Chapter 30 The Shadow Digging Lotus Roots
The dark figure in the bushes seemed to realize it had been discovered and immediately tried to run away, but how could Cheng Zhiyu let it get away?
A fireball immediately blocked the shadowy figure's path. The figure tried to run in another direction, only to find that Cheng Zhiyu had already blocked its way.
The next moment, ice walls rose up in all other directions, instantly blocking all the dark figure's paths.
Xiao Hei sharpened its claws, but Cheng Zhiyu held it down: "Don't do anything yet."
Tian Qiao crossed his arms and looked at the person whose face he couldn't see clearly: "Hey bro, I'm not trying to be mean, but if you're going to do something, do it openly and honestly. Is sneaking around like a man?"
As soon as the words were spoken, the dark figure suddenly crouched down, covered its head, curled up into a ball, and trembled with fear.
Tian Qiao: "..."
He touched his mouth, pondering, "Have I evolved to the point where I can hurt people with my mouth?"
He turned to look at Cheng Zhiyu, who noticed that there was a... chicken next to the dark figure. This chicken was much more lively than the one that had been delivered before. Its claws were tied with rope, but that didn't stop it from moving around. It flapped its wings and clucked, and its feathers were everywhere.
He had a strange, absurd thought: Could it be that the other party felt they didn't eat the chicken they received last time because it wasn't lively enough, so this time they sent a more lively one?
Cheng Zhiyu looked at the huddled dark figure and said speechlessly, "We didn't mean to hurt you, but since you've appeared so many times, we need to figure out your intentions for our own safety, don't we?"
The shadowy figure was still trembling, as if it had been terrified.
Tian Qiao muttered, "No way? Such a coward?"
Cheng Zhiyu frowned. He knew he wouldn't get anything out of the person if things continued like this. But at least he could confirm that the person wasn't faking it; he was genuinely scared. Unless the person's acting skills were superb, they couldn't fake this kind of effect.
This at least proves that the other party won't do anything, and besides, they won't be staying here for long before leaving, so... let's just leave each other alone.
Besides, the fact that the other party was able to bring them chickens time and time again shows that they are more familiar with the area than they are. They couldn't even find a live chicken, so since the other party arrived first, they, as the later arrivals, were the ones who were bothering them.
Thinking of this, Cheng Zhiyu told Tian Qiao to remove the ice wall and said to the shadowy figure, "You can leave now. It would be best if you meant no harm. Don't worry, we'll be leaving soon."
The shadowy figure paused, then tried to run away.
Cheng Zhiyu: "Wait a minute."
The shadowy figure stiffened, thinking that Cheng Zhiyu had changed his mind, and began to tremble with fear.
Helpless, Cheng Zhiyu didn't explain further. He walked over, sprinkled the seasoning on the fish he had just grilled, and took it, intending to give it to the other person.
After waiting for ages for the grilled fish, Xiao Hei's eyes widened suddenly, and he was very unhappy: "This is mine!"
Cheng Zhiyu felt a little guilty and touched his nose, promising, "Give it to him? I'll grill ten for you in a bit."
Xiao Hei: Even if I disagree, you'll still grill ten for me.
But Cheng Zhiyu was too soft-hearted, and Xiao Hei didn't say anything more, watching Cheng Zhiyu reluctantly hand the grilled fish to him.
The shadowy figure was clearly tempted; the grilled fish smelled so good that he had been drawn there by the aroma and wanted to trade it for chicken. However, he was startled when the fish blocked his way.
I thought I wouldn't get any, but to my surprise, the other person offered it to me.
It smells so good, I really want to eat it.
He had eaten this person's cooking before. They weren't home that time, and he secretly ate a little bit, not daring to make a mess for fear of being discovered. The taste was so good that he still remembers it now; it was simply the best thing he had ever eaten.
But after stealing, he felt guilty. Thinking of the insults those people had said to him, he quickly brought them chicken that night, but to his surprise, they didn't eat it.
Perhaps it was because the chicken was dying and not fresh, so they didn't want to eat it. This time he learned his lesson and was careful not to hurt the chicken.
After that incident, he never had the chance to eat the other person's cooking again, and he really missed it.
He swallowed hard, but finally couldn't resist. He snatched the grilled fish from the other person's hand and wolfed it down.
Cheng Zhiyu's eyelids twitched: "Watch out for the thorns!"
Although he specifically chose a fish with few bones to prevent the little black fish from getting stuck, there were still some large bones.
