Chapter 496 - 330: Where Did You Find Another Beauty?

Chapter 496: Chapter 330: Where Did You Find Another Beauty?

Convenient, simple, delicious, and nutritious.

There were plenty of pre-made meals that could satisfy all four of these conditions, but considering Erica’s cooking skills, his options were limited.

’Braised pork is one option. I can cook it in advance, and all she’ll have to do is heat it up. She just needs to cook some rice, and teaching her that shouldn’t be too hard.’

’What should I do with all this flour? Make noodles? No, noodles don’t keep well. What about flatbreads? Or steamed buns? But what would they be served with?’

As he was contemplating the lunch menu, the door to Jin Meiyan’s room clicked open.

She had changed into a wine-red, off-the-shoulder T-shirt with an asymmetrical collar. The thin, form-fitting material fully revealed her beautiful curves.

Her denim shorts were gone, replaced by a pair of white hot pants.

Her long, messily permed hair was draped casually over her back, dancing with her movements and bringing with it a gust of fragrance.

Seeing Lin Chen sitting at the dining table, Jin Meiyan smiled faintly, revealing the two signature dimples at the corners of her mouth. She walked over with a light step and sat down beside him.

"What are you thinking about, sitting here all by yourself? Where’s Erica?"

"In her room, I don’t know what she’s doing," Lin Chen nodded at her, his gaze returning to the notebook in front of him. "I’m trying to figure out what to make for the workers’ lunches for the next few days. I definitely won’t be here since I’ll be taking you out for the survival experience."

He then briefly explained the problem he was facing before asking, "By the way, I haven’t asked yet, how many days are you planning to spend on the survival experience? Do you have any special requests or preferences?"

"Hmm... I haven’t really thought about that. When does the whale-watching season end?"

Lin Chen was taken aback. Her question had indeed stumped him. He immediately went online to search for an answer.

"Guess what? It runs from March to October. The season just started in mid-to-late March, and it hits peak season around May and June. The whales are most active in the summer months of July and August, but tickets are also the most expensive and hardest to get then."

"So you’re saying the whales have just started migrating now, and there aren’t many of them, so we might not see them every time? And the chances get better later in the season?"

Jin Meiyan hadn’t expected this. She had only just arrived in Vancouver yesterday. After hearing a driver recommend the whale watching on the island, she took a ferry directly to Nanaimo that evening. Then this morning, she received Erica’s invitation and, without much thought, just took a taxi over. She hadn’t done any research at all.

"Well, if that’s the case, then there’s no rush. I have a United States passport, so I can stay here for half a year, visa-free. As long as I’m not working or studying, I can do whatever I want. How many days do you think is best for a good experience in the wild?"

"Uh... that depends on your personal tolerance level. It’s different for everyone. For example, if you’re a girl who likes to stay clean, how long you can last depends on how long you can go without washing your face or showering."

"As long as there’s a stream, I can wash my face and bathe, right? I saw you, Oppa, boiling pine needles to wash your hair, and you can find lots of other plants with similar effects. This problem shouldn’t be too hard for you, right, Oppa?"

"That’s true."

Being praised to his face by the beautiful South Korean woman, who was also calling him "Oppa" repeatedly, made Lin Chen scratch his cheek, a little embarrassed. Still, he didn’t deny that he had such skills.

"How about this? Let’s tentatively set it for three days. If you feel good after the first two days and can keep going, we can extend it. I feel like three days is just the beginning. After that, you’ll start to really experience the difficulty of wilderness survival. How does that sound?"

"That might be a bit difficult. Without a fixed duration, it’s hard for me to prepare enough food in advance."

"Oh, right. I forgot about that. In that case... let’s just set it for five days. Five days should be enough, right?"

She had seen the episode with Marcia; otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to leave a comment.

Surviving by the sea didn’t seem that difficult. Eating two meals a day was perfectly normal for her, and having gone through years of dieting, she wasn’t afraid of going hungry.

"Okay."

She was a guest, after all, and her request wasn’t unreasonable. How he handled his own work was his problem.

Given the capacity of the refrigerator at home, preparing five days’ worth of food in advance was unrealistic. Even including the fridge at the market, stuffing them all would only accommodate two days’ worth of meals at most.

He could then prepare a container to be left at room temperature, which could be heated up and taken away the next day. All told, that would only be three days.

It seemed the only option was to have the driver figure out a way to order and deliver food from Nanaimo. There was no other choice.

"Do you have a preferred terrain for the survival trip? The coast or the forest?"

"I’d like to experience both. It would be boring to stay in the same area for five days."

"Alright, no problem," he nodded and continued, "After my last experience with Lady Marcia, I realized walking is just too exhausting. This time, I plan to do it differently and just rent a speedboat."

"Conveniently, there are a few small islands on my territory. We can pick one to explore this time. That would let you experience both the forest and the coast. Most importantly, there are no dangerous animals on the islands, so it’s relatively safer."

"Dangerous animals? Like what, bears and wolves?"

