Chapter 33 Radish and Mustard Greens are so big, why are they still breastfeeding?
During this period, the peninsula tribes have been actively engaged in weaving and dyeing, and they have also started firing new pottery.
As long as you are hardworking and diligent, your family will have accumulated some supplies.
Therefore, when it comes to exchanging garlic, they are particularly confident, readily offering half a basket or a whole basket.
Yu Yan was both amused and exasperated: "I only picked three baskets in total, which isn't enough to exchange for that much, and I still have to save half of them to plant."
Jinxia: "Huh? What should we do then?"
"We all want to change."
Xin Yu stepped in to help Yu Yan out of the predicament: "Didn't we also pick some? You can just exchange with us. Besides, there are still plenty in the wild. If we gather enough people, we can go pick more anytime."
Feng Gui also said, "This is just a side dish; you can't use too much at once. Everyone can exchange for two to use in the meantime."
"Okay, then let's not exchange so many."
Tan Nian from the Qingqing tribe finally seized the opportunity to speak up: "Yu Yan! Get us some too!"
Yu Yan turned her head and gave him a "no problem" gesture.
Everyone was distributing their "spoils" and exchanging supplies in the altar square, creating a lively scene.
The person who received the item beamed with joy.
Afterwards, Yu Yan and Shu Yu said, "Why don't you come to my place for dinner tonight?"
Shuyu nodded immediately: "Thank you for your help."
Several sub-orcs from the Qingqing tribe said, "We all know how to cook, let us help you."
Yu Yan smiled and said, "Okay. But you'll have to wait for me a moment. I'll go plant these garlic in the field, it'll be quick."
Shuyu's eyes lit up: "Can we go with you to take a look?"
Yu Yan beckoned to him: "Of course, let's go then."
Many people from the peninsula tribes said they wanted to help Yu Yan and also wanted to learn how he cooks with garlic.
Yu Yan didn't refuse. After thinking for a moment, she said to Lan Xiu, "Why don't you go back and gather some firewood, start a fire, and boil some water?"
Lan Xiu nodded: "Okay."
After bidding farewell to Lanxiu, Yu Yan sprouted wings and flew towards the fields, with Feng Gui following closely behind.
Shuyu thought the field was far away, so it turned into a giant rabbit more than three meters tall, running around on the ground with a thud.
The fur on his back was fluffy, soft, and glossy. His two long white ears flapped back and forth, and were strangely bouncy.
Yu Yan admired the view for a few moments before they arrived at Tian.
Shuyu and the others almost couldn't stop in time, muttering, "So close..."
After landing, Yu Yan put down her basket, took out a stone hoe, turned over the somewhat hardened ridge, and then dug a ditch.
The wind returned to his side, and according to his instructions, the garlic sprouts were placed upright in the ditch.
Others, help cover it with soil.
They planted a basket and a half of garlic sprouts in about ten minutes.
Afterwards, Yu Yan went to the river to fetch water and thoroughly watered the soil.
He clapped his hands and said, "It's done."
Feng Gui glanced at the lush green garlic sprouts and asked with some unease, "Will they survive?"
Yu Yan: "I don't know. But they all grow well in the wild, so they must be quite resilient."
Yin Qing said, "It's okay if they don't grow, we can just go pull them out from the wild!"
Yu Yan chuckled: "That's right."
He looked up, searching for Shuyu and the others. They were very interested in the field; first they watched the garlic being planted, and now they were walking back and forth between the ridges, staring curiously at the scarecrow.
"Chief Shuyu, let's go back!"
"Okay, coming right away!"
A group of people returned to the ginkgo tree.
Lanxiu had not only lit a fire in the stone stove, but also built two more fire pits.
He tied the living ewes and lambs to a tree trunk not far away with straw ropes.
They were no longer as aggressive as they were in the wild, and just bleated restlessly.
Lan Xiu was standing in the open space, having taken off his upper clothes, holding a bone knife, and dismembering the sheep beast.
His expression was calm and focused. Red drops of blood splattered on his pale, strong, and well-defined chest, but he ignored them, letting the blood slide down.
He only looked up when he heard footsteps.
Meeting Yu Yan's gaze, the corners of his mouth turned up, his handsome features becoming even more vivid. "You're back?"
"Uh-huh!"
Yu Yan put down her things, invited Shu Yu and the others to sit in the thatched shed, and then went to check on the mother sheep and lambs.
Yu Yan's act of setting the fire probably left a deep shadow on them; they kept shrinking back, and their cries became even more pitiful.
In Yu Yan's eyes, the sheep automatically transformed into: sheep milk, lamb chops, roast whole lamb...
He: "Hehe."
