Married to a Fierce Wolf 4

Chapter 4

Shi Nuo’s optical brain contained a map copied from the house’s system. By following the directions on the map, he wouldn’t get lost.

However, there were no roads here. The plains appeared flat, but in reality, they were covered with uneven grass, dotted with clumps of earth and holes, making for rough terrain.

Some areas were low-lying and muddy. If he stepped in them carelessly, his shoes would become caked with mud, making walking even more difficult.

After about fifty minutes, Shi Nuo reached the riverbank.

He carried his two small buckets, the knife still attached to one of them.

Before he even reached the river, he could hear the faint roar of water.

The sound came from upstream, where a small waterfall had formed due to the difference in elevation. The drop wasn’t high, but the river was wide, making the volume of water and the sound unusual.

Shi Nuo faced the wide river, its waters surging and flowing endlessly across the vast plain, the destination invisible.

Standing by the river, he felt that the green wilderness was so large that he couldn’t reach its boundaries, and that he was so small that he couldn’t even cross this river.

The wind continued to blow, rustling the grass and trees.

The air here was humid, carrying the fishy scent of water and grass.

This was Shi Nuo’s first time here, and his gaze swept across the distance.

Suddenly, he heard a splash and turned to see a large fish leap out of the water and fall back in, sending up a large spray.

There really were fish!

Fish meat was tender and delicious no matter how it was prepared. He could also make fish soup, a rich, white broth. There were still plenty of seasonings in the kitchen, enough to get rid of any fishy smell.

But the large fish was far from the shore, completely out of reach. He could only lick his lips in regret.

He didn’t have a fishing net, but he had buckets. Shi Nuo walked towards a calmer section of the river and found a spot on the bank where there wasn’t too much wet mud. Standing on a stable rock, he carefully observed the water.

Under the sunlight, the water surface shimmered. The shallow areas were clear, and he could see the aquatic plants and swimming fish, even small shrimp and blue water snails.

Having never fished before, Shi Nuo squatted down and slowly lowered the green bucket into the water. He held the handle still, waiting patiently. Fortunately, the river water wasn’t cold.

He was overjoyed to see a palm-sized fish swim into the bucket. He lifted the bucket with all his might, but the water-filled bucket was too heavy.

Startled, the small fish darted away before the bucket fully emerged from the water.

He tried to grab it with his other hand, but he didn’t even touch its tail.

As for the shrimp and snails at the bottom, he couldn’t reach them without going into the water.

Shi Nuo squatted on the rock, staring at the fish swimming happily in the water for a while. If only he had a net.

But he didn’t even know how to use a fishing net.

He had seen the intelligent system’s records earlier. This river had been tested, and the water quality was classified as excellent Grade A. The fish and shrimp were definitely edible.

Squatting on the bank, he couldn’t even touch the shadow of a fish. He would have to try catching them in the water.

Shi Nuo stood up and, seeing a small tree nearby, went over and cut off a branch with his knife. After laboriously trimming off the excess leaves and branches, he looked at the straight branch in his hand.

He had originally intended to poke the mud and sand at the bottom of the shallow water to see if it was firm enough to stand on, but then he remembered he could also use it to spear fish, so he sharpened one end of the branch with his knife.

Standing on the rock, he poked the riverbed with the branch, stirring up a cloud of mud.

Seeing no ferocious fish lurking in the sand, nor any water snakes, Shi Nuo took off his shoes, rolled up his pant legs, and carefully stepped into the water.

Fortunately, the sand and mud under his feet sank slightly under his weight but didn’t collapse. It seemed the bottom was solid.

A small fish swam past his leg. He stuck the branch in the ground beside him and quickly bent down to grab it, but he only splashed water and caught nothing.

Undeterred, he tried to catch a shrimp.

The shrimp in the river were incredibly fast. Sensing danger, they flicked their tails and darted into the thick aquatic plants, disappearing from sight.

Even the water snails had hidden themselves. Shi Nuo waited for the water to calm down and stared intently again, but now nothing was visible in the shallows.

He had a strange feeling of being watched.

His throat moved slightly, and a look of fear crossed his face. He turned his head slightly.

On the surface of the deeper water, a large, blue-black fish floated motionless, only its head visible.

Most of the live fish he had seen had dull eyes, but this fish’s yellowish-brown eyes held a chilling coldness, staring straight at him.

Like the gaze of a predator.

Shi Nuo didn’t have time to grab the branch as a weapon. He scrambled back to shore in an instant.

The moment he moved, the blue-black fish leaped out of the water, its狰狞 fish mouth open, revealing rows of white teeth, using its momentum to pursue him in mid-air.

