"My goodness! This is absolutely a gift from heaven!"
Lin Feng was overjoyed and almost started dancing on the cliff face.
This fruit, which he named "Frost Fruit," not only tastes outrageously delicious, but also has some miraculous effects such as quickly replenishing physical strength and even subtly strengthening the body!
He immediately began to pick them carefully. These "frost fruits" grow in the crevices of steep rock walls, making them extremely difficult to pick. He had to climb like the most experienced ape to reach the best-looking and plumpest fruits.
He carefully packed the precious "fairy fruits" into a newly tanned small animal skin bag, afraid of damaging them.
Back in the wooden cabin that he could now practically call "home," Lin Feng treasured the "Frost Fruit" like a precious gem.
He dared not eat too much at once, fearing that his body would not be able to handle the nourishment. He only ate one or two pieces each day when he felt extremely tired or needed to perform heavy physical labor. Each taste was an ultimate enjoyment for his taste buds and a baptism for his body.
Besides the two surprising discoveries of "Golden Fox Rice" and "Frost Fruit," Lin Feng did not give up on collecting other known edible plants.
With the continuous accumulation of various high-quality ingredients.
Piles of "Golden Fox Rice" ears of grain, rows of dried meat and fish hanging in the wind, and several large jars of confit meat emitting an enticing aroma.
And those "frost fruits" that he carefully stored in the shade.
How to effectively store these "winter rations" has become a top priority for Lin Feng.
Drying is the first priority for the long-term preservation of all foods.
After threshing and initial milling, Lin Feng would spread the "Golden Fox Rice" thinly on a clean animal hide.
During the day he used the light provided by the three suns in turn, and at night he moved the animal hides near the fireplace and used the residual heat of the fireplace to slowly bake them.
He would turn the grains over from time to time to make sure that each one was dry and even, crisp to the touch, and had the aroma of sun and fire.
The dried "Golden Fox Rice" needs a suitable container for storage. Most of the misshapen pottery jars he had previously made were too small to be of much use.
So Lin Feng began to try firing larger, more airtight ceramic jars.
He improved the clay formula by adding more fine sand and crushed, sieved wood ash to enhance the strength and fire resistance of the pottery.
He also had the outlandish idea of coating the inner wall of the earthenware jar with a layer of animal glue (a viscous liquid obtained by boiling animal hides and bones) mixed with fine clay, drying it, and then firing it, in order to achieve a better sealing and moisture-proof effect.
Although the failure rate was still outrageously high, with nine out of ten kilns failing, the resulting pottery jars were either crooked and oddly shaped, or covered in cracks and shattered at the slightest touch.
But who is Lin Feng? The word "give up" doesn't exist in his dictionary!
Every failure is a valuable lesson learned.
Finally, when the furniture for his wooden house was almost finished, he successfully fired several large earthenware jars that were of considerable capacity, relatively intact, and produced a clear, resonant sound when tapped!
He carefully packed the thoroughly dried "Golden Fox Rice" into a ceramic jar, then covered the jar opening with a thick, smooth wooden board (made from leftover scraps from furniture making). He then used his special clay (mixed with animal hair and chopped hay to increase toughness and density) to carefully seal the gap between the board and the jar opening, ensuring it was airtight.
After doing all this, he finally breathed a long sigh of relief. These golden grains would be his main source of energy to survive the long winter and maintain his life and strength.
Lin Feng treated the precious "Frost Fruit" with the same care he would show his first love.
This fruit is very juicy and easily rots if stored directly. His first thought was to dry it.
He cut some of the "frost fruit" whole or in half (this fruit is naturally seedless, which saved him a lot of trouble), spread them out on a grid frame woven from thin wooden strips, and placed them in a well-ventilated and sunny place under the windowsill of the wooden house to dry.
A few days later, the bright red fruit will slowly lose water, turn dark red, shrink in size, and become slightly chewy dried fruit.
Although this type of dried fruit loses some of its delicious juice, its sweetness becomes more concentrated and mellow due to the evaporation of water, and it can be preserved for a longer period of time.
That sweet and sour taste, with its unique aroma, is an absolute delicacy and a luxurious treat in the winter when fresh fruit is scarce, more delicious than any candied fruit on earth!
He also made a bolder and more technically advanced attempt—to make "jam," or more accurately, concentrated fruit pulp.
