Chapter 67 The tung oil rain boot cake smells so good!
"Hmm?" Yu Yan paused, looked up, and said in confusion, "No."
Lan Xiu realized he had misunderstood, chuckled softly, walked to his side, and asked, "What are you doing?"
Yu Yan excitedly explained to him, "It's a delicious treat called cake! It's to celebrate our successful return from the Rainbow Cloud Tribe!"
"Hmm," Lan Xiu's smile deepened, "It's just about constantly whipping the egg whites, right?"
"Here's how it goes. I've only been playing for a little while, it'll take a while to finish."
"Then I'll do it. I'll go wash my hands in a moment."
"Okay, okay." Yu Yan continued to whisk the egg whites quickly while asking him, "Has the grass been cut down yet?"
"Yes, I also chopped some firewood. It's going to rain tonight, so I put the hay in the barn."
"Yes, there's a lot of rain this time of year, and it's going to rain for a while longer. Where's my father-in-law? What's he doing?"
"He said he took advantage of the good weather today to collect the honey, which he has been saving for almost a year."
Yu Yan said "Oh" and nodded.
To prevent people in the tribe from fighting over it, whoever discovers the beehive first gets to keep it and marks it with their own unique mark.
Unless the owner trades it away or voluntarily relinquishes it, no one else can harvest it.
The bees in the Beast World are very aggressive, but Feng Gui is an expert, so Yu Yan is not worried.
Lan Xiu washed his hands, walked over, and took over Yu Yan's work.
With a simple instruction from Yu Yan, he got the hang of it. With his eyes lowered, his slender fingers quickly twirled the straw broom, stirring the egg whites in the bowl in circles.
"Then you start mixing first, I'll go filter the honey and then sift the flour."
"good."
The kitchen was large, and the two of them worked together without getting in each other's way.
Yu Yan dissolved the honey in warm water and filtered out clean syrup.
He took out some syrup and added it to the beaten egg whites in three separate additions.
Then put the flour in a pot and steam it for about fifteen minutes. After that, take out a small fine sieve and sift the flour through it.
Yu Yan looked out the window and saw that the newly built mud stove behind the house was still burning.
Looking at the ceramic bowl in Lanxiu's hand, the egg whites inside had been whipped into a white paste!
"It's done!" he said with delight.
Maintaining the stirring posture was tiring, but Lanxiu never stopped, even when he was talking to Yu Yan.
Is this okay?
"Let me see."
Yu Yan took the basin, stirred it with chopsticks, and said, "No, it needs to be stirred again. I'll do it, you take a rest."
After only a few minutes of beating, Yu Yan's hand started to ache. She thought to herself that making a cake was a spur-of-the-moment idea, and she would definitely make a hand-cranked egg beater later.
Lan Xiu noticed that Yu Yan was tired, so after resting for a while, he took back the work he had been assigned.
Fully whipped egg whites turn pure white in color and have a creamy, soft, and dense texture.
Yu Yan stirred the egg white with a wooden spoon, and a small, curved peak appeared, as elegant as the neck of a swan.
That's about right!
"What's almost done?" Feng Gui walked in from outside, patted the water droplets off his hands, and said, "It smells so good."
“Father, you’re back,” Yu Yan showed him the beaten egg whites. “I’m making a cake with bird eggs. It will be ready to eat in a little while.”
Feng Gui: "Bird eggs can turn into this?"
“Yes,” Yu Yan said with a smile, “Lan Xiu has been stirring things up for quite a while.”
He glanced out the window and, without realizing it, the blazing sun had already hidden behind the clouds, and a light drizzle was falling from the sky.
"Has your father brought back the honey?"
Feng Gui smiled and nodded: "I've picked them. Would you like to try some? They're very sweet."
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Feng Gui took out a jar containing the beehives he had cut down.
Yu Yan poured some honey into the ceramic bowl. The oily, glistening honey had a perfect golden color and seemed to be glowing.
He took out a pair of chopsticks, dipped them in the honey, gave one to himself and handed the other to Lanxiu.
After tasting it, their eyes lit up.
"It's so fragrant and sweet, so delicious!" It truly lives up to its reputation as wild honey!
Looking at their radiant faces, Feng Gui also broke into a satisfied smile.
"Since we have freshly harvested honey... then we don't need the previous honey blocks."
As Yu Yan spoke, he took a clean, dry ceramic basin and put in the flour that he had sifted earlier.
Then heat the animal fat until it's warm, pour it in, and quickly stir the flour into a paste.
