Snowstorm: I'm Super Rich in the Apocalypse-Chapter 360

While Guo Gang, Meng Meng, and a few neighbors who hadn’t gone to work today were chatting, they all inquired about each other’s harvests and discussed their own situations.

Everyone’s harvest was quite good and they also discussed what to do next. Currently, without sunlight, they couldn’t dry their produce in the sun; they could only try air drying, though they were unsure if it would work. They planned to ask Lu Jianguo later.

But the stone mills they had brought back last time proved useful—they didn’t need electricity and could be operated by hand.

As they were talking, Gu Pan thought about making French fries, "I’ll try frying some fries, see if it works."

Meng Meng’s eyes lit up as she looked at Gu Pan, "Auntie, I’ll help you."

Guo Gang laughed and said, "You’re just craving it; helping your auntie means not causing trouble."

Gu Pan said, "Meng Meng is well-behaved." After saying this, she took Meng Meng to the kitchen.

Gu Pan cut the sweet potatoes into strips, then coated them with flour to fry. These fries had too much water and could splatter everywhere if fried directly.

Soon, a bowl of fries was ready. Gu Pan handed Meng Meng a small packet of ketchup, "Try them with this."

Meng Meng ate one and said, "It’s tasty."

Gu Pan was not sure if it was the ketchup or the fries themselves that were tasty; she tried one herself.

Well, the texture was like radish, watery, and taste-wise, you could say it had no flavor. Meng Meng saying it was tasty was probably just because of the ketchup.

Lu Ruisheng came in, "You take Meng Meng and start eating with everyone else. I’ll fry the rest; the kitchen fumes are strong."

Gu Pan didn’t refuse, "There’s only one bowl left anyway. You fry it then." She said and placed a ketchup-coated fry into Lu Ruisheng’s mouth.

After eating, Lu Ruisheng commented, "It’s passable."

Gu Pan knew that this actually meant it wasn’t tasty. She smiled and took Meng Meng outside. Whether it was good or bad wasn’t for those two to judge, especially since they had eaten hamburgers earlier.

Seeing the fries Gu Pan had made, everyone gathered around, each with a packet of ketchup.

The younger ones thought it was delicious, but the older ones didn’t feel the same. If eaten regularly, this food lacked nutrition and the texture was mediocre at best. They couldn’t eat it daily just dipped in ketchup— such a valuable sauce. They weren’t so optimistic.

They all voiced these concerns.

Duan Shumei said, "We need to focus on a balanced diet in the future: mixing sweet potatoes with grains."

Everyone agreed with this proposal because it would also improve the taste significantly.

Lu Xuerong said, "That’s a good idea, Panpan. Your cooking is delicious. Whatever ideas you come up with, share them with us."

Gu Pan mainly had recipes, which made it easier even if they needed modification, "Sure, I’ll share with you any ideas I have."

After talking for a while, Lu Ruisheng finished frying the rest and served them.

Everyone ate plenty while it was hot. This dish wasn’t exactly a delicacy now; in truth, the ingredients and methods of preparation were more crucial considerations for the future. Otherwise, such tasteless food would just be boiled and eaten, which would honestly be hard to stomach.

Of course, they were optimistic here, but other places weren’t as hopeful. Flavorless food, whether steamed or boiled, really lacked taste. In many homes, with only a bit of salt available, the food was still bland.

But everyone knew it was just something to fill their bellies, so there weren’t many requirements anymore.

The next day, a light rain began, the drizzle casting a gloom over everyone’s mood.

It had been cloudy for so long without a hearty downpour, which always felt a bit odd.

However, people were still more accepting of this light rain than they would be of a storm, weren’t they? Better than extreme weather, right? With this thought, everyone again felt it wasn’t so bad after all.

In the evening, when Lu Jianguo returned, he brought a bag of something with him.

Gu Pan was startled when she took it because there was something moving inside.

Lu Jianguo came into the house, took off his raincoat, and while hanging it on the rack, he said, "Good stuff, the first batch of edible maggots has been raised. I’m giving some to our comrades inside to try first. Panpan, you have good cooking skills, think about how to cook it. Tomorrow, I’ll share the recipe with my colleagues and also pass it on to the residents of the base."

Gu Pan’s mouth twitched. Did this mean she not only had to cook the maggots in her family’s pot but also eat them? She didn’t want to eat them. She didn’t want to.

Lu Ruisheng also understood his wife’s feelings, and he said to Lu Jianguo, "Dad, Panpan is a bit repelled by invertebrates. How about we keep this here, research it, and wait until Panpan is ready? Making and eating this without her being ready would be hard for her to accept."

Lu Jianguo looked regretful. "Look at me, it’s all my fault. I didn’t think of these things earlier. Girls are afraid of bugs. I just thought that in the future we could eat meat every day and didn’t consider that these are maggots. Let’s not eat them today. Let others research this. We’ll eat it when we are ready."

Listening to Lu Jianguo, Gu Pan smiled, "Dad, it seems I really need to adapt. But I’ve figured out a few ways to cook those quick vegetables and sweet potatoes. I’ll make some for you in a bit."

Lu Jianguo nodded repeatedly, "I’ll help you out and learn the recipes at the same time."

Gu Pan didn’t object, and together with Lu Ruisheng, they went into the kitchen.

Gu Pan made sweet potato pancakes, sweet potato balls, sweet potato rice, and more. She didn’t use too much oil, as it was now quite valuable, and few families had any.

After dinner, Lu Jianguo brought up the subject of maggots, which he had avoided earlier for fear of disgusting Gu Pan.

This maggot farming was truly the most useful strategy for the base so far. The main base had already received their message and started farming maggots.

The main base had also proposed a commendation for Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng, though it didn’t carry any actual significance. At least they were remembered for their contributions.

Lu Jianguo discussed the process of maggot farming at the base, which involved vegetable leaves and plants like sweet potatoes, hence making the maggots cleaner.

Gu Pan thought to herself, clean maggots are still maggots. Sometimes she was grateful for having this idea, allowing more people to survive, and sometimes she complained about why she had to deal with maggots. If others ate maggots in public gatherings and she didn’t, wouldn’t she seem like an odd one out?

But no matter what, having these maggots was good, enabling more people to live on.

That night, Lu Jianguo stayed over because the rain had become heavier.

The next morning, the rain had intensified, and Lu Ruisheng drove Lu Jianguo to work, Gu Pan worried about him working overtime, so she packed plenty of dry food for him.

When Lu Ruisheng returned, the two began to study the maggots.

Sitting by the coffee table, watching the bag of wriggling maggots, it would be a waste to throw them away, yet she couldn’t bear to eat them, at least not for now.

But keeping them any longer would also be wasteful if they died, so the only option was to gather the neighbors to figure out how to cook and eat them. Since it was the beginning of this venture, using her discomfort as an excuse to not eat them yet was an easy evasion.

Those who were at home came over, looking at the bag of something that would be a staple for the base residents in the future, most still feeling a bit queasy. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

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