Chapter 22: First Time Cooking (3rd Update)

Chapter 22 First Cooking (3rd Update)

"Social Channel"

"The Cold-Faced Succubus Who Raises Pigs": What's in the Chief Deity's treasure?

"Got Nothing Better to Do?": I really want to know too.

"The Man Who Would Be Smoked Fish King": Mushroom! Mushroom! What's in the treasure!

"Cream of Mushroom": ...

Jiang Ye had just learned a new skill from Le Yili: by long-pressing an item in the item slot, you could show it to other players.

The mushroom showed off the entire box of the Chief Deity's treasure one by one in the social channel.

"Social Channel"

"Got Nothing Better to Do?": ...

"The Man Who Would Be Smoked Fish King": ...

"Le Yili": ...

"Lu Ban the Five-Foot-Tall": What are all these? I can't make heads or tails of any of this.

"Cream of Mushroom": The Chief Deity probably likes collecting junk.

The little mushroom sighed deeply, feeling that this big pile of treasure was taking up a lot of space.

"I should have listened to you." Jiang Ye looked at Dorin beside him. "I really should have."

Dorin stood there silently, like a scarecrow.

"Let's just head into town," Jiang Ye said. "We still have other things to do."

"About this treasure," Dorin spoke up, "if you don't need it, do you want to put it back in the ground?"

"Huh?" A big question mark appeared above the mushroom's head. "Burying it again would be too much trouble, and it would cost stamina points."

These things were clearly the villagers' belongings. Who knows why the Chief Deity collected them? If they ran into the villagers and returned the items, maybe they could earn some goodwill from the villagers.

"Too much hassle. Let's go!" The mushroom kept walking, took a few steps, then turned back and called, "Dorin, hurry up!"

Dorin: "..."

Dorin fell in step behind him, and the two entered Sun Town together.

Stepping into the town, Jiang Ye looked around cautiously, then let out a sigh of relief.

Dorin asked, "What are you doing?"

"Checking if the crow is here." The mushroom said with relief, "The crow isn't here today."

The town was especially peaceful, filled with laughter and warmth.

"Oh, right, Dorin." The mushroom switched topics stiffly and abruptly, with a forced smile. "So, I wanted to ask you something—where do you usually buy your clothes? You know, I just moved to Sun Town and I'm not familiar with the area yet."

On the surface he was asking about clothes, but really he wanted to ask about underwear.

Purple briefs...

Jiang Ye reasoned—underwear definitely counted as clothes, right?

"Clothes?"

Dorin looked down at his own clothes.

He had a great physique, standing nearly 1.9 meters tall, standing out no matter where he was.

Dorin was dressed entirely in black from head to toe, except for his silver-gray helmet.

A black coat, black shirt, black trousers, and black boots. It was an elegant riding outfit, the kind a gentleman would wear.

Dorin paused, then said, "A gift."

"A gift?" The mushroom blinked in surprise.

Dorin nodded. "Someone gave it to me."

Jiang Ye felt a headache coming on. Well, that was...

Jiang Ye gave a dry laugh and said, "You're really popular."

Dorin fell silent again.

"I want to check out the small supermarket up ahead. Do you want to come with me?" Jiang Ye asked.

He wanted to cook the strawberries, potatoes, tomatoes, and lettuce, but felt he was missing a few more ingredients, so he should visit a grocery store. Other players in the social channel had recommended a supermarket in town, saying it was much cheaper than the biggest grocery store.

Jiang Ye was about to go check it out.

Dorin nodded.

They continued walking forward.

The Mycelium pointed to the right and said, "Turn right, and we should be there."

Jiang Ye turned right and instinctively looked back at Dorin, only to find Dorin hadn't followed, still standing at the intersection.

"Dorin?"

Jiang Ye walked back to him and asked, puzzled, "What are you looking at?"

At the intersection was a shop of considerable size, with bright display windows showing off several items...

"An art shop?" The mushroom said, sounding unsure.

