Chapter 72: 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 brain found it somewhat hard to accept.

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

Calling it dilapidated would be a compliment.

There were tattered walls, winds blowing from all four directions, 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 Interstellar era.

Inside the small room, apart from a bed and a small table, the other areas were filled with all sorts of miscellaneous junk.

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

Even this little bit of trash in the room was something she had scavenged from the dump by working from dawn till dusk.

However, although there were many items, 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 picking up 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 decided to first organize the things in the room and pack them all up to sell.

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

The Light Brain was something everyone in the Interstellar era had to have; it could be said that life would be unable to function without it.

For trash like this, there were specialized waste recycling centers; one could click "one-click recycle" to automatically convert it into Interstellar Coin.

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

The cheapest Nutrient Solution cost twenty-five Interstellar Coin.

Ruan Mian clicked her tongue; she wouldn't have the chance to taste what this Nutrient Solution was 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, before quickly withering.

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; the fruit hidden underground was uprooted.

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

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

For instance, 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 roast a potato with one, 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 them gently; the inside was soft, and with a light touch, the charred yellow skin split open, revealing the soft, glutinous heart within.

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

She blew on it and took a bite; the texture of the potato was excellent, 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 ease.

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

Before her spoon could reach 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; and sure enough, someone had come to knock on her door right now.

She moved toward the door on tiptoe, her Mental Power on high alert.

The enemy was in the open while 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, may I ask if you are eating something? I don't know what you're eating, but 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, full of power, and even more fragrant and rich than the high-grade Nutrient Solution she had been lucky enough to eat.

She couldn't help it; it was as if 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.

Actually, when she walked to the door, she had felt some regret; this household looked very poor, perhaps even unable to get enough to eat, and if she rashly brought up this request, she might be seen as insulting them and could be chased 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?

Her gaze swept over the drafty wall, and she felt a sense of clarity in her heart.

It really is true that there is no wall that doesn't 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 an embarrassed chuckle, "As long as it's not too expensive, I can pay right away."

"Wait a moment."

Ruan Mian turned around and picked up the baked potato, swept her gaze over the table, and decided to grab an iron plate to hold it.

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

Unruly tears fell from the corner 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 so fragrant? Is it edible?"

"Yes." Ruan Mian nodded lightly, "This is a baked potato, I just baked 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 Coins."

A serving of low-grade Nutrient Solution keeps one full for two days; selling a potato for twenty Interstellar Coins 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???"