Chapter 45 Lotus Root Delicacies: His composure was all an act.
He walked towards the tall and handsome Lan Xiu, and looked at the green-headed bird with Lan Xiu's hand.
That's right, except for being larger, having longer feathers, and sharper teeth, this is the kind of duck he's seen in modern times!
Yu Yan asked Lan Xiu excitedly, "When you were running on this meadow just now, did you see any baby green-headed birds?"
Lan Xiu thought for a moment: "I didn't see it, the grass was too tall. But I heard a sound. What, you want it?"
Yu Yan nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes! Where did you hear that? Take me to see it."
Jiang Kuo and the others overheard the conversation between the two and enthusiastically told them where they had heard the shouts.
Yu Yan told them to put down the green-headed birds they had hunted, then called Lan Xiu and headed in the direction everyone had just pointed.
It's not lotus root harvesting season yet, so there are few people here, and the grass is growing lushly.
Lan Xiu took the initiative to walk ahead of Yu Yan, vigorously parting the grass to make sure no stray beasts were hiding inside.
Jiang Kuo thought for a moment and then had his clansmen disperse to help Yu Yan search for the little green-headed bird.
The people of the Mingyuan tribe were very enthusiastic about this, constantly making "coo-coo" sounds to attract the birds.
Thanks to her keen hearing and sense of smell, Yu Yan and her companion soon found two little green-headed birds.
They were still very small, about the size of a modern half-grown duck. Their green heads were not very noticeable, their downy feathers were grayish, and their wings were bare, so they didn't seem to be able to fly yet.
The little green-headed bird, separated from its flock, ran around in a panic, its chirping much more childish than that of the adult green-headed birds.
Yu Yan's eyes lit up, and she excitedly said to Lan Xiu, "Quick, let's catch them!"
Lan Xiu didn't ask why, he rolled up his sleeves and pounced on her.
The two little green-headed birds were separated by the wind. As Yu Yan chased after the other one, she shouted, "I want it alive!"
Lan Xiu's gaze was focused: "I know."
He was a skilled hunter, so catching a little green-headed bird was a piece of cake for him.
Yu Yan was a little slower than him, but she also caught the little bird she was chasing.
Elsewhere along the lake, shouts rang out: "I caught one!"
"I have two here, I'll catch them soon!"
"Lin Ye, a dog is running towards you!"
"I saw it!!"
Many hands make light work, and in no time they had caught fifteen little green-headed birds.
These mallards did not hatch from the same brood, and they vary in size, but none of them can fly yet.
Jiang Kuo and the others asked Yu Yan, "Are you going to eat these little green-headed birds?"
Yu Yan: "No, I want to keep them. Father!"
Feng Gui: "Here it is."
"Give me the basket you brought."
Feng Gui handed over a basket, and Yu Yan gestured for everyone to put the little green-headed bird into the basket.
Luckily, Feng Gui carried three baskets, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to hold it all.
After finishing, Yu Yan put the lid on and tied it with straw rope several times to make sure the little green-headed birds couldn't escape.
After he finished, Lin Ye from the Mingyuan tribe asked, "Yu Yan, when you want to eat bird meat, why don't you just go hunting in the wild? Why raise baby birds? It's too much trouble, and they'll fly away when they grow up."
Mengyun said, "Yes, there are many birds in the wild that taste better than mallards."
Yu Yan replied with a smile, "Malva aren't that fierce. They eat grass, fish, and shrimp, so finding food for them is easy. Most importantly, I like malva eggs!"
Green-shelled duck eggs are delicious whether stir-fried, steamed, or pickled!
Ah, if only we had some baijiu (Chinese liquor), the eggs from these wild ducks would definitely have red yolks when pickled, sizzling with oil, and smelling incredibly delicious.
Lin Ye: "Okay."
Jiang Kuo patted Lin Ye's shoulder and smiled, "Yu Yan even keeps sheep, so what's a green-headed bird? Yu Yan, don't worry too much about them flying away. At worst, we can just pluck their feathers."
Yu Yan nodded. However, he didn't plan to pluck the feathers. Instead, he wanted to wait until the tribe smelted metal ore to forge scissors and cut off the green-headed bird's feathers.