Crops have been planted, livestock have been raised, and life is getting better and better.
Glancing at the ground, seeing no fodder, Yu Yan turned and asked, "Does anyone have time to cut some grass for me? I need to feed the sheep beasts."
Xin Yu raised her hand: "I'll go."
Cangfeng: "Let's go together. I'll transform into a beast and carry you."
After the two left, Yu Yan quickly checked the things in the house and then led the people to prepare the ingredients.
He asked Lanxiu to unload a lamb chop for him and cut off a few pieces of tender lamb.
The unelected sheep in the wild have a very strong muttony smell. He almost fainted after smelling them twice. No wonder the people of the beast world can't eat them.
To remove the gamey smell, he specially fetched a tub of clean water from the stream and soaked the mutton and lamb chops in it.
After that, together with everyone, we cleaned the garlic, garlic sprouts, stems, bird eggs, and other items that we would need.
Shuyu and the others were also very helpful, providing a lot of assistance.
They were particularly interested in the various utensils in Yu Yan's home, and would ask from time to time, "How do you use this pottery with legs?"
Why is there a groove around the edge of this pottery jar?
"Yu Yan, is the paper you used to wipe the stone slab the legendary paper? It's so absorbent."
The people of the Mingyuan tribe had asked similar questions just a few days ago, so Yu Yan answered them very fluently.
As Yu Yan chopped the garlic sprouts into sections, she suddenly thought of a nursery rhyme: "Loves to eat radishes, loves to eat vegetables, hopping and jumping, so cute."
So he asked curiously, "Chief Shuyu, do you have radishes and green vegetables in your tribe's territory?"
Shuyu was taken aback: "Green vegetables...every tribe has them, right? What are radishes?"
Yu Yan described the appearance of the radish to him, and then described the habits of cabbage and mustard greens to them.
Upon hearing this, the people of the Qingqing tribe replied, "We have both the white radish and the green mustard greens that you mentioned."
Yu Yan paused in her actions, then asked in surprise, "Really? It tastes just like I described?"
He was just asking casually!
Tan Nian: "It really exists, and it tastes the same, but we call it differently. We call radish 'white root' and mustard greens 'leafy greens'."
Yu Yan's eyes lit up. "Could you exchange some of these two vegetables for me? And save some seeds for me after they've germinated. Since you know that the people from the Mingyuan tribe came to visit, you should have heard that two new seeds can be exchanged for papermaking technology."
"Bring the white root and leafy greens, and I'll teach you papermaking! Or I can go to your tribe and dig them up myself!"
Shuyu and the others were stunned. The Mingyuan tribe was the most powerful and populous tribe in the vicinity.
They never expected that the Mingyuan tribe would get what they hadn't even gotten yet!
What's there to hesitate about? White roots and leafy greens are not rare things in the Green Green Tribe!
Shuyu immediately exclaimed excitedly, "Okay! We'll trade with you! Yuyan, the paper is so good, thank you so much for teaching us how to make paper, thank you so much!"
Tan Nian and the others stared intently at Yu Yan, even saying, "Are you in a hurry? Why don't we go back to the tribe now, dig some up, and bring them to you!"
Yu Yan chuckled. They hadn't even had a chance to sit down properly before they were leaving again.
"No rush, no rush, you can settle in comfortably."
Shuyu and the others, however, were restless, feeling that they had taken advantage of Yu Yan.
They were already quite happy to be able to help Yu Yan, and they didn't ask for anything in return.
Yu Yan continued chopping vegetables with her head down. Thinking about the radishes and mustard greens she was about to get, she was very happy and started talking to Shu Yu and the others about the raw materials for papermaking.
Shuyu was even more moved by Yu Yan's generosity and earnestly promised, "Yu Yan, we will give you all the new seeds we find in the future."
That's great.
"You can come to our tribe anytime you want. Pick whatever you like and treat our tribe as your own home!"
"Haha, thank you, Chief Shuyu."
Hearing the conversation from not far away, Yin Qing and the others laughed and said, "Why are you all always thinking of kidnapping Yu Yan? Let me tell you, no way! Yu Yan belongs to our tribe!"
"right!"
Shuyu blushed slightly with embarrassment: "I didn't, I didn't..."
Tan Nian, however, shouted, "I have it!!"
Yu Yan: "...Pfft."
No one knows who started it, but a burst of good-natured laughter rang out under the ginkgo tree.
While chatting and laughing, the ingredients were almost ready.
Yu Yan started scrubbing the pot, added cold water, and then threw in the lamb chops to bring it to a boil.
After skimming off a lot of white foam, the lamb chops were cleaned and the gamey smell was reduced.
