Chapter 27

Chapter 27

The kitchen was completed, and Yuan Qing asked Ying Yuanxing to check it over.

The kitchen was an extension to the left of the log cabin, built with oak wood, with visible wood grain that matched the style of the cabin—a sturdy, good-looking setup. However, Ying Yuanxing was more into a different look.

If the general store had been open, he could have spent money on wallpaper and floors to fix up the place. But now, he had to either accept the current style or do it himself.

Even if he did it himself, he couldn’t switch up the look every few days. This was probably a small downside of the game turning real.

What satisfied Ying Yuanxing the most, though, was the kitchen setup. All the cabinets were in place, and there was even a sink, stove, and refrigerator.

Though it didn't have tons of cookware, it included pots, pans, dishes—the works—even a set of baking tools. Basically, he could get cooking the moment he brought in the ingredients.

Yuan Xiu stood outside the kitchen, seeing how pleased Ying Yuanxing looked. Somehow, he felt that the smile on Ying Yuanxing’s face seemed more genuine than the ones he had directed at him.

Ying Yuanxing stepped out of the kitchen and heaped praise on Yuan Qing, wrapping up with, “Mrs. Yuan, your work is incredible. Next time I have work, I’ll definitely hire you again.”

Yuan Qing was kind of floored by Ying Yuanxing’s enthusiasm. In the past, when she completed jobs for others, they would pay up promptly without hassle—that was already considered a good employer. But someone like Ying Yuanxing, who laid it on so thick, was a first for her.

Even though building this kitchen had ended up leaving her in the red, with him buttering her up like that and hearing Ying Yuanxing’s words, she instinctively agreed.

“Mrs. Yuan, Yuan Xiu, it’s getting late. Why don’t you stay for dinner before leaving?” Ying Yuanxing suggested warmly.

Yuan Qing was about to agree instinctively, but when she noticed Yuan Xiu’s dark look, she hesitated.

Yuan Xiu spoke up, “No, my mother and I have some matters to attend to later. We’ll take a rain check.”

Ying Yuanxing was kinda bummed, but then it hit him that the kitchen had just been built. He hadn’t even tested whether he had to cook the dishes himself or if they would magically appear once he placed the ingredients inside. Inviting them over like this might be awkward, so he smiled and said, “Alright, next time I invite you and Mrs. Yuan, you can’t refuse again.”

Yuan Xiu nodded with a smile. Under different circumstances, he might have been interested in staying for dinner. But right now, he was in a funk and didn’t want to see Ying Yuanxing for the time being.

As Yuan Xiu made to leave, Xiao Hei Cat followed behind him. Ying Yuanxing thought the cat was helping him see them out, unaware that Xiao Hei Cat was simply making darn sure Yuan Xiu didn’t change his mind after a few steps—he intended to keep an eye on him until he was truly gone.

Yuan Xiu noticed the cat’s antics and scoffed. Xuan Ying really shouldn’t have chosen to be a cat. If he had chosen to be a dog, he’d have been way more convincing—maybe even bark a few times to drive him away.

Under Xiao Hei Cat’s watchdog stare, Yuan Xiu left the farm without dawdling and soon returned home.

After sitting for a while, Yuan Xiu got up and headed to the kitchen to prepare something to eat.

He rarely used the kitchen because the things he craved were seldom found there. But today, his appetite was through the roof due to his earlier anticipation. Since he couldn’t have what he truly wanted, he had to make do with whatever to curb his hunger.

However, the moment he stepped into the kitchen, Yuan Xiu stopped dead, brain short-circuiting for a second.

Even though he seldom entered the kitchen and couldn’t recall exactly what was supposed to be inside, the difference between a normal kitchen and one that was stripped clean was impossible to ignore. The cabinets were gone, the kitchenware was gone, the refrigerator was gone—even the sink was missing…

What dumb thief would dare steal from him?!

Yuan Xiu scoped the room but found no traces of anyone other than himself and Yuan Qing. Unless the thief’s ability to conceal their presence was so advanced that it could evade his detection, there was only one possibility—Yuan Qing had stripped the place bare.

Suddenly, Yuan Xiu remembered something. Ying Yuanxing’s kitchen had looked weirdly familiar. At the time, he had assumed all kitchens looked similar and hadn’t thought much of it. But now, seeing his own kitchen stripped bare, Yuan Xiu turned to Yuan Qing.

