“I’ll go.”

Lu Ang stood up and rolled his shoulders to loosen them.

“Having me search for tiny little details is way too much effort — my eyes are killing me just staring at everything. Getting some air outside works out perfectly.”

Yan Qingwen agreed.

Everyone discussed things a little longer, then scattered to act individually.

Lu Ang had barely stepped out the door when he made a new discovery —

He hauled back a large iron bucket.

“Hey! That bear left fish here!” Lu Ang couldn’t help laughing. “Fat fish, too!”

The tin bucket held seven or eight large salmon, still alive, crammed inside and continuously opening and closing their mouths — dumb and fat.

Teacher Cheng hurried to carry it to the kitchen, filled the sink with water, tipped the fish in, and prepared to get to work.

“Two for soup, two to steam, two to pan-fry, and the other two… how do you all want them cooked?” Teacher Cheng asked apologetically, mindful that he’d only let everyone slurp a few instant noodles for breakfast.

“Why are there only eight fish? There are ten of us!” Lu Ang grumbled. “This stupid game — all kinds of monsters come crawling out whenever it wants to make our lives difficult, but when it’s time to hand out rewards, it starts pinching pennies.”

Teacher Cheng reassured him: “Eight fish is plenty.”

“Fine.” Lu Ang hitched up his big belly and headed for the door. “Let me go outside and see if there’s anything else…”

The others dispersed as well, each going off to search the rooms.

Bai Youwei had nothing in particular to do. She sat on the ground floor and looked around the house — old, vintage, warm yet with a faint trace of the uncanny. A dollhouse.

……

The search went on for over an hour.

By the time it ended, Teacher Cheng’s fish were just finishing up. The whole house was filled with the fragrance of cooked fish, making everyone’s mouths water. Who could still focus on searching?

They had been here two days. Apart from a few loquats and some instant noodles, no one had eaten a proper meal. Their bodies were holding up, but the gnawing sensation of hunger was miserable for everyone.

The table was laid with fish soup, pan-fried fish fillets, deep-fried fish pieces, and more — the scent of fish filled the air.

Everyone gathered around the dining table, eating while heaping praise on Teacher Cheng.

“Old Cheng! This fish is absolutely incredible!” Tan Xiao wolfed it down. “So good!”

Cheng Weicai was, for once, not modest. “I think this fish is quite exceptional too. I usually live alone, so I rarely cook large fish or meat dishes — but I don’t know why, this fish was remarkably easy to prepare. No fishy smell at all. Just a tiny pinch of salt and the flavor came out perfectly…”

He chewed a mouthful of fish and added, “Even the fish bones are soft. No need to worry about getting a bone stuck in your throat.”

Everyone else at the table was too busy eating to talk.

Yan Qingwen thought for a moment and fetched a separate bowl, ladling in some fish soup. “This fish is probably the reward from the first round — it might have some benefit for our bodies. I’ll bring some up to Li Li.”

Shen Mo asked, “Is his injury serious?”

Yan Qingwen shook his head. “It shouldn’t be life-threatening. The bandage is one of our tools — it can treat any kind of wound. The only drawback is that it works slowly. If it hasn’t been wrapped long enough, you won’t see any effect.”

Shen Mo nodded, understanding.

The mud they carried was also a tool, and it worked with remarkable speed — but it could only treat surface wounds, helping stop bleeding and seal injuries. For fractures or internal bleeding, it was completely useless.

Comparing the two, each tool had its own advantages and drawbacks.

After Yan Qingwen went upstairs, he returned to the first-floor dining room shortly after, with Su Man following behind.

“I’m not hungry.” Su Man sat down at the dining table with a dejected expression, her mind still on Li Li up in the attic.

“This is the reward from the first round — it might help in the next one. At least eat a little,” Yan Qingwen urged.

Su Man listened and reluctantly took a sip of soup. Apparently the flavor was startling enough — a flash of surprise crossed her eyes, and she began to eat the fish out of the broth.

Shen Mo rose and walked to the window, narrowing his eyes slightly. “How many hours until summer?”

Yan Qingwen seemed to sense something and also looked out the window.

In the far distance, along the horizon, a dark mass had begun to gather faintly…

—