Then, he heated oil in a wok, added ginger and garlic to sauté until fragrant, then poured the lamb chops into the wok and stir-fried them, before adding hot water to stew them.
Then go to another pot, stir-fry the shredded meat until it changes color, and take it out;
Continue to sauté ginger and garlic in the same pot until fragrant, then add the cooked shredded pork, salt, and garlic leaves and stir-fry.
Once it's almost done, add garlic leaves and stir-fry for about ten seconds. Finally, add some of his freshly made oyster sauce for seasoning.
A dish of shredded pork with garlic sprouts is ready to be served.
Yu Yan wiped the fine sweat from her forehead and said to the group of people studying diligently around her, "The meat ribs will need to stew for a while longer. Everyone, please try the shredded pork with garlic sprouts first."
People immediately responded, and only picked up their own food after Yu Yan had taken a bite.
"Ugh!" As soon as they took a bite, they realized something was wrong.
The gamey smell of the lamb meat is still there, but it's much milder than before. With the addition of garlic leaves, the fat content of the shredded meat is just right, making it tender but not greasy!
There's also oyster oil, which perfectly brings out the umami flavor of the lamb meat without overpowering it. They complement each other perfectly.
The gamey smell that used to be hard for them to swallow has now become a unique and wonderful flavor, it's so delicious.
Yin Qing was the first to say, "This is so delicious! Before it was stir-fried, the sheep meat was so gamey and the garlic leaves were so smelly, but I didn't expect it to become so fragrant after it was stir-fried."
Feng Gui was also amazed: "I think the current gamey smell is just right, making you want to eat more."
Xuefei: "I didn't know that the meat of the sheep beast was so tender when it was cooked. My mouth is watering just smelling it."
Moye: "It tastes even better with stir-fried garlic leaves, you should try it again."
Yu Yan also thought her dish was pretty good, but...
"It would taste even better if you added some chili peppers," he said.
Lamb and chili peppers are a perfect match! When will he finally find some chili peppers?
Feng Gui: "Hearing you talk about chili peppers, I'd like to try them myself."
Yin Qing: "We'll keep an eye out! Once we find it, we'll come back and learn from you how to do it!"
Yu Yan: "Okay."
He then explained how to cook the lamb chops. Since they didn't have many seasonings on hand, they could only add some salt and oyster sauce to taste after the lamb chops were stewed, and finally stir-fry with garlic sprouts.
Everyone nodded, indicating that they had learned it, and happily said goodbye to Yu Yan and the others.
"Then let's go back and cook!"
See you tomorrow, Yu Yan!
Yu Yan waved to them: "See you tomorrow."
After they left, the area under the ginkgo tree became much emptier.
While Feng Gui was steaming the stems and tubers, Yu Yan also stir-fried two green vegetables and a dish of bird eggs.
After they finished cooking, Xin Yu and Cang Feng returned with more than ten bundles of green grass.
Yu Yan went up to them, thanked them, untied a bundle of hay, and threw it at the feet of a few sheep.
They buried their heads in their food and ate heartily, making happy "baa" sounds as they ate.
Yu Yan said with a smile, "Eat more, so you'll produce more milk tomorrow morning."
Xin Yu didn't see Yin Qing and the others, so she asked, "Has everyone gone back?"
Yu Yan: "Yes."
He told Xin Yu and Cang Feng how to make stir-fried pork with garlic sprouts and stewed lamb chops, and Xin Yu quickly learned how.
Cangfeng: "Then we'll head back first. I'll come back later and take Chief Shuyu and the others to their lodgings."
Yu Yan: "Okay."
After a while, Lan Xiu finished processing all the sheep beasts. He separated the meat and hides, and collected the shaved fur in a cloth bag as Yu Yan had instructed, tying the bag tightly.
The lamb chops were cooked, and Yu Yan took the dishes out of the pot and arranged them.
The stewed lamb chops are glistening with oil, the meat is slightly shrunken, and tender green garlic sprouts are sprinkled on top. The whole dish exudes a rich aroma and heat.
Stir-fried shredded pork with garlic sprouts, stir-fried greens, and stir-fried quail eggs—each dish is vibrantly colored, making it very appetizing.
Yu Yan invited everyone to sit down.
The sun dipped below the horizon, and the forest was dimly lit.
By the light of the torches, the people, tired from a long day, enjoyed a hearty and fragrant dinner.
Shuyu and the others had been craving it for a long time. At first, they were polite to Yu Yan, but after tasting it, their eyes lit up and they couldn't stop eating.
Tan Nian was gnawing on a lamb chop, his cheeks slightly bulging from chewing, his expression one of pure bliss.
