Shen Tang was happily eating her meal but felt like something was missing.
1234... plus her, five people.
Oh, there was still one Beast Husband missing!
Xue Yinzhou was always so elusive, his presence was so weak that she forgot about him.
Besides, heās not her target to pursue now, so Shen Tang didnāt put much thought on this snake, accidentally omitted him, and forgot to send him the family dinner invitation.
But Xue Yinzhou, being a Hidden Guard, usually keeps watch nearby, even if she forgot to message him, couldnāt he just come in and eat?
She wouldnāt drive him away, it was just adding another pair of chopsticks.
Shen Tang glanced outside the courtyard but didnāt see the Snake Beastās figure.
"Every time I work so hard to cook, this snake never gives me face. He must look down on me! Heās doing it on purpose!" Shen Tang complained to the system angrily.
The system replied, [Heās not targeting you, the original owner said he was not allowed to be at the table for meals.]
"What?" Shen Tang was puzzled.
The system gossiped, [The original owner said heās a male slave, that even being married as a Beast Husband wouldnāt change his lowly status, never allowed him to eat at the table, when she was young, she would just carelessly throw him some leftover food to fill his stomach.]
Shen Tangās lips twitched, the original owner had a gift for insults, her methods of drawing hate were unparalleled!
[Ding! Congratulations to the host, Shen Liās affinity +10!]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host, Xiao Jinās affinity +10!]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host, Jia Lanās affinity +10!]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host, Lu Xiaoās affinity +30!]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the side quest: organizing a loving family gathering, reward: a pack of grain seeds, the reward has been delivered to the system backpack, please check it yourself!]
Shen Tang was elated hearing the system notifications echoing in her mind, she didnāt expect that Lu Xiao, who was usually quite wooden, had the highest affinity increase this time.
Seems like the man really appreciates this warm family atmosphere, she could work on this aspect.
In the future, she should connect more with these dog men!
Once she returns to the Empire, these dog men better stay at home with her and not think about running away!
Three days later, a spaceship sent by the Empire came to pick them up.
Shen Tang happily packed her luggage, so excited that she couldnāt sleep half the night, but when she saw it outside the city, her face dropped.
This spaceship looked old and worn out, a whole size smaller than Gu Lianās spaceship that day! It seemed like an outdated one about to be retired.
Even the original owner was once an Empire Princess, not only was no one there to greet her, but they also sent such a small and broken spaceship, as if someone was intentionally giving her a hard time.
Xiao Jin and the others also looked displeased, but since the Empire had set up a special barrier at the border of the polluted zone, only such a spaceship could pass through it. Despite the disdain, they could only board this spaceship.
Shen Tang soon adjusted her mood; whether it was a new spaceship or a worn-out one, as long as it could take her away from this broken place, it would be enough.
That night, to boost the morale, she specifically invited the Beast Husbands over for hotpot, warming both heart and stomach.
The journey would take about a week, so Shen Tang had already prepared the ingredients. She even specifically asked Jia Lan to use ice water to lock in the freshness of the food, ensuring they could enjoy themselves well on the road.
Xiao Jin and the others used to survive long missions on nutrient liquids, but since tasting this fatty girlās cooking, they couldnāt bear returning to their previous hard days, it was simply not something a beast could endure.
Itās easy to go from thrift to extravagance, but hard to go back from extravagance to thrift.
Just for the sake of good food, they had to shamelessly stick to Shen Tang, no longer treating her coldly like before.
Shen Tang felt smug: keeping these dog men in check, perfectly done!
"Xiao Jin, go wash the vegetables, Jia Lan, you go thaw the meat," Shen Tang ordered.
Xiao Jinās forehead twitched, "Youāre asking me to wash vegetables?"
"Yes, Iām talking to you. Basically, you laze around all day, never helping out. Today, youāre in charge of washing the vegetables. If you donāt want to do that, you can wash the dishes instead!" Shen Tang glared at him angrily, like a puffed-up pufferfish.
Xiao Jin looked down at her round face, a hint of interest flickering in his golden eyes. Suddenly, he leaned in and pinched her face, causing her anger to dissipate instantly, and she failed to hold back a laugh, her face turning dark with embarrassment and rage, "Are you out of your mind?"
Before she could land a slap on him, Xiao Jin disappeared without a trace, his voice filled with scornful arrogance, "Fine, Iāll wash the vegetables. Youāre asking someone like me, whoās handled hundreds of guns, to pick vegetable leaves and wash themātalk about using a sledgehammer to crack a nut."
Jia Lan saw Xiao Jin obediently going to wash vegetables and couldnāt help but twitch his mouth, his handsome face turning slightly grim, but he humbled himself to defrost the beast meat, then following Shen Tangās instructions, washed and cut it into chunks and slices.
Shen Li came over and curiously asked, "Xiao Tangāer, whatās hotpot?"
In the post-apocalyptic Beast World, although modern civilization was retained, many things were lost, especially recipes, which became useless during the apocalypse. Beastmen preferred simple and quick energy replenishment, cooking was inefficient, and even in noble restaurants, dishes were mostly ready-made. Hotpot, being a dish made fresh to order, had been completely phased out. It was normal they hadnāt heard of it.
"Itās really simple, you just make a hotpot base with seasonings and then put the meat and vegetables into the pot, cooking and eating them freshāconvenient and delicious!" Shen Tang wasnāt sure how the Beast Husbands would like it, so she decided to make a yuanyang pot.
One side was a clear broth base, the other was a spicy broth base, separated by a piece of iron, forming a simple yuanyang pot.
Xiao Jin quickly took a piece of beast meat roll and put it into his mouth, his handsome face turning red, smoking, and whistling as he panted and blew air.
Sour and spicy.
This fatty girl surely harbored ill intentions!
Is she trying to poison him?
Shen Tang rarely saw him in such an awkward and embarrassing state, secretly laughing in her heart, patting her thighs, but with a serious face, she said, "This is a yuanyang pot. The spicy side is my favorite. Since you beasts... your taste is more sensitive and light, you should eat from this side with the clear broth base!"
Xiao Jin disdainfully looked at the clear broth base Shen Tang mentioned; it seemed bland and tasteless, just looking unappetizing.
He casually picked up a piece of beast meat roll, put it into his mouth, and found it surprisingly tasty!
Shen Li, Jia Lan, and Lu Xiao, seeing Xiao Jin in such a spicy predicament, didnāt dare to touch the spicy base, and quietly dined on the clear broth base.
While Shen Tang was eating, she glanced at the quiet white snake curled in the corner, out of place, seemingly lost in another world.
Xue Yinzhou never involved himself in family activities, usually disappearing who knows where until they boarded the spaceship, having no place to run, so he transformed into beast form, coiling in a corner by the cabin door, looking like a mosquito coil, with a ridiculously low presence.
Shen Tang internally mocked: could this guy have been a Hidden Guard for too long, developing an occupational hazard?
Feeling Shen Tangās gaze, the white snakeās purple eyes flickered, slightly raising his head, and when he noticed her quickly looking away, he burrowed his head back into his tail, continuing to pretend as if he was air.