RIIDMDR chapter 28

 

He knew Nan Xu was hiding something. Without that secret, he wouldn’t have appeared suddenly in Zhuyu Mountain and opened an inn there. He hadn’t noticed the overnight changes to the courtyard and house. Seeing that Nan Xu didn’t want to talk, he didn’t ask. There was no reason to investigate the mysterious warehouse or the pajamas that had appeared from nowhere.

Demonic power has countless uses, but humans lack self-preservation. Without the protection of the heavens, how could it be passed down through the generations?

Tingchuan took the pajamas back to his room and put them away. Nan Xu chopped chili peppers in the yard while Tingchuan let the rice porridge cool. There was actually a manual blender for sale in the mall for 299 silver coins. Nan Xu calculated the price and decided not to buy it. The two beds upstairs didn’t have mattresses yet. A regular mattress at the mall costs 299 silver coins, but Nan Xu had his eye on one priced at 699. He didn’t know what it was made of, but the description said that it didn’t require washing.

Many demons in the demon world have highly sensitive senses, like Tingchuan. He thought the bed the boar demon slept in was smelly, and he didn’t want other demons to experience the same thing. This mattress with a built-in cleanliness buff was practically custom-made for inns in the demon world, though it was a bit pricey. His current net worth only covered one, so he had to save up.

Nan Xu uses the simplest chili sauce recipe I’ve ever seen. Heat oil in a wok. Squeeze and scoop up the scallions, ginger, and cilantro. Then, add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant. Finally, add the chopped chilies and stir-fry until combined.

I remember when I was little, whenever someone in the village made chili sauce, I’d squat outside the kitchen window to sniff it. Even while eating the dried biscuits in his hand, the aroma seemed to add a whole lot of flavor.

It’s no wonder that Nan Xu used to have such a big appetite. While he was simmering the chili sauce in the middle of the morning, Tingchuan would break out of his usual dormant state and come into the kitchen twice. He would follow behind Nan Xu, fiddling with the hot pot.

Staring at the red glow in the pot, Tingchuan smelled the food’s aroma. “Is this edible?”

Nan Xu thought it was funny. Ever since he mistakenly boiled pine oil, Tingchuan had thought Nan Xu was experimenting with new foods and had been teased for it a few times. After all, clay that is kneaded and fired can turn into food containers, but anything cooked in those containers is definitely not edible. Tingchuan couldn’t help but start to doubt life a little.

However, Nanxu’s food was so alluring that, whenever he saw something he had never tried before, Tingchuan would ask the same question. It was a bit like the netizens Nanxu had seen in the human world. Whenever news broke about the discovery of a new species, the comments section would be filled with questions about whether it was edible and how to eat it.

“Yes, edible. It’s absolutely irresistible,” Nanxu said.

When lunch arrived, Tingchuan reached for the small dish of chili sauce with his bamboo spoon.

“Eat less; it’s spicy.” Nanxu hurriedly swallowed his food. Just as he opened his mouth to stop Tingchuan, he had already scooped a spoonful into his mouth.

In the past, Nan Xu had only used a moderate amount of chili peppers, and Tingchuan had never truly acknowledged their power. Besides, the chili peppers were grown by Nan Xu herself. He had already tasted the small greens he had planted, so he was almost completely unprepared for this new dish.

Nanxu: …

The expression on Nan Xu’s face, which seemed to be about to speak, shifted in an instant to one of anticipation.

The chili sauce was undoubtedly delicious. All of the condiments produced by the system were pure and authentic. Not to mention, Nanxu grew the fresh chilies from dried chili seeds. You can imagine how spicy they were.

The first thing he tasted was the fresh aroma of fried garlic mixed with the pungent spiciness of the chilies, which exploded in his mouth almost instantly.

“Hiss!” Tingchuan’s taste buds were overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught after just one bite. He quickly swallowed, then felt warmth rising in his throat and stomach. It wasn’t just the warmth brought by spiritual power; it was more of a burning sensation.

He was at a loss, his handsome face turning crimson. Nan Xu hurriedly handed him a glass of cool water and said, “Drink some water.”

Tingchuan downed the water in one gulp but still felt like it wasn’t enough. He took two more mouthfuls of rice from his bowl before finally coming to his senses.

“You really can’t handle spicy food,” Nan Xu scoffed.

He scooped a spoonful of rice and mixed it with the spicy food. After taking a big mouthful of the sizzling red rice, Nan Xu’s smile faltered.

“Hiss hiss—so spicy, hiss… Tingchuan, water…” he mumbled between bites. Tingchuan had just finished the water on the side table. Even trying to imitate Tingchuan by eating the rice quickly to alleviate the spiciness was no use.

Tingchuan went to the kitchen to get Nan Xu some hot water. Nan Xu poured it down his throat before it cooled, intensifying the burning sensation. The spiciness brought Nanxu to tears and caused him to sob uncontrollably.

If one person embarrasses themselves, they’ll be ridiculed. But if two people embarrass themselves together, they’ll keep the secret between them. As the spiciness wore off, they stared at each other across the table for a few seconds. Nanxu smiled awkwardly and said, “It’s a little spicy. I didn’t expect that. Ha, haha.”

They were now fully aware of the power of chili peppers, but that didn’t stop them. They sweated profusely throughout the meal but couldn’t resist taking a few more bites of chili sauce. It was addictive. Too addictive.

