Chapter 25 p2
In the Beastman royal palace, Jeqi was about to explode with rage. “Those two stinking old men! How can they eat primitive beasts! Where’s Xuan Mo? Have him come in immediately and twist off the heads of both the United Star System and the Interstellar Empire for me!”
Although he still hadn’t figured out the relationship between the animals on Earth and their Beastman race, the moment these animals appeared on screen, almost all Beastmen felt an inexplicable sense of kinship. Jeqi had already classified them as part of their race. These were their primitive beasts!
Ruoya, looking at her raging brother, for once didn’t hit him and instead was somewhat supportive. “These humans are indeed too arrogant!”
For the sake of peace in the stream, Xia Anran laughed it off and avoided the question. It was better to continue introducing plants; that was safer.
Xia Anran picked a stalk of wheat, rubbed open the husk, and showed the plump grains to the camera. “This is the wheat we eat. Like many fruits, it’s the fruit of a plant. We usually grind the wheat into flour to make all kinds of pasta and bread. We Hua nation people are especially good at making delicious food.”
The viewers’ attention was quickly drawn to the wheat. They hadn’t expected it to be such a small grain! And its color wasn’t a shiny gold but a deep, earthy yellow. It looked very simple and rustic.
“Wheat has been cultivated in the Hua nation for over five thousand years. It is the main source of food, especially in the northern part of the country, and has fed many, many people.”
Xia Anran put down the wheat and led everyone into the village. At the village entrance, large sheets of wheat were laid out to dry in the sun. The small grains, gathered in large quantities, created a stunning sight for the viewers.
[A five-thousand-year history of cultivation? So our Hua nation really loves to farm!]
[Ahhh, I want to see the food made from wheat!]
[So much wheat just spread out on the ground, my heart aches.]
[I love hearing about this! Anran, can you tell us more!]
[Ancient humans were so lucky, I will repeat this ten thousand times.]
[If they have wheat to eat, why do they still eat Beastmen? I’m still bothered by this…]
Entering the village, they saw neat rows of houses with white walls and red tiles. This was from a unified renovation a few years ago, a government requirement to beautify the town. Each house had a courtyard enclosed by a fence. The courtyards in the village were much more colorful than Xia Anran’s house in the capital; almost every inch was perfectly utilized to grow all sorts of vegetables and fruits.
Xia Anran led the production team towards her own house. When they reached Uncle Li’s gate, Auntie Li happened to be coming out. Seeing Xia Anran, she quickly opened the gate. “Aiyo, you’re finally back! Yesterday, your uncle told me you were coming back today, so I started cooking early this morning. I made your favorite scallion pancakes!”
Xia Anran’s group was large and made a lot of noise. Auntie Li had been listening for them since early morning. The moment she heard footsteps, she had rushed out to see.
Yesterday, Xia Anran had told Uncle Li that she would be bringing a film crew back, so Auntie Li only glanced at them curiously without asking too many questions. Knowing that Anran was in a hurry to get home and settle in, she didn’t chat for long. She just told her to wait a moment and then hurried back into her house. A moment later, she came out with a winnowing basket holding a stack of freshly made scallion pancakes.
The pancakes were fresh off the pan, glistening with oil and still steaming. The moment she brought them out, a strong aroma of scallion and oil filled the air. “They’re fresh out of the pan. Hurry and take them home to try.”
[Who is this? It feels like she also knows Anran?]
[So many of Anran’s acquaintances. Could this be her hometown?]
[Everyone is so gentle to Anran! This old grandma is so kind, I like her!]
[Reminds me of my grandma…]
[Hello, grandma! Frantically waves]
[What is that???]
[Scallion pancake?]
[It’s food, right? It’s food!!!]
[My psychic power is responding wildly! What’s going on?]
[Mine too… I can barely suppress it.]
[Scallion pancakes, I want to eat them so bad!]
“This pancake is really well made. The color, aroma, and taste are all perfect,” Master Guo said, leaning in for a closer look and giving a thumbs-up.
Auntie Li was very proud of the compliment. “Of course! This is my family’s ancestral recipe. My great-grandmother taught it to me. I don’t easily share it with outsiders!”
“Look at this oily crust. I’m not bragging, but in all my years, I’ve never seen anyone make it better than me!”