To avoid the sharp teeth, Shi Nuo stumbled sideways, falling off the rock and tumbling to the ground.

Although it was a clumsy and embarrassing fall, he had managed to evade the fish’s attack.

He saw the fish land on the rock, its head still snapping towards him, making a clicking, biting sound, trying to bite him.

But before he could react, the fish twisted its body and slid back into the water with incredible speed, its blue-black form quickly disappearing into the depths.

Shi Nuo was shaken, sitting on the ground for a long time without getting up.

His shoes and buckets were on the rock. He climbed to his feet, relieved that he hadn’t twisted his ankle in the fall. His left calf had scraped against the blunt edge of the rock, grazing the skin, but there was no bleeding, just a red patch.

Shi Nuo quickly grabbed his shoes and buckets and moved away from the riverbank.

He wanted to go back, but his legs and feet were covered in mud and grass clippings.

He cautiously glanced at the river surface, saw no sign of the fish, and slowly edged forward.

Seeing the small fish and shrimp reappear in the shallows, as if nothing had happened, he quickly filled his bucket halfway with water and left without looking back.

He sat on a large, white rock away from the riverbank and washed his legs and feet. After they dried, he put on his shoes and hurried away from the river.

Both hunting and fishing had ended in failure, but fortunately, there were still two pieces of meat left in the refrigerator. He hadn’t reached the point of having absolutely no meat to eat.

Sizzle—

Five or six slices of meat went into the pan. After stir-frying them until fragrant, Shi Nuo added water to the pan. Once the meat and broth boiled, he poured in the wild vegetables.

Coated in the meat’s fat, the blanched vegetables were a vibrant green. After adding salt and seasonings, he turned off the heat and poured the contents into a large bowl. He had cooked a lot of vegetables, and there was still plenty of broth left in the pot.

Unlike food, he used only a small amount of seasoning for each meal. A single bottle or canister was enough for a long time. Since he was alone, although the initial food supply wasn’t much, the seasonings could last for more than a year, or even longer.

The meat was dwindling. Making meat and vegetable soup not only filled his stomach but also made the bland vegetables more palatable.

Shi Nuo sat alone in the dining room, eating. He hadn’t steamed any rice today; there was only a large bowl of meat and vegetable soup in front of him.

The rice was running low, and he hadn’t found any other staple foods to supplement it.

When he first arrived, he often couldn’t bring himself to eat. Eating alone on a silent, deserted planet was incredibly lonely.

Recently, his appetite had increased. He spent a lot of time outside every day, going out three times in the morning and twice in the afternoon. With the increased physical activity, not only had his appetite grown, but his stamina had also improved.

In the first few days of digging wild vegetables, he would be out of breath carrying a bucket back. Today, he had gone to the more distant river and returned without feeling any discomfort. Even the fright from the large fish had subsided quickly.

After all, it wasn’t the first time he had encountered a dangerous small animal.

After finishing the bowl, Shi Nuo picked it up and drank a few mouthfuls of the warm broth. He went back to the kitchen and scooped out the remaining vegetables, eating everything clean.

While washing the pot and bowl, he couldn’t help but think of the large fish.

Its bite force was strong, its mouth full of sharp teeth. The clicking sound of its jaws snapping at the air still echoed in his ears.

The fish was about a meter long and probably very strong. If it caught prey on the bank, it would definitely drag it into the water. A predatory fish like that probably had tough, unappetizing meat.

Of course, he was a large person; even a ferocious fish like that shouldn’t be able to drag him in, unless it was an even bigger fish.

He thought of the small fish and shrimp in the shallows. Smaller, their meat looked tender.

After cleaning the kitchen and dining table, it was already evening.

The sunset painted the sky red, tinged with gold. The unpolluted sky was clear and transparent, with large clouds drifting across it.

Shi Nuo opened his optical brain and locked the doors and windows. The heavy sound of the mechanisms engaging brought a sense of security. The cold steel hidden within the walls was clearly very strong; otherwise, the house wouldn’t have stood alone in the wilderness for so many years.

In the bathroom, while brushing his teeth, Shi Nuo saw his reflection in the mirror. His hair had grown noticeably longer. It wasn’t a problem elsewhere, but the hair on his forehead was almost covering his eyes.

He frowned, a vague irritation stirring within him. When he hadn’t noticed it, the length hadn’t bothered him at all. Now, staring at his long hair in the mirror, a stuffy feeling made him very uncomfortable.

The long hair covering his eyes made him feel hot and bothered, not fresh and neat. Even his eyes felt uncomfortable. He was very irritated.

He grabbed scissors and went back into the bathroom. The soft snipping sound filled the air as black hair fell in clumps. Only when his vision was completely unobstructed did he feel comfortable again.

