I was a little surprised. These two were mortal enemies not long ago. How come they've become best buddies after just one night?
Well, things getting better is a good thing after all. I looked at these two harmonious guys and smiled from the bottom of my heart.
It seems Lao Tzu was right: fortune may be the harbinger of misfortune, and misfortune may be the harbinger of fortune.
Although Top and I went through an incident that almost killed me, it was also this incident that made Top dispel his obsession with Pat.
If Pat hadn't intervened in time to kill the golden python, Top would probably be nourishment for many wild beasts by now.
Just like in life, only after experiencing life-or-death ordeals can you truly see who is genuinely helping you and who is merely putting on a show.
However, I think I'm quite lucky. The two guys I met were both pretty good, at least since I came to this world.
To celebrate these two sworn enemies successfully turning hostility into friendship, a big meal is a must.
Actually, we can't leave it out, because it contains bear paws, a rare delicacy. If we don't eat it, we'll have to make it into dried bear paws like the other meats and use it as a staple food.
Such a wonderful thing is something you can only come across by chance in our world. I used to never even dare to think about eating bear paws, let alone eating them.
Putting aside the fact that bears are nationally protected animals and private individuals are not allowed to hunt them at will, catching one could result in imprisonment.
Putting all that aside, even if I could get my hands on one, the black market price for a bear paw is far beyond what a lowly worker like me could afford.
Since we've come all this way to this godforsaken place and stumbled upon such good things, we should eat them first if we can.
After all, no one knows what tomorrow will bring. You might be enjoying a good meal today, but the next moment it could all be gone because of some event.
As Li Bai aptly put it: "Enjoy life to the fullest when you're successful, for don't let your golden goblet stand empty before the moon!"
Life is a series of rights and wrongs, twists and turns, so why bother with all that? Whether you're happy or unhappy, it's still just one day.
From the first day I arrived here, I have never been frustrated or complained. As long as I work hard, I firmly believe that everything will be alright!
While I was indulging in my own fantasies, I placed the pot on the earthen stove with the fire burning, added a few ladles of water, and then put the lid on.
In this way, the pressure of the water vapor will increase as the temperature rises, and the water will boil faster.
These bear paws still need to be plucked with hot water, especially their long claws, which are impossible to pluck without soaking them in boiling water.
I left the bear paw very large, almost the maximum size that could be removed from the bear paw.
I feel that two bear paws would be enough, since a single bear paw probably weighs five or six pounds, including the bones.
Even after removing the bones, there are still two or three pounds of pure meat, enough for Top and me to have a hearty meal. As for Pat, I plan to feed him some fresh bear liver, which is good for Pat's eyesight.
Soon, the pot started bubbling and gurgling, indicating that the water had boiled.
I held one bear paw and rolled it around in boiling water several times, then quickly took it out and put another bear paw into the pot to roll around.
I can't boil this water for too long. Anyone who has slaughtered a pig knows that if the water is too strong and the pig is boiled for too long, you won't even be able to remove the hair from its body.
After scalding them, I sat down next to a bluestone slab and began plucking the fur from the two bear paws. At first, it was relatively easy to pluck them while they were still warm, but as the temperature dropped, some of the finer hairs became more difficult to remove.
I heated the bear paw in the pot several times before I was able to remove all the fur from it.
The bear paws, now free of fur, have turned from being dark and dull to a pinkish-white color after being soaked in boiling water, making them look very appealing.
I still don't have any oil to use today, so I decided to make the most basic way of cooking it: steaming!
However, before steaming, you need to make several cuts in the bear paw. This will not only make it easier for the flavor to penetrate, but also allow the blood to be quickly removed when blanching.
I poured out all the dirty water from the pot, then washed the pot clean and added a third of the water back in.
After the water boiled, I put the two bear paws into the pot to blanch them. Because the bear paws were quite large, I blanched them for a little longer.
Half an hour later, the skin on the bear paw had turned white, just like a sheet of paper.
Then I made some more incisions and took out some of my craft wine. I patted the meat evenly with the wine to enhance its flavor and freshness.
Next, evenly spread some fine salt on the bear paw and place some rosemary on it. This bear paw, which is hailed as a delicacy, is then ready to be steamed.
Fortunately, my pot is big enough; otherwise, I might not have been able to fit both bear paws in it while I was cooking them.
For the steamer, I built a low tripod out of wooden sticks and placed the bear paw on top.
Once you put the lid on the pot (which you can barely cover), you can basically just wait for the dish to be cooked before eating.
Soon, a rich aroma wafted through the air. However, as this was my first time eating bear paw, I felt that the aroma was not much different from that of pork, and there was even a slight gamey smell.
At this moment, Top, who was sleeping, was twitching its nose, and it could smell a fragrance.
Top woke up from his sleep, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and walked over to the stove next to me and plopped down.
After a while, he seemed to remember something, so he ran back to where the storage jar was, and took the two sets of gold bowls from the naturally formed rock wall groove to the dining table.
"Top, bring the glasses and wine jug as well, we can have some wine today."
Good food deserves good wine. You can't have just food without wine. When you're going to do something, you have to do it all. That's how you truly enjoy a meal.
As soon as I said we could have some wine, Top's eyes lit up. He ran to get the wine glass and flask as fast as an old lady grabbing free items at the supermarket.
I was both amused and exasperated. It was all my fault for spoiling him, but there was nothing I could do. After such a long time, not only would Top's drinking urges kick in, but even I, who am usually very tolerant, would have wanted to have a few drinks.
It was better back in my hometown when I didn't have to worry about so many things. I could drink whatever I wanted, and it was all-you-can-eat.
We haven't found any sugar plants since we came here, otherwise Top and I wouldn't have to be so stingy with our drinks every time, afraid that we'd run out of alcohol.
Top skillfully opened the wine jug, poured in wine, then filled my glass first, and then poured one for himself.
The entire process was so smooth and efficient, it was almost as efficient as that of a hotel waiter.
I raised my glass and clinked it with Top's, then downed it in one gulp. The sweet and mellow flavor lingered in my mouth. One word: awesome!
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