He still has so much time to tame the mallards generation after generation until they lose the ability to fly.
Lin Ye then asked, "What about the big green-headed bird we caught?"
Yu Yan: "Let's eat this afternoon! This bird meat is delicious when it's cooked properly. I'll make a lot this afternoon so everyone can try it."
Upon hearing this, people were quite interested: "Great! Great!"
Mengyun thought for a moment and said, "Anyway, I'll be watching Shuanghong from the shore. While you're in the water, I'll take care of the green-headed bird first. Make sure to pluck all the feathers, and what about its internal organs? Do you want them?"
Yu Yan: "Yes."
Mengyun: "Okay, I'll wash myself a little cleaner."
Yu Yan: "And the meat of the green-headed bird, preferably chopped into pieces."
Mengyun: "Okay, I understand."
Someone else said, "I noticed a lot of bird eggs in the grass, so I'm going to stay on the shore and collect them."
Yu Yan: "Then let's split up."
He looked at the lotus leaves stretching to the sky in the lake and laughed, "Let's go, everyone else, come with me to collect lotus roots!"
"Great!!" Everyone responded enthusiastically.
They took off their clothes and shoes on the shore and slowly walked into the lake.
The water near the lake wasn't deep, and the silt was soft and slippery underfoot.
Yu Yan ran her hand along the stem, wading into the mud twice, and found a lotus root.
He grabbed the lotus root and pulled it upwards, and the lotus root was in his hands.
The lotus root was about the thickness of two of his fingers put together, and its color was a pale white. It was so tender that it would break easily with a fingernail.
Yu Yan smiled, rinsed the lotus root with lake water, and tossed it into her basket.
Next, he got really into it, and every time he touched something, he got something.
The lake was very large. The people of the Mingyuan tribe, as well as Feng Gui and Lan Xiu, were scattered in various places. They were blocked by the large lotus leaves, so Yu Yan could not see them. She could only judge their location by the ripples in the water and the sound of their laughter.
It was clear that the people of the Mingyuan tribe were very enthusiastic about this gathering operation; the laughter never stopped, and some of the young sub-beastmen even started competing with each other.
By noon, the baskets that Yu Yan had brought were all full.
After he came out of the water, he looked around and realized that he had been circling around the place where he first entered the water, which showed how huge the number of lotus roots in the lake was.
In autumn, a large quantity of lotus roots will be harvested.
Carrying several baskets of lotus roots, he swam ashore, took out a towel to dry himself, and changed into clean clothes.
He wrung out his wet pants and draped them over the edge of the basket.
A gentle breeze blows by the lake; it won't be long before it dries.
The others gradually returned to shore, their baskets full.
Zhong Hai smiled and said to Yu Yan, "I usually take people hunting, but today I came to gather resources and found it really interesting."
Mengyun sat on a rock on the shore. In the basket to his left, lined with lotus leaves, was chopped bird meat.
Because the tools were not suitable, the pieces were chopped into very large pieces, and the cuts were not neat.
To his right was a huge pile of feathers and down.
Shuanghong and the other cubs used long feathers as weapons, running around and playing "fighting games".
Hearing his partner's words, he shook his head and laughed, "That's because there are so many lotus roots here. If you were to go out into the wild and wander around all day just to fill a basket with food, you wouldn't find it so interesting."
Having spent so much time together, Zhong Hai had a strong survival instinct and said, "Yes, you're right, thank you for your hard work. Wow, you've already chopped so much bird meat? You're so efficient, you truly are my partner."
A chorus of jeers erupted from the crowd.
Mengyun's handsome face flushed slightly. She glared at him, her expression a mixture of reproach and shyness: "Shut up."
Zhong Hai said confidently, "No, I want to praise my good partner."
"...Zhong Hai!"
Yu Yan and the others laughed so hard they were bent over: "Hahaha!"
After resting for a while, they counted the number of lotus roots and found they had picked a total of sixty-seven baskets. They also collected three large baskets of large green bird eggs.
Feng Gui fiddled with the lotus root shoots and said happily, "It smells so fresh, it must taste delicious."
