Chapter 198: Culinary Catastrophes

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Xia Xin couldn’t help but smirk. She thought, ‘Considering Jing Mo’s luck, how could a wild pheasant have flown straight into a rock beside him and he just happened to pick it up?

“Then let’s take it back and get cooking,” Xia Xin suggested.

Xu Zhi and Zhou Lian, upon seeing the wild pheasant, suddenly found the rabbit in their hands less appealing.

“My goodness, Xia Xin, how did you manage that? You even found a wild pheasant!” Xu Zhi tossed the rabbit aside in excitement.

“Hey, why are you throwing away the rabbit?” Xia Xin quickly put down Drumstick and went to retrieve the rabbit.

“Woof, woof,” Drumstick wailed, feeling abandoned because of a rabbit.

Apart from Xia Xin, everyone else wondered why Drumstick was suddenly making a fuss.

“For lunch, you’ll get a roasted rabbit leg. How’s that?” Xia Xin whispered to Drumstick.

Suddenly, Drumstick’s wails ceased, and it wagged its tail, nuzzling Xia Xin’s pant leg affectionately.

“This little wolf pup is so adorable, is it trying to be cutesy?” Zhou Lian squatted down for a closer look.

“Ah!” Zhou Lian exclaimed suddenly.

“What’s wrong?” Xu Zhi asked immediately.

Zhou Lian patted her chest and said, “I think I just saw contempt in the little pup’s eyes.”

‘Contempt?’ Xu Zhi was taken aback. ‘Could a little wolf pup actually look down on people? That was almost too human!’

“Zhou Lian, you must be mistaken. It’s just a little wolf pup,” Xu Zhi reassured her.

Drumstick paid no mind to their speculations. It was busy enjoying the attention from Xia Xin, knowing well it had been promised a rabbit leg.

Having been fed raw meat all its life, which was rather tasteless, Drumstick had developed an affinity for the flavorful food Xia Xin provided. Now, it felt inseparable from Xia Xin.

Xia Xin patted Drumsticks head and said to Zhou Lian, “I’ve named the little wolf pup ‘Drumstick’.”

[Ahaha, this gal nearly killed me with laughter! Why not call the wolf pup ‘Big

Drumstick’ or ‘Little Drumstick’?]

[So cute, naming it Drumstick!]

[Quick, let’s crowdfund to get little wolf pups to pamper—no, no, to call ‘Drumstick’.]

[I’d love to have a little wolf pup like that.]

[Dream on, you lot, that wolf looks expensive.]

Hearing Xia Xin’s unique choice of name for the wolf pup, Zhou Lian couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Quite the character you are, giving a little wolf pup such a name. By the way, what are we having for lunch? I see you’ve got a wild pheasant,” Zhou Lian brought up the lunch plan.

“We’ll make a soup with the legs, wings, head, and some mushrooms. The rest we can stir-fry, and the rabbit is perfect for roasting. I’m afraid we might not have enough rice left, probably just enough for a couple of days,” Xia Xin shared her plan.

“No worries about the rice; we can eat something else. Besides the rabbit, we’ve also found some wild greens,” Zhou Lian presented the greens they had collected.

“Wow, we’re in for a treat at lunch today!” chimed in Tian Mei, who had been silent until now. “I’m in for a real feast!”

“And what were you up to this morning, Miss Tian?” Xia Xin inquired, curious about Tian Mei’s morning activities.

“I was feeding the animals,” Tian Mei’s eyes darted away as she spoke. To dodge work, Tian Mei had feigned stomach trouble, ensuring the cameraman wouldn’t follow her. Then she found a shady spot to rest, intending to return in time for lunch. She hadn’t anticipated Xia Xin calling her out so blatantly.

“You’re welcome to join us if you’ve put in the work. But you haven’t done anything, ” Xia Xin pointed out.

“I can help cook!” Tian Mei offered eagerly.

At that, Zhou Lian spoke up, “Let’s not. Everyone in the entertainment circle knows you are notorious for being a kitchen disaster.”

“I did not! That’s just a rumor!” Tian Mei’s face flushed with embarrassment.

Tian Mei couldn’t remember ever causing an actual explosion. Sure, there were incidents with overcooked dishes and forgotten water for rice, but years had passed. She refused to believe she hadn’t improved.

“Find something else to eat for yourself,” Xu Zhi said dismissively, as he began to prepare the rabbit.

As everyone got to work, Tian Mei hesitated, wanting to help. But she was startled by the sight of Xu Zhu skinning the rabbit, and equally grossed out by Jing MO plucking chicken feathers.

‘Ugh, cooking is so messy. I couldn’t bring myself to do it.’ Tian Mei thought to herself.

Before Tian Mei could decide where to lend a hand, the others had already finished their prep work..