The pot was still warm on the charcoal pile. Ningxia looked over and saw that the porridge was thicker than she had imagined. The roughnecks had probably added some rice, fearing it wouldn't be enough, but it still worked out well enough.
"Sister, look!" Xiao Jie said excitedly, not knowing what he remembered.
Ningxia followed his gaze and found a few lumps of white flesh hanging on the big tree in front of the shed. It was impossible to see them without careful observation in the dark.
"So...was that what you guys did last night?"
Xiaojie smiled and nodded, "Yes, the squad leader took us to the woods to catch them yesterday."
"You are in such good spirits." Ningxia was sincerely envious.
"We used to train in the camp late at night, and we couldn't sleep after dark." Xiao Jie said as he stood up and took the meat off with a pole.
Ningxia walked over and looked through the food. The men had cleaned it up very well, and it looked ready to be cooked. "Is this chicken and rabbit?"
Xiao Jie chuckled, "It's chickens and bamboo rats."
“Can bamboo rats be this fat?”
"That's right. Brother Liao used to do this. He always caught them. There's a bamboo forest not far ahead. Every year when we pass by here at this time, we always go and pluck some."
Ningxia was holding a piece of meat in surprise. It must have weighed three or four pounds and looked not much smaller than a chicken. No one knew how long it took this group of people to prepare three bamboo rats and one chicken.
"How do you eat it?"
Xiaojie scratched his head embarrassedly, "Roast it, but with just salt, the taste will be a bit fishy."
Ningxia raised an eyebrow. How could it not be fishy? The only seasoning was salt, and it was something from the wild. "Can I make it?"
"Sure, sure! You can do whatever you want with it, sister." Xiao Jie nodded vigorously. He had disapproved of his brothers going to catch bamboo rats last night because they were so unpalatable and fishy. Later, when Lao Liao suggested catching some and asking Ningxia to handle them, he was instantly convinced.
Ningxia took the pieces of meat to the stream, washed them inside and out, and then brought them back. She told Xiaojie to pour the porridge in the big pot into her thermos, wash the pot clean, and then light the fire again.
"Sister, what are you doing?"
"I don't have any ingredients, so I'll just fry them," Ningxia said as she deftly removed the fatty parts of the bamboo rat and chicken. Unexpectedly, the bamboo rat was quite fat, kicking up quite a bit of fat. After a moment's thought, Ningxia peeled off the tender white skin, chopped it up, and threw it into the pot.
Add a little bit of water and the oil will come out in a while.
While the oil was boiling, Ningxia picked up the meat and planned to chop it into small pieces. Xiaojie quickly took it over and said, "Let me do it, sister."
Ningxia handed it to him with confidence and turned to search her bag for something useful. Xiaojie was chopping away, but the people in the shed showed no signs of waking up.
Ningxia had previously found wild garlic in the forest near the cabin. She had kept a dozen sprouted ones in her bag to see if they could survive, and she took out the rest. She also took out the large bunch of wild onions that Lin Yi had brought back with him yesterday.
By now, the water in the pot was gradually drying up. Ningxia increased the heat, stirring occasionally, and soon a lot of oil came out. It had been a long time since she had smelled this animal fat, and Ningxia missed it very much.
When the fat and skin in the pot became smaller and smaller, and finally turned into a small piece of browned brown, Ningxia took out the residue and asked Xiaojie to throw it away. Half a pot of oil will be enough for use.
Ningxia threw the prepared wild garlic and onions into the hot oil, making a sizzling sound.
Cook until the onions turn black, then take them out and discard them. This will make the flavor richer and the food more fragrant when fried later.
Ningxia divided the cut meat into two piles. There was quite a lot of meat when it was hanging as a whole, but after removing the fat and skin, it felt much less.
Ningxia added a few more sticks of firewood, and small flames danced around the entire pot. The oil at the bottom of the pot kept bubbling. When Ningxia saw that it was almost done, she covered her face with leaves and put all the meat in.
There was a sizzling sound, and the collision of water and oil was very intense. It took a while to calm down.
Ningxia asked Xiaojie to stir the pot. Then she ran to the side and took out some dried chilies from her bag, wrapped them in a clean cloth, and pounded them into a fine powder with a stone. Then, she mixed it with fine salt and the simple dressing was ready.
Xiao Jie stood by the fire. As the moisture on the surface of the meat was fried dry, the fat gradually secreted out, and the fragrance made his Adam's apple roll again and again.
When the skin was golden brown, Xiaojie looked at Ningxia and said, "Sister, is it ready?"
Ningxia shook her head. "It's better to deep-fry it until it's completely burnt." Indeed, without enough ingredients, it wouldn't taste good if it was just cooked through. It would be better to deep-fry it until it's completely burnt and sprinkle it with chili powder. It can be eaten as a side dish or as a snack when it's cold.
By the time the first batch came out of the oven, the meat was fried until golden brown and crispy. Ningxia picked out a boneless piece, dipped it in the sauce she had just made, and handed it to Xiaojie.
Xiao Jie was frightened by her sudden action and dodged back for a moment. After seeing clearly what was in front of him, he smiled embarrassedly at Ningxia before carefully opening his mouth to catch it.
"Delicious! Sis!"
Ningxia also tried one. Seeing the boy's eyes light up, she felt like laughing, but then she couldn't. How could this be considered delicious? The fried chicken fillets and crispy bones at the place near her school were truly incredible. However, she would never have the chance to taste them again in her lifetime...
"Xia Xia!"
Ningxia turned around suddenly and saw Sangsang sitting in the shed with her hair in a mess. Her eyes were still tightly closed, and from her expression, Ningxia knew she was going to the bathroom.
"Sister, let me do it." Xiao Jie was about to get up to hug Sangsang when Ningxia stopped him.
"I'll do it. You pour the remaining meat into the pot and continue frying." Ningxia said, then stood up to help Sangsang put on her shoes and took her hand to walk towards the grass beside the stream.
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