Chapter 54: Teaching a Man to Fish

The snow was falling thick and fast, never-ending and relentless. It hadn’t stopped for even a moment. Yun Qimu had only lingered in Mo Xie’s little cabin for a short while, but when she stepped outside, the snow had already piled up to her calves.

“Oh no, my pumpkins!”

With this shout, Pei Yu immediately dashed out in a panic.

As he ran, he yelled anxiously, “Oh, my precious babies! Daddy’s coming to save you!”

Ever since he’d first tasted pumpkin, he’d been utterly amazed by its sweet, tender, and sticky perfection. Back when Mo Xie hadn’t set any entry restrictions, Pei Yu would often come by with a little handkerchief to wipe down the pumpkins, his gaze so fiery it was warmer than when he looked at his own children.

To make sure the pumpkins could get enough sunlight, he’d even destroyed one of Mo Xie’s orchid bushes.

So, the “old farmer” cousin got angry, set up a barrier, and wouldn’t let him in anymore—not even to mooch a meal.

As the self-proclaimed “pumpkin dad,” Pei Yu could only cry about it.

Now, with the rare chance to return to the courtyard, he was like a husky let off its leash, frantically digging up pumpkins in the snow. In the blink of an eye, the pristine white courtyard was full of pits and holes.

Yun Qimu watched, her mouth twitching, then picked out five of the biggest and best-looking pumpkins from the “rescued babies.” Ignoring Pei Yu’s mournful, reluctant gaze, she decisively packed the pumpkins into her storage compartment and took them away.

As soon as she got home, a delicious aroma wafted out from inside.

“You’re back! The fish soup is almost ready.” Yun Xiaoyu, hands cupping his cheeks, squatted obediently by the little stove. Hearing the door, his big eyes lit up with excitement.

Yun Qimu paused, looking up at the makeshift little shed above Yun Xiaoyu, pieced together from iron sheets and wooden planks.

The roof was already covered with a thick layer of snow, looking like it could collapse at any moment.

“Did Dad build this?” Yun Qimu asked after a moment.

“Mm, I supervised, Dad built it,” Yun Xiaoyu puffed out his little chest and lifted his chin proudly.

Still smug, he added, “When we were scavenging earlier, I found a lot of wood and iron sheets and brought them back. I knew they’d come in handy.”

“They sure did.” Yun Qimu smiled encouragingly and gave him a thumbs-up. “And you’ve learned to make fish soup on your own—amazing!”

Yun Xiaoyu’s cheeks flushed red as he lifted his chin. “Hmph, it’s not that hard. I watched you make chicken soup a few times and figured it out. I even added garlic to get rid of the fishy smell.”

“Wow, Xiaoyu, you’re so talented! You’ll definitely be a good man who can handle both the kitchen and the living room, just like Dad.”

“It’s not as great as you say… I still have to work hard.” Xiaoyu turned his blushing face away shyly, then glanced at her hands. “Did you get the pumpkins back?”

“I did—five of them. I’ll stir-fry some greens, make a little chicken stir-fry, and steam a pumpkin. Then we can eat.”

Yun Qimu smiled and headed into the kitchen.

Yun Xiaoyu pulled his dad along, scampering after her, his childish voice full of excitement. “We’ll help you wash the veggies! I can even cut the meat!”

“Great, with your help, cooking will be so much easier.”

The siblings giggled as they went inside, accompanied by their dad’s hearty, goofy laughter. The family was warm and lively, making their neighbors—Yun He and the others, separated by just two fences—watch with envy.

“Ah.” Yun He glanced at the little shed next door, then suddenly realized, “Wait, what about our dinner?”

Wu Xingyu turned, his cat-like black eyes looking at Mo Xie, and stated expressionlessly, “Uncle, I’m hungry.”

Pei Yu, having finished digging up the courtyard, also came over eagerly. “Cousin, I’m hungry too. Let’s make dinner.”

Mo Xie looked silently at the two “debt collectors,” his voice low. “I only know how to steam pumpkin. Can any of you cook?”

“Huh? Then where did those stir-fried greens, cold cucumber salad, chicken soup, and stir-fried chicken you made before come from?” Pei Yu asked in surprise.

“I paid Tang with a spirit coin to cook them.”

“So that’s how it was! I thought you’d been secretly practicing your cooking skills behind our backs. Damn, I can’t cook either.”

Wu Xingyu, however, frowned, missing the point entirely. “A spirit coin is too expensive. Uncle, you’re wasting money.”

Mo Xie’s dark eyes glinted. “If you could cook, we wouldn’t have to spend spirit coins.”

Wu Xingyu’s delicate, pale face turned sour. He shot a look at Yun He and Yuan An, who had just finished showering.

Yun He shivered. “I can’t cook. My mom always did the cooking at home, and ingredients were expensive, so she never let me in the kitchen.”

Yuan An, huddled in the bathroom doorway, hugged his chubby self tightly. “I—I come from a rich family. We have a chef.”

As for Wu Xingyu, he had servants for everything, so of course he’d never cooked for himself.

In the living room, the five grown men looked at each other, wide-eyed and helpless. In the end, they reluctantly decided to spend a spirit coin to hire the Tang father and son to cook for them, sending Yun He, Yuan An, and Pei Yu over under the pretense of “helping out.”

The real reason, of course, was to learn by watching.

Who knew how long they’d be stuck in this “global village”? If they never learned to cook and always hired someone, that’d be one spirit coin per meal, three a day, ninety a month, a whopping one thousand and eighty a year.

Just thinking about it, Wu Xingyu, the miser, couldn’t stand it. Someone had to learn to cook.

But cooking isn’t something you can master just because you want to—it takes talent.

After half an hour of fumbling in the kitchen, Yun He and the others came back with three plates of charred, unidentifiable food, even worse than Mo Xie’s simple steamed pumpkin.

Wu Xingyu was so angry he couldn’t keep his poker face and scolded them soundly, saying even the little kids next door were more capable.

The three hung their heads, too dejected to argue. The kids next door really were multi-talented—they didn’t dare compare.

Meanwhile, Yun Qimu was happily sipping the delicious fish soup Yun Xiaoyu had made, listening to the commotion from next door.

She thought to herself, This little cabin was great at blocking out the storms, but now it can’t even block out the neighbors’ noise?

Yun Xiaoyu gulped down his soup from a big bowl, then glanced disdainfully at the house next door. Hmph, a bunch of men who can’t even cook—no wonder they can’t get wives.

“Dai Mu, are we going monster hunting together later?” Yun Xiaoyu put down his bowl, licked the soup from his lips, and looked at Yun Qimu with hopeful eyes.

Yun Qimu let out a satisfied burp and shook her head contentedly. “I’m afraid not. There’s a fat sheep—cough, I mean, some newcomers next door who want to buy a house. I need to help them out.”

“Oh.” Yun Xiaoyu drooped, then rummaged around in his spatial pouch and handed her a piece of parchment. “Dai Mu, is this useful? I found it in a treasure chest.”

Yun Qimu took it and her eyes widened in surprise. “A red potion recipe?”"