Chapter 10 The Multiple Uses of Baijiu
After searching for supplies all day, both of them were quite tired.
As usual, Su Yun asked Ye Feng to help process four of the larger fish.
I found some stones and pieces of plastic in the yard and figured out how to block up the hole the mouse had crawled out of.
"There shouldn't be any problem now. The walls are so tightly sealed, the rats shouldn't be able to get in." Su Yun clapped his hands, quite satisfied with the results of his work.
"I'll definitely catch it next time." Night Wind said through gritted teeth as he killed the fish, his tone full of resentment.
Su Yun shook her head, indicating that she didn't understand the determination of a foodie.
Clean the fresh fish, cut it into pieces, fry it briefly, add white wine, then pour in enough water to just cover the fish, cover the pot, and simmer.
Garlic is too precious to be used as seeds, so Su Yun is reluctant to use it.
Chili peppers are too pungent and not suitable for injured people.
So she could only add a small piece of rock sugar to enhance the flavor.
The fire in the stove was burning brightly, and the soup in the pot was making bubbling and boiling sounds. Gradually, the aroma of fish and meat began to waft out from the chimney pipe, and the smell was very tempting.
Smelling the enticing aroma, Su Yun couldn't wait to scoop up a spoonful of fish sauce, taste it, and felt that something was still missing.
Uh, it would be nice to have some soy sauce.
Su Yun couldn't help but feel a little emotional. It was really inconvenient in the apocalypse. It felt like everything was lacking. Some ordinary little things had become extremely precious at this time.
For example, soy sauce, ginger, oil... Without these seasonings, Su Yunkong, despite her excellent cooking skills, felt very constrained when she tried to use them. She could only make a few perfunctory attempts, and the taste was just so-so. In her opinion, it was barely edible.
Judging from the way Ye Feng looks, well, wild kittens aren't picky eaters.
Ye Feng, who had been sent outside to take a shower, couldn't resist the aroma wafting from the kitchen. He kept glancing at the kitchen, his hands moving quickly as he washed, splashing water high into the air, even getting several drops on the wound on his chest.
Su Yun watched this scene with amusement, but didn't forget to remind him, "Hey, be careful, don't let water get into the wound! It'll get infected!"
"Huh?" Ye Feng's hand, which was about to roughly wipe with the towel, froze in mid-air. The little wildcat's expression froze slightly, and then she gently put the towel back on her chest with some frustration, her movements becoming slower.
Seeing the little wildcat's gloomy and depressed expression, Su Yun smiled and comforted her, "Don't worry, the fish needs to simmer for a while to absorb the flavor."
Hearing her words of comfort, Ye Feng's eyes lit up again, and he continued to happily take a bath, flicking his tail and splashing water everywhere.
"Sigh—" Su Yun sighed helplessly, but let the other go. After all, playing in the water is a big cat's nature, an irresistible feline instinct.
In the kitchen, Su Yun waited until the water in the pot had gradually evaporated before scooping out the fish and placing it on the dining table.
A little fish broth remained in the large iron pot. The cleaned bok choy was then poured in and heated over a large fire, quickly stir-frying it in the hot pot.
A few minutes later, the bok choy was fully cooked, and a large plate of it was served on the table. It was a vibrant green and looked very appetizing.
Tonight's dinner is braised fish and stir-fried bok choy.
As usual, there was no staple food.
Su Yun was very depressed. Sweet potatoes, rice, noodles, she really missed them. Now she finally understood how hard it was to get food. When would she be able to eat staple food on her own?
Remembering that the vegetables hadn't been watered yet, Su Yun carried water to the backyard to water them. After watering, Su Yun sighed again at the tiny vegetable garden in the backyard, which was only a few square feet in size. She had already placed deep hopes on this small vegetable patch.
After watering the vegetable garden, the night breeze also took a bath.
It was already evening. Amidst the rising smoke from the chimneys, the sun was beginning to set, its gentle afterglow spilling softly into the courtyard. It was like a large piece of gold dust falling down, shimmering and glowing in the middle of the yard, bright yet not dazzling, giving people a warm feeling. It was just like a fragment of a memory, a similar evening, a similar sunset, a similar wisp of smoke.
And in that familiar scene, there was always a warm voice calling out: "Xiaoyun, time to eat!"
That simple and gentle call is my most precious memory.
Seeing the similar scene, Su Yun's heart stirred slightly. Like a gentle call from her memory, she softly called out, "Night Breeze, time to eat!"
"Okay—" The crisp night breeze quickly responded from inside the room.