Yuan Qing met his gaze, glanced at the kitchen, and silently averted her eyes.

“What’s going on?” Yuan Xiu was so mad it was almost funny, his smile brighter than usual—but his eyes were downright scary.

Yuan Qing explained that the issue lay in the contract. Under normal circumstances, building a kitchen only involved constructing the framework. The utensils and appliances were supposed to be provided by Ying Yuanxing himself. But for some reason, the contract’s interpretation was that Ying Yuanxing’s kitchen wouldn’t be considered complete unless all the necessary kitchenware was included.

Originally, Yuan Qing still had time to purchase these items, but Ying Yuanxing had unexpectedly fulfilled the contract conditions ahead of schedule, forcing the kitchen construction to be rushed. Left with no choice, Yuan Qing had to take the kitchenware from their own home to furnish Ying Yuanxing’s kitchen.

In short, this job had been a total money pit.

Yuan Xiu stared at the empty kitchen in silence for a moment before standing up.

“Are you going to take the kitchenware back?” Yuan Qing misunderstood, a hint of panic in her voice.

“I won’t break the contract rules,” Yuan Xiu said slowly, glancing at her. “I’m going to mooch a meal. Mom, you’re coming with me.”

But before Yuan Qing could step out, they ran into Ying Yuanxing at the door.

“Yuan Xiu, Mrs. Yuan,” Ying Yuanxing greeted them cheerfully, then rubbed his neck awkwardly. “I came to borrow some seasonings.”

“I haven’t been able to buy any, and the food I make without them doesn’t taste good.”

Yuan Xiu stared at Ying Yuanxing without saying a word.

After a moment of awkward silence, Ying Yuanxing was about to feel embarrassed when Yuan Xiu suddenly turned around and went back inside. He returned with a large assortment of seasonings—oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar—and even carried flour and rice.

“I don’t need this much!” Ying Yuanxing waved his hands in surprise. He hadn’t expected Yuan Xiu to be so generous. He had only intended to borrow a little, but the amount Yuan Xiu brought out looked like their entire household stock.

Wait… was this Yuan Xiu’s kitchen?

Ying Yuanxing’s gaze shifted behind Yuan Xiu. The layout of the room was very similar to his own kitchen, and Yuan Xiu had retrieved the ingredients from inside. But… why was the kitchen empty?

“What happened here?” Ying Yuanxing couldn’t help but ask.

“We were robbed. The kitchen was completely cleared out—only these are left,” Yuan Xiu said, giving Ying Yuanxing a meaningful look before sighing.

Ying Yuanxing suddenly felt hesitant about accepting the seasonings, but Yuan Xiu simply pushed them at him.

“Since we don’t have a kitchen anymore, you might as well take these,” Yuan Xiu said.

“In that case… why don’t you and Mrs. Yuan come over to my place for meals these next few days?” Ying Yuanxing suggested. With the kitchen in this state, it probably wouldn’t be usable for a while.

If he hadn’t known, he wouldn’t have offered. But now that he had seen it, he felt obliged to help—especially since Yuan Xiu had given him so many seasonings.

Xuan Ying guarded the prepared fish fillets, waiting for Ying Yuanxing to return with the seasonings. But when Ying Yuanxing came back, he had company—Yuan Xiu, the person Xuan Ying despised the most, was with him.

Before Yuan Xiu had arrived at the farm, he hadn’t been Xuan Ying’s most hated person. Now, he had firmly secured the top spot.

Ying Yuanxing turned and saw Xuan Ying glaring at Yuan Xiu. Worried that Xuan Ying might say something that would reopen old wounds for the Yuan family, he quickly pulled him aside to explain and reminded him not to ask any insensitive questions. Then, he entered the kitchen and stored all the ingredients in the refrigerator.

When he turned on the stove again, a cooking interface popped up—but there was only one recipe available: grilled fish.

Ying Yuanxing guessed that cooking in reality required him to experiment with recipes since real-life ingredients were far more varied than in the game. Grilled fish was something he had made before—even if it hadn’t tasted great, he had at least succeeded in making it, which was why the recipe was unlocked.

