Chapter 552: Chapter 552

The fat chicken felt that it had reached the peak of its life, having never before received such high regard. Is laying an egg such a big deal? It’s such a common occurrence at the Jing Family’s home. Moreover, at the Jing Family’s, you’d be embarrassed to vie for attention if you didn’t have a special skill. I just laid a few more eggs. Just look at Da Niu, who produces tens of kilograms of milk every day. Is she proud of herself? Then there are Gou Dan and Da Hua, who toil every day to mate. Not only do they have to lay eggs, but they also have to incubate them. Do they strut about?

Modesty is key, keep a low profile.

As the fat chicken recalled its master’s motto, it became even more dignified. It adjusted its plump behind and settled completely into its cozy nest. After drinking the last sip of warm water, it signaled that it was bedtime. I’m off duty! Anything about laying eggs can wait until after I wake up. After all, even a chicken can’t be expected to work twenty-four hours a day, right?

Li Dayou personally watched over the eggs, grinning foolishly the entire night. Even if he couldn’t eat them, merely looking at them made him very happy. He remembered Wang Dan asking how many eggs this chicken could lay. And just look, it hadn’t taken long at all for it to lay so many...

Jing Shu had a terrible night’s sleep. Despite laying down thick mats, using a hot water bottle, and even adding a few more blankets during the night, it was still cold! She felt an unpleasant dampness that seemed to penetrate her bones.

The temperature on the boat was similar to a huge ice cellar. Even though her tent was windproof, it was nearly the same as camping out in the wilderness, a far cry from the luxury of a coach bus. Considering the apocalypse, having a good night’s sleep is already very difficult, let alone how I endured in my previous life.

So when she heard the sounds of fire crackling, water boiling, and people talking outside, Jing Shu got up.

Aunt Wang was already outside with her daughter, stomping their feet while waiting to get their daily supply of Compressed Biscuits to take back and make earth cakes. She also brought a batch of earth cakes that had been baked the day before. All the food prepared daily had to be turned in and then distributed equally at mealtime. Controlling the food meant controlling the lifeline of the villagers.

Wang Dan scratched his head. "What are we eating for breakfast? Earth cakes too? The water’s already boiled." Although he also yearned for the previous day’s meals, Wang Dan knew that they couldn’t expect such fine food every day. Moreover, those meals were Jing Shu’s personal belongings, and with the appetite of a dozen or so grown men, the food the young lady brought couldn’t possibly be abundant.

Yawning, Jing Shu gave Aunt Wang the Compressed Biscuits and arranged the day’s work. Then, with some hesitation, Aunt Wang said, "People in the village are getting dissatisfied with always eating these earth cakes. Some are complaining and want to eat some meat, saying they work too hard every day..."

Having earth cakes to eat is already quite good, these people, honestly.

Jing Shu nodded, indicating she understood, but didn’t offer a solution. As Aunt Wang was leaving, she patted her chest and said, "Let them say what they will. I know those people just want to cause trouble to get more benefits. Nowadays, just having food to eat is good enough. We, however, will work hard at making Compressed Biscuits and dried food provisions."

Watching Aunt Wang and her daughter leave the boat, Jing Shu walked and asked, "How many eggs were laid? I’ll have eggs for breakfast. I’m not used to eating earth cakes."

Wang Dan chuckled. "Fifteen of them! The captain cherished them so much that he slept with them all night."

Jing Shu covered her face. When she arrived at Li Dayou’s room, she saw that he indeed treasured the eggs, cradling them as he slept. Next to him was the wooden storage box for the eggs; he looked as if he would eliminate anyone who dared to come near to steal them. Fınd the newest release on 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅•𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾•𝗇𝖾𝗍

When Li Dayou heard that Jing Shu wanted to take all the eggs, he was stunned. "So many eggs, taking them all? There are only twelve of us; we can’t finish them! At least leave half. What if the rescue team takes a few more days to arrive? We’ll have no food supplies then, and feeding all these people for even one meal is a huge drain on resources."

Even Wang Dan, who always obeyed orders, nodded. "If it weren’t for the captain saving food a month in advance, we wouldn’t have survived until now. We should really save some food just in case."

Jing Shu understood too well the feeling of insecurity that came with a lack of food. Having a little extra food, even if not eaten, represents hope in a dire situation. Watching the food supply dwindle feels as if life itself is coming to an end.

"Alright, I’ll leave one egg. The chicken will keep laying, don’t worry." Jing Shu eventually left one for Li Dayou to hold onto as a comforting thought. Then, she resolutely took the rest of the eggs and went to cook without another word.

The flour had all been used up making pancakes yesterday, but this didn’t stump Jing Shu.

Jing Shu boiled noodles in hot water, then laid them out on a greased stone pot, forming a clump with a hollow in the middle. She cracked egg yolks into the hollow, slowly frying them into round pancakes. , she fried twelve pancakes, each with an egg yolk.

She didn’t throw away the noodle soup water. Instead, she cooked glass noodles, a variety of Dried Vegetables, and beef grains in it. Then she whisked all the egg whites and a few more whole eggs into the pot, cooking up rich, large chunks of egg flower. She sprinkled a generous amount of Pepper and poured vinegar over it, creating her homemade version of Hu La Tang.

Before long, the fragrance of fried egg pancakes and the rich aroma of the meaty broth wafted out. Jing Shu secretly savored food from her space in the kitchen, wiping her mouth discreetly before calling everyone to eat. By then, everyone’s drool had practically reached the floor; they looked at Jing Shu with eager eyes, their stomachs rumbling impatiently.

"Alright, let’s keep breakfast simple," Jing Shu waved her hand and distributed a fried pancake to each person, along with a big bowl full of the thick soup containing glass noodles, Dried Vegetables, egg flowers, and meat grains.

Wang Dan took a sip. The delicious egg flowers mixed with meat grains, and the spicy, sour, and hot soup sent a pleasant warmth surging through his body. After biting into the pancake, with its crisp exterior and soft interior still cradling the yolk, he felt as if he were about to float away. He stammered, "This... this is simple? This is the feast of a lifetime for me!"

Li Dayou let out a satisfied puff of warm air, his whole body warming up despite the cold weather. "I thought we were just going to eat boiled eggs for breakfast; that’s been my greatest dream for the past half-year! I never imagined eggs could be prepared this way. It’s much more satisfying than just boiled eggs."

Speaking of this, Jing Shu couldn’t help but feel a sense of smug pride, alone in her corner. Before the apocalypse, I downloaded a complete cookbook, especially "One Hundred and One Ways to Eat Eggs." So far, I’ve only tried a dozen or so of those recipes. Given the time, I want to experiment with all of them. However, Li Dayou wasn’t wrong about one thing: my favorite way to eat eggs is still the simplest.

High-end ingredients often taste best when prepared in the simplest way. A boiled egg sprinkled with salt can explode with flavor!

As Jing Shu savored this harmonious scene, screams as terrifying as the howling of ghosts and wolves suddenly pierced the air outside, shattering the peace. Wang Dan picked up his weapon and dashed out, with Jing Shu following close behind. Li Dayou, meanwhile, held onto the fat chicken, his hopeful eyes twinkling like little stars, as if asking it, "Esteemed elder, when will you start work again?"