“Indeed, indeed. The ratio of flour to oil is perfect, and the scallions are fried just right. You fried them first and then pan-fried the pancake, right?”
Auntie Li: “Aiyo, you know about this?”
“I know a little, just a little.”
Seeing that this chubby little old man really knew his stuff and was so interested in her pancakes, Auntie Li tore off a piece and handed it to him. “It’s fresh out of the pan, hurry and try it. If it’s good, I’ll teach you my family’s secret recipe later!”
Master Guo didn’t stand on ceremony and took a bite, then lavished her with praise, making Auntie Li beam with joy. She insisted on holding him back, refusing to let him go, adamant about teaching him how the pancake was made.
Xia Anran: …You two have fun.
She watched as the two of them went off to discuss cooking with great enthusiasm and shook her head helplessly. Fortunately, her house was right next door. Stepping into her yard, she breathed a sigh of relief. It had rained a few days ago, so her flowers and grapevines were still alive and well.
Xia Anran’s house was a two-story self-built home, and the small courtyard was also neat and tidy. When she was home, she would wash the bluestone slabs in the yard with well water every day, and they were still clean and orderly now. Good, it was still presentable enough for the camera.
The viewers were still reeling from the impact of the scallion pancake. Xia Anran saw that the comments were all filled with drooling emojis. “This is what’s made after the wheat we just saw is ground into flour,” she said, unable to resist the audience’s enthusiasm. She held the scallion pancake up to the camera. “And after a series of cooking steps, it becomes a scallion pancake!”
The freshly made pancake was still steaming. This was the first time cooked food had appeared in the stream. Unexpectedly, the impact of this kind of food on psychic power was much stronger than that of natural fruits and vegetables. This time, it wasn’t just the psychically sensitive individuals; even ordinary citizens of the Interstellar Empire felt an irresistible response from their psychic power.
The people of the United Star System were still just thinking: Smells good, so hungry, want food.
The Beastman people were still immersed in the grief of their primitive beast being captured and threatened to be eaten by human cubs. Only a few of them also noticed that this so-called scallion pancake seemed to have a faint effect on their Horn Power as well, though not as strong as the effect on psychic power. The previous fruits and flowers had had no effect on them at all. The Beastman commander, Xuan Mo, in particular, felt it very strongly. The urge to devour the scallion pancake was incredibly intense. He keenly sensed that there was something in it that was extremely attractive to Beastmen. He had to see His Majesty and the Princess immediately to report this matter!
“Is there anything in it? Hmm, it should just be wheat, scallions, peanut oil. Auntie Li also has a habit of adding a few eggs, and then some seasonings,” Xia Anran said, answering a question from the comments based on her memory. She wasn’t much of a cook and had only seen Auntie Li make it a few times because she had loved it as a child and would often run next door to ask her to make it.
The comments were in chaos. Seeing how much the viewers liked it, Xia Anran thought for a moment and decided to hold a lottery, dividing the plate of pancakes into ten portions.
The moment the lottery started, all three nations immediately began to count their respective winners.
“What? Our Beastman race only won one portion?!” Jeqi nearly fainted when he saw the freshly released list of winners. The United Star System had won six, and even the Interstellar Empire had three! Why did they Beastmen only get one?! They made up half the viewers in the stream!
Rigged! It must be rigged!
Ruoya looked at the list. “And that one portion was won by General Xuan Mo.”
Hearing this, Jeqi felt his heart clench even tighter. It was over. If it was in Xuan Mo’s hands, even he, the emperor, couldn’t get it out of him!
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Just then, an attendant came in and reported that General Xuan Mo had arrived. Jeqi’s spirits lifted. Good, now that Xuan Mo was here, he had to hold him here, no matter what, until the scallion pancake was delivered! That way, he could at least get a couple of bites.
…
After the lottery, Xia Anran finally managed to calm down the rioting viewers and had time to introduce her small courtyard. Hearing that this was indeed Anran’s hometown, everyone was extremely curious. Unable to resist the strong curiosity in the comments, she had no choice but to go out again and continue to show them around the village.
Yanshan Village was a “new countryside” village. It was both neat and orderly, yet retained the quiet and fresh atmosphere of the countryside. Plus, it was nestled by mountains and water, and the village’s greenery was very well done.
[A Fur-tail!]
[Ahhh, it’s really a Fur-tail! I’m sure of it this time!]
[Anran, run, it’s a Beastman!]
