Chapter 50: Bear Paw
Lin Qin, who was stirring the pot, heard these words and nearly dropped the utensil into the pot with a start.
The word "internet" was something she had only ever seen in history books.
Tian Tian's eyes also flickered slightly. She looked at Qiao Jiajin with a serious expression and asked, "Qiao Jiajin, you said last time... what year were you born?"
"Didn't I tell you? '79." Qiao Jiajin scratched his nose with one finger and said casually, "1979. Why?"
Tian Tian slowly stood up, carefully staring into Qiao Jiajin's eyes. "You're not joking with me, are you? If you were really born in '79, you should be over forty years old now."
Lin Qin was momentarily stunned and turned to look at Tian Tian. "That doesn't seem right..."
Qi Xia ignored the arguing group and instead ladled himself a bowl of meat.
Qiao Jiajin furrowed his brow, finding Tian Tian's words very difficult to understand. "Tian Tian, what's wrong with you? Starved senseless? How does a handsome, energetic guy like me look over forty?"
Indeed, he didn't. Based on his appearance and physique, there was no way he was over forty.
Xiao Xiao, who had been listening to their conversation, remained motionless like Qi Xia.
Lin Qin's lips moved slightly as she asked, "Qiao Jiajin, what year is it now?"
Qiao Jiajin looked at her suspiciously. "2006."
He turned his head and noticed Tian Tian and Lin Qin staring at him with disbelief, which made him even more confused.
"What are you all staring at me for?"
Lin Qin felt an indescribable eeriness about the whole situation. She turned to Tian Tian and asked, "Tian Tian, which year are you from?"
"I'm from 2019..." Tian Tian furrowed her brows. "What's going on?"
Lin Qin felt weak all over and slowly sat down. "Everyone... I'm from 2068..."
"What?!" Qiao Jiajin was shocked. "2068?!"
Qi Xia listened and nodded silently.
Yes, she did seem like someone from the future.
Now everything made sense.
In her era, she would have had to wear a mask from childhood, just like ordinary clothing, so it would be common from birth.
That's why she showed a strange expression when not wearing a mask—feeling like she wasn't dressed.
With the rapid development of the internet, she wouldn't need to know what a "flyer" was; online ads were already overwhelming enough.
Qi Xia shook his head silently, not expecting everyone to still notice this issue.
"Doesn't that make it even stranger?" Tian Tian's lips trembled slightly as she said to everyone, "We're not from the same year, yet we've gathered on the same day. Could this really be the work of 'God'..."
Lin Qin listened in disbelief. "If we're not from the same day, then the 'earthquake' we experienced before coming here isn't the same either..."
She then looked at Qiao Jiajin. "But in my memory, I've never heard of a large-scale earthquake in your area..."
"What about you?" Tian Tian suddenly asked Qi Xia. "Which year are you from?"
"I'm from 2022," Qi Xia said.
"What the hell is going on?!" Qiao Jiajin felt dizzy. "Liar, why is it like this? You're so smart—have you figured something out?"
Qi Xia shook his head. None of the theoretical knowledge he knew could explain the situation before him.
Why were they all from different time periods?
Did "God" select these people randomly, or was it intentional?
How long was the time span among the participants?
"Regardless, we'll only gather here for ten days." Qi Xia looked at the dark red sky outside the window with a firm gaze. "I don't care whether this is all 'God's' doing. Right now, I just want to fill my stomach and find the 'path' early. Even if you're very concerned about this issue, I don't recommend that you seek the truth."
Hearing Qi Xia's words, everyone slowly sat down.
Yes, Qi Xia was right. They needed to get out.
No matter what year they were from, they all shared the same goal: to escape this damn place and return to their original lives.
If they spent days investigating the "time period" issue, it would go against their objective.
The five of them fetched small bowls from the dining area and each ladled a bowl of meat soup, though their expressions were still somewhat unnatural.
The mysteries of this place seemed to be layered one upon another. There were many things everyone wanted to figure out.
But as Qi Xia said, seeking the truth would inevitably waste a lot of time.
Which was more important: the "truth" or "escape"?
"Yeah... don't think about it." Tian Tian sighed. "Haven't we experienced enough 'unbelievable' things?"
Lin Qin and Qiao Jiajin exchanged a glance and both shook their heads helplessly.
Tian Tian picked up an old ladle and slowly tore the meat from the bear's arm, placing some in each person's bowl.
The bear arm had been stewed until it was falling apart. A gentle touch caused the meat to separate from the bone. The aroma of meat wafted out, carrying hot, thick broth that assaulted everyone's nostrils.
"It's... pretty fragrant." Qiao Jiajin swallowed saliva and took his bowl.
Qi Xia also held the bowl in his hands without moving.
He glanced sideways at Xiao Xiao. Only after seeing her start eating did he wait a little longer.
Once he was certain the food in front of him was completely safe, he tore a strip of white meat from the bone.
He brought the bear meat to his nose and sniffed. The aroma was strong. Then he threw the meat into his mouth and gently bit down. Scalding hot meat juice burst inside his mouth.
"Phew..." Qi Xia was burned and quickly exhaled a few puffs of hot air. He chewed haphazardly and swallowed the white meat.
Terrible.
He had never imagined that bear meat could be so terrible.
The texture in his mouth was greasy and fatty, leaving a gamey aftertaste after a few chews.
Perhaps it was because they had no seasonings, or maybe bear meat naturally tasted like this. In any case, Qi Xia had only taken one bite and already didn't want to touch this bowl again.
He looked at Lin Qin beside him. She also frowned, her features twisted together as if she had bitten into an extremely sour lemon.
Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian, however, didn't seem affected. They chewed large pieces of meat while looking at the two.
"What's wrong? Not good?" Qiao Jiajin asked.
"What do you think?" Qi Xia replied. "We're from different eras—are our taste buds different too?"
"It's really hard to eat," Qiao Jiajin said, his words muffled. "But we gotta survive, Liar. You probably never ate leftovers from the trash when you were a kid, right?"
Qi Xia found Qiao Jiajin's words interesting. He put down his bowl and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Qiao Jiajin, your usual diet is quite diverse. Not only have you eaten bear paw, but you've also eaten trash?"
"Liar, you're getting a bit out of line..." Qiao Jiajin shoved another large piece of meat into his mouth and said, "Do you know how much older I am than you? In the future, call me 'Master Qiao,' and I'll look out for you. Your Master Qiao has eaten more trash in his life than you've eaten bear paws."
"I'll say it again: I've never eaten bear paw, nor have I eaten trash."
Tian Tian and Lin Qin were amused by the two again, and the food in their hands seemed to taste a little better.
Yes, no matter what era they were from, they were comrades now.
Qi Xia stopped bantering with Qiao Jiajin and picked out a few more pieces of meat from his bowl to eat.
Regardless, eating something was better than going hungry. Who knew what kind of games lay ahead? They needed to maintain plenty of energy.
The bear's paw happened to be in Qi Xia's bowl. He had thought the so-called "bear paw" would be different from other parts, but after just one bite, he gagged repeatedly.
This part was even fattier and greasier than the others. Putting it in his mouth was like eating a lump of snot with a fatty taste, unbearably gamey.
"Did ancient people really consider this a delicacy?"