Yan Xinian and Kong Zhi returned at dusk.

The giant golden eagle flew back first, and after it landed, the giant tiger ran over with a pig in its mouth.

The pig was only half grown, looked fat, pink, and still breathed, and bounced its legs from time to time.

Yan Xinian threw the wild boar to the ground.

Xia Huoqu was quick and grabbed the pig by its ears and pulled it over. After checking it, he found that there was nothing wrong with the pig except that it had an extra eye.

Xia Huoqu made a judgment that the pig was safe to eat and dragged it away from the temporary stove.

Yan Xinian changed back to human form, and came over panting while putting on his clothes, "Don't worry, it's a good pig. I specially selected a half-grown pig, tender and fat."

"Yeah." Xia Huoqu nodded and asked, "Did you see anything unusual nearby when you came back?"

"What's unusual?" Yan Xinian stopped and looked surprised, "There are no large wild animals nearby, and there are no poisonous creatures hidden. The breath is very pure."

Xia Huoqu said, "Xiao Nong heard some special sounds."

Yan Xinian turned his head and looked around, frowning, "I didn't find anything."

He looked at Kong Zhi.

Kong Zhi was flying in the sky, and his eyes were sharp, so he should be able to see more clearly than him.

Kong Zhi sat by the pot and raised his cup to drink water. Hearing this, he said, "I didn't find anything either."

Xia Huoqu said, "Maybe that thing ran away. Never mind. I'll tell you next time I hear it."

As he said this, he went to the side with a bucket to kill a pig.

Xia Lunong hurried over to help, and soon found that his brother didn't need his help at all.

His brother's thin and slender hands were like iron pliers. He grabbed the pig's ears tightly and pulled the pig's head up. He clamped his legs around the pig's body and slashed and pulled the dagger in his hand, which flashed with cold light, and easily cut a big hole in the pig's neck.

The pig was attacked and struggled to death, but couldn't get away.

Xia Huoqu lowered his head and used a wooden bucket to collect the pig's blood. After the pig died, he poured hot water and started to deal with it.

Xia Lunong could never have imagined that his brother was so skilled. He could kill a pig as easily as butchering a cow, and it was even quite artistic.

He squatted beside to help in admiration, "Brother, don't you know how to kill pigs?"

"When did you say I don't know how to kill pigs?" Xia Huoqu lowered his head, his movements very smoothly, "I just don't want to kill them - get a basin to catch the dirty things."

"Okay."

Yan Xinian walked over, "Xiao Nong, you go shave the crabs, your brother and I will take care of here."

Xia Lunong stood up, "Brother Xinian, do we have to stay here for two more days? We may not be able to finish so many crabs tonight."

"If we can't finish them tonight, we'll stay here for another day." Yan Xinian said, "This place is not far from Yacheng. It's more convenient to go to their place to rest after we're done. They also have a hotel there. I'll need a big bed so it's more comfortable to sleep." Xia

Lunong was attracted by the hotel and stopped asking questions.

He went to pick crabs with Kong Zhi.

He was an experienced crab picker, and this batch of crabs were big and fat, with very rich meat. He could pick a small basin of crabs in a short time.

Soon, hundreds of crabs that were not energetic enough were steamed and picked, and the crab meat was piled up in the wooden barrel, piled up full.

Xia Lunong started a fire and began to boil lard.

This pig was still half a big pig, and the fat layer was not thick, only two fingers wide.

The fat was peeled and cut into cubes, and then put into the pot to boil. Water was added during the boiling process, so that the lard would be white, clean and delicate.

Kong Zhi built another fire next to him to cook.

It was completely dark, and the firelight made everyone's cheeks red.

The firewood crackled under the stove, and the aroma of crab, pork and rice mixed together to form a unique scent.

Xia Lunong picked the last bit of crab meat, his heart was particularly calm, and the movements of his hands were even a bit leisurely.

The fire in the simple stove was very strong, and the lard was quickly boiled.

The golden lard residue was picked out, Xia Lunong blew on it, and threw a lard residue into his mouth.

The lard residue was crispy and fragrant, and it squeaked in his mouth. It tasted very good. After he finished one, he threw the second one into his mouth.

Seeing him like this, his brother reminded him, "Be careful not to get angry."

"Oh." Xia Lunong agreed, and scooped up the pig fat residue and

put it on a plate first. After it cooled down, he put it in a lunch box. When it was inconvenient to cook, he would dig out some fat residue, pour some braised pork and mix it with hot rice, and it would be a delicious dish.

Xia Lunong hummed a song and looked at the pig fat residue with a gentle look.

After the fat residue was put in, half of the oil in the pot was poured out and the other half was left. Xia Lunong tested the oil temperature, and then poured most of the crab meat in the pot into it, and slowly stir-fried it over low heat to dry the water.

The blanched butter he made this time was not authentic. In addition to crab roe, there was also a lot of crab meat.

But even so, the lard slowly boiled away the moisture in the butter, and the aroma still overflowed a little bit, and finally the crab roe and crab meat that were boiled dry exuded an indescribable fragrance.

Xia Lunong only put a little salt in it, then scooped it up, and continued to pour oil and crab meat to boil the second pot.

While boiling the second pot, the four people finally found time to eat.

The rice had been cooked a long time ago and had been kept warm in the pot.

After the butter was boiled, the four people couldn't wait to scoop the rice, scoop a spoonful of butter on the rice, sprinkle a few drops of braised pork, and mix them while it was hot.

Xia Lunong scooped a big mouthful of the butter-mixed rice, blew on it, and put it into his mouth.

