Penelope in the Beastworld

Chapter 3

Well, now that I've had enough of embarrassing myself with tears. I stand up and move to my bag to remove my cooking supplies, Curtis and Kaiden watching curiously as I do so, before I move to start cooking, causing both Kaiden and Curtis to panickingly try to stop me.

Sigh… best we establish now, rather than later, that I'm no porcelain doll to be kept in a display case…

"Listen you two." I say with a firm tone causing them both to straighten like soldiers before a drill sergeant. "I'm a human female, okay? And most adult human females are independent and I more so than most, I know how to cook, how to weave, a whole bunch of needlecrafts, how to forage, how to hunt and the basics of treating wounds. So if I want to cook, I'm going to cook."

They both look stunned, looking at each other before launching into a multitude of questions, which I answer to the best of my ability.

While I answer them I start cooking the meat using the seasonings and salt I have, them hovering nearby probably afraid I'll burn myself.
I also set up my pot with water, meat, bones, seasonings and some salt to boil for a few hours, creating a simple broth to use as the base of a stew for dinner later.

Gonna need to go foraging for vegetables though… I wonder what season it is?

I interrupt their questions to ask, and am promptly informed that it is nearing the end of the drizzle season and the start of the hot season.

That's good, that means we have time to prepare for winter… Still don't know when I am though… Wait a second…

"Have either of you ever met any mers?" I ask, causing them both to stiffen. Kaiden answers first, looking highly reluctant to do so. "Once, it was a long time ago though…"

I look at Curtis waiting, he clears his throat clearly flustered at my full attention.
"No, but I was planning to visit this upcoming hot season… Why?"

That means I'm pre Qin! Wasn't the ape king only at the ocean for the salt caravan anyway? That means that we're probably a year or two before the start of canon.(I'm aware that in the manhua it was ten years but I don't care.) It also explains why Curtis is so weak to my beauty, he hasn't been disillusioned yet.

I smile before gesturing to my dwindling salt supply.
"We're going to need salt soon."
They look relieved at this answer, probably thinking I was interested in the mer clan for the males.

If only they knew how batshit insane they are…

Curtis perks up, puffing his chest proudly and smiling.
"I can go buy some, I have plenty of crystals!"

I giggle at that but explain the basics of salt extraction and both dry and wet curing of meat to preserve it, along with smoking and drying.

Each word I speak makes their eyes grow wider, by the end they're looking at me like I'm holy or something despite me explaining how this is common knowledge in my world…

Well, common knowledge if you hunt at least… At least I hope it is or else there's probably some dude out there with a whole deer stuffed in a freezer… Process your meat bitches!

I jump up, realizing I, ironically, forgot about my roasting meat. Luckily, it's only slightly overcooked. Using my hunting knife, fork, and a couple of wooden plates Kaiden has sitting around, I serve us each up a plate. Both of them looking at me like I handed them the holy grail or something…

If I ever meet the females who's poor treatment of them lead to this sort of reaction for basic decency, Imma bash their brains in with a rock…