[Our Fur-tail tribe’s cub! Ahhh, why has it been poached again!]
[I’ll fight you humans!]
[Wait a minute, why do these two cubs look a bit too big…]
[If you look closely, they do seem a little different.]
[The ears are not quite the same, and the tail is a bit too long.]
[The coat pattern is also a bit special.]
[What’s there to find different? This is clearly a cub of our Fur-tail tribe! Whoever did this, show yourself!]
Xia Anran looked at the comments, completely baffled. She looked up and saw that under the locust tree, a large black dog and a tabby cat were playing. She looked at the comments, then at the two cute little animals having fun under the tree. The term “Fur-tail tribe” had also elicited a strong reaction when Journey to the West was mentioned. But there should be a pretty big difference between a cat, a dog, and a monkey, right? Could it be that “Fur-tail tribe” was a general term for fluffy animals with tails?
“This is my neighbor Auntie Tang’s cat and dog. They grew up together, so they get along very well.”
Xia Anran walked forward and called out, “Heiniu! Huahua!”
Xia Anran had given Heiniu (Black Bull) his name because when the puppy was first brought home, he was pure black except for a few tufts of yellow fur on his ears, and he was as sturdy as a little bull. So, she had volunteered to name him. As for Huahua (Flower), she was a kitten born to a stray in the village. Many people had taken one home to raise, and Auntie Tang, who loved cats and dogs, had also taken one. When Huahua was just a little kitten, it was Heiniu who had always looked after her. The two were incredibly close. Huahua didn’t even sleep in a cat bed; she always slept curled up next to Heiniu. Auntie Tang often grumbled that Heiniu had raised Huahua to be neither like a cat nor a dog, as she would wander around the streets all day without being afraid of people.
Heiniu and Huahua were rolling around under the tree. The moment they heard Xia Anran call their names, Heiniu’s ears perked up and he immediately ran over, with Huahua following closely behind, meowing.
Heiniu ran up to Xia Anran without braking and jumped up, putting his paws on her. He was a mix of a German Shepherd and a local breed, and had grown to be quite large. Standing up like this, his fluffy head could reach her chin, and he gave her a full-body hug.
[It’s attacking her! Anran, be careful!]
[Ahhh, it’s over, Anran has been pounced on!]
[Beastmen are so annoying everywhere.]
[Someone, help! Doesn’t anyone see this?!!!]
[Sob, what do we do, what do we do, Anran is being attacked!]
[That’s not an attack posture, stop spreading rumors! That’s clearly a sign of affection!]
[Exactly, don’t slander our Beastman race! This is clearly expressing fondness! Look at their tails, they’re wagging!]
[Two such cute cubs! You humans just don’t understand.]
Xia Anran pressed down on Heiniu’s excited doggy head with one hand, peeling him off her. She squatted down to pet his head, and Huahua also came over, jumping into her lap.
With one in each arm, Xia Anran didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Everyone, don’t be nervous. These are very common domestic pets, a puppy and a kitten. They are all humanity’s good friends.”
“This puppy is called Heiniu, and the kitty is called Huahua.”
“They won’t turn into humanoids. They will always stay as cute little animals like this. They are different from the Beastman race.”
Heiniu continued to whine in a high-pitched voice, rubbing his face against hers. Huahua also let out a soft meow at the camera, completely captivating the audience.
[…Why are these two Beastmen kind of cute? Someone, wake me up!]
[Anran already said they’re not Beastmen, they’re a kitten and a puppy. Hehe, a cute little kitten, so cute!]
[I take back what I said earlier. They’re much cuter than the Beastman race.]
[There’s no mature stage? Really? Are they really always like this?!]
[I want to raise one, so cute!]
[No mature stage? Isn’t this our primitive beast?!]
[Sob, such a cute primitive beast. I can’t bear to look at the cubs in my own house.]
[To think our unevolved primitive beasts exist on Earth…]
[Our primitive beasts are too charming!]
“Is this the relationship between Beastmen and humans on Earth?” Jeqi stroked his chin, pondering Xia Anran’s earlier words, “humanity’s good friends.”
“Anran already said they’re not Beastmen,” Ruoya shot him a look. “What did she call them again? Right, animals.”
“Beastmen without a mature stage… so charming.”