Sure enough, the shadowy figure got stuck, coughed hard, pulled out the thorn, and continued eating.
Cheng Zhiyu: "..."
Honestly, I don't know what to say.
Tian Qiao felt a pang of sympathy watching from the side. How hungry must they be? After thinking for a moment, he took the fish he had just grilled and handed it to the shadowy figure.
The shadowy figure finished one, but unexpectedly there was another one. He was so happy he almost fainted, and didn't even notice that this one was a bit black, unlike the previous one which was roasted to a golden brown.
He eagerly took a bite, and then: "Yue..."
Tian Qiao: "..." Is it really that bad?
Cheng Zhiyu glanced at it: "...Your one doesn't look cooked."
Tian Qiao immediately felt guilty: "Um... I'm sorry, I'm not very good at cooking."
What does "not very good at doing" mean? It means "not good at doing at all".
Seeing the dark figure's hand trembling as he held the grilled fish, I thought he would drop it. But to my surprise, after he ate, he put the fish back into his mouth.
Cheng Zhiyu's eyelids twitched violently as he looked at it, and he quickly said, "Raw food can't be eaten."
The shadowy figure hesitated for a moment, then spoke, though his voice was noticeably hoarse: "Waste... of..."
Cheng Zhiyu pressed his temples, thinking to himself, "You're quite frugal, aren't you?"
He sighed and helplessly held out his hand: "Give it to me, I'll bake it again for you."
The shadowy figure carefully handed him the grilled fish, still curled up in a ball, looking like he was about to run away at any moment, but perhaps because he was too hungry, he resisted the urge to run.
Cheng Zhiyu exclaimed: Foodies are truly a magical species.
Xiao Hei glanced at the shadowy figure, knowing that Cheng Zhiyu had definitely softened again. What about his grilled fish...?
Then Cheng Zhiyu set up a rack and roasted several at once, patting Xiao Hei and saying, "Don't worry, you'll get your share."
Little Black's tail perked up again.
Cheng Zhiyu brushed on the oil while turning the leaves over at a very fast pace. Xiao Hei and Tian Qiao surrounded him, while a dark figure in the distance watched furtively.
It felt like I was surrounded by foodies.
Finally, the grilled fish was ready, and everyone had some. Cheng Zhiyu grilled a new one, feeding Xiao Hei while eating it himself.
The shadowy figure finished the grilled fish in his hand, then glanced hesitantly at Cheng Zhiyu. Logically, he should run now, but... the grilled fish smelled so good.
Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he cleverly poked the chicken, and the chicken started flapping its wings again.
Seeing that he had attracted attention, the dark figure lowered his head: "Here...is yours."
After the other person ate two of his grilled fish, Cheng Zhiyu put away the chicken without any guilt. He found it somewhat amusing to see the other person looking at the sizzling fish with reluctance.
Seeing that he put away the chicken without saying anything, the dark figure, though reluctant, prepared to leave. He was already very happy to have such delicious grilled fish today, and even if he couldn't have it again in the future, it wouldn't matter.
But the thought of not being able to eat it again made him feel down.
Although Cheng Zhiyu saw her as nothing more than a shadow, she inexplicably seemed a little pitiful.
Cheng Zhiyu sighed softly, "Wait, you brought chicken, so... here's a chicken leg for you."
The shadowy figure paused, chicken... chicken leg?
After Cheng Zhiyu finished speaking, he didn't say anything more, but instead said to Tian Qiao, who was engrossed in eating grilled fish, "You take care of this chicken."
Tian Qiao quickly took a bite and replied, "Okay!"
Cheng Zhiyu glanced at the dark figure, and seeing that he hadn't left, he didn't pay any more attention to it. He pondered how to cook the chicken. Roasting was out of the question; chicken, unlike fish, wasn't so easy to cook.
He glanced around and noticed lotus leaves. Suddenly, an idea struck him: beggar's chicken.
He'd never made this before, but he'd eaten it once, so he might give it a try. However, one chicken was far too little... Oh well, he'd just treat it as a novelty.
If that's not enough, just eat fish; there's plenty of fish to go around.
Tian Qiao quickly prepared the chicken, while Cheng Zhiyu prepared all the ingredients, stuffing the chicken cavity with various seasonings. With just these seasonings, the taste wouldn't be bad.
Then wrap it in lotus leaves, cover it with yellow mud, throw it into the dug pit, and start burning it.
Xiao Hei watched from the side, seeing that the fish was being wrapped in mud and then thrown into the ground to be burned. Although he trusted Cheng Zhiyu's cooking skills, he still gave the fish that he had specially saved to him to the other party.
