"I'll think about it! It would be great if I could cultivate. But it's okay if I can't. There are so many mortals on the continent. I'll be fine with that."
She would definitely ask the system if, with her qualifications, she could join the Sunset Valley. She worried that the system might be discovered by the sect leader or some powerful figure, who might then kill and rob her.
"The sect is recruiting new members next month, and I'll come pick you up then." Tie Sheng smiled happily, revealing eight neat, white teeth.
When they returned, the huge wild boar in the yard had already been cleaned up. Several villagers who had come to help greeted Tie Sheng warmly when they saw him return.
Although Tie Sheng went to cultivate, he was nothing like other aloof immortals; he took good care of the entire village.
"Everyone has worked hard, let's all stay and have dinner together tonight!"
The villagers were naturally overjoyed. Wild boar was a rare delicacy, and what's more, Tie Sheng had only hunted a fully grown wild boar. It would weigh about 500 jin (250 kg) after slaughter, not counting the head, heart, and other parts. If they sold it at a restaurant, it could fetch at least 100 taels (500 taels of silver).
"I'll go help Aunt Wang." Ye Xiruo dashed into the kitchen in a flash.
In the kitchen, besides Aunt Wang, there was a seven or eight-year-old child helping her tend the fire. Looking at the child's skillful movements, Ye Xiruo couldn't help but sigh, "Children in ancient times are really precocious!"
"Aunt Wang, let me cut it!"
"Xiao Liu, if you're tired, go and rest."
"Don't worry, Aunt Wang." Ye Xiruo skillfully began chopping cabbage, greens, scallions, garlic, potatoes, and other side dishes.
Because there were many people, Aunt Wang planned to make pork stew with vermicelli. The vermicelli in the basin was already soaked, and Ye Xiruo took them out and put them in the basin.
Seeing the fine pork belly on the cutting board, Ye Xiruo had an idea: she could make braised pork belly, which would surely taste delicious.
Without further ado, Ye Xiruo quickly chopped up a pile of meat, washed it clean, poured it into the boiling pot behind her, blanched it, then poured it out and rinsed it repeatedly with cold water until it was completely cooled.
Heat a little oil in a pot, sauté chopped green onions and minced garlic, then add the pork belly and stir-fry continuously until the surface of the meat is slightly browned. Next, add an appropriate amount of soybean paste (I didn't have soy sauce here, just homemade soybean paste, but it tastes great!), sugar, and dark soy sauce. Stir until the meat is coated with the sauce, add water, and cover the pot.
Ten minutes later, sounds began to emerge. Aunt Wang sniffed curiously: "Xiao Liu, what is this? It smells so good."
"This is Dongpo pork. I saw it in a book in my father's study. I'll try it today. I don't know how it will taste. If I mess it up, please don't scold me, Aunt Wang."
"You can tell it's good just by smelling it."
Open the pot lid, put in the potatoes, onions, eggs and other side dishes, simmer for about twenty minutes, and it's ready to serve. Aunt Wang's pork stew with vermicelli is already done. Ye Xiru couldn't resist and started gnawing on a big bone without any regard for appearances.
Liu Sheng, who was tending the fire, was also gnawing on a bone, his face greasy from eating, and his eyes were squinting.
Twenty minutes later, Ye Xiruo lifted the lid of the pot, and a fragrant aroma of meat, sauce, and potatoes wafted out. After the steam dissipated a little, the reddish-brown, trembling meat in the pot, having absorbed most of the sauce, could be clearly seen, looking incredibly appetizing.
Aunt Wang's eyes were filled with shock. She had never seen such a dish before. She quickly took a bite and felt the meat melting on her tongue. It was rich but not greasy, and it was an indescribable delicacy.
With a shy expression, Tie Sheng lifted the curtain and walked in, taking a deep sniff: "Mother, what delicious food have you made again? The whole yard smells wonderful."
Aunt Wang laughed and said, "I didn't do this, it's Xiao Liu's doing."
Tie Sheng scratched his short hair: "Xiao Liu, thank you."
"You're welcome. I've looked at many recipes in books these past few days, and I'll cook for you when I have time."
"Brother Tiesheng, when are we going to eat? I'm so hungry!" Xiaoliusheng's eyes lit up as he looked at the braised pork in the pot, his mouth practically watering.
"Right away, right away."
If Ye Xi were to serve the braised pork, she would give a large bowl to Tie Sheng and leave a large plate for herself, Aunt Wang, and Xiao Liusheng to eat.
After Aunt Wang took out the remaining dishes, she returned and had dinner with Hao Yexi and Xiao Liusheng.
Aunt Wang's braised pork with vermicelli was also quite delicious, but compared to braised pork belly, it seemed to be missing something. In the end, Xiao Liusheng ate the entire large plate of braised pork belly, even the sauce, by dipping his steamed buns in it.
The villagers outside gathered around a large table, eating meat and drinking heartily. If one ignored the roars of beasts coming from the back mountain, it was indeed a warm and beautiful scene. However, the people who had lived here for many years were already used to it.
Ye Xiruo had a feeling that the roars of beasts and the oppressive aura at night seemed even more intense than during the day. Could it be that, as Tie Shengge guessed, something might have happened in the inner circle of the back mountain, causing some wild beasts that rarely appeared in the outer circle to become active?
Ye Xiruo brought a bunch of spare ribs, some lean meat, and pig liver that Aunt Wang had given her. Aunt Wang was also preparing to braise the pig's head and send it to Ye Xiruo.
Ahhh, another day has passed, and I still haven't finished memorizing more than 80,000 medicinal herbs. I also didn't use the chaotic energy to cultivate this afternoon.
Ye Xiruo wrapped herself in the blanket, rolling around like a snow-white silkworm. She was actually torn between whether to cultivate in her spatial dimension that night or diligently memorize her lessons.
Honestly, if it were someone else, with the countdown to death underway, they would probably be on the verge of a breakdown by now, spending all their time memorizing texts.
However, Miss Ye is a freak. According to her, even if she were to die tomorrow, she would still live today the way she always has to.
After some thought, Ye Xiruo still slipped into the space. Cultivation was like studying; it was like rowing against the current—if you didn't advance, you fell behind. Besides, there were countless geniuses on the continent, and at her age, she was already far too late to start cultivating. If she remained lazy and unproductive, even if she wasn't eliminated by the system, she would surely die at someone else's hands in the future.
Unbeknownst to Ye Xiruo, there was always a blurry white figure in her courtyard, with a pair of cold, star-like eyes constantly watching her.
The moment she disappeared, that gaze instantly became terrifying, as if it could cleave space itself apart.
If anyone were there, they would surely think they were hallucinating; a blurry white shadow flashed by, and only the faint sound of the wind remained in the courtyard.
The next second, the mysterious man in white appeared in Ye Xiruo's room, and he was certain that the aura had disappeared.
Xiu Qiyu had a guess in her mind. The corners of her perfect lips slowly curved into an arc, and she turned into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared.
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