Chapter 76 Dinner Party

Before Jiang Rong and the others even got home, they saw Junjun being attacked by sparrows. Seeing the dense mass of sparrows, Jiang Rong gasped, "How come there are so many?"

After thinking it over, he realized it was perfectly normal. Mutant sparrows also need to eat, and in this freezing weather, where could they find food? The other bases were heavily fortified steel castles, making the Starfire Base the only place within a hundred miles where sparrows could find food. That's why they flocked there from all directions.

No one knows when they infiltrated the Starfire Base, nor how many there are. No wonder Zheng Zhanqing's Tyrant said it heard many noisy sounds but didn't know what they were.

Jiang Rong finally understood that those sounds were made by the mutated birds. Humans couldn't hear their flight, but the mutated dogs could.

As a mutated tiger, Junjun's strength is undeniable. It can even face mutated pythons with ease, but it is struggling against hundreds of mutated sparrows.

The mutated sparrows are the size of a hen, with claws as sharp as daggers. If an ordinary person were scratched by a sparrow, they would definitely be left with deep claw marks. The sparrow's sharp beak has also been enlarged proportionally, and with a peck and a twist of its black beak, it can tear a tuft of feathers from Junjun's body.

I don't know what Junjun did to provoke them, but a flock of sparrows swarmed around Junjun, scratching and clawing at her all over. Although Junjun killed many sparrows while dodging and fluttering, they still kept flying towards her one after another.

Clumps of black and yellow tiger fur lay scattered on the ground, and Junjun already had wounds on his body. Bright red tiger blood was speckled on the snow, a shocking sight. Considering Junjun's fur was thick enough to stop bullets, it couldn't withstand the scratches of sparrows, demonstrating just how ferocious these mutated sparrows were.

Just as Jiang Xiaoheng was about to exclaim in surprise, Jiang Rong whispered, "Xiaoheng, don't speak."

The mutated sparrows are very alert; if disturbed, they will quickly take flight. It's not that Jiang Rong can't tolerate the mutated sparrows, but rather that their numbers are too great and their habits too domineering. If they are allowed to continue developing, the food grown at the Starfire Base might not even be enough to feed the sparrows.

These sparrows had to be eliminated. Jiang Rong and Guan Shao exchanged a glance, and Guan Shao carefully put Jiang Hao down and took a step forward. Jiang Rong waved to Jiang Hao, who quickly went to Jiang Rong's side and took her hand.

A faint crackling sound of electricity filled the air, and flashes of lightning appeared among the swirling snowflakes around Guan Shao. In the blink of an eye, an invisible barrier unfolded around Guan Shao, separating the snowflakes.

Jiang Rong and the others were suddenly struck by a flash of light as Guan Shao launched an attack on the flock of sparrows. After the flash, a series of rapid, snapping sounds came from ahead.

In the blink of an eye, the sparrow feathers that had been attacking Junjun fell to the ground, smoking. Most of the sparrows trembled a few times before ceasing to breathe. The few sparrows that managed to escape didn't dare look back; they flapped their wings and screamed as they desperately fled towards the distant sky.

After discharging the electricity, Guan Shao slowly put on his gloves: "They're quite fierce." It seems that no mutated plant or animal should be underestimated. Take this group of sparrows for example; if they are allowed to develop unchecked, they will soon become a menace.

Jiang Rong laughed, "I think you're much fiercer than the sparrows." He easily wiped out such a large flock of sparrows with a mere flick of his wrist; the abilities of a lightning-type ability user were truly heaven-defying. If he were to fight Guan Shao, he felt he wouldn't stand a chance.

Guan Shao asked somewhat innocently, "Am I fierce?" He hadn't shown Jiang Rong his fiercest side yet, but Jiang Rong had actually seen through the surface to the essence.

As they chatted and laughed, the four of them arrived at the spot where the sparrows had landed. There were hundreds of sparrows piled up on the ground, some of them not quite dead yet, twitching slightly.

Junjun lay on the ground, looking aggrieved. It turned its head and licked the wound on its neck, each lick leaving tufts of blackish-yellow fur stuck to its tongue. The tiger's mouth and nose were covered in blood, which broke the hearts of the two children.

