WS - Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Unlike Yu Nianbing, who perfectly missed the entire butchering process, the audience on StarNet was treated to a complete, gory show in close-up and detail.

Interestingly, what was clearly a bloody and unbearable sight at first glance, once in Song Shiyue's hands, became the focus of attention, the foundation of admiration, making people stare wide-eyed, unwilling to miss a single moment of the preparation.

A long knife, plain and unadorned, wielded by Song Shiyue without any flashy flourishes. Yet, as soon as that seemingly ordinary knife touched the ox, it was like a sharp blade meeting tofu—wherever it went, it sliced open with a stroke, cut through with a chop. Though she was dismembering the ox into pieces, it was as satisfying as watching a craftsman sculpt.

"Heaven have mercy, sometimes I can't even cut through chicken skin when cutting a drumstick. I just want to ask, is that still an ox under Sister Song's knife?"

"Ox, I just want to ask, is the person cutting me still a young lady?"

"Knife, I've got nothing, but I want to ask, am I still an ordinary knife?"

"Hahaha, why the meme! We should treat the art of Pao Ding with seriousness!"

"I think those close-up shots don't count as Pao Ding's technique. Pao Ding based his cutting on the ox's anatomy, moving the knife through the gaps between bones, and at the intersections of muscle and sinew, he moved slowly, only using skillful force to dismantle the ox. But Sister Song is fast and efficient—every cut, even in places that aren't joints, she just casually slices through..."

"So between Sister Song and Pao Ding, who is more impressive?"

"That depends on the aspect—whether it's technique or results. But personally, I prefer this quick and efficient style. If Pao Ding was as described in ancient texts, he must have had many cautious, slow-cutting moments. The results might look better, but the process wouldn't be as satisfying."

"Hahaha, modern people, impatient, winning with fast pace."

"Pao Ding, don't call me, or I'll run away from home."

"Ox, on the point of giving a quick death, I vote for Sister Song."

"Hahaha..."

"Thermal Storage Box wants to ask: does a dead ox still care about a quick death or not?"

"Calling all Little Mooncakes, high sweetness warning ahead! —From a friendly little string that's starting to taste like mooncake"

Unlike the audience on StarNet who were singing praises of Song Shiyue's ox-cutting skills and calling her "Sister Song" at every turn, Yu Nianbing was feeling helpless at this moment.

Some people, really... if you don't keep an eye on them for a minute, they'll shine with an extraordinary light.

The "extraordinary light" here, though tinged with helplessness, is by no means a derogatory term.

These past two days, Yu Nianbing had come to realize something: Song Shiyue's strength, which to her seemed utterly abnormal and constantly on the verge of being exposed, didn't appear the same way to Song Shiyue herself.

The longer they spent together, the more certain Yu Nianbing became that Song Shiyue didn't do certain things because she wanted to show off this great strength. More often than not—no, almost every time—it was because Song Shiyue didn't realize that such actions were unusual for an ordinary person.

So the question is, why does Song Shiyue not realize that certain things are impossible for an ordinary person?

Interestingly, once Yu Nianbing pointed something out, Song Shiyue would never do it again. For instance, directly sharpening a stone knife... That is to say, Song Shiyue herself was deliberately restraining herself, not wanting to display that strength. But when encountering a different situation, she seemed unable to precisely judge just how much she could do, leading to a loss of control, and again going a bit overboard.

"Teacher Yu, Teacher Yu, do you think this will work?" Guan Yongyi's fervor hadn't faded, and his voice was a bit loud.

It was only when Yu Nianbing was called repeatedly that she realized she had been distracted. She'd only heard Guan Yongyi's initial praise of Song Shiyue, but not what he said afterward.

Regardless of whether it was live now, this was a bit impolite. Yu Nianbing gave Guan Yongyi an apologetic glance and was about to ask, but then Song Shiyue spoke first.

"I just weighed it—without the innards, it's probably still around a hundred catties. It should be a fairly young ox. We've divided it into six portions. In a moment, we'll each take one, wrap it with leaves and vines, and head off. Teacher Yu, what do you think?" Song Shiyue added her own words and repeated what Guan Yongyi had asked.

Yu Nianbing naturally knew she was covering for her own distraction, only...

It was because of you that I got distracted, so I won't say thank you this time.

"I just asked Captain Yang—our campsite tonight should be at the mountaintop, about an hour's walk up." Yu Nianbing glanced at the ox cut into six portions in the box, then added, "But the ox is so heavy; if we carry it, it might take longer on the road. Should we take all of it? If we remove the head and the heavier bones here, wouldn't that lighten the load a bit?"

