toe.
His empty stomach was soothed by the hot porridge, and the chill from trekking through the snow, along with the exhaustion from battling mutants, was entirely smoothed away by the silky warmth.
For a fleeting moment, Wang Li almost forgot he was in the apocalypse. It felt like he was back in his cozy, cramped home, just out of bed on a sunny morning, savoring a bowl of sweet, steaming porridge…
Before he knew it, the entire bowl was empty.
The members of Squad 11 ate with deliberate care, savoring every bite, but the porridge was simply too delicious—no matter how much they tried to slow down, they soon finished their portions.
Once done, they clung to their bowls, licking them clean without a shred of dignity left.
…Even Mu Dongsheng, after glancing around to ensure no one was watching, quietly pulled his hood lower and licked his bowl clean.
As he did, he subtly inched away, preparing to slip off unnoticed.
Mu Dongsheng knew full well he was just a wandering ghost—a ticking time bomb with a top-tier pollutant lurking inside his body. Every extra second he stayed here would only bring trouble to others.
*
Jian Yunlan worked efficiently, and soon, more and more people got their hands on porridge.
No one cared about the cold ground anymore, sitting right in the snow with their bowls, huddling with friends as they ate. Exclamations of delight rose one after another:
“The pumpkin is so soft and silky—even the rice is sweet!”
“This is so good. For a bowl like this, I’d trek through the snow for eighty hours, let alone eight!”
“Boss Jian, you’re a god…”
“I knew following Squad 11 would lead to good food. They’ve got the best taste—except for Captain Mu, haha!”
Someone teased this last line, and the crowd burst into laughter.
There was a well-known joke in the Eastern Base: Squad 11 was full of foodies. Every time a mission ended, the whole team would bolt straight to the black market’s food district. They were always the first to discover and popularize new delicacies, earning them the title of the Eastern Base’s top food influencers.
Except for Captain Mu.
Captain Mu was ascetic, surviving on three meals of nutrient paste a day. He was always slow on the uptake—by the time he realized he wanted to try something tasty, it was already sold out…
If not for Squad 11 always saving him a portion, Mu Dongsheng would probably have starved long ago.
The laughter lasted a while before gradually fading.
The warm lantern light still glowed, and the pumpkin porridge in their hands still smelled heavenly, but for some reason, many fell silent, their eating slowing.
…Amid this quiet, someone suddenly pointed at Squad 11 and asked:
“Wait, isn’t it one bowl per person? Squad 11 has eight members, so why do they have nine bowls?”
