Transmigrated to the Interstellar Era to Raise Mermaids GL - Chapter 5
The next day at noon, He Jia finished her routine inspection in the control room and had just returned to her room when the little turtle, which was resting in its tank, immediately climbed onto the rockery and raised its head high towards her.
He Jia walked up to it, put her palms together, and said, “I’m so sorry, yesterday’s work was really too much. I was busy until midnight before returning. I will definitely make it up to you today. How about I take you to play on the beach a little longer during dinner tonight?”
Little Feicui opened its mouth and bared its sharp teeth at He Jia, indicating it absolutely did not want to hear her explanation.
It had been extremely bored cooped up in the tank all day, and now it wanted to go out and play!
He Jia had no choice but to compromise. She placed it into a portable small tank and walked towards the beach.
Sigh, she really didn’t know why a pet turtle would be so intelligent and have such a big temper!
In comparison, the mermaid she met yesterday was so much more adorable: not only beautiful and gentle, but also pleasing to people, and not picky about food at all—simply the benchmark for an ideal pet!
The moment she thought of yesterday’s perilous and thrilling scene, He Jia’s heart tightened.
She walked onto the shallow beach and looked at the immaculate blue of the sea and sky before her. She didn’t know how many dangers lurked beneath the tranquil surface, and it was truly difficult to imagine what life was like for the defenseless mermaid.
Would the mermaid be pursued by large creatures again? Would she come to the beach to find her when she was hungry?
Knowing the mermaid liked spicy flavors, He Jia had specially read a book this morning to learn a recipe for salt-and-pepper fish slices, which was said to be most delicious when made with live fish from the deep sea. Unfortunately, the hotel only had frozen fish fillets…
“Splash!” A fish flew out of the ocean not far away, tracing a beautiful parabola before landing right at He Jia’s feet.
He Jia stared in utter shock at the live fish vigorously flapping its tail at her feet. This, this, this… had she triggered some kind of wish-fulfillment scenario?
“Crash!” A torrent of fish, shrimp, crabs, and shellfish flew out of the sea one after another, raining down on He Jia like a celestial shower, startling her into hurriedly retreating a few steps and stumbling down onto the sand.
After the miraculous sight of seafood raining from the sky ceased, a head of brilliant, dazzling golden hair slowly floated to the surface. Her damp, fair body reflected a dazzling, gorgeous luster under the sun. The mermaid, like the Luo River Goddess emerging from the water, swam over the waves onto the shallow beach and gracefully slid to a stop in front of He Jia.
He Jia stared blankly up at her. In her ears, the sacred hymn of Hallelujah chanted in unison by children suddenly rang out. She didn’t even notice a small crayfish had dropped onto her head.
Seeing the unreserved amazement and shock in He Jia’s eyes, Orsa smiled faintly. This, she thought, was the correct way for her to make an entrance before others.
She leaned down to remove the small crayfish tangled in He Jia’s hair. With a swift swing of her long, firm arm, she flicked the crayfish back into the sea, landing precisely on the giant octopus’s head.
Receiving her sonic instructions, the octopus swam away with a look of grievance: It seems the master wasn’t quite satisfied with today’s presentation, telling it to find an island and practice throwing objects over distance a hundred times.
He Jia was pulled up from the ground by the mermaid. Their eyes met at close range, and she suddenly sprang back two steps as if waking from a dream, nervously smoothing her hair.
“Oh dear, you… you’re here!”
She glanced around at the rich, diverse seafood scattered on the beach, instantly filled with immense admiration for the mermaid: “Did you catch all these? How did you do that just now? It was like a magic show, absolutely incredible!”
Seeing He Jia drag over an oversized cooler with wheels and about to bend down to pick up the scattered fish, shrimp, crabs, and shellfish, the mermaid slid over to her and took the cooler’s handle.
Her fish tail, resting on the ground, gave a gentle sweep and hook. All the seafood swept by the tail flew up together, tracing an elegant arc before settling securely into the cooler.
The mermaid, dragging the cooler with one hand, strolled casually in a circle on the beach. The beach was immediately restored to its pristine state, not even a tiny sea snail was left behind. He Jia could only frantically follow behind her, clapping and praising, acting as the hype squad.
