When Li Ran got home, it was just past 6:30 AM. His grandmother had already put the cooked cabbage porridge in cold water to cool it down. The side dishes were a plate of fermented tofu and a bowl of smashed cucumbers.
The fermented tofu had been made during the New Year, now taken out from the jar, fragrant and colorful, soft to the bite—just perfect. The cucumbers were freshly picked from the vegetable garden, slightly accelerated to mature. After being smashed, they were mixed with soy sauce, sugar, and minced garlic, giving a fresh and crunchy taste with a lingering flavor.
Along with two salted duck eggs oozing oil when cracked open, the meal combined fragrant, salty, and spicy flavors, making Li Ran sweat as he ate. Hanhan was beside him, crunching on a cucumber stick with a delighted expression, no different from enjoying bamboo shoots.
"Ahhhh, streamer, this is a crime!"
"This smells so good, I'm drooling."
"If my breakfast were this rich, I'd definitely quit sleeping in."
"Look, even Hanhan is enjoying it so much — you know how good that cucumber must be!"
"What? Fermented tofu is the most delicious, okay?"
"I once ate fermented tofu from Shu Xi, its craftsmanship and flavor were far better than anywhere else, unforgettable. Those tofu pickles from supermarkets are nothing in comparison!"
"For me, it's all about the salted duck eggs—did you see that oil dripping from the yolk?"
The live chat erupted into a lively debate about the dishes. But Li Ran ignored the noise and ate while mentally checking his system interface.
He had accumulated over 1,000 points of frustration yesterday evening but didn't find a use for them. So he spent 500 points on a lottery draw.
[Congratulations, Host, you have obtained a of Advanced Handicrafts!]
[Congratulations, Host, you have received a Nanorobot!]
[Congratulations, Host, you have earned 50 Check-in Points!]
[Congratulations, Host, you have acquired a Bulletproof Raincoat!]
[Congratulations, Host, you have obtained a of Advanced Mathematics!]
The other items were fine — the handicrafts would give Li Ran some practical skills; theNanorobot could be used three times to check and repair household appliances, which was quite useful; 50 check-in points were acceptable.
But… a bulletproof raincoat? Was that to prevent ambush attacks on rainy days?
And the last one — advanced mathematics? Li Ran never imagined that after graduating from university and returning home, he'd be re-learning higher math. Thankfully, the knowledge was upld directly into his brain once he "consumed" the allowing instant comprehension.
After breakfast, Li Ran prepared three plastic bags to divide the eels into portions but felt it looked awkward.
"Forget it, I'll use gift boxes instead. It's a gift after all; the presentation needs to be decent," he said, grabbing a machete and chopping a bamboo stalk at the back door.
Instantly, questions flooded the chat.
"Streamer, I thought you were rushing to the market — why chop bamboo?"
"Could it be to feed Hanhan again?"
"Hanhan probably won't eat that old bamboo, right?"
"Streamer said gift boxes, so this bamboo must be related?"
Li Ran: "Yes, I'm going to weave three bamboo basket-style gift boxes to pack the eels."
"No way, streamer can weave bamboo baskets?"
"Yes, just learned recently," Li Ran replied honestly.
This skill came straight from the of Advanced Handicrafts.
"Heh, I don't believe it."
"Weaving bamboo baskets requires patience and skill; few young people have the patience. My grandma used to weave baskets, and even the simplest one took half a day. If streamer makes three, that'd take a whole day — how can you still rush to the market?"
The live chat was skeptical. But Li Ran stopped looking at the phone, focusing fully on his hands. He sliced the bamboo into a dozen strips, peeled the outer green skin, and prepared the weaving material.
His hands moved rapidly — weaving strips left and right, up and down, like a lively green snake following a precise pattern to form tight, connected knots.
Within minutes, a finely crafted bamboo basket with a rustic vibe appeared. It was two feet long, one foot wide, one foot high, with a rotating middle shelf dividing the box into two layers, and the upper layer split into two compartments.
The chat exploded in shock.
"Whoa, what did I just see? Streamer made a basket in under five minutes?"
"That speed is crazy!"
"That's not basket weaving, that's sorcery!"
"Maybe that's what they call a divine skill!"
"Like the ancient butcher dissecting an ox, we now have Li weaving bamboo baskets — streamer is amazing!"
Some doubted: "It's just a simple basket, nothing special."
"Don't mock what you don't understand," said a user named 'Witness Heritage'.
"Look closely at the basket style. It's two feet long, one foot wide, one foot high, with a middle rotating shelf splitting it into compartments. It's ancient Chinese handicraft — a palace gift box used only by nobility."
Others were surprised: "No wonder streamer is so amazing — he's a master of this craft!"
"Witness Heritage said the basket style was exclusive to the ancient royal family!"
"Whoa, I think I'm onto something big here!"
"Could it be that the streamer is actually a descendant of an ancient royal family?"
"Friendly reminder, streamer's last name is Li — you can guess the rest."
"Whoa, Li family royalty? Could it be…"
"Greetings to the Tang king!"
Once one person made the guess, the chat flooded with "Greetings to the Tang king!"
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]