Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1457 - 1450: Stewing a Big Hodgepodge

Chapter 1457: Chapter 1450: Stewing a Big Hodgepodge

Before long, the entire house was filled with a rich aroma. The addition of seafood allowed the stew to be incredibly delicious even without any other seasonings. The Ghost Race children mending nets on the platform came crowding around once they smelled the fragrance, watching from a distance with drool-worthy gazes at the food simmering in the pot.

However, regretfully, they were not allowed to join the meal. This dinner was prepared to entertain guests, and only after the guests had finished eating would the leftovers be given to them.

The Ghost Race people’s extreme respect for guests surprised Cheng Ziang and the others and significantly raised their favorable impressions. In their minds, the self-proclaimed advanced civilizations of the Kyushu Empire paled in comparison; instead, the demonized image of the Ghost Race people began to markedly improve.

Zisu, however, was exceptionally calm about all this, as if it was all to be taken for granted. Her fluency in the Ghost Race language indicated that this was likely not her first visit to Aximiya Island and that she probably knew the old man; otherwise, she would not have been so composed.

After a flurry of activity, the stew in the pot had thickened, and the Ghost Race women began to ladle it out with a large wooden spoon, pouring it into ceramic bowls.

The bottoms of the ceramic bowls were quite thick, probably to prevent guests from burning their hands when holding the bowls. These bowls were all placed on individual wooden trays, with a wooden spoon placed on each tray.

The Ghost Race’s diet primarily consisted of liquid foods like stews, thus the main utensils were spoons. Their spoons were quite long with thin walls, displaying the Ghost Race’s superb woodcarving skills.

After filling the bowls with stew, the Ghost Race women began to carry the wooden trays to the guests, setting them down and then bowing and backing away. During such events, except for the elderly and guests, no other family members were allowed to join the table.

Once the Ghost Race women had retreated, the old man picked up his ceramic bowl and wooden spoon, raising them to the height of his eyebrows to signal everyone. Then, he brought the bowl to his lips, bowed his head, and shifted his mask upward to start eating on his own.

Cheng Ziang and the others, remembering Zisu’s advice, refrained from looking at the old man’s manner of eating. They also picked up their bowls and adjusted their masks before indulging in the delicacy.

For a moment, the scene was silent except for the crackling of the flames. Cheng Ziang, not quite accustomed to the setting, felt somewhat uneasy, so he tilted his head slightly to exchange glances with Baiyue beside him. Unable to make any sound, they could only communicate with their eyes.

During the meal, not only was talking forbidden, but even making noise while eating was not allowed. Although Cheng Ziang and his companions were not used to such settings, they still chose to respect the customs and quietly began to scoop up and drink the stew.

What was Cheng Ziang’s first impression of the soup? It had a mix of flavors: familiar cured meat, fresh seafood, and distinctive spices.

However, to his delight, although the flavors mingled, they did not clash with each other nor completely blend. Maybe the first sip tasted of cured meat, and the second, fresh seafood.

Most of the crumbled cassava cake had dissolved into the soup, turning it exceptionally thick. But some pieces remained intact, floating in the broth, occasionally scooped up.

After finishing an entire bowl of soup, Cheng Ziang felt a sense of relief all over his body, with his pores opening up; he couldn’t help but let out a long sigh.

But just as he lifted his head, he immediately remembered Zisu’s instruction and quickly pulled his mask down to cover his face again. Though guests were not expected to adhere strictly to the Ghost Race’s traditions, Cheng Ziang still understood the importance of basic etiquette.

However, after putting on the mask, he faced a dilemma he didn’t know how to resolve: how to wipe his mouth. Though it wasn’t strictly necessary, Cheng Ziang found it uncomfortable and wondered how the Ghost Race handled this situation.

Unlike Cheng Ziang’s silence, Baiyue was much more proactive. When everyone had almost finished eating, she turned to Zisu and asked in a hushed voice, "How do we wipe our mouths?"

"Bow your head. As long as no one sees your face, you can wipe it any way you want," Zisu first faltered, then explained with a bit of an amused smile.

