There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

As steam rose, I opened the steamer containing the ham slices and took out the cooked food. After being steamed quickly over high heat, a layer of glistening oil seeped from the surface of the ham slices, covering their exterior. The salty, unpalatable brine had all drained to the bottom of the pot with the steam.

Amidst the steaming vapor, I channeled all the power of my Iron Refining Hand technique, picked up the plate, and like a phantom, layered the tender, mushy ham slices onto the radish strips.

Then, the syrup bubbling in the frying pan, like a rainbow falling from the sky, was poured over the plate of thinly sliced ​​ham. The heat contained in the syrup further heated the dish, instantly turning the peach-pink ham skin a deep crimson, and the glistening radish strips took on a special golden hue, making it look exceptionally tempting.

While I was at it, I put the still-formed honey-glazed ham into the steamer and used the steam with its sea salt flavor for the final processing step!

…………

What was presented to the girls was this meticulously prepared dish. In every sense, this dish was something new and exciting on the island!

Lin picked up a fork first and poked a thin slice of ham coated with glistening syrup. She saw the syrup instantly stretch into a glistening thread, which grew longer and longer as the temperature dropped, until it broke quietly, becoming as thick as a spider's thread.

"Wow! That's amazing!" Lin exclaimed sincerely, stuffing a piece of ham into her mouth. "This...this is!"

Lin felt a peculiar taste mixed with sweetness, stimulating her taste buds.

This honey-glazed ham is characterized by its tender, sweet, and rich flavor. However, the latest style added by the colonist system is a characteristic of an ingredient that is often overlooked on the island: freshness!

The curing method used to cure ham locks in its essence, further concentrating it into the unique flavor of the ingredient. If not handled properly, the flavor will inevitably be too strong, and the saltiness will overwhelm everything else, ruining the eating experience.

However, the rapid steaming process dilutes the excess saltiness and bitterness of the ingredients, restoring their original flavor. The syrup I added, with its impactful sweetness, enhances the overall effect. No matter how strong the ham flavor is, it can't surpass the lethal amount of sugar. What remains in the end and leaves a lasting impression is only the umami flavor that reaches the very soul!

Chapter 257 Grand Opening

"tasty!"

Just as Lin was engrossed in the taste sensation, Karen, not to be outdone, started eating as well.

As a result, the moment she swallowed the food, two lines of tears streamed down her face!

Wait!

This isn't some amazing dish, Karen, your performance is a bit too exaggerated.

Ellie leaned closer and explained to me, "Karen has never been very good at cooking, but she really loves to do it herself, and as a result, every time..."

I understand now. It feels like when I was in the second year of junior high school, I bent down to pick up my pen during math class and couldn't understand what the teacher was saying anymore. Seeing people who can easily understand calculus makes me feel genuinely envious.

When it comes to cooking, talent is even more crucial. A genius chef can adjust steps, recipes, time, and quantities at will, and the result is always delicious. Karen's problem, however, is more like the situation where "my eyes say I saw it, my brain says I remembered it, but my hands say I'm going to die trying."

Therefore, doing things when one lacks natural talent is like giving someone a fish, or testing them with a fish. Shark, silver carp, carp, shad, minnow, mackerel, trevally, catfish, pomfret, mackerel, salamander, mullet, herring, mullet, whale, bream, tadpole, crocodile, mandarin fish, loach, flounder, flounder, crocodile, ray, finned crocodile, cod, crocodile, eel, bream, swim bladder turtle, mandarin fish, trout, scaled eel, scallop, crocodile, sturgeon...

When has this world ever reasoned with people?

Karen put the honey-glazed ham and radish strips into her mouth and felt the sweet taste melt instantly. Then the fresh and delicious ham slices melted in her mouth, and finally the crispness of the radish strips instantly entered her tongue. The three flavors bloomed like fireworks, with the saltiness highlighting the sweetness, the meat highlighting the vegetables, and finally the two flavors bringing out the ham, the main character, to complete a perfect performance.

"So radishes are this delicious?"

Poppy has always loved sweets and was completely unable to resist this kind of syrup-covered food. She ate three bites in a row before slowly chewing with her cheeks puffed out, her face full of satisfaction.

"Marcus! You didn't make enough, there's not enough to eat!"

