Chapter 41: Oh, So You Want to Steal My Recipe

Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Oh, So You Want to Steal My Recipe

Bai Yi drew closer and opened the box. An incredibly potent aroma of fried meat wafted out, making her eyes light up. "The coins are in my bag. Come inside with me to get them."

Feng Si considered waiting outside, but the sun was uncomfortably hot. The dry season felt just like the peak of a modern summer.

’I don’t know how long it’ll take Bai Yi to get the coins from her room. If I just stand out here waiting, I might get heatstroke.’

"Alright, I’ll come in to settle up." Feng Si picked up a wooden box, and she and Bai Yi each carried one as they walked into the front room.

The glass door slid open automatically, releasing a cool breeze and the noisy chatter of a crowd.

Mao Yang, a female with low-level fertility.

She was currently the center of attention, seated in the middle of the sofa with her head tilted, chatting with a group of sub-females across from her.

"The delicious food is here!" Bai Yi called out enthusiastically as she walked over.

At her words, the chatter instantly died down. In the sudden silence, Mao Yang and the dozen or so sub-females whipped their heads around, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Mao Yang smiled proudly and said,

"Bring it over."

She gestured toward Bai Yi with her chin, her young face wearing the haughty expression of someone who had been spoiled her whole life. "I gathered all you pregnant ones together today specifically so you could taste the food that every pregnant Beastman in Nantong City is craving right now."

Feng Si paused, her gaze sweeping over the dozen or so people in the living room. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

’They... they’re all pregnant?’

’This female organized a party for pregnant sub-females... all for my pickled cabbage.’

After a moment of silence, the room erupted with words of flattery and gratitude, filling the air with anticipation.

Everyone knew that Mao Yang was not only a full-fledged female, but also the niece of the Lady of the City.

Amid everyone’s anticipation, Bai Yi happily ran over with her wooden box and placed it on the coffee table in front of Mao Yang. "I guarantee, even if you aren’t dealing with morning sickness, you’ll absolutely fall in love with this pickled cabbage."

Feng Si followed slowly, deciding not to spoil the mood by asking for payment just yet. She set her box on the table, and a nearby cat-tailed sub-female stood up from the sofa, eagerly opening it and taking out the dishes.

The green vegetable leaves lining the bottom beneath the browned meat had been cooked to a dark green. Inside the white bowls, the deep-brown cabbage and meat floated in a cloudy broth; the colors weren’t particularly appealing.

But the rich aroma that wafted out was intoxicating, a unique sour fragrance from the pickling process. The zesty scent of the pickled greens had been completely infused into the meat, making everyone’s mouth water.

The scent spread rapidly on the cool air, instantly permeating the entire seating area. The twelve sub-females on the sofas couldn’t help but gulp. Their stomachs, previously roiling with severe morning sickness, were suddenly ravenous. If Mao Yang hadn’t been there, they would have lunged for the food.

Feng Si paid no mind to the antsy sub-females on the sofas. Once the food was arranged, she smiled at Bai Yi. "I can take the coins now, please."

"Oh, right!" Bai Yi reluctantly tore her eyes away from the food. ’How does this look even more delicious than what I had at Feng Si’s stall last time?’

She turned to get her coin pouch from the sofa, while a few other sub-females immediately went to get bowls and utensils.

The cat-tailed sub-female couldn’t stop gulping. Seeing Feng Si collecting the empty wooden boxes by the sofa, she asked curiously, "Ma’am, what did you put in this? I usually want to vomit at the mere sight of meat. Why is it that your dish has fatty meat, but instead of feeling nauseous, I’m absolutely desperate to eat it?"

Mao Yang and the other sub-females pricked up their ears, listening intently.

Feng Si finished packing the wooden boxes, lifting them from the wide coffee table and setting them by her feet. She explained slowly, "This is pickled cabbage. It’s made from fresh vegetables. As its name implies, it has a sour taste that stimulates the appetite. When stewed with meat for a long time, it cuts through the fat and greasiness, which in turn boosts your desire to eat."

Mao Yang nodded, impressed. ’She’s even more capable than the Priests in the Sacrificial Hall. They haven’t been able to find a way to get pregnant Beastmen to eat more meat.’

"No wonder," Mao Yang said, looking up. "I’m not even pregnant, but the last time I had the pickled cabbage stew Bai Yi made, my appetite soared. I even ate an entire extra bird leg."

She noticed the dark spots covering Feng Si’s face, which obscured her features, but the hands that had prepared the food were fair and slender.

Bai Yi trotted over with the coins. Feng Si counted them on the spot: two full stacks of five-hundred-denomination coins. She wrapped the money in a cloth pouch, placed it in one of the wooden boxes, and prepared to leave.

"Please, enjoy your meal. I’ll be taking my leave now. Feel free to contact me for future orders."

"Wait—"

Mao Yang’s eyes shone as she sat up straight on the sofa. She couldn’t help but feel a growing fondness for Feng Si and her incredible cooking.

She said, "Why don’t you stay and eat with us? I’d like to buy some more pickled cabbage to keep at home. I can have Bai Yi pick it up tomorrow."

"Yes, I’d like to buy some too!" the others chimed in, urging her to stay. They hadn’t even tasted the food yet, but after they did, they would surely want to buy more to stock up as well.

Feng Si still had things to do that afternoon and was about to refuse, but just then, the bracelet on her wrist began to flash. She immediately pressed it to answer the call.

"MEOW~ Sister!" A small orange kitten with frazzled fur appeared on the palm-sized light screen, its face a mask of panic and fear.

Mao Ge’s normally smooth fur was a mess, matted with clumps of dirt. He clearly looked like he’d been bullied, a truly pitiful sight.

Everyone drew closer, curious about the cub on the screen. A moment later, they were filled with indignation. ’Who would hurt a cub?’

"Where are Mao Qiu and the others? How did you get hurt?" Feng Si’s heart clenched.

Having found the one he trusted most, Mao Ge’s little nose twitched and tears streamed down, soaking his soft fur. He sobbed, "We... we were harvesting vegetables... some bad men came looking for you. They stole the food and... and they took the other sisters!"

Seeing the little cub was struggling to explain, Xiong Neng, who had lent Mao Ge his communicator, spoke up. He explained that Mao Qiu and the others had refused to cooperate with the City Guard Team. They were beaten but still refused, so they were arrested and taken away for interrogation.

"Don’t tell me the City Guard Team can just openly rob people on the street? Is there no law?" Feng Si said, her voice tight with suppressed fury.

Xiong Neng fell silent. The law was just a set of rules for ordinary Beastmen. The City Guard Team answered directly to the highest authority in Nantong City; what Beastman could possibly stop them? The nobles in Pantian City could, perhaps, but they were too far away.

"They probably want your recipe for the pickled cabbage," Xiong Neng said. "If you hand it over, you’ll be fine, and Mao Qiu and the others will be released."

The onlooking sub-females in the room gasped.

’The recipe? Or more likely, the profits from selling the food,’ Feng Si thought, her eyes narrowing. Her voice turned to ice. "So this is how he tries to strong-arm me into giving up my recipe? Through coercion?"

On the screen, Xiong Neng was stunned, as were Mao Yang and the sub-females in the room. What she said was harsh, but it was the truth—the world was an unfair place.

’But what could Feng Si possibly do to fight back?’