Chapter 023: Who Asked You?
At the same time.
Inside the wooden cabin.
"Ah-choo—!"
Yan Cang let out a loud sneeze, rubbed his itchy nose, and muttered, "Is someone thinking of me?"
He didn't think much of it and quickly turned his attention back to the game console in his hands.
On the screen, the monkey he was controlling was locked in a fierce battle with a boss monster that had an unusually large head.
With a roll, he narrowly dodged a sweeping giant arm, then swung his staff backhanded, smashing it hard into the monster's knee. The health bar visibly dropped another chunk.
Seeing the monster's health was less than a quarter full, Yan Cang couldn't resist sneaking in one more hit.
But then he was firmly stomped on by a massive foot.
The monkey on the screen fell to the ground, struggled for a moment, and then dissipated into specks of golden light.
"Tsk... that was reckless."
Without hesitation, he chose to restart.
His eyes locked on the screen, fingers moving deftly, the character once again stepped into the dark forest.
That iconic oversized head came into view once more.
The battle restarted.
Roll, jump, block, counterattack... time and again he narrowly escaped attacks, and time and again he precisely chipped away at the enemy's health bar.
Finally, after a few quick light strikes, the screen slowed down.
The words "Victory" appeared prominently.
"Phew—got it!" Yan Cang let out a long breath, set down the game console, and stretched his stiff fingers and neck.
Only then did he notice that the light inside the wooden cabin had grown dim.
Looking outside, the sky at the door was tinged with a golden red—it was already dusk.
He had been so absorbed in playing that several hours of the afternoon had slipped by unnoticed.
"Time to eat."
He stretched, and with a thought, he stored the game console back into his Mental Space.
Then he opened the Trading House.
Compared to midday, the food section was now a dazzling array of choices.
Although most of the ingredients were still beast meat and wild vegetables, the cooking methods had become much more varied—no longer just simple "boil until edible."
Dishes with seasonings, looking and smelling delicious, had started to appear, though they were few in number and came with hefty price tags.
But at this stage, seasonings and careful cooking were themselves a luxury.
High prices were only natural.
Yan Cang didn't mind that; he only cared about whether it tasted good.
When it came to food, he had always been generous.
After all, with just himself to feed, there was no need to skimp.
That was true back on Earth, and even more so now.
Of course, for items whose prices clearly strayed too far from the market, Yan Cang had no intention of being taken for a fool.
He had always liked comparing prices, and now it was a habit.
This could be summed up in one phrase: Don't look at what it's worth, just see if it's worth it.
After browsing for a while, Yan Cang carefully selected four items for dinner:
[Black Pepper Tiger Rib Noodles x1 serving]
[Description: A high-priced tiger beast tenderloin steak, pan-fried to perfection with olive oil, honey sealing in the juices, black pepper igniting the rich aroma, and finally drizzled with a special honey sauce, tossed with chewy noodles... Just thinking about it makes it sound delicious! It was originally made for myself, but after calculating the cost, I snapped back to reality: I'm just a cook, I don't deserve this. Sir, please enjoy!]
[Seller: Liu Haogui]
[Price: 188 Fate Points]
[Status: Sold]
...
[Spicy Grilled Fish x1]
[Description: Caught it myself. Looks like a bass, few bones, thick flesh, and even after cleaning the innards, it weighs over 0.5 kilograms. Now it's grilled crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, sprinkled with chili powder, super fragrant!]
[Seller: Jiang Fang]
[Price: 50 Fate Points]
[Status: Sold]
...
[Minced Meat and Wild Vegetable Soup x1 Bowl]
[Description: A huge bowl! The wild vegetables are refreshing, the broth is clear and sweet, with a full 50 grams of minced meat and a moderate amount of salt. Comes with a set of wooden bowls, chopsticks, and a spoon.]
[Seller: Li Suli]
[Price: 68 Fate Points]
[Status: Sold]
...
[Orange Soda x1 Bottle]
[Description: Brand new and unopened, 600 milliliters, drink as you please.]
[Seller: Zhang Tianshui]
[Price: 50 Fate Points]
[Status: Sold]
Unlike at noon when he just settled for a cup of instant noodles, Yan Cang this time also bought a simple set of wooden tables and chairs from the Trading House.
Since the light inside the room was gradually dimming, he simply moved the table and chairs to the doorway, preparing to eat under the glow of the setting sun.
The sizzling, fragrant tiger steak and tossed noodles, the large fish grilled to a tempting golden brown, the steaming bowl of minced meat and wild vegetable soup, and the orange soda poured into a glass...
Neatly arranged on the table, it actually gave off a somewhat lavish feel.
Before starting to eat, he habitually glanced at the class group.
Just in time to see someone ask:
"Has everyone had dinner yet? /Grin"
Seeing that cheerful little emoji, Yan Cang knew at a glance that this guy was about to show off.
This behavior was too malicious!
He thought it was inappropriate and decisively wanted to interrupt the move.
So he reflected the image of the table full of food in his mind and quickly sent it to the group.
Yan Cang: "Just about to start eating, what's up? /Confused"
[Attached image: A simple dinner on the table]
In the photo, there was fish, meat, soup, noodles, and even soda drinks.
The grilled fish was golden brown, sprinkled with chili powder; in the soup bowl, the green vegetables were vibrant, and the minced meat was clearly visible;
The most tempting was the plate of tiger steak tossed noodles. The noodles on one side were plain, only dotted with red tomatoes, while the other side was piled high with cut steak drenched in a thick sauce, looking like it weighed at least 0.25 kilograms.
Gulp—
The moment the image popped up, several classmates in the group couldn't help but swallow their saliva.
You call this... "simple"?
Even when I cooked for myself alone on Earth, I never dared to eat like this!
"???"
In an instant, the class group was flooded with a string of question marks.
And the classmate who first asked the question, originally planning to show off his dinner of a huge roasted beast leg...
At this moment, he lowered his head to look at the beast leg in his hand, which was roasted a bit charred and plain in appearance.
Then he raised his head again to glance at the photo in the group chat, which could only be described as a "feast."
Grief and indignation instantly overwhelmed his reason.
Gritting his molars, he mustered all his strength to type out a line, ruthlessly cutting through the screen full of question marks:
"Who asked you!!!"