However, remembering how his previous grilled fish had turned out, Ying Yuanxing worried about wasting a fish and decided to try a different recipe. Grilled fish was too troublesome—he’d just make braised fish instead.

Braised fish wasn’t difficult and didn’t take much time. Soon, Ying Yuanxing had prepared a serving, and the recipe for braised fish appeared in his cooking interface.

Calculating the number of people, Ying Yuanxing decided to make four servings—one for each of them—to go with the pot of rice he had steamed.

Before cooking in bulk, though, he tasted the braised fish to make sure it was decent.

Before heading out, Ying Yuanxing took one fish and sliced it thinly, completing the recipe for sashimi. He wouldn’t eat it himself—it was for Xiao Hei Cat, so the little cat wouldn’t have to struggle with bones.

Carrying five plates at once was a bit much. Just as Ying Yuanxing was about to make two trips, Xuan Ying darted in from outside.

Before Ying Yuanxing could react, Xuan Ying grabbed all five plates and walked out effortlessly. Ying Yuanxing couldn’t even figure out how he was holding four plates with two hands while keeping them perfectly steady. Left with no choice, Ying Yuanxing went to fetch the steamed rice.

"Mrs. Yuan, there's only fish at home, not much else to work with. Please have a taste," Ying Yuanxing said as he set down the rice.

Yuan Qing stared at the braised fish in front of her, looking it over from all angles, convinced it was just an ordinary fish. She glanced at Ying Yuanxing, then couldn’t help but look at Yuan Xiu again.

She had always thought Yuan Xiu was the best at disguising himself as an ordinary human among the supernaturals, but it seemed there was always someone better.

When it came to deception, Ying Yuanxing was in a league of his own—at least Yuan Xiu couldn’t pull off something like this with food.

Supernaturals *could* eat ordinary food, but it provided no benefit to them. In fact, they had to use a bit of supernatural energy to digest it, or else eating too much would make them slightly uncomfortable.

But since Ying Yuanxing had gone to the trouble, Yuan Qing had no choice but to eat. Resigned, she picked up a piece of fish, confirmed once more that it was completely ordinary, and swallowed it in one bite—then froze.

...

While the Ying family was having dinner, the Yu family was also eating.

Despite having been beaten earlier, Yu Fei and Yu Ye were eating eagerly. Yu Fei, in particular, got praised by Elder Brother Yu and the others for speaking up several times.

With a large haul of fish and an agreement to buy more from Ying Yuanxing, the Yu family was overjoyed, they were so relaxed they didn’t notice someone watching them from outside.

The stranger’s gaze was fixed on Yu Fei, watching him eat the fish with delight, even roughhousing playfully with his younger brother—nothing like the half-dead state he’d been in before. The observer’s gaze grew feverish.

Yu Fei sensed something off and didn’t hesitate: "Dad, I feel like someone’s watching me!"

Before the words even fully left his mouth, Elder Brother Yu and the others were gone from the room. But as fast as they were, the watcher was faster—realizing they’d been spotted, they bolted instantly, leaving not even a trace of their presence behind.

When they found nothing, Elder Brother Yu and the others didn’t venture far outside and soon returned home.

"Big Brother, who do you think it was?" Yu Laoer asked.

Elder Brother Yu didn’t answer, frowning as he stared at a distant house—one belonging to their own kin.

"Let’s eat first. Finish the fish," Elder Brother Yu said after a long pause.

Three hundred pounds of fish might seem like a lot, but with six supernaturals eating at once, it didn’t last long. Still, Elder Brother Yu and his two brothers didn’t eat much, leaving most of it for Yu Fei and the others.

Meanwhile, in another house, the supernaturals whispered.

"Yu Fei really recovered?"

"How did he do it?"

"Elder Brother Yu found something good but won’t share it with us."

"We should report it to the Territory Lord—he can’t hoard it for himself."

"No, we can’t tell the Territory Lord, or we’ll get nothing."

"Follow him. Find the treasure!"

...

Ying Yuanxing still remembered the time he’d agreed to sell fish to Elder Brother Yu. To avoid missing it, he arrived at the village entrance early to wait.

Before long, Elder Brother Yu appeared, looking somewhat dazed. He’d actually been circling Taoxi Village for days, aware that other supernaturals had taken notice of the Yu family’s situation. He’d come out early to shake off any pursuers.