The items in the window were all very artistic, but unfortunately Jiang Ye didn't have much of an eye for art and couldn't understand them at all.

Dorin was wearing his helmet, so Jiang Ye couldn't tell where he was looking. He glanced at the window again and asked, "Are you looking at that painting?"

Dorin nodded.

In the center of the window hung an oil painting. Even though he had no artistic sense, Jiang Ye could tell it was beautiful.

It was a castle under moonlight, surrounded by blooming roses, like a scene from a fairy tale.

"This castle?" Jiang Ye hesitated and said, "Why does it look a bit familiar? Oh, I remember now—it looks just like my golden birdcage."

The high tower castle was exactly like a golden birdcage, and the birdcage was like a miniature castle.

Bang!

Before Jiang Ye could finish his sentence, the art shop door was suddenly flung open, and a middle-aged man stepped out, eyeing them with a wary, unfriendly look.

Jiang Ye felt bewildered by the stare. What was going on? Would he get glared at just for standing outside the shop without buying anything?

The middle-aged man seemed to be the shop owner. He said, "You're... oh, you must be the new farmer, huh?"

Jiang Ye nodded.

The middle-aged man let out a relieved sigh and said, "That was just a misunderstanding. I saw a stranger and got spooked, thought it was that crow thief. I'm just being jumpy."

Jiang Ye had no idea what was going on.

The middle-aged man introduced himself as the manager of this art shop: "Everything I sell in my store is art! Very valuable. Look, especially this painting."

The manager pointed at the castle in the moonlight: "But the crow's got its eye on it!"

Jiang Ye was still confused.

The manager pulled a piece of paper from his pocket with a mysterious air and showed it to Jiang Ye, saying, "Check this out!"

It was a little note with just a few words on it.

— It belongs to me.

The manager said, sounding excited, "This was left by the crow!"

Speaking of the crow, the folks in Sun Town were all bothered by it. A giant crow would often come attack the town, grabbing people's stuff or wrecking things.

The manager said, "This time, that crow has targeted my expensive painting!"

Jiang Ye let out a dry laugh. Seriously? The crow thief sends a warning before pulling a heist, like it's a movie?

The manager looked proud: "That crow's got good taste. This castle painting is extremely valuable. Legend says this castle is where the Chief Deity used to live."

It was a far-off place, beautiful and mysterious. It was ten, a hundred, a thousand times richer than Sun Town, with gorgeous roses blooming year-round, and the Chief Deity lived in the highest tower of the castle.

Later, after one trip out, the Chief Deity never made it back home. That beautiful city started to wither and fall apart—first the roses died, then the castle crumbled, and after a bunch of storms and sandstorms, it turned into an empty city and just disappeared.

Jiang Ye was stunned. So the Chief Deity left his homeland and ended up stuck in Sun Town forever, minus his head?

Sun Town got richer and richer, but another city just vanished.

"Oh, farmer," the manager said with a smile, "almost forgot—here's a gift for you. Take it."

He handed over another piece of paper.

Jiang Ye didn't like the manager's tone, but figuring a free gift was a free gift, he reached out and took it.

It wasn't paper—it was way stiffer, and it had a faint rose smell.

Mushroom blinked: "A business card?"

It was the manager's business card!

The manager smiled, all confident: "That's right. I'm giving you my card as a gift—this is a rare honor. You know, folks in Sun Town don't have much culture, and hardly anyone gets my card. You should..."

Jiang Ye couldn't help but roll his eyes and turned to leave, not wanting to hear this self-absorbed NPC keep rambling.

Dorin gave the painting one more look and followed him out.

As they walked, Jiang Ye asked, "Dorin, you see a trash can anywhere?"

Dorin pointed ahead.

Mushroom scurried over and chucked the fancy business card into the trash.

"Hey, farmer! What do you think you're doing!" The manager shouted furiously from behind.

Mushroom didn't look back. Turning right, they soon spotted a small supermarket—way smaller than the big general store, and the entrance looked pretty dead.

