Farming Games are All About Grinding-Chapter 126 - 121 Beauty, Fine Wine, and Gourmet Food (Two-in-One, Thanks for the 10,000 Reward by Collapse vs. Electric)_2

Chapter 126: Chapter 121 Beauty, Fine Wine, and Gourmet Food (Two-in-One, Thanks for the 10,000 Reward by Collapse vs. Electric)_2

"How could I accept this? Just name your price." Zhuanzhu seemed to like the gift very much. He quickly spoke after taking the bag of wild vegetables.

"I ate a bowl of meat at your place yesterday. Today I brought you some wild vegetables; why would I ask for money?" Han Qiwu waved his hand dismissively.

"No, no." Zhuanzhu shook his head. "If my wife finds out I took your stuff for free, she’d definitely scold me."

"How about this then? Could you slice the pork belly into thin slices for me? I’m planning to use it for a hotpot." Han Qiwu knew well about Zhuanzhu’s fear of his wife and quickly supplemented with a suggestion.

"No problem." Zhuanzhu agreed readily. His hands worked like a human slicer, swiftly slicing two portions of pork belly into beautifully thin slices.

After finishing his task, he picked up another piece of pork and continued slicing it swiftly into thin pieces.

"Since you’re making hotpot, take this piece too. It’s marbled pork, the more you cook it, the more tender it gets." Zhuanzhu wrapped the sliced meat in lotus leaves and handed it to Han Qiwu.

"Thanks, big brother." Han Qiwu accepted it without hesitation, receiving it with both hands.

Marbled pork is a portion of the pig that weighs only about two or three pounds, stretches around twenty centimeters long, and has a cross section with lean meat filling 90%, interlaced with thin strands of fat. When eaten, it’s particularly tender and aromatic—making it the perfect choice for hotpot.

Normally, it’s pretty hard to find.

Having a big brother who sells pork is such a win!

Before heading back, Han Qiwu made sure to transfer the pork into his own airtight bags to prevent Tang Qingying from suspecting anything.

Women—so impossible to predict!

Once back at Yu’s restaurant, Han Qiwu first went to the kitchen to slice sardines and black bream into thin slices suitable for the hotpot later.

After slicing the fish, he quickly whipped up a garlic chili sauce, then prepared the wild vegetables, seaweed, and sea cucumber. He combined them together into a mixed salad.

Done and dusted.

"The hotpot base is ready!" Tang Qingying called out joyfully from outside. Each time she prepared hotpot broth, it gave her a little more confidence in her cooking skills!

"I’m good to go too." Han Qiwu carried the fish slices and the salad to the little table outside.

When Tang Qingying saw the beautifully crafted salad and the fish slices that were as delicate as wings of a cicada, she couldn’t help but compliment him. "These fish slices are amazing, and the salad looks great too! Honestly, I didn’t expect you could cook before."

"Went through training at New Oriental Culinary School, didn’t I?" Han Qiwu chuckled and spoke while adding marbled pork slices and half of the sliced pork belly into the pot to enhance the aroma.

Then, he placed a plate of fish slices and two pairs of chopsticks in front of Tang Qingying.

"Dip a slice, eat a slice. That’s the best flavor. Fish slices need a bit longer to cook though, so try the salad first."

"Got it." Tang Qingying nodded and picked up some salad to taste. The more she ate, the brighter her eyes became.

"Delicious!"

"If it’s good, eat more."

After enjoying a few bites of the salad, the fish slices in the hotpot were perfectly cooked. Tang Qingying picked up a slice to taste it carefully. The tender fish was infused with the passionate flavor of the chili oil, spicy yet enticing.

Perfect!

After eating several slices, Han Qiwu suddenly remembered there were still two cocktails in the storage compartment.

He looked around, pondering when would be a good moment to bring them out.

Surely, he couldn’t just flip his wrist and magically pull out two glasses of drinks.

New Oriental didn’t exactly teach magic; that would be beyond their scope.

"Han Qiwu, do you have water in your car? It seems my uncle’s kettle is broken." Tang Qingying asked, breathing heavily with her tongue sticking out.

Apparently, today’s hotpot base was a bit spicy.

Watching Tang Qingying panting heavily, Han Qiwu couldn’t help but burst out laughing. "I’m out of water, but I do have two glasses of cocktails in my car. Would you like one?"

"Cocktails?" Tang Qingying repeated incredulously. "Where did you get cocktails?"

"That’s a secret I can’t tell you." Han Qiwu stood up, detoured toward his car, and retrieved two glasses of [Beach Sunset], carrying one glass in each hand.

Of course, he didn’t forget to grab that small bottle of deep blue liquid too.

Returning to the table, Tang Qingying looked at Han Qiwu then glanced down at the two glasses of [Beach Sunset], recalling something Jing Yijia once said.

Could he really have feelings for her?

