Chapter 47 - 46: Scalded Dough Flatbread

Chapter 47: Chapter 46: Scalded Dough Flatbread

She pulled the hot-water dough from the bare basin and placed it on the cutting board. She didn’t have a rolling pin, but that was fine. Someone hungry enough would always find a way.

Huai Yu slowly pressed it flat with the heel of her palm. Her movements were steady and unhurried. She carefully worked a bit of lard into the dough, measuring the amount with great caution—she was terrified of upsetting her stomach and getting diarrhea. Never mind the fact that buying medicine was a hassle, the real tragedy would be wasting such a delicious meal on a sick stomach!

The solid white lard slowly melted into the dough under her kneading hands. Once the pan was back on the stove and radiating heat, she pressed and stretched the dough out flat before laying it into the pan.

And then! She grabbed a brick, sat down in front of the stove, and did absolutely nothing. Resting her chin in her hands, she watched the low flames and quietly waited.

The baking process dragged on for what felt like an eternity. A sweet, wheaty aroma drifted from the pan. It was faint, yet entirely impossible to ignore. Several times, Huai Yu had to fight the urge to snatch it out and take a bite, relying on sheer willpower to hold herself back. She waited until the flatbread had been flipped twice and puffed up completely.

"It’s ready!" she cheered, jumping to her feet.

She lifted the entire pan off the stove and set it on the floor. Grabbing a pair of chopsticks, she pinched the soft flatbread and waved it frantically in the air, trying to cool it down fast enough to eat. But right before taking a bite, she subconsciously glanced toward the door. There was nothing outside—just the PIT-PAT of the rain and a water bucket that was already eighty percent full.

Huai Yu lowered her head and took a bite.

"MMM!"

It was incredible. It was sweet, soft, and unbelievably fragrant. Now *this* was what real human food was supposed to taste like!

She opened her mouth wide and took two massive bites, forcing herself to chew thoroughly before swallowing. Only after that initial rush did she slow down, taking delicate little nibbles of the modestly sized flatbread. The gloomy sky, the endless rain, the faint traces of pollution lingering in the air around her... none of it could dampen her happiness in this moment.

The rain continued to fall steadily throughout the night. By the time the morning broadcast began, the downpour had only grown heavier. Fortunately, Huai Yu simply stayed tucked in bed, stubborn enough to wait the weather out.

By the time the rain finally stopped, it was already ten o’clock.

The moment she crawled out from beneath the covers, condensation from the ceiling fell onto her face with a PLOP. Her mood instantly soured. Everything felt damp and clammy, right down to the soles of her shoes. If the sun didn’t come out soon, she was really going to lose her mind.

Huai Yu sighed and sluggishly got out of bed. Her first priority was starting a fire. Even though the flames would only make the room feel hotter and muggier, the extra warmth would still help dry things out a little. Plus, the bean sprouts wouldn’t grow at all if the temperature dropped too low.

She washed, sorted, and strained the soybeans before spreading them out evenly across two small baskets. Turning to check her towels, she realized that out of the three she owned, only one was left for personal use. The other two had to cover the sprouts. She made a mental note and jotted the shortage down in her notebook.

She scooped out some water from a nearby bucket—one treated with Water Purification Tablets—and poured it over the beans. Speaking of which, she was down to her last bottle of Water Purification Tablets. That had to be added to the list, too. Looking at her notes, Huai Yu sighed. She had just started thinking her life was finally getting on track, but she was still missing so many little odds and ends!

The water in her thermos was still warm. She poured it out to mix a bowl of roasted flour paste, adding a pinch of salt. After eating, a comforting warmth spread through her body. She pulled on her rain boots and raincoat, ready to head up the mountain. She had no choice. Even though the rain had stopped, the forest was still soaked. If she went into the mountains without a raincoat, some mischievous tree would inevitably dump a canopy full of cold water right on her head. Trees could be so malicious!

Having learned that lesson the hard way in the past, Huai Yu huffed and pushed her bicycle outside. Wait... didn’t a bicycle also require an air pump? The realization struck her, making her feel even more miserable. Thank goodness she had figured out the bean sprout business. Otherwise, her days ahead would be utterly bleak!

The week-long stretch of rain hadn’t negatively impacted the plants at all. In fact, the greenery in the mountain forest had grown noticeably denser. The leaves of the Rose Corridor looked incredibly glossy. The pollution in the environment might make the flora violently irritable, but it certainly hadn’t stunted their growth.

The moment she passed through the Rose Corridor, she spotted quite a few edible wild vegetables growing along the slopes. However, they were too sparse to be worth harvesting, so she ignored them. Mountain runoff had converged into a clear, bubbling stream. She followed the flowing water upward until she spotted a few small fish swimming in a rocky pool.

She wondered if she could catch them and raise them in her pond.

The pool didn’t look deep, but looks could be deceiving. Crouching by the bank, Huai Yu cautiously reached out and tried to scoop one up. The little fish had looked agile, but it was far quicker than she expected. With a lightning-fast spin in the water, its tiny tail whipped hard against the back of her hand!

"Hiss!" It stung!

She jerked her hand back. In the blink of an eye, a swollen red welt had already formed across her pale skin. Huai Yu stared in shock. People were constantly talking about flora and fauna mutations, but this was the first time she was truly experiencing it for herself. Was this how animals mutated?

Still, if its tail was that powerful, its meat was probably incredibly chewy and delicious, right? Standing on the bank, she stared down at the water and decided to immediately add *Small Fishing Net* and *Fishhooks* to her shopping list the moment she got home. After a second thought, she mentally added *Fish Trap* as well.

The air in the woods was even more saturated with moisture than back at the treehouse. A thick fog rolled through the trees, shrouding the steep, jagged rocks. Looking at the rugged terrain, it was completely impossible to tell that this mountain used to be a bustling tourist destination with manicured wooden walkways.

Huai Yu continued her trek up the slope. Even bundled in a down jacket underneath her raincoat, her legs felt uncomfortably cold. Taking a deep breath, she picked up her pace. Sure enough, upon reaching a gentle slope, she spotted a large patch of wild vegetables. There were a few stalks of alpine leeks and two or three clumps of wild garlic. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

She took her trowel and dug out the wild garlic. A short distance away, she discovered a small patch of ground ear fungus. The fungus had spread out into a dense little cluster. Soaked by the forest’s moisture, the algae looked exceptionally plump and hydrated. A little further away from the stream, she found an even larger patch of white wormwood.

Huai Yu took a quick lap around the area and decided there was plenty here to feed herself. She decided not to venture any deeper into the mountains. Slipping her woven basket off her back, she took her time leisurely harvesting the greens.

As she foraged, she absentmindedly wandered a bit further and spotted a slender Chinese toon tree. She stared longingly at its fragrant shoots for a while before letting out a sad sigh and giving up. Toon shoots tasted strange without being scrambled with eggs. Since she already had other vegetables to eat, it was better not to waste them.

An hour of unhurried foraging drifted by. Glancing at her basket, which was now less than half full of wild greens, Huai Yu felt entirely satisfied. Her oversized raincoat was starting to feel heavy and suffocating. She stretched lazily, picked up her basket, and began the trek home.

After a few steps, however, she turned back and dipped her hands into the icy stream.

Faint wisps of filth vanished without a trace under her purification. The surrounding plants frantically scrambled to absorb the clean water, but it was quickly washed away by the polluted current flowing from upstream. Her meager ability was truly insignificant—a mere drop in the bucket, hardly worth mentioning.

Even so, as she pulled her dripping hands back, Huai Yu felt a deep sense of contentment. Humming a cheerful tune, she happily made her way back down the mountain.