He then added egg yolks and honey water, and used a wooden stick to draw a line in the shape of a "I" to mix the ingredients thoroughly.
Watching the batter flow softly in the bowl, surrounded by the aroma of honey, the whole process was very relaxing.
After that, he scooped out about one-third of the whipped egg whites, mixed them in, and then poured all the batter into the remaining egg whites and folded it in completely.
The batter has a light golden color and a very smooth texture.
Feng Gui exclaimed, "Although it's not finished yet, I'm already sure it will taste delicious."
Yu Yan laughed heartily: "Yes, after all, it contains both oil and sugar."
They only dare to eat like that because their family has no shortage of supplies.
Finally, Yu Yan took a clean, deep ceramic bowl, coated the inside with a thin layer of oil, scraped the batter into the new bowl, tapped the bowl to reduce air bubbles, sprinkled on a layer of chopped nuts, and put the lid on.
Just then, the clay stove outside was finished firing. Yu Yan walked out in the drizzle, shoveled the ashes to both sides, and then slowly placed the container of batter, lid and all, into the middle of the ashes.
He used a small shovel to scoop the hot ash around the edge of the pot, then turned off the clay oven and used the ashes and residual heat to bake the cake.
After brushing the dust off his hands and clothes, he returned to the house and said with a smile to the other two, "It'll be a little while before it's ready, shall we make some other dishes first?"
Feng Gui: "Okay, what do you guys want to eat tonight? I'll go wash the vegetables."
Lan Xiu: "I'll start the fire."
Yu Yan thought for a moment and said, "I brought back a seasoning called pepper. Shall we use it to make some meat soup tonight?"
The two of them naturally had no objections.
Yu Yan personally took charge of cooking, simmering soup in an earthenware pot and stir-frying vegetables in an iron pot.
Someone from the tribe brought him some freshly made tofu. He washed the preserved eggs, boiled them, cut them open, and made a dish of preserved eggs with tofu.
Fearing there wouldn't be enough cake, he also steamed some stems.
When I finally opened the clay oven and took out the cake molds, it was already dark because of the rain.
The three people sat around the dining table, where an oil lamp was lit, its warm yellow light illuminating the small space.
Yu Yan placed a cloth under the mold and walked over quickly.
"Be careful, it's hot." He put the mold on the table, tossed aside the cloth, and blew on his hot fingers.
Feng Gui asked, "Can we open the lid now?"
Yu Yan: "Open!"
Feng Gui, with the cloth on, opened the lid.
The rich aroma of the cake immediately wafted out, accompanied by steaming white vapor.
As soon as Yu Yan smelled it, her tongue began to salivate uncontrollably.
In modern times, people have had enough of sugar, so when they occasionally buy a cake, it has to be unsweetened.
He hadn't eaten it for so long, and he was craving the sweetness of cake.
The surface of the cake crackled softly as the white mist slowly dissipated.
Yu Yan looked closely and saw that the cake was baked, but its appearance was not as delicate as modern cake bases, and there were several cracks on the surface.
The cracks and the inside are different colors, varying in shades of yellow, which, combined with the scattered nut pieces on the surface, makes it look quite tempting.
Feng Gui stared intently at the cake and said with curiosity, "So this is what it looks like after baking. I thought it would look like a steamed bun."
Yu Yan: "Hahaha, wait until I pour it out, then I'll divide it among us."
He took a large ceramic plate and inverted the mold onto it.
With the oil as a lubricant, the cake came out perfectly round and intact.
He used a clean knife to cut the cake, put a piece in everyone's bowl, and gave everyone a small wooden spoon.
After sitting down, he gripped his small spoon and announced, "Let's eat!"
He couldn't wait any longer, so he scooped up a spoonful and stuffed it into his mouth.
It's a little dry and hard to eat, but very fragrant, and there's no fishy smell at all.
The honey, in particular, is just the right amount—sweet without being cloying.
Sweets can make people feel happy, and Yu Yan's eyebrows and eyes had already relaxed, and she was enjoying herself so much that she was nodding and swaying her head.
He ate a piece in one go, then licked his lips with lingering satisfaction before going to see Lanxiu and Fenggui.
The former had already finished eating and was looking over with a smile in his eyes.
The latter ate more than half of it, his eyes shining with surprise.
Without asking, Yu Yan could tell they were very satisfied.
"There's still plenty left, take as much as you want," he said.
Lan Xiu hummed in agreement and sincerely praised, "It's especially delicious."
