Chapter 4: Cold Tossed Houttuynia Cordata

Chapter 4: Cold Tossed Houttuynia Cordata

Early the next morning, Yun Wan opened her backpack and noticed a small red dot in the upper right corner of the Treasure Basin compartment.

Taking out the Treasure Basin, she found a small pistol lying inside, with a light blue liquid reservoir on top and ten tiny green indicators on the handle.

[Freeze Gun: Can automatically lock onto targets based on infrared signals, firing freezing beams to freeze objects. Once fully charged, it can be used up to 10 times. Once the energy is depleted, it can be recharged using ores.]

It was actually an offensive weapon!

Yun Wan searched on the Starnet and found similar items, but they were bulky, required a stand for use, and were very cumbersome, suitable for large-scale military activities.

The Freeze Gun in her hand was an enhanced model, ideal for personal protection.

Yun Wan had been planning to go out exploring these past few days and was in need of a weapon. The Freeze Gun came just in time.

A good start filled Yun Wan with energy for the day. After taking a couple of sips of nutrient drink, she headed into the field.

The morning soil was damp with dew, softer than yesterday. After a few digs, the shovel was covered in mud, which she had to scrape off by hand.

The seeds, having soaked overnight, were swollen and hydrated, as if they were ready to break through the soil and grow several feet tall.

Yun Wan dug a small hole, placed the seeds inside, and gently covered them with soil.

Each piece of Spirit Soil was planted with two seeds, with similar varieties planted together.

The sweet potato was larger, with only one end soaked, while the other remained dry. However, a tiny sprout had appeared from the top, a vivid yellow against the red skin.

Yun Wan carefully planted the sweet potato alone in a piece of Spirit Soil, placing the sprout upwards in the hole and carefully covering it with soil.

The concentration of the seed soak solution had decreased after use, but Yun Wan didn’t waste it. She stored it in her system inventory for future use.

After sowing, Yun Wan went to the river to fetch some water and evenly distributed it over each patch of Spirit Soil.

There were still four pieces of Spirit Soil left without extra seeds to plant, and Yun Wan could only leave them unused for now.

It felt like she had missed out on a fortune.

Looking at her handiwork, Yun Wan stretched, soaking up the warm sunlight, feeling refreshed. She went back inside to wake up Yun Ge.

Yun Ge had a small, round face, and when he was woken up, he wrinkled his nose, looking utterly adorable.

"Want to come along with me?"

Hearing that they were going out, Yun Ge was instantly awake, his eyes lit up with excitement.

He got up, washed up, and Yun Wan prepared the things they needed for the trip: a hoe with a flat blade and toothed edge, a backpack, the Freeze Gun, and she handed Yun Ge a bottle of nutrient solution. They locked the door and set off.

Yun Wan planned to continue exploring along the Black Mine, hoping to uncover other mines.

The sun was gradually moving towards the zenith, but walking through the woods didn’t feel hot. Instead, it was cool and refreshing, soothing the restlessness in her heart.

After walking for a while, Yun Wan stopped in a shady area of the mountain, her eyes lighting up.

A large patch of Houttuynia Cordata spread across the forest, its green leaves with red undersides dancing in the wind, as if beckoning her to taste them.

Yun Wan crouched down, randomly picked one, and dug along its roots. Beneath the leaf tips were extensive root systems, exposed to the air with the help of the toothed hoe, emitting a distinct aroma.

Yun Ge smelled it and sneezed.

"What’s the use of these weeds?" he asked, curious, watching Yun Wan quickly pull out a large handful of fish mint from the soil, which emitted a strange smell.

"It’s a tasty wild vegetable, though many people don’t like its taste."

Yun Wan harvested a large handful of fish mint and decided to turn back. She headed back eagerly, picking a few large leaves and breaking off some sticks along the way.

They didn’t have any utensils, so they had to improvise with what they could find.

Cleaning the fish mint took a while, and it took them some time to wash and dry it all, then lay it out on the leaves.

Yun Wan plucked a piece with her fingers and put it into her mouth.

The land here is barren, and Z9528 is no exception. The fish mint that grew here was thin and small, tasting bland, but the unique smell stayed the same.

Except for the texture, it was exactly the same as the fish mint she remembered.

Seeing Yun Wan eating the wild vegetable raw, Yun Ge also tried a piece. It was a taste he’d never experienced.

In his opinion, it wasn’t great but not terrible either, like drinking nutrient paste.

However, wild vegetables are free, so thinking that, he ate a bit more.

"Don’t eat too much, wait until it’s seasoned."

Yun Wan took out four kinds of seasonings she’d ordered online, all in small, narrow bottles. Salt and sugar were fine, but soy sauce, vinegar, and oil ran out quickly. Pouring a little bit would reduce the amount by a tenth, noticeably shrinking.

She worried that one shaky move might pour too much, and she’d be devastated.

Now she was completely broke, not a single coin to her name, and once used up, she couldn’t afford to buy more!

Sigh, still so poor!

Yun Ge stood on tiptoe, leaning over the table, looking at those strange bottles.

Two black, two white, and one yellow, each added a little bit. As they stirred, the white powder gradually melted and disappeared, and each piece of fish mint was evenly coated with black liquid.

He swallowed, the mix smelled kind of nice, and the red and green colors looked good.

Even though he had tasted it before, it somehow felt more delicious now.

After more than ten minutes, they sat at the dining table, each holding chopsticks.

Yun Wan was the first to pick up a piece and put it in her mouth. The salty and fragrant fish mint spread between her teeth, the umami made up for the lack of texture, and it was surprisingly chewy, making the flavor last longer.

