Chapter 51 Meow Meow Meow? The convoy returns, indoor planting, a stray cat? ...
Anderson's team has been in the Eaton Great Forest for at least a month.
They took the road from the small village side, passed through a forest and a mountain, and finally reached the boundary point.
At first, it was fine; there was no danger on the outskirts. But as the group ventured deeper, the surroundings became a vast expanse of green, and there was no sign of human habitation.
But this isn't the most dangerous place. The atmosphere among the team members is very relaxed, and you can hear them laughing and joking around.
"Pay attention to discipline! Don't let your guard down; you never know what might be the cause of your death."
Anderson's words were quite blunt, and the young men in the group immediately shut their mouths.
They often complained about Anderson's strictness in private, but no one dared to confront him directly.
"We haven't reached the danger zone yet, so it's good to let them relax for a while."
Anderson gave him a single glance, and Sheehan's attitude immediately made a complete 360-degree turn.
"Everyone, pay attention! If you slack off and get dragged away by a forest python, I'm not coming to save you!"
The team traveled further and further, encountering more and more dangers. More than half a month of travel had left their faces etched with fatigue and weariness.
But the team hadn't made any progress yet. They dared not capture any other monster cubs until they caught a fourth-tier cub. The milky smell of the cubs would alert the monsters.
After several days of investigation, they finally located a fox cub that had just been born this year.
The defining characteristic of fire foxes is their ability to use fire magic to breathe fireballs. A small flame perpetually burns at the tip of their tails, and their entire bodies are covered in deep red fur that can withstand flames, with only occasional patches of white fur growing in certain areas.
Of course, in people's eyes, a completely red fox is the ultimate. This little cub happens to be just that.
Foxes live in single-parent families. After mating, the male shakes his tail and leaves. The cubs are raised by their mothers until the following autumn before being driven away.
Anderson and his team didn't need to confront the mother fox head-on; they could simply lure her away and then steal the cub.
Although it could find them by following their scent, they had already spent a high price to buy a special potion before they arrived that could conceal people's scent for a day. By then, the group would have already run far away, and Mother Fox would definitely not be able to find them.
The plan went smoothly; they successfully captured the cubs they needed and could now head home.
On the way back, they found a small, snow-white furball near a badly injured monster.
Everything was proceeding smoothly. They had already caught six or seven cubs. Although they had suffered some injuries, it was all worth it.
Just as everyone began to lower their guard, an unexpected event occurred. A horned rhinoceros and an unfamiliar magical beast suddenly attacked the group.
The convoy was nearing the outskirts of Eaton Forest when the sudden turn of events caught them off guard.
Anderson immediately calmed down and organized the team members to form a battle formation.
He is an exceptionally experienced bounty hunter and an outstanding leader.
"Maintain formation, and abandon the objective if necessary!"
Anderson shouted.
The target was the young animals in the cage. Although Anderson told everyone this, no one thought of leaving and stood firmly in place.
Warcraft doesn't care about any buffer time or anything else; it targets its enemies and attacks immediately, and a fierce battle breaks out in the Great Forest of Eton.
...
In the days before greenhouses, the most scarce commodity in winter was fresh fruits and vegetables.
Outside, the cold wind howled, but inside the small building, it was warm and cozy.
After spending several days reading and playing cards with Lamb and Neil, Ray finally couldn't stand it anymore and started looking for something to do.
He nailed together two long, narrow "vegetable basins" from spare wooden planks, lined them with a layer of rags—not that they were waterproof, just that the soil wouldn't leak out. He then dug up several bags of good soil from outside and brought them inside to start researching how to grow vegetables indoors.
"Brother, can vegetables really grow from this?"
"able."
The genes of the Chinese people are truly remarkable. Even in the perilous environment of the apocalypse, scientists have managed to research how to grow various non-toxic crops in polluted soil. Those living in safe zones also almost universally have an indoor family vegetable garden.
