Chapter Nine: Another Shipment

The sun hung high in the sky, and the temperature was gradually rising.

At this moment, there were two extra guests at Chi Sui’s dining table.

Bertha sat on her stool, looking somewhat uneasy. "This is so embarrassing. I only came to deliver the goods you ordered. Besides, you’ve only just arrived in Fufeng Town, so you must be short on many things. How could I let you treat us to a meal?"

Darren, who had brought his tools to install the signage, chimed in from the side: "Exactly. I’ll be off as soon as I finish the sign."

"Nonsense. The second day after I arrived in town, I went to Aunt Bertha’s house to sponge a meal. And Uncle Darren, if you hadn't helped me repair my house, the place I'm living in now would still be letting in the wind. It’s noon, and it’s just dumplings—I’m just letting you taste my cooking."

Just then, the dumplings in the pot floated to the surface. After fishing them out and plating them, Chi Sui served the large platter of dumplings to the table, carefully handing each person a plate and a fork.

It was strange; Chi Sui had found chopsticks in the kitchen cupboard, implying that this world was accustomed to using them, but there was only one pair in the entire cupboard, while forks and spoons were abundant.

"Come on, try them. Freshly made dumplings taste best while they’re hot."

Turning to see Momo stretching its arms out in an attempt to reach for one, Chi Sui simply took its plate and placed a few dumplings on it. Soon, the sound of Momo gulping down food filled the air.

"So good... so good..."

To Chi Sui, these were words, but to Bertha and Darren, they were just random squeaks.

"I didn't expect you to have contracted this little fellow," Bertha said with a gentle, loving smile as she watched the little hedgehog eating happily.

Chi Sui nodded; a temporary contract was still a contract, after all.

Without further hesitation, and encouraged by Chi Sui’s warm hospitality, the two picked up their dumplings and took a bite.

A moment later, two crisp sounds rang out as their forks clattered to the floor.

Looking at the two stunned individuals with some confusion, various thoughts raced through Chi Sui’s mind. Could they taste bad? That shouldn't be the case; she was very confident in her seasoning. Just the smell alone told her they were delicious, and Momo had said they were tasty, too. Were they not to their liking, or were they perhaps too hot?

Before she could reach a conclusion, she heard Bertha’s astonished voice: "Is this a star-rated dish? No, I’ve never seen this before—did you invent it yourself?"

***

Star-rated? Chi Sui recalled the information displayed on the Book of Enlightenment after she had finished cooking. The dish she had casually named "dumplings" seemed to have a two-star rating.

"I suppose so. The Book of Enlightenment says it’s two stars."

"Two stars!"

"Two stars?"

Their voices grew louder with each exclamation, and Chi Sui barely managed to suppress the urge to cover her ears.

"Is... is there a problem?"

Bertha and Darren exchanged looks. Finally, Bertha spoke up to explain: "Chi Sui, you weren't on the Sky Islands before, so you might not understand. It is extremely difficult for a dish to receive a star rating."

"You should be aware by now that the ingredients available in Fufeng Town are limited. Aside from the white radishes Village Chief Ayla gave you, there is only corn left. Even those two crops were only available because your grandfather taught us how to plant them and save seeds before he left for the city. It’s not that the city doesn’t sell other seeds, but even if we brought them back, it would be difficult for us to make them grow, let alone save the seeds."

Chi Sui opened her mouth, wanting to ask if there weren't always some simple crops.

As if sensing her question, Bertha continued: "On the Sky Islands, if you lack a profession and skills, cultivating a crop is incredibly difficult. There is an inherently high threshold. Many people choose to go to ranches or farms to study in their early stages; I was your grandfather’s apprentice back then."

"On Purple Island, farming isn't the primary trade. Each town has few crops, and often, one has to travel to Green Island to purchase seeds."

"Because of the difficulty in cultivation, access to ingredients is limited. Not everyone has the opportunity to experiment and hone their skills. Most ordinary people just stew their ingredients haphazardly or rely on public recipes to cook. Generally, what they produce doesn't earn a star rating."

"Dishes recognized by the Book of Enlightenment are rated up to five stars. Each star-rated dish can not only accelerate stamina recovery, but some can even slightly improve one’s physique. It is said that dishes rated three stars or higher possess special abilities, making them the most essential supplies on the Sky Islands."

Chi Sui nodded, understanding now. That solved her earlier confusion.

Noticing their serious expressions and the forks still on the floor, Chi Sui stood up. "I’ll go get you some new forks. If you don't eat now, the dumplings will get cold."

Bertha was surprised. "Such precious items, and you’re letting us eat them?"

"Of course, Aunt Bertha. Food is meant to be eaten, regardless of whether it has a star rating. Besides, as a chef, I love it when you say my food is delicious."

In the end, the two finished the dumplings on their plates, though they insisted on giving Chi Sui some small items before they left—such as the brush she was now using to groom Momo.

***

"Momo~ are you full and satisfied now?"

Lying on Chi Sui’s lap, the drowsy Momo looked up at the sound of her voice. "Hmm?"

"It’s almost afternoon; help me with some work, will you? I still have several bags of seeds left to plant."

Momo stretched and was just about to use its afternoon nap as an excuse to refuse.

"After we finish, we can have pan-fried dumplings for dinner. Fried dumplings are even more fragrant."

The refusal was instantly stuck in its throat. "What are we waiting for? Let’s go, let’s go! Momo loves to work!"

As soon as it finished speaking, it scurried off to the fields to start weeding.

Confident that Momo was motivated, Chi Sui quickly wrote down the item for tomorrow’s shipment on a piece of paper: dumplings. Of course, she could only sell them as semi-finished products, which would have a longer shelf life. To make things clear, she also noted down the recommended storage time.

To prepare for tomorrow’s delivery, she would have to work hard at wrapping dumplings—at least until she finished the remaining filling.

***

Before the sky had even brightened, Chi Sui heard the familiar sound of horse hooves.

Yawning as she got out of bed, Chi Sui felt very lucky that she wasn't one of those people who wake up grumpy.

"Apologies for disturbing your rest, but if I’m not mistaken, the item you’ve listed for shipment is a two-star rated dish?"

Still groggy from waking up, Chi Sui nodded. Not wanting to waste words, she went straight to the kitchen and brought out the shepherd's purse dumplings, which were neatly arranged on a tray.

She had counted them yesterday; this tray held exactly sixty. Aside from these, she had kept twenty more for her own breakfast and lunch today.

After his customary appraisal, Hector’s expression shifted from excitement to solemnity. He took a deep breath and said slowly:

"Rancher Chi, I think it’s time we discussed a partnership."