Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Cooking Congee
Zhao Chi surveyed the area.
He confirmed it was safe.
"Letās go, Tang Ruan. We need to hurry and get water, then get you all fed. After youāve eaten, weāll go wipe out that group of Goblins."
"Huh? Didnāt that Goblin say they have 35 strong warriors? We only have 12 people. Can we really win?"
Tang Ruan was a little worried.
Zhao Chi laughed. "Thirty-five warriors? Goblins are the best at bragging. Everything they say is an exaggeration. The number he gave isnāt necessarily true. There might not even be 30 of them."
Tang Ruan nodded. "Oh, thereās still so much I donāt understand. Thank you for patiently teaching me."
āThis Tang Ruan is quite polite.ā
Zhao Chi smiled faintly. "Youāre welcome. When we get back, you can teach the others what Iāve told you."
Tang Ruan nodded. "Okay, I will."
"Letās go. We need to hurry and get the water."
Things went smoothly after that.
They didnāt encounter any obstacles.
Zhao Chiās iron pot and Tang Ruanās wooden basin were both filled with water.
The two of them returned to the territory, cautious yet quick.
They went straight into the Lordās House.
In the kitchen was Gu Qing, her skin fair and delicate.
The clothes obviously werenāt finished yet.
But Gu Qing had already prepared the Supplies needed for cooking.
They were piled high in a corner.
When she saw Zhao Chi and the others, she stood up happily. "Youāre back? Lord, Iāve already prepared the firewood for cooking. You can start the fire right away."
Zhao Chi placed the pot on the stove.
He was a little surprised to see the large pile of firewood.
The firewood was stacked in a pile.
But it was exceptionally neat.
It was divided into three different stacks along the corner of the wall.
The innermost stack was all thick logs that could burn for a long time.
The middle one was dry branches and some smaller twigs.
And the outermost one was dry grass, dry leaves, and dry barkāperfect for kindling.
Zhao Chi couldnāt help but ask, "Did you do all this?"
Tang Ruan also sighed in admiration, "Sister Gu is amazing."
Gu Qing smiled and waved her hand dismissively.
"How could I have done all this by myself?"
"Three of the other women helped me. After all, we need to cook first and make sure everyone gets a full meal.
"As for the clothes, it doesnāt matter if we put them on a little earlier or later. Itās not like anyone else will see.
"And even if you see us, Lord, itās no big deal.
"Right, Tang Ruan?"
Tang Ruan didnāt expect Gu Qing to suddenly ask her.
She stammered, "Oh, uh, yes, right. If the Lord sees, he sees. Itās nothing."
She blushed and lowered her head as she spoke.
Seeing her shyness, Gu Qing couldnāt help but burst out laughing.
But suddenly, her expression changed.
She rushed toward Zhao Chi.
"Lord! Why is there blood on you? Are you hurt? Let me give you Treatment!"
Zhao Chi looked down and saw some bloodstains on his waistband.
But it was all from the Goblins.
Zhao Chi gave a simple explanation.
"Oh, you scared me to death! Itās good that youāre okay."
Gu Qing patted her impressive chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
The resulting ripple was quite a sight.
Zhao Chi asked, "Gu Qing, do you know how to make rice? Tang Ruan and I are going to go bury those three Goblins."
Gu Qing couldnāt help but laugh. "Lord, how could I not know how to make plain rice? You underestimate me. We donāt have many Supplies right now, but once we have enough, Iāll show you my Culinary Skill. Iāll make you delicious food every day."
Zhao Chi smiled. "Great. Iāll be looking forward to that treat."
After saying that, Zhao Chi suddenly felt something was off.
āHe hadnāt seen the Culinary Skill among her Skills.ā
āWithout the Culinary Skill, what kind of culinary skills could she have?ā
Zhao Chi asked, "Gu Qing, are you... also experienced in cooking?"
Gu Qing was surprisingly frank. "I have no experience whatsoever."
"Er... then you?"
