Chapter 5
The Snow Wolf Tribe is not far from the river. After all, only by being close to the water source can one meet their living needs.
On the way back, the tribesmen we met whispered to each other in what they thought were very low voices: "Didn't the hunting party return? Didn't Yu Sui go to get the meat again? How can we just feed the cubs with grass?"
Yu Sui twitched his lips and felt helpless. This is not grass, gentlemen, this is wild vegetable. If it were put in modern times, these wild vegetables would be much more expensive than cultivated vegetables.
The Snow Wolf Tribe really doesn't eat these things much. Except for those with special preferences, most of the tribesmen eat the prey directly. They will collect some green leafy vegetables, dry them into dried vegetables and use them to fill their stomachs in winter. For them, these are for emergency use and they will not eat them unless absolutely necessary.
It’s a good thing that the orcs are in good health. If humans ate like this, they would have been constipated long ago and would have had their hemorrhoids removed several times.
Yu Sui moved the soaked beans into the food bowl and cleared out the clay pot.
He also removed the pheasant's wings and legs, cut them into small pieces and put them into a clay pot to make soup, and also added some sliced thunder and fire beast meat.
The pheasant and meat were very fresh. Even without scallions and ginger, the aroma gradually emerged after stewing for a while.
He found a branch and cut the remaining pheasant into larger pieces, strung them together with the meat slices of the Thunderfire Beast, and started a fire to roast the chicken.
The pheasant was very fat, and the slices of thunder beast meat were also very tender. After being roasted on the fire for a while, fat began to drip down.
There were a few wild fruits at home. He found one of them, squeezed out some juice and spread it evenly on the skewers. The whole house was filled with fragrance. Xiaochu came back at the right time, holding the big tree leaves he asked him to find, and licked his lips like a greedy cat.
Yu Sui looked at him with amusement and motioned him to put the leaves next to him.
It would be nice to have a brush. When he gets the chance, he will definitely make a good brush for grilling.
He took out some coarse salt and sprinkled a thin layer on the skewers. After roasting them over the fire for a while, the surface of the skewers turned a mouth-watering golden brown.
The meat slices of the Thunder Fire Beast were thinner and cooked first. Yu Sui took the meat slices off the branches, placed them on the leaves and handed them to Xiao Chu.
Xiaochu couldn't wait to grab a piece and put it in his mouth, not even bothering with the heat. "Brother, you're amazing! I've never eaten such delicious barbecue!"
As he spoke, he picked up a piece with his paw and fed it into Yu Sui's mouth. Yu Sui smiled and opened his mouth.
He was amazed as soon as the meat slices entered his mouth. They were tender and juicy. The soft and flexible meat slices locked in a pool of sweet juice. The meaty aroma filled his mouth, and there was a hint of fruity aroma. Sure enough, good raw materials are delicious even without so much seasoning.
The narrator was right, the meat of the Thunderfire Beast was indeed delicious, better than any livestock meat he had eaten in modern times, both in texture and taste.
Even though orcs don't use tableware very often nowadays, and even if they do, they would at most use a spoon, he couldn't help but laugh when he saw Xiaochu grabbing the meat slices directly with his claws without fear of the burn.
The chicken pieces were slightly larger and took longer to cook, so he placed the skewers over the fire and slowly roasted them while he stirred the chicken soup in the pot.
The delicious aroma filled the room. The meat slices and chicken nuggets in the chicken soup were cooked, and the chicken soup had a delicious golden color.
Yu Sui added some salt to the pot, cut the wild vegetables he picked into small pieces and threw them into the pot, then covered the pot with a homemade wooden lid and stewed it.
While waiting, he remembered that he didn't have any bowls at home, so he ran out to find two stones of similar size and used his claws to dig out two small stone bowls. Although the shape was a bit ugly, he was too lazy to polish them.
He found a few more branches of the same thickness and polished them gently with his claws, and they became two pairs of chopsticks.