The response, with its rising intonation, echoed softly in the courtyard filled with the aroma of food, making Su Yun's heart feel warm.
This brief exchange of calls and responses, though simple and monotonous, possessed a strange warmth, as if it made up for the loss that could never be regained, carrying another kind of continuation with hope for the future, and warmly rested on Su Yun's chest.
It's nice to have someone to eat with.
The slight gloom in her heart was instantly dispelled.
Su Yun turned around and went back to the kitchen to set out the dishes and chopsticks, waiting happily for Ye Feng to have dinner with her.
After taking a shower, Ye Feng quickly dried himself off, changed his pants, and rushed over.
The hair on its back and body was wet, and it wasn't even wearing a shirt.
Su Yun found it somewhat amusing and quickly handed him a clean towel to dry himself off, saying, "No need to rush, dry yourself off before you eat. Be careful not to get sick later."
"Mmm." Ye Feng took the towel and wiped himself casually for a few moments, his eyes unable to leave the dishes on the table.
Look at those round, golden pupils of that little wildcat, its eyes blinking.
Su Yun announced helplessly, "Alright, alright, let's eat!"
After working for half a day, they were both hungry.
After the meal was announced, everyone stretched out their chopsticks and rushed towards the fish and meat on the table.
Su Yun picked up a large, plump piece of fish with her chopsticks, removed the bones, and eagerly put it into her mouth.
Wow, this tastes amazing!
The wild fish from the river are incredibly fresh. Paired with unpolluted well water, the fish is cleansed of any fishy smell with white wine, and sugar is used to enhance its freshness. After being simmered for more than ten minutes, the fish is tender and flavorful. One bite and the juices burst out. The taste and texture are simply divine!
As usual, the night wind swept away the three fish.
Su Yun, who doesn't usually like eating fish, actually made an exception and finished a whole fish. In the end, she could barely finish the vegetables, and most of the large bowl of vegetables ended up in Ye Feng's stomach.
Su Yun touched her round belly and stood up to wash the dishes, but Ye Feng had already cleared the dishes and taken them outside to wash.
Su Yun stood on the threshold watching Ye Feng shake the well water to wash the dishes, and couldn't help but be a little surprised. The orcs had a strong learning ability. She hadn't specifically taught Ye Feng how to wash dishes, but he had learned it after watching her a few times.
Indeed, orcs are a kind of human evolution. Perhaps Ye Feng didn't have much contact with humans before, so he wasn't very clear about human survival skills at first, and mostly maintained a kind of animalistic lifestyle.
It's amazing that she has learned so many skills in just a few days of following her.
Surprised as she was, Su Yun still had to get the work done. After finishing her meal, considering what she had seen when she returned in the afternoon, she decided to quickly pack up all the food before it got dark.
She rummaged through the clutter, found a winnowing basket, washed it clean, placed it on the water vat, covered it tightly, and weighed it down with a large stone. Only after making sure it was securely covered did she breathe a sigh of relief.
This way, any small animals that try to fish at night will be discovered immediately.
Besides storing the fish, I also put away all the sugar, salt, and liquor in the cupboard.
Lifting the heavy jar of wine, Su Yun couldn't help but sigh.
She never expected that this wine could be preserved for so long. She used it to cook in the afternoon, and the rich aroma of the wine was intoxicating. She poured a small bowl, licked her tongue, and immediately felt a burning sensation on her tongue. She was afraid that if she drank one more sip, she would get drunk.
Hmm, this wine seems quite good. Those who know how to drink always say that aged wine is the best, getting better with age. It seems this wine not only has a long shelf life, but it also gets more fragrant and flavorful with time!
However, I don't know the alcohol content of this liquor.
I imagine the alcohol in a farmhouse wouldn't be less than 40 degrees.
This wine is a wonderful thing! Not only can it remove the fishy smell when cooking, but a small cup can also warm up your hands and feet when they are cold in winter. In an emergency, it can also be used to disinfect and clean wounds.
Oh, by the way, I wonder how Ye Feng's wound is healing. It seems like he hasn't properly disinfected it. Theoretically, wounds need to be disinfected before applying medicine every day to prevent bacterial growth and infection.
These past few days, due to limited conditions, there's been no way to disinfect, so we just sun-dry it to kill bacteria with ultraviolet light, and then apply the medicine.
Oh, I just remembered that baijiu (Chinese liquor) can be used for disinfection in emergencies, although it might hurt.
Thinking of this, Su Yun seemed to feel the pain of the wound coming into contact with alcohol, and couldn't help but shiver.
However, sterilization and disinfection are essential for wound healing, especially for such a deep wound.
