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Chapter 43: The head’s little peach blossom 2
Chen Tong specially spreads out his divine sense to perceive, after determining that the child behind him had never really discovered any abnormality with the grass, then withdrew his divine sense, placing his attention to the grass that spoke, asked: “In that case, can your roots be eaten by humans?”
It was very evident that the grass had no eyes to look, but Chen Tong could clearly perceive it sizing him up and down, then after that gave a loud cry: “A a a, it’s an immortal tree daren*, can be eaten can be eaten, does daren want some? I can give you several pieces!”
*title of respect toward superiors
Even if Chen Tong felt very baffled about this address, but still said: “Alright, thank you.”
As these words were just exported, this unexpectedly made all the grasses in the yard stand up and bustle with excitement, and started to fall over each other in their eagerness while argue noisily.
“Daren, my leaves can also be eaten, the toxicity can be removed as long as it is cooked for a while, the taste is much better compared to shepherd’s purse.”
“Me too me too, even though the tip of the leaves are poisonous, but removing the tip of the leaves would be fine!”
“Even if my leaves can’t be eaten, but it can disinfect and decrease the wound’s inflammation!”
“……”
There were obviously no traces of winds at this moment, but Xi Yan could perceive that all the weeds in the yard suddenly began swaying, for a moment the cluster of weeds, made rustling sounds. Mistakenly believing that it was his own misperception, he decided to compose himself and reattempted to look clearly, blinking a few more times, the whole house that had been swaying seemed to have also stopped, after that Chen Tong turned around, walking towards his side while showing a gentle and light smile, “Go back in the house, first wash your forehead with clean water to cleanse your wound, after that I will then give you a delicious meal.”
The youth’s face was obviously still covered by the dirt he indiscriminately smeared on himself, but this smiling expression was just like a flower that had recently bloomed, even the brilliant golden setting sun behind his back turned paled in comparison with this tiny smile, letting Xi Yan who was looking at him become slightly stunned, and actually did what was told, obediently searching the house for a basin to be used to wash.
Hardly imagining that although Chen Tong appeared to be smiling, but the innermost heart was actually filled with mockery. Because just a moment ago, the systems’ prompt suddenly sounded: “Welcoming the host to the new world, the following is the basic introduction of the world. This world’s background is an illogical modern era, the human race has gone through a great catastrophe 8 years ago, in the process of this the plants and animals has mutated, the human civilization has not only experienced a serious regression, but also faced great security threats, food shortages and other survival crisis.”
Not waiting for any reaction from Chen Tong, the white floccule* continued to announce: “The host’s basic circumstances in the world is as follows: Demon name: Peach blossom
*floccule: a small clump that resembles a tuft of wool. (instead of pompom)
Category: Flower demon
Special characteristic: monoecism, making a harmonious and orderly home
Status: LV4
Basic skill 1: [Flying flower petal attack] –By infusing the flower petal with a spiritual breath it can be used as a concealed weapon and can attack a target at will, and can aim with great precision.
Basic skill 2: [Peach heart attack] –Can be attained by emitting a dense flowery fragrance that can breach the target object’s heart, to make that being fall in love with the host beyond redemption.
Assistive skill: [Flower comprehension] –Having a 100% plant affinity, can be able to communicate and interact with plants without any restrictions, as well as promote or inhibit the plants growth process.
Ultimate skill: [Flowing flower petals] –Can simultaneously launch several flower petals while striking multiple targets, the maximum amount that can be launched is 100.”
The white floccule then announced the following basic mainline tasks of the world which were naturally the same as the former world, mainline task one ‘Devotional practice’, is the need to continually work hard to practice cultivation to promote the demon’s cultivation rank, mainline task two ‘Acquire the people’s goodwill’, which requires to gather the favorable impression of the human race.
The task that made Chen Tong endlessly scoff was naturally the mainline task three.
“Ding–, the mainline task three “Staying in character” has been activated, asking the host to rigorously abide by the peach blossom’s honour of making a harmonious and orderly home, as well as monoecism which is the blossom feature of having the two major traits of both gender, the culinary skill can be fully cultivated, as well as being able to successfully produce offspring for the future generations.”
After these statements were spoken, young master Chen suddenly compared it to the last world’s ‘unconscious exudation of a seductive atmosphere’ and became even more clueless.
Producing offspring for the future generations? Could this be a mistake or not?!
The culinary skill was already his weak spot, the following 4 words were just like a bolt from the blue, he even subconsciously lowered his head to confirm whether or not his body had changed into a woman, the ever supporting white floccule took the initiative to console him by briefly and slowly returning him to his senses: “The host doesn’t need to worry, the plants way of producing an offspring isn’t as difficult as you think, the host will know when the time comes.”
