now returned to its usual short-circuited state, crouching down at the front door, closely examining the plump little pink pig, while extending its mechanical arm to poke at it.
The little pig grunted, and Du Xixi stepped forward to grab it tightly, fearing it might wake up and escape. After all, it’s rare to have meat delivered right to your door; it’d be such a pity if it ran away!
The little pig grunted several times, seemingly on the verge of waking up, but under the attention of the two people and the robot...it just rolled over.
Hmm, its eyes were still tightly closed.
Du Xixi: ...Is this piglet actually unconscious or just deeply asleep?
Du Xixi’s mouth twitched, she stood up straight, unwilling to look at the obviously comfortably sleeping pig one more second, and turned toward the kitchen to check on her mushroom and hot pepper clay pot rice to see how it was coming along.
Of course, Du Xixi wasn’t going to let the pig rest easy there, she remembered to instruct 2569: "Later, cut a slit at its neck, collect the blood in a clean large pot, and pour cold water in while it’s still warm."
Pig’s blood is a great source of iron, and Du Xixi never lets anything that can be made into delicious food escape her scrutiny, and fresh pig’s blood is certainly no exception.
Du Xixi’s casual remarks left both 2569 and Mo Ying somewhat shocked.
2569, while obediently following its programming, found the operation of collecting blood and pouring cold water quite strange, so while grabbing the pig to draw blood, it started searching its database for the reasoning behind this.
Of course, the Star Era’s database is naturally unlikely to have any information regarding "pig’s blood."
Mo Ying’s shock was far greater than 2569’s. Having directly faced attacks from the Humming Beast before, she immediately recognized that the gift delivered by Rob was a Humming Beast. Or rather, this was a Humming Beast without its tusks.
Humming Beasts are among the most harmful of the Insect Clan, with adult ones able to consume up to hundreds of tons of food—its diet includes houses, humans, and even members of its own species.
Though she couldn’t understand why the Imperial Guard Captain would send Du Xixi such a beast, Du Xixi’s casual talk of slitting the Humming Beast’s throat, and even deeming its blood useful, deeply perplexed Mo Ying.
Living quietly at home due to poor health, Miss Du’s life was somewhat secluded, and few in her circle knew much about her. After marrying the Marshal, she received considerable care from him, had a knack for cooking, and now, both Rob’s arrival and this beast’s bloodletting added to the mysteries surrounding her.
It seems Miss Du harbors quite a few secrets...
Mo Ying glanced at Du Xixi’s retreating figure heading into the kitchen, then back at 2569, who was enthusiastically drawing blood from the Humming Beast’s tail. She shrugged her shoulders and returned to the living room sofa.
What do her secrets matter to Mo Ying? She was just here to accompany Du Xixi after all.
As Du Xixi entered the kitchen, the clay pot rice was nearly cooked, the sizzling sounds mingled with spicy aromas, immediately making Du Xixi’s mouth water, swallowing hard to stop the drool.
The small clay pot was meant to serve two people, and while Mo Ying might have a rather large appetite, Du Xixi’s was fairly small, making one serving just right for both.
As for the little pig...Du Xixi swallowed another mouthful of saliva, deciding they’d have a midnight feast tonight—a whole pig banquet!
Braised pig trotters, garlic-flavored pig skin, stir-fried pig liver, braised pig intestines, stir-fried pig’s blood...Oh dear, Du Xixi felt herself drooling uncontrollably.
Du Xixi used two mitts to move the small clay pot from the stove, placing it into a custom heat-resistant cover, so handling the pot wouldn’t feel too hot.
She carried it out, the fresh aromatic and spicy flavors wafting through the air, needing no invitation for Mo Ying to expertly walk over, picking up the bowls and chopsticks beside her, serving both Du Xixi and herself a bowl of mashed clay pot rice.
Du Xixi ladled out two bowls of freshly prepared vegetable soup and placed them before Mo Ying, softly saying, "Sister Mo Ying, this is called clay pot rice; it’s soft, glutinous with a crispy touch, and the fried crust dipped in the soup has a unique flavor. Try it quickly."
Mo Ying, already nearly overwhelmed by the aroma, didn’t wait for Du Xixi to finish her introduction before eagerly grabbing her spoon and diving in.