A Second Life, A New Power

Demi nodded. "Yeah."
She had been cooking for her adoptive parents since she was five. Back then, Demi was too short to reach the stove, so she had to stand on a stool
to cook.
When her grandmother took her in, she couldn't bear to let the old lady care for her and her brother all the time. Hence, she also volunteered to
handle the cooking.
Then, in the world of cultivation, she met Adrian Larkin, who was obsessed with culinary arts. Under his tutelage, her skills improved even further.
In short, Demi had over 300 years of cooking experience.
"Really?" Maria's face lit up with joy as she glanced at Demi. She had always thought Demi could handle hardship, but she hadn't expected her to be
an accomplished cook as well.
"You're a treasure," Maria praised sincerely.
She wasn't comfortable just sitting back and letting Demi do all the work. Hence, she added, "In that case, I'll handle the fire, wash the veggies, and
chop them. You can take charge of the actual cooking."
"Okay." Demi smiled and nodded.
...
Demi and Maria managed to locate their courtyard within ten minutes.

Once inside, they followed the sound of pigs grunting and headed inside. Sure enough, there were three pigs inside.
Maria pressed her nose and said, "It kind of stinks."
"You'll get used to it," Demi replied, tossing a handful of grass into the pen.
Some netizens commented online.
"Such typical farm girl vibes! Look how natural her actions were."
"While other celebrities show off how cute their dogs are, Demi shows off her fat and delicious pigs."

"Haha! It looks ready to be eaten."
The livestream chat remained mostly lighthearted and friendly, with any negative comments quickly drowned out by fans defending Demi.
Next, Demi and Maria headed to the kitchen to check their supplies.
There was a single slab of pork, a quarter of a cabbage, three potatoes, three tomatoes, and three eggs. Thankfully, the seasonings were fairly well-
stocked.
"The crew is so stingy," Maria grumbled.
"How about we make braised pork, stir-fried cabbage, shredded potatoes, and tomato egg soup?" Demi suggested.
"Sounds good." Maria nodded in agreement.
There wasn't much else they could do, given the ingredients available.
...
When Maria was ready to wash the vegetables, she realized there wasn't a well in the courtyard. Moreover, the water jar only had a little water left at

the bottom.
"How are we supposed to wash the vegetables without water?" Maria turned to the cameraman for answers.
Before he could respond, Demi answered, "It looks like we'll have to fetch it ourselves."
As she spoke, her eyes scanned the area, quickly spotting a pair of buckets and a shoulder pole propped against the kitchen wall.
"I'll go fetch the water," Demi said, deftly lifting the pole and heading for the door.
The livestream chat exploded.
"How does Demi know how to do everything? She looks like she's been fetching water for years."
"I'm from the countryside, but even I don't look this authentic."
"Her family must've had running water, right? Where on earth did she learn this?"
Demi moved so swiftly that Maria barely had time to speak before she was out the door.

"Don't take too much water! Don't hurt your back!" Maria reminded.
...
Demi asked for directions and soon found the well. She filled two large buckets to the brim, hooked them securely onto the pole, and began to stand.
"Wait, Ms. Demi. Just fill half the pail. Otherwise, it'll be too heavy, and you'll strain your back!" the cameraman urged.
"I'll be fine. I'm stronger than I look," Demi assured as she straightened up and began walking.
Her posture was steady, one hand lightly resting on the pole while the other swung naturally at her side. She looked like a professional.
"Well done."
"Did she really fetch water from a well before? There's no way this is just for the show."
"No. Moves like that take at least seven or eight years to perfect."
The cameraman couldn't hold back his curiosity. "Ms. Demi, have you lived in the countryside before?"
After a long pause, Demi replied, "For a while."
Sensing that she didn't want to elaborate, the cameraman wisely let the matter drop.