Chapter Four: The Fresh Meat Pancake

Before her time travel, Chi Sui was a true southerner, rarely eating or making wheat-based dishes. This time, to save time, she skipped the dough fermentation step and planned to mix the dough directly with the meat filling to make fresh meat pancakes.

Fortunately, she hadn’t forgotten how to start a fire. After lighting a small flame, Chi Sui gauged the temperature and added fatty pork to render lard.

As the aroma slowly wafted through the air, Chi Sui swallowed hard and sighed with some sentiment.

The scarcity of supplies here was evident—if only she could add a few Sichuan peppercorns while rendering the lard, it would be even more fragrant and suit her taste better.

While the lard simmered over the low flame, she opened the bag of flour and began kneading the dough.

She poured warm water and a pinch of salt into the flour, stirring it into a crumbly mixture before kneading it into a smooth dough. Finally, she covered the bowl with a piece of gauze. Having done this, she returned her attention to the lard in the pan, stirring gently as it cooked. Fortunately, as long as she didn’t grab a kitchen knife, her multitasking skills were impeccable.

Using some of the rendered lard, along with a little flour and salt, she made a simple oil paste.

She carefully poured the remaining lard into a cleaned oil container, noting that it could still be used for several dishes. Unable to resist, Chi Sui ate two pieces of the crispy lard residue, setting the rest aside on a plate for future cooking.

Leaving just a thin layer of oil in the pan, she incorporated the oil paste into the dough, kneading it until smooth. She then divided the dough into equally sized portions, stuffed them with seasoned meat filling, and pan-fried them until cooked through.

Soon, eight meat pancakes emerged from the pan, their enticing aroma filling the air. Though the method was somewhat unorthodox, their appearance was undeniably impressive.

Before Chi Sui could reach out to eat, the book suddenly popped open.

Spring, 53rd day, Year 566 of the Void Calendar

First Culinary Creation

Product: ??? (Name to be assigned)

Star Rating: One and a half stars

Shelf Life: Three days

(Content: Meat pancakes made from pork and flour, crafted with exquisite skill. They look delicious, but the coarse quality of ingredients may affect the taste. Their aroma might attract certain carnivorous creatures, increasing the capture rate of carnivorous beasts.)

Tentatively, Chi Sui ventured a name: “Fresh Meat Pancake?”

Almost immediately, the question marks on the page were replaced by those very words.

She regretted not giving it a more dramatic name, something like “Heaven and Earth, Sole Sovereign Pancake.” If she ever sold these, she could have the islanders read the name aloud to make them blush with embarrassment.

After a moment of self-amusement, fearing the pancakes would cool, Chi Sui quickly stuffed one into her mouth.

Delicious!

The pancake was perfectly fried, the meat filling savory and flavorful, though it lacked a touch of scallion. Indeed, such pancakes demanded the fragrance of green onions to truly enhance their aroma—unless one was averse to scallions, of course.

After praising herself, Chi Sui noticed the silver-gray text in parentheses.

Increase capture rate?

Finally tasting something to her liking, she almost forgot she was in a world inhabited by monsters. The original owner’s grandfather once ran a ranch teeming with many monsters, producing a substantial economic output and earning some renown on Purple Island. On this floating isle, 80% of monster capture relies on offering food they favor, luring them to follow and settle in designated places.

The remaining 20% depends on brute force. In this magical world, certain humans can unleash extraordinary powers. One of the six islands, Blue Island, often births sorcerers—masters of magical power and research. Towns there boast wondrous magical devices like floating ships and, most coveted by Chi Sui, magically powered refrigerators.

Hearing that culinary skill was key to capturing monsters, Chi Sui’s mental image of the original owner’s grandfather shifted—from a kindly old man in the fields to the gruff chefs she’d seen in restaurant kitchens...

Snapping herself back, she banished these distracting thoughts.

That morning, during a meeting with Mayor Ayla and another, they discussed the mountain monsters. All advised her to explore the mountains only during daylight and, without self-defense measures, to stay near the foothills. The animals and monsters at the base were familiar with the townsfolk and generally friendly.

She could try to gain their favor to work at the ranch, but the monsters at the foothills, though affectionate, were quite... picky.

Chi Sui silently repeated the last sentence in silver-gray letters: “Increased capture rate for carnivorous monsters.”

With her slight frame carrying meat pancakes into the mountains, if she encountered a carnivore, who looked more like food—the pancakes or herself?

After dinner, Chi Sui hurried to tidy up before nightfall. The cottage had a lamp, but likely from long disuse, the light was dim and limited in range. The fading daylight was still the brightest source. Once she could afford it, replacing the lamp would be her first priority.

Though currently penniless and ten silver in debt...

Before the sun rose again the next day, Chi Sui was already awake, diligently planting the seeds she had purchased. After cutting grass to feed the calf, she set off toward the mountains, carrying the few remaining meat pancakes.

Fufeng Town was sparsely populated but spread over a large area, with each household cultivating small plots of land growing vegetables and flowers. The lush greenery and wafting fragrances brought a vibrant life to the place.

Yet the variety was limited—the only vegetables in the shops were radishes and corn, and even the flower seeds were just a single type of yellow flower.

Was even the flour imported? Eating only these few foods—wouldn’t that lead to nutritional imbalance?

The further she ventured toward the mountains, where no one lived, the deeper her frown grew.

Purple Island was large, with over a dozen cities and hundreds of towns. According to Mayor Ayla, the town once thrived a decade ago when ranchers were present, spawning various delicacies. But as the ranchers left, the town declined. Did the crops disappear along with the ranchers? Especially as the area urbanized, the scarcity of products was all the more puzzling.

Shrugging off the confusion, Chi Sui focused on gathering supplies.

Soon, near the mountain path, she spotted what she sought.

Leaves edged with serrations, unfolded into a ball-like shape, their surfaces covered with fine white fuzz.

Shepherd’s purse!

There was plenty of it. Chi Sui’s excitement grew—her first meal here had been bread baked by Aunt Persa. Though soft, it was chewy and called “soft bread” by the locals. After that meal, she vowed to cook her own food.

So, with all her money, she had made meat pancakes the previous afternoon and had used one this morning with a bit of water as breakfast.

Initially, she thought she’d have to trade with Aunt Persa for vegetables until the radishes were ready, but here they were.

Shepherd’s purse was slightly bitter but excellent stir-fried with eggs or wrapped in dumplings. Without meat, it could even make a decent soup.

Licking her lips at the thought, she crouched down to harvest.

As she gathered, she planned: some for stir-frying, some for soup, and a larger portion for dumplings. If she made enough, maybe she could sell the surplus and pay off the hospital bills.

Growing more excited, her hands worked harder, when suddenly she felt a tug on the satchel holding her meat pancakes.

Startled, she fell backward.

As she scrambled up, a bit dazed, she stared at the small creature biting her satchel, its body suspended in midair as it flailed its limbs.

“What... is this?”