Feng Gui nodded emphatically: "I think so too. The nuts smell good, the cake smells good, and it smells even better when you chew them together."
Yu Yan: "Speaking of which, we still have a lot of jam at home, right? We can spread it on the cake and eat it together. I'll go get it."
Feng Gui's eyes widened slightly, feeling that this was too extravagant.
Once you get to eat the jam cake: it's okay to splurge once in a while.
As Yu Yan ate the sweet and sour, layered jam cake, she thought to herself, "If only there were cream!"
He happened to have some goat milk at home, so he had to make a hand-cranked whipper to whip the cream and spread it on the surface of a cake base with jam... Oh dear, I can't think about it anymore, or my mouth will start watering again.
The three of them ate half of the cake and left the rest of the dishes.
Yu Yan touched her slightly protruding belly, which was full, and said, "There's still so much food left, aren't you going to eat some more?"
Feng Gui waved his hand, and before speaking, he burped: "No, I really can't eat anymore."
The two of them looked at Lan Xiu together.
The handsome orc thought for a moment and asked, "How about I transform into my beast form and you pour the leftovers into my mouth?"
Yu Yan imagined the scene and felt it was like animal abuse.
"Haha, never mind."
Lan Xiu really liked the meat soup that Yu Yan made today. The pepper flavor was so delicious that he couldn't bear to throw it away.
So he said, "Let me rest for a bit, then I'll have another meal before bed."
Yu Yan simply couldn't eat anymore. He had taken a nap during the day, so he wasn't sleepy at all. He took out his notebook and started writing and drawing under the lamp.
Feng Gui sat on a small stool not far away, with straw rope, cloth and tools at his feet, making shoes.
The window was slightly ajar, letting in a cool breeze; raindrops pattered on the ceramic tiles, making a crisp and pleasant sound.
Feng Gui smiled as he thought of the leaky bird's nest from before.
The house is so nice, he doesn't want to move back in at all.
Thinking of his deceased partner, his nose tingled, and a layer of regret and sorrow welled up in his eyes.
Sigh, I wish Ruihua were here too. This house is so nice, I really want him to stay here too.
“Father,” Yu Yan suddenly called out to him.
Feng Gui blinked, hiding her sad thoughts, and looked over, "Hmm?"
"Could you make me three pairs of boots out of linen? One for you, one for me, and one for Lanxiu." Yu Yan measured the height of her boots at her ankles. "The boots should be this high."
Feng Gui: "Use linen? I feel like it won't be able to support the boot shaft."
"But wearing animal hides is too stuffy in this season. You make it first, and I'll improve it later."
"OK."
The soles of the shoes were all sewn together, and Feng Gui knew the size of the three people's feet.
He works very quickly, and by the time he went to bed that night, the three pairs of boots were almost finished.
The next morning, when Yu Yan woke up and walked out of the bedroom, she saw three pairs of new boots neatly placed on the low wooden table in the living room.
The boot shaft was tightly sewn by Feng Gui with thread, so it did not collapse.
"Father, your cooking is really good!" Yu Yan said loudly to the person busy in the kitchen.
Feng Gui's gentle voice came: "Try it in a bit, and while you're at it, pick up the bird eggs."
"Okay! I'll go wash up first!"
The rain has stopped, and today is a sunny day.
Lanxiu wasn't staying in the house last night; she got up and was feeding and milking the baby.
On the open ground not far from the house, there was a large amount of timber and stone piled up, indicating that construction on his new house would begin soon.
After exchanging greetings, Yu Yan strolled over to the duck pen. Seeing that the food and water had been added, he went to the grass to collect duck eggs.
"One, two... six!" There are fourteen ducks in the house, including several male ducks, and they can lay six eggs a day!
Yu Yan was overjoyed and praised the ducks, "When things calm down a bit, I'll catch more fish and shrimp for you to eat! And make sure you lay more eggs!"
After breakfast, Cang Feng, Xin Yu, and others came looking for them.
Yu Yan moved a few stools for them and placed them in the shade under the eaves. She sat on a small stool herself, took a brush made of animal hair, dipped it in tung oil, and brushed it onto the surface of the new boots.
After Cangfeng and the others sat down, they asked curiously, "Yu Yan, what are you doing?"
"Since the weather is nice, I want to make a few pairs of rainproof boots."
Xin Yu exclaimed in surprise, "Tung oil has this use too?"
Yu Yan grinned: "Yes. I've already talked to Chief Xi Mu of the Chongshan tribe. In the fall, we'll exchange some tung oil and tung tree seeds with them and see if we can grow them ourselves."