Jiang Kuo and the others said, "Yes, I tasted it when I was in the water just now, and it was so fresh and sweet. We used to think these things were too small and didn't come to dig them up, which was a huge loss."
The sun was already setting in the west, and it was the best time to bask in the sun. Yu Yan suggested that they go to Mingyuan Village for a visit, and everyone readily agreed.
Jiang Kuo transformed into a large, silver-gray wolf, carrying dozens of baskets of lotus roots on his back, and enthusiastically led the way.
"Come on, come on, we've been wanting you to visit our tribe for a long time."
Just as Yu Yan was about to conjure wings, Lan Xiu asked in a low voice, "You and Feng Gui have been flying and collecting all morning, shall I carry you on my back?"
"Okay." Yu Yan quickly put her arm down and beckoned Feng Gui over.
Feng Gui looked them over, then gave them a knowing smile and said, "It's okay, I'm not tired, I can fly by myself."
After saying that, he flapped his wings and chased after the main force of the Mingyuan tribe.
Yu Yan & Lan Xiu: "..."
Lan Xiu: "Are you still going to sit?"
Yu Yan slightly raised her chin: "Sit, why won't you sit!"
It's as if he feels guilty.
On the way back, Yu Yan sat on Lan Xiu's back, barely uttering a sound. Thinking of Feng Gui's smile, his face flushed slightly.
Fortunately, no one said anything.
Upon arriving at the Mingyuan tribe's habitat, Yu Yan jumped off the tiger's back and looked around curiously.
Unlike the peninsula tribes, which are mostly inhabited by bird-beastmen, the majority of the people here are wolf-beastmen, who live in caves dug out of the mountainsides.
The entrance to the cave has been reinforced, but it's pitch black inside and you can't see anything clearly.
As he walked, the people in the tribe watched him with excitement and curiosity, and some of the bolder ones even took the initiative to greet him, as if they had been "finally looking forward to his arrival".
Jiang Kuo led Yu Yan and the others to the outside of his cave.
On the flat ground below the cave, a thatched hut similar to the one in Yu Yan's house was built.
The thatched hut was filled with miscellaneous items, and outside was a stone stove with a kettle boiling water on it, clearly indicating that it came from a peninsula tribe.
“My father and my adoptive father have both returned to the embrace of the Beast God, and now I live alone. Come, sit here.”
Jiang Kuo went to the thatched shed, took a clean earthenware bowl, and poured water from the pot into it.
“I boiled this before I left this morning,” he said, handing the bowl to Yu Yan. “I know you all want to drink boiled water.”
Yu Yan took the bowl and said, "Thank you. Not only us, but your tribe should also boil the water before drinking it."
Jiang Kuo finished pouring the water, sat down, and nodded, saying, "Yes, now many people, including myself, are already drinking it. During this period, there have been fewer babies with upset stomachs."
After chatting for a while, Yu Yan noticed that the little green-headed birds were huddled together in the basket and looked listless. She asked, "Chief Jiang Kuo, does your tribe have any abandoned caves? I'd like to put these little birds in a cave for now."
Jiang Kuo immediately stood up: "Yes, come with me."
Feng Gui thought for a moment and said, "I'll go and gather some grass seeds for these little birds to eat."
Yu Yan: "Okay."
Lan Xiu took the initiative to carry several baskets of birds on his back, and together with Yu Yan and Jiang Kuo, they came to the outside of the abandoned cave.
The cave was dug shallowly, only a dozen meters deep, and the inside was sealed off.
Yu Yan took the basket from Lan Xiu, opened it, and put the little green-headed bird inside.
Once out of the basket, they indeed became lively and energetic, wagging their tails and pecking here and there.
Jiang Kuo told the two of them to watch over the cave entrance while he gathered several bundles of tree branches to block it.
The wind has returned, and through the tree branch wall, it tosses grass with seeds to the little green-headed birds.
They chirped excitedly and ran over to eat the grass seeds.
Yu Yan's heart melted at their adorable appearance.
"The little bird is settled, let's go cook!" Yu Yan said.
Jiang Kuo: "Let's go!"
The Mingyuan tribe also has a place for everyone to gather. Hearing that Yu Yan was going to cook there, everyone brought over their best cooking utensils and food, excitedly preparing for a meal together.