Jiang Xiaoheng and Jiang Hao reached out their little hands to gently comb Junjun's slightly unruly fur: "Junjun, does it hurt?"

The big tiger wagged its tail and rubbed its large head against the two boys' chests. Luckily, Jiang Rong and the others returned in time, otherwise the tiger would have been stripped naked by the sparrows. Who would have thought that eating a sparrow would lead to such a disaster? The mutated sparrows were too much, actually bringing their whole family to seek revenge.

Jiang Rong reached out and patted Junjun's head: "How did you provoke the mutated sparrows? Sparrows are very vengeful. If you see them in the future, remember to go around them."

Junjun wagged its tail; it had learned its lesson.

Jiang Rong looked up in the direction of his home, puzzled: Junjun was so badly hurt by the sparrows, why are Xiao Guaiguai and Xiao Xiannv not making a sound? Could it be that the weather is too cold and they've frozen to death?

Fortunately, Junjun only suffered minor injuries. After licking her fur a few times, Junjun, limping, and the two children slowly walked towards home.

Jiang Rong picked up a mutated sparrow and shook it. This sparrow weighed at least four or five pounds, and after removing its neck and tail, it looked like a ball. It was hard to imagine how it could fly so high and so far with such a round body.

Guan Shao suggested, "Let's send a message to Qiangzi and the others. Even a small mosquito bite is still meat. If we share it, we can eat it for a few days."

Jiang Rong replied, "Okay! Why don't we invite everyone over for a meal? I've never eaten sparrow before."

In his past life, he had heard that mutated sparrows, after their feathers and internal organs were removed, were just a lump of meat that, when roasted, would sizzle with oil and be incredibly fragrant and delicious. Unfortunately, he was just an ordinary person back then, and mutated sparrows were something he could never have. In this life, he finally had the chance to taste the flavor of a mutated sparrow.

The desire to eat mutated sparrows was only one reason; another was that people wouldn't be able to celebrate the Spring Festival this year. In their area, the New Year is the most important festival of the year, a time for family reunions and rest for everyone.

But the base has just been established, and there are many things waiting for everyone to do. After this snow disaster, everyone will be extremely busy for a long time. At that time, let alone the New Year, even rest will become a luxury.

Jiang Rong wanted to take advantage of the snow to gather everyone together so they could relax a bit and celebrate the New Year in advance.

*

Those with supernatural abilities who lived far away received Jiang Rong's message before they even reached home. Hearing that Jiang Rong was inviting them to dinner, they braved the snowy weather and difficult travel conditions. After packing their belongings, they rushed towards Jiang Rong's yard, trudging through the snowflakes.

When Pan Pan, who lived the furthest away, arrived with his mother, he found that Jiang Rong's courtyard had been divided into two parts: one half was a fairytale world sculpted from ice and snow, and the other half was a bustling outdoor picnic.

Ruan Hanyu used her special ability to build an ice and snow house in the courtyard. In front of the house, an elephant slide for children to play on was built out of ice and snow, and lifelike small animals were carved out of ice and snow around the slide.

Jiang Xiaoheng and his friends were overjoyed. As soon as Pan Pan entered, he led the two children, laughing, down the slide. The ice and snow slide was crystal clear, and their two tender little faces were flushed red from the cold.

Seeing the children so happy, the Chu family elders couldn't bear to interrupt them, and could only softly advise, "Be careful!"

On the other side of the fairytale world, an even larger bakery had been built, and Chu Qiang and his friends were dealing with the sparrows. Many hands make light work, and with everyone's concerted efforts, dozens of sparrows had already been cleared away.

The sparrows that were first cleared out were chopped into small pieces and placed in a clay pot to simmer slowly, the aroma of chicken soup wafting from the white steam. Seeing everyone busy at work, Pan Pan's mother quickly joined in: "Old Li, is there anything I can help with?"

Uncle Li and Aunt Li chuckled, "There's nothing to help with. Come and warm yourself by the fire; it's so cold today." "Yes, I heard it's minus twenty degrees Celsius!"

Pan Pan rolled up his sleeves and walked over to Chu Qiang: "Brother Qiang, I'll help too!"

Chu Qiang was plucking feathers from a sparrow when he laughed and said, "I don't need any help here. Go inside and take a look."