He Jia figured this mermaid must have some impressive skills to live alone in the ocean. It was just her own lack of understanding of mermaid habits that had caused her to worry needlessly.
In the blink of an eye, the mermaid tidied the beach completely and handed the cooler handle back to He Jia.
He Jia looked at the fish, shrimp, crabs, and shellfish piled up like a small mountain in the cooler and exclaimed, “There’s so much stuff, the two of us can never finish it all!”
Looking at the mermaid, who stood tall with her hands behind her back, He Jia mused over the meaning of this seafood shower: “Are you perhaps saying that the rest is a thank-you gift for me?”
Orsa considered the difference between a thank-you gift and compensation. Seeing He Jia’s expression full of anticipation, she nodded.
He Jia’s eyes curved into a smile: “Thank you!”
She squatted down and gently touched the mermaid’s incredibly agile, silvery-white tail, carefully brushing off the small stones and fine sand that had clung to it while tidying the beach.
Seeing He Jia cleaning her tail, Orsa did not avoid her again. She quietly felt the unusual sensation of warm fingertips gliding over the soft underside of her tail, and realized she did not dislike this strange yet gentle touch.
After He Jia stood up, she proactively raised her tail and rubbed the part with a tiny bit of residual sand against He Jia’s hand twice, completely cleaning it off.
He Jia, overjoyed, dragged the cooler to the stove to prepare lunch: she and the mermaid had completed another ritual of mutual goodwill. The mermaid must surely regard her as a friend now!
With the benefit of fresh seafood and the necessary tools and seasonings, He Jia once again exceeded her usual standard, creating a rich seafood feast.
In particular, the salt-and-pepper fish slices were made perfectly: fragrant on the outside, tender on the inside, with a crispy, numbing crunch. He Jia tasted only one bite after serving it and immediately felt the deliciousness dancing between her lips and teeth. She eagerly recommended it to the mermaid: “Quickly try this dish, it’s definitely to your liking!”
The mermaid hesitantly reached out and picked up the pair of chopsticks placed in front of her. She looked at her right hand holding the chopsticks, then looked at He Jia’s right hand.
He Jia suddenly realized that in her haste, while preparing Chinese food, she had also placed chopsticks for the mermaid. But how would an alien know how to use them!
“Oh dear, wait a moment, I’ll go get a knife and fork…”
Just as He Jia stood up, she saw the mermaid extend her chopsticks and pick up a piece of fish fillet.
Seeing that the mermaid succeeded on her first attempt to pick up the food, He Jia held her breath nervously, watching as the mermaid slowly moved the chopsticks and successfully brought the fish fillet into her mouth.
Heavens, this mermaid was too smart! With such efficient learning and practical ability, she must possess so many skills!
The mermaid quietly and elegantly chewed the food in small bites. She looked up and met He Jia’s astonished gaze, giving her a serene smile.
Watching her slightly trembling thin lips, He Jia unconsciously swallowed and asked, “Is it delicious?”
Although she didn’t express her emotions conspicuously on her face, the mermaid generously extended her thumb again to give He Jia a compliment.
“Hehe, I just learned this dish from a book. I’m glad you like it!”
He Jia happily sat back down to eat with her. When she saw the mermaid was nearly finished eating, she boldly asked, “Where do you live?”
The mermaid raised her finger and pointed in the direction of the eastern ocean.
Although she had no idea of the specific location, He Jia still brazenly said, “Well… if you don’t live too far, you can often come here to eat with me! You don’t always have to bring food; there’s so much food in the hotel freezer that we can’t finish it all!”
The mermaid nodded first, then shook her head, and pointed at the cooler by their feet.
Oh, did she mean she only liked to eat seafood?
Recalling the skewer of barbecue that she had mercilessly refused when they first met, He Jia quickly replied, “Okay, okay, I can cook seafood for every meal! I’m always alone here. I’m really happy you’re willing to come and eat with me and listen to me talk!”
The mermaid nodded in satisfaction, but the little turtle in the tank nearby became unhappy. It started thrashing its limbs with loud splashes, protesting wildly.
Haven’t I, this turtle, been eating and talking with you for the past month! You are truly a heartless master, forgetting the old turtle as soon as you get a new fish!
