Transmigrating to the BeastWorld,I Picked Up an Adorable BeastHusband!-Chapter 42: Potatoes or yams?

Ningning felt the weight of Tolief’s analytical gaze, and for a moment, she felt like a specimen under a microscope.

He didn’t look at her like she was a "mate" or a "soft human" he looked at her like a complex puzzle he was dying to solve.

She offered him a knowing, slightly playful smile, but she didn’t take the bait.

"If you want to know the ’how’ behind the pots, you should ask Xiaoli." Ningning said, nodding toward the flustered woman beside her. "She’s been helping me since the beginning. She knows every step."

Xiaoli’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. She looked at Ningning in a panic, then at Tolief, her face turning a shade of red that rivaled the fire. "I... I can... yes, Tolief. I can show you. I’ve learnt a lot from Ningning" she stammered, her voice barely a whisper but still audible for Tolief to hear.

Ningning turned back to her station, her shoulders drooping slightly. "I’d love to give you a lecture, Tolief, but I’m a bit occupied. I have thirty fish to get through, and I’m only on the fourth batch. I’m tired, and honestly, all I can think about right now is a long bath and get some rest"

Between the adrenaline from fishing, saving Jaren and the high-stakes drama of this cooking duel, her energy was hitting zero.

She just wanted to finish the fifth batch, feed the masses, and disappear.

[Good news, Dumpling. I’ve finished compiling your training regimen.]

Ningning froze, her hand hovering over a leaf-wrapped fish. "Doudou, don’t you dare."

[You will be starting your exercises tomorrow. I’ve given you a lot of time to settle down, so it’s time. That’s why I’m here, after all. You’ll be exercising alongside your missions and tasks. Good luck...this is just the beginning.]

"You’re a demon!" Ningning muttered under her breath, ignoring the confused look Weijie gave her. "I’m literally cooking for an entire tribe and you want me to do squats tomorrow?"

[-_-]

[It is what it is. You choose to do this. It isn’t a system task.]

-_-

"Touche."

[And don’t forget your ongoing tasks. Failure to complete these tasks will attract punishments and you don’t want these, personally it would be fun for me to watch. So I do hope you’ll fail.]

-_-

"Then I’ll just have to do my best not to fail."

Tolief’s blonde brows pulled together, a flicker of disappointment crossing his pale features.

He clearly preferred to learn from the source, but he gave a curt, stiff nod. He was a man who valued efficiency, and seeing Ningning’s hands moving like a blur over the steaming leaves, he couldn’t deny she was under pressure.

"Wait until the flames dies down," Ningning added, her voice softening as she looked at him. "Once the food is served, Xiaoli will be free to give you every detail you want. She’s a quick learner."

She then turned to Weijie, who was still looming over her like a protective mountain of muscle. "I’m almost done, Weijie. Just one last batch."

She worked with a frantic, focused energy.

The fifth batch was pulled from the pot, the steam rising in a final, fragrant plume into the night sky.

The 30 fish had been meticulously prepared, the heads discarded, and the bodies sliced into two thick middle sections and one tapered tail.

From those 90 pieces gotten from the 30 fish, Ningning moved with the stealth of a seasoned survivor.

While the smoke was thick, she swiped 10 pieces of her choice and a hefty portion of the smooth mashed tubers, stashing them directly into her system inventory.

Better to have a private feast than starve after feeding everyone else, she thought.

"Xiaoli, Nala." she called out, handing them each 5 pieces of fish. "This is for your hard work. Don’t let the men see."

She didn’t want them to be bullied out of their share.

That left exactly 70 pieces of herbed, steamed fish and two medium stone pots filled to the brim with mashed yams and sweet potatoes.

The effort of pounding those tubers had left her arms feeling like jelly.

"Ready!" Ningning finally announced.

The line of men formed instantly, a sea of bare, bronzed chests and hungry eyes.

They crowded forward, the scent of the spices driving them into a near frenzy.

Dana’s pot sat largely ignored, the fishy, bland steam no match for the savory aroma of Ningning’s hearth.

As the first man approached with his carved wooden bowl, Ningning stood behind the pots, her face pale with exhaustion.

"Potatoes or yams?" she asked, pointing first to the golden-yellow potato mash and then to the paler, starchier yams.

The male grunted, pointing toward the yams.

Ningning delivered one clean scoop of the mash, then picked up a piece of fish, shredding the white, flaky flesh onto the side of the bowl.

The man stared at the small portion, then back at Ningning, his eyes narrowing. He stepped closer, his shadow falling over her. "This is it? I am a hunter. I need more than this scrap."

He reached out as if to grab the ladle from her hand, his posture intimidating and aggressive.

THUD.

A heavy, scarred hand slammed onto the rim of the stone pot, stopping the man’s reach in its tracks.

Weijie stepped into the light, his golden eyes burning with a silent, lethal warning. His frame rippled, his presence alone enough to make the air feel thin.

"Don’t do anything you will regret." Weijie growled, his voice a low, terrifying rumble that silenced the chatter in the line. "Stay on the side, collect your food, and get out. Don’t crowd her."

The man swallowed hard, his bravado vanishing instantly. He grabbed his bowl and scurried off to eat.

"Thank you.." Ningning said with a tired smile, her back and waist were aching and worst thing she still had to exercise the next day.

The process repeated.

One by one, the males approached.

They were mesmerized by the food, but under Weijie’s watchful, possessive gaze, none dared to step out of line.

They took their single scoop and their shredded fish, moving away to eat in stunned silence as the ginger and garlic exploded on their tongues.