Chapter 4, Procurement of Ingredients

In the hotel, the ingredients should be the most abundant. Qin Zheng first went to a small hotel in the village and spent 2 taels and 3 cash to buy a blue fish, ham, and Shaoxing wine. The hotel owner said that the chicken had already been sold out and informed her that there were wild rabbits all over the hillside to the south of the village, and if she wanted them, she could catch them herself. The prices here are exorbitantly high; even if there were chickens and rabbits available in the hotel, she would not be able to afford them and had to make other plans.

From a distance, before getting close, Sister Luo was seen leaning against the door, looking anxious. As soon as she spotted Qin Zheng, she shouted loudly: "You girl, why are you only just back? You made me wait so long!"

Qin Zheng let out a breath, ceasing her wild thoughts. In an instant, she struck like lightning, grabbing the ear of a rabbit that had dashed past her. Turning around, she struck again, catching another one, and then tossed them both into her belt as she walked back empty-handed. She began to gradually appreciate the peculiarities of this strange world; for instance, the person who was so poor that they could hardly shake out a few copper coins was surprisingly able to use a storage artifact

Qin Zheng handed the rabbit to the old man and chose a young hen from the flock to take away, but she heard the old woman say: "Girl, wait a moment. At my age, I can no longer do the work of killing rabbits. If you have some free time, could you help me by killing this rabbit?"

Looking up at the blazing sun in the sky, where in the underworld could there be such brilliant sunlight? Yet this place is certainly not the Western Paradise; if such a ruthless murderer, who kills as easily as cutting grass, could go to the Western Paradise after death, then the Buddha should be hiding in the eighteenth layer of hell, weeping inconsolably. However, she has always been solitary and alone, with only her shadow for company. As long as she can live freely and at will, what difference does it make where she is? If she dies without being flayed, dismembered, and thrown into a pot of oil, she should already be smiling in secret. However, she has always been solitary and alone, with only her shadow for company. As long as she can live freely and at will, what difference does it make where she is? If she dies without being flayed, dismembered, and thrown into a pot of oil, she should already be smiling in secret

Qin Zheng, with her keen eyes, inadvertently caught a glimpse of the drawer where Sister Luo was retrieving the book, which was half open and half closed. Inside, there was a large stack of identical "Luo's Recipes." Reflecting on her words, beads of fine sweat suddenly appeared on her forehead

Braised Chicken, Wine-Infused Ham, Stewed Fermented Green Fish, and Kung Pao Rabbit Meat, a total of four dishes, with Sister Luo teaching while cooking. How much salt to add, whether to add water, and how to control the heat, Qin Zheng observed the entire cooking process of these dishes and learned them all.

As Qin Zheng walked back to the village and saw the old lady feeding the chickens again, he took a live rabbit from his belt and approached her, saying: "Madam, may I exchange this rabbit for a chicken?"

Faced with Sister Luo's complaints, Qin Zheng was too lazy to explain, merely standing there with a calm smile while reading a book. A smile truly is the best weapon; Sister Luo had no time to argue with her, and after a couple of nagging remarks, she allowed her to stand by and learn how to cook.

She was never a butcher, so how could she know the skill of skinning?

As Qin Zheng walked towards the village entrance, she stopped by a fruit vendor and spent 6 coins to buy a small basket of plums. She stuffed all the ingredients she had purchased into her waistband and, while walking, observed the passersby brushing past her. Suddenly, she heard a voice murmuring, "My son is coming back tonight; what should I prepare for him to eat? Is it chicken again?" She turned her head to take a look and saw an elderly woman scattering rice to feed the chickens in front of her house. At that moment, an idea took shape in her mind.

The people in this village seem to have a common trait, which is their tendency to ask others for help, even if they have never met them before. Just now, while Qin Zheng was buying ingredients at a small tavern, the owner actually asked her to serve dishes to the guests! However, she has always lacked many things since childhood, but time has never been one of them. She has killed many, yet helped very few. At this moment, seeing that the villagers do not reject her, she unexpectedly feels a sense of warmth in her heart, and thus rolls up her sleeves, preparing to kill a rabbit.

