Chapter 2: Roasting a Big Potato

Ruan Mian returned to her dwelling according to the original owner's memories, and when she saw the house before her with her own eyes, her mind found it somewhat hard to accept.

She almost fell into a delusion, not knowing if she had suddenly returned to the apocalypse.

Calling it dilapidated would be a kindness.

There were tattered walls, winds from all four directions blowing through, and a roof that felt like it could fall down at any moment.

It was unimaginable that this was a house that would exist in the technological era.

Inside the small house, apart from a bed and a small table, all other areas were occupied by all sorts of miscellaneous junk.

The original owner made a living by scavenging this trash to sell for money.

Even this little bit of trash in the room was something she had gone to the dump to scrape together by working from dawn until dark.

However, although there were many things, they weren't worth much; from the original owner's memories, she knew this stuff couldn't even be exchanged for a single bag of the cheapest Nutrient Solution.

Ruan Mian's gaze swept over this body—thin and weak, with dry, yellow hair, looking completely malnourished; although she was already 18 years old, she still looked like a child.

It was clear that scavenging trash was of no damn use.

She could not follow the same old path; otherwise, she would starve to death before she even earned any money.

Thinking of this, she still decided to first organize the things in the room and pack them all up to sell.

Buying and selling things in the Interstellar is very convenient; one can upload items by aiming the Light Brain worn on the wrist at them.

The Light Brain is an essential item for everyone in the Interstellar era; it could be said that without it, life would be unable to function.

For trash like this, there are specialized waste recycling centers; one can directly click one-key recycling to automatically exchange it for Interstellar Coins.

After a round of tidying up, she was tired and covered in sweat, and only earned ten Interstellar Coins.

The cheapest Nutrient Solution also costs twenty-five Interstellar Coins.

Ruan Mian clicked her tongue; it seemed she had no chance to taste what this Nutrient Solution tasted like.

After a flurry of activity, her stomach, which had only eaten one tomato, was starving.

She placed her hands on the ground and activated her ability; tender green sprouts immediately emerged from the soil, rapidly shooting out branches, leaves, and flowers, and then quickly withered.

This time, the fruit was buried underground.

By the time the flowers and leaves had basically withered away, the fruit underground had also matured.

She found a shovel, dug and pulled, and the fruit hidden underground was pulled up by the roots.

The potatoes were each large, golden, plump, and round, still carrying a bit of black soil, looking very delicious.

Although the dwelling was simple, there was still technology present.

For example, there were no stoves here, but there were machines that used light energy for heating.

They were usually used for warmth at night, but it wouldn't be excessive for her to use one to roast a potato, right?

She found an iron box, washed it clean, put the potatoes inside, and turned on the heating equipment to roast them.

Within two minutes, she smelled a charred, fragrant scent; this machine heated up faster than she had imagined.

She turned off the heater, and the surface of the potatoes inside the iron box was already charred yellow.

She picked up a spoon and poked it gently; the inside was soft, and with a light touch, the charred yellow skin split open, revealing the soft, glutinous heart inside.

A fragrance unique to potatoes permeated the air, making one's mouth water.

She blew on it and took a bite; the texture of this potato was very good, and she didn't know if it was because she was extremely hungry, but she felt it tasted even better than the ones she had grown in the apocalypse.

Could it be that plants grown in Interstellar soil taste better?

In a few bites, she finished two roasted potatoes; Ruan Mian was full, her stomach felt warm, and she felt her whole body was comfortable, an indescribable sense of contentment.

"Knock, knock, knock. Knock, knock, knock."

Before her spoon could reach for the third roasted potato, she was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Hello, is anyone home?"

Ruan Mian subconsciously hid the dagger she had found earlier on the table behind her back.

She had observed this dump when she arrived; there were almost no people around, let alone the homeless people she had imagined.

But one must always be on guard against others; and sure enough, someone had come to knock on her door at this moment.

She approached the door with light steps, her Mental Power on high alert.

The enemy was in the light and she was in the dark; if the other party wanted to do something, this thin door panel wouldn't be able to stop them.

It seemed she could only use a trick.

Through the crack in the door, she only saw a young woman standing outside, looking to be about twenty years old.

In the original owner's memories, there was no such person.

"Who are you? What do you want with me?"

Ji Jialin, who had already raised her hand to knock on the door again, was startled by the sudden voice and shrank back, pulling her hand away.

A flush of red appeared on her face.

It was filled with embarrassed awkwardness.

"Um, excuse me, are you eating something? I don't know what you're eating, it smells so good; can you sell me some? I can pay for it!"

At the mention of food, Ji Jialin's eyes lit up.

She had originally come to look for something her mother had thrown away, but as soon as she walked over here, she was attracted by a fragrance; she felt as if her soul had been hooked, and she was uncontrollably reeled in.

It was a scent she had never smelled before—mellow, rich in power, and even more fragrant and thick than the high-grade Nutrient Solution she had been lucky enough to eat.

She couldn't help it; it seemed all her Mental Power was being used on her nose, and this fragrance was magnified countless times for her.

Unable to endure the temptation, she thickened her skin and knocked on the door of this house.

In fact, when she walked to the door, she had some regrets; this household looked very poor, perhaps even unable to get enough to eat, and if she rashly brought up this question, she might be seen as insulting and might be driven away with a broom.

But the fragrance wafting from inside the door was constantly tempting her; for the sake of this taste, she was willing to risk it.

Ruan Mian was also very surprised; she had only roasted a few potatoes to eat, and she had already been discovered by someone?

Her gaze swept over the drafty wall, and she understood a little in her heart.

It really is true that there is no wall that does not let the wind through!

However, this also seemed to be an opportunity; Ruan Mian looked her over and confirmed that she was wealthier than herself.

"Are you really going to buy it?"

Seeing that there was a chance, Ji Jialin immediately raised her right hand, "Mm-hmm, I want to buy it! I can give you the money first!"

After thinking for a moment, she gave two embarrassed chuckles, "As long as it's not too expensive, I can pay immediately."

"Wait a moment."

Ruan Mian turned around and picked up that roasted potato, swept her gaze over the table, and still grabbed an iron plate to put it on.

With a creak, the thin door opened, and in an instant, that rich fragrance rushed toward her.

Unfilial tears fell from the corners of her mouth.

Sss-hah—sss-hah—

Ji Jialin's gaze was instantly hooked by the potato in Ruan Mian's hand, unable to look away.

"Is this what the fragrance is coming from? It smells so good! What is this, how can it be this fragrant? Is it edible?"

"Mm." Ruan Mian nodded lightly, "This is a roasted potato, I just roasted it, it's still steaming hot, it's best to eat it right now."

She reached out and held up two fingers, "I'll charge you twenty Interstellar Coin."

A serving of low-grade Nutrient Solution keeps one full for two days; charging twenty for a potato that costs zero Interstellar Coin isn't excessive, right?

The expression on the girl's face before her was very surprised; could it be that she couldn't accept this price???

"Is this thing really edible???"