Dining

Shen Yi had a playful impulse and drove the pickup truck like a bumper car.

Since there was no one on the road, he drove carelessly.

With one hand on the steering wheel, Shen Yi picked up a piece of paper from the passenger seat.

This was given to him by Cheng Jun before leaving, listing the supplies they needed to collect.

Items included: lighting, rice and flour, bedding, clothes, gas cylinders, lighting, diesel generators, gasoline and diesel fuel, etc.

Some items that were crossed out were ones Shen Yi had already found.

"Where can I find gas cylinders... restaurants maybe?"

Shen Yi pondered.

Nowadays, few restaurants probably still used gas cylinders, but with the world changed as it was, some might still be using them.

Shen Yi decided to look around first.

Turning the truck, he headed straight for the street with the most restaurants.

After checking a few restaurants, he gave up.

Most restaurants now used large gas stoves connected to dedicated gas pipelines, having long abandoned the old gas cylinder equipment.

He did find a generator set in the back kitchen of a large restaurant.

Shen Yi wasn't very knowledgeable about these things, but it looked quite new from the outside.

It probably hadn't been used much and was well preserved.

Unfortunately, this generator was likely for powering the cold storage.

The whole unit was over four meters long, as tall as a person, and fixed to the ground with fence netting.

Aside from the difficulty of dismantling it, even four people like him couldn't move it due to its weight, so Shen Yi had to give up.

The good news was that there were two large metal barrels of diesel fuel nearby.

These could be transported.

He had rubber hoses in the truck, and he could transfer the fuel to smaller barrels later.

He used the same method for the gasoline his pickup consumed - there were plenty of cars on the road with fuel in them, so he didn't need to search specifically; he just siphoned from random vehicles when needed.

Most of the ingredients and vegetables in the kitchen had rotted into black masses, and Shen Yi hadn't eaten any leafy greens for many days.

Now he could only swallow hard at the sight.

When leaving, he could only take things that were still intact.

There was a jar of pickled vegetables made by the chef; Shen Yi opened it, sniffed, found it hadn't spoiled, and happily took it.

Then he found several packages of dried noodles under a table - these were treasures and were naturally confiscated by Shen Yi.

Finally, there were dried tangerine peels, Sichuan peppercorns, dried red dates, and other dried goods and spices.

Though they couldn't be eaten directly, they were essential for future cooking.

With a sense of harvest joy, Shen Yi put everything in the truck bed.

He silently noted this location - this large restaurant had a cold storage.

The door was tightly sealed and couldn't be opened, but Shen Yi figured that even without power, there should still be solid ice inside preserving quite a bit of meat.

He could come back later to break in.

This restaurant trip also gave Shen Yi an idea.

They didn't necessarily have to rely on gas cylinders for fuel.

Starting the vehicle, Shen Yi took a detour to the northeast corner.

There was an outdoor equipment store he'd discovered while scouting earlier, though he'd only passed by without going in.

It sold mainly outdoor survival gear.

Shen Yi found many useful items inside, all very practical.

He took three portable stoves and two whole boxes of gas canisters.

With these, they could cook their own meals instead of eating cold food every day.

Shen Yi was happy just thinking about it - he'd been craving hot meals for so long.

Though these stoves had less power, they were portable and convenient, more reliable than finding gas stoves.

After putting down the gas canisters, Shen Yi went back in to pick out several raincoats and work clothes, durable and practical for when they needed to do manual work.

Then he grabbed about a dozen camping lanterns and a fishing rod.

The camping lanterns could be charged once they got a diesel generator working and used for lighting.

The fishing rod was for the artificial lake, not so much for improving their diet, but more because Shen Yi wanted to confirm if there were fish in the water.

This trip was a complete success, and Shen Yi drove back satisfied.

...

"Cheng Jun, you wash the rice, and I'll cook a couple of dishes."

Shen Yi instructed while rolling up his sleeves to show his skills.

"Okay, I'll do it. I didn't know you could cook."

Cheng Jun agreed happily, her face beaming with joy - she had been craving proper food lately too.

The room had been cleaned spotless by Cheng Jun, and among the many rooms on the second floor, they had chosen this one near the window as their kitchen.

Shen Yi set up two portable stoves on the table and piled up the collected ingredients.

"Well... I can make some home-style dishes. I'm really tired of bread, biscuits, and cold canned food."

Shen Yi could cook, but rarely did so, usually relying on takeout, only helping in the kitchen when visiting home during New Year.

"That's still better than me, I only know how to make instant noodles... haha."

Cheng Jun laughed self-deprecatingly, covering her mouth - being so lazy, she had always relied on her live-in housekeeper to cook.

Shen Yi shook his head with a smile and took out the cutting board and knife to begin.

The two worked well together, one preparing ingredients while the other washed rice.

After rinsing the rice twice with purified water, Cheng Jun put the pot on the portable stove.

One stove for cooking dishes, one for rice - perfect timing.

"How much water should I add?"

Cheng Jun held up the water bottle, looking at Shen Yi.

Without looking up, Shen Yi replied,

"Add water until it covers the rice by one finger joint, you can measure by sticking your index finger in after pouring."

"Oh, okay..."

Looking at Shen Yi's serious profile, Cheng Jun pouted, feeling a bit foolish.

After wiping the wok clean, he heated it up before adding oil.

Shen Yi put in the prepared ingredients.

After some stir-frying, he began seasoning.

The aroma started to spread, and Cheng Jun stood beside him holding plates, continuously praising him.

Being very clever, she knew she couldn't help much, so she did what she could while providing emotional support.

Shen Yi enjoyed cooking this meal too. Not only would they finally have hot food.

Having such a beautiful woman standing beside him was also a feast for the eyes.

They set up a table nearby, and Cheng Jun washed two sets of bowls and chopsticks to set out.

Shen Yi lifted the lid off the right pot, and fragrant steam rose with the aroma of rice.

The rice grains were glossy, each one plump and crystalline, looking absolutely appetizing.

He stirred it a few times with the rice paddle.

These gas stoves weren't like electric rice cookers, and the heat was harder to control, resulting in a slightly golden crust of rice at the bottom of the pot.

But the crispy rice was fragrant - Shen Yi remembered having it when cooking with a stove as a child, and he loved eating it.

Cheng Jun brought over two stools, and they sat down facing each other.

"It smells so good..."

Cheng Jun held her rice bowl, quietly swallowing as her throat moved.

She put a mouthful of crystalline rice in her mouth.

The hot steam mixed with the rice's fragrance, and after chewing a few times, a sweet taste spread through her mouth, bringing a sense of satisfaction.

Cheng Jun suddenly felt like crying.

In modern society, they could eat all kinds of delicacies and fine cuisine, but never treasured it.

She had never understood what happiness meant before.

Now she realized that in such a simple and difficult environment, just a mouthful of rice could instantly make her understand.

Happiness was actually very simple.