He carefully washed a large quantity of "frost fruit" and gently crushed it with a stone pestle (not too finely, leaving some pulp would improve the taste), then put it into a large earthenware pot and simmered it over a low flame.
As the moisture evaporates, the pulp gradually becomes sticky, and the air is filled with a sweet aroma that is intoxicating and can even evoke the sweetest memories in people's hearts.
He didn't add sugar, but the "frost fruit" itself was already incredibly sweet, so there was no need to add anything extra.
When the fruit pulp in the pot had cooked to a consistency like thick honey, turning a translucent ruby red, and when it could be scooped up with a wooden spoon and stretched into long threads, Lin Feng finally turned off the fire with satisfaction.
Once cooled, this concentrated "frost fruit pulp" is incredibly sweet, with a rich and pure fruity aroma and a long-lasting aftertaste.
Whether you brew it directly with warm water to drink, to dispel cold, warm the body, and replenish energy, or spread it on the simple pancakes he makes by mixing "Golden Fox Rice" powder with water and baking them on a heated stone slab, it is an excellent treat.
He carefully poured these precious, ruby-like, viscous fruit pulps into several small earthenware jars that he had specially made, and sealed the mouths of the jars with layers of clean, treated animal hides and thin rattan, preparing them as a "strategic dessert" for winter.
With the completion of the main structure of the wooden house and the improvement of its internal facilities, his cellar, after careful planning and organization, became well-organized and resembled a small storage warehouse.
He cleverly divided the cellar into several clearly defined functional areas:
The constant-temperature meat section: Deepest part of the cellar, the area with the most stable and lowest temperature. Here hang rows of smoked jerky and dried fish, along with several large earthenware jars containing cooked meat preserved in fat. The cellar's natural low temperature further extends the shelf life of these high-energy foods.
Grain drying area: On the shelves near the cellar vents, there are several sealed earthenware jars filled with "Golden Fox Rice".
Rare Fruits and Vegetables Section: A small, partitioned room with wooden boards, specifically for storing dried "Frost Fruit" and a few small jars of "Frost Fruit Pulp" that he treasures, as well as some other dried wild vegetables that he tries to preserve.
Tools and miscellaneous items area: Hunting tools that are not currently in use, spare animal hides, ropes, and fragments of pottery that he failed to fire (which may later be used as whetstones) are also neatly stacked here, making the most of everything.
To prevent unwelcome guests such as rats and ants from invading, Lin Feng sprinkled some quicklime, which he had found and which had a strong, pungent odor, in the corner of the cellar.
He also made several simple stone slab traps and rattan cages, the effectiveness of which remains to be seen, but they are better than nothing.
He would regularly go into the cellar to inspect the food's condition and feel the unparalleled sense of security brought by the abundant supplies.
He is no longer living in the miserable state of primitive people, where they live hand to mouth and sometimes go hungry.
This is a planned, well-prepared, and forward-thinking "life"!
"When the granaries are full, people know etiquette; when they are well-fed and clothed, they know honor and shame."
The ancient saying inexplicably popped into Lin Feng's mind again. He couldn't yet talk about "etiquette" or "honor and shame," but at least the increasingly full granaries gave him more time and energy to think about things other than filling his stomach.
For example, how to better modify and upgrade one's own tools, and how to explore broader, unknown areas.
Furthermore, how to understand the operating rules of this bizarre world, and what secrets are hidden behind the three suns?
Winter is drawing ever closer, and the chill in the forest is growing stronger, with tiny ice crystals already appearing in the wind.
He stood in front of the sturdy wooden house he had built and decorated himself, which was now piled high with food.
Watching the wisps of smoke rising from the chimney, listening to the reassuring crackling of the wood burning in the fireplace, and feeling the deep-seated sense of security brought by the full granary of food in the cellar.
He knew that no matter how harsh and long the winter of this world might be, he was fully prepared.
He was no longer the Lin Feng who had arrived with fear and uncertainty about the future.
He is now the pioneer of this land, the absolute master of his own destiny, and the guardian of a warm and solid home.
This powerful self-confidence and composure emanating from within is a precious asset he has never possessed since his transmigration.
He even began to hum off-key songs in a relaxed manner, his voice rough and free, carrying far and wide through the silent snow forest, with a primal and vigorous, all-conquering vitality.
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