Chapter 9 Pork Rib Soup: The Baby's High-pitched Lament

Papermaking, one of the four great inventions of China, is probably familiar to every Chinese person.

The use of paper has long permeated every aspect of life.

If you randomly pick a few adults on the street and ask them if they know what the main component of paper is, they can probably all fluently say "plant pulp".

Yu Yan must have heard of "papermaking" when she was in elementary school. She knew the principle of ancient papermaking, which was roughly to pulp processed plants and then use a tool like a screen to make sheets of paper.

Therefore, once the raw materials are determined, how to process them becomes crucial.

Modern times allow for the use of machinery and chemical products, which he clearly lacks now.

He looked at the kudzu vine and thought, since the kudzu vine can be softened and peeled by soaking, can't the raw material for papermaking also be used?

Anyway, he wasn't aiming to produce ultra-high-quality paper. Gathering some materials and soaking in the pot with Ge Teng was just a convenient thing to do.

Even if he couldn't make paper, he wouldn't suffer any loss.

After thinking it through, Yu Yan acted immediately.

"Father, I still have some work to finish, you should go back first!" he said hurriedly.

Feng Gui: "What kind of work is it? It's getting dark. Shall I go with you?"

Yu Yan waved her hand repeatedly: "No need, it's a very simple task. You go back and watch the fire, and while you're at it, put the cucumbers I cut into the earthenware pot and stew them together."

Seeing his insistence, Feng Gui had no choice but to nod: "Alright then, just remember not to go too far, and call me if you need anything."

"Okay."

Yu Yan turned and plunged into the woods. After scanning the area, she quickly began picking up the branches on the ground.

He specifically chose those with thicker branches and more leaves, piled them up, and then dragged them to the puddle together later.

He heard footsteps behind him and turned around to see that Lan Xiu had followed him.

What brings you here?

Lan Xiu seemed much more energetic than during the day, his bright eyes filled with curiosity as he asked, "Are you going to burn all these branches?"

Yu Yan: "No, I'm going to soak them together with the three-leaf vine, and then try to make something."

While speaking, Yu Yan did not stop what she was doing.

He noticed a patch of very lush hemp grass on the side and prepared to cut it down as well.

Lan Xiu's eyes lit up, and he said, "I'll help you."

It was clear that his grass-cutting movements were not very skilled, but he was incredibly strong, and in no time at all, he had cleared all the hemp grass from the patch.

He then asked, "Do you need me to break off some branches?"

Yu Yan: "Okay, I want the thicker one."

Lan Xiu: "Okay."

Working together, the two quickly collected a considerable amount of branches and hemp grass.

Upon encountering a dead tree, Lan Xiu, under Yu Yan's guidance, even peeled off the thick bark.

The trees had completely fallen, the surrounding light was dim, and unknown insects were chirping.

After the activity, Yu Yan felt hot all over and wiped her sweaty forehead with her arm.

"Okay, let's do it this way. Let's move these things to the puddle and soak them, then we can go back."

Lan Xiu said "okay" and once again took on the main role of moving things, finishing the task in one trip.

After finishing her work, Yu Yan walked back feeling relieved.

Lan Xiu lagged two steps behind him and asked, "When you're making something, can I still come to watch?"

Yu Yan turned her head and smiled at him, "Of course! Come whenever you want. I haven't thanked you for your help today."

Lan Xiu smiled faintly: "No need."

Soon, they walked back to the ginkgo tree.

Even from a distance, Yu Yan could smell the aroma wafting from the earthenware pot.

The aroma of pork ribs and the refreshing fragrance of cucumber blend together perfectly, each flavor complementing the other, making one's mouth water.

Yu Yan took a deep breath: "It smells so good..."

He quickened his pace, scooped some water from the vat, washed his hands, then lifted the lid of the earthenware pot, picked up a piece of spare rib with chopsticks, and placed it in the bowl next to him.

The meat was stewed until it was quite tender, with half of the bone falling off, and it glistened with a moist sheen of oil in the bowl.

"Let me try it!" Yu Yan held the bowl and took a bite of the meat.

Hmm, although it's not quite melt-in-your-mouth, it's not difficult to chew!

The pork ribs marinated with ginger have their fishy and gamey smell removed. When stewed with cucumber, the meat is infused with the fresh aroma of vegetables, making it fragrant and not greasy at all.

Moreover, because only salt is added when stewing the meat, the original flavor of the ingredients is preserved to the greatest extent.

After swallowing the food, he felt as if his entire body, from the tip of his tongue to his stomach, had been purified.

"Delicious!" Yu Yan enthusiastically called out to the other two, "Father, Lanxiu, you should try some too."

Feng Gui laughed and said, "Okay, it smells very good to me."

He took a bowl and first served Lanxiu a bowl of soup, meat, and vegetables before serving himself.

