Chapter 417 - 427: Worry
Chapter 417: Chapter 427: Worry
The boar was huge, yet Miss Sterling only wanted those two parts. It was obvious she intended to leave most of it for them.
’She’s helping me again!’
Felix couldn’t quite describe the feeling in his heart. They hadn’t been particularly close before, just acquaintances who lived in the same residential complex.
He’d never done anything to help her. In fact, it was Miss Sterling who had saved their lives. If anyone owed a debt, it was him. He should be the one repaying her.
Yet ever since they met again, she had been the one constantly helping him.
Leaving aside the surprise and the hope for revenge she had given him, even the food she’d brought before had been incredibly precious.
’And now with this wild boar on top of it all, I have no idea how I can possibly repay her!’
Hundreds of pounds of meat... Even with hundreds of pounds of grain, their group of thirty to forty people could last a long, long time, to say nothing of meat.
He couldn’t remember the last time his men had tasted meat. In this apocalypse, everyone had grown used to the idea that having anything to eat was good enough. As long as it filled their bellies, it didn’t matter what it was.
But eating like that for extended periods led to malnutrition and made the body susceptible to all sorts of illnesses.
Every one of his men was skin and bones, looking so frail a gust of wind could knock them over.
But with these hundreds of pounds of meat, things would be different. Eating meat would give them energy, and with energy, their fighting strength would increase.
And once they were stronger, they would have a significant advantage when scavenging for supplies or fighting others for them.
Besides, this wasn’t just a single night’s meal. After they ate their fill tonight, there would still be a substantial amount left from the hundreds of pounds to process and preserve.
They could enjoy some meat from time to time, which would gradually improve the physical condition of him and his men.
In this apocalypse, being even a little stronger than the next person drastically increased your chances of survival.
This time, Miss Sterling hadn’t just given them food; she had given them a new lease on life—countless times over.
It represented countless chances to survive in the days to come.
How could a few simple words of thanks ever be enough to express all of this?
"Oh, right. For the pork tonight, find someone who’s a decent cook. Don’t let it go to waste!"
Stella Sterling seemed oblivious to his incredibly complex expression, focusing all her attention on the evening’s meal.
She began to lay out her requirements.
’I don’t need to eat much,’ she thought. ’I can leave most of this meat for Felix and his people.’
’But I at least want it to be cooked well.’
’If it doesn’t taste good, that would be a complete waste.’
’Sure, in the apocalypse, you eat what you can get. You can’t be picky. As long as you don’t starve, you’re fine.’
’But that doesn’t apply to me. I’m not short on food. So, when I’m not lacking for anything to eat or drink, is it really too much to ask for it to be cooked well and taste delicious? Of course not.’
Felix was still lost in a wave of gratitude, but when he heard what Stella Sterling said, he froze for a second before bursting into a loud laugh. "HAHAHA! Okay, okay, no problem! I guarantee it’ll be delicious. Say what you will about us, but my guys are actually pretty good cooks!"
He knew Miss Sterling was probably saying this to keep him from overthinking things. Touched, Felix couldn’t help but shake his head, his eyes full of amusement.
He assured Stella Sterling again, "Among my men, two used to be professional chefs. We even have a guy who was a butcher—he knows the best way to break down this boar to preserve its texture and flavor!"
"As for those two chefs, they used to be head chefs at a five-star hotel! Their skills are the real deal!"
Hearing Felix’s boast, Stella Sterling shot him a skeptical glance. ’Is he just pulling my leg?’
’After all, I’ve been here for about ten days, eating with his people every day. I really can’t see the connection between what I’ve been eating and the work of a five-star-hotel chef.’
Seeing the look in Stella Sterling’s eyes, Felix was reminded of the food they’d been eating these past days. He gave an embarrassed smile and rubbed his bald head again. "It’s not that their skills are lacking, it’s just... we have limited ingredients!"
"After all, even the best chef can’t make a meal out of nothing. Without good ingredients, all you can do is make something simple to fill your stomach. There’s no room for culinary technique!"
Stella Sterling thought about it and realized he had a point. Their priority right now was just filling their stomachs; having something to eat was all that mattered.
These past days, it had been things like noodle soup—just a big pot of boiling water with some noodles thrown in, split among thirty or forty people—or some watery porridge.
That kind of "cooking" didn’t require any skill. ’They’ve probably just given up,’ she figured. ’As long as it’s cooked through, it’s good enough.’
So, Stella Sterling nodded. "Good. I went to a lot of trouble to hunt this boar. By the way, you guys have basic seasonings, right?"
Hearing this, Felix immediately nodded without a hint of hesitation. "We do, we do! When we were scavenging a supermarket a while back, we found a bunch of seasonings people had just tossed on the floor. Most people don’t want that stuff these days; they’re mainly looking for things they can eat right away!"
"We didn’t really need it at the time, but... we’ve got two chefs, right? Even though they didn’t have any real ingredients to work with, they gathered them up when they saw them. We’ve got a whole pile."
Stella Sterling was completely relieved to hear that. She had been worried they wouldn’t have the right ingredients and would just end up boiling the pork with a pinch of salt.
Not that it would be inedible, but she would have considered it a terrible waste of a good boar!
Now, hearing what Felix said, she could finally set her mind at ease.
After a moment’s thought, however, she added, "I want my two boar legs roasted, by the way. Make them nice and crispy-brown!"
’I wanted to leave more for them,’ she thought, ’and I was going to say just one leg would be fine. But then I remembered my own massive appetite. Even two legs might not be enough; one would barely be a mouthful.’
’So, two legs was the absolute minimum I could accept.’
’I’ll take the two legs, but I’ll eat less of the communal meal tonight. Just a taste will be fine.’
"Yes, yes, of course! No problem!"
Felix agreed readily. Seeing the eager anticipation in Miss Sterling’s eyes, he couldn’t help but be inwardly amused.
’It’s the first time I’ve ever seen her look like this,’ he thought. ’So concerned and a little bit anxious.’
’Who would’ve thought? The seemingly aloof Miss Sterling is actually a huge foodie!’
While the two of them were talking, the others had already hoisted up the boar and started carrying it toward the cave where Felix and his group were staying.
Andrew Shaw, being too young to help carry the heavy boar, instead dashed ahead toward the cave to spread the good news.