So that Cheng Zhiyu wouldn't go hungry.
Tian Qiao: No wonder when he was about to eat, Blackie wouldn't let him and even yelled at him. He thought Blackie was quite possessive of his food.
After finishing his work, Cheng Zhiyu washed his hands, took the grilled fish that Xiao Hei had left for him, and ate it bite by bite.
The fish was roasted until golden brown, and one bite revealed its crispy and fragrant flavor. It had been specially marinated, so there was no fishy smell at all, only the fresh taste of fish.
tasty!
The dark figure beside him tried to minimize his presence. He wasn't used to interacting with people, and if it weren't for waiting for the chicken leg, he would have preferred to hide himself.
Xiao Hei glanced at it once and then looked away without interest. Tian Qiao, on the other hand, curiously peeked at it, but after staring for a long time, she still couldn't make out what the shadowy figure looked like.
Half an hour later, Cheng Zhiyu ate several grilled fish and felt that the beggar's chicken was almost ready, so he dug it out.
Xiao Hei walked over, looked at the clump of dirt that looked no different from the soil, and wanted to reach out its paw to take a look, but Cheng Zhiyu stopped it: "Don't be silly, it was just dug out, what if it burns you?"
Little Black flicked its tail: The skin of the Winged Clan isn't that delicate.
Thinking this to herself, she still obediently withdrew her hand, looking at him with curiosity.
Cheng Zhiyu found a stick and tapped the clod of earth a few times. The clod of earth cracked open instantly, revealing the lotus leaves inside.
As the lotus leaf unfurled, the aroma of chicken instantly wafted out.
Xiao Hei, who hadn't paid much attention before, couldn't help but crane his neck to look.
Tian Qiao leaned closer and said, "Wow, it smells so good! It's amazing! Orange, you're amazing, everything you make tastes delicious."
He also cleverly showered her with compliments.
Xiao Hei glanced at him, then at Cheng Zhiyu, and decided to go for it, gently nuzzling Cheng Zhiyu's wrist with its head.
The soft touch melted Cheng Zhiyu's heart. He forgot all about the beggar's chicken and picked up Xiao Hei, giving it a kiss: "Wow, is Xiao Hei being affectionate?"
Xiao Hei: "...No."
Cheng Zhiyu felt that it did exist; he had finally discovered it. Xiao Hei was quite arrogant, but if the other party said it didn't, then it didn't.
His heart fluttered. After giving the chicken leg he had promised to the shadowy figure, he gave the other chicken leg to Little Black: "Little Black is so well-behaved, here's a chicken leg for you."
Tian Qiao couldn't bear to look at him. How come he had never noticed this side of his childhood friend before?
Xiao Hei glanced at Cheng Zhiyu, whose eyes were crinkled with laughter, and said without taking the chicken leg, "I don't like chicken legs, you eat them."
Chickens only have two legs, so they must be a good thing.
Cheng Zhiyu: "You really don't like it?"
Xiao Hei: "Mm."
Cheng Zhiyu asked Tian Qiao if she wanted to eat chicken legs.
Before Tian Qiao could speak, Xiao Hei looked over with a sinister gaze, as if to say: Dare to try it?
Tian Qiao shuddered and immediately shook her head: "I won't eat it, I won't eat it."
He felt wronged. Did he look like the kind of person who would fight with Orange for a chicken leg? Tian Qiao bit into the chicken: So delicious!
Seeing that none of them were eating, Cheng Zhiyu had no choice but to finish the chicken leg himself, eating while feeding chicken to Xiao Hei.
Xiao Hei ate very carefully, and if his canine teeth occasionally touched his skin, he would immediately move them away, as if afraid of hurting him.
The dark figure over there wolfed down the chicken leg, even trying to eat the bones. Tian Qiao noticed and quickly said, "You can't eat the bones, big brother, spit it out right away."
Don't let it get stuck.
Cheng Zhiyu turned to look and quickly said, "You can't eat bones."
The shadowy figure checked and realized it really couldn't be eaten, so it reluctantly vomited.
Cheng Zhiyu and the others were speechless. What kind of life did this shadowy figure live before? How could it be so willing to eat bones along with everything?
Finally, the dark figure left reluctantly. Cheng Zhiyu noticed that the other person was running incredibly fast, and most people couldn't catch up with them.
He raised an eyebrow. Since the other party meant no harm, he didn't take the little incident to heart.