Su Yun thought for a moment, found a clean bowl, poured in some wine, and tiptoed out.
Ye Feng was carrying a large bunch of hemostatic herbs, which he had just crushed into powder, preparing for the application of the medicine.
Seeing Su Yunyun approaching with a bowl, he looked at her with some confusion, his big eyes staring at the bowl in her hand: "Water?"
Looking into the kitten's confused yet clear eyes, it had no idea what terrible pain it was about to face.
Su Yun suddenly felt a little guilty and explained in a low voice, "It's not water, it's baijiu (Chinese liquor), which can disinfect the wound... uh, kill bacteria and help the wound heal."
Night Breeze tilted its head, its eyes filled with even more confusion.
Another little kitten brimming with curiosity.
Su Yun scratched his head, organized his thoughts, and finally explained simply, "Uh—it's very good for wound healing—"
Night Breeze watched her stammer, her cat ears slightly bent, giving her a classic head tilt. "Hmm?"
That hit her sweet spot perfectly, and Su Yun was completely defenseless, so she had no choice but to tell the truth, "Actually, it does hurt a little..."
"A little pain?"
"It hurts a lot."
pain?
Actually, Ye Feng didn't quite understand what Su Yun was saying. It was a long string of words, and since he hadn't interacted much with humans, he mostly guessed based on the situation or by observing Su Yun's actions.
The other person seemed to be talking about his wound.
Actually, he's been injured before, and suffered even more serious wounds, half his body mangled and bloodied... left in a cage, barely alive... and nobody cared... nobody would ever care...
The orcs, all trapped in the cages, suffered wounds inflicted by humans for experiments, each one deeper and more severe than the last...
Everyone was too busy taking care of themselves to care for him. He could only grit his teeth and endure, waiting for his wounds to gradually heal and become part of the data for the human experiment, and then continue to wait for the next, even more painful experiment...
Or perhaps he will die quietly like his countless companions... without anyone caring until his death...
Even after he escaped and was attacked and injured, no one ever came to his aid. Everyone was too busy taking care of themselves; it was a miracle they didn't eat him while he was wounded. He hadn't learned how to treat his wounds, so he could only rely on instinct, roughly bandaging them with a piece of cloth or some grass to prevent the smell of blood from attracting other wild animals or danger. Then he would find a safe, high spot to stay, and wait quietly for his wounds to heal slowly...
This was his first time receiving treatment.
This was the first time someone had bandaged his wounds, the first time someone had found these herbs for him, the first time someone had cared about him so much...
The delicate and frail little girl held the "medicine" and looked at him with a worried expression, her tone gentle and sorrowful.
Although he could actually recover on his own, but... in order not to worry the little human girl in front of him, he still listened to her instructions and diligently applied medicine and bandaged her wounds every day.
"It's alright." Ye Feng nodded gently, his tone surprisingly tender, trying to soothe the seemingly nervous girl.
But the other person didn't seem to relax at all; instead, they responded cautiously and very gently, "Um—I'm going to start."
The cool, refreshing breeze of early spring carried the twilight into the quiet courtyard, casting a golden glow of reverence on the girl's eyelashes.
The girl lowered her head, a few strands of hair falling onto her smooth forehead. Her expression was serious and earnest, with a hint of barely perceptible caution. In her hand, she held a homemade cotton swab, gently touching the hideous wounds.
The expected pain did not come.
The moment the liquor touched the wound, the girl's full, light pink lips pursed slightly, and she softly exhaled a ticklish breath: "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, the pain flies away—"
The night breeze suddenly opened its eyes wide, its ticklish breath brushing against his chest, soft and fine, spreading little by little, causing his body to involuntarily tense up, and his heartbeat to gradually quicken.
I noticed that his body was tense.
The girl stopped what she was doing, looked up, and asked with concern in her eyes, "Does it hurt a lot?"
"No, no, it doesn't hurt." Ye Feng bit his lip tightly, his face stern, unconsciously suppressing his true thoughts.
"Okay, I'll continue then. Don't bear the pain, and remember to tell me. I'll try to be gentle." The girl looked into his eyes with concern, then lowered her head again to clean the wound.
Her movements and tone were extremely gentle.
"Hmm—" Night Breeze nodded, involuntarily holding his breath.
Humans are such strange creatures.
He stared at the human in front of him, who was intently applying medicine to him, and thought, "What he says is strange, and what he does is strange too."
She always did some strange things and said strange things. Although he could never understand her words, her gentle tone, her warm touch, and the girl's gentle profile were carefully kept in his heart for many, many years, until much, much later.
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