Chapter 19 New Attempt (Part 1)
Although Jiangyou has brought new hope to Alexi and the others, the fact that spider spirits have low magic defense and are easily affected by negative influences is still an unchangeable fact. In order to prevent them from losing their minds and transforming into giant spiders, all research must be carried out step by step and tried bit by bit.
"It's like immunity," said Jiang You, who has become a doctor after years of illness. "First, you're exposed to harmless vaccines, and the dead virus remains are used by the body's immune cells to sense and record them. Then, when you encounter these bacteria or viruses again, the immune cells will know how to respond. If you are always in a sterile environment, then once you come into contact with foreign bacteria, your immune system will instantly overload."
The same may be true for magic. By coming into contact with it and understanding it little by little, you can gain more resistance. Growing up in an environment completely away from magic, you will naturally become more and more unfamiliar with magical elements.
Jiangyou has always believed that humans are a very resilient species, and the more they are tempered, the stronger they become. After witnessing many good, bad, and outrageous things, one develops the ability to cope with them. After seeing how others handle things correctly, one knows how to face them calmly.
This is true in the face of both temptation and hardship. As a child, Jiangyou knew two friends. One had a home fully equipped with game consoles and computers. He grew up surrounded by AAA blockbusters, playing games with his parents. He was extremely picky about good games, often comparing prices and reading reviews before purchasing, only committing to a game that suited his taste. The other friend, whose family kept him under a tight rein, had no fun at all. As a result, he spent thousands of dollars on a boring tree-chopping mobile game, causing a stir at home.
Too much restraint is never a good thing. Flowers in a greenhouse will die the first time their owner steps through the door, while grass in the wild, exposed to wind, rain, and drought, can still extend its roots toward a water source dozens of meters away.
"Don't rush things. Let's gradually introduce the children to magic and help them understand the world. With the right mentor, magic isn't such a terrible thing." Jiang You said with a smile, "We can first replenish your soul fire power, and then start with the most basic magic stoves and magic sinks, and gradually move towards the small goal of learning the Purification Spell.
"If these methods are truly effective, once we complete our research, we can promote these experiences to your entire tribe... However," Jiang You shrugged, "Based on my experience, such promotion might affect some people's interests. Many people might come out to stop, question, and attack us. So, it's best not to publicize it until we are absolutely sure it's feasible."
Alexi looked confused. "...I don't understand. This is definitely a good thing for us cicadas...why would anyone object?"
"Oh, this kind of thing is all too common," Aunt Wolf said. "Creating opposing enemies can unite people around a common hatred, giving them a say and control over those who are oppressed... From then on, they have power. Xiaoyou is right. Until we come up with a complete and thorough solution to the cicada problem, we should keep this secret as much as possible to prevent those with ulterior motives from targeting us."
Alexi nodded naively.
After everyone finished dinner, Jiang You asked Nasha, Jericho, and Aunt Wolf for some cheerful soul fire, which he distributed to the little girls. After enjoying this feast of soul power, they all visibly improved. Although still thin and small, they no longer looked sallow and emaciated, and each one was full of energy.
"Let's leave it at that for tonight... It's not enough to rely solely on the emotional energy of our own people. We must develop the soul fire business." Jiang You sighed. She originally thought that as long as she made money, it would be enough. Why are there more and more employees who rely on soul fire now?
They first sent the children back to the rented house. Then it was time for the adults to work. Jiangyou planned to outsource the tofu business to Alexi, so he had to teach her how to make beans.
"Soybeans and black beans are both basic ingredients for making tofu," Jiangyou said, taking Alexi to the bean storage room. "Aside from the black bean tofu being a bit grayer and having a slightly different flavor, there's no essential difference. Once you learn how to make tofu with soybeans, the rest will be easy."
"Andre!" Jiang You called into the house, "Can you help us move these beans and barrels to the tofu workshop?"
"Okay," Andrei replied. "I'll be right there."
The physical work naturally had to be given to the strong knight, but Alexi was also eager to prove himself, so he picked up a bag of soybeans and walked towards the rental house.
Jiangyou took the glass jar containing plaster powder, and there was no need to move the stone mill because Aunt Wolf said that Aunt Balina already had one in her house.
"Aunt Balina used to love peanut butter, and that stone mill was used to grind it," Aunt Wolf said. "Even though no one has used it for years, it can be used again after washing."
This is great news for Jiangyou. She doesn't have to contribute her own grinding mill, and she can grind the various rice noodles needed to make rice rolls in the store.
However...Aunt Wolf's words aroused her appetite.
"Peanut milk and peanut butter are also delicious... Can you make them sometime?"
After going back and forth several times, they finally moved raw materials and tools such as soybeans, wooden boxes, and ceramic basins into the kitchen of the rented house.
The kitchen was spacious, with an island countertop, perfect for the whole family to chat and cook together. The soybeans needed for tomorrow were weighed out and soaked in a wooden barrel, while the remaining ingredients were stored in the adjacent storage room. Auntie Wolf also pulled out a small scale with weights from the kitchen cabinet.
Alexi can prepare clean gauze by herself, so Jiangyou doesn't need to worry about it.
Jiang You first explained the tofu-making process to Alexi in detail: the temperature at which the beans should be soaked for several hours, what properly soaked beans look like, how much water to add to the soy milk, how deep the soy milk should be boiled to be considered done, and the specific ratio of soy milk to gypsum powder for making tofu...
Alexi listened attentively. She didn't understand the language, but her memory was excellent. After reciting it several times, she had memorized it perfectly. However, Jiangyou couldn't just sit back and relax. She still had to come over tomorrow morning and make tofu with Alexi and the others to make sure they had mastered the method.
After all, anyone who has cooked knows that memorizing a recipe is one thing, but whether you can actually make a qualified dish that is both delicious and beautiful depends on fate.
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