"I know how to make salt too!" Tang Xiaoguo said proudly with a smack of her lips.
"Oh yeah? Tell me about it then!"
"You boil seawater, then add fresh water. Based on different solubilities, you separate out magnesium chloride and stuff, and what's left is boiled dry to get table salt!"
Lu Zhe laughed: "I didn't expect you still haven't returned all that high school chemistry knowledge back to your teacher!"
Tang Xiaoguo grinned: "I learned that on TikTok!"
Lu Zhe shook his head: "Not everything taught on TikTok is scientifically sound! The method is theoretically feasible but has big practical problems. Because you'd need to crystallize salt at a precise temperature, the sea salt crystallized this way not only takes great effort, but the purity is far from enough!"
"Then what's your brilliant idea?"
"Of course I have a better way! Come on, let's go look."
Lu Zhe searched along the seaside, and found some rocks with crystals in the crevices.
"The traditional method of making salt requires salt pans, which is to dry seawater in the salt pans over and over, concentrating it more and more until eventually forming brine!"
"I've heard of that, but isn't that even more troublesome?"
"Look, these shallow pools in the rock cracks get flushed with seawater over and over, evaporating and forming brine in them too. With wind, sun, and the changes of day and night, crystals form naturally! In a sense, every rock crevice is like a tiny natural salt pan, producing crude salt crystals! Actually, ancient salt-making techniques were an improvement based on this method."
As he spoke, Lu Zhe picked up a crystal from between the rock cracks: "This piece of salt, compared to boiling it out, is much closer to table salt. It can even be used directly with ingredients, isn't it much more convenient and simple than boiled salt?"
"That easy huh?"
Tang Xiaoguo pointed at the salt: "But it looks a little dirty!"
"No problem, if you don't like how dirty it looks we can purify it once using middle school knowledge, but we'll need some fresh water!"
"I know that part, let's use coconut water to purify!"
"Distilled water would be best, coconut water has sugars that can make the salt taste bitter after drying. We can barely use water from bamboo shoots. But we still lack filter paper!"
Tang Xiaoguo wrinkled her brows: "Got it!"
She turned around and tinkered for a bit, then took out a yellow little bra!
Lu Zhe took it and felt that it was still warm:
"An A cup as expected..."
"You... don't make fun of me okay?"
"No way, I think small ones have their own advantages, at least they won't bounce around during exercise..."
"Stop! Let's not talk about this!"
Now that the main materials are ready, might as well give it a try!
They used a can and bamboo shoot water to dissolve the salt, then used her bra as a filter to purify it.
Soon, Lu Zhe purified a bottle of snowy white salt!
Tang Xiaoguo dipped a piece of python meat in the salt and put it in her mouth: "Hmm, not bad! It even has a sticky rice flavor!"
"That's because of the bamboo water, it gave the salt a sense of layered flavors!"
"Haha, learned something new again!"
"Let's head back, it's almost noon, we can roast the bamboo rat for lunch!"
"Woohoo!" Tang Xiaoguo hooked her arm around Lu Zhe's.
On the way back, Tang Xiaoguo suddenly said: "Brother Zhe, do you think I look good today?"
"Pretty good!"
"Then..." She pursed her lips: "Do you like me as I am now?"
"Well this question..."
To be honest, Tang Xiaoguo was less annoying than usual today, and more obedient too. But Lu Zhe felt like something was missing!
He thought hard for a long time, and said earnestly:
"To be honest, I still prefer the Tang Xiaoguo who makes trouble..."
Tang Xiaoguo froze: "Why? Don't you dislike me that way?"
Lu Zhe gazed at the clouds in the distance and sighed: "Let's be real... sometimes it is pretty annoying, but at every critical moment, you've always reined in your little temper and contributed to the team! I feel like that's the real you - a bit troublesome, but with a genuinely cute side!
By comparison, I prefer you that way!"
Time seemed to stand still!
Lu Zhe realized Tang Xiaoguo had stopped.
He turned back and saw her little face covered in teardrops.
"Jerk Lu Zhe! I tried so hard today, wanting to show my best side as your stand-in girlfriend for the day, yet you..."
Lu Zhe was surprised - did I say something wrong?
Tang Xiaoguo walked over, raised her fist as if to hit him, but hesitated and didn't let it fall!
Suddenly she threw herself into Lu Zhe's arms, bawling!
Lu Zhe felt like he was hugged too tightly, and was running out of air.
"I... I'm just jealous, jealous that you treat other girls so nicely..."
"I'm willful, I just want you to dote on me... cherish me..."
"I... I'm so afraid, always afraid you'll dislike me, yet I can't help but do things that make you dislike me..."
"And I'm so scared too, scared that if I don't do well today, you won't want me as your stand-in girlfriend anymore..."
Tang Xiaoguo wept piteously, as if emotions pent up these past days were finally released in this moment!
Lu Zhe wanted to let her cry for a bit, but being hugged so tight without her little bra on...
The feeling of being pressed together was...
Pretty great!
It'd just be awkward if little brother got too excited now!
He gently patted Tang Xiaoguo on the back.
"Uh, my beloved concubine, could you let go for a sec, you're squeezing the life outta your emperor!"
Tang Xiaoguo sniffled and loosened her hands: "Brother Zhe, seriously though, I've said so many weird things today, you won't want me as your stand-in girlfriend anymore right?"
"No way, I can promise..."
Lu Zhe bent down, perfectly serious as he held up three fingers and gazed affectionately at Tang Xiaoguo:
"From now on, every Thursday in Lu Zhe's life will belong to only you, Tang Xiaoguo!"
Tang Xiaoguo was very moved at first, but on careful tasting sensed something off!
Just as she was about to flare up, seeing Lu Zhe's utterly earnest look made her snort out a laugh instead, even blowing a huge snot bubble.
The atmosphere suddenly became strange.
"So shameless, yet said with such passion!"
Lu Zhe nodded: "See, this is the Tang Xiaoguo I know!"
Tang Xiaoguo wiped her tears: "Humph humph, I'm gonna bite you and leave my mark on you!"
Lu Zhe fled in panic!
They giggled and fooled around all the way back to camp, and Tang Xiaoguo's mood recovered for the most part.
Shen Bing and the others had already picked a huge pile of banana leaves, soaking them in seawater to make ropes.
"You're back! Catch anything good?"
"It's a bunny!"
"Dummy, it's a bamboo rat!"
"Wow, awesome!" Lin Qianqian exclaimed.
Jiang Yao eyed the bamboo rat: "Dear sir, you look perfectly delicious!"
"And bamboo bugs too."
"I'll pass on those thanks!"
They'd assumed all the girls would refuse, but delight spread across Ning Shu's face: "Bamboo bees! With chili peppers, honey, and salt, simply divine!"
"Too bad there's no chili peppers!"
"Who says there aren't any!"
Ning Shu proudly held up a bunch of pointy red things: "Ta-da!"
Chili peppers!
Actual chili peppers!
She'd somehow found wild chili peppers in the jungle!
"Wow!" Tang Xiaoguo said in surprise: "How weird, why are there chili peppers here?"
"It does sound strange."
Lu Zhe picked one up and squeezed it: "But then again, this is Southeast Asia, one of their native habitats right?"
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