"Hahaha, I asked Teacher Song the same thing just now. Teacher Yu, guess how Teacher Song answered." Guan Yongyi grinned, rubbing his hands, with a look of eager anticipation.

From his expression, it was clearly a rejection. Yu Nianbing lowered her eyes, then when she looked up, a smile touched them. "Teacher Song probably said that suffering a little now is better than eating bugs for the next few days."

"Eh?" Guan Yongyi's simple smile was replaced by astonishment. Somewhat surprised, he said, "That's exactly what Teacher Song said. Did Teacher Yu overhear when she came over? That's too accurate a guess."

After all, she was someone who would even roast and keep snake bones that had already been boiled once... How could these ox bones be thrown away so easily? Yu Nianbing knew her earlier suggestion to lighten the load was futile; even if everyone else agreed, Song Shiyue might just... carry everything on her own.

Well then, sorry, everyone. Yu Nianbing didn't insist further, silently apologizing to the others in her heart.

The ox had been discovered by the dog, who had been trying hard to feed Song Shiyue. And Song Shiyue had done the butchering both quickly and well. The others not only had no objections to carrying everything, but were actually quite enthusiastic because it meant avoiding several meals of bugs later, so they scattered to gather leaves.

Song Shiyue and Yu Nianbing wanted to go too, but were stopped by Zhuang Jiachuan.

The two main ox-guardians should stay here and protect everyone's food; it's safer, Zhuang Jiachuan said.

Other than nodding, what could they do?

Fortunately, gathering leaves and vines didn't require many people.

The teammates scattered. Captain Yang, perhaps finding it awkward to stay, also quietly went to wait by the forest edge.

At the Thermal Storage Box, only the two of them and the dog remained—oh, and the ox pieces all over the ground...

The dog seemed to realize that this time the offering was finally right and would be accepted; it kept running around the box, wagging its tail, and even when Song Shiyue raised her knife to divide the ox, it wasn't the least bit afraid.

As a useful dog, surely this time it wouldn't be casually taken and just as casually abandoned, right?

The dog was a little excited, running around Song Shiyue and occasionally letting out soft whines to seek attention.

Unfortunately, Song Shiyue was not Wang Daming, and hadn't received the briefing from the training base that sent the dog, so she couldn't interpret these little actions.

But now that they had a moment free, it really was time to have a talk with the dog.

So, just as the dog was happily running back and forth and brushing against Song Shiyue's feet, it was suddenly seized by the scruff of its neck.

Song Shiyue bent down, pinched the dog's nape, stopping its restless running, and then lifted it up with one hand. With the other hand, she pointed at the Thermal Storage Box and said, "This ox, you found it, so you should get a share. All the big bones after making soup will be yours. What do you think? If you're satisfied, bark twice."

The dog, held by the neck with its four paws curled up, hung obediently in midair, blinking innocently, trying to dissolve this inexplicable crisis with its cuteness.

No sound...

"You've still got dog food and canned food with the Director Team, and you can catch fish, shrimp, and bugs on your own. Don't be greedy. Eating too much will make you fat, and being fat can lead to an unpleasant fate." Song Shiyue spoke earnestly. But seeing the dog's cowed expression, ears flattened, blinking innocently, she relented a little. "Fine, the four hooves too, and that's all. If you're satisfied, just stay quiet."

The dog, with its fateful scruff pinched, naturally couldn't understand such complicated words. Realizing that its silent act of obedience wasn't getting it anywhere, it was about to whimper pitifully, but then saw a glint of vigilance in its captor's eyes. Before it could make a sound, its four paws were on the ground.

Yu Nianbing, who had witnessed the entire one-sided authoritarian negotiation, was laughing so hard she leaned against a tree.

Honestly, this person, what kind of person is she... She's so interesting it's almost too much!

"So if we accept the ox, does that mean the dog is now our companion?" Yu Nianbing finally stopped laughing and recalled what Song Shiyue had said at noon when she refused the fish the dog had caught.

Song Shiyue looked down at the dog, whose tail was wagging furiously, and though it had a furry face, it seemed to be written all over with ingratiation. She shook her head. "Not yet. It found the ox and dug out the box, but it couldn't open it. Right now we have a cooperative relationship; we've already divided the goods."

Yu Nianbing could understand Song Shiyue's answer. After all, in Song Shiyue's view, a companion was someone you shared food with even when supplies were scarce. For someone who valued food as much as Song Shiyue, this was probably a relationship that required great caution to establish.

Yu Nianbing saw it clearly, but the StarNet audience was bursting with laughter.

