Chapter 482: Dinner After a Day’s Work

Since all the chores are done, it’s time to eat!

Work’s finished—so let’s dig in!

Earlier today, Xia Qing delivered food to Hu Zifeng’s combat team, so now she just needs to prep meals for her own family and their guests.

She picked out fresh ingredients from the underground food storage, struggled a bit coming back up, then put on a pot of Green Lantern rice porridge. Next, she handed over three pounds of python meat to Alpha, the hero of the Third Disaster Elimination Team.

“Are you hungry, Queen? Want some python? It’s really nourishing.”

Alpha turned his eyes away.

“Is it that you don’t like it, or you’re not hungry?”

Xia Qing eyed Alpha’s not-so-round belly, then brought over a whole frozen rabbit, half of a black-maned goose, and a big chunk of pork, laying them all out for him to choose. “How about rabbit or goose? They’re both Green Lantern. Pork? Also Green Lantern.”

Those rabbit and goose were hard to come by, not to mention the Green Lantern pork.

Alpha didn’t even lift his eyelids.

“Nothing appeals to you?” Xia Qing was out of ideas. She put the python meat in the fridge, then hung the rabbit, goose, and pork in the fireplace to slowly roast.

After that, she mixed up a nutritious blend with cabbage, pumpkin, and toon sprouts for Old Goat as a reward for guarding the house. She let him dig right in, then leaned close to Er Gou and Crippled Wolf, promising in a whisper, “Once the meat’s cooked, the three of us will feast.”

Handsome Huge Wolf wasn’t in the yard—probably back up on Hill Sixty-One—so she didn’t need to worry about him.

Her hearing had gotten a bit better; even from the living room she could hear chestnuts tumbling in the porridge pot as water boiled in the kitchen. That sound filled her with a sense of security.

“Pop! Pop! Pop!”

The roasted chestnuts in the fireplace started to split, and their sweet scent soon overpowered the musty smell in the room. Xia Qing sat cross-legged by the fire, leaning against Er Gou, using a metal hook to fish out the chestnuts. She popped two into her mouth, then dropped one in Old Goat’s bowl. “Roasted chestnut—give it a try, Old Goat.”

Old Goat gave it a sniff, ate it, but didn’t look too impressed. He just kept munching on the fragrant toon sprouts.

Xia Qing peeled two more chestnuts and put them in the wolves’ bowls. “Try these—they aren’t hot anymore.”

Er Gou ate as usual. Crippled Wolf’s eyes lit up after tasting one, staring at the chestnuts roasting in the fireplace.

Truly a wolf with refined taste. Xia Qing could almost see the Yi Stone waving at her already.

She peeled another chestnut and gave it to Crippled Wolf, reminding him, “That’s your last one for today. Too many chestnuts aren’t good for wolves—you’ll get sick.”

After feeding Crippled Wolf, she noticed Alpha lying nearby, also watching the fire, so she offered him her last chestnut. “Queen, want to try one too?”

Alpha just glanced at it, then went back to watching the flames dance in the fireplace.

“Alright! If you’re not taking it, I will.”

Xia Qing popped the sweet, soft chestnut into her mouth, then flipped the roasting sweet potatoes with her metal hook. Afterward, she took out the thawed meat and got to work.

Ignoring the ache in her hands, she scored the meat a few times and put half back in the fire to cook for the wolves. The rest she seasoned with spices for the humans and set it aside to roast slowly.

Soon, the powerful aroma of spices and roasting meat filled the house, overtaking even the chestnut scent.

Xia Qing breathed in the happiness, sliced up some eggplant, gave Old Goat a couple of pieces, and put the rest—now seasoned—onto the grill as well.

When the porridge was ready and the meat and veggies had all finished cooking, Xia Qing went to wake up Huo Zhun for dinner. “Huo, wake up! Time to eat!”

Huo Zhun stopped snoring in an instant, rolled to the other side of the tatami, his hand already gripping his homemade pistol, exuding a dangerous edge.

“Grrr—”

Alpha, Crippled Wolf, and Er Gou immediately lunged to block Xia Qing, baring their fangs and growling at Huo Zhun. Old Goat squinted, still munching his eggplant, and scraped his hooves.

Huo Zhun blinked, finally realizing he was at Xia Qing’s place. He put down the pistol, wincing from pain, and asked, “Sorry. Was still half asleep. Xia Qing, how are you feeling now?”