Gu Qing smiled. "Thatās why I said we have to wait until we have enough Supplies. Iāll practice diligently. Iām determined to become your personal chef. Thatās the only way to ensure your dining safety."
āDining safety?ā
āIs her Loyalty really only 5 points?ā
Zhao Chi was a little happy. "Alright, then Iāll be counting on you in the future. But for today, the rice wonāt be a problem, right?"
Gu Qing also smiled. "The rice really wonāt be a problem, you can rest assured. But I think it would be better if we made porridge instead. We donāt have any side dishes to go with it, after all. What do you think, Tang Ruan?"
Tang Ruan nodded. "Yes, porridge does seem more suitable. But if the Lord wants to eat rice, then Iāll eat rice too."
Zhao Chi smiled and waved his hand. "Iām fine with anything. Letās have porridge, then."
Gu Qing said, "If weāre making porridge, this is just enough water. How about we have Tang Ruan make it, and Iāll accompany you to bury the bodies?"
Tang Ruan said, "Lord, I have no problem making the porridge. Sister Gu Qing is very strong. It will be safer for you if she goes with you."
Gu Qing threw Tang Ruan a friendly glance.
Zhao Chi shook his head. "Gu Qing, your Combat Power is the highest. You need to stay here. If enemies attack, weāll be counting on you to defend us."
Gu Qing nodded. "Understood. Lord, please be careful. If you get injured, come find me, and Iāll give you Treatment immediately."
"Okay." Zhao Chi nodded. "Tang Ruan, grab the shovels. Letās go."
It was currently summer.
If they didnāt deal with the bodies quickly, they would soon rot and start to smell.
It would also attract swarms of insects and could even cause diseases.
It might also attract other beasts.
So, burying them as soon as possible was the best option.
Soon, the two of them returned to the battle site.
The three Goblins lay there silently.
The two of them started digging a pit right away.
Although Tang Ruan really looked like a delicate girl, her Power was also 5 points.
On par with Zhao Chiās.
They were in the same Power Level.
There might be minor differences, but overall, they werenāt far apart.
Moreover, Tang Ruan was deliberately putting all her effort into digging, so she ended up digging even faster than Zhao Chi.
Soon, they had hastily buried the three Goblins.
When they returned to the Lordās House again, Gu Qing and the other female villagers were all wearing small shorts.
Gu Qing said to Tang Ruan, "Here, these are yours. Go on, put them on."
"Okay, thank you, Sister Gu."
"Youāre welcome~"
As Gu Qing spoke, she took the shovels from Zhao Chi and put them away.
Then she brought over two bamboo cups filled with hot water.
She handed one to Tang Ruan and the other to Zhao Chi.
"Go ahead and drink, Lord. It was just boiled. Itās a little hot, but itās drinkable."
Zhao Chi asked, puzzled, "Where did the bamboo cups come from?"
Gu Qing pointed ahead. "From right there. You just cut the bamboo along the joints, chop it into sections, and you have bamboo cups. All-natural."
Zhao Chi nodded. "Youāre really amazing. Every time I come back, I see something new."
Gu Qing smiled. "Now do you believe I can train up a good Culinary Skill?"
Zhao Chi couldnāt help but nod. "I believe you. Iām looking forward to it."
Gu Qing said happily, "Hee hee, thatās great. The porridge will be ready in a little while."
The aroma of rice porridge was already wafting from the Lordās House.
Mingled with the acrid smell of burning firewood.
Just then, a system notification arrived.
[New Friend Request Received]
He opened it and saw it was from Yang Xiong.
Yang Xiong was in his system contacts.
The two of them could talk at any time.
But their territories had not yet established a friend relationship.
If they established a friend relationship, they could trade, assist each other in battle, and so on.
Of course, trade between Lords was also taxed.
As for assisting in battle, it probably wouldnāt be needed in the early stages.
The surrounding factions and wild monsters in the early stages werenāt strong.
If a Lord needed help even in the early stages, they were far too incompetent.
Unless, that is, they encountered a Giant or some other powerful force.