Over the next few days, whenever Cheng Zhiyu cooked, the shadowy figure would "coincidentally" appear, bringing a chicken or some eggs, and he would share some food with the shadowy figure.
Over time, they got used to the shadowy figure coming over every time they ate.
The other party was quite polite, always bringing something with him whenever he came, and he was always very quiet, so Cheng Zhiyu and the others didn't dislike him.
——
That day, Cheng Zhiyu found some sticks and prepared to build trellises for the cucumbers and tomatoes in the system space.
Ordinary plants grow very quickly in the system space. It hasn't been long, and they've already started to flower. They'll probably bear fruit soon, so we need to hurry up and build trellises.
Setting up a trellis is very simple. Just take a stick, stick it in the soil next to the cucumber or tomato, and then tie them to the stick with a rope. According to the habits of these two plants, they will grow around the stick.
There were only a few cucumber and tomato plants, and Cheng Zhiyu finished working on them in no time.
He habitually checked on Xiaoqiang's condition and was pleasantly surprised to find that Xiaoqiang's vitality had reached 90%, and it was clear from the plant's condition that its spirit was very different from before.
Before, it looked wilted and like it was about to die, but now it looks much more energetic. The small plant is straight and looks like it has drunk plenty of water, and it is lush and green.
Cheng Zhiyu felt a great sense of accomplishment, after all, he had watched Xiaoqiang grow from a listless person to the person he is today.
He estimated that it wouldn't take more than two days for Xiaoqiang to reach maturity. He was really looking forward to it and really wanted to know what kind of plant Xiaoqiang was.
In addition, Cheng Zhiyu pondered that the plants provided by the system would usually mature very quickly, within just a few days, once they entered the growth period.
So he thought that once the cockroaches matured, they would leave the village.
Although the village is well-stocked, it's hard to leave, but we have to go eventually.
He chose to leave after the cockroach matured for a reason. Once the cockroach matured, its storage space would expand, allowing it to hold more items. That would be the best time to leave.
Cheng Zhiyu then discussed it with Xiao Heida Qiao, and they both had no objections.
"When your storage space expands, let's bring more shrimp, shall we?" Tian Qiao was most reluctant to part with those mutated crayfish; they were too delicious.
Cheng Zhiyu naturally thought there was no problem: "We can cook some of the shrimp meat, which won't take up much space and will be convenient to eat."
This idea resonated deeply with Xiao Hei, who now practically wanted to move the entire pond away.
"By the way, I see lotus leaves in the pond, so there must be lotus roots, right?" Cheng Zhiyu really didn't intend to give up any food.
Besides, it's a waste to leave lotus roots in the pond, so it's better to pack them up and take them with us.
Tian Qiao naturally had no objection; lotus root was delicious too.
So, the next day they got busy, first taking out the mutated crayfish, cooking them in various flavors, and packing them into storage space.
If we came across any fish or other food, we didn't waste any; we processed them all together.
Then they found clothes to wear while swimming at a farmer's house and prepared to start digging lotus roots.
The shadowy figure appeared again. After spending some time together, it had finally stopped hiding so much, but it was still hunched over, with its overly long hair covering its eyes, and its face was dirty, so its appearance was still impossible to discern.
Seeing them busy, the shadowy figure pointed to their waterproof bodysuits and said, "We need... help."
Tian Qiao joked, "We have to go down and dig lotus roots, we don't have time to find you this outfit."
The shadowy figure seemed to be thinking. After a moment, it turned and left. When it came back, it was carrying a waterproof onesie.
The other person glanced at Cheng Zhiyu and the others, then at the things in their hands, studied them for a while, and then clumsily put them on.
Cheng Zhiyu raised an eyebrow: "You really want to help?"
The shadowy figure nodded firmly: "Help...me."
Cheng Zhiyu didn't refuse his kindness. He could tell that although the shadowy figure was timid, he was quite capable, so there was no need to worry about the safety of the place: "Okay, thank you, but be careful. There might be leeches or something in the pond that bite people's skin and suck their blood."
Fearing the shadowy figure might not understand, he even gave a special explanation.
The dark figure nodded blankly, then went down into the pond.
The excess water in the pond had been drained, leaving only a lot of silt, which made movement much more difficult.
Xiao Hei wasn't idle on the shore either. He used his water-based superpowers as a high-pressure water gun, and would use the "high-pressure water gun" on anyone whose lotus root he couldn't dig out.
After only a few times, Tian Qiao complained, "Brother Hei, why are you treating me differently? Look, my face is covered in mud, but look at Chengzi, he's clean as if he hasn't done any work."
