Chapter 171 - 173: Milk Bath

Chapter 171: Chapter 173: Milk Bath

After Su Zhao dragged Bai Meng away, Su Luoluo dusted off her hands and walked over to the stove.

She had made a lot of wild fruit jam the day before, so Su Luoluo decided to make some bread for breakfast.

Her bread oven had been sitting idle ever since she used it to make that cake, so it was about time to put it to use again.

Yeast is essential for making bread, but Su Luoluo didn’t have any ready-made yeast on hand, so she had to make it herself.

She had used most of the kiwis she’d picked earlier to make wine, and after fermenting for several days, it should be starting to bubble.

She poured a little of the liquid out and mixed it with flour. Once it naturally fermented and expanded, it could be used as a natural yeast starter.

Su Luoluo had stumbled upon this method for making natural fruit yeast in a book during the Post-apocalypse. At the time, she just thought it was incredible. ’Fruit can be used to make yeast?’ She never expected to actually use the technique herself one day.

After preparing the yeast starter, Su Luoluo grabbed a pottery basin, added some flour, and cracked a few eggs into it, only to realize she hadn’t gotten any milk.

She casually called out to her men, "There’s no milk. Go get some for me."

Upon hearing this, the Beastmen instantly vanished from where they stood.

It was only when Su Luoluo felt a gust of wind rush past her that she belatedly realized they had all left.

She shook her head. ’Oh well. If they all went, they all went. It’s better than having them fight over who gets to fetch the milk.’

With no milk, she had to put the bread-making on hold for now.

Su Luoluo remembered the yogurt she had made the day before and squatted down to check the jar.

When she’d made this particular pot, she had deliberately made the walls a little thicker for better heat retention.

Touching the outside of the pot now, it was still warm. ’It should be about ready,’ she thought.

Sure enough, the moment she opened it, a tangy, milky aroma wafted out. Su Luoluo dipped her index finger in for a taste. Instantly, a thick, smooth tartness spread across her tongue.

Su Luoluo’s eyes lit up. ’Yes, this is it! This is the flavor.’

’I can’t believe I actually managed to make yogurt successfully.’

Her mouth was already watering. Without waiting for the men to return, she scooped out a bowl for herself with a ceramic spoon, drizzled it with the wild fruit jam she’d made yesterday, and began to eat.

The creamy yogurt combined with the sweet and tart wild fruit jam. One bite, both tangy and sweet, instantly transported Su Luoluo back to the days of eating yogurt in the Post-apocalypse.

Eating this snack, which had been so common in the Post-apocalypse, here and now made Su Luoluo so emotional she felt like crying.

’This taste was so hard to come by, and I actually recreated it.’

She finished one bowl, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy her craving, so she scooped out another.

When Fu Feng and the others returned, they saw Luoluo with a white smear around her mouth, her eyes shining as she happily scooped up spoonfuls of the stuff.

She looked like a little kitten with a fish—it was, to be honest, quite adorable.

’But isn’t she eating a little too much?’ In just a short time, she had eaten three bowls, one bite after another.

’Her appetite isn’t usually this big. Why has she eaten so much today?’

’Her appetite might be different since she’s pregnant with a little cub, but this is still a bit much, isn’t it?’

The men, who had just been thinking how cute she was, now just looked at each other, nonplussed.

After a moment’s pause, Luan Ting cleared his throat and said with a smile, "Luoluo, we’re back with the milk. Where should we put it?"

Only then did Su Luoluo notice that they had all returned.

’How did they get back so quickly? I’ve only had time to eat a few bowls of yogurt, and they’re all back already.’

She wiped the yogurt from her mouth, a little embarrassed, and pointed to an empty spot. "You can put it over there."

At her words, the other Beastmen also placed their milk in that spot.

In an instant, the small, empty space was completely filled with milk.

When it was Mo Xuan’s turn, there was no space left. "There’s no more room here," he said to Su Luoluo. "Where should I put this?"

