A Master's Confession

"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?"