She poured clear water into one of the compartments of the spicy hot pot cooker, dropped in a spicy soup base packet, and cranked up the heat.
The bright red soup base came to a rolling boil. Shen Lu put in the beef balls and fried tofu puffs, which take longer to cook. Once they were nearly done, she added the cellophane noodles and lettuce.
The aroma of the spicy hot pot wasn't as overpowering as the egg waffles, but it was more tantalizing. The scent drifted out through the doors and windows, once again delivering a critical blow to the nearby residents.
"Damn it all, who the hell is eating good food at home every day?! We're living in the Seventeenth District, how could anyone possibly have the money for something like that?"
"This is insane! It's completely insane!"
"Fuck, I can't take it anymore! I'm gonna go find this person!"
"That's enough. Can't you see it's getting dark outside? Did you forget someone died last night? You want to lose your own worthless life?"
...
Shen Lu was completely unaware of the commotion she had caused. Not that it would matter if she did know. She was eating well by her own merit; if they had what it takes, they could do it too.
After all, it wasn't that this place had no ingredients at all. It was just that the cultivation costs were very high and the prices exorbitant, so ordinary people couldn't afford them.
She had used a few too many ingredients, and it made two large bowls.
Shen Lu had overestimated her appetite. She was full after just one bowl, and she couldn't give the spicy food to Fu Cheng.
She thought for a moment, then put the extra spicy hot pot into a bucket and secured the lid. This way, no one could see it, and it would also mask most of the smell.
Shen Lu left with a self-defense baton in her left hand and the bucket in her right. Several of the streetlights outside were broken and had never been repaired, but thankfully, the moonlight was bright enough to see by.
After turning left and walking less than ten meters, Shen Lu knocked gently on a door.
"Granny Jin, are you there?"
A faint light shone from inside the room. After a few seconds, Granny Jin's voice rang out.
"What is it?"
"Yeah. Can I come in?"
The door opened, revealing Granny Jin's deeply lined, aged face. "Come in."
Shen Lu entered the house, and Granny Jin immediately shut the door behind her.
"It's the middle of the night. You should be staying inside. Are you looking for a death wish?"
Shen Lu didn't pay much mind to Granny Jin's displeased tone. She knew she shouldn't be out at night, but it wasn't far—it wouldn't even take a minute if she walked quickly.
"I wanted to bring you something."
"No need. Keep it for yourself." Granny Jin refused without a second thought. She had a vague idea of what Shen Lu was up to—it was just a thank-you for what happened this morning.
Shen Lu lifted the lid of the bucket, and the spicy aroma immediately rushed out. "I made too much. My brother and I can't finish it. If you don't mind, you could have a taste."
Granny Jin stared at the bucket in disbelief, then slowly moved her gaze to Shen Lu's face. "Just who are you?"
She could tell from Shen Lu's clothes that she wasn't an ordinary girl. To have ended up in the Seventeenth District, she must have suffered some great misfortune.
But she had no desire to find out the details.
When people get old, they aren't as nosy as they were in their youth. All she wanted now was to hold onto her rental unit and live out her later years without illness or disaster.
"Me?" Shen Lu gave a wry smile. "Just someone trying to live a better life."
"Do you know how many Star Coins a bowl like this would sell for?" Granny Jin's voice unknowingly rose in pitch. "A single leafy green costs over a thousand Star Coins, let alone other food. You..."
'If you can afford such expensive food, why are you still living in the Seventeenth District?'
Granny Jin had the strange feeling she was being played.
But Shen Lu had no reason to play her. Before this, they didn't even know each other.
The original owner of her body had never been to a market, and Shen Lu herself had only just arrived in this world and had been sticking around the Seventeenth District, so she had no idea about food prices.
She knew ingredients would be expensive here, but she hadn't expected them to be *this* expensive.
"I just wanted to thank you," Shen Lu said, returning to her original reason for coming. "Granny Jin, you don't need to feel burdened by this."
"In that case, I won't be polite." Granny Jin bent down and took out the spicy hot pot. Speaking of which, when was the last time she'd eaten a decent meal?
Ten years ago?
Or twenty?
It had been so long she couldn't even remember.
Granny Jin found a pair of metal chopsticks she hadn't used in a long time, wiped them casually on the hem of her clothes, and picked up a meatball.
The beef ball steamed, its meaty, spicy aroma exceptionally tempting.
Granny Jin blew on it, then took a bite. The broth soaked into the ball burst out, scalding the roof of her mouth.
But what followed was the savory flavor of the beef.
Even though it was scalding, Granny Jin didn't spit it out. She endured the heat, chewing and savoring it slowly.
Shen Lu sat down across from Granny Jin, propped her chin in her hands, and asked with a grin, "Is it good?"
She had tried it herself, and the flavor was quite good. It would have been even better with some dipping sauces.
But Shen Lu hadn't bought any. 'Every little bit saved helps,' she thought, 'and it wasn't like it tasted bad without them.'
"It's delicious." The lines around Granny Jin's eyes softened. To think she could still eat a mouthful of fresh, piping-hot food at her age. "Thank you."
"It's just returning a favor. If you hadn't helped this morning, I wouldn't have known how to deal with those people."
"You don't need to deal with them." This time, Granny Jin blew on the meatball a little longer. "You probably don't know this, but there are people who collect the bodies."
"Huh?" Shen Lu was shocked. "Collect bodies?"
Granny Jin wasn't the least bit bothered discussing this while eating. "That's right. According to a research report from the Imperial Capital Biological Research Institute, bodies are good fertilizer after they decompose and ferment. You can't grow plants in the wild soil, but you can in the special soil cultivated by the Institute. The fertilizer made from fermented bodies replenishes the elements the soil is missing. I don't know the specifics, I just overheard it once."
Shen Lu's eyes widened, her entire worldview shaken to its core.
'Vegetables grown with fertilizer made from corpses... who would dare to eat that?'
Yet not only did people here dare to eat it, they even sold it at a high price.
"Heh heh." Granny Jin was amused by her expression. "Is that so hard to accept?"
"Mmm..."
"Then do you know what the dirt-flavored nutrient liquid is made of?" A mischievous streak suddenly appeared in Granny Jin.
"You're not going to tell me it's also made from... that, are you?" Shen Lu's brow furrowed deeper.
"Not quite." Granny Jin slurped her cellophane noodles. "Do you know what white maggots are?"
Shen Lu searched not only her own memories but the original owner's as well, but came up empty.
'Still maggots, though.'
Shen Lu shook her head. "Granny Jin, I can't stay out too long. Er... I mean, my brother might need me."
'How could I ever have thought Granny Jin was a serious, cold old woman?'
'She's so mischievous!'
Granny Jin just smiled without a word, not exposing her lie. Instead, she personally walked her to the door.
"Hurry back now. It's best not to wander around the Seventeenth District at night. It's not safe."
"I know."
Shen Lu picked up her bucket and scurried back to her rental unit.
Granny Jin watched until she was safely inside before closing the door. She sat back down at the table, looked at the steaming spicy hot pot, and sighed softly.
The moment the young lady left, the room immediately felt cold and lonely again.
It made sense, she thought. How long had it been since she'd seen such a lively young girl?