Chapter 155: Concurrent plans (2/2)

Fortunately, since the area of the delta where they lived was rather close to the sea, shortages of salt were not problems they faced.

Over the layer of salt, he put down a layer of small fish.

Binh and Chau stared at him incredulously.

Then, he took some readily available spices and added them as a third layer.

Following that, he repeated this three-layer juxtaposition until the straw bucket was completely full.

In a few months, the fish would have completely dissolved along with the spices, and they would be left with a delicious, salty, and nutritious fish sauce.

”Wait a few months, and then sieve the end product to remove rough bits, and use the finished product on food,” Alex proudly spoke.

The two did not understand what he was saying, but they trusted him.

After that, he prepared their actual meal.

It was also simple.

Over a charcoal fire, he cooked the larger fish until the insides were soft and tender, whereas the skin was crispy and savory.

While it was cooking, the oils from the fish dripped down on a tempered clay pot that was over the fire.

When it cooled down, he added a small amount of rice to the oil and ignited the fire once again.

A toasted smell of rice and fish spread through the air and triggered the appetite of the couple.

Alex added enough water to cook the rice, and covered the rustic pot.

It cooked very quickly, and the cooked rice was a golden color due to pre-cooking in the fish oil.

It only needed simple seasoning, and he served the meal and called the couple over.

The interior of the hut was full of steam and appetite-inducing fragrance.

The two drooled and immediately dug in.

”This is very good...”

”Yes...”

Suddenly, an ominous knock on the door interrupted their meal.

”Residents of the Mekong riverside, Binh and Chau, we are here to collect the weekly yield.”

____________

-Northeastern Siberia-

”This is the hungriest I've ever felt...” Hermes observed the barren surroundings and lamented.

The snowstorm had fortunately stopped, but there was simply no vegetation or even shrubbery in this place.

The only living creatures around were the wolves.

”These wolves are quite stupid,” Hermes had the tendency to speak to himself whenever he was alone.

The wolves looked at his shivering, feathery wings and tried to bite them off.

They thought he was a tasty bird.

On the flip side, in his hunger-induced mania, Hermes thought that there was something else delicious that was around.

”No...I can't...Artemis loves wolves...”

”But I'm so hungry...and there's no warm water to make some tea...”

Usually, Alex could heat up his stone teacup to brew tea, but he wasn't here.

Thus, Hermes felt an incoming dilemma.

He could either starve and remain starving forever since he could not die.

Or, he could eat the wolves, which seemed like an unpleasant idea.