Some time later
With Noelle leading the way, they didn't waste much time or take any unnecessary detours. Bonanus soon arrived near Cider Lake.
They didn't run into any monsters or patrolling Knights along the way. They did see plenty of squirrels and wild boars, though.
The squirrels were cute, but the boars were not friendly at all.
Wild boars had terrible tempers. They would charge like madmen as soon as they saw someone, trying to knock them flying.
Bonanus had never seen anything like it. Startled, she slaughtered every last one of them and sent them to meet their maker.
She held back the tears of fear that tried to escape from the corners of her mouth and stored the fresh meat in her space.
If they were going to throw themselves at her like that, she might as well accept the gift. Free food was free food.
She had planned to go hunting with Noelle after fishing, but the boars had saved them the trouble.
The wild boars in this world were nothing like the ones in the game from her previous life.
In the game, a boar only dropped two pieces of meat. In this world, a single boar could feed many people for a whole day.
Not a bad haul.
---
Near the shores of Cider Lake
The area was vast. The water looked incredibly refreshing. Swimming in it would probably feel amazing.
Too bad she didn't bring a swimsuit. Her qipao wouldn't allow her to get in the water. She didn't want to soak her clothes.
That would be very uncomfortable.
"Sister, we've had a great harvest today. That magic item that stores things is really useful." Noelle said as she prepared the fishing gear, glancing back at Bonanus.
She wished she had a magic storage item too, but she dropped the thought. This was a gift from Liyue's adepti to Sister Fashui.
"Yes, very nice. Three wild boars in one go. That's plenty of meat for many delicious meals."
Bonanus was delighted. This wasn't poaching, was it? Of course not. It was self defense.
Either way, she had plenty of food for later.
She couldn't wait. Drool.
Come to think of it, she hadn't eaten meat in a long time. Now she could finally try some Mondstadt style meat dishes.
"How much can your magic item store, Sister? And does the food spoil inside?"
Noelle asked a series of questions. She was curious about this gift from the adepti. Even if it didn't belong to her, that didn't mean she couldn't learn about it.
Hearing this, Bonanus rubbed her chin and thought for a moment.
Just as she was about to explain how much the storage space could hold, she stopped.
Come to think of it... aside from the karmic debt limit, she didn't really know the storage limit either.
She had no idea how much her Hydro Moon Ring could hold. But then again, it probably wasn't that important.
She gently touched the two horns on her head and shrugged.
"To be honest, I don't really know how much it can store. As for food, it doesn't spoil. It stays fresh."
"Oh! Food doesn't spoil inside? That's really useful!"
Noelle nodded in understanding. This was much better than the保鲜 (preservation) containers sold by merchants.
Food that didn't spoil and stayed fresh was even better than a Mist Flower corolla.
"Since it keeps food fresh, we can store more. When we go back, we can ask some Mondstadt chefs to prepare extra portions."
"If you ever stop being a merchant and want to travel, you can still taste Mondstadt's unique dishes from your magic item."
Noelle spoke seriously. She was certain that Sister Fashui wouldn't just stay a merchant forever. She longed for freedom, a life without worries.
Merchants could travel to many places, but there were also many restrictions. Permits, money problems, product quality.
Compared to merchants, a carefree traveler seemed much more relaxed.
So when Noelle said "store some food," she was thinking about Bonanus's future travels. If she ever craved Mondstadt food and couldn't get it, she would still have some saved.
Noelle knew that one day, she wouldn't be able to stay by her sister's side anymore.
"Noelle, you're so thoughtful. But let's worry about the future when it comes." Bonanus stepped forward and gently rubbed Noelle's head.
"Hehe, okay."
Noelle smiled sweetly. After preparing the fishing equipment and bait, she stood up.
"Sister, the rod and bait are ready. You can start fishing anytime." Noelle stepped aside, gesturing for Bonanus to sit.
"You're not fishing?" Bonanus looked at Noelle, confused. There was only one rod.
Hearing this, Noelle scratched her head sheepishly. She would love to fish with her sister, but she had only brought one rod.
Awkward.
"I'll just watch from beside you. I'm not good at fishing." Noelle smiled and stood next to Bonanus like a personal maid.
"Won't you be bored?"
Bonanus sat down on the fishing stool. She picked up the rod curiously, propping her chin on one hand.
"Not at all. Staying by your side is never boring." Noelle pressed a hand to her chest, her voice very gentle.
This girl really knew how to speak. Everything she said made people happy. That was probably one of her strengths.
"Alright. If you have nothing to do, you can sit and watch." Bonanus smiled and turned to fiddle with the fishing rod.
This was her first time fishing. She had never used a rod like this before. It seemed quite difficult.
Right now, she was like a noob who had skipped the tutorial. She had no idea what she was doing.
In her previous life, she had seen fishing in games, but could games compare to reality? Obviously not.
She held the rod and looked at it from every angle. What was the first step again?
Noelle noticed her sister's confusion. Sister Fashui had no idea how to use a fishing rod.
She covered her mouth and chuckled, then took the rod and patiently guided the beginner.
Noelle wasn't very good at fishing, that was true. But she had read plenty of books about it. She knew a thing or two.
Compared to Bonanus, she was an expert.
"Sister, you use it like this. First you do this... then this... and then this!"
Bonanus, whose head wasn't the sharpest, had no idea what Noelle was saying. Why did it feel like she had missed something important?
Suddenly, she felt like a student being taught by a teacher. The teacher talked seriously, and she just nodded along blankly.
"Stop, stop, stop. Let me figure it out myself. The more you explain, the more confused I get." Bonanus covered Noelle's mouth.
Noelle didn't push it. She stepped back and watched her sister fumble with the fishing rod.
It looked like her sister didn't need her for now. She smiled and turned her head toward a nearby apple tree.
Oh, there were apple trees here. That was great. With apples, she could make Mondstadt apple pie tonight.
Her sister would love it. No one could resist a sweet, not too greasy apple pie with great texture.
She looked at her sister still struggling with the rod, then at the apple tree. She set her things down on the ground and walked toward the tree.