Xuan Mo had also been forced by Jeqi to stay and watch the stream with the siblings. “Your Majesty, Your Highness, it seems this Earth also holds great significance for our Beastman race.” He looked at Heiniu and Huahua on the screen, the genes in his body already starting to feel an irrepressible sense of kinship with them.
There was a growing and increasingly uncontrollable problem within the Beastman race: testing had revealed that they were evolving more and more towards humans. Their beastly characteristics were gradually weakening. According to historical records, their ancestors, like the animals on Earth, did not have a so-called mature stage where human features appeared. They were in a classic beast form. This was unacceptable to the Beastman race. They were such a special race! How could they evolve into those detestable humans!
“The appearance of the primitive beasts is undoubtedly the best news for our Beastman race!”
….
After a tour of the village, the broadcast time was almost up. Xia Anran said goodbye to the viewers and ended today’s stream.
“Outdoor streams are more interesting. I’m in a good mood too,” Xia Anran said happily, chatting with Director Huang as they walked back home. On the way, they ran into many villagers who greeted her.
“We should probably do mostly outdoor streams from now on. To see more of our great country’s mountains and rivers,” Director Huang agreed.
When they reached Auntie Li’s gate, Xia Anran noticed a black SUV parked there, which hadn’t been there when they left. She called out towards the gate, wanting to pick up Master Guo.
Unexpectedly, when the door opened, a young man in a brown coat came out. He wore glasses, had a very delicate face, and exuded the air of a literary and artistic worker.
Is this Auntie Li’s relative? I’ve never seen him before.
Xia Anran politely greeted him and stated her purpose. The man nodded and turned to call into the house, “Grandma, someone’s looking for you.”
He’s Auntie Li’s grandson? Auntie Li did seem to have a daughter who had married abroad and hadn’t been back in years. Xia Anran had only heard about it but had never met them.
Auntie Li came out with Master Guo, carrying another winnowing basket of freshly made scallion pancakes. The young man politely escorted the two to the gate. The moment they stepped out, they ran right into Director Huang and the production team, and he immediately stopped in his tracks.
Director Huang’s face also suddenly darkened. The atmosphere instantly turned cold.
Xia Anran looked back and forth between them, a little confused.
In the end, it was Sister Wang who broke the awkward silence. “Little Ji, what are you doing here?”
Xia Anran: !!
It can’t be such a coincidence, can it? Is this the famous, brilliant apprentice of Director Huang, Ji Minghui?
….
Within the Beastman Race
The moment Xia Anran’s stream ended, Xuan Mo wanted to slip away. Jeqi held him back, chattering about this and that, refusing to let him go. Even Ruoya stood by, pretending not to see, letting Jeqi do as he pleased.
Finally, just as Xuan Mo was about to beat him up, a fluctuation appeared in the air, and a spun glass box materialized on the table.
“Quick, quick! Open it and see!”
Xuan Mo watched Jeqi’s eyes light up and finally understood why this idiot had been rambling on and on.
For Ruoya’s sake, Xuan Mo opened the box. An overpowering aroma instantly burst out, rushing straight to their heads.
“…This smell… Let me try it, I want to eat!”
Jeqi immediately struck first, tearing off a piece and stuffing it into his mouth before Xuan Mo could even react. Ruoya also secretly swallowed, her eyes fixed on the box. “Xuan Mo, bring it here.”
Xuan Mo: I’m really in debt to these siblings.
Xia Anran had packed two large pancakes for each winner. Auntie Li’s pancakes were large and thick, one of them equal to two or three of anyone else’s. Two of them were enough for four or five adults. But the three of them—Xuan Mo, Jeqi, and Ruoya—devoured it all in a matter of minutes.
“So delicious… How can something so delicious exist!” Jeqi patted his stomach, looking incredibly satisfied.
Xuan Mo, on the other hand, was feeling the surging Horn Power within him. It felt like he was about to have another breakthrough.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. An attendant’s voice came from outside. “Your Majesty, Director Gass from the Research Institute is here. He heard General Xuan Mo was here and would like to take some of the scallion pancake for research.”
“…”
The three of them looked at the box, which contained only a few crumbs, and then at each other.
It’s over.
With lightning speed, Jeqi swept the last of the crumbs into his mouth and blinked innocently. “Well, it’s all gone anyway. Let’s get scolded together.”
…Before we get scolded, I’m going to beat this guy up!