Daily Survival After Inheriting a Harem (GL) - Chapter 8

“You know, don’t you?” Qiu Qi lowered her head, feigning shyness. “I can’t stand the sight of all that bloody stuff. As soon as I see it, I start hyperventilating, and if it’s severe, I might even faint.”

Pei Yuqing: I know about the hyperventilating, but you fainting? That would probably be from me hitting you.

But after all, Qiu Qi was the boss of this courtyard, and such a small request wasn’t impossible to fulfill.

Pei Yuqing looked up and passed the buck to Zu Mianmian. “Mianmian, bring your vegetables over.”

Zu Mianmian was indeed a herbivore, but the “grass” on her plate consisted of sweet potato leaves and mulberry leaves, vastly different from the common greens humans ate. Even if she gave them to Qiu Qi, Qiu Qi wouldn’t be able to stomach them.

“No, thank you, Madam!” Qiu Qi quickly interjected. “I actually prefer staple foods. Does the kitchen have any rice, noodles, or anything like that?”

“Butler Yan, is there any in the kitchen?”

Yan Wan nodded. “I’ll go prepare it right away.”

“Wait.” Qiu Qi stood up. “How about I go with you? I can cook faster myself.”

“Then what about us…?” Zu Mianmian rubbed her stomach, her face drooping. She was so hungry.

“Don’t just stand there, hurry and eat! Aren’t you all hungry?” Qiu Qi brought the plate full of grass back in front of Zu Mianmian. “And also, Madam, please instruct someone to send food to the others in the courtyard later. From now on, you don’t have to wait for me; just eat whenever you want.”

Amidst everyone’s astonished gazes, only Pei Yuqing calmly nodded. “Yes, My Lord.”

Watching Qiu Qi lift her skirt and disappear in an instant, Xiao Chu’er turned to the others who were still in a daze. “What are you waiting for? Eat! This might be our last lunch.”

“…Can you even make conversation?” Yin Ci frowned.

••••

The kitchen still used the most primitive method of making fire. Qiu Qi had experienced the hardship of it when boiling water before, but luckily, this time she had the old cook helping her, and the pot quickly heated up.

She scanned the ingredient shelf. None of the vegetarian dishes were edible for humans, but fortunately, there was still some pork among the meat.

Qiu Qi took down a piece of pork and quickly cut it into small pieces. “Do you have any cooking wine here? I need to remove the gamey smell.”

The old cook looked at her with a bewildered expression. “What?”

The Beast Race only cared about freshness and original flavor when eating and never needed to remove any gamey smell. Their most advanced cooking method was simply boiling, with a little salt added to enhance the meat’s firmness.

The only seasonings in the kitchen were salt and sugar, two small palm-sized jars that lasted the entire courtyard for two months.

“Fine, I was overthinking it,” Qiu Qi sighed. She consoled herself, “At least there’s still salt, right?”

Fortunately, even though she often ordered takeout, years of living alone had at least honed her cooking skills to a level sufficient for everyday life.

Since there was no cooking oil, Qiu Qi had to render it herself from the fatty parts of the pork. As the oil rendered, a fragrant aroma slowly diffused. She took a deep breath, unable to resist picking out a piece of crispy rendered fat to pop into her mouth.

“Hiss… so fragrant.” Rendered pork fat was already a favorite snack of hers, and especially now that she was so hungry, this little crispy piece tasted even better.

The old cook stood by, his only reaction to Qiu Qi’s actions being utter astonishment. “My Lord, what are you doing?”

He sniffed, smelling the aroma, and couldn’t help but show an enraptured expression.

“This is called rendered pork fat. You can render lard from fatty pork, and cooking with it makes things taste especially delicious.”

“Fry?”

“Yes, you’ll know in a bit.” Qiu Qi grabbed a piece of rendered fat and held it to his mouth. “Want to try? It’s very delicious.”

“My Lord, this humble one dares not.” The old cook humbly lowered his head.

“What’s there to be afraid of? I’m not poisoning you. Hurry and open your mouth; my arm is getting tired from holding it up.”