The slightly hot rice is fragrant and soft. The first bite gives off a fresh aroma of rice. The butter is attached to it. After the fresh aroma, the oily crab aroma comes out. Mixed together, it forms a delicious but not greasy mouthful.

Xia Lunong chewed happily with his eyes crooked. The butter in his mouth was so fragrant that he even had the illusion that his mouth was full of crab meat.

No, even if it was all crab meat, it would not be as delicious as it is now.

If it was all crab meat, it would be a bit fishy and greasy after

taking a big bite. Now it is not like that at all. The rice neutralizes the greasy taste, and the crab meat has a bit more burnt aroma after being fried dry. This way, a mouthful of rice is fresh and fragrant. When it enters the stomach, Xia Lunong immediately feels a very full and warm feeling surging through the whole body.

This delicacy is not suitable for savoring in leisure time. It should be eaten in a bowl in such a situation, when everyone is tired and hungry and does not want to spend any more energy.

Xia Lunong ate three bowls of rice with butter in one breath, and when he put down the bowl, he tilted his head and burped a little with satisfaction.

Yan Xinian happily served the fifth bowl of rice and asked him, "Another bowl?"

Xia Lunong shook his head.

Xia Huoqu said to Yan Xinian, "Don't bother him, he will be too sleepy later."

Xia Lunong knew what was going on and continued to wait in front of the fire to boil butter.

He raised his knees over his shoulders, so that his head could rest easily on his knees when he sat.

Now he rested his head on his knees, pushing the slack butter in the pot with his hands, and his eyes were sleepy.

After working for a while, he yawned again, tears welled up in his eyes, he wiped them with his fingers and continued to work.

His brother couldn't bear to see it, so he took the spatula from his hand and said, "Go to sleep if you're sleepy, I'll do the rest."

"No need, I can adjust the seasoning more accurately." Xia Lunong yawned to avoid his brother's hand, and suddenly tilted his head to listen carefully, "Brother, did you hear the sound?"

When Xia Lunong said this, the other three people all turned their heads to listen carefully.

Xia Huoqu and Kong Zhi didn't hear it, and both of them were confused.

Yan Xinian listened for a moment and said, "I think I heard it. It's a bit muffled, like the sound of something jumping. It's in the north. I'll take a flashlight and go over to take a look."

Yan Xinian was used to going out and was not afraid.

Xia Huoqu grabbed his wrist and pulled him, saying, "I'll go with you."

Xia Lunong said, "Be careful."

"I know, you guys stay here." Xia Huoqu looked at Kong Zhi, "Kong Zhi, pay more attention to your surroundings."

Kong Zhi nodded.

Yan Xinian and Xia Huoqu were both tall and long-legged. They stood up, walked side by side, and disappeared in the range of the firelight in a short while.

Xia Lunong was a little worried. She pushed the butter in the pot again and watched their backs leave.

Kong Zhi accompanied him in silence.

Xia Huoqu and his friends were out for a long time this time, so Xia Lunong boiled another pot of butter, two large barrels in total.

He poured the butter into a clean wooden barrel, covered it with a lid, and looked into the distance with worry, "Was there any accident?"

"If there is an accident, they will change into beast form. If there is no movement, there is no accident." Kong Zhi brought over the pork liver and lungs that had been prepared, "Fry the pork liver first."

Xia Lunong came back to his senses and nodded.

It's hot now, and the internal organs are dirty and are the easiest to spoil, so they still have to be fried with salt first to facilitate preservation.

Xia Lunong fried one by one.

When he scooped up the kidneys, he finally heard footsteps.

His brother and Yan Xinian came back with flashlights.

Before Yan Xinian approached the camp, he raised the thing in his hand and raised his voice, "Xiao Nong, look what good stuff we found."

"What?" Xia Lunong squinted and looked over there. Because of the backlight and the distance, Xia Lunong couldn't see the thing in his hand clearly at first. He just felt that the thing was quite big, and it looked like a newborn puppy in his hand.

Xia Lunong was about to guess in this direction, but Yan Xinian had already approached with the thing in his hand.

He actually had a huge frog in his hand!

"?!!" Xia Lunong's eyes widened, and he stood up and took two steps back.

Kong Zhi supported his back to prevent him from falling.

Xia Lunong asked, "What is this thing?! Why is it so big?!"

Yan Xinian laughed, "A bullfrog! Does it look familiar? The sound you heard in the evening should be the sound of a bullfrog jumping."

Xia Lunong rubbed her arms, refusing to connect the two, "Don't bullfrogs croak? The sound I heard this afternoon was so dull."

"We've heard frogs croaking before, but we didn't take it seriously." Yan Xinian weighed the bullfrog in his hand, "With such a large size, the sound when it jumps is of course dull."

Seeing his expression, Yan Xinian smiled, "Bullfrogs are tastier than chicken, don't give up, finish cooking and come with us. There are bullfrogs everywhere in the bushes ahead, they won't even run away when we shine a flashlight, we estimate we can catch dozens or even hundreds of them tonight."

Xia Huoqu held up the two bullfrogs in his hand, "First, help me get a bag to hold them. "Pack them up."

Kong Zhi stood up and went to find a bag to put the bullfrogs in. He weighed them with his hand and judged: "Each one is at least four or five pounds."

Yan Xinian said happily: "Who said it wasn't? This weight is almost as heavy as a hen, but it's much easier to catch than a hen."

Kong Zhi glanced at Xia Lunong and said: "It shouldn't be a problem to take it to Yacheng to exchange for a hen."

Yan Xinian waved his hand, "Not only is it not a problem, bullfrogs are more nutritious than hens!"