Pan Pan responded and walked towards Jiang Rong's house. Actually, he always felt a lot of pressure whenever he came to Jiang Rong's house. Mainly because Jiang Rong's house was too clean. Every time he saw the gleaming wooden floor, he felt ashamed: Jiang Rong's family had two children and could keep the house clean, while his own place was always a mess, like a doghouse, completely unsightly.

Sure enough, there was something inside that needed help. As soon as Pan Pan entered, Wang Chunlan and her daughter called out to him: "Little Pan, come and help clean the vegetables!"

Several large bags of vegetables were placed in front of Wang Chunlan and the others; they had all the common vegetables found at the base. Ruan Hanyu and Hu Hechu had already sorted out two kinds of vegetables. Seeing Pan Pan approach, Ruan Hanyu offered him her seat: "You sit here, I'm going to reinforce the children's playground."

Pan Pan responded and opened the bag next to him. After glancing at it, he froze: "Oyster mushrooms?! Sister Chunlan, where did these oyster mushrooms come from?!"

Wang Chunlan smiled and said, "Didn't we build a few sunrooms? Two of them are used to grow mushrooms. Xiao Hu specially brought some over from there so everyone could have a taste."

Pan Pan gave Hu Hechu a thumbs up: "Little Hu is so thoughtful."

Hu Hechu smiled shyly, "I'm glad you like it. My family grows oyster mushrooms; they can grow all year round if you take good care of them." In his opinion, oyster mushrooms are the easiest fungi to manage; as long as you control the temperature and humidity, mushrooms will grow continuously. It's great to find mushroom spawn at the base; I believe the base will be able to produce mushrooms freely next year.

After chatting with Hu Hechu for a few minutes, Pan Pan looked around and asked, "By the way, where are Guan Tou and Jiang Tou?"

Wang Chunlan pointed towards the kitchen: "They're busy in the kitchen."

Pan Pan got up and peeked inside. He saw Jiang Rong and Guan Shao standing by the pool with their backs to everyone. Next to them was a full basin of marinated beef, and the two of them were chatting and laughing as they skewered the meat.

Although there was a certain distance between them, Pan Pan felt that no one else could possibly get in between them. Looking at them, Pan Pan revealed an envious expression, "That's wonderful."

When Pan Pan first learned that Jiang Tou and Guan Tou were a couple, he was actually quite surprised. However, the more he observed them, the more he felt that the two were in sync, and it would be a real pity if they weren't together.

The power of the masses is great; in no time, everyone had prepared the food. Today's meal was plentiful, including hot pot, stir-fries, and kebabs. To do justice to the ice castle Hanyu had created, everyone moved the dining table outdoors.

It was cold outside, but inside the snow-covered house, it was warm and cozy. Everyone sat happily together, and when they saw the steaming food, they let out a long, drawn-out exclamation: "Wow!"

The table was laden with meat, vegetables, soup, and other dishes. The chefs had put in their best efforts, and the large round table was filled with delicious food. In the center of the table sat a blazing charcoal fire, with a basin of hot water on top, infused with coconut milk and white wine.

Today is a relaxing day, everyone can have a drink as they please. Jiang Rong poured himself a glass of baijiu (Chinese liquor), held it up with both hands, and smiled as he looked around: "Hardship brought us together, and made us friends and family. On this day of reunion, let's toast to our meeting!"

"cheers--"

The clinking of glasses echoed from the snow-covered cabin. After finishing their drinks, everyone happily picked up their chopsticks: "Eat! Eat! This crispy fish is my specialty!" "Mmm! The sparrow soup is so delicious!" "Dad, I want some grilled beef skewers!"

Laughter drifted out of the ice castle, and the little darling on the roof, unwilling to give up, stretched out its vines. After gesturing a couple of times in the air, it froze, and with the slightest movement, the red, bloodthirsty vine snapped with a crack.

The little darling let out a regretful "Oh dear," it thought, "It's too cold, I'll wait until it's warmer before I move around."

Author's Note:

Time to relax is running out; it's time to get serious.

I ate baby sparrows when I was a child, but to be honest, I can't remember the taste. I just remember that the bones were crispy.

Mutant sparrows should taste better than pigeons, right?