Chapter 116 - 114: Feather Shuttlecock

The mutant turtledove had firm, well-textured meat. Its grayish-blue feathers shimmered with a metallic luster, looking quite beautiful. Seeing such gorgeous feathers, Sev Steele was instantly reminded of a popular sport and game loved by country kids: kicking a shuttlecock. Her own kids didn’t have a single toy, so she decided to make one for them.

Making a feather shuttlecock was very simple. She rummaged around and found two metal washers the size of Copper Coins, which she had scavenged and brought back while tagging along with Hayden Hanson last time. Next, she cut two circular pieces of cloth from a pair of worn-out canvas pants that could no longer be worn. She then placed the washers between the two pieces of cloth and sewed the edges together, completing the base of the shuttlecock.

Plucking a thick feather from the turtledove, she cut off a hollow quill about five centimeters long. She snipped four two-centimeter slits at one end of the quill to form "claws." Passing a needle and thread through the center of the base, she spread the claws flat and sewed them securely into place. Finally, she plucked the most beautiful feathers and inserted them into the opening of the quill. A sturdy, durable feather shuttlecock was now complete.

The children gathered around to watch Sev make the shuttlecock, their curiosity overflowing. Rose couldn’t help but ask, "Mom, what’s that?"

"It’s a really fun toy called a feather shuttlecock. When it’s winter and we’re stuck indoors with nothing to do, we can kick it around the house for fun," Sev said with a smile, giving them a quick demonstration.

She had been quite the wild child in her youth and was pretty good at kicking a shuttlecock. Even though she hadn’t played in years, her skills hadn’t rusted one bit. Standing on one foot, she kicked it dozens of times in a single breath. The children watched, their mouths falling open in perfect Os. Rose took the shuttlecock and immediately tried it out. Unfortunately, she only managed one kick before her body wobbled unsteadily, nearly causing her to fall over. Curly instantly extended its vines to prop her up.

"Mom, can I make another one? I want to give it to Shannon," Firestone said timidly from the side. He had offended Shannon Fuller earlier today and wanted to give her a toy as an apology.

"You learned how to do it just by watching me once?" Sev was a little surprised. This son of hers was notoriously clumsy with his hands.

"Mhm." Firestone nodded.

"Alright, go ahead and make one yourself. I still need to busy myself with preparing this meat," Sev said.

After plucking the thick, beautiful feathers, Sev also pulled out some relatively soft ones, planning to make a feather duster when she had free time later. Only then did she boil water to scald the bird and pluck the rest of its down. Seeing this, Rusty and Zephyr quickly rushed over to help.

Firestone began following her earlier steps to make his own feather shuttlecock. Sev found time to glance over a couple of times and noticed that although his technique was clumsy, his steps were completely flawless. Sev felt greatly relieved. The boy had a strong memory and an excellent ability to imitate. Even if his hands weren’t the most nimble, he should still be perfectly capable of Artifact Refining.

Once the mutant turtledove was plucked clean, Sev rubbed salt evenly over it from the inside out. She planned to make smoked meat. Seth Jennings had gone out on a mission today, and there was no telling when she would return. If Sev made soup, it would spoil by the time Seth got back. Seth had provided the ingredients, so Sev would feel uneasy if she didn’t let her have a taste.

After finishing all these preparations, she freshened up and went to bed early.

She resolved to go out scavenging again tomorrow. Winter temperatures in the wasteland could drop to between minus twenty and minus fifty degrees, making it completely unsuitable for outdoor foraging. Right now, there was less than a month left until winter. She had to race against the clock to gather more wild vegetables and stockpile more firewood. Since masters had already been secured for two of the children at home—both of whom were highly capable figures—Sev felt as if a massive weight had instantly been lifted from her shoulders.

She slept very peacefully that night, enjoying a deep and dreamless sleep.

The next day, she woke up before dawn.

Considering that it was best to bring some portable dry rations when going out, she decided to make shredded potato pancakes. She washed, peeled, and shredded the potatoes. Naturally, the peels couldn’t be wasted; she saved them to be used in soup later. She cracked open a mutant bird egg—one from the second batch that Hayden Hanson had delivered. She added milk, the egg, salt, and crumbled Nutrition Blocks to the shredded potatoes, stirring the mixture evenly before setting it aside.

While preparing the mutant turtledove last night, Sev had deliberately saved a piece of its fattiest, golden-yellow fat. She washed it, diced it, and tossed it into the pot, heating it slowly over a low flame to render the fat. The diced fat slowly turned transparent in the pot, seeping out fine beads of oil. She stirred it patiently with a spatula, watching as the chunks gradually shrank, dried out, and turned a crispy golden-brown. Before long, the clear, fragrant oil was completely rendered, shimmering with an amber luster in the pot. Including the cracklings, she yielded about one hundred and fifty milliliters of oil. She poured this precious small bowl of turtledove fat into a clean clay jar.

The entire kitchen was filled with a unique, savory aroma, and Sev couldn’t help but sniff the air. Rusty, who was helping add firewood beneath the stove, also couldn’t stop swallowing his saliva.

Sev scooped up a small half-spoonful of the freshly rendered oil and spread it evenly across the bottom of the pan. Once the oil was hot, she poured in the previously mixed shredded potatoes and quickly flattened them into a pancake shape with her spatula. She pan-fried it over medium heat until the bottom was set and golden brown, then flipped it, frying until both sides were golden and crispy before transferring it out of the pan. Sev spent a whole hour frying a massive basin full of shredded potato pancakes, easily weighing over ten pounds. She also cooked a large pot of hazel mushroom milk soup, wrapping up the breakfast preparations.

Firestone woke up very early today as well; he was still eager to go to work at Mr. Fuller’s house. Zephyr and Rose were still asleep, as was Rick Kaye, whose body was still too weak.

By the time Sev and her two sons, Rusty and Firestone, had eaten and drunk their fill, the sky was already entirely bright. Right before leaving the house, she received a message from Hayden Hanson, inviting her to go foraging in the wilderness together. Sev conveniently packed about three pounds of the shredded potato pancakes into a container and handed it to Hayden as soon as they met. Looking at the piping hot, incredibly fragrant potato pancakes, Hayden felt his lonely heart being filled to the brim.

The two set off together. Hayden pushed a wheelbarrow and wore a Tactical Backpack. After paying the ten-point toll, they walked toward The Murkwood, bathed in the early morning sun. Today, they chose a different trail, one that was abundant in mutant lamb’s quarters and catchweed. As usual, they agreed on a meeting point, then each chose a direction and headed toward the dense clusters of vegetation.

Sev’s luck wasn’t great today. She tested several wild vegetables in a row, only to find their radiation levels were all in the fifties, nearing the lower limit of high-level radiation. She didn’t really want to gather this kind of vegetable, as eating too much of it would severely damage one’s health.

As Sev walked, she realized she had arrived at a slope. According to the original owner’s memories, the bottom of the slope was covered in dense, thorny bushes. Because there were very few edible vegetables there and a high risk of getting pricked, she would always try her best to bypass this area. However, since Sev hadn’t found much along the way, she figured she would go down and try her luck.

She chopped off a branch as thick as a child’s arm to use as a walking stick, brushing aside the thorny vine blocking her path as she went. She made it all the way to the bottom of the slope without spotting any edible plants. Just as she was about to turn back the way she came, her foot slipped, and she tumbled straight into a dense patch of thorny vine. She instinctively raised her arms to protect her face. Getting scratched a few times on the back of her hands was fine, but having her face slashed open would be far too embarrassing.