"Found it," Jiang Ye said. "Come on, Dorin, let's head in."

He was already planning to go all out on shopping.

Jingle—

A wind chime hung by the entrance, ringing out as the door swung open.

Inside, Jiang Ye looked around to see what they had.

"Welcome, gentlemen," someone said from the checkout counter, their voice all stiff and proper but still sounding young.

Jiang Ye looked at the counter again and almost didn't see anyone.

The counter was tall, almost completely hiding whoever was behind it. It was a cute little girl with pigtails, sitting there with just the top of her head showing, her feet probably not even reaching the floor.

Jiang Ye blinked: "Are you the boss here?"

Can a kid run a supermarket?

The little girl shook her head, her cheeks a bit red, looking like the classic shy type. She tried to speak up: "This is my mom's store, but she went to get more stock. Sir, you can pick whatever you want, and I'll ring you up."

Jiang Ye thought, this little girl is really cute and well-behaved.

"Okay, thanks. I'll take a look then," Jiang Ye said with a nod.

"Sir, wait!" The little girl called out, reached into a box by the counter, pulled out a lollipop, and handed it to him.

Mushroom was caught off guard: "This is..."

"It's a gift for you," the little girl said, holding up the lollipop. "Grandpa Mayor said you're new here, so this is for you."

Mycelium took the rainbow heart-shaped lollipop, feeling like it might die from the cuteness, and quickly said, "Thanks, this lollipop is so cute, I love it."

The little girl said, "It tastes really good too."

"Rainbow Lollipop"

"Bright colors, cheap sweetness, a kid favorite!

+0 Saturation

+0 Health"

+50 SAN

Jiang Ye looked at the lollipop, and his earlier bad mood instantly lifted.

Just as he was about to put the lollipop into his item slot, he suddenly felt an intense stare on him.

Two laser-like stares, so hot they could almost melt the lollipop instantly.

Mushroom looked up and saw Dorin staring at the lollipop in his hand.

"Dorin?" Jiang Ye called out in confusion.

Dorin didn't respond, his gaze still locked on it.

Jiang Ye was confused for a second, then quickly caught on. Though he couldn't see his face or expression, Dorin's whole helmet screamed "I want it"!

The little girl had only given Jiang Ye a lollipop, not Dorin.

Jiang Ye almost laughed, then just reached over to the small box by the register, grabbed a fresh rainbow heart lollipop, and asked, "How much is this one?"

The little girl replied, "50 rupees, sir."

Jiang Ye paid, and the mycelium handed the new lollipop to Dorin, saying, "Here you go."

"For me?" Dorin didn't take it immediately.

The mycelium shoved the lollipop into his palm and said, "Here, take it. I've still got other stuff to buy."

Dorin had helped water the crops, weeded the whole farm, and brought back a bunch of lively sea shrimp. Jiang Ye figured buying him a lollipop as a thank-you was only fair.

Dorin held the lollipop, and his whole vibe changed, becoming so... bright.

Mushroom thought that was the perfect word for it.

For a big, burly guy, Dorin was a total kid at heart.

Jiang Ye had a lot to get, so he headed to the freezer section in the back. Dorin grabbed a shopping basket from the floor and trailed right behind him.

"I need eggs, milk, sugar, beef, and pasta."

He'd already planned to use the harvested ingredients to make lettuce potato salad, tomato scrambled eggs, tomato meat sauce pasta, and a strawberry milkshake.

The shelves were neatly stocked, super organized, and spotless. The store was small, but it had everything and the prices were fair.

The mycelium grabbed a few packs of pasta, compared them, and tossed them in the basket. He also grabbed a bag of powdered sugar, then milk and beef, and finally carefully picked up two big, fragile eggs.

The little girl stood on a chair, ringing up Jiang Ye's stuff like a pro.

"Sir, that'll be 645 rupees. Here's your shopping list."