Although many people were meeting Yu Yan for the first time, they were very enthusiastic and even strongly requested that Yu Yan assign them tasks.
Yu Yan smiled and waved her hand: "I don't know what everyone is good at or not good at, so let your tribes decide. I'll be in charge of stir-frying lotus root and roasting bird meat."
"Alright then," the young people of the Mingyuan tribe said expectantly, "we'll just wait to eat!"
"We've heard you're an amazing cook, we've been wanting to try it for ages!"
Yu Yan laughed heartily: "Okay, no problem."
We dug up a lot of lotus roots, so we can work with them freely.
Yu Yan made three kinds of lotus root in one go: stir-fried lotus root, spicy and sour lotus root, and lotus root with pounded peppers.
Among them, making pounded lotus root with chili is a bit more time-consuming. After heating the earthenware pot, do not add oil. Just throw the green peppers in directly and fry them slowly over low heat until the skin softens and wrinkles, and is slightly charred.
During this process, the aroma of the chili peppers is released.
Many people smelled it and said, "It smells both pungent and pleasant; chili peppers are truly amazing."
After the chili peppers were sautéed, Yu Yan added oil, stir-fried minced garlic until fragrant, then added the washed and chopped lotus root slices, stir-fried for a few moments, and it was ready to serve.
The green chilies, chili sauce, limes, and garlic used in these dishes were all brought from his home.
It's worth mentioning that the Mingyuan tribe has oyster oil!
The oysters were obtained from their tribe, and he taught them how to render the oil.
Yu Yan tasted it and exclaimed, "Hmm, the taste is quite authentic."
Jiang Kuo replied nonchalantly, "Is that so?"
Zhong Hai and he grew up together and had a good relationship. Without hesitation, he exposed his true colors: "Yu Yan, his composure is all an act. The first few baskets of oysters we got in exchange were ruined by him and his men."
Jiang Kuo gritted his teeth: "Meng Yun, tell your Zhong Hai to shut his mouth!!"
Mengyun burst into laughter: "I can't help it."
Someone egged him on: "Kiss him, and he'll shut up."
"Yes, yes, yes!"
“I think they have a point…” Zhong Hai smiled and leaned closer, staring intently at Meng Yun, as if he wanted to kiss her.
Unfortunately, before their lips could even touch, Mengyun pushed them away without any mercy.
Shuanghong ran over and said, "Father and Uncle kissed again."
Mengyun: "...You get out of here too!"
An even louder burst of laughter erupted in the square where the gathering was taking place.
Yu Yan's hands trembled with laughter as she served the dishes.
Yu Yan glanced at Feng Gui's smiling face and saw that he seemed to be in a good mood. She said, "Father, although our two tribes are different, we get along just as well."
Feng Gui nodded: "Yes, everyone here is a very nice person."
Next, Yu Yan made spicy stir-fried duck.
He went to great lengths to change people's perception of duck meat.
He heated the oil and sautéed ginger slices until fragrant, then added the duck meat and patiently stir-fried it until the moisture evaporated. After that, he added chili peppers and garlic, stir-fried them until fragrant, added hot water, and simmered for about forty minutes.
During the meal, he invited everyone to try his stir-fried lotus root shoots.
They already loved the refreshing taste of lotus root, but adding chili peppers elevated the flavor to an even higher level.
The bravest among them were the first to try it, exclaiming in amazement, "Ouch, my mouth hurts a little, but it's so delicious!"
"The sour and spicy lotus root shoots and the pounded chili peppers are two different flavors. One is particularly refreshing and appetizing, while the other has a smoky chili pepper aroma. I like both of them!"
Others who were still observing asked, "Your mouth hurts, and you still like it?"
"You'll know once you try it! It hurts so much but feels so good! It makes you want to keep eating it!" After saying that, the orc even ran out of the crowd, transformed into a big wolf, and howled at the sky twice.
The remaining people became restless and all reached for the lotus root shoots with their chopsticks.
Yu Yan's cooking technique was perfect, controlling the heat and timing perfectly. The lotus root was cooked through but still tender and crisp.
It has tiny pores, and now it contains a combination of sour, spicy, salty, and savory flavors. When you bite into it, it's bursting with juice—it's absolutely delicious!
