Chapter 23 — ILK Chapter 23

Pineapple Plum Sparkling Water

The day Jiang Siwei arrived at Black Tower for the second time, the sun was scorching. The heat from the artificial sun made the ground look as if it were smoking. Light refracted into rainbow-like spots, and space itself seemed to warp for a moment before one's eyes.

Sang Ye had changed into lightweight, heat-dissipating summer clothes. Her sleeves were rolled up and tied back, revealing arms with firm muscles and the distinct marks of hard training.

Wu Jianing sat by the small dining table, wearing an emerald green puff-sleeve dress and swinging her chubby little legs. Under Sang Ye’s constant feeding of three meals a day plus midnight snacks, Jianing had become visibly rounded. Occasionally, when Sang Ye entered her mind to perform a channeling, she could see the little Dangkang running lively across the grass, "expanding" day by day. Jianing’s mental landscape was growing richer, filled with lush green saplings and even a wheat-field pond—the Dangkang’s favorite.

Two days ago, Sang Ye had rummaged through the warehouse and found a carbonation machine. After scouring various archives, she discovered it was used to make a type of drink. Since the base had switched to "summer mode," Sang Ye prepared to make some "seasonal treats."

Wu Jianing had never had sparkling water. Neither had Sang Ye. According to ancient records, humans discovered that by using high pressure to force carbon dioxide into water until it reached saturation, the remaining gas would rise to the surface in the form of bubbles. Sparkling water felt like it was dancing in the mouth, stimulating the senses and refreshing the mind.

Ancient humans really knew how to eat, Sang Ye, a person from an even more ancient era, thought with a sigh.

She prepared to make Pineapple Plum Sparkling Water, as her pocket dimension had just yielded a fresh batch of pineapples. The seeds had been brought back by a Senior Sister from her travels to Qiongzhou. This fruit loved tropical rainforest climates and grew beautifully, but it was notoriously hard to peel; one usually needed a specialized curved pineapple knife.

Sang Ye didn't have one, but she had skillful hands and excellent knife skills. She cut off the top and bottom of the pineapple and then sliced away the skin—one had to be bold and decisive here, slicing away a bit of the flesh along with the skin. This revealed the "eyes" of the pineapple, which grew deep into the fruit. Sang Ye observed the pattern of the eyes, switched to a fruit knife, and cut two spiral grooves along the direction of their growth. The black eyes were firmly embedded in these grooves. Inserting her knife at the base of the groove, she carved out the eyes in spiral strips.

She then cubed the fruit and soaked it in salt water. If eaten raw immediately after cutting, pineapple has a distinct "stinging" sensation on the tongue; in severe cases, it can even break the oral mucosa, leaving a bloody taste. Soaking it in salt water for a while neutralizes the bromelain, reducing the discomfort.

Next, she took the pulp and crushed it with a small pestle to extract the juice, while still retaining some chunks of fruit. For the plums, she used her previously cured Green Dew Plums. She had buried the plums in Coral Salt and fine sugar within a ceramic jar until the skins shriveled and the sugar-salt mixture permeated the flesh. After losing their moisture, the plums looked like wrinkled little old ladies. When dried in the sun, the flesh became crisp and sweet, but because of the Coral Salt, they weren't cloying. It was a very tasty snack.

Sang Ye pulled a 3–4 liter glass pitcher from the warehouse—large-bellied with a narrow neck. She poured the crushed pineapple pulp and a dozen dried plums into the pitcher. She filled it two-thirds of the way with spiritual spring water, added the fizzing, bubbling sparkling water, and threw in several scoops of ice.

After stirring, the pineapple juice mixed thoroughly with the spring water, and the dried plums unfurled again, releasing their concentrated sugar, salt, and original fruit fragrance. The sweet-and-sour, heart-cooling Pineapple Plum Sparkling Water was ready. One sip was enough to sweep away the irritability brought by the heat.

Sang Ye placed the remaining pineapple chunks and dried plums on an exquisite petal-shaped dish. She and Wu Jianing sat in the air-conditioned cool, sipping the sparkling water and eating the fruit while watching the seasoning trees in the backyard, which had just completed one harvest and were already sprouting lush new tips.

Lately, Sang Ye had harvested many fruits from her dimension. Fruit was hard to store and not particularly rare, so she sent most of it directly to the hospital. The fruit grown in her dimension was saturated with mental energy; a piece or two after a meal helped the Sentinels stabilize their minds. Last time, she had even sent several large vats of Peach Lemon Tea. Huge glass jars were filled with peach jam, lemon slices, and a substantial amount of ice. It was a grand sight. There was enough for every Sentinel in the hospital to have over a liter.

Sang Ye was very happy that day because she had successfully replaced the original reservoir transport system with Spring-Eye Jade Marrow. From now on, every drop of water flowing through the base was spiritual spring water from the marrow, and Sang Ye no longer had to reach into her storage ring every time she needed water. She had requested Wu Huansheng to open the access permissions to the reservoir and shut down the old system. The Jade Marrow would now continuously pour out spiritual spring water. Its principle was to consume its own spiritual energy to generate water; once the energy was spent, it would stop, but that didn't matter—one piece of marrow could supply a restaurant for a century, and Sang Ye had countless such pieces in her ring.