Back then, Lai's abilities were too weak, and he didn't have enough points to live in such a house.
"The soil is frozen, it needs to be warmed up a bit more, let's leave it for now."
"good."
Neil dumped the shoveled soil back into the soil.
Neil was resting at home today, with nothing to do, so at noon, Lai started cooking again.
Now that we have the pot, we need to get the hot pot base ready. But the best way to make hot pot base is with beef tallow, so we'll have to skip that for today. Lai will wait until he goes to town another day and buys some beef from Muna before making a decision.
After thinking about what kind of stock he had at home, he decided to ask Neil for his opinion.
"Neil, what do you want to eat for lunch?"
Neil made the same face as someone suffering from decision paralysis, he hesitated for a long time before asking Rye.
"Brother, can I have a wrap?"
"OK."
Making small fried dough cakes with scalded dough is very easy and requires little effort.
Add some salt when kneading the dough, add half boiling water and the other half cold water. Once the dough becomes flocculent, switch from chopsticks to your hands and start kneading.
As the old saying goes, "soft dough for dumplings, hard dough for pancakes," meaning you should add less water to the dough when making pancakes.
After kneading the dough, Lai placed it in a bowl to rest for ten minutes. Then he went to process the potatoes that Neil had already peeled and washed.
"Take a small, old cucumber; we'll make a soup with it later."
"OK."
Neil went to the old storeroom, now a small warehouse, and took a cucumber and two bird eggs.
Lai's knife skills were excellent; in just a few swift strokes, he chopped the potatoes into thin, even shreds. He first soaked them in a bowl for ten minutes to allow the starch to settle before frying, which resulted in a crisper texture.
Lai prepared the old cucumbers and various side dishes before continuing to make the pancakes.
Making rolled pancakes doesn't require any special skills. When rolling out the dough, spread some raw oil between two dough balls, stack them together, and roll them out. If you want thinner pancakes, separate the two pancakes; if you want thicker ones, roll them up together.
After the pancakes were cooked, Lai first fried some chili oil, and then used the oil pan to stir-fry the shredded potatoes.
I'll eat something vegetarian today, no stir-fried meat, to save some time.
After cleaning the pot, heat it until dry, add oil and chopped green onions, then toss in sliced cucumber and stir-fry briefly before adding water. Once the water boils and the cucumber slices become translucent, stir the soup while pouring in the beaten egg. This will cause the egg to spread out like a flower.
With the food ready, the two began to enjoy their lunch.
I made a bit too much for lunch today, but it's okay, we can eat it again tonight. The reheated pancakes tasted great too, not as oily as when they were freshly made.
When Lai was little, his favorite food was the inside of a fried dough stick and a reheated one. His grandparents loved him and would peel off the outer layer of the dough stick, leaving the soft inside for him.
Lamb arrived on time in the afternoon, and with two wraps, he devoured the remaining old cucumber soup.
Lamb was also puzzled, as he had already eaten his fill at home, yet he was still able to eat so much at Ray's house.
A teenager can eat his father out of house and home; you can never guess what a young person's stomach will eat.
"What are they doing?"
"Lamb asked."
"My brother said he wants to grow vegetables."
"Can vegetables grow in winter?"
Lamb expressed his doubts.
"able!"
Neil answered firmly.
My brother has wood-based magic, he'll definitely succeed!
"Then I'll bring some rapeseed next time."
"Bring several kinds."
Neil, worried that Ray might be disappointed if he didn't succeed, told Lamb to bring back different varieties for him to try.
"good."
By the afternoon, the soil had mostly settled, so Lai moved them into the wooden flowerpots. After sweeping away the fallen soil, he started planting vegetables inside.
"Brother, keep one pot for me, and I'll bring you more seeds tomorrow."
"good."
Lai planted some scallions and cilantro in it, and also some spinach.
It's okay if they don't grow; don't worry, magic will take care of it. Although it might be a bit of a forced growth, and the taste might not be as good.