A torch was lit by the stone stove, and the three of them sat around it on wooden stools or stones, eating meat and drinking soup.

After taking a bite of a piece of pork rib with a slightly sweet cucumber flavor, Yu Yan still wanted more, so she picked up a piece of stewed cucumber and put it in her mouth.

In his previous life, he rarely ate stewed cucumbers, but now, with limited ingredients, he has discovered a unique flavor in stewed cucumbers.

The cucumbers that Feng Gui picked were large. After stewing, they tasted very similar to white radishes—soft and tender. They melted in your mouth with just a slight touch of your tongue and the roof of your mouth.

Yu Yan held the bowl, blew on it, and slurped down a mouthful of soup.

The exquisite taste spread through his mouth, touching his heart, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Ah~ This is so delicious, I wouldn't trade it for a god!

After a long day of work, all the fatigue and soreness in my body were cured by this bowl of hot soup.

After finishing his own food and drink, he looked at Feng Gui and Lan Xiu, asking expectantly, "How was it? How was it?"

Feng Gui raised his eyes, a smile on his handsome face, and sincerely praised, "It tastes especially good. I never expected that cucumber and beast meat would taste so good when stewed together."

"Besides, I might not be the best person to say this, but I think the soup is even tastier than the ribs."

Yu Yan slapped her thigh excitedly and nodded repeatedly: "I feel the same way! The flavors of meat and cucumber have all seeped into the soup!"

In the time it took to say a few words, Lan Xiu had already finished the ribs in his bowl, and his lips were even redder from the heat.

He held the bowl, a satisfied smile in his eyes: "It's delicious and the drink is good too."

With her hard work acknowledged, Yu Yan beamed with a bright smile, "I'm glad you like it. There's still more in the pot, so feel free to get more when you're done!"

Lan Xiu was a little surprised. He thought today would be like last night, where he could only drink one bowl.

The spare ribs were meant for Yu Yan and Feng Gui. He had already eaten the stir-fried wild vegetables and cucumber salad, so it was really not nice of him to try and take their meat.

He declined, saying, "No need, this bowl is enough for me."

Yu Yan didn't give him a chance: "Yes, yes, you've helped us so much today. Besides, food tastes better when shared!"

Feng Gui also advised, "Yes, we've made so much, let's eat together. After eating, your stomach will be warm, and you can have a good sleep."

Yu Yan stared intently at Lan Xiu with his dark eyes. As soon as Lan Xiu's bowl was empty, Yu Yan immediately filled it with a large bowl, leaving Lan Xiu somewhat amused and exasperated.

The three of them sat in front of the torch, each taking a bowl, and ate all the food in the earthenware pot.

After the meal, Yu Yan stretched her neck and let out a comfortable burp, which made Feng Gui laugh.

"I'll wash the dishes. You two go do what you need to do." He waved his hand, shooing the two younger people away.

Yu Yan didn't stand on ceremony with him: "Thank you for your hard work, Father!"

After saying goodbye to Lanxiu, he went to the stream, washed his face with cold water, and shivered from the cold once again.

Walking back to the ginkgo tree, he didn't forget to take the kudzu flowers he had picked to the bird's nest above.

Finally, he lay down on the bed covered with straw and animal hide, and closed his eyes contentedly.

I slept well all night.

The next morning, Yu Yan was awakened by the clear chirping of birds.

Some glaring light shone through the branches of the bird's nest.

He was dazed and confused, trying to spread his wings, but his head was covered. Then he heard someone calling from below:

"Yu Yan~"

At first, he thought he was dreaming, until the voice became clearer and clearer.

The chaotic footsteps stopped under the tree, and someone was talking to Feng Gui.

Hearing that Yu Yan was still asleep, everyone lowered their voices.

Yu Yan rubbed her sleepy eyes, sat up, and yawned.

After straightening his grass skirt, he climbed down the vine ladder hanging from the tree, his head covered in a mess of white hair that he himself didn't recognize.

After stopping, I saw that there were dozens of people! There were both sub-orcs and orcs.

He instantly woke up from his drowsiness, staring wide-eyed as he asked, "What's going on?"

Cang Feng was also in the group. Hearing this, he smiled and waved to him, "Haha, don't be nervous, everyone is here to thank you."

Yu Yan asked, puzzled, "Hmm?"

Cangfeng: "The fish and meat that everyone makes with their hands and feet taste so much better than before."

The others chimed in, "Yes! I made a whole pot of fish soup yesterday, with four fish in it, and we ate it all!"

"I also made fish soup! I've lived for decades and this is the first time I've ever known that fish can taste so good."

"I stir-fried game meat, so the gamey smell is basically gone."