The first thing this person said after tasting Popuri was that the portion was too small. It seems this person is a true foodie; even with the most delicious food, filling their stomach is their top priority.

Ellie patted her little head and said, "Don't eat too much, okay? Eating too many sweet things is bad for your health."

...It would be more convincing if you could stop eating before saying that.

Ellie sipped one sip after another, her eyes crinkling with satisfaction as she savored the drink. Girls probably have little resistance to sweets; after all, to be able to finish such an overly sweet milk tea in one go—I have to admire their bravery.

A large plate of honey-glazed ham was quickly devoured by them, and they sat down in their chairs, resting their chins on their hands, completely absorbed in the meal.

"It's delicious... Just for this one bite, I'll come back to work here tomorrow." Karen made this embarrassing declaration, then looked at me intently, "Teach me!"

"what?"

I didn't react for a moment and subconsciously asked back.

“Teach me how to cook!” Karen said to me without any politeness.

"Even if the commander gives an order, it won't work..." I said, rubbing my forehead, looking embarrassed. "Cooking is actually..."

"Hmm?" Karen stepped forward, skillfully wrapped her arms around my neck, and slowly tightened her grip.

"I mean... cough cough cough... no problem... let go quickly..."

Thank goodness! I think I just saw God waving at me from the other side and asking if I wanted to eat donkey meat sandwiches.

"No need to be so violent. Even if you're looking for aliens, time travelers, people from other worlds, or superpowered individuals, we can talk it over..."

Suddenly, another person pushed open the door and entered, greeting me with a beaming smile: "Dear Marcus, the weather is exceptionally nice today, just like the good news I brought!"

When I looked, I realized it was Thomas the Tank Engine! The ranch had disappeared after I scared them that day, but they finally showed up today for the opening.

"Mayor, you've come to see me?"

Thomas, with a smug smile on his chubby face, said, "Have you forgotten about the administrative approvals? I overcame numerous obstacles these past two days and finally got all the paperwork done. Now you can operate your business with peace of mind!"

"That's good! Um... Mayor, if I may ask, what are you carrying?" I was just about to praise him when I saw him carrying a large bag of things, panting as he placed it on the bar table.

Thomas gave a sly smile: "Since you've opened this canteen for the town, as the mayor, I should set an example..."

He patted the bag full of things: "Didn't Dart say that everyone should bring their own ingredients? I brought all the ingredients from home, and I'll be eating here for the next few days!"

No wonder they were so eager; they were determined to freeload here. But the little train's enthusiastic arrival isn't a bad thing for me. With the town mayor leading the way, the publicity effect is no less than a prime-time advertisement.

Upon hearing this, Lin and Poppy went over and started rummaging through the bag.

"Meatball powder...curry powder...wheat flour...hard bread..."

The two girls took out the contents one by one and found that they were all suspicious and there were no decent ingredients at all.

After being stared at by us for a while, Thomas said somewhat embarrassedly, "I usually only cook simple meals, and all the ingredients I have left are these extra seasonings... Marcus, you're not going to kick me out, are you?"

"But you gave me these things..." I rummaged through them for a while, then started to worry. "How about I make you some curry meatball wheat porridge?"

"This doesn't sound appetizing..." Thomas muttered under his breath.

"How about I make a wheat meatball curry soup?"

"You just added a little too much water!"

If I were a proper chef like Boss Dart, I could probably cook a meal using what I had on hand, but with the capabilities of the colonist system, I really don't know what I could possibly create...

Suddenly, I heard a crunching sound in my ear, and it seemed to be getting louder and louder.

“Marcus, your pony…” Ellie kindly pointed out the direction of the noise, “is eating something…”

I almost died of anger when I turned around.

While we weren't looking, the little pony emoji quietly approached the box of radishes, crunched one down in one bite, chewing with great relish, its ears perking up involuntarily, making it look like a giant rabbit from a distance.

((

c(⌒(_*=×=)_

...Red Hare, is that you?

I stepped forward, grabbed the mane of the meme pony, dragged it out of the tavern, and gave it a lecture, feeling utterly disappointed in it.

"All you do is eat, eat, eat! You contribute nothing but freeload, and all you do is sleep all day! Look at how fat you've gotten! If you dare to eat again, I'll turn you into a dish first!"