When Xiao Hei was rinsing, he was very careful around Cheng Zhiyu, afraid of splashing mud on him, but he was much more casual around Tian Qiao and the others.
It wasn't intentional, but she wasn't as cautious as she was when facing Cheng Zhiyu.
Cheng Zhiyu smiled smugly: "Hehe, Xiao Hei is my closest friend."
Tian Qiao feigned dissatisfaction: "I'm truly fed up with this life of being treated differently!"
Cheng Zhiyu suddenly laughed out loud and looked at Xiao Hei, who wagged its tail.
Tian Qiao: "? Wait, what are you laughing at?"
Cheng Zhiyu held back for a moment and said, "Never mind, I won't say anything. Let's hurry up and dig up the lotus roots."
But Tian Qiao's curiosity had been piqued, and she was unwilling to skip ahead. She immediately shouted, "Tell me quickly, or I'll pounce on you!"
Cheng Zhiyu glanced at him, who was covered in mud, and laughed: "Xiao Hei is right."
Tian Qiao: "?"
Cheng Zhiyu: "You're not clean, so it's okay if you get mud on yourself."
Tian Qiao: "...How am I not clean?! Blackie! You're spreading rumors about me!"
Xiao Hei: Just telling the truth.
Tian Qiao was heartbroken. Among boys, he was definitely considered clean, but that depended on who he was compared to. Compared to Cheng Zhiyu, he was indeed a bit rough, but that didn't warrant being labeled as unclean!
He turned his head, trying to pull the shadowy figure into his ally: "Look at those two, bullying us, saying we're not clean!"
A dark figure struggles to dig out a lotus root: (Image: Dumb and silly)
Tian Qiao: Never mind!
"I'll fight you to the death!" Tian Qiao shouted as she charged towards Cheng Zhiyu.
Cheng Zhiyu's eyelids twitched, and he tried to avoid it: "...No."
However, Tian Qiao had already pounced over, a move that was completely self-destructive, as she herself was covered in mud, while Cheng Zhiyu was already splattered with mud.
He tried to dodge, but couldn't. He was then embraced by Tian Qiao, who was covered in mud, and instantly became a mud man himself.
Cheng Zhiyu looked utterly hopeless: "Aaaaah! Tian Qiao!"
Rarely seeing him like this, Tian Qiao burst into laughter. Cheng Zhiyu also laughed in anger, and went all out, grabbing a handful of mud and smearing it on Tian Qiao's only relatively clean face.
Cheng Zhiyu: "Hahaha."
Tian Qiao got carried away and smeared it on Cheng Zhiyu's face. The two of them went wild playing in the pond.
The dark figure silently moved away.
Xiao Hei: ……
After playing for a while, the two finally settled down and started digging lotus roots. They threw the lotus roots on the ground, and Xiao Hei washed them clean. Their teamwork was perfect.
After working for most of the day, they had dug up most of the lotus roots. They might not have dug them all up yet, but they had already dug up a lot. If they dug any more, they wouldn't be able to finish them all.
I didn't expect there to be so many lotus roots in this small pond.
Even though they were in good physical condition, they were exhausted after working for most of the day. They slowly made their way ashore, and Cheng Zhiyu looked at Xiao Hei.
Xiao Hei glanced at the person whose original appearance was no longer recognizable, and silently moved a little further away.
Cheng Zhiyu said sadly, "Xiao Hei, you despise me..."
Xiao Hei: ……
He strode over, ready to give Cheng Zhiyu a good rinsing, but the other man reached out his wicked hands and scooped him up in a hug: "Little Black, hehehe~"
Little Black got covered in mud. At first, it was all prickly and angry, but later it looked utterly hopeless.
Never mind, never mind... it's nothing.
I'm going to cook a big meal tonight, partly to treat myself, and partly to appease Xiao Hei, who got covered in mud this afternoon and really annoyed him.
Xiao Hei is so clean, Cheng Zhiyu felt guilty and took the initiative to make amends.
I made a whole bunch of delicious dishes that can be made with lotus root, and Xiao Hei was successfully appeased, hehe.
Since the shadowy figure had helped, they naturally stayed for dinner. After thinking about it, they decided to tell the shadowy figure in advance that they were leaving.
Unexpectedly, the chopsticks in the dark figure's hand fell to the ground, followed by a muffled sobbing sound.
Cheng Zhiyu and Tianshan exchanged a glance: No, what do we do now?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com