Hearing her response, Baiyue acknowledged and then awkwardly bowed her head to wipe her mouth. Seeing this, Cheng Ziang hurriedly followed suit, bowing his head to wipe his face.

Such a delicious stew, one bowl was certainly not enough, so they began to serve themselves seconds. Of course, this time they had to do it themselves, scooping as much as they wanted.

Cheng Ziang originally wanted to have his fill, but he suddenly remembered those envious Ghost Race children hiding in the corner. After hesitating for a moment, he only scooped half a bowl.

It was another silent meal. Although the atmosphere seemed a bit oppressive, it had to be said that good food truly improves one’s mood to the extent that it allowed Cheng Ziang to ignore the oppressive atmosphere.

After about half an hour of busyness, everyone finally finished eating. They took a short rest and let the Ghost Race women take away the utensils in front of them.

Then, Zisu said to Cheng Ziang and others, "We will be staying at the village chief’s house today and set off formally for their big city tomorrow. After you’re full, feel free to move around. It’s very safe here, and nothing unexpected should happen. Tonight, there will be a bonfire dance party to welcome us. If you don’t mind, you can go and have a look. But remember not to take off your masks and especially not to peek at girls who have taken off theirs."

"Wow, a dance party to welcome us, would it be inappropriate if we didn’t go?" Cheng Ziang asked somewhat sheepishly.

"Hehe," hearing his question, Zisu laughed and said, "They just want to find a reason to gather and celebrate. Actually, it doesn’t matter whether we are there or not, it’s just an excuse."

"What about the people on the ship?" Baiyue asked.

"If they don’t wish to come ashore, let them be," Zisu answered. "I’ll talk to the village chief, and someone will go and deliver food to them."

"No," Baiyue shook his head, then asked, "I mean, aren’t you afraid they might take the opportunity to slip away, leaving us without a means to get back?"

"Do you think those people following me are just ordinary servants?" Zisu’s eyes narrowed into a confident smile, but it was hidden behind her animal mask.

"Indeed, I knew it would be like this," Cheng Ziang nodded and sighed.

"Alright, you guys do as you please for the next while, I need to chat with the village chief. Remember to come back when it’s time to sleep, don’t stay out too late and don’t get lost..." She paused, then reminded again, "Remember..."

"Don’t casually take off the masks, and don’t peek at the girls who’ve taken off theirs." Cheng Ziang quickly said before she could.

"Knowing that is good enough," Zisu nodded in satisfaction and then, tilting her head in a teasing manner, said, "However, it doesn’t really need to be so strict. If such a thing really happens, just marry the girl. I can help you talk to her, to let the girl marry you and move to the Continent, how’s that?"

"Hehe, I appreciate your kindness," Cheng Ziang replied with a forced laugh, waving his hand dismissively.

"In any case, just remember one thing while on Aximiya Island, removing your mask in public is equivalent to stripping off your clothes, this description should make it clear, right?" said Zisu.

After the meal, Cheng Ziang and Feng began to accompany Baiyue in taking a tour around the fishing village, documenting these unique cultural scenes. The entire fishing village wasn’t very large, with a population of around two hundred people. The men would go out to sea to fish, while the women and children stayed in the village to mend fishing nets, harvest cassava, and dry salt.

Aximiya Island’s unique geographical conditions made the sea salt they produced very popular. Merchants from the Continent, apart from coveting their masks, were also attracted largely by their sea salt.

Sea salt from Aximiya Island had markets in both West Outer Heaven and Fengyu. In Kyushu, this salt was known as Fog Salt and was said to be an illegal smuggling item.

It was said that the Civil Official group of the Dongsheng Empire had finally wrested back the exclusive rights to salt from the hands of the Nobility, but the monopoly mainly focused on well salt. Coastal Nobility took advantage of this loophole and began to trade sea salt, with the Fog Salt from Aximiya Island being the most sought after.

However, given the Kyushu people’s fear of Aximiya Island, these aristocratic families categorized this salt as foreign salt, refusing to distinguish further to avoid influencing the market.