"Oh my god, what a twist and twist again! From a simp who had nothing, to simping his way to an ox, and now back to having nothing!"

"Hahaha! Dog, are you okay?"

"How is that having nothing? Hahaha, doesn't he still have a load of ox bones and four hooves?"

"Friend above! Are ox bones and hooves really what a simp pursues?"

"You don't understand the world of a simp! Even if you gave him the whole ox, not just these shares, to a simp, it's still nothing!"

"Teacher Song is really too rational. I deeply suspect she's still keeping the dog as emergency rations, unwilling to recognize it as a companion."

"Hahaha, after all, you can't eat a companion, right?"

"Today is yet another day of the simp failing to survive!"

"The dog never imagined that after using all his primordial power, he'd still fail! That cold-hearted woman!"

"Hahaha, part of the series 'Woman, thy name is heartless'?"

"We agreed: good friends walk together. But in the end, there's no friendship, only benefit. The dog has it tough too."

"Um... am I the only one who finds Sister Song's definition of a companion really cute? It seems so strict and serious."

"Cute it may be, but if they're truly starving, dizzy with hunger, would she really give up a chubby dog just because of some companion label? Look at those four legs and that wobbly belly fat—not very likely, right?"

"Hahaha, so the dog being fat is my fault?"

"I side with Sister Song. I think she can hold out; she won't eat it."

"I also side with her; she can resist."

"Dog, she just can't bear to part with my meat! I understand! Stop talking, or I'll kill myself!"

"Hahaha, I hope the Production Team prepares more food. Saving the dog is everyone's responsibility. I'll donate six point six credits to the program!"

Yu Nianbing had no idea how the audience on StarNet, all clamoring to donate money to the Production Team to snatch the dog from Song's clutches, was laughing and joking.

After watching Song Shiyue's authoritarian division of the ox and having a good laugh, a question suddenly stuck in Yu Nianbing's throat. Though her reason told her it was meaningless, she couldn't help but ask.

"Teacher Song, your standards for companions are quite high. So, do we count as companions?" Yu Nianbing tried to make her words sound light and breezy, with a bit of casual teasing.

Speaking in an indifferent tone was something she did habitually, but today, as she said it, perhaps because she was trying too hard, she herself could hear a trace of concern in it.

But since she'd already said it, it wasn't good to take it back.

She hoped that bit of concern would sound to others like deliberate teasing.

Yu Nianbing asked the question cautiously, but to her surprise, the person she asked didn't even think before answering; the reply came out immediately.

"Of course we are." Song Shiyue's face clearly showed she didn't understand why Yu Nianbing would ask such a silly question.

She had asked "do we count as", but the answer was "of course we are".

Yu Nianbing had just felt a warm, ticklish comfort in her heart from the answer, when Song Shiyue's "are you okay?" expression made her choke.

So annoying...

Yu Nianbing averted her eyes and looked toward the other side of the forest.

Actually... she wanted to ask more.

What about Zhuang Jiachuan? What about Guan Yongyi and Mu Xingzhou? And Ning Chuyang, who you've gotten along with so well the whole way—do they count?

You love food so much; when food is scarce, are they people you'd be willing to share with?

Yu Nianbing wanted to ask, but she knew she shouldn't.

Not just because they were live now, but because even she wasn't quite sure what the point of asking was.

If she really asked, she feared that Song Shiyue wouldn't just look at her like she was stupid, but would directly ask if she was stupid.

Hmph.

Song Shiyue, who was now facing the dog's renewed enthusiasm, didn't notice the little thoughts hidden beneath Yu Nianbing's silence.

Before long, the four returned with large leaves and some vines.

Because the ox was heavy, they split the vines with their knives, tearing them into strips to use as temporary ropes.

Once they removed the ox pieces from the Thermal Storage Box, Yu Nianbing realized that Song Shiyue's plan was actually thoughtful of everyone.

The ox had been divided into six portions: the four legs, a piece consisting of the head and front half, and a piece of the rear half.

Since it was a young ox, the legs were rather slender, so most of the weight was on the body, with the head likely being the heaviest.

It took Yu Nianbing only a glance to know that with this division, Song Shiyue was definitely going to take the head portion.

This girl...

She wondered if anyone appreciated this wordless consideration.

Yu Nianbing complained silently in her heart, but she pulled out a clean leaf that had been washed at noon from her bag, walked over, and wiped two drops of ox blood from beside Song Shiyue's face.

"Be more gentle; it splattered on you." Yu Nianbing's voice came out softer than she herself expected.

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