If possible, Elder Brother Yu would’ve postponed the deal until things cooled down. But the timing wasn’t up to him, and he feared offending Ying Yuanxing—losing his source of fish forever. So he had no choice but to come.

He’d even tried waiting at the village entrance beforehand, but for the past two days, he couldn’t get in. Then, just now, after taking a few steps, the entrance to Taoxi Village—previously unreachable—suddenly appeared before him.

After completing the transaction with Elder Brother Yu, Ying Yuanxing was about to restock when he noticed another person at the village entrance. The man looked nervous and flustered, as if he’d gotten lost in the woods and stumbled upon Taoxi Village by accident.

Chen Yuan had been secretly sticking close to Elder Brother Yu, clinging to his trail no matter how many detours he took. While the other supernaturals were just after the "treasure," Chen Yuan’s wife was about to fade away without treatment.

Fortunately, his persistence paid off. Elder Brother Yu had shaken the others—but not Chen Yuan. Though too far to hear the conversation, Chen Yuan saw Elder Brother Yu take fish from Ying Yuanxing. Given how hush-hush the deal was, these couldn’t be ordinary fish.

But what price had Elder Brother Yu paid for them?

Chen Yuan hesitated for only a moment before stepping forward as Ying Yuanxing turned to leave.

"Sir—" Chen Yuan began.

Ying Yuanxing nearly thought he was hallucinating. Had he gone back in time instead of modern society?

"Wait, don’t call me ‘sir.’ Are you lost?" Ying Yuanxing waved his hand.

Chen Yuan’s mind raced, trying to decipher any hidden meaning in Ying Yuanxing’s words. After a pause, he said, "Boss, I’d like to buy some fish."

Buy fish? Had Elder Brother Yu referred him?

Ying Yuanxing perked up briefly—then remembered he’d already sold all his recent catches to Elder Brother Yu. He had nothing left.

Was he really going to lose a sale?

He had to try salvaging the situation. "I just sold out, but if you can wait, I’ll catch some more."

Chen Yuan couldn’t refuse. He nodded, watching as Ying Yuanxing walked to a nearby river, cast his line, and began fishing.

The fishing rod looked strangely familiar. After a moment, Chen Yuan realized—it belonged to Lord Li An. He’d once been hooked by that very rod, close enough to feel the terrifying aura of its owner. Back then, he’d been certain he’d end up as a slab of fish meat, only for Li An to toss him back in disgust, letting him live.

How had this rod ended up in Ying Yuanxing’s hands? No—that wasn’t the most shocking part. The real shock was that Ying Yuanxing could *use* it to fish—and actually catch something.

This revelation made Chen Yuan question everything he’d ever heard.

Ying Yuanxing pulled in fish lightning-fast, soon returning with three. "Do you want these? Ten bucks a pound."

After the misunderstanding with Elder Brother Yu last time, Ying Yuanxing made sure to specify the currency, afraid "ten" might be mistaken for "a hundred thousand."

But the price threw Chen Yuan for a loop. Ten yuan? Was this really the special supernatural food that could save his wife? Why had Elder Brother Yu been so secretive about buying it?

"If it’s too expensive, you can buy elsewhere," Ying Yuanxing said, refusing to lower the price this time. Last sale had been his first, so he’d been more flexible. But now, cutting prices willy-nilly would hurt his business. Besides, Chen Yuan didn’t look poor—if he couldn’t afford it, he could just do without.

"No, that’s not it," Chen Yuan quickly clarified, shaking his head. He studied the fish closely in Ying Yuanxing’s hands.

From a distance, he hadn’t seen clearly the fish Elder Brother Yu had taken. But the ones he’d glimpsed before looked... different.

"How is this fish different from the ones you sold to Elder Brother Yu?" Chen Yuan asked hesitantly. If his wife weren’t so far gone, he’d take it back to test first. But her supernatural energy was disappearing too quickly—if this failed, there’d be no second chance.

Ying Yuanxing was about to say there was no difference when it dawned on him—the fish he’d sold before had been fed with feed grass. Maybe *that* was the key.

He’d originally used the grass for lack of better feed, but between Chen Yuan’s question and Elder Brother Yu’s behavior, he was starting to realize the grass was far more special than he’d realized.

