Bobo Chicken and Sauerkraut Pork Dumplings After finalizing the cooperation details with Shan Cha, Sang Ye arranged for her to meet with Jiang Siwei the following day to revise the contract's scope. Jiang Siwei’s cooperation was built on clear rules; Sang Ye wanted to nip any potential friction in the bud before it could start.
Before sending Shan Cha home, Sang Ye gave her two pots of "Eighteen Scholars" camellias as a parting gift.
By the time Sang Ye returned to her room, it was late into the night. A warm yellow light was still on; Lin Changli was waiting for her, propped up on one arm while browsing his terminal. His long hair fell over his face, his expression far softer than his usual sharp military bearing.
"You're back?" he smiled lazily.
Still carrying the heat of the hot springs, Sang Ye playfully lunged at him, pressing his face into her chest to make him smell the sulfur. "I'm practically pickled in spring water! How are you going to thank me for working so hard?"
Lin Changli hugged her back, his hand slipping beneath her nightgown. "How does the Brigadier General wish to be thanked?" he whispered suggestively.
…
Before falling into a deep sleep, Sang Ye entered her Pocket Dimension.
The sense of "building a world" was becoming increasingly real. Unlike terraforming the base or the Loda Plains, the dimension belonged entirely to her. She marveled at how her fate had changed—if she were still in the cultivation world, she would never have had access to the scientific and geographical data that allowed her to manifest such diverse landscapes.
As she landed near the Parasol Tree, she noticed the tree was being uncharacteristically secretive, hiding something behind its broad leaves. Sang Ye lifted a branch and found a litter of three puppies.
They were wobbling, leaning against each other in a pile of soft fur. One was snowy white with a "storm cloud" black patch on its head; one was black with white paws and a white belly; and the largest was a solid, reassuring yellow.
"How were they born?" Sang Ye was shocked. Everything in the dimension—plants, livestock, seafood—had been brought in from her storage rings. Life was not supposed to manifest spontaneously.
"I evolved!" the Parasol Tree bragged, its leaves rustling. "The more the dimension evolves, the more it simulates a human environment. Human societies have dogs to guard the house, cats for company, and horses for travel..."
"Wait, horses too?"
"Over there," the tree gestured. In the plains below the mountains, a herd of small horses was running freely.
"If you don't like them, I can make them disappear," the tree added. "You are the master here."
"No, keep them," Sang Ye said quickly. "The dimension can support them."
She knelt to pet the soft, cotton-like heads of the puppies. "Can they survive outside?"
"Just raise them normally. They carry your mental mark; they’re very resilient," the tree assured her.
The tree then produced a small, fierce calico kitten that hissed at Sang Ye with tiny, soft teeth. Sang Ye carried the three pups and the kitten back to the real world. Emerging in the bedroom, the four little creatures immediately huddled together for warmth.
Lin Changli, now covered in fluff, stared at them. "..."
Sang Ye made a makeshift nest out of a blanket on the nightstand. "Sleep here tonight. I'll make you a proper home tomorrow." She rubbed each fuzzy head and drifted off to sleep.
…
The next day, Sang Ye and Jiang Siwei signed a supplementary agreement. Jiang Siwei would handle retail, while Sang Ye reserved the right to handle large-scale institutional procurement (over 200 people) herself. Jiang Siwei was happy with the arrangement—she preferred the high-volume retail market over the bureaucracy of government contracts.
After the business was settled, Sang Ye handed the draft contract to Shan Cha. "Take 100 samples of each product back. Test them, show them to your procurement contacts, and see the reaction. Then decide if you want to sign."
Sang Ye wanted Shan Cha to have a way out if her investigation into Song Yu became too dangerous. Song Yu was an S-rank Guide; even in exile, he was a lethal threat.
…
Within days, the West Building had four new names. The pup with the cloud on his head was Sang Wuyun; the white-pawed one was Sang Taxue; the yellow one was Sang Yaohuang. The kitten was named Sang Sejin.
A month passed. The four "sisters" grew sturdier by the day. Shan Cha sent back the signed contract from Planet Muli. The samples had been an overnight sensation in hospitals and military outposts. She also began a quiet, dangerous investigation into Song Yu’s past victims, looking for Sentinels who suffered nightmares after his grooming.
One afternoon, Asu Ment pushed the twins' stroller into the courtyard. The two-month-old twins, Eleanor and Callista, were already babbling at the kittens and puppies.
"Got anything hot to eat?" Asu asked.
Sang Ye was thinking about Planet Muli. "Is the Executive Officer of Muli still Eugenia Letona?" she messaged Shan Cha.
"Yes," Shan Cha replied, "but she hasn't been seen in public for a long time. Her adjutant handles everything."
Sang Ye forwarded this to Lin Changli and turned to Asu. "How about Sauerkraut Pork Dumplings and Bobo Chicken?"
Bobo Chicken is a dish of meat and vegetable skewers cooked and then soaked in a cold, spicy red oil. Since the others were away, Asu Ment and Jiang Sili helped thread the skewers—though Asu’s impatience nearly led to her snapping the sticks until Jiang Sili took over.
Sang Ye headed to the kitchen to make the dumplings. She used the sauerkraut Du Yuan had fermented, mixing it with fresh pork and—the secret ingredient—crispy lard cracklings. The crunch of the cracklings inside the juicy dumpling was a texture that lingered in the memory.
Next, she prepared the Bobo Chicken's red oil: chili powder, rapeseed oil, millet pepper, Sichuan peppercorns, and white sesame, bloomed in hot oil with aromatics and mixed into a rich, savory broth.
When the skewers were cooked and chilled in the red oil, and the dumplings were boiled to plump perfection, the three sat down for lunch.
The cold, spicy skewers were crisp and refreshing, while the hot dumplings were comforting and savory. Sang Ye ate until her lips were swollen and glowing from the spice. She watched Asu Ment and Jiang Sili—one fierce, one gentle—sharing a bowl of vinegar and chili oil. Their chemistry was a strange, perfect balance.
Sang Ye smiled, feeding small, unseasoned bits of meat to the four "sisters" at her feet. Little Wuyun ate slowly, and when the greedy Yaohuang and Taxue tried to steal his food, Sang Ye picked them up, letting the smallest one eat in peace.
The sun filtered through the Parasol Tree branches in the courtyard, a moment of warmth before the gathering storm.
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