People at the base rarely used tap water for drinking, preferring it for bathing, cleaning, or machinery, likely because their nutrient solutions already provided sufficient hydration. Thus, no one had noticed the anomaly yet.

Wu Jianing lay comfortably in a rattan chair specially made by Sang Ye, her chubby little feet propped up, as her terminal played cartoons beside her. Even Sang Ye marveled at Jianing’s "open-heartedness." Personality is often innate; many people are born melancholy and remain gloomy and self-pitying their whole lives. But Jianing was different; she was a child raised in love. Her parents loved each other deeply and loved her just as much. Despite the suffering from Zerg toxins and chronic illness, she remained cheerful and innocent, never ashamed of her disability.

From the occasional information revealed by the adjutant, Sang Ye knew that Wu Huansheng’s mother, Wu Xiangxi, highly valued Jianing’s temperament. If it weren't for Wu Huansheng’s condition, she would have taken the girl to her side long ago. Seeing Jianing’s cozy little state made Sang Ye very happy.

I'll make some Pineapple Sweet and Sour Pork for lunch, she thought. I’ll make a large batch and send some to the hospital. Compared to the Snow Mountain Base, the hospital’s treatment was almost too good, as they frequently received Sang Ye’s fresh meals.

It was then that Jiang Siwei appeared, accompanied by Jiang Sili, braving the heat.

This was Sang Ye’s first time seeing Jiang Sili. He was a man who looked tall yet "boneless"—graceful and lithe. His facial features were soft and refined, with long black hair falling to his shoulders. He didn't radiate the familiar pressure of a high-level spiritual form that Sang Ye was used to. However, when he looked at her, it felt like being a prey animal targeted by a serpent; a chill rose from her heart.

Beside him, Jiang Siwei was still poor at hiding her emotions. She radiated excitement and vitality, her eyes looking at Sang Ye with intense eagerness.

Sang Ye knew why they had come. She invited them to the table and poured them each a glass of sparkling water. Jiang Siwei’s eyes sparkled as she drank; she desperately wanted to bring this back to the Capital Star to sell.

Jiang Sili didn't get straight to business. Instead, he patted Wu Jianing’s head. "She’s gained a lot of weight. She looks very healthy and happy." In this base, Jianing was the only child. Jianing opened her hand to show a plum. Jiang Sili smiled as he took it. "I finally got a cup of the Peach Lemon Tea Colonel Sang Ye sent over last time. There was none left for me before."

Sang Ye had heard from the adjutant that Sentinels in good mental health didn't get a share; in this regard, even a General was no exception.

Then, Jiang Sili pulled a glass box from his spatial button and handed it to Sang Ye. "This is a gift from my sister."

Sang Ye took it. Inside the glass box lay several seeds. They looked very similar to the wheat seeds Sang Ye was familiar with, but with slight differences.

"These are Durum Wheat seeds," Jiang Sili explained. "Seeds that have been preserved since the ancient era. I obtained them by chance while traveling the stars and kept them in the family vault. I had Siwei bring them this time."

In an era where plants were extinct, seeds were of immeasurable value—enough to be displayed and revered in the Imperial Academy of Sciences. "These seeds are still bio-active," Jiang Sili said with a faint smile. "Leaving them with us would be a waste of a heavenly treasure. But in your hands, I believe they will be put to great use."

Perhaps she can bring these seeds back to life.

Durum wheat was the raw material for pasta. Sang Ye had discovered cuisines from different regions in her ancient scrolls; the origin of food was always tied to the land. Her pocket dimension ignored seasons and environments; she could certainly grow Durum wheat.

Jiang Sili didn't talk business; instead, he gave her this gift first, an obvious move to play to her interests. But Sang Ye truly did like it. She didn't accept it immediately, looking at him with caution.

Jiang Sili was patient. "Giving the Colonel a gift is to show our friendship and our desire to cooperate. Nothing more. Why don't you hear our proposal first before deciding?" His tone was persuasive as he leaned slightly toward her.

Sang Ye leaned back, crossing her arms. "Let’s hear it then, General."

Jiang Siwei displayed the sales data for the instant noodles on her terminal. Sang Ye raised an eyebrow at the price. Jiang Siwei had actually sold the ordinary noodles for the high price of 150 star-credits per portion! In the ancient era, including production and transport, it would have cost only 3 yuan!

This girl truly knew how to do business. The profit margin was very tempting.

"What we want is Exclusive Agency Rights," Jiang Siwei said, putting away her terminal and laying out her terms. "We will handle all production, transport, and sales. You only need to provide the raw materials. In return, you must commit to authorizing only the Jiang family for sales."

Sang Ye looked at the confident siblings before her.