Chapter 149

Chapter 149 Golden Maple Syrup

Snowflakes drifted through the Tixilam Mountains, and before long, winter arrived.

The snowflakes, like floating fluff, quietly fell, gradually piling up on the leaves in the forest. The broad leaves bent under the weight and then slid off the accumulated snow, causing the leaves to slightly bounce back, stirring up wisps of white mist.

Inside the maple leaf courtyard’s small house, a large pot—or rather, a large jar—was boiling in the hall.

Orange-yellow flames burned at the bottom of the pot, with bubbles occasionally rising and bursting. White steam continuously rose from the dark red pot. Lolan Hill, holding a long spoon, stirred constantly, filling the air with a sweet scent.

As she stirred slowly, the liquid in the pot gradually thickened until it became a semi-solid and semi-liquid state.

It seems about right, she thought, then pressed down on the liquid with a large ladle. It was soft, seemingly elastic. Taking a prepared large baking tray, she poured the semi-solid maple syrup onto it.

Then, using a spatula, she evenly spread the syrup on the half-meter-wide baking tray, about an inch thick. She then cut it into neat square pieces. The orange-yellow sugar blocks were translucent and emitted a fragrant sweetness, resembling jelly.

Lolan Hill carefully carried the baking tray and placed it in her ceramic oven. Then she took out another plate and poured another layer of rich maple syrup.

Maple tree sap is rich in sugar and has good nutritional value and effects. In her previous life, many people loved it. Today, Lolan Hill wanted to try making some candy. One reason was that candy is easier to carry, and another was that maple syrup tends to spoil if left for too long when traveling.

She then placed three trays filled with cut pieces into the primitive ceramic oven and closed the lid. She put the oven on the rack inside the fireplace, letting the flames bake it continuously.

After cleaning up the traces in the hall, she sat quietly by the fireplace and waited.

Outside the window of the room, snow continued to fall, and the sky slowly darkened. Some snow had piled up on the window frame, and a layer of frost covered the glass, obscuring the outside view, leaving only the sound of the wind howling.

The young lady wore a white winter dress with fur at the neckline, cuffs, and edges. The dress had a shoulder wrap, giving it a layered look and better insulation for the easily chilled shoulders. The inner lining was warm and soft fleece, although somewhat thick, it fit perfectly.

It should be noted that this dress was given to her by the Lamia Chamber of Commerce. Before leaving, Chelsea, the head maid, made her accept it, as giving clothes to someone is…

It wasn’t necessarily fitting, and it wouldn’t be good to leave it in the warehouse.

Unexpectedly, after returning to the Tisilam Mountain Range, it was put to use very soon.

In front of the young lady, there was a small table with thick books stacked on it, and beside them were some notes. These were prepared for her future enrollment.

Although there were recommendation letters, Emanas still conducted some tests, such as language, history, mathematics, etc. Otherwise, students who couldn’t read would find it difficult to learn many things, which would not only waste a lot of time but also cause immense pressure for the students themselves.

At least the school would only admit those who passed the qualification. Additionally, those whose grades didn’t meet certain standards would need extra tutoring in the first year. It had to be said that mathematics was indeed a universal subject; even in the Extraordinary World, this aspect was very important.

According to Lanlier, to study under a mentor in the Magic Sequence, one’s math score must be excellent. Furthermore, each college had different requirements for subjects; for example, the Angel Sequence required a good grade in Chinese, the Necromancer Sequence required an excellent grade in math, the War Sequence had requirements for Canon scores, and the Nature Sequence required knowledge of plants and herbs, among others.

If you wanted to further your studies at a particular college, you needed to prepare yourself in the first year. In the second year, there would be a house division promotion. If you failed to advance, you would have to repeat the year and wait until the next year. Many students from remote areas with weak foundations often got stuck at this stage, and quite a few had to repeat the first year twice before advancing to the second year.

Although the college was five years long, in reality, only a minority could complete their studies successfully within five years.

When Lolan Hill left Hope Lane, Lady Phyllis gave her some books to read, asking her to take a look beforehand and prepare in advance.

This made her recall her high school days, those tense yet fulfilling years. If university life was like fluffy cotton candy, then high school was like tightly compressed biscuits as hard as stones.

Can you imagine? Finishing a pen cartridge in 2-3 days, memorizing words even during the three minutes of waiting before winter running practice, with teachers providing schedules precise to every five minutes of what you should be doing. Truly, it was all-encompassing, squeezing every drop of time out of life.

Although some people criticized this rigid system, sometimes it was precisely this rigidity that maintained some fairness. After graduation and entering the workforce, everyone would realize how varied the world could be, and they couldn’t help but marvel at the endless wonders of this great world.

Lifting her thoughts slightly, Lolan Hill picked up the book and looked at it. There weren’t many issues with language and characters. Math was roughly similar to middle and high school, and with a little review, she could mostly remember it.

The subject of natural herbs mainly involved names, and there were some changes compared to Professor Trinasha’s teachings.

The warm firelight illuminated the book, and a soft blanket was draped over her legs. Leaning against the back of the chair, she gazed at the dry articles before her. Lolan Hill felt a bit drowsy and somewhat bored, but with her extraordinary constitution and excellent memory, she slowly committed each article to memory.

After some time, she felt she had learned enough. She put on gloves and carefully removed the oven, lifting the lid. The sugar blocks inside had hardened.

Using a spatula, she gently broke them apart and stacked the small square pieces on a plate. The orange-yellow maple sugar looked like translucent amber.

【Golden Maple Sugar Cubes】(Extraordinary Golden Grade): Made by combining the juice of extraordinary fruits with syrup from amber maple trees, then heating and concentrating it, these sugar cubes have enhanced properties due to the amber maple syrup, which improves the effects of the extraordinary fruits. They can significantly improve physical condition and enhance cultivation effects. (It is recommended not to consume too much at once.)

Picking up an amber-colored sugar cube, still slightly hot, Lolan Hill used a wind spell to cool it before placing it in her mouth.

“Ouch, so hot, so sweet.” A peculiar sensation followed as the fruit sugar melted in her mouth, turning into a warm current in her stomach, very comfortable.

Right, I should prepare some for those little rabbits too. Recalling the children she saw at the Rabbit Ears Tribe School two days ago, Lolan Hill suddenly wanted to play Santa Claus, leaving more beautiful memories in their childhoods.

She squatted in front of the cabinet, opened the door, and searched for the handmade wood pulp paper she had made.

The light yellow wood pulp paper wasn’t thick, as it was made from fine-fibered trees. Taken out by the young lady, it remained as smooth and well-preserved as when it was first made.

She cut the paper into small squares, wrapped each sugar cube, tied them with ribbons, tied them into bows, and finally placed them in a jar.

The orange-yellow flames reflected her face, and Lolan Hill carefully prepared winter gifts for the children.

—

Note: Sorry, sorry, I updated late tonight. I will update the next chapter tomorrow during the day.

Actually, I was a bit stuck and hesitant, like standing at a three-way intersection unsure which path to take. The heroic legends of the youths colliding, the great revolution of steel and industry, the fairy tales among witches, and the fantastical and magnificent exotic landscapes.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments; I want to know what everyone thinks.

Thank you for the angle issue, XDzlipo, for your generous donations.

(End of Chapter)