Cangfeng said happily, "Great! We'll choose a good place with plenty of water and grass."
Yu Yan applied the tung oil very carefully, making sure it was applied all the way through, before taking the boots out to dry in the sun.
Xuefei asked, "Is it okay once it's dried?"
Yu Yan shook her head: "After it dries, you have to brush on the oil again. I estimate it will take at least seven or eight times to get it right."
Everyone gasped: "That's really not easy..."
Yu Yan wiped her hands, walked back and sat down.
Cangfeng got down to business: "The Autumn Harvest Festival is coming up soon. We've been preparing supplies to take to the festival. Can you tell me if we're missing anything?"
Yu Yan nodded and said seriously, "Yes, go ahead."
Cangfeng tapped his palm, counting each item one by one.
If there was anything missing, Xin Yu would fill it in for him.
After listening, Yu Yan said, "That's about it."
Cangfeng: "Also, in previous years, the tribe would organize a group of orcs to go on a trade trip in the autumn. This year, our tribe is too busy and we don't lack supplies, so we're thinking of not going on the trade trip this year. What do you think?"
Yu Yan thought for a moment: "Most people in the tribe probably don't want to be away from home for so long, right?"
Moye: "Yes."
Yu Yan: "But there should also be those who like to fly around."
Xin Yu paused, then said, "You mean..."
"Whether or not we go on trade this year is up to everyone's discretion," Yu Yan said with a smile. "When things aren't so busy in the tribe in the future, I'd like to go out and travel around too."
Cangfeng and the others thought Yu Yan's words made sense and agreed: "Okay, I'll tell everyone later."
The group then discussed the tribe's future plans.
In addition to repairing roads and irrigation ditches, Yu Yan also suggested installing "streetlights" along the roads.
After the shoes dried, he took them back and continued to apply tung oil.
"...What I'm thinking of now is to put up a piece of wood, make a lamp holder on it, light an oil lamp inside, and put a paper or glass cover over the lamp. This way, it can withstand the wind and let the light shine through."
"That sounds good."
"Well, after the autumn harvest fair, we can make two lamps at my doorstep to try it out. If there are any problems, I'll make improvements."
...
After chatting for half the morning, Cangfeng and the others said goodbye and left, while Yu Yan was still applying tung oil and drying her boots.
Feng Gui and Lan Xiu also had their own work to do, keeping them busy.
They are a microcosm of everyone.
There are no weather forecasts in the Beast World, but the people here have very sensitive noses and can sense changes in the weather and seasons.
The Autumn Harvest Festival is held annually on the day of "Beginning of Autumn" and lasts for two days each time.
The gathering places are mostly grasslands, within a day's walk from their tribe.
On the Beast World continent, many grasslands hold gatherings; just choose one to attend.
Because it is an annual event, everyone is looking forward to it. Before the gathering, they will work hard to collect supplies and choose clothes and jewelry to dress themselves up beautifully for the event.
Many people met their partners at the gathering.
The young people from the Peninsula, Mingyuan, Shenhu, and Qingqing tribes have been going out to gather and hunt these past few days, and their discussions revolve around exchanging goods and having fun at the gatherings.
They also gave each other advice on how to dress better.
Especially for the peninsula tribes, in the past, the tribes had few people, few resources, and insufficient strength, so going to the autumn harvest fair was just to join in the fun.
This year is different; they have so many good things that it's impossible to count them all.
Everyone was looking forward to making a stunning appearance at the gathering and showcasing the tribe's strength!
For this reason, Yin Qing also brought several sub-beastmen to Yu Yan to ask him to help design new clothes and jewelry.
Yu Yan really doesn't have much of a fashion sense; she just drew some clothing styles she had seen in her previous life and shared them with everyone, which earned her a lot of praise.
"This short-sleeved shirt will definitely look great when it's made!"
"And these straight-leg pants should make your legs look really long!"
"I love this baseball cap, I have to make it!"
...
While the people of the peninsula tribes were excitedly discussing it, the Caiyun tribe had already assembled a large group and set off.
There was no other way; they were too far from the harvest grassland, and it would take them three days to fly there.
With so many people traveling together, clan chief Zhu Yu dared not let his guard down.
He arranged for people to watch over the front, back, left, right, top, and bottom of the group to prevent anyone from falling behind.
He would also come over to patrol from time to time, reminding everyone to stay close and the sub-beastmen to sit properly.
At the very end of the procession, a stern white swan flew silently.
It was snowing.
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