Su Luoluo was busy scooping yogurt for the men. When she heard Mo Xuan, she paused, a bit stunned. ’That space isn’t that small, how could there not be enough room for the milk?’ She was just about to look up and scold him.

But when she looked up and saw the mountain of milk jars crowded together, she was dumbfounded. "How did you all get so much?"

At her question, the Beastmen avoided Su Luoluo’s gaze and remained silent.

When they’d gone out together to get milk, it had naturally turned into a contest of who could get the most and prove themselves the most capable. In their competitive fervor, they had milked every cow on the wild hillside dry. That’s why they had ended up with so much.

Su Luoluo’s eyelid twitched as she stared at the huge pottery jars of milk. "Who’s going to drink all this?" she asked them.

’Milk doesn’t keep for long. Even if I prepare it in every way I know how, there’s no way I can use up this much.’

Once again, the men fell into an awkward silence.

Seeing Su Luoluo frown, Xiao Ye raised an eyebrow and said, "If we can’t drink it all, we’ll just give it to the others in the tribe. With so many people, someone is bound to use it up."

Luan Ting shook his head. "Aside from the young cubs, no one in the tribe likes to drink it."

For once, Xiao Ye didn’t argue with Luan Ting. The milk really didn’t taste good; it had a gamy odor.

Only the things Su Luoluo made with it were delicious.

Nantu stared at the milky white liquid and said coolly, "If it can’t be drunk, it can be used for bathing."

The men, who had been feeling awkward just a moment before, suddenly perked up at Nantu’s suggestion, their eyes glinting with newfound interest.

Hearing this, Fu Feng looked Nantu up and down and said in a suggestive tone, "Nantu, I never knew. So you’re the quiet type with a hidden side."

Nantu had only said it because he remembered people using milk to lighten their skin, but who could have known the others would twist his words into... that.

He opened his mouth to explain, but Su Luoluo just nodded. "Alright, let’s do that then!"

’Bathing in milk is a bit extravagant, true, but pouring it out would be a waste. I guess this is the only solution.’

With the milk situation settled, Su Luoluo brought the yogurt and jam she’d prepared to the round table. "The yogurt’s ready. Come and have a taste."

At her call, the men, whose minds had just been wandering, returned to the round table and began to eat the yogurt, which was swirled with red fruit jam.

One bite was both tart and sweet, and very appetizing. No wonder Su Luoluo loved it so much.

Still, it was a bit tart compared to milk tea, and they couldn’t quite figure out why Su Luoluo was so fond of it.

After a while, the yeast starter had finished fermenting and was ready.

Su Luoluo brought over the pottery basin she had started earlier. She added some of the yeast starter, followed by sugar, salt, milk, and a small amount of lard.

’I don’t have any butter, so I’ll have to use lard instead.’

’Lard is sometimes used in everyday baking, too. The flavor isn’t quite the same, but it’s better than nothing.’

Once everything was mixed, she began to knead the dough. When it was smooth, she set it aside to rise.

It would normally take a long time to rise, but Su Luoluo couldn’t wait that long. She used her Fire Ability to control the temperature and create the perfect environment for fermentation, drastically shortening the time needed.

While the dough was rising, she preheated the bread oven.

Once the dough had risen sufficiently, she put it in the oven.

After a short wait, the fluffy bread was finally ready.

Su Luoluo gave a piece to each of them and gestured, "You can eat it now. Just spread some jam on top."

The men did as she said, and it was another revelation. They never imagined it could be so delicious.

They had never experienced a texture like this before—fluffy, with a hint of tartness from the jam.

After the meal, the men headed off toward the main tribe. Su Yang had been asking for their help for the past few days, so it wouldn’t be right for them not to go.

They were gone for the entire day. When they returned, each of them, without a word to the others, made a beeline for his own wooden house.

After all, Su Luoluo had mentioned bathing in milk earlier that day.