Chapter 62: Chapter 62: Side Mission: Success
After that, the females who had helped Su Qinglan dig out the potatoes earlier also stepped forward. Their eyes were shining just like Bai Ling and Lin Muyu’s. Clearly, they also wanted to try.
Su Qinglan smiled and nodded. She didn’t stop them. Instead, she evenly distributed the potatoes to them all. Her hands moved fast, sharing each steaming piece fairly, as if she had done this countless times before.
She didn’t mind that some of them hadn’t stepped forward when she was being accused earlier. Trust wasn’t something that bloomed overnight. She knew that very well. And besides, being cautious was not a crime. Everyone had the right to protect themselves.
Still, deep inside, she was happy. Happy that at least two good friends... Bai Ling and Lin Muyu had stood by her when everyone else pointed fingers. That was already more than enough.
The group of females took the potatoes and began eating slowly, their faces full of curiosity and doubt. But the moment the soft, steaming bite entered their mouths, their eyes widened.
"Wow!" one of them gasped, chewing fast. "It’s so delicious!"
"Completely different from meat!" another added, her cheeks bulging like a little squirrel.
"It’s so soft, so fragrant... I feel like I could eat this every day without stopping!"
The group laughed, nodding and murmuring in agreement, their expressions glowing with excitement.
Su Qinglan smirked to herself. Heh, let them say that now. Just wait until they get tired of eating potatoes every single day. Then they’ll know.
Back in her old world, children sometimes cried when forced to eat potatoes again and again. Some even hated it. But right now? She was just happy. Happy that she had proven herself. Happy that she could make these females like something new. And happy because she already imagined how many dishes she could cook with potatoes.
Her thoughts were interrupted when her eyes landed on the three ugly faces in the crowd. The trio were sulking, their expressions so twisted that Su Qinglan almost burst out laughing.
Suddenly, an idea popped into her mind.
She took a few potatoes in her hands and walked gracefully toward the so-called great witch doctor. Her voice was honey-sweet as she said,
"Great witch doctor, would you like to try?"
Everyone blinked. The old man’s eyes flashed with greed. His wrinkled nose twitched as the aroma reached him. The potatoes didn’t look muddy or disgusting anymore; instead, they were golden and tempting. He swallowed hard. After all, everyone else had eaten them already and nothing had happened.
He could eat it too...
His hand slowly reached forward, ready to take the potato from Su Qinglan’s hand.
But before he could even touch it, Han Jue suddenly leaned in from the side, his face calm but his tongue sharper than any blade.
"My bad," he said lazily. "We wouldn’t want to poison the great doctor. After all, if his old stomach can’t tolerate such a dangerous toxin, wouldn’t it be pitiful if he died?"
The words landed like a thunderclap.
For a second, silence ruled. Then...
Pfft!
One female burst out laughing. Then another. Then the whole group exploded into laughter, holding their stomachs, tears streaming down their cheeks.
The witch doctor’s face turned purple with rage. He was the most respected figure in the tribe! No one had ever dared treat him like this, not even the tribe leader. Yet here was one bold female and her poisonous-tongued man mocking him openly.
His fists clenched. His beard trembled. He wanted to tear Su Qinglan into pieces, to smash Han Jue’s smirk into the ground. But he could only glare with bulging eyes.
"Fine! Fine!" he barked, his voice trembling with suppressed fury. He hunched his back, huffing and puffing like an old bull, then marched out of the field with heavy, angry steps.
He would see them later when one of them got injured.
Su Qinglan grinned sweetly, her eyes shining with mischief. She turned her gaze toward Bai Lianhua and Xu Meiyan, who had been watching from the side. Raising her brows, she mouthed silently: Do you want one too?
Both of them went red instantly, their faces twisted between shame and fury. With a loud "hmph!" they bolted out, their backs stiff like someone had slapped them.
The females who remained? They laughed even harder. The scene was simply too satisfying.
Just as the laughter was still echoing in the air, Su Qinglan suddenly froze.
Inside her mind, a clear, excited voice rang out.
"Congratulations, host, for successfully completing the side mission. Your rewards have been added into the inventory."
Her eyes widened. She almost shouted from joy. So easy!
Her heart jumped like crazy. She had actually completed a mission without even knowing. And the rewards... oh, the rewards!
She quickly opened the inventory in her mind. One by one, the new items appeared neatly in the glowing column.
Cotton underwear.
Chili seeds packet.
Oil.
Her lips curved into a big grin. Yes, yes, yes!
Finally, she could cook so many delicious dishes with oil. No more dry roasting like a caveman. And cotton underwear? She almost cried from happiness. The beast-skin undergarments were so uncomfortable, so itchy, and so hot. Many times she had wanted to tear them off and throw them away. Now she could finally sleep peacefully without scratching half the night.
Her gaze lingered on the inventory list. Shampoo. Bath towel. Soap. Salt. Pills. And now oil, underwear, and chili seeds packet. The column was starting to fill up, and it looked so satisfying that she wanted to stare at it forever.
She touched her cheek, her face glowing with excitement. "Ahh, life is so beautiful," she muttered under her breath.
Her stomach rumbled lightly as she thought of fried potatoes. Yes. With oil, I can finally make them golden and crispy. Beast world, prepare yourself.
She hugged herself tightly, almost dancing on the spot.
For the first time since she came here, Su Qinglan felt like the system was not bad after all.