Jiang Kuo waved his chopsticks around, his mouth burning red from the spiciness, but he still couldn't stop.
He said, "Compared to stir-frying with chili peppers, the plain stir-fried version is a bit bland. I never expected that chili peppers could make lotus root so much tastier."
Lin Ye nodded: "When the lotus roots have grown in a while, we can stir-fry them with chili peppers. Wouldn't that taste just as good?"
Zhong Hai: "Definitely!"
Mengyun: "Chieftain, shall we go to Shenhu Tribe tomorrow and urge them to pick chili peppers for us as soon as possible?"
“I wanted to too,” Jiang Kuo said helplessly, looking at Yu Yan. “They picked all the ones they could and gave them to Yu Yan.”
Yu Yan comforted her, saying, "Chili peppers grow quickly. In a few more days, another batch will be ready."
The people of the Mingyuan tribe are very much looking forward to this.
Even the spicy stir-fried lotus root is so delicious; just thinking about the spicy stir-fried bird meat makes their mouths water.
Half an hour later, the water in the pot had almost boiled down. Yu Yan put in the red chili sauce she had ground earlier, stir-fried it evenly with the duck meat, added oyster sauce and chopped garlic sprouts, stir-fried it a few more times, and then put the spicy stir-fried duck meat into the earthenware bowl next to her.
The stir-fried and stewed duck meat tightened and turned an enticing brown color, steaming hot.
Bright red chili flakes and vibrant green garlic sprouts are evenly sprinkled among the duck meat, making it a feast for the eyes and the palate.
The chili peppers remove the gamey smell of the duck meat and bring out the unique aroma of the poultry, which intertwines with the spiciness, each flavor complementing the other.
Meat lovers will be driven crazy by this dish.
It smells so good, they wouldn't even notice if someone fell into the river right next to them!
Just as Yu Yan had predicted, this spicy stir-fried duck dish garnered praise from the entire Mingyuan tribe.
Unlike themselves, Feng Gui, and Lan Xiu, they didn't get used to eating chili peppers after a few days.
They are the type who love to eat even when it's spicy, and can't stop eating it even when it's hot.
Some people even chewed and swallowed the bones that had been stewed until they were soft.
After finishing their meal, they unanimously agreed to go to the Shenhu tribe the next day and urge Fansu to pick chili peppers for them!
And let's hunt more mallards to eat!
Jiang Kuo: "Then tomorrow, Lin Ye, you take your men to the Deep Lake Tribe, and I'll take my men to hunt green-headed birds."
Zhong Hai: "I'm taking Meng Yun to the peninsula tribe to trade for garlic!"
Mengyun looked at Yuyan: "Could you give me some more chili sauce? It smells so good whether it's eaten raw or stir-fried."
Yu Yan: "I didn't grind much this time, so I'll give you a smaller jar instead."
"Thank you so much!"
The others were a step too slow and missed out, leaving them regretting it deeply.
Meng Yun is a sub-beastman of the python type, and his adoptive father comes from the Deep Lake tribe. Thinking of Fan Su and the others' aversion to chili peppers, he shook his head with a smile.
Once their mouth ulcers heal and they eat dishes made with chili peppers, won't they regret it to death?
Such delicious food has been overlooked by them for so many years!
Haha, I really want to see how interesting their expressions will be then.
After having a full meal at the Mingyuan tribe, including many of their local sweet fruits, Yu Yan and her two companions declined the invitation to stay overnight and prepared to go home.
Everyone was very reluctant to part with them, so they packed them twenty baskets of lotus root shoots, two baskets of bird eggs, and two baskets of fruit.
Some people offered them meat, but Yu Yan repeatedly refused, saying, "Thank you everyone, but we really can't finish all the meat in our house, so I really won't take any more."
When the three left Mingyuan tribe, Jiang Kuo and his men escorted them for a very, very long time...
Upon returning to the peninsula tribe, Yu Yan asked Lan Xiu and Feng Gui to go back and put their things away first, while she went to Cang Feng's house.
After a whole day of fun, he needed to get back to work and discuss formal metallurgy matters with Cangfeng and Xinyu.
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