While everyone was busy cooking and planting vegetables, another convoy of vehicles arrived at the threshing ground—it turned out that Anderson and his team had returned, battered and bruised.
The iron frame on which the carriage was initially pulled is now completely covered with a black cloth, so that no one can see anything inside.
Two seriously injured young men lay on the carriage, their fates unknown, while Sheen sat beside them, resting with his eyes closed.
The other members also looked exhausted.
"We've arrived in the village. You should rest and get some rest first."
Sheen stepped down from the carriage, stumbled, and was caught by Anderson.
"Settle them in properly and don't let them pose a danger to the villagers."
Sheen said in a hoarse voice. He had a fever, his lips were pale, but his face had an unnatural rosy glow.
"I know, you should take care of yourself first."
"It's alright, I just overused my magic."
Let's rewind to seven days ago, the day Anderson and his team were surrounded by monsters.
These two magical beasts were extremely cunning, flanking the group from both sides. After probing the group's approximate strength, they specifically targeted the weakest among them, leaving the group in a very sorry state.
Even with his immense power, Anderson couldn't possibly protect so many people. Seeing his team gradually falling into a disadvantageous position, he had no choice but to have two teammates protect him. He needed to cast a very powerful offensive spell, but its incantation was extremely long and couldn't be interrupted.
Magical elements rapidly gathered around Sheen, and the magical beasts, sensing his intentions, turned their attacks towards him. But Anderson deflected them all.
The skill was successfully activated, and the horned rhinoceros fled in panic, with the outcome being predictable.
Having escaped danger, the group traveled day and night at top speed. Finally, they arrived at the small mountain village, covered in dust from their journey.
"I'll rest here and boil water to prepare a meal. I'm going to visit the clan elders. Make sure to lock the cages properly so they don't get out through any gaps."
Anderson's condition was also poor; he had gone from a handsome middle-aged man to a homeless man with a stubble beard and bloodshot eyes from staying up late.
"Go ahead, I'm here."
Anderson left somewhat worriedly, and Sheen rubbed his temples wearily.
"Hurry up and rest, the Warcraft auction won't wait for anyone."
"Understood, Deputy Commander!"
The convoy rested for two days before finally recovering. The villagers were very curious about what was under the black cloth, but none of them knew what was inside.
Only members of the convoy who feed them regularly each day have direct contact with them.
He was very skilled at animal training and loved these cute little creatures very much.
"Commander, that little thing we picked up is almost dead. Its body is limp and it can't eat anything."
Anderson and Sheen went to the place where the monsters were kept, and it was indeed as he said: the little creature lay motionless in the cage, as if it would die at any moment.
"Forget it, just find a place to bury it this afternoon."
Sheen's words sealed the little one's fate.
After feeding it for quite some time, the team member couldn't bear it any longer. He gritted his teeth and fed the little thing some liquid food.
In the afternoon, after the team left, he excused himself to relieve himself and placed the animal in a conspicuous and safe corner. He silently prayed that a kind person would pass by and save the poor little creature.
No matter what, it was once a vibrant little life.
Neil was walking home alone after school when a white figure on the ground caught his attention. As he got closer, he saw it was a kitten.
Neil's heart pounded with excitement.
Does this mean I'll have a cat someday?
Neil carefully picked it up and found it was in bad shape, but its rising and falling chest proved it was still alive. After thinking it over, he decided to take it home to see if his brother could save it.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Ah!!! I fell asleep! I was wrong! Those 32 little idiots, don't buy them next time! (Headbutt attack)
Cute Pet 1/? is now available.
Race: Unknown
Skill: Unknown;
Combat strength: Unknown;
Hobbies: Unknown;
Cuteness rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5).
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2023-07-29 23:59:25 and 2023-07-30 23:58:33!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Fox Tail (10 bottles); teyaaikawa (2 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com