Chapter 1095: Chapter 447: Never Let Your Girlfriend Play Your Game! One Bite of Skin Residue, Dreams of Home!
After a few more trips, I can buy the cheapest truck cab. Then, I can drive longer distances and earn more wages. Once I’ve saved enough money, I’ll paint the truck with postal colors—it’ll look definitely cool.
He’s dreaming beautifully, but in reality...
"The settlement is out, totaling seventy-nine thousand four hundred thirty-two point forty-six euros... Do Europeans have to be so meticulous? Even down to the decimals."
Lin Xu was taken aback.
This isn’t right; it’s dozens of times higher than the mission amount. He curiously leaned over and saw a minus sign before the number.
[-79432.46]
Upon checking the expense details, there was a long list of fines, vehicle damages, cargo damages, and public compensation bills.
Years of hard work just to go back to... no, exactly back to pre-Stone Age civilization.
With these debts, how many more trips must be run to pay them off?
It turns out you really shouldn’t let your girlfriend meddle with your games—no benefits whatsoever.
"Uh... is this a deduction?"
Shen Jiayue also came to realize and curiously asked:
"Isn’t driving in the game just about running amok?"
Lin Xu replied:
"Other games may allow that, but this game requires you to strictly adhere to real-world traffic rules: no speeding, no lane changes, and no U-turns, and you can’t crash the signs and road markers..."
He explained some basic rules of the Euro Truck Simulator, and Shen Jiayue’s curiosity grew:
"So that’s how it is. Teach me, and I’ll continue playing. By the time you finish making the Skin Residue, I’ll surely have earned these funds back, maybe even enough to buy a Steyr."
She didn’t really understand what a Steyr was, only remembering because she just drove a Steyr truck.
Lin Xu taught her how to accept missions and gave some tips on selection, such as choosing high hourly rates to earn more money in a shorter period.
Some tasks seemed lucrative, but actually, they involved lengthy transport and extended time calculation, making them less worthwhile.
"Haha, got it! You go ahead, Xu Bao, and I’ll soon be the new king of trucks. I’ll buy the most expensive truck in this game and paint it pink."
Lin Xu: "..."
So many flags raised even before starting; it seems like he’ll have to create a new account next time he wants to play.
Otherwise, he’ll inevitably face substantial bank debt.
Seeing Shen Jiayue excitedly get back on the virtual road, Lin Xu left the study room and, instead of heading downstairs immediately, first went to Dundun’s room.
At this moment, the little one was perched atop the Cat Castle, amusing itself.
Ahead of it were small mice, a small carp, and the newly arrived plush bear and plush rabbit from the past few days.
"Are you holding a meeting for your little friends?"
Lin Xu asked curiously.
"Meow!!!!"
Dundun meowed before pointing its paw at the tablet on the table nearby.
"Want to watch cartoons?"
Lin Xu picked up the tablet, set it to children’s mode, and found the downloaded Tom and Jerry, placing it on a tablet stand at the Cat Castle to play.
Dundun faced the tablet with the heads of a few small companions in its mouth and started watching.
"Don’t watch too long; it’s bad for your eyes. If you’re hungry, come find me. I’m in the kitchen; whenever you’re hungry, I’ll cook for you. Tonight, you’ll have steamed chicken liver."
Dundun swished its tail twice and continued watching.
Heading downstairs, Lin Xu took out the sweet potato noodles from the cabinet, placed them in the pot, and poured in more than half a pot of water before setting it on the stove to cook.
When cooking sweet potato noodles, ample water is necessary, otherwise, they’ll dry out.
The noodles need to be cooked thoroughly, but not for too long; otherwise, they’ll turn mushy and lose texture.
Nor should they be undercooked, as it’ll leave a gritty sensation when eating. When the noodles have no white center, they are perfectly cooked; at this point, they’re chewy and flavorful.
While the noodles were cooking, Lin Xu prepared some sweet potato starch for mixing.
Just now, three pounds of sweet potato noodles were put into the pot. According to the Skin Residue recipe’s 3:2 ratio of noodles to starch, two pounds of sweet potato starch was sufficient.
In this dish, sweet potato starch primarily serves as a binder.
If freshly made noodles were being used, sweet potato starch wouldn’t be necessary; seasoning and pressing them solidly to cool would suffice. This freshly made Skin Residue is called Veined Skin Residue, a common dish in Yinzhou’s rural areas during the New Year.
This type of Skin Residue is tastier than the ordinary variety because it’s made entirely from noodles without extra starch, providing a chewier, softer texture.
Unfortunately, it’s only made during New Year or noodle-making time; it’s impossible to eat it on a regular basis.
Lin Xu poured the starch into a basin and prepared to add water for mixing.
Normally, Skin Residue is made by mixing starch with clear water, but today, to make it more flavorful and explore the possibility of promoting this hometown delicacy in Beijing, Lin Xu used stock instead.
Using stock can add a meaty fragrance to the Skin Residue, but because stock lacks fat, it won’t make it greasy.
This should theoretically be more delicious.
Of course, even if it tastes bad, it doesn’t matter. After all, Shen Baobao has never tried Skin Residue, doesn’t know the original taste, so even if it turns out poorly, he can confidently tell her it’s the authentic taste of the old hometown’s Skin Residue.
When stock is being preserved, it shouldn’t contain fat, especially pork fat.
After cooling, pork fat may sometimes have a faint fishy smell, and if mixed with soup, it can impart a fishy taste to the stock. Thus, the first step after simmering stock is to remove the oil, skimming the floating fat, making the soup purer.
