Beef Tallow and Lees-Vinegar Hot Pot
Since Sang Ye’s previous "sentence reduction case" was handled by Justice Wu Xiangchuan, the current application was sent directly to her for approval. Surprisingly, the Emperor approved it in less than three minutes—as if she had been waiting by the terminal for it to arrive.
The military always rewarded merit proportionally. While other Guides performed within their normal scope, Sang Ye had exceeded expectations. For rescuing Executive Officer Asu Ment, assisting in the kill of Brian, successfully reversing mutations, facilitating peace with the Snow Mountain tribe, and channeling multiple Sentinels, the authorities granted Sang Ye a 1,500-year sentence reduction and a 3 million star-credit bonus.
Sang Ye was stunned by the windfall, but before she could process it, another notification pinged: The Court has automatically deducted 3 million star-credits to your compensation account. She had ten thousand curses she wanted to scream, but eventually, she shut her mouth and looked on the bright side: the sentence reduction was the real victory. Another notification brought better news: the base had paid out a 100,000-credit subsidy, and Jiang Siwei had transferred 200,000 credits in dividends from the instant noodles and drinks.
Nearby, Wu Jianing came rushing toward the West Building, clutching a plush pig and followed by her robot nanny. "Sister Sangsang!" her voice was loud and her cheeks rosy with joy.
"Ningning!" Sang Ye’s tone softened as she picked her up. "You’ve gotten heavier! Have you been eating well?"
Sang Ye noticed the plush pig in the girl's arms—pink, soft, and remarkably life-like. It was clearly handmade, devoid of Black Tower’s industrial coldness. "Who made this for you?"
"My Great-Grandmother!" Jianing snuggled into Sang Ye’s arms. "Great-Grandmother sent many toys over."
Sang Ye looked at the girl's face. Because of Mu An’s genes, her eyes weren't as sharp as the typical Wu family "fox eyes," but rather round and sweet.
That morning, Minur had sat beside Sang Ye, looking out at the snowy peaks. She revealed that the Snow Mountain tribe lived inside extinct volcanoes—the warmth there was far more stable than at the base. Her hardships came solely from her brother, Brian.
Sang Ye had asked her one last thing: "Brian said you let your mother go?"
Minur shook her head. "I wasn't that powerful. Back then, Father broke free from the mental mark first, but he couldn't find her. I knew Mother was in the cave, and I went to see her one last time. I just didn't tell Father. In Brian’s eyes, that meant I let her go." Minur let out a mocking laugh. "As if finding her would have stopped her. My mother is an S-rank Guide; her mental power can cover the entire mountain range. No one escapes her."
"That cave was where Mother taught me about the universe. She asked if I wanted to go with her. I asked, 'What about Brother?' and Mother said nothing. She wasn't disappointed or angry. She just... left."
Wu Jinyue was now a legendary Marshal. She had likely known everything happening on Black Tower, yet she had never once looked back.
Lin Changli, walking beside Sang Ye, spoke suddenly without context: "Don't feel sorry for them. They are ambitious politicians and unquestionable supreme commanders. They can be many things, but they are never just mothers. To them, children are a continuation of life, but they must also be the most steadfast allies." He spoke without resentment or anger. "Think about it—as long as they are willing, there will always be new children."
…
Mingyang Star.
The G5 Legion, led by the Wu family, was stationed here. Wu Jinyue sat by a floor-to-ceiling window looking out at the lush greenery she spent a fortune to maintain. She scrolled through military reports: successful colonization, Zerg border reinforcements, trade negotiations... until she reached a small, one-line notice: Black Tower mineral statistics; Change of leadership in Snow Mountain region.She paused, then clicked. The report mentioned the riot, Lin Changli blowing up the plains, Brian’s death, and Minur becoming the new leader.
"Mother?" Her eldest daughter, Wu Xiangxi, approached. "Black Tower? I wonder if Shengsheng was involved. That child never sends news, though Ningning calls me often. Mother, are you alright?" She was worried because Wu Jinyue’s landscape had been scorched slightly during a failed attempt to channel Lin Changli.
"It’s nothing," Wu Jinyue dismissed the report and patted her daughter’s hand.
"A tree you planted in the backyard died this morning," Xiangxi reported.
Wu Jinyue leaned back into her soft chair. "Is it dead? Dig it up and throw it away."
"Would you like some iced peach tea? Huanyin brought it from the Capital Star; it’s said to be the work of that Guide on Black Tower. It really is delicious." Wu Huanyin, Wu Huansheng’s aunt, had returned from the capital to await the birth of her child.
A new life was about to be born. Wu Jinyue smiled genuinely.
…
Sang Ye decided on Hot Pot for dinner. A "Yuan-Yang" pot: half Beef Tallow, half Lees-Vinegar. Both required sweet fermented rice. With technology, she could reduce fermentation to thirty minutes in a glass house.
The white beef tallow melted in the pot, sautéed with star anise, ginger, scallions, rock sugar, Sichuan peppercorns, chilies, and the rice lees. Once water was added, the tallow pot was ready. The Lees-Vinegar base—a traditional island delicacy—was sweet and sour, perfect for seafood. She sautéed ginger, garlic, and chilies until the skins wrinkled, added lantern peppers and rice lees, then simmered it into a rich, fragrant broth.
Lin Changli and Du Yuan were sent to prep ingredients. Lin Changli no longer asked where the fresh food came from; he and Sang Ye had a silent understanding. Beef rolls, two-month-old free-range chicken, pork belly, and various cuts of steak were prepared. Sang Ye specifically asked for high-calcium lamb with soft bone.
Du Yuan pouted as she deboned chicken feet, scrubbed oysters, and washed kelp. Jianing helped by tearing mushrooms and snapping corn.
As the aroma filled the kitchen, the Little Phoenix hopped around like a chicken, occasionally pecking Lin Changli for a piece of raw meat or helping Jianing tear cabbage.
Rong Cheng returned with the latest news: "The Tide Sea district sent people. A Major General and the Little Prince of the Tide Sea." She was starstruck. "I've never seen a Mermaid before! He's so handsome... and his voice sounds like he's singing."
The Tide Sea tribe lived in the deep waters and were the base's most helpful partners in mining, often sending rare minerals as gifts. However, they were also dangerous; they were the most prone to mental riots, which could trigger tsunamis that halted mining for months.
Sang Ye set the table. She lacked fresh seafood—dead seafood produces neurotoxins quickly—so they focused on meats. Hot pot was the ultimate satisfaction. Sang Ye made a separate spicy base for Du Yuan and sweet-sour vinegar for the others.
The meal washed away the cold memories of the Snow Mountain. Outside, the moon was high; inside, it was warm, spicy, and sweet.
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