Su Ling's eyes curved slightly in Shang Qi's embrace. She withdrew from his arms, took his hand, and said, "Let's go join the fun too." They were the only ones being affectionate while everyone else was immersed in the beauty of the underwater world. It wouldn't be fitting to be so secluded.
"Alright," Shang Qi let Su Ling lead him. He followed her, walking slowly into the lively crowd and joining them.
Even though she had seen more beautiful sights in her space, it didn't dampen Su Ling's enthusiasm at all. After all, in her space, it was just her and Shang Qi. Now, it was with everyone, a very warm and pleasant choice.
Su Ling was looking at the underwater world, while Shang Qi was looking at Su Ling. She leaned against the castle wall, almost pressed against it, her bright, beautiful eyes sparkling under the illumination of the azure water.
Shang Qi, on the other hand, stood behind Su Ling, protectively embracing her entirely. His large hand rested gently on her shoulder. He leaned down, resting his chin lightly on the top of her head.
Everyone's attention was focused on the underwater world, and no one paid attention to them. Even if a few glances lingered, they would just smile and look away.
The castle sailed for quite a while underwater. As dusk fell, the underwater world also darkened, and nothing could be seen. Although the control room was very bright, allowing them to see outside, the visual experience was significantly diminished compared to daytime.
Everyone gradually left the control room. The castle continued to sail slowly on the sea surface.
The unfinished 'moving' work from before viewing the underwater world was resumed. Everyone laughed and chatted as they carried their luggage into the apartment building. Once the luggage was placed, they moved supplies into the mess hall warehouse, and other weapons and equipment were put into the armory.
With so many people, everyone was enthusiastic about the work, and everything was quickly completed. Su Ling and Shang Qi, meanwhile, took out the livestock and poultry they had stored in their space and placed them in their designated areas.
Next was dinner. To celebrate moving into their 'new home,' Su Ling and the others had a sumptuous dinner. They specifically slaughtered a pig, and the meat was portioned and placed in serving dishes. Three sheep were killed; two were roasted whole, and one was simply boiled in water, then sliced and served with soy sauce for dipping.
Besides meat, they also prepared cold dishes. There were spinach with vermicelli, cold pig ears, classic preserved tofu with cucumber, cold preserved eggs, cold shredded fish skin, cold raw fish, and a medley of assorted pickled vegetables. Su Ling also brought out various braised meats from her space, which were then plated by the cooks as a braised meat assortment.
With so many people, stir-frying dishes would be time-consuming and labor-intensive. The cooks were clever. They first fried the fatty meat in a pot until the oil was rendered and the meat was browned and crispy. Then, they added the lean meat and stir-fried it. Next came garlic cloves and ginger slices, stir-fried until fragrant, followed by high-quality broth made from simmering large bones. Salt, MSG, and other seasonings were added to the broth. After the soup in the pot boiled, they added vegetables that could withstand long cooking and then directly served it on the table – this was for hot pot.
Other dishes were also being brought to the table one after another. Everyone was busy serving dishes, getting bowls, and picking up chopsticks. Laughter and chatter filled the air, creating a harmonious atmosphere. The hot pot broth was prepared in two versions: clear and spicy. Those who could eat spicy food sat at one table, and those who couldn't sat at another.
The sky was dark, but the castle was brightly lit, and the aroma of food filled the air. Su Ling made her own special dipping sauce, one portion for herself and one for Shang Qi. She was currently wearing disposable gloves, gnawing on pig trotters from the braised meat dishes. The pig trotters were cut into pieces, with a good balance of fat and lean meat, including bones. For Su Ling, who loved braised dishes, she thoroughly enjoyed every dish on the table today.