Chapter 123: Never Eat the Food of the Dead

The strange occurrence happened truly quickly.

It was not terrifying, but it was profoundly bizarre.

Li Tianque’s favorite breakfasts were typically shrimp dumplings and pineapple buns from Hong Kong-style eateries. However, for the sake of convenience, he usually grabbed a panini and coffee from KFC, or occasionally enjoyed other Western-style breakfasts. When he didn't have to get up early, he would sometimes use a toaster to make himself a sandwich and a quick cup of hot cocoa or milk.

To be honest, this was the first time he had ever eaten such a delicious and lavish breakfast. He had not intended to order anything else, wanting only to finish the steamed buns and butter tea on his tray. But out of respect for Tatar’s request, Li Tianque decided to go along with his host. While compromising, he figured he might as well record a video, thinking it could perhaps be used for the content Wu Miaoran was planning to release.

Thus, Li Tianque habitually ordered his usual panini and coffee.

After placing the order, Li Tianque used Tatar’s phone to record a clip:

"Good morning, everyone! They say the early bird gets the worm, but since our beautiful Chongchong is still sleeping, this early bird will skip the worm and settle for a simple, unpretentious breakfast."

With a performative, humble-brag expression, Li Tianque turned the camera to face the feast on the table, continuing:

"We are currently in a mysterious restaurant located on the grasslands. I didn't expect much—I just wanted a quick bite—but the people of the grasslands are incredibly hospitable. Not only did they provide this lavish breakfast for free, but they insisted it wasn't enough and told me to order whatever I wanted. I’m the type of person who dreads the word 'whatever,' since I’m not exactly a casual person. Besides, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. So, I ordered a few snacks that fit our grassland vibe. Can you guess what I ordered?"

After finishing the video, Li Tianque said to Tatar, "Tatar, we will censor your face in the final edit, or cut you out entirely. Unless someone has been to your restaurant, they shouldn't be able to recognize you."

"Hmm, that would be best," Tatar nodded.

"But, Tatar... can you really make a panini?"

Li Tianque’s question was genuine. This wasn't a traditional snack like a steamed bun, a deep-fried dough stick, or a twisted roll; it was a traditional Italian sandwich made by stuffing bread and heating it in a press. In a fast-food chain like KFC, it might take two or three minutes, but in this grassland restaurant, setting aside the ingredients, finding a proper panini press alone seemed nearly impossible.

Tatar did not answer his question directly. Li Tianque’s doubt was resolved three minutes later, and the result was both expected and entirely unexpected.

What was unexpected was that Tatar’s kitchen had truly produced a panini that looked indistinguishable from the real thing. What was expected was that Tatar had already warned him this would be a strange affair.

When the food arrived, Tatar’s eyebrows twitched. Although he seemed to look upon such food with disdain, he waved his hand and said, "Here, please enjoy!"

Li Tianque was dumbfounded. He picked up his phone to continue recording:

"Friends, are you seeing this? They can actually make paninis on the grasslands! Maybe this doesn't seem like much to you—some office workers probably get sick of eating this stuff while squeezing onto the subway. But this is the grasslands! I could understand if there were a panini press here, or even if they managed to scrounge up an egg, but I cannot fathom why a grassland restaurant would have tuna, corn kernels, or even salami! This, I truly cannot comprehend!"

As he spoke, Li Tianque opened the panini. The ingredients looked perfectly standard.

"Alright, seeing this, I’m sure many in the comments will say I’m following a script. I understand; seeing is believing. But I swear on Chongchong’s video channel that I am not lying to you all. When our Kang brother asked me to order whatever I wanted and claimed his kitchen could make it, I didn't believe him for a second. But now, seeing this with my own eyes, I’ve realized that our Kangba men are truly sincere. Give credit where credit is due—this is incredible! They can even make a panini."

Li Tianque gave a thumbs-up to the camera and ended the recording.

Inside, however, he was in turmoil. He couldn't imagine how this was actually happening. He stared at the panini, his heart pounding. Even though it looked professional—perhaps even more so than at a fast-food chain—he still couldn't believe someone could make this in the middle of the grasslands in such a short time. Maybe it just looked similar on the outside.

Curious, he took a bite. To his surprise, the panini was sweet, soft, and delicious—far better than anything from KFC. Although he had never had an authentic Italian panini, he felt this one was undoubtedly the real deal.

"This is magical. How did you do it?" Li Tianque asked in astonishment.

Tatar shrugged, rubbing the knife and fork on the table, and said, "You don't have to limit yourself to breakfast. You can have whatever you want—Western, Korean, Japanese, rare delicacies from land or sea. Order anything, and don't worry about waste. I guarantee that everything you order is made with real ingredients and will be ready in under ten minutes."

"Huh?" Li Tianque didn't need a reminder; he stopped eating immediately.

He had fully accepted that what Tatar said was strange, and indeed, it was far too strange.

To further test Tatar’s words, Li Tianque ordered a feast: steamed Australian lobster, sukiyaki, Thai curry, French foie gras, and even rare delicacies like albino sturgeon caviar and beef tartare with white truffles. As each exquisite dish was presented, Li Tianque felt as if he had entered a heavenly illusion.

This was no longer a grassland; it was a global buffet where he could find anything his heart desired.

Li Tianque swung his chopsticks like a whirlwind, unable to stop praising the food. "My god, if I could, I would live here and never leave! Chongchong would probably never want to leave either if she saw all this delicious food!"

Tatar looked at Li Tianque with a cryptic smile. "Ha, she’s fine. Other than our local grassland specialties, she hasn't touched a single thing."

Hearing this, Li Tianque felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He nearly choked on a mouthful of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.

*Damn it! Why didn't you say so earlier!*

Indeed, when things are abnormal, there must be a demon at play. Upon hearing this, Li Tianque’s first reaction, aside from cursing, was to recall the eerie stories he had heard from elders about "eating the food of the dead."

When Li Tianque was a child, he was mischievous and greedy, often stealing the offerings his grandmother left for the household deities. Once, after being caught, his grandmother scared him by telling him that one must never touch the offerings, telling him a story:

In the neighboring village, there was an old bachelor named Zhang. During the Ghost Festival on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, he had gotten so drunk he had vomited until his stomach was empty. He rode his bicycle for over ten miles, growing hungrier and more exhausted with every turn.

Just as he reached the intersection near his home, he unexpectedly found three children about ten years old sitting by a campfire, eating barbecue. The children were dressed in green cotton jackets with red hats. Their faces were deathly pale, but their eyes glowed with a bright, red light in the firelight.

Old Zhang was so hungry he didn't think much of it; the meat smelled incredibly fragrant. Unable to resist, he tried to join the children to beg for some barbecue. But the three children refused to share, calling him a beggar.

Old Zhang was furious. He beat and scolded the children away, then sat down to enjoy the meat and wine himself. But to his surprise, no matter how much he ate, he couldn't get full, and the supply of meat and wine seemed endless.

The next morning, people found Old Zhang dead by the roadside. His mouth was stuffed with burnt paper ash and ritual offerings. His stomach had burst open, and his intestines were spilled all over the ground—a truly horrific sight.

Li Tianque had been terrified by that story, which had become a childhood trauma. Hearing Tatar’s words now, he was filled with immediate regret, terrified that he, too, had eaten something he shouldn't have.