He also cut the hair at the back of his neck short, so his neck was no longer bothered by the stray hairs. It felt refreshing.

While cleaning up the cut hair, Shi Nuo looked up at himself in the mirror. His handiwork was poor. His black hair was uneven, completely lacking aesthetic appeal, even ugly.

He glanced at it and didn’t care, continuing to carefully clean up, wiping away all the stray hairs.

A few rays of light filtered through the sheer curtains and drapes, shining on the bed through the slightly swaying gaps.

The head of the bed, nestled in the corner, was shielded from direct sunlight. The person in the bed didn’t open his eyes for a long time.

Seeing that it was already nine o’clock, Shi Nuo slowly sat up and got dressed.

He had been annoyed with himself last night because of his hair and had gone to bed late. He felt better today.

His lowered eyes were filled with drowsiness. He pulled back a corner of the curtain and looked outside. It was another beautiful day. He should go out and dig up some wild vegetables and look for root vegetables.

If it rained and the ground became muddy, he might not be able to go out for several days.

Perhaps his luck had changed. After two trips digging up wild vegetables, Shi Nuo thought for a moment and headed northwest, a direction he rarely ventured in.

Northwest was upstream along the winding river. There was a denser, larger forest to the north. He didn’t enter the forest but skirted around it, walking along the grassy plain. As he walked and pulled up various weeds and vines, he actually found a root vegetable plant with “fruit.”

Shi Nuo squatted beside the thriving stem, which was about sixty centimeters tall, with lush branches and leaves.

This plant had a well-developed root system. He had struggled to pull it up even a little. After loosening the roots, he saw something hidden in the soil.

He found two short branches and used them to loosen the soil further, digging with his hands. After a while, he finally dug up the entire plant.

Many large and small tubers hung from the fibrous roots. Shi Nuo picked one off and, in his excitement, wiped the soil off with his hand. It looked like a red-skinned potato.

He took the knife from his bucket, cut the tuber open, and saw that the inside was also red. After about ten seconds, a white liquid slowly seeped from the cut surfaces.

He wasn’t sure if it was edible.

Shi Nuo didn’t dare let the liquid touch his hands, worried it might corrode the bucket. He discarded the cut piece and picked off the remaining tubers, shaking off the soil and placing them in the bucket.

He had harvested a total of twenty-one tubers from this single plant, ranging in size. He had discarded the smallest ones, the size of his fingernail. The smallest tuber in the bucket was about a third the size of his fist.

Shi Nuo hurried back to the house with the bucket. After opening the door, he went straight to the basement and cut off a small piece, placing it in the identifier.

During the two-minute wait, he was nervous, both excited about finding a new food source and worried that it might be inedible.

Beep—

The identifier displayed the results. He rushed forward to check the panel and, seeing the words “edible,” finally seemed to be able to breathe again.

The analysis showed a high starch content, confirming its similarity to potatoes.

It also indicated that the secreted liquid wasn’t corrosive but had a mild paralytic effect, which would disappear after thorough cooking.

Shi Nuo was delighted. He saved the image of this tuber to the system database and, for easy recall, labeled it “red-skinned, red-fleshed potato.”

Now that he had potatoes, and remembering that he had seen more than one of these plants, he felt elated. He could harvest a lot today.

But he didn’t immediately go out to dig. He took the bucket upstairs, went into the kitchen, washed five small tubers, put them in a pot of water, and turned on the heat.

Shi Nuo couldn’t wait to taste something different from wild vegetables. He stood by the stove, waiting, and washed the remaining potatoes while considering how to prepare them.

He would try both steaming and boiling. If they really had the texture of potatoes, he could eat them as a staple food. Although they secreted a paralytic liquid, he could wear gloves while cutting them into strips, soak them in water, and try stir-frying or stewing them.

The wait was somewhat anxious. After the water boiled, Shi Nuo, worried about poisoning himself if they weren’t cooked thoroughly, waited patiently for fifteen minutes, poking them with a chopstick to check if they were soft.

He turned off the heat and took out the five small potatoes. He started peeling them, but they were so hot that he had to pull his hand back and blow on it after every few peels.

After removing the red skin, the flesh inside was also light red. He couldn’t resist taking a bite. It was soft and glutinous, slightly sweet, with a tingling numbness on the outside, very similar to a potato.

Finally, he had another food source. The familiar texture made him devour two in a row before remembering to try them with salt.

As expected, the salt enhanced the flavor considerably.

After eating, although he was a bit full, Shi Nuo was filled with energy and grabbed his two buckets to go dig up more potatoes.