He said, "I don't usually like eating meat, especially meat with a strong flavor. Today I realized that it's not that the meat is bad, it's that I didn't cook it well! It's so fragrant, really so fragrant. This trip was totally worth it."
Shuyu: "Wild vegetables are delicious too, with no bitterness at all, and they're crisp and tender. Is the flavor so delicious because of oyster sauce?"
Yu Yan: "Yes."
Shuyu asked earnestly, "Could you please give us some oyster oil instead?"
Yu Yan: "I'm afraid that won't work, I don't have many on hand either. But I can exchange them for oysters, there are plenty of them by the sea. I'll also teach you how to make them, you can make them yourselves."
Shuyu nodded: "That's not bad either."
Everyone ate and chatted, creating a lively atmosphere. During the meal, Yu Yan also finalized an agreement with the Qingqing tribe to exchange supplies such as soap, montmorillonite powder, and animal meat.
It's already very late today, so it's not convenient to look at the picture book. Yu Yan made an appointment with them to come and see it before they leave tomorrow.
Because there were so many people, Yu Yan made a lot of food today, thinking there would be some leftovers.
Unexpectedly, they devoured everything in a flash, leaving not even a drop of soup!
After the meal, everyone's face was filled with a satisfied smile.
Tan Nian rubbed his stomach and said, "Yu Yan, your cooking is so delicious, I don't want to leave."
Yu Yan smiled and said, "If you like it, you can stay a little longer, but you'll have to pay for the supplies next."
These people were full of fighting spirit: "We'll go back and work hard to gather supplies!"
It was getting late, and Cangfeng and Moye came over to take them to the cave they had prepared to stay in. Everyone said goodbye to Yu Yan with reluctance.
After watching Mo Ye and his men walk a distance away, Yu Yan asked Cang Feng, "How's the charcoal kiln going?"
Cangfeng: "It's still emitting yellow smoke, but there's very little of it now."
Yu Yan asked seriously, "Can we stop tonight?"
Cangfeng: "I don't think it will work. You should rest in your den. There are people guarding the charcoal kiln. They will come to call you when the smoke stops."
Yu Yan: "Okay."
She barely rested all day. After filling her stomach, Yu Yan felt exhausted and sleepy all at once.
After washing up, he went back to the bird's nest, lay down, and soon fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, just as dawn was breaking and the forest mist was still thick, a light rain brought people over.
Yu Yan invited them to have breakfast, then showed them the catalog and told them that this was what she was looking for.
After carefully taking notes, Shu Yu and the others accepted the soap, montmorillonite powder, and other items handed to them by Yu Yan, and solemnly promised: "We will go back today and collect white root and leafy greens, along with other supplies, and deliver them to you before dark."
Yu Yan: "It's okay, there's no need to rush. I probably won't be able to go oyster digging at the beach today."
"No rush, no rush. We'll be going now, Yu Yan. You're welcome to visit our tribe anytime!"
Goodbye, take care on your journey.
"goodbye!"
After seeing off the people from the Qingqing tribe, Yu Yan turned her head, but couldn't find Lan Xiu anywhere.
Strange, I didn't eat breakfast at home.
"Are you looking for Lanxiu?" Feng Gui asked.
"Yes, do you know where he went?"
“He went to the charcoal kiln to relieve the shift in the middle of the night. I saw Chief Shuyu and the others, so I didn’t tell you.”
Yu Yan nodded knowingly.
New pottery kilns and charcoal kilns are secrets of the peninsula tribes.
"Then, Father, will you help me milk the cows?"
Worry appeared in Feng Gui's eyes: "The mother sheep with her cubs is very fierce. What if she hurts you?"
Yu Yan: "Let's try it first. If it doesn't work, we'll wait for Lan Xiu to come back."
He found a clean, open earthenware jar and carried it on his shoulder.
The two walked together to the tree where the sheep was tied.
In the morning, the hardworking wind shoveled sheep manure and added fresh hay, and the bellies of the ewes and lambs were full.
The ewe was lying on the ground, resting with her eyes closed. After playing for a while, the lamb nudged her with its head, wanting to nurse.
But it didn't eat properly; it just carried it around like a game, which angered the ewe so much that she pushed it away with her head.
The lamb bleated and was about to go forward again when the straw rope tied around its neck was suddenly pulled.
"Meow~" It turned its head and saw Yu Yan, and its legs went weak.
Yu Yan smiled and said, "You're so big and still drinking milk? From now on, you'll eat grass, and the goat milk is mine."
"Meow..."
He grabbed the lamb that dared not resist and tied it to a nearby tree.
Then, he approached the trembling ewe.
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