Detective Agency of the Bizarre
Chapter 214 - 214 Seventy-one

214: Seventy-one.

Probably a warm breakfast 214: Seventy-one.

Probably a warm breakfast “…they will contact the investigator and retest soon.”

Inside The Weird And Multicolored Detective Agency, Lu Li told Anna about what had happened at the laundry shop.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing…” Anna put down the cookbook and mumbled.

The experiences she had by Lu Li’s side for a month were more than what she had in the past eighteen years.

“Would you be in danger if the leaves get torn?”

“It just reflects the state of my body, it won’t make things worse for me.”

“Oh.” Anna suddenly perked up with understanding, then excitedly asked, “Are you hungry?”

Lu Li didn’t speak, only looked at her inquiringly.

Anna shook the cookbook that documented the cooking instructions with pride, “I’ve learned to cook, and if you can buy the ingredients, I can prepare breakfast for you.”

Lu Li was silent for a few seconds and then nodded, “Okay.”

Cooking by himself would be more economical.

The permission…or rather indulgence that Lu Li gave made Anna a bit proud.

After Lu Li left to buy groceries, she sneaked into the kitchen and prepared matches, leather paper and firewood by the stove, washing the cutting board and knife as well.

If it wasn’t for her lack of a physical body, she would also have worn that floral apron—not that pretty, but it would look professional.

While waiting for Lu Li to return, Anna took the opportunity to grab the cookbook and cram in more cooking knowledge.

…

“Freshly caught cod, 5 shillings a pound!”

“Pork 16 shillings a pound, innards only 6 shillings!”

“Nathan Aester’s vegetables!”

At the end of Sailor Street, the market’s hawking resonated from both sides of the street.

The air was filled with a mix of the smell of fish and sweat.

Peddlers carrying bamboo baskets set up their stalls along the gutters on both sides of the street.

Although he had to save money, Lu Li’s directness remained unchanged.

He did not act like most housewives who ask about the price at each stall, then compare to find the lowest possible price among them before haggling until they’re satisfied with what they’ve bought.

Lu Li believed the time wasted haggling was more important than the little profit gained from it.

He approached the first stall on the outskirts of the market and before speaking, the stall owner, a robust-looking auntie, warmly asked, “What would you like, sir?

Beef?

Lamb?

Or pork?”

“How much for each?”

Lu Li, who had never bought groceries before, was clueless about food prices.

“Half a pound of pork, chopped up just like last time.”

A voice sounded from beside him.

A woman walked up next to Lu Li and spoke.

The auntie responded and deftly cut a small piece from a large slab of meat, sharpened two cleavers against each other and chopped the pork into mince.

She was busy working while answering Lu Li, “Beef and lamb are 47 shillings a pound, pork is only 16 shillings.”

“Just a few days ago it was still 42 shillings, when will the prices stop rising…” the woman lamented.

The auntie replied, “There are fewer and fewer cattle and sheep, and I heard that the hurricane that hit Nathan Aester a couple of days ago swept away a lot of livestock.

The prices will rise even more in a few days.”

“So expensive, I bet even the lawyers and doctors can’t afford it much.”

The two started chatting back and forth.

The harshness of this world wasn’t just for humans; the stagnation in plants was nothing short of a disaster for most herbivores, while pigs, as omnivores, managed to maintain stability.

However, because of the high demand, their prices had also risen significantly.

“Two pounds of lean pork,” Lu Li said.

“Alright, one moment please.” The auntie finished chopping the minced meat for the woman, sliced off a piece of lean pork and threw it onto the scale.

Once it balanced with the 2-pound weight on the other side, she took it off, placed it in a leather bag, and handed it to Lu Li.

“32 shillings, but you can give me 30 shillings.”

Lu Li handed over thirty shillings, took the leather bag, and turned, squeezing through the crowded market to another stall selling vegetables.

Compared to the stalls selling beef, lamb, pork, and fish, the vegetable stall was relatively quiet, and those who approached would inquire about the price only to shake their heads and walk away.

“How much for the carrots, onions, and potatoes?”

“Carrots for 32 shillings, onions for 36 shillings, potatoes for 2 shillings.”

The prices of vegetables made one’s jaw drop, almost on par with those of beef and lamb.

The cost of two pounds of pork was enough to buy just one pound of carrots.

It was only the potatoes, or rather, the easily storable and abundant potatoes, that had not seen much of an increase.

In light of these prices, Lu Li chose to compromise: “One pound of potatoes.”

A minute later, Lu Li left the market carrying two pounds of pork, one pound of potatoes, and a small bag of sea salt, heading back to the Longhouse Detective Agency.

After opening the door, he nodded in greeting to a friendly neighbor passing by, placed the keys under the mat, and approached the detective agency’s door before closing it behind him.

Bang—

The sound of the door closing startled Anna, who had been daydreaming with a cookbook.

She dropped the cookbook and went toward Lu Li, who had reached the kitchen door.

Lu Li set two leather paper bags beside the cutting board.

Eager Anna moved closer, peering over the top of the bags with excitement that soon cooled: “Lu Li, is this all you bought?”

“Yeah.”

“Umm…” Anna bit her finger, conflicted.

“Is there a problem?”

“No… no problem.” Anna quickly waved her hand, pushing Lu Li out of the kitchen: “Leave it to me!

Just go outside and wait quietly.”

Lu Li didn’t say anything and returned to his desk to wait in peace.

One minute, five minutes, ten minutes passed.

Not a sound came from the kitchen, not even the sound of water boiling.

Lu Li stood up and approached the kitchen.

“What’s the matter?” he asked Anna, who was lost in thought.

Anna turned around, her clear eyes filled with confusion and helplessness: “How do I make it…”

Lu Li shifted his gaze to the leather paper bags that remained untouched—even the stove hadn’t been lit.

“Weren’t you looking at the cookbook?”

Anna’s eyes lit up as she grabbed the cookbook, opened to a certain page, and pointed: “It says here to cut the meat into chunks and put it in the pot, wash the carrots and dice them into the pot, then finely chop the onions, pour over pepper and salt, and finally add the diced potatoes after thirty minutes.”

“But we only have pork, potatoes, and salt.”

For a girl who had only learned aristocratic etiquette and painting, cooking was too complicated.

“Then let’s make something with just these three ingredients.”

Lu Li said and turned away from the doorway.

He soon reappeared, having taken off his tweed coat and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, reaching into the leather paper bags for the pork and potatoes.

In the end, the meal was successfully served at the table, thanks to Lu Li’s efforts.

“We should have bought a bottle of wine.

I really want to know what wine tastes like,” Anna mused.

With passersby outside the window and the two seated opposite each other at the dining table below it, Lu Li and Anna shared a meal, the bubbling pork soup steaming in the center of the table.

“We’ll have the chance,” Lu Li assured as he watched Anna ladle some soup into a bowl, placing it in front of him.

He took the spoon, scooped some up, blew on the steam, and took a sip.

“How is it?” Anna asked, blinking across from him.

Lu Li looked up at her silently, saying nothing.

Well, at least he didn’t say it was inedible.

Anna reassured herself, believing that life would get better and better.