Chapter 66: Offering Himself as a Token of Gratitude

In the first-floor living room, He Ze had already taken a good look around the house. Wen Tang really had done well; the refrigerator was fully stocked.

In the kitchen cabinet, there was a bag of rice, probably a ten-pound bag, along with a few potatoes.

The refrigerator contained plenty of meat, which was safe to eat. The mutated animals had grown significantly in size, and people from the safety zone were willing to go out hunting for them every day.

Surprisingly, there were also two large carrots and several tomatoes, which were quite generous offerings from the upper levels.

They had been traveling for a while, and apart from the occasional village where they could find some random vegetables growing in the fields, most of the edible plants had already been consumed over time, becoming increasingly scarce.

He Ze stared at the vegetables and meat in the refrigerator, practically drooling. However, his cooking skills were limited to making porridge and instant noodles, with his most advanced dish being fried rice with eggs.

He glanced over at Shen Rangchen, who was sitting on the sofa, and cleared his throat. “Hey, can you cook?”

Shen Rangchen was busy arranging stacks of talisman papers on the coffee table, counting them over and over again, clearly in a foul mood. Hearing He Ze’s question, he turned around and glared at him.

“No.”

“Tch, aren’t you a Taoist? Can’t do anything, huh?”

“If you can, then you cook.”

Shen Rangchen snapped back, feeling inexplicably annoyed every time he saw He Ze.

“I’ll cook.”

Lin Mu’s calm voice came from the stairs as he and Fu Jingmo descended one after the other.

He Ze immediately rushed over and hooked his arm around Lin Mu’s neck. “Wow, finally awake! Mumu, you’re like a computer that needs to reboot or something. You scared me half to death.”

Lin Mu shrugged off his hand. “Don’t make so much noise. You’re giving me a headache.”

He walked straight to the kitchen. If he left it to He Ze to cook, they’d probably starve.

The kitchen had an induction stove and was fully stocked with pots, pans, and utensils. After all, these things weren’t as sought after as food in the current times, so they weren’t hard to come by.

Lin Mu washed his hands and began inspecting the ingredients in the refrigerator. He didn’t bother asking the three people in the living room what they wanted to eat; he just started cooking on his own.

Since leaving the small courtyard two months ago, they’d been on the road, mostly subsisting on biscuits and other simple foods, occasionally cooking some noodles or porridge, and on better days, catching a couple of rabbits or chickens for some meat.

They had been living like wild men, and Lin Mu had no doubt that whatever he made, they would be willing to eat.

He set the rice to steam, then took out the tomatoes and washed them. He also grabbed four eggs from the fridge, figuring that with several grown men to feed, he should make a larger meal.

There was plenty of meat—beef, chicken, pork, and two lumps of something Lin Mu couldn’t quite identify, so he set those aside for now.

He placed the meat in water to thaw and began cooking in an orderly manner.

As the aroma of potato and beef stew wafted through the air, He Ze was already leaning against the kitchen counter, and his eyes gleaming with anticipation, not budging an inch.

“Mumu, Mumu, when will it be ready?”

Leaning against the counter, Lin Mu glanced at him. “Shut up and be patient.”

With only one induction stove, it was inconvenient to cook multiple dishes at once. As the beef was simmering, Lin Mu looked toward the living room. Shen Rangchen had found a piece of paper and a pen from somewhere and was slowly writing something on it, his expression completely serious.

On the other side, Fu Jingmo was lounging on the sofa, legs crossed, examining the black box in his hand. The warm white light of the living room illuminated him from above, casting a gentle glow over his head.

Lin Mu noticed that Fu Jingmo’s eyelashes were long, and when he lowered his head, they cast a small shadow on his face.

Sensing Lin Mu’s gaze, Fu Jingmo looked up, his expression showing a hint of curiosity as he caught Lin Mu staring at him.

Feeling a bit awkward, Lin Mu quickly averted his gaze and turned back to the stew. The beef was almost done, so he bent down to find a large bowl and ladled the stew into it.

He Ze eagerly took the bowl and carried it over to the dining table. Lin Mu swiftly prepared two more dishes before calling everyone to eat.

The four of them filled their bowls to the brim, clearly starving, and without any further words, they all dug in.

He Ze took a big bite of the beef, which was tender and flavorful, glistening with just the right amount of oil. It was so delicious that he felt like he could swallow his tongue along with it.

Aside from He Ze, Shen Rangchen also ate with enthusiasm, his eyes sparkling as he ate. “Lin Mu, your cooking is amazing. Can I eat with you from now on?”

“…”

Sensing that his status as the primary foodie was being threatened, He Ze frowned and interjected, “Hey, hey, hey, aren’t you a Taoist? Shouldn’t you be eating vegetarian?”

Shen Rangchen’s expression changed instantly as he picked up a large piece of beef and stuffed it into his mouth. “None of your business.”

“You—!”

Lin Mu knocked on He Ze’s head. “Eat your food, or I’ll take it away.”

“Eat, eat, eat,” He Ze muttered, lowering his head to shovel food into his mouth, ignoring Shen Rangchen.

At the table, only Fu Jingmo ate calmly. He had already tasted Lin Mu’s cooking before and knew it was indeed delicious.

He ate quickly but without any of the fuss that He Ze made, displaying a natural sense of restraint.

Lin Mu, appearing casual, asked, “Shen Rangchen, what are your plans for the future?”

For some reason, despite the many oddities about Shen Rangchen, both his strength and his actions in saving people at Jiaoshan Village had left Lin Mu with a good impression of him.

If Shen Rangchen was willing, Lin Mu wouldn’t mind adding another person to their trio.

Shen Rangchen wiped his mouth. He liked being close to Lin Mu, and the meals Lin Mu cooked were simply too delicious. Being alone in the world, he was quite content with the idea of sticking with Lin Mu as long as it meant good food.

“As a token of gratitude for saving my life, I’ll offer myself to you. You saved me, so I’ll follow you. And if you don’t mind that I’m a man, we can even get married.”