69novels Chapter 201 Qin's Happiness, I Finally Understand
Chapter 201 Qin's Happiness, I Finally Understand
Ultimately, the two vials of venom were divided into 10 two-ounce vials and 15 one-ounce vials. Adding the one ounce Qin Yu took, the total came to two pints (16 ounces). (Note: One pint = 20 ounces = 568 milliliters, approximately equal to one bottle of mineral water.)
According to the quality grading system, these venoms can all be classified as the highest grade S, with a market price of 250 Galleons per pint, which is the price Qin Yu knew before.
Nearly three pints of venom is not a small amount, and according to the agreement, this amount will continue every month until spring arrives. If the giant spiders develop a habit of being fed, this period may be extended, depending on how pleasant the "cooperation" is.
In short, George and Fred were very satisfied with today's results and were full of expectations for the future.
In high spirits, the two even considered helping Hagrid prepare today's "feast".
However, Qin Yu, who was helping to make the meat soup, rudely stopped him.
Good heavens, did you two even wash yourselves properly before cooking? If there's a bit of poison mixed into the food, seeing little people after eating it would be the least of your worries. If you see Grandma waving at you, then you're doomed.
The Weasley twins didn't insist. They went to another place and huddled together, discussing how to sell the venom and how to improve the quality of the food they fed the spiders so that the giant spiders wouldn't be able to leave them and could continue to extract venom from them.
While stirring the broth, Qin Yu suddenly remembered a question he had wanted to ask earlier, and curiously asked Hagrid:
Did the giant eight-eyed spider also face danger in winter?
“It’s possible for one or two to go missing occasionally, but it’s too unusual for more than ten large spiders to die in succession like this year, which is why Aragog is afraid to send his children out anymore.” Hagrid answered Qin Yu’s question while putting the rock cakes into the oven.
"Did that old spider say what the specific danger was?" Qin Yu continued to ask.
"He couldn't say for sure either, but I guess the most valuable thing about the eight-eyed giant spider is its venom. If someone hunts them, the most likely reason is for the venom." Hagrid, though seemingly rough, pointed out the key point.
Upon hearing that someone might be hunting spiders for venom, George and Fred seemed to have a nerve, immediately becoming excited—wasn't this stealing their business?!
Stealing someone's business is like stealing their wife!
Even though neither of them had wives, they had already experienced this feeling!
However, even the old spider didn't know who or what killed the eight-eyed giant spiders that were out foraging for food, so no one else would know either.
Unable to get a clear answer, Qin Yu put the question aside for the time being and focused on helping Hagrid prepare for the banquet.
Hagrid watched Qin Yu's actions very carefully, noting down all the details. However, what bothered him was that Qin Yu often used phrases like "add an appropriate amount," "put on a small pinch," and "cook it a little longer" to describe things. He would even use advanced techniques like "the oil temperature is 80% hot."
Qin Yu had actually tried his best to use the term "quantitative," but in the actual production process, there were always slight adjustments. This was also his experience over the past period. He could only say that he would learn as much as he could.
"Cooking the meat a little longer is definitely the right thing to do. Also, add seasonings like salt in small amounts, multiple times. Don't put them all in at once. If you're unsure, taste it first." Qin Yu could only teach Haige the most crucial secrets.
"Okay, I'll remember that!" Hagrid nodded repeatedly, finding the technique very useful.
I used to sprinkle a whole handful of salt at once, which was definitely a bit too rough.
……
When Harry, Ron, and Adam arrived at the hut, Hagrid had already baked the first batch of rock crust bread.
Looking at those hard, rock-hard biscuits, Harry and Ron's faces turned green, as if they had already anticipated the difficult challenge their teeth would face.
Seeing this, Qin Yu was secretly pleased, but he didn't show it on his face. He said, "Hagrid baked it well this time. Look at the color of the crust, it's golden yellow, it looks really good."
Harry and Ron listened with a mournful look, wondering if Qin had secretly practiced some mysterious Eastern kung fu during the recent holiday to make his teeth as hard as iron, so that he wouldn't be afraid of the rock-skinned cakes that Hagrid made.
Hagrid, on the other hand, devoted himself entirely to the preparations for the banquet.
What Hagrid did next puzzled Harry and Ron.
Because Uncle Hagrid actually broke all those freshly baked rock cakes into small pieces.
"Oh, I see! Hagrid knew we couldn't chew it, so he broke the biscuits into smaller pieces beforehand to make it easier for us to eat!" Ron said to Harry with a sudden realization.
"Well, that's a good idea."
Harry thought that at least they wouldn't have to worry about whether to use a hammer or a saw to deal with this hard biscuit.
"It seems Hagrid knows how tough this pie is."
"However, he still stubbornly hopes that we can accept it."
After they finished speaking, they both fell silent. After all, even if they broke it into pieces, they might not be able to bite into it.
Just then, Hermione walked by and asked in a serious tone, "Harry, Ron, you two seem to be having a great time chatting. You must be really looking forward to this rock cake feast!"
What could Harry and Ron say but nod and agree?
To their surprise, they were just being polite when Hermione immediately craned her neck and shouted, "Hagrid, make sure to give Harry and Ron extra portions! They say they're really looking forward to what you've made!"
"Really? Haha, then I'll make sure they have plenty of food on their plates!" Uncle Hagrid replied happily.
Hey boss, have some decency!
Harry and Ron stared wide-eyed at Hermione in disbelief.
Then, they couldn't help but glance at Qin, who was leisurely helping out not far away, and felt that Hermione's style was becoming more and more like Qin's.
Hermione was secretly delighted by their reactions, but she pretended to be nonchalant on the surface.
Ah, I finally understand Qin's happiness.
Thinking this, the little witch skipped and hopped to find Qin Yu, then tiptoed over and whispered something in his ear.
……
Harry and Ron's frustration was palpable, but it didn't last long.
Because they saw that Hagrid had cooked the rock crust cakes this time by adding meat broth.
As the complex aroma of the broth and the crumbs of rock cake filled the air, the two couldn't help but sniff, and their faces genuinely showed expressions of anticipation.
Then, they looked at each other, each with roughly the same thought in their minds:
Merlin's beard... we're actually starting to look forward to Hagrid's cooking skills, which are anything but magical!
When it was time to eat, they nervously and expectantly forked a piece of bread soaked in soup and put it in their mouths. After tasting it and taking a few bites, their expressions immediately relaxed, and they began to eat faster.
It must be said that they could accept this method of making rock-skin cakes, and the taste was quite good, a different style from the food served in the school auditorium.
After eating for a while, seeing Qin and Hermione's smirking expressions, Harry realized that they must have known the truth all along. After all, Qin had just helped Hagrid a lot, so they had deliberately kept it from him and Ron.
Okay, considering it was a false alarm, I'll let bygones be bygones for being tricked.
“Hagrid, can I have another one?” Ron’s voice suddenly rang in Harry’s ear.
While Harry was lost in thought, Ron had already finished his portion.
"Of course!" Hagrid readily agreed. One of the things that made him happiest was that his food was well-received.
Harry stopped thinking about it and quickly finished his meal, then ordered a second serving.
The group ate and chatted, talking about their holiday experiences and the magic courses of the new semester. Inevitably, they also talked about their teachers, such as Snape's face getting longer and longer, and Professor Quirrell's turban probably never being washed, otherwise why would it always smell so bad?
Of course, there are also unavoidable topics: Quidditch matches and training. After all, there were four official Quidditch players, two Quidditch fans, and a Quidditch player's family member present.
The food was good, and with friends chatting and laughing, the rock-skin cake feast was a truly enjoyable experience for both host and guests.