After dinner, Nan Xu took a nap. When he woke up, he went to the kitchen and set aside two cans of chili sauce for daily use. He poured the remaining contents from the pot into a jar and added a small amount of water around the edge to minimize bacterial intrusion. Without modern sealing technology or refrigerators, he could only rely on traditional methods.

After finishing all this, with the sun still a little way off, Nan Xu was about to go for a walk in the nearby hills when he heard noises outside the courtyard. He went outside and saw a familiar face.

Nan Xu said warmly, “Ning Sui, what brings you here?”

Ning Sui walked in from the courtyard, carrying a basket and followed by a delicate little child. The child looked about five or six years old and had bright, lively eyes and a mischievous nature.

“A monster from our bird tribe brought back some fish from the south. They’re not as fresh as river fish and have a strange, fishy smell.” Xiao Ju insisted, “Innkeeper, can you make them taste good? We couldn’t handle him at home, so we had to bring him here to bother you,” said Ning Sui helplessly.

Upon hearing this, Nan Xu looked at the little creature beside him and tentatively called out, “Little Bird?”

The last time Ning Ju came, he was still a little bird, his spiritual energy exhausted and unable to transform. Nan Xu had kept him as a pet for several days. He was bold, clingy, and greedy, but his spirit was ultimately endearing, and Nan Xu loved him.

“My name is Ning Ju. Please don’t call me Little Bird,” he said, tilting his head high.

Ning then scolded Ning Ju, saying he was spoiled too much and had no manners.

Nan Xu stroked Ning Ju’s head. “All right, I’ll call you Little Ju.”

In a way, Ning Ju was the first demon Nan Xu had ever met.

Perhaps because of their inseparable days together, Ning Ju felt incredibly familiar. He took Nan Xu’s sleeve and led him over. “Brother Nan, come look at this fish! It’s so ugly and huge!”

Nan Xu followed and took a look. Indeed, the basket was filled with fish such as mullet and tiger grouper. They were all marine fish. Unlike river fish, marine fish have a distinct smell of the sea that takes some getting used to if you’re not accustomed to eating them. No wonder Ning Sui said that.

After Nan Xu took a look, Ning Ju eagerly asked, “Brother Nan, can you cook them?”

Nan Xu recalled the seafood he’d eaten in his human days and replied, “I know a few ways to cook it, but they might not suit your taste.”

Ning Ju seemed oblivious to this and jumped up, shouting, “I told you, Brother Nan, you’re the best at making delicious food! Will you cook it for me tonight?”

He then turned to Ning Sui and said, “Brother, I want to stay here and have a couple more meals cooked by Brother Nan.”

Ning Sui wanted to hit his brother again, but his mother doted on him and treated him like a precious child. If he scolded him here and went back to complain, he would be the one to suffer.

Ning Sui had no choice but to agree. After all, he couldn’t just leave after dinner. Whether he could persuade his little brother to return tomorrow was tomorrow’s concern. After flying with Ning Ju for several days, Ning Sui just wanted a good meal and a good night’s sleep, away from his brother’s torment.

Ning Sui brought Ning Ju here to enjoy his freedom, and they wandered around the courtyard. Ning Ju acted like a naughty child. He urged Nan Xu to kill the fish and then played with the chickens and dogs in the yard, making a terrible racket. Nan Xu didn’t stay long before going to wash the fish in a bamboo basket. Guan’er, perhaps thinking the same thing, immediately ran after him when he saw him move.

Ten more minutes passed, and Tingchuan stared up at the sky. An old demon with a thousand years of life wouldn’t argue with a child over a hundred years. However, the fox tribe hadn’t had any cubs in nearly a thousand years, and the younger ones were sensible. They hadn’t been disturbed like this in a long time. Not even the recliner could bring him any comfort.

He quietly left the yard and went to the stream to find Nanxu.

They definitely wouldn’t eat much that night, so Nanxu washed a few fish and cooked them with different flavors. Since Tingchuan didn’t like fish, Nanxu prepared a separate dish for him.

“Guan’er, I forgot the scissors,” Nanxu said.

Guan’er stared at Nanxu for a few seconds, as if thinking. Nanxu then made a cutting gesture. This time, Guan’er understood and turned back. A short while later, Guan’er returned, wagging his tail and holding a pair of scissors in his mouth.

Nanxu took the scissors, smiled, and complimented Guan’er. Guan’er happily rubbed against Nanxu.

Tingchuan saw this exact scene when he arrived. The last time he’d been away for only a few days, and when he returned, Nanxu had a dog fawning over him. Today, a young bird had come over and called Nanxu “Brother Nan” sweetly. Nanxu lost himself in the constant calls, not even glancing at Tingchuan as he left.

Tingchuan didn’t understand why he had been so concerned about this. Whenever Nanxu forgot something and it wasn’t too far away, he’d yell at the top of his lungs. He had good hearing, so he could hear Nanxu even when he was napping.

Just as he was on his way to the stream, he saw the puppy running back. A short while later, it came back with something in its mouth. After Nanxu praised the puppy, Tingchuan felt a little uncomfortable, as if he’d been replaced.

But why would he, a highly skilled fox demon, bother with a puppy? Tingchuan pushed the thought aside and sat on a rock not far from Nanxu.