214: Chapter 213 Little Hen

Coming out of the sea, the two of them were still dry, their faces filled with excitement.

"I heard there's combustible ice, natural gas, oil, and stuff in the sea, but unfortunately we didn't encounter any," Lu Fan said with a look of regret.

"Just be content. Anyway, there's still plenty of time; we'll definitely encounter them," An Lan said with a smile.

Lu Fan smiled: "True, anyway, this trip hasn't been in vain."

As he spoke, he lifted the fish basket in his hand.

Before coming ashore, they had caught a lot of seafood.

"Tonight's seafood feast will surely make the neighbor's kids cry from envy!"

Lu Fan hummed an out-of-tune little tune and strolled back toward the Shelter with An Lan.

Upon returning to the Shelter, the two discovered that Da Hei was missing.

"This silly dog must have spotted something fun and run off somewhere," Lu Fan curled his lip and complained helplessly.

An Lan also laughed: "He's probably been lured away by some butterfly or little bird again. Don't worry, he'll come back once he's played enough."

The two didn't take it to heart either, rolling up their sleeves to start preparing dinner.

An Lan nimbly washed the seafood.

Lu Fan, on the other hand, started a fire on the side and set up the pot, preparing to cook seafood soup.

Before long, the pot was bubbling, the milky white broth rolling, and the aroma wafted straight into their noses.

"Wow, this smell! I could finish three big bowls in a row!" Lu Fan took a deep breath, completely enchanted.

An Lan gave him a sidelong glance: "Don't just talk. Let's see if you're really that impressive when it's time to eat."

Next, Lu Fan took some Snails out of the Storage Room.

He poured the cleaned Snails into the pot, threw in the spring onions and ginger, and stir-fried them over high heat. The fragrance instantly filled the entire Shelter.

Just as they were about to start eating, a cheerful barking came from the distance.

"Listen, Da Hei is back!" An Lan's eyes lit up, and she stood up excitedly.

Sure enough, Da Hei came running back with a Wild Chicken in his mouth. When he reached them, he triumphantly tossed the Wild Chicken onto the ground.

"Good fellow, Da Hei, you went out to be a 'hunter'!"

Lu Fan was both surprised and delighted. He stepped forward to praise Da Hei, but then he froze upon closer inspection. "Wait, this is a hen. It would be a waste to kill it for meat. Let's keep it... but I don't know how to raise it."

Lu Fan scratched his head, looking conflicted.

An Lan's mind whirled, and her eyes sparkled: "Keep it to lay eggs! We'll have fresh eggs for breakfast in the future. How great is that!"

Lu Fan slapped his thigh: "That's a great suggestion."

As he spoke, he used his ability to get close to animals, slowly approaching the hen and coaxing it softly: "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. This will be your cozy nest from now on, and you'll be served with good food and drink."

Miraculously, the originally panicked hen actually calmed down and obediently let Lu Fan carry it into the yard.

"Alright, just lay eggs here peacefully and add more 'Gold Ingots' for us." Lu Fan mumbled to the hen with a smile, as if it could actually understand him.

An Lan smiled: "You're just letting it go like that? Aren't you afraid it'll run away?"

"Run away? Then I'll just have Da Hei catch it again."

Da Hei also wagged his tail nearby, seemingly proud of his "masterpiece."

The two sat together and enjoyed their dinner boisterously.

The sea breeze blew gently, carrying the scent of the ocean and the warmth of home.

"Today was so worth it. This life is truly wonderful!" Lu Fan sighed contentedly while drinking the seafood soup.

Early the next morning, before the first rays of sunlight could completely dispel the night's chill, Lu Fan scrambled out of bed. Without even bothering to tidy his clothes, he rushed toward the ecological cylinder.

He was thinking about those plants, even dreaming about what amazing changes they would have overnight.

Upon reaching the ecological cylinder, Lu Fan was so stunned by the sight that his mouth hung open.

The chili pepper plants had already grown as high as his calves. The emerald green branches were covered with dense green chili peppers, swaying gently in the breeze as if showing off their robust growth to him.

"Holy cow, this growth speed is simply insane! At this rate, we'll be able to eat fresh chili peppers tonight!"

Looking at the Taro and potatoes, they weren't to be outdone either.

The Taro's large leaves were spread out like little green umbrellas, shimmering with vibrant life in the morning light; the potato vines were intertwined, their tender green leaves layered on top of each other, making one immediately imagine the upcoming harvest underground.

Just as Lu Fan was immersed in the joy of the harvest, the sky suddenly clouded over, and pea-sized raindrops fell without warning.

"Damn, this rain really came at a bad time!" Lu Fan muttered, quickly shielding his head with his hands and sprinting toward the Shelter.

But the rain was too heavy. After just a few steps, his pants were soaked through, clinging tightly to his legs, cold and uncomfortable.

After finally rushing into the Shelter, Lu Fan looked like a "drowned rat," shivering from the cold.

Seeing this, An Lan quickly put down the supplies she was organizing and said with concern: "Quickly change out of those wet clothes so you don't catch a cold!"

As she spoke, she found a piece of Deerskin in the corner and handed it to Lu Fan.

Lu Fan took the Deerskin and quickly wrapped it around himself, looking at An Lan gratefully: "It's a good thing you're so thoughtful, otherwise I'd definitely catch a cold."

An Lan turned and walked to the stove. Before long, she brought over a bowl of steaming Ginger Soup.

"Here, drink this bowl of Ginger Soup to sweat it out."

An Lan said gently, "I even added a lot of honey; it's sweet and doesn't taste bad."

Lu Fan took the Ginger Soup. Looking at the rich, ginger-yellow liquid, his heart felt warm.

He pinched his nose and gulped down the Ginger Soup in one breath. Instantly, a surge of heat flowed from his throat through his entire body, and he gradually warmed up.

"Mm, now that the Ginger Soup is down, I feel much better." Lu Fan let out a satisfied burp, a comfortable smile appearing on his face.

The rain continued to fall relentlessly, the pea-sized raindrops drumming against the Shelter's roof with a pitter-patter sound.

The two sat inside, listening to the rain, and for a moment, they had nothing to do.

"It looks like this rain won't stop anytime soon. Let's find something to do," An Lan suggested.

Lu Fan's eyes lit up as he suddenly thought of something: "Right, we can process the seafood we caught yesterday and make it into dried goods. That way, it'll last longer."

An Lan readily agreed, and the two immediately got to work.

They cleaned the crabs, clams, and other seafood, putting some in the Storage Room and roasting the rest over the fire to dry them.

As the temperature rose, the aroma of the seafood gradually wafted out, mixing with the scent of the Ginger Soup in the house, filling the entire Shelter.

While waiting for the seafood to dry, the two began organizing the various supplies they had collected earlier.

They categorized the tools, restacked the remaining food, and checked every corner of the Shelter to ensure there were no safety hazards.

"Say, once the rain stops and we go exploring again, what other treasures do you think we'll find?" Lu Fan asked expectantly while organizing the tools.

An Lan replied with a smile: "Who knows? This wilderness is full of the unknown. Maybe next time we'll find a mysterious cave filled with countless treasures."