When Xi Xi stepped out of the car, she found that Chu Zhiqin had already started eating.

The sewers have been completely transformed. There is no trace of sewage or garbage; instead, they resemble a well-organized water-bearing cave, making them a truly worthwhile place to visit.

The campfire burned brightly in the tunnel, its light reflecting on the riverbank. Little white ducks that had been playing in the water flapped their wings and slowly flew to the shore.

"What's this?" Xi Xi glanced at a pile of wet branches by the campfire. Sallyman was holding the branches, carefully removing the thorns and bark to make wooden sticks of different lengths.

"When the little white duck was swimming just now, it found some remaining willow branches by the rocks, so I had it fetch them all back!" Chu Zhiqin said with a smile as she turned around while busy with her work.

Xi Xi could easily recognize the slender and flexible branches of the Mirror Willow. Just moments before, when she bent down to pick up the hardwood, many such branches were floating on the water.

However, Xi Xi really didn't understand why her mother was collecting these pieces of wood, let alone what use the wet, withered branches could have.

Xi Ma smiled mysteriously. She skillfully placed the fresh beef she had obtained from the trading hall on the cutting board, sliced ​​off thin, cicada-wing-like pieces of meat, and neatly arranged them in a delicate large bowl.

Then, she reached out and took the carefully sharpened branch from Sallyman and began to patiently skewer the various ingredients one by one.

Xi Xi looked down and smelled the condiment bowl next to her, then looked at how her mother seasoned the beef, and suddenly realized what was going on.

Could this be... skewers?

She looked around excitedly and saw that a lot of ingredients for skewers had been prepared. Xi Xi then quickly walked to her mother's side and joined in to help.

However, after a moment's thought, Xi Xi seemed to suddenly remember something and turned around and hurriedly ran back to the car.

She opened the azure stone treasure chest, selected several large, healthy mushrooms, and then used these unidentified mushrooms to open Li Jinshao's private message.

Before long, all the ingredients were ready. Tender slices of beef, fragrant mushrooms, and vibrant green wild vegetables... each ingredient exuded a fresh aroma.

Xi Xi's stockpiled Sichuan-style beef tallow hot pot base finally came in handy. As the flames grew stronger, the hot pot base churned in the water, stimulating the spices and instantly filling her nostrils with their aroma.

The base sauce has a rich and spicy flavor, combining the heat of chili peppers with the numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns, and its aroma quickly spreads far and wide.

Sallyman skillfully placed the various ingredients skewered on the branches into the large iron pot placed over the fire for cooking.

As soon as the tender slices of beef fell into the hot soup, they quickly began to simmer and were cooked through in just a few moments.

The mushrooms and wild vegetables, too, absorbed the essence of the rich broth, their colors becoming even more profound.

"Where did the tofu and bean curd sheets come from?" Xi Xi looked at her mother with some confusion as she watched the dishes bubbling in the pot.

Chu Zhiqin smiled and pointed to the remaining soybeans beside her, explaining, "Didn't we get some soybeans when we opened the box earlier?"

It turned out that Chu Zhiqin had been tinkering with these soybeans whenever she had a spare moment these past few days. Today she finally had some free time, and in addition to various bean products, Xi Ma also made a lot of soy milk, which was perfect for relieving the spiciness.

While they were talking, Xi's mother chopped some garlic and made it into a fragrant dipping sauce.

Xi Xi understood immediately. She took some skewers of meat with alternating layers of fat and lean meat and ran to the charcoal fire, where she began to grill them with great concentration.

With the crackling of the charcoal fire, the aroma of grilled meat quickly filled the air.

Before long, the fragrant grilled skewers and the steaming pot of hot skewers were all ready!

So the three of them happily sat around the warm fire and began to enjoy their meal with gusto.

For some reason, the little white duck and Aura started arguing again, which made Xi Xi suddenly stand up and had to scold them.

Sallyman was eating skewers, watching the ducks and cats frolicking around, when she suddenly chuckled. She turned to Xi Xi and asked, "By the way, what's the name of this little duck?"

“Little white duck.” Xi Xi answered thoughtfully, chewing on a mushroom.

"..."

Seeing that Sallyman was clearly taken aback, Xi's mother couldn't help but click her tongue at Xi Xi: "I told you you were just being perfunctory with the name! This doesn't sound like a name at all."

Xi Xi took a big gulp of soy milk to ease the spiciness on her tongue. "Little white duck, little white duck! It tastes so good!"

She picked up a bunch of grass-green mushrooms. The mushrooms looked a bit strange and looked like something out of a horror movie, but according to Li Jinshao, these green mushrooms were not only non-toxic, but also rich in various nutrients, and most importantly, they tasted quite good.

Xi Xi, chewing on a green mushroom, was immediately struck by its unique texture. She picked one up and tossed it to the little white duck. The little white duck seemed particularly fond of this unusual food, smacking its lips and devouring it with relish.

Xi Xi had considered naming the little guy, but after thinking about it for a long time, she felt that none of the other names were as catchy as "Little White Duck". After calling him that so often, she also developed a sense of affection for the name.

As the saying goes, a simple name is good for raising a child, and Xi Xi feels that this name is just right!

After the meal, Sallyman looked at Xi Xi and her mother with a slightly shy expression. Because of her, the two of them had not been able to have a comfortable meal in the RV, but instead had to squeeze into the tunnel with her for a picnic, which made them feel a little embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it." Chu Zhiqin waved her hand. "Hot pot dishes tend to leave a smell everywhere. Without the sun to dry them, the sheets and blankets will smell bad at night, which is inconvenient!"

Sallyman felt a warmth in her heart, and she raised her glass to toast Xi Xi and her mother with soy milk instead of wine.

Despite the harsh survival conditions, it was difficult to guarantee three meals a day on time, and even the hot pot for today's victory celebration was made with limited ingredients.

However, at this moment, Sallyman was filled with an indescribable sense of satisfaction. This was undoubtedly the happiest day she had had since entering the game.

“Actually… today is my birthday,” Sallyman said suddenly, somewhat emotionally. “I never expected to celebrate my birthday under these circumstances… thank you all.”

Xi Xi and Chu Zhiqin were both taken aback. They exchanged a glance and looked at Shaliman with slight surprise.

To be honest, Xi Xi didn't even remember what day it was.

When she first started playing the survival game, she would check her phone every day. But as the phone gradually lost its functionality, Xi Xi put it in the car seat drawer and never took it out again.

Upon seeing this, the mother and daughter hurriedly wished Sallyman a happy birthday, and Xi's mother then gestured for Xi to take out the crystal treasure chest from before.

As soon as the treasure chest was opened, Sallyman was immediately stunned by the abundance of supplies inside, her eyes widening in disbelief.

Inside the premium treasure chest were a heating talisman, an amphibious component talisman, a tracking talisman, a game map chip, a multi-functional cutter, and... a thin, unidentifiable thread?

[Item Hint: The Strings of the Norse Bragi . Individual Effect: Cultural Relic; the owner gains .]