Only then did the old cook look up, but he didn’t dare to open his mouth directly. He pinched it with his hand before putting it into his mouth.

“Hoo hoo hoo! So hot, so hot!” Of course, freshly fried food was hot, but he wasn’t prepared. Taking a bite, the crispy skin broke, and the hot air inside filled his mouth. But this was food given by Qiu Qi; he wouldn’t dare to spit it out even if he wanted to.

“Open your mouth and blow,” Qiu Qi instructed him with the air of an experienced person. “Actually, meat tastes best when eaten hot. Blow on it a couple of times, then chew quickly. It’s really delicious, I’m not lying.”

The old cook did as he was told, tears in his eyes, but as he chewed, he found the meaty flavor in his mouth growing stronger. The wonderful texture, combined with an indescribably delicious fatty aroma, was indeed much better than the raw pork they usually ate.

When Pei Yuqing came looking for them, what she saw was this strange scene.

The old chef, who had been cooking large meals in the courtyard for over ten years, was crying and eating something, his facial features contorted in apparent agony. Soon, he dropped to his knees, collapsing before Qiu Qi, prostrating himself in supplication.

“My Lord, even if you kill me, I want to ask you this question. I hope you will grant my wish!”

Pei Yuqing: In just a moment, she’s bullied the chef like this? Heh, she’s certainly showing her true colors again.

The common saying is that food is the paramount necessity of the people. Moreover, the Beast Race is a species driven by desire. It’s not uncommon for carnivorous beasts to fight to the death over a delicious prey. This shows how important a good meal is to them.

“No, what are you doing?” Qiu Qi crouched down to help him. “Just say what you need to say. Stop smashing your knees on the floor, okay?”

“I want to ask you for the secret recipe of this divine food! Please tell me!”

Qiu Qi, who had just simply fried some rendered fat: “That’s a secret recipe? Any normal person with hands can do that. And you’re kneeling to ask?”

It seemed he had indeed been tormented by boiled plain meat for quite some time.

Old Chef: Is she scolding me…?

Pei Yuqing: ?

“Madam!” Qiu Qi looked up and saw Pei Yuqing standing at the doorway, her eyes instantly brightening. “Have you finished eating?”

“Not yet. I just finished informing everyone about the early lunch.”

“You must have been hungry for a long time too, why didn’t you let a servant go…” Qiu Qi remembered: there were no servants in their courtyard.

Beast-folk were accustomed to living freely. Although they were gradually adopting human living habits, they still weren’t used to being served.

Qiu Qi changed the subject, saying to Pei Yuqing, “Then it’s perfect, you can eat with me.”

Pei Yuqing walked into the kitchen and, of course, smelled the unfamiliar food aroma. She approached the stove and glanced into the pot.

“Madam, would you like to try it?” Qiu Qi took a pair of chopsticks nearby, blew on it to cool it down a bit, then offered it to Pei Yuqing.

Pei Yuqing had originally intended to refuse; after all, who knew if there was poison in it?

But meeting Qiu Qi’s expressive, dog-like eyes, she silently swallowed her refusal, lowered her head, and gently bit into the piece of rendered fat.

“Is it good? Is it good?” Qiu Qi looked at her expectantly.

Pei Yuqing bit through the crispy layer and chewed slowly. In terms of texture, it was indeed a bit greasy, but it was the first time she had tasted pork with such a strong, rich meaty flavor.

“It’s delicious,” she said, swallowing the food in her mouth and giving Qiu Qi the answer she wanted to hear.

“That’s great! If you like the taste of lard, you’ll definitely like what I’ll fry next.” Qiu Qi rolled up her sleeves, instantly filled with fighting spirit.

As the old saying goes, if you want to capture someone’s heart, you must first capture their stomach.

Once she had a firm grip on Pei Yuqing’s stomach, would she still fear Pei Yuqing’s murderous intentions?

Author’s Note:

Pei Yuqing: Okay, try to capture it.

P.S.: No favoritism or disparagement intended; boiled plain meat is also very delicious (dog head emoji).