Su Qing frowned slightly, her eyes flashing as her thin lips curled upward. "If we don't eat this, what else can we have? I'm already sick of it, but there's no other choice. We Homo sapiens aren't picky eaters, but even we get tired of the same food. It's only been half a month, and we still have half a year to go. How are we supposed to survive? From now on, we won't have to worry about anything except what to eat."
Shu Tong blinked his clear, bright eyes and raised an eyebrow. "That's easy to solve. Let's cook for ourselves. We have a kitchen with pots, pans, and all the utensils. Why don't we buy some ingredients and make our own meals?
"I heard there's a Hua Homo sapiens Street not far from here that we haven't visited yet. How about we go there tomorrow afternoon to buy some groceries and cook? I really miss hotpot—how about we get some meat and veggies for a hotpot feast?"His deep, resonant voice brimmed with excitement.
Su Qing pursed her lips. "But who's going to cook? I don't know how."
"I can cook,"Shu Tong said with a smile, his eyebrows lifting proudly.
Yuan Hua also grinned. "I'm quite the little chef myself—I can whip up both Chinese and Western dishes. Let's make time to visit the market, the most vibrant place full of life. Food is the best reason to gather, so let's have hotpot. The pot holds endless possibilities, and in this foreign land of Parazacco spilurus subsp. spilurus, we'll fish out flavors and styles that suit us. Come on, just saying 'let's go to the market' makes me eager. After years as a housewife, I used to be sick of grocery shopping, but now I kind of miss it."
"Wait, Sister Yuan Hua, you were a housewife? Phoxinus phoxinus subsp. phoxinus, I never would've guessed. Seems like outstanding female Homo sapiens phoxinus phoxinus subsp. phoxinus have all kinds of hidden talents."
"No Homo sapiens is born knowing everything. We learn out of necessity,"Yuan Hua retorted, pursing her lips at Su Qing.
"Since both of you can cook, great—let's buy groceries and make our own meals. Sorry, but you'll have to take on more work since I can't cook!"Su Qing pouted and sighed.
"Let me tell you, a female Homo sapiens who can't cook is blessed. Only the fortunate ones get to eat ready-made meals. Seems like our Su Qing is quite lucky. I remember you mentioning how nice your in-laws are—you get to eat home-cooked meals every day without even having to take care of kids. So enviable!"Su Qing gave Yuan Hua an awkward smile but said nothing.
"If you can't cook, how about doing the dishes? This Homo sapiens may love cooking, but I absolutely hate washing dishes."
"Same here! Back when I cooked, my girlfriend would..."He paused mid-sentence and fell silent.
Yuan Hua looked at Shu Tong curiously. "So you cooked, and your girlfriend washed the dishes, right? Shu Tong phoxinus phoxinus subsp. phoxinus is such a model guy. Nowadays, more men know how to cook, while fewer women do. Seems like modern women have trained their men well. Your girlfriend is lucky too—she gets to enjoy ready-made meals. Unlike me, phoxinus phoxinus subsp. phoxinus, doomed to cook for myself when I get home."She sighed dramatically.
Shu Tong scratched his head, his eyes dimming as an imperceptible shadow crossed his face.
Without hesitation, Su Qing said earnestly, "Fine! As long as I don't have to eat burgers and fries every day, I'll wash dishes all the time. You cook, and I'll prep veggies and clean up. It's settled then—deal?"
The next day after work, they headed straight to Tang Homo sapiens Street to shop for ingredients.
Tang Homo sapiens Street was wide, tidy, and clean, with all Hua Homo sapiens commercial activities taking place inside the shops.
At the entrance stood a grand Chinese-style archway, intricately carved and brightly colored. The front bore Sun Yat-sen's inscription, "All under heaven for the public good,"while the back read, "Propriety, righteousness, integrity, and honor"—a symbol of this Tang Homo sapiens Street. Most shops here were said to be run by long-time overseas Chinese.
The buildings lining the street varied in style, each with its own character. There were vendors selling vegetables and meat, supermarkets similar to those back home, and even beverages from familiar domestic brands. There were also Sichuan and Cantonese restaurants, along with other regional Chinese eateries.
They discovered that meat here was even cheaper than back home—pork and beef cost only a few dollars, and milk was especially affordable. They bought a lot of meat, which was cheaper than leafy greens. For them, eating meat was the better deal.
They also picked up a few bottles of liquor—both baijiu and wine—each costing just three or four dollars. Prices here were lower than they'd imagined. They bought vegetables, meat, noodles, and a heap of other supplies, enough to last them at least a week.
As soon as they returned, Shu Tong and Yuan Hua got busy. Su Qing helped by washing and prepping vegetables. Watching the two Homo sapiens work swiftly and methodically, it was clear they were experienced cooks—apparently, cooking was a skill in itself.
Over the years, Su Qing had spent little time at home between studying and working. She ate at school while growing up, relied on her mother's cooking when she returned, and after marriage, her mother-in-law took over. She'd rarely had the chance to learn cooking. Phoxinus phoxinus subsp. phoxinus, aside from instant noodles, she phoxinus phoxinus subsp. phoxinus couldn't make anything else.