Xi Yan at that side has already taken some water, Chen Tong found a brand new towel, helping the child wipe and clean the blood and rough sands on the wound while also repeatedly saying: “Tolerate, it’s just a little painful, ah.”
Xi Yan’s brow from start to finish didn’t wrinkle the slightest bit, just like the wound was not from his own body, Chen Tong didn’t feel reassured and continued to say: “Take of your clothes so that I can give you an examination.”
These words of his did not contain any other meaning, and only wanted to see whether or not the other still had any other wounds in his body that’s all, Xi Yan without raising any objections also removed his garments, in a blink of an eye only a single underpants remained on his body.
In the next moment of seeing the other person’s body, Chen Tong froze with his eyes wide open.
He saw that the entire body was almost covered with small or big scars, especially the area at the back and shoulder, there were actually two that were different that was extremely long and fiercely twisted, even if it had already been equally healed, but it still appeared very horrible to see, extremely disconcerting to people.
Xi Yan had an expressionless facial expression waiting for yet another person to leave after being scared or being nauseated by these, but at this moment, he suddenly became aware of a slightly cool and soft hand lightly touching the scar on his back, and couldn’t help but turn his head, directly coming in contact with Chen Tong’s eyes.
That pair of eyes did not contain the slightest trace of fear and disgust, on the contrary it was brimming with deep concern and a bit of distress, wrinkling his brows asked: “Is there something wrong? Does it hurt?”
From Xi Yan’s point of view, this pair of eyes were absolutely better compared to any pair of beautiful eyes.
Not because of it’s graceful and beautiful curvature or the eye’s ability to differentiate white and black, but because that place contains, genuine and sincere emotions that he has never experienced before.
Furthermore, it wasn’t the compassion of pity, but rather distress. –That people like him, can actually also have someone be distressed for.
Chen Tong became so indignant that his anger rose. Who would actually raise their hands like this! It is simply child abuse! They must be seized to be sentenced!
Aside from the old external injuries, Xi Yan had one new wound on his left arm, fearing that he would catch a cold, hence, Chen Tong made him lie on the bed while also properly covering him with a blanket, only revealing the injured left arm and head, after that both these wounds were individually applied with the juice of the grass blade that had been secretly snuck in that the grass proclaimed to be able to decrease inflammation.
Xi Yan only felt a sudden comfortable coolness on the wounds, raising his head to see Chen Tong’s serious appearance. Because no gauze were found, Chen Tong could only take from his shirt’s  pocket that originally belonged from the other world which he brought along with him, pulling a handkerchief out and tearing it into two halves, one piece was for the forehead, while the other piece was very carefully wrapped on Xi Yan’s upper arm. At this moment, the angle Xi Yan had while reclining against the pillow, just so happened to be able to clearly see Chen Tong’s pair of eyes that made him indescribably yearn for, while also being able to easily see each of his most subtle expressions.
Those expressions cannot be faked.
Even if Xi Yan because of Chen Tong’s treatment slightly lowered his defenses, but he was honed by the things of the world becoming hardened and coldhearted so it was still completely out of the question to feel something like being moved by life and death or such emotions, so the expression as before was still ice-cold, only a type of unspeakable feeling rose up in his heart, while also gaining an unprecedented relaxation.
He had already not properly slept for two days, and it was also his first time laying upon a warm bed like this, so once the exhausted body relaxes, and indeed some drowsiness emerged.
“Sleep for a while, alright,” Chen Tong then softly said: “Just enough for me to go to the trading area to barter some things then cook food, you should properly sleep at home, wait for me to return, understood?”
Home, this unfamiliar word made the person’s heartbeat unreasonably quicken, after waiting for Chen Tong to go out, Xi Yan who’s eyes had originally been closed once again opened his eyes, slowly lifting his left arm which had been carefully wrapped by a handkerchief, moving it in front his eyes to dazedly look at it.
The handkerchief was purely white, only embroidered with a single moire pattern that was also bit white, there is nothing especially special apart from this particular aspect, but Xi Yan expressionlessly stared at it for quite a while, looking without blinking, as if being able to peer at a cluster of emerging blossoms.
Right until the time that the arm that was raised produced a sense of soreness and numbness, Xi Yan then used the uninjured right hand to softly touch the fabric on the handkerchief, the gesture was just like handling something that was cherished, and the cold expression that had always been on his face completely did not match, after which he then lowered his hand.
In just this fashion, he placed his left hand outside the cover, using his right hand, gently touched the handkerchief, feeling relieved fell asleep.
