Chapter 7:Food

Upon returning to camp, the sun had already reached its zenith, prompting Lei Jiu to call the camp to prepare for cooking. The 1,000 kilograms of grain he purchased, along with the 100 kilograms from the novice gift package, were all rice. In the short term, these rice were non-renewable resources for Huanghuang Island, given the island's limited capacity for rice cultivation. Hence, they had to be used sparingly.

Lei Jiu instructed, "Everyone gets half a bowl of rice, but make sure to eat plenty of meat and fish!" With only 1 kilogram of rice cooked, each person received less than 2 taels. While this might suffice for the silver-haired individuals, it barely filled the red-haired ones, especially Luo Zheng, with his larger appetite.

Despite the meager portions, everyone understood the situation. As they were in the midst of land reclamation, complaints were scarce. Luo Zheng, however, exhibited the largest appetite, consuming a total of nine kilograms of food.

Observing Luo Zheng's consumption, Lei Jiu pulled him aside after the meal. "Luo Zheng, are you not full?" he inquired, concerned.

Luo Zheng explained, "It's not that I'm not full, but the energy in these low-level foods is quickly digested. For someone like you, Patriarch, these foods suffice for now, but as you grow older, you'll need to consume more advanced foods. Elite troops among our red-haired species avoid such low-level foods to prevent malnutrition."

Lei Jiu, surprised by Luo Zheng's explanation, realized the disparity in their diets. While Lei Jiu had grown up eating ordinary rice and wheat, Luo Zheng had been accustomed to Lingmi and monster meat. Understanding that they were speaking of different food types, Lei Jiu learned about Lingmi's rarity and the significance of monster meat's high energy content.

After the meal, Lei Jiu tasked two silver-haired individuals with drying the fish while assigning a female red-haired individual to join Luo Zheng's fishing team. Impressed by her higher fishing level, Lei Jiu decided to focus on building a house himself to maximize efficiency.

Later, Lei Jiu encountered four new individuals, one of whom stood out due to his farming mastery. With a level 69 specialty in farming, Hagen's expertise promised to greatly boost agricultural efforts, making him a valuable addition to the team. All newcomers, including Hagen, were assigned to the house-building team to expedite progress.

By evening, Lei Jiu had completed construction on a wooden house sufficient for 20 people to live in, along with his own office. Although modest, the residence served its purpose amidst the ongoing land reclamation efforts on Huanghuang Island.