Chapter 856: The Sizzling Pot
Su Qinglan’s eyes brightened.
Hu Yan proudly continued, "We can cook a massive pot of vegetable and meat soup right here!"
Before he could even finish his sentence...
SMACK!
Su Qinglan slapped his arm in pure excitement! Hu Yan practically jumped a foot in the air, staring at her in shock. "Qinglan?!"
"You are an absolute genius!" Su Qinglan squealed, grabbing his cheeks with both hands and planting a loud, fierce kiss right on his cheek. "Why didn’t I think of that?!"
Hu Yan froze, his initial shock instantly vanishing as a massive, goofy grin spread across his face. "My idea is really good, right?"
"It’s brilliant!" Su Qinglan patted his shoulder approvingly. "Let’s do it right now!"Hu Yan puffed his chest out even further, brimming with pride. "I knew it!"
Shi Feng tossed him a cool glance. "Don’t let it go to your head."
Hu Yan completely ignored him, soaking in his moment of supreme glory.
"We’ll set up a huge stove outside the gate! We’ll simmer tender meat with plenty of fresh vegetables. Once they smell it and taste how rich it is, they’ll realize vegetables are a delicacy!" His eyes sparkled as he added, "Then they’ll buy every single basket!"
Su Qinglan nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly!"
Hu Yan grinned wider. "And then our sweet female will become the richest female in the entire Beast World!"
Su Qinglan’s lips curled up...she liked the sound of that sentence very much. "Good. Keep talking!"
"In fact," Hu Yan said, getting even more overly passionate, "we can expand our market and sell vegetables to every single beast city across the continent!"
Su Qinglan’s eyes practically shone with ambition. Now this was a man who understood her vision!
In no time, the four of them went straight to work. A massive stone stove was set up right near the east gate, topped with a giant pot.
Hu Yan expertly sliced prime cuts of tender meat while Su Qinglan washed and chopped various vibrant vegetables.
Shi Feng built up a roaring fire beneath the pot, and Han Jue hauled large buckets of fresh water and seasonings over.
The beastmen waiting in the long salt line watched the sudden commotion with mild curiosity. A few glanced over, but most quickly turned their attention back to the salt...after all, that was their true prize.
Then, the fire roared to life, and the giant pot began to bubble and boil.
At first, nobody paid much attention. But as the soup simmered, a rich, mouth-watering aroma began to waft into the air.
The savory smell of tender, juicy meat blended with the fresh, aromatic fragrance of sweet, cooked vegetables, drifting far and wide on the breeze.
The beastmen standing in line suddenly began twitching their noses, sniffing the air like hunting hounds.
One tall beastman raised his head, blinking. "What on earth is that smell?"
Another swallowed a mouthful of saliva. "I... I don’t know. It smells like cooked meat, but there’s another incredible scent mixed into it!"
The calm, orderly line gradually became restless. Even the beastmen who had been staring blankly at the salt bags started turning their heads toward the giant pot.
Nearby, a female holding a small cub sniffed the air, her eyes widening in surprise. The cub in her arms immediately let out a loud, hungry tummy-growl. "Mother... I’m hungry! What smells so good?"
"I don’t know, little one..." the mother murmured, her gaze glued to the bubbling pot.
More and more beastmen stopped talking, their eyes locked onto the steam rising from the pot. The irresistible aroma continued to blanket the entire east gate, driving everyone’s appetite wild.
Su Qinglan’s eyes lit up as she stirred the giant wooden ladle, a sly, victorious smile spreading across her face.
Soon... very soon, these carnivorous beastmen were going to discover a life-changing truth: vegetables weren’t useless weeds. They were delicious food!
And if she played her cards right... they were going to become extremely profitable food!
Watching the growing, drooling crowd surrounding the stove, Su Qinglan’s smile slowly turned into that of a master schemer.
"Come on..." she whispered under her breath with a chuckle. "Just take one little bite... After that, you won’t be able to stop!"
Soon, the delicious smell spread farther and farther through the crisp air outside the east gate.
More and more passing beastmen stopped dead in their tracks, sniffing the breeze.
Even those who had been patiently waiting in the endless salt line couldn’t help but keep turning their heads, casting long, ravenous glances towards the giant pot.
The aroma was simply too tempting to resist.
Su Qinglan looked at the hungry crowd and secretly smiled. Then, right under everyone’s intent gazes, she shamelessly began promoting her food.
She retrieved four wooden bowls, ladling a hot, generous serving of the simmering soup into each one, handing three over to Hu Yan, Han Jue, and Shi Feng.
Her three husbands understood the assignment instantly. They shared a brief, knowing glance before launching into full dramatic performance mode.
Hu Yan blew on his soup and took a massive sip. His eyes widened to the size of saucers. "OH! This... this is ridiculously delicious!"
Han Jue slowly swallowed a mouthful before giving a solemn, dignified nod. "The meat is exceptionally tender, and the green vegetables are crisp and fresh. This is genuinely the best meal I have ever eaten."
Shi Feng, who was usually quiet and calm, took a slow sip and agreed smoothly, "Very good indeed."
Hu Yan even smacked his lips loudly, letting out an exaggerated groan of delight. "Aah! So fragrant!"
Su Qinglan almost burst out laughing right then and there. These three were overacting so terribly!
Yet, it worked like an absolute charm.
Several beastmen in line swallowed their saliva loudly.
Finally, one burly beastman could no longer endure the torment. He glared at Su Qinglan and complained with immense grievance, "Female, why on earth are you cooking right outside the city gate?! Go home and cook!"