Chapter 24: Bug Mushrooms, Cooking
After finishing the dungeon, Su Ning returned home with a sense of relief, ready to enjoy some leisurely time.
Just as she was about to lie down comfortably, a series of urgent knocks interrupted her thoughts.
“Bang bang bang!”
The knocking was so frantic that Su Ning frowned involuntarily.
She got up somewhat impatiently and opened the door, only to see Zhang Li standing outside with a smug expression.
“What’s going on?” Su Ning asked coldly, unsure of what Zhang Li wanted.
Zhang Li looked Su Ning up and down, trying to find signs of dishevelment, but Su Ning didn’t seem the least bit affected, which disappointed her greatly.
The second dungeon Zhang Li had entered was called “Wilderness Jungle,” where the objective was to survive in the wild for seven days.
Thanks to her talent, Zhang Li and her family had made it through unscathed and even gained a lot.
Today, she came specifically to flaunt their success in front of Su Ning, bringing something along with her to show off.
“Su Ning has a job at the shelter, so what? In today’s world, food is the most precious resource,” Zhang Li thought to herself.
Then she took out a basket from behind her back and handed it to Su Ning, proudly saying,
“Our family found a bunch of mushrooms in the dungeon. Thought we’d ask if you want some.”
Though it sounded like she was offering, her expression clearly showed no real intention of giving them away.
Su Ning glanced at the grayish mushrooms in the basket.
Data appeared:
[Bug Mushrooms]: A type of mushroom suited for insect habitation. Once these mushrooms appear, they’re filled with countless insect eggs and trace toxins. Accidentally eating them won’t be fatal, but will cause severe discomfort (diarrhea).
(Note: Bug spray is the nemesis of Bug Mushrooms!)
Su Ning had seen these mushrooms in a breeding farm before—they were used specifically to cultivate Death Worms, and she even had some in her backpack.
Zhang Li, feeling proud, picked up a mushroom from the basket.
“Think of it as a gift—go ahead and eat it.”
Su Ning didn’t take it. Instead, she looked at Zhang Li with pity.
“Did you already eat these mushrooms during the dungeon?” she asked.
Zhang Li nodded, curious why Su Ning asked. She wasn’t stupid—she knew Su Ning’s talent involved detecting toxins in food.
Still, she doubted Su Ning would think there was anything wrong with these mushrooms.
Zhang Li smirked, “Su Ning, don’t tell me you think these mushrooms are poisonous?”
While there were trace toxins, that wasn’t even the main danger of Bug Mushrooms.
Su Ning nodded in confirmation, but Zhang Li sneered, “Poisonous? We ate them for seven whole days in the dungeon without any reaction. Don’t tell me you’re just jealous because you didn’t get any food, so you’re trying to slander us?”
Her mother, Duan Meixia, arrived just then and chimed in smugly, “Oh dear, Ning, you should watch what you say! Also, your talent seems questionable—maybe I should report to your superiors. If you can’t even tell poisonous from non-poisonous, how can you work at the shelter?”
Inwardly, Duan Meixia believed that if her family couldn’t have something, Su Ning certainly shouldn’t either.
A lonely girl like Su Ning should be living pitifully and meekly, just as she had imagined.
But now Su Ning had a job at the shelter, and was probably living better than them, which filled Duan Meixia with envy and resentment.
She believed the shelter job should’ve gone to her daughter. With her daughter’s talent, why didn’t she get the job? Su Ning didn’t deserve any of it.
Looking at the mother-daughter duo in front of her, Su Ning chuckled coldly.
Who’s really jealous of whom?
Su Ning couldn’t help laughing. She said to Zhang Li, “You’re hilarious. You actually think I’m jealous of you?”
She had clearly seen the envy in Duan Meixia’s eyes.
After all, it was obvious who was truly worth envying.
“I’ve already warned you—those mushrooms aren’t edible. Whether you listen or not is up to you. But judging by the time, the side effects should be kicking in soon.”
With that, Su Ning closed the door before they could respond.
Zhang Li stomped her foot in anger, “Say the rest! What’s wrong with the mushrooms!?”
Duan Meixia, on the other hand, seemed unbothered, “Lili, Su Ning’s just making stuff up because she doesn’t have any food. We’ve eaten them for seven days, of course we know whether they’re poisonous or not. If they were toxic, we’d have had symptoms already. Hmph, I think her ‘detecting poison’ talent is fake too.”
Zhang Li frowned, feeling a bit uneasy.
On Su Ning’s end, the interruption had killed her mood for rest.
She began tidying up her little planting shed.
Three pots of Thermo Flowers had already sprouted.
The other two pots—planted with potatoes—hadn’t shown any signs yet.
Su Ning took out some “Grow-Grow Fertilizer” from her storage space and sprinkled it into the pots.
Then she watered them.
After everything was done, she observed the five pots. It was clear the Thermo Flowers were growing more rapidly.
“The Grow-Grow Fertilizer shortens the plant growth cycle, and with my [Breeder Title], it’s halved again. Growth is definitely speeding up!”
The potatoes also started sprouting.
Su Ning was thrilled.
While tending to her plants, she planned to plant her Giant-Giant Flower, but realized she didn’t have a pot big enough to hold it.
“Forget it, I’ll leave it in my scavenger backpack for now. It won’t die in there anyway.”
Suddenly, Su Ning’s stomach growled.
She rubbed her belly. In the dungeon, all she had were energy soups. While nutritious, they tasted terrible. Now that she was back, she wouldn’t let herself go hungry.
She took out some Meaty Chicken-Eggs and Bunny-Rat Meat from her backpack.
But while the ingredients were ready, she lacked seasonings.
So she opened the [Survival General Store], and listed several Meat-Eggs for barter. Anyone with enough spices could trade for them.
Having just come back from a dungeon, many players had plenty of money and were browsing the shop.
Su Ning’s Meat-Eggs were quickly noticed.
One wealthy player was intrigued.
“Meat-Eggs? Each one is as big as an ostrich egg?”
Reading the description made his mouth water. But when he tried to buy them, he realized the shop owner of [Doomsday Survival Mart] only accepted trades.
“Spices, huh? I’ve got a whole box of unused ones. I’m curious to try this Meat-Egg thing!”
Trade successful.
With ingredients and spices ready, Su Ning began cooking.
Using a portable gas stove, she made braised rabbit meat at home. She also took out a can of meat and cut up a few Giant-Giant Fruits.
A nice meal of several dishes was laid out in front of her.
Su Ning regretted not having any rice—it would’ve made the dishes even better.
(End of Chapter)