"Yu Yan, I did as you said and blanched the wild vegetables before stir-frying them, and they weren't bitter at all! My son, who usually hates vegetables, ate a whole bowl of them yesterday!"

"Yu Yan, thank you so much! If you hadn't told us, we would never have known that the roots of the hand could be used like this!"

Everyone thanked him with beaming smiles and started taking things out of their pockets.

"These tubers taste alright, you can have them."

"These mushrooms are very delicious. They're great in soups or stir-fries. You should try them."

"I've prepared a piece of animal fat for you!"

"I'm carrying a big bone!"

It's unclear who started it, but suddenly the crowd surrounded Yu Yan, scrambling to stuff things into his hands.

Yu Yan was finding it hard to keep up with everyone's enthusiasm.

For a long time, peninsula tribes have been seen as representing "barrenness" by many people.

Because of the hardships of life, the tribe organized bird-beast people to go on trade routes in order to earn resources.

Yu Yan's family was poor, and the others in the tribe weren't much better off than them. He waved his hand, embarrassed to accept everyone's gifts.

Everyone became emotional: "Yu Yan, please accept it. We only brought a little bit of food."

"Yes, it's just a few tubers, what's so difficult about harvesting them?"

"You've already taken over Xin Yu and his gang, so you'll take over ours too!"

"That's right!"

Yu Yan knew that they weren't really "comparing" each other, but genuinely wanted to repay her.

Touched, Yu Yan accepted the gifts from everyone.

"Thank you everyone," he said sincerely.

"Oh, don't be so polite. Okay, you can go back to sleep now. We're going home to make breakfast too."

Yu Yan chuckled. He was fully awake.

Holding the things everyone had given him, he took a few steps forward and overheard several sub-orcs haggling over prices:

"Jinxia, ​​can't you give me a couple more hand roots? I don't have any left at home."

"I can't exchange it anymore, I only have half a basket left at home."

"Half a basket is enough. Please give me some more. I can't eat vegetables without the roots. Please."

"You guys used to eat pretty well."

...

Yu Yan smiled and shook her head.

Before transforming into his beast form, Cangfeng asked him, "By the way, Yu Yan, Xin Yu asked me to ask you whether you're going to continue with them today, or go gathering with your adoptive father and the others?"

Of course he has to follow Xin Yu! He hasn't learned to fly yet, so it's not like Feng Gui and the others are flying in the sky while he's running on the ground.

"I want to follow Xinyu to get to know the mountains near the tribe better."

Cangfeng: "Okay, I'll go back and tell him."

He transformed into a massive gray peregrine falcon, let out a sharp and majestic cry, and soared into the sky.

After seeing everyone off, Yu Yan and Feng Gui tidied up the gifts they had given them.

Feng Gui: "It just so happens that we're running low on animal fat and tubers, so this should last us for a while."

Yu Yan: "Mushrooms and wild vegetables are all prone to rotting, so any leftovers need to be dried out quickly."

Feng Gui: "Yes, and don't forget to dry the flowers you picked yesterday too."

Yu Yan: "Mmm."

After a busy morning, Yu Yan slung her woven basket over her shoulder and headed to the entrance of the tribe to meet up with Xin Yu and the others.

Xin Yu didn't think much of Yu Yan continuing to act with them.

Just like yesterday, everyone chatted and sang songs, making the data collection process anything but boring.

Today's topic, of course, is the famous "hand root," which everyone raves about for its ability to remove fishy smells.

Several people beat their chests in regret, lamenting that they hadn't stored more food during the winter.

When Feng Gui returned home in the afternoon, he said to Yu Yan, "I asked the old sub-beastmen in the tribe for you, and they all said they had never seen that white, fluffy plant you mentioned in our tribe. Let's ask the beastmen who have been trading here next time."

Yu Yan: "Okay."

Feng Gui asked him again if he wanted to come with him to collect the materials, but Yu Yan said to wait a little longer.

For the next few days, Yu Yan continued to follow Xin Yu's group.

He practiced flying secretly every day, but he could only flutter around in place.

This body can clearly fly, but he figured he couldn't get over the psychological hurdle.

Sigh, Feng Guihai muttered yesterday that he hadn't seen him fly around lately.

If she doesn't learn to fly soon, she'll be exposed, Yu Yan was extremely anxious.

It was a cloudy day, with a gray, gloomy cloud cover. The air was muggy and filled with humid moisture.

After discussing it, Xin Yu and the others changed their route.

They would head east from the tribe, gathering fish along the coastline, and finally collect some to take home and eat.

Yu Yan naturally had no objection; he also really wanted to go to the beach.

Because his physical strength was inferior to that of the other orcs, he gradually fell to the back of the group.

Suddenly, he heard a bird's high-pitched, mournful cry coming from ahead!

The sound pierced his heart, filling him with immense fear and grief!