"Do you also have high-grade fish at home?" Ying Yuanxing asked.

Chen Yuan wasn’t sure what he meant, but he nodded on instinct.

Ying Yuanxing kept a straight face, but his head was spinning. Fishing had been a steady income stream, but there was a limit to how much he could make this way.

Unless he charged more—but how many would still pay the higher price?

Moreover, the benefits Ying Yuanxing gained from fishing were gradually diminishing. These past few days, he had been experimenting with all sorts of fish dishes—grilled fish, fish soup, fish skin aspic, braised fish, spicy fish, fried fish chunks...

But after three straight days of eating fish, even he was starting to feel a bit sick of it. Though not completely sick of it yet, that point wasn’t far off.

If he stopped fishing, the crops on the farm were still nowhere near productive enough. In fact, if he wanted to save some for seeds, there wouldn’t even be enough for himself to eat.

Chen Yuan’s words, however, gave him a new money-making scheme—selling fodder grass.

Calculating based on the price of fish, the fodder would be quite expensive. But if the other party was raising high-grade fish, then for the sake of the fish’s health, a higher price should be acceptable.

After all, if a fish worth hundreds of thousands per pound could eat a few thousand dollars’ worth of fodder, that seemed only natural.

Wait, no—he could also package it in smaller portions to lower the price slightly, making it seem even more like a better deal.

But if the price was too high, the buyer probably wouldn’t be able to afford it all at once. He’d need them to round up more buyers. Ying Yuanxing didn’t know any breeders or cultivators of high-grade fish, but judging from Elder Brother Yu and Chen Yuan’s connection, they must know others in the same circle who could help spread the word.

The most important thing was that if he, as the seller, tried to promote it himself, not only would it be exhausting, but few would believe him. However, if fellow fish breeders put in a good word, others would be more inclined to trust it.

Besides, as long as the fodder was effective, Ying Yuanxing didn’t believe others wouldn’t notice. After all, those in the same trade understood each other best.

"Ahem." Ying Yuanxing cleared his throat to catch Chen Yuan’s attention before saying, "I know what you want now. But that was just a secondary product. Would you like to try the best one instead?"

If a product was to be sold at a high price, he definitely couldn’t just call it fodder grass. No matter how effective it was, before establishing a reputation, few would be willing to pay much for it.

Chen Yuan felt as if he were facing a smooth-talking demon he had once encountered—one that spoke in the same manner. Yet, the "best option" offered by such beings was often the one that led to a world of hurt.

But… did he even have a choice?

"I’ll give it a try," Chen Yuan said calmly.

"Wait here." Ying Yuanxing smiled mysteriously before he took off running toward the farm.

Compared to before, the farm now had an additional silo—a gift from Yuan Qing in return for mooching meals at the Ying household. The fodder grass Ying Yuanxing had harvested recently was stored inside, left to ferment.

Ying Yuanxing took out a portion of the grass, then hesitated—it still seemed like too much. He split it in half, then halved it again. This smaller portion finally looked a bit fancier, though it was still unmistakably fodder grass.

Using an axe, Ying Yuanxing carefully chopped the grass into fine pieces, each strand cut to the same length. Thanks to his recent axe training with Xuan Ying, his axe control had improved significantly—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to achieve such precision.

After a moment’s hesitation, Ying Yuanxing went into the kitchen to further process the grass. A new recipe popped up in his cookbook: *Soaked Fodder Grass*.

As for how it tasted, Ying Yuanxing didn’t dare try it himself. But when he fed some to the fish in the pond, they went for it just like before, without any sign of distaste.

This oughta do the trick, right?

To avoid potentially damaging any good stuff of the grass, Ying Yuanxing had only soaked it in water. He packed the grass into a bottle and returned to the village entrance, where Chen Yuan was still waiting—though he looked like a nervous wreck.

"This is the best product. Five hundred a pop," Ying Yuanxing announced, fighting a twinge of guilt. After all, he knew better than anyone what this "fodder grass" really was.

But then again, if Elder Brother Yu had bought the fish for the sake of the grass, then the money he’d spent on those fish would’ve roughly covered the cost of the premium fodder they’d eaten. By selling the grass directly, Ying Yuanxing was just cutting out the fish middleman.

Chen Yuan’s hand shook as he reached out to take the premium fodder.