You have helped me so much today, and I have nothing to thank you with, so let me take you to find a tailor to learn skinning! You see, having an extra skill means having an extra way to make a living... The old lady, with poor eyesight, did not notice that Qin Zheng was on the verge of breaking down, and continued to walk and say: "If I take you there, that old man won't dare to take your money, so you can rest assured about that..."

Qin Zheng looked up at the sky, unsure of what to say

A strange world, where species thrive remarkably, both flora and fauna are rampant. The people here are quite unguarded, casually exchanging words and easily engaging in conversation. Qin Zheng begins to suspect that this place may not be the underworld she had imagined, lacking the River of Forgetfulness, the Lady Meng, the Bridge of Helplessness, and the Manjusaka flowers.

From the beginning to the end of the village, the distance is not long. The old lady chatted and laughed, saying, "Let’s walk and rest along the way," while continuously greeting the villagers passing by, taking a good half an hour. By the time Qin Zheng finished peeling and came out of Zhang the tailor's house, she noticed that the sun had already set in the west. Remembering Sister Luo's reminder, she thought to herself, "This is bad," and hurriedly ran towards the west of the village after bidding farewell to the old lady

What sect? Qin Zheng had no idea what sects existed in this world. Remembering that he had overheard the old man mention the Hundred Foot Sect earlier, he answered casually. Fearing that this person might inquire further, he hurriedly walked away, taking two steps at a time.

While skinning the rabbit, the old lady sat on a small stool nearby, gesturing and saying, "No, your technique for skinning is incorrect; you have ruined a perfectly good hide."

"Here, this book 'The Roche Cookbook' is for you." After helping to deliver the food and drinks, Sister Luo returned home, took out a book, and handed it to her, saying: "This is a treasured heirloom of my family! There is no second copy of it in this world. If it weren't for the affinity I feel with you, I wouldn't be willing to part with it! You should learn from this cookbook; it details how to select and prepare the ingredients."

Learning things here is particularly fast, which even Qin Zheng finds a bit strange. Just a moment ago at the tailor Zhang's, the old man only provided a brief explanation, yet she feels that she has already mastered everything.

After much effort in cleaning the rabbit, the old lady expressed her heartfelt gratitude and insisted on taking me to find a tailor to learn skinning. She said, "Do not be deceived by my old age; I was quite the charmer in my youth! There were not fewer than eight or ten young men in the village who pursued me, and among them, the tailor was the most devoted. Just look at him; even now, he still thinks of me, and at his age, he has yet to start a family..."

"Change for chicken?" The old lady raised her dim eyes and glanced at the rabbit in Qin Zheng's hands, finding the meat plump and quite fat. She then cheerfully said, "Alright, you can choose one to take with you."

Wow, cool! At this moment, a man standing next to Qin Zheng saw this scene and exclaimed exaggeratedly: "This move is truly awesome! Which sect did you join? Your techniques are so impressive; I want to join too"

... ... '' Exactly, she never had any money! The money she just earned from tailor Zhang has all been given to Sister Luo.

"Bai Chi Men? Isn't that a sword sect?" After Qin Zheng left, the man came back to his senses, scratching his head and murmuring, "Could it be that the sword sect also teaches grappling techniques? I will go to the forum later to find some posts to study..."

The hillside to the south of the village is covered with tender green grass, and wildflowers bloom in scattered patches. Indeed, just as the hotel owner mentioned, there are groups of rabbits here, along with quite a few people laughing and chasing after the rabbits with large sticks.

Ah, a girl should be able to do housework! The old woman said earnestly, "I think you should go find a tailor and learn how to skin it."

The old lady chattered endlessly; had it been in the past, Qin Zheng would have likely turned and left long ago. However, today, as she peeled the tiger skin, she clearly felt that her speed was not fast. Compared to the old man, it could be described as tortoise-like. Unfortunately, this skin peeling was currently her only means of making money. She had heard that she could find a tailor to learn from, which did pique her interest.