"Shopping List"

Eggs...50 x2

Milk...125

Sugar...50

Pasta...120

Beef...250

Jiang Ye paid, watching his money shrink instantly, leaving him with 2,470 rupees.

A big meal took some spending, but thinking about the feast ahead, the mycelium rubbed his hands in anticipation.

"Come back anytime!" The little girl waved goodbye to him.

Mushroom and Dorin left the little supermarket, and next stop was the bar to cook.

"Mushroom! Mushroom!"

The moment Jiang Ye stepped out, he heard someone yelling his name. He turned and said, surprised, "Oh, it's you!"

It was The Man Who Would Be Smoked Fish King, with that unmistakable shiny Little Yellow Hair.

The Man Who Would Be Smoked Fish King jogged over, saying, "I knew I'd find you here!"

This little supermarket was The Man Who Would Be Smoked Fish King's recommendation, and Jiang Ye had said he'd come shopping today.

"Huh?" The Man Who Would Be Smoked Fish King eyed Dorin next to Jiang Ye and said, "Who's this? Dude, that helmet's sick. Did you pull it from a beginner's chest?"

Dorin shook his head.

Jiang Ye explained to The Man Who Would Be Smoked Fish King that Dorin wasn't a player.

The Man Who Would Be Smoked Fish King suddenly got it. "So he's an NPC. Oh hey, Mushroom, you heading to the bar to cook? I've got nothing going on, mind if I come along?"

Jiang Ye nodded. "Sure, you cooking too?"

"Me?" The Man Who Would Be Smoked Fish King scratched the back of his head. "I haven't grown anything yet, so I can't cook. Best I can do is some grilled fish."

The Man Who Would Be Smoked Fish King planned to tag along to the bar, and Jiang Ye didn't mind. But Dorin crossed his arms, like he had something to say.

"Dorin, what's wrong?" Jiang Ye asked in confusion.

Dorin kept his arms crossed, staring at the yellow-haired Angler from under his helmet, and said, "This guy's weird."

The Man Who Would Be Smoked Fish King was confused, pointing at his own nose. "I'm weird? How am I weird?"

Dorin ignored the yellow-haired Angler and told Jiang Ye, "He keeps glancing at you shifty, his cheeks are red when he talks, and his ears are getting redder by the second."

"What???" The Man Who Would Be Smoked Fish King yelled, almost jumping. "Hey! Don't make stuff up! I—I didn't!"

The Man Who Would Be Smoked Fish King's face got even redder, and he didn't dare look at Jiang Ye.

Dorin said, "See? He's feeling guilty now."

Jiang Ye's head hurt. Oh no, was The Man Who Would Be Smoked Fish King still thinking he was a girl? How was he supposed to explain this?

"Let's just get to the bar first." It was getting late, and Jiang Ye said it helplessly.

The bar was easy to spot from far away.

It was daytime, and the bar wasn't open, so hardly anyone was around.

Mushroom walked up, and the mycelium knocked politely on the door.

The door swung open, and a middle-aged man smiled and said, "You must be Mushroom Soup, huh? Here to cook? Come on in!"

The bar owner was super friendly, waving him over and saying, "The kitchen's free during the day, so you're welcome to use it. But at night I'm slammed, so no cooking then."

"Okay, thanks." Jiang Ye nodded.

Jiang Ye was the first one through the bar door, followed by Delin, and finally the little blond fisherman guy.

"Hold on." The bar owner stopped the guy who wanted to be the Smoked Fish King outside, saying, "From what I know, you haven't grown a single crop yet, right?"

The little blond guy nodded.

The bar owner said, "Then you don't need the kitchen, so you can't come inside. Come back and cook here once you've harvested your first crop."

"But I..." The wannabe Smoked Fish King watched Jiang Ye walk inside with longing eyes, then pointed at Delin, who was following behind, and said, "How come he gets to go in?"

SLAM.

The bar owner didn't say a word and just shut the door.

The blond guy: "..."

The wannabe Smoked Fish King hung his head in defeat, squatting by the shut door, picking at pebbles on the ground.