"Did you mix these yourself?" Tang Qingying asked curiously, staring intently at the [Beach Sunset].

The post-"sunset" look of the [Beach Sunset] was quite captivating. The top half was a brilliant yellow cocktail, while the lower half displayed layers of deep blue and lighter blue gradients.

"Guess." Han Qiwu replied with a mysterious grin. "Let me show you a sunrise first."

Saying this, Han Qiwu used his thumb to press the small bottle’s lid into his palm, skillfully hiding his movements as he tilted his wrist to pour a quarter ounce into Tang Qingying’s glass. Similarly, he added the same amount into his own glass.

From Tang Qingying’s perspective, she could only see a trail of deep blue liquid trickling from Han Qiwu’s fingertips.

So mysterious.

Once infused with the essence, a glowing orb of red-golden sunlight gently rose from the base of the glass, accompanied by the faint scraping sound of sand particles.

"This is amazing!" Tang Qingying didn’t even dare to blink as she intently watched the entire process.

When the "sunrise" finally faded, Han Qiwu casually remarked, "Sunrise complete. Now you can taste it."

"Clap clap clap."

Tang Qingying, delighted, gave an enthusiastic round of applause.

"Wow, this drink is stunning. What does it taste like?" After finishing her applause, Tang Qingying curiously asked. She had never seen anything like this before.

"Try it and see. It’s only 16 degrees; it won’t get you drunk." Han Qiwu replied a bit helplessly. Truth be told, he hadn’t tasted it himself yet.

"Cheers!"

Clink! Their glasses touched lightly, and Han Qiwu took a soft sip.

With that sip, he immediately understood why [Beach Sunset] was said to soothe the mind.

The liquid tasted heavily of tropical fruits as it entered the mouth, accompanied by a fragrant sweetness that transported you to an island beach. Its aftertaste carried hints of ocean salinity and perfectly complemented the earlier sunrise visuals, triggering an illusion—making you feel as though you were standing on a summer beach, basking in the breeze, admiring the sunrise, with occasional squawking of seagulls in the background—a serene and comfortable experience.

The immersive sensation was unparalleled.

Recovering from the daze, Han Qiwu exchanged a glance with Tang Qingying, instantly realizing she had experienced the same feeling.

"It’s incredible; I never imagined a drink could hold so much meaning." Tang Qingying leaned back in her chair and spoke softly. She could feel herself slowly relaxing; even the persistent ache in her temple had diminished significantly.

It was a great decision to come here—thank goodness she did.

Still, Tang Qingying couldn’t determine if her relaxation stemmed from being back in this place or seeing Han Qiwu.

Or perhaps it was both?

This question was harder than any thesis she’d ever written.

Han Qiwu didn’t say a word, continuing to eat.

Could he admit that he hadn’t expected this outcome either?

Egger is truly gifted in the art of mixology!

When he’s got the money, he’d better buy them all and try them.

The two spent a whole hour and a half eating hotpot. After finishing, two faint blushes had crept onto Tang Qingying’s cheeks, making her look even more captivating.

[Beach Sunset] had a very low alcohol content, and for two people with high tolerance, it was nothing more than a refreshing drink.

Watching Tang Qingying, Han Qiwu nervously rubbed his hands together.

Now comes the thrilling moment of borrowing a fishing rod!

"Mr. Tang, do you want to rest for a while or continue fishing?" Han Qiwu asked while tidying up the table.

"I want to nap for a bit. What about you?" Tang Qingying instantly realized her words sounded a little odd but couldn’t take them back.

Han Qiwu didn’t overthink it.

Nap time? Perfect!

That fishing rod is mine!

"I’d like to fish a bit longer for fun. Why don’t you rest here, and I’ll borrow your rod, ’Qingfeng,’ to use for a while?" Han Qiwu quickly spoke.

To be honest, he wasn’t sure if borrowing the fishing rod this way would activate the fishing game, and if it did, how long he’d get to use it.

"Alright, take it and go ahead. Call me when I wake up." Leaning back in her chair, Tang Qingying exhaled slightly and nodded.

After tidying up the table, Han Qiwu grabbed Tang Qingying’s fishing kit and headed to the black bream fishing spot.

Before leaving, Han Qiwu specifically checked tide schedules for the day.

Four and a half hours left until high tide.

Plenty of time for a solid fishing session.

Arriving at the spot, Han Qiwu nervously inspected the fishing rod’s properties.

[Metal Fishing Rod: Qingfeng]

[Exclusive to Tang Qingying]

[Current Status: Borrowed]

[Borrower: Han Qiwu]

[Borrow Time: Three hours (Exclusive for players with three hearts of favorability)]

[Attribute 1: +5 Fishing Range]

[Attribute 2: +8 Float Length]

[Attribute 3: +10 Rod Durability]

[Equipment Level: No restrictions]

[Bait Compatible]

[Note: Qingfeng Supports Qingying]

Success!