"Yes, there are Black Bears on Vancouver Island. There are wolves, but they’re rare. I’ve heard cougars have been spotted in the past, but there haven’t been any sightings for a long time. In any case, my territory is relatively safe."

"Black Bears... how big are they?"

"An adult is about the size of a person, weighing around a hundred kilograms. The largest can grow to over two meters long and weigh over two hundred kilograms. They’re considered the smallest species in the North American bear family."

Jin Meiyan covered her small mouth with both hands in surprise, a flicker of fear in her eyes.

She weighed less than fifty kilograms, not even half the weight of a Black Bear—and that was the smallest type of bear around here.

She found it hard to imagine how Lin Chen had managed to hunt such a large creature.

After briefly chatting about the survival trip, Lin Chen changed the subject. "By the way, do you know how to make dumplings?"

"I do!" Jin Meiyan nodded lightly, lifting her chin with pride. "Although I was born in the United States, I used to stay at my grandmother’s house in South Korea during school breaks. I always helped make various side dishes and meals for holidays and festivals. I know how to make kimchi, savory pancakes, stone pot soup, and dumplings~"

"Could I ask you for some help, then? I plan to make some dumplings in advance and freeze them. That way, Erica can just boil them and pack them up. It’ll save a lot of trouble."

"Of course! Besides, this is partly my fault for causing you trouble, Oppa, so I should definitely lend a hand. Plus, I know dumplings originated in Great Xia, and I’ve always wanted to taste what authentic Da Xia dumplings are like~"

Dumplings for about twenty people for two days was no small amount. Given the workers’ appetites, he estimated each person would need at least one kilogram of dumplings, which was about fifty to sixty of them.

’Let’s say twenty-five people... no, better make it thirty. Dumplings won’t spoil in the freezer, so it’s always good to have extra. That would mean thirty kilograms of dumplings for one day, and sixty kilograms for two days. That’s about three thousand dumplings in total.’

If he had to make that many by himself, he probably wouldn’t be able to finish even if he worked from dawn till dusk. It would take at least two days to complete.

Factoring in eating, sleeping, and other tasks, it would take three days at a minimum.

Jin Meiyan was a guest, so he couldn’t have her helping out for too long. It seemed it was time to call Erica over to learn how to make dumplings.

Given how fast she learned, it probably wouldn’t take her long to pick it up. That way, even if they couldn’t finish them all, he could leave a small batch for her to make at home. Fresh dumplings were definitely more delicious than frozen ones.

With that thought, he immediately went to Erica’s door.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Erica, who had been biting her thumb while watching a video on her computer screen with rapt attention, flinched and instinctively lowered the laptop screen a little.

"What?"

"I’m going to make some dumplings to freeze. You need to come and learn in a bit. You’ll be the one to cook them for the workers. Besides, dumplings are one of the most important and traditional foods for us Da Xia People."

’Make dumplings?’

Of course, she knew what dumplings were, but she had only ever eaten the Japanese-style gyoza at an izakaya. It was only later that she learned they were a food from Great Xia.

Her mind was still on the video she hadn’t finished, so she just agreed absentmindedly.

’Strange, what’s with her?’

Lin Chen stared at the closed door in confusion, unable to figure it out. This was the first time she had ever shouted to him through the door.

’Her tone didn’t sound like anything was wrong. Maybe she’s just tired and can’t be bothered to move?’

Since he was going to do it, it was most efficient to get all the ingredients at once.

"Um, Erica seems tired. Would you mind coming with me to the market to help carry some ingredients?"

"Of course. You don’t have to be so formal, Oppa. Just call me Meiyan~"

The girl immediately stood up with a smile. "Perfect. I haven’t had a look around this little town yet. I’d be a little scared to go alone, so it’s safer with you."

Since he needed to buy over fifty kilograms of ingredients, walking was out of the question. He simply took her for a drive, looping twice through the main streets of the small town before heading back to the market along the coastal highway.

"The scenery here is absolutely amazing! Even though the town isn’t big, it’s filled with a sense of history, and the natural landscape is just as beautiful as what I’ve seen in videos. There’s a reason North America is famous for its natural beauty!"

"If I can experience wilderness survival in such a beautiful place, I feel like staying a few extra days would be no problem at all~"

As she got out of the car, Jin Meiyan was still immersed in the beautiful scenery of the coastal highway, her face filled with enchantment and longing.

They hadn’t walked far when, passing the convenience store at the market entrance, the owner who was out for a smoke spotted his passing figure and hurriedly called out.

"Lin Chen!"

"?"

Hearing his name, Lin Chen stopped in confusion, only to see the owner dashing out of the store, clutching a few calligraphy practice books.

"I found a few more while I was cleaning out the warehouse. Do you want...?"

Before he could finish, the owner noticed that the person with Lin Chen wasn’t Erica, but a beautiful, unfamiliar Asian woman. His eyes bulged, nearly popping out of his head.

Judging by her clothes and overall aura, she was in no way inferior to Erica—in fact, she was even more refined. She had the unmistakable style of an internet celebrity.

"Holy shit! Where did you pick up another beauty?"