Chen Tong at this time had already reached the trading area.
The trading area is a place officially approved to pawn or barter goods, situated at the city center, and was exceptionally easy to locate, Chen Tong while waiting in queue heard many people mention these 3 words countless of times, he still had one variant chinaberry seed at hand, and very smoothly pawned it for fifty federal currencies, however the list of shopping items he envisioned also could not be realized.
Such as vinegar, soy sauce and other condiments, rice, noodles , flour and other food staples, even onion, ginger garlic and other flavorings, all of them did not exist. In these current circumstances farm crops and vegetables cannot be planted, all food completely comes from hunting and gathering, people with abilities join hunting teams, organized teams leave early and return late in the city, hunting a few strange beasts with little attack power, harvesting a few of the several fruits that were not considered to be poisonous.
Humanity’s staple food from rice and noodles were also forced to be replaced with strange meats from the beasts, almost returning to the primitive society. Even if it was like this, food was still exceptionally scarce, this time was also in the late autumn, when large strange beasts roamed more frequently, making the hunting environment became increasingly difficult.
Ultimately, Chen Tong in the end could only buy some salt and spare rib. Fortunately when he went out he encountered a hunting team member that had just recently returned to the city, using the last ten federal currencies bought an egg that had been accidentally discovered in the forest.
On the way back, Chen Tong searched for the grass that everyone would avoid and not touch upon.
The 100% plant affinity that the system mentioned before was really true, spreading a bit of his divine sense, he quickly acquired responses, receiving and accumulating a lot of grasses claiming to have rhizomes, branches and leaves that can be eaten or have detoxifying properties.
After returning home, Chen Tong then immediately went to the kitchen and got occupied, first separating all the rhizome, branches and leaves then simply washing them all at once. The rhizomes outer skin is somewhat similar to the sweet potatoes, having the color of reddish brown, the interior is also light yellow, but is a hundred times more harder than sweet potatoes, an average cleaver of a kitchen is completely unable to cut it. But even if the branches and leaves is said to have the same taste and use similar the shepherd’s purse, but the fact is that it contains toxins, however, through the process of boiling it with a big fire, the toxins will then be completely diluted inside the water.
Chen Tong specially boiled a pot full of water to purify the branches and leaves, then also recalling the intermediate magic qing ming* knife that had been drawn from the big turntable’s lottery in the previous world, decisively took it out to try and test.
*I’ll keep the items name as is…
The hand holding the knife fell, the qing ming knife without any trouble and as easy as pie lightly and easily sliced the rhizome into two, then pulling along the sliced area, the core inside and the rind was easily peeled off.
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However, he also soon encountered another problem, –It was exactly the culinary skill in which he was very ignorant about.
“Can some basic culinary ability be redeemed?” Young master Chen could only turn to seek help from the white floccule, “I only need the most basic ones……”
“Fine,” The white floccule nodded then said: “The big turntable can be used to be able to obtain a primary culinary skill once, but if wanting to increase it to intermediate and advance, then you can only depend on yourself to do it step by step and temper your skills.”
Even if it was said to be a primary culinary skill, but the level was already much better compared to the great majority of common people who often cooks food, with the completion of the conversion, the variety of cooking methods and knowledge was quickly transmitted in Chen Tong’s mind, the hands and feet also operated magically by itself.
Chen Tong intended to mash the rhizome into paste, then slice it into ‘thin pieces’, the wild herbs which had their toxins completely removed will be mixed with that egg together to fry a large plate of wild herb omelette, then using the spare rib, stew it in a pot to make a spare rib with wild herb soup.
Stewing the spare rib would take quite some time, so Chen Tong found a large pot to wash and clean, adding water, meat and salt in succession, putting it on the fire to boil it first.
Because of the mobilization of spiritual energy, the rhizome was quickly mashed into a slightly sticky paste, Chen Tong using the flour proceeded to knead it directly kneading it to become round, then flattening it to become strips, the completely detoxified wild herbs was place into the spare rib soup while continually stewing it, then crack the egg open.
The egg is quite big, the color of the egg yolk is also very yellow, placing it into a pan to stir fry for a while so that it becomes golden yellow, the aroma also filled the 4 corners, the spare rib soup’s meat flavour also followed to waft over, the entire kitchen became filled with enticing flavors, that finally drifted to the bedroom, with rich fragrances that made people unable to help but drool.
T/n:
Shepherd’s purse: commonly used in food in Shanghai and the surrounding Jiangnan region, where it is stir-fried with rice cakes and other ingredients or as part of the filling in wontons.