The bar's kitchen was way bigger than Jiang Ye expected, stocked with every kind of cookware—an absolute paradise for anyone who loves to cook.

Jiang Ye had rarely cooked for himself in the past, so seeing all those utensils left him a little dazed, not knowing what to do with them.

Cooking in the game was actually pretty simple: just toss ingredients into a pot, wait a few seconds, and boom—fresh dish.

There were tons of ingredients and endless combinations, though some just didn't mix well together. If you messed up a dish, the ingredients would vanish, and you'd waste a ton of money.

The dishes Jiang Ye planned weren't anything fancy, so he figured he couldn't mess them up.

He pulled strawberries, sugar, and milk out of his item bar first, planning to whip up a simple strawberry milkshake.

The milkshake didn't need any heat—just toss the three ingredients together, and without Jiang Ye even having to stir, five seconds later...

"Strawberry Milkshake x2"

The mushroom jumped in surprise on the spot, saying, "It made two strawberry milkshakes?!"

He thought one set of ingredients would make one dish, but it turned out to be a double drop.

"Man, I'm lucky!" Jiang Ye exclaimed.

That instantly got him pumped, so he grabbed some eggs and tomatoes.

"Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes x2"

Two again.

Next up: lettuce, potatoes, and eggs.

"Lettuce Potato Salad x2"

Last but not least: tomatoes, beef, and pasta.

"Tomato Meat Sauce Pasta x2"

"Oh my god!"

Jiang Ye was blown away—everything gave double portions, no exceptions.

He thought about it: this wasn't Jiang Ye's first time cooking. Every time he'd grilled prawns before, he only got one serving—never a double drop.

"Could cooking in a kitchen give double portions?" Jiang Ye guessed.

All the dishes came out perfectly—no failures at all. He held a plate of steaming tomato meat sauce pasta and almost started drooling. The tangy tomato smell and rich beef aroma had his stomach growling.

"Delin, you gotta try some." Jiang Ye generously handed Delin a serving of the pasta.

Delin shook his head.

Jiang Ye was puzzled.

Delin said, "I hate tomatoes."

Delin didn't like tomatoes and never ate them.

Jiang Ye swapped it out for the lettuce potato salad and handed it to him, saying, "How about this? Looks pretty good too."

"I don't like eggs either," Delin said fussily.

Jiang Ye: "..." So he wasn't a Snail Knight after all—he was a Snail Prince.

Jiang Ye pulled out the pink strawberry milkshake and said, sure of himself, "You'll like this one, won't you?"

Delin loved lollipops and anything sweet, and that strawberry milkshake looked even better than a lollipop.

"Thanks." Delin didn't refuse and took it.

"Oh no, it's late." Jiang Ye glanced at the clock on the wall. "I almost forgot the time—I need to rush back to the farm right away."

It was getting late, so Jiang Ye decided to take the food back to the farm cabin to enjoy slowly, to avoid not making it home before dark. Walking alone at night might lead to something strange.

They left the bar and parted ways at the town entrance, with the mushroom running all the way back to the farm with a patter of footsteps.

Because time was tight, he couldn't stop to cut grass and pick up coins on the way back—he had to focus on getting home.

The little mushroom ran while muttering, "Almost there, almost there. Almost there, I'll soon be able to make a bicycle!"

Arrived!

The mushroom rushed into the farm and breathed a sigh of relief.

It was dark, and the farm was a bit dim. The golden birdcage beside the cabin radiated a dazzling glow, like a huge lighthouse.

But in the middle of that lighthouse, there was a dark shadow.

Jiang Ye was startled at first glance—what was that thing?

The mushroom approached cautiously...

"Crow?!"

Once he saw it clearly, Jiang Ye was startled again.

Inside the golden birdcage stood a large blue-eyed crow, locking eyes with Jiang Ye and calmly spreading its wings.

Mushroom: "...???"

Didn't the crow fly away? How did it end up back in the cage?