Although the seasonings were not complete, the taste was still satisfactory.

Seeing Yun Ge clumsily learning to use chopsticks, Yun Wan explained the method of use to him in detail.

He learned quickly and soon could pick up things by himself, although his movements were still a bit awkward.

Yun Ge took the first bite and sped up.

The flavor of the seasonings diluted the strangeness of the fish mint, injecting some freshness, and the two perfectly blended into a new kind of deliciousness.

"Wild vegetables are better than nutrient solution."

"This is called cold mixed fish mint. If there were chili and garlic, it would be even more delicious!"

Yun Ge couldn’t imagine how "even more delicious" would taste, but currently, fish mint was the best thing he had ever eaten.

For the first time, he was actually looking forward to a meal. Could he eat fish mint again tomorrow?

...

At noon, the sun was scorching outside, and Yun Wan stayed indoors. She logged into the official forum for lords to check the news.

Most posts were lords either bragging or complaining. The more serious ones involved buying specialties or seeking partnerships, mostly about transactions of mechs and minerals, which Yun Wan couldn’t even think about yet.

A pinned post at the top caught Yun Wan’s eye.

[Join the Lord Charisma Contest!]

The post was marked in bright red, and Yun Wan clicked on it.

The Lord Charisma Contest was for this year’s new lords. It gave the public a chance to learn about new planets, as part of the empire’s support program.

The contest was held once a year, and each time many planets stood out, becoming overnight hits, drawing in lots of settlers and partnerships. One year, a planet even made it into the top 100 interstellar planets.

Almost all new lords would sign up for the contest to get their planet noticed. With good luck, they could even be selected as one of the top ten most popular planets and win a million-dollar prize.

Yun Wan read the rules several times, seeing there were no downsides to joining, so she signed up right away and submitted her planet’s basic info.

As part of signing up, she had to rename her planet, and Yun Wan entered "Shennong Star."

Yes, this would be the only planet in the galaxy that loved farming.

After renaming it, Yun Wan suddenly felt this barren planet could dominate the galaxy.

After completing the registration, the live broadcast device was provided by Starnet exclusively and would be express-shipped to the planet, taking one to two days.

Once the sun went behind the clouds, Yun Wan had planned to take a walk nearby, but then Teacher Li from the school’s career office called her, telling her to submit her job materials right away.

Yun Wan was on a barren planet and couldn’t return, but fortunately, submitting image backups was also acceptable. By the time she packed and sent the materials to Teacher Li, it was already night.

She put away her smart brain and looked around, but Yun Ge was nowhere to be seen.

Walking out of the cabin, she found Yun Ge squatting in front of the vegetable patch, muttering to himself.

Yun Wan approached and heard a melodious song.

After the song ended, Yun Ge cupped his chin with both hands and said earnestly, "Alright, from now on I will sing to you every day. You must grow up quickly, and also, be delicious... very delicious!"

Remembering the fish mint he ate at noon, Yun Ge licked his lips, savoring the peculiar taste.

Even wild grass was delicious, so the vegetables grown by his silly sister must be even better!

"With Yun Ge’s help, they will grow very well."

Yun Wan bent down, approaching to feel this quite childlike scene.

Yun Ge was startled, looked up, and saw Yun Wan smiling at him, his little face gradually turning crimson.

After a day, the seeds had already sprouted, growing into seedlings a few centimeters tall, with tender green leaves swaying in the wind, full of vitality.

The cabbage grew the fastest and had already taken shape. At this growth rate, it could be on the dining table in another day or two.

...

That night, at the Qin family's house.

"Is that you, Teacher Li? What can I do for you?" Mrs. Qin answered the phone, "Oh, Yun Wan? Just treat her like any other student... That’s not what you’re calling about?"

"You’re telling me she bought a barren planet to become its ruler? Alright, I understand. Thank you for informing me."

After hanging up, Mrs. Qin leaned back in her armchair, feeling a headache coming on.

Qin Yan, ever perceptive, noticed her mother’s discomfort and moved behind her to gently massage her temples.

Under Qin Yan’s soothing touch, the tension in her mother’s brow eased, and she began to relax, even feeling a bit sleepy.

She had been struggling with poor sleep, often plagued by insomnia. Despite seeing numerous renowned doctors, there had been no improvement. It was only Qin Yan’s occasional massages that offered some relief.

Noticing her mother’s expression soften, Qin Yan asked, "Did something happen to my sister?"

"Hmph, she’s not in trouble, but she’s certainly caused a mess for me!"

Mentioning Yun Wan, Mrs. Qin's face darkened.

Even though she’s on the brink of death, she still won’t stay quiet and even took out a loan to buy a barren planet.

Luckily, Mrs. Qin had the foresight to stop her husband from bringing her back. Not only was there the scandal of genetic defects, but buying a barren planet was sure to invite endless ridicule.

Spending money on a worthless barren planet—people would think the Qin family had lost their minds!

Even though she was her biological daughter, Mrs. Qin thought it was better not to acknowledge her. Whatever she did wouldn’t reflect on the Qin family.

Feeling Qin Yan’s gentle touch, Mrs. Qin’s heart was somewhat soothed.

Yan’er was so much better—an S-level psychic, highly talented, raised by the Qin family as their heir, gracious and sensible, never doing anything ridiculous.

Most importantly, she was also very filial.

Such a person was worthy of being her daughter, worthy of being the Qin family’s young lady, and capable of leading the Qin family to a brighter future.

Mrs. Qin's conviction grew stronger.

Everything she had done back then was the right call!