He Jia scooped it out, soothed it in her palm, and held it up to the mermaid, saying, “This is my pet turtle, you’ve seen it before! I found it abandoned at the hotel, and I named it Little Feicui.”
Orsa condescendingly looked down at the turtle’s emerald-green beady eyes and transmitted via sonic wave, “So rustic.”
The little turtle was furious. Sticking its neck out, it protested, “Do you think I want to be called this name! My previous owner was a noble on the Mus Home Star, and my original name was Glusius the Eighth! She left too hastily when the Interstellar Administration came to dismiss personnel and forgot me, which is why this Earthling gave me a maid’s name!”
“Since you’ve recognized her as your master, you should obey and respect her, and be grateful for the new name she gave you.”
The powerful sense of coercion from Orsa, standing at the top of the aquatic food chain, forced the little turtle to bow its head in submission. It retreated its neck into its shell and secretly muttered, “Hmph, none of you understand what it means to be a noble…”
He Jia, of course, couldn’t hear their conversation. She put the now-calmed Little Feicui back into the tank and then asked the mermaid, “Oh right, I still don’t know your name?”
Looking at her dark, bright eyes, Orsa couldn’t help but press her thin lips together.
Although the girl in front of her had completely opened her heart to her, she herself remained wary of this world.
Moreover, she had an intuition that her name, Orsa La Se Ya, was a name that should not be spoken easily.
In her hesitation, she used a sonic wave to ask the little turtle lying in the tank, “Have you heard of the surname La Se Ya?”
“What? La-la-la… Se Ya!”
The little turtle was shocked and extended its neck again: “That is the most noble aristocratic family surname on the Mus Star! My previous master often muttered that she hoped to be able to serve an adult of the La Se Ya family!”
Just as I thought…
Orsa had long had a premonition about her identity and was not very surprised.
But why had she, a noble of the Mus Star System, lost her memory and drifted alone to the deep sea of a fringe planet?
She decided to remain silent until she recovered her memory.
Seeing the mermaid lower her eyes and remain silent, countless speculations flashed through He Jia’s mind.
Did she originally not have a name? Or was she mute, and thus unable to tell her?
Whichever the possibility, a pitiful and tragic story was hidden behind it.
As a member of a displaced race, was the mermaid unable to receive education? Even if she could understand the Interstellar Common Language, it didn’t mean she could write.
But the mermaid’s every gesture exuded such nobility and elegance, and she also seemed to dislike the Mus Home Star. Could there still be an industry dedicated to training people to serve nobles in this era…?
Ahhh, it was all her fault for knowing too little about this world, always accidentally reopening the mermaid’s wounds! After dinner, she would immediately go to the reading room to read!
While He Jia was engaging in self-reproach, the mermaid raised her eyes and gently shook her head at her.
Catching the look of evasion in her eyes, He Jia’s heart felt suddenly gouged out. She stood up, tightly held the mermaid’s hands, and said, “It doesn’t matter! A name is just a code anyway! It’s perfectly fine not to have one! What’s the big deal!”
Looking at He Jia’s moist, red-rimmed eyes, which resembled a rabbit’s in her excitement, the mermaid blinked a few times in surprise.
The shadow of her thick eyelashes fell upon her clear, azure pupils, like a layer of grey dust, which from He Jia’s perspective made her look even more desolate and pitiful.
That’s right, it’s easy for her to say, but who truly wouldn’t care if they didn’t have a name?
He Jia’s nose stung (with emotion), and she said, “If you don’t mind, let me give you a name! That way, I’ll have something to call you later!”
The turtle, which was gnawing on grass, instantly perked up and excitedly watched the commotion from the glass of the tank.
A hint of an ominous premonition flashed through Orsa’s heart, and she couldn’t help but tighten her grip on He Jia’s hands.
He Jia looked down at the mermaid’s arm. Her smooth, delicate skin glittered with a moist sheen in the sun. An idea struck her: “Your skin is as white and bright as a pearl, so how about I call you Little Pearl?”
“Hahaha! It has to be her, hahahahahahaha!!!”
Orsa shot a deadly glance at the little turtle lying on its back and laughing uncontrollably, and suddenly understood the turtle’s helplessness when it went from Glusius the Eighth to Little Feicui.