Unfortunately, no matter what I said, Little Horse looked completely bewildered, only chewing incessantly and quickly swallowing the entire carrot. When I finished scolding Little Horse and went into the tavern, I found Mayor Thomas squatting on the ground, burying his face in his hands and weeping.

"Karen, what's going on?"

Karen glanced sideways at them and said, "I don't know why, but just now when you were talking, the mayor started crying and then he wouldn't respond no matter how I called him."

...Mayor, would you believe me if I said it wasn't directed at you?

Chapter 258 Trust Group

"Delicious! Delicious!"

What ultimately soothed Thomas's wounded heart was a hastily prepared paste.

To avoid breaking the rules, the little train mayor only brought enough food to make one simple meal like this. But judging from his expression, he seemed quite satisfied?

The radishes from Mineral Town are so nutritious, eat more, eat more...

Halfway through the meal, Thomas suddenly spoke up: "Marcus, I've also notified the federal government about the insect plague and requested relief funds and supplies."

"Oh? What was the result?" I looked at him expectantly. "The entire shipping route was affected by the disaster this time, so we should be able to transport some supplies over."

Thomas touched his comical red nose and sighed, "The federal government replied that this insect infestation is an unavoidable disaster, and the government has no obligation to provide relief. Out of humanitarian considerations, they will probably launch some fundraising and benefit performances in the big cities, and then send the funds raised over."

When I saw the girls around me eavesdropping, I quickly pulled them aside: "Children shouldn't get involved in dark politics. Don't blame me if you get your mind polluted."

I pulled Thomas outside, completely ignoring his lingering gaze at the bowl of pig feed... cough cough, staple food.

"Train conductor, what does the Federation mean by this? What is meant by 'force majeure disaster'?" I asked humbly.

Thomas casually picked up a hard piece of bread and began to gnaw on it like a hamster: "Mmm... Federal law stipulates that the government has no special relief obligation for offshore towns, including disasters such as volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, species extinction, ocean freezing, financial crises, and marine debris..."

"Wait a minute! Putting everything else aside, those last two disasters were clearly the work of city dwellers! And they didn't even provide relief for these?!"

Can anyone tell me if it's natural creatures spontaneously hoarding and speculating on goods, causing five circuit breakers and the greatest astronaut and president making three trips to Mars via the stock market? Or is it a huge pile of Krusty Krab bags floating out of a giant pineapple in the deep sea, surrounding the surface of the ocean?

"That's just how the federal government is... but it's not impossible to apply for federal aid."

"How to say?"

Thomas choked on the last piece of hard bread, his face turning red with choking, and it took him a long time to swallow it: "Ah... I almost suffocated..."

I went back into the house and looked around, but couldn't find any water. So I simply took a washed radish from the kitchen and let him eat it while we talked.

"Section 12 of the Federal Relief Act stipulates that each self-governing territory may apply for federal relief, with a maximum amount not exceeding $2700 million, which will be allocated after being approved by both houses of the federal government..."

I exclaimed happily, "That sounds great! With this money, we can buy goods, right?"

Thomas gave me a meaningful look: "Don't rush, there's another one. Section 13 of the Federal Relief Act stipulates that: Dominions shall adopt an accounting system for relief, with the allocated funds as total income. After deducting all expenses and costs, they shall achieve a profit within three years and repay the relief funds in full, with interest calculated at the same rate as the financial industry. If this cannot be achieved, the federal government has the right to pursue the debt from all officials and residents of the dominion."

My first reaction after hearing this was, "Is the federal government a full-time loan shark?"

My second thought is, if I borrow this money, will everyone have to sell themselves to pay off the debt?

The third reaction was whether the federal government was really involved with the slave trading companies, otherwise how would they know how much a person was worth?

"Mayor, how was this ridiculous system formulated? Has anyone actually borrowed it?"

Thomas the Tank Engine said helplessly, "Of course there is. Do you know that the original name of this act was the Federal Land Acquisition Act? It was specifically designed to force uncooperative autonomous territories into bankruptcy, and then legally acquire the land."

Hmm? Thomas the Tank Engine did mention to me before that the Commonwealth used land consolidation and urbanization as a method to deal with towns with separatist tendencies. It seems this treacherous system was introduced around that time to deal with thugs.