At this time, the wild vegetables were cooked, the aroma in the air became more intense, and the skewers of meat by the fire were also cooked.
Yu Sui did not put down the animal skins at the door of their house to allow for air circulation. He saw many orcs quietly peeking in and sniffing the fragrance in the air.
The orcs had a very sensitive sense of smell. The aroma of chicken soup mixed with the barbecued meat skewers in Yu Sui's house was something they had never smelled before. Even though they were full, their stomachs were still rumbling.
Yu Sui was also very hungry. He had been here for a whole day and had only eaten half a piece of dried meat that Xiaochu gave him. His stomach was already empty.
He sniffed the fragrance in the air and thought that he should make the tofu as soon as possible tomorrow. He couldn't imagine how delicious it would be if he put some tofu cubes in the chicken soup.
He had also witnessed the strength of the orcs' bodies today. The slight poison in the brine was insignificant to them. He wanted to make activated carbon-purified refined salt to make it taste better. The bitter taste of coarse salt was a waste of his excellent cooking skills.
Yu Sui served Xiaochu a bowl of hot chicken soup and a pair of chopsticks. In case he didn't know how to use them, he also prepared a spoon for him.
However, Yu Sui's worries were completely unnecessary. Although Xiaochu didn't know how to use it, he had a strong learning ability. Watching Yu Sui eating with chopsticks, he tried to imitate him twice. At first, he could only use chopsticks to pick up chicken nuggets, but later he could barely pick up things.
How smart! Yu Sui thought to himself, he remembered that when he was a kid he practiced for a long time learning how to use chopsticks.
"Xiaochu is great!" The cub needs encouragement, so Yu Sui rewarded him with a piece of roast chicken.
Xiaochu's mouth was full, his eyes were bright, and his little face was shiny with food.
The two cubs ate up the whole bunch of barbecue, and there was still half of the chicken soup left in the big clay pot.
The orcs' appetites were truly remarkable. Their two human-form cubs actually ate more than their beast-form counterparts. After all, their beast-form counterparts were just that big. This single meal was more than what Yu Sui had eaten in the previous three days combined.
This pheasant must weigh more than ten pounds, and the chicken soup and meat slices together weigh more than ten pounds.
After a busy day, Master Yu finally had his fill. It was just getting dark, and some cubs were playing outside, while others were practicing hunting. Their night vision was excellent, so they certainly weren't asleep yet.
But Yu Sui was too tired. The original owner had just recovered from a cold and needed to rest. The orcs had no beds, only straw mats made of hay. He found a dry place, held Xiao Chu in his arms, and fell into a deep sleep.
How can tofu be made without a grinding wheel? The structure of the ancient grinding wheel is relatively simple. I have watched short videos and have also seen descriptions of it in many farming articles.
Grateful that he was an orc, with sharp teeth and claws and plenty of strength, he carried back two large stones, used his sharp claws to grind them into shape, and found a suitable piece of wood as a handle. Thus, a simple ancient stone mill was completed.
This millstone can not only be used to make tofu now, but it can also be used to peel and grind wheat and various types of rice into flour in the future.
The beans, which had been soaked overnight, absorbed water and became plump. He placed the stone basin under the stone millstone, and while pushing the millstone to rotate, he added beans and clean water.
After a while, thick white bean juice and bean dregs fell into the basin. There weren't many beans, so the bean juice produced wasn't much either.
The tribesmen had not gone out yet early in the morning. When they saw him fiddling with something in front of his house, they gathered around him out of curiosity.
"What are they doing? This looks like animal milk." Notting, who was passing by, asked out of curiosity.
"My brother is making delicious food called tofu!" Xiaochu jumped up and answered with his furry paws raised.
Yu Sui smiled. Xiaochu, the little greedy cat, had been completely conquered by him. Seeing that he was going to make delicious food, he got up early in the morning with him. He refused to listen even when asked to sleep a little longer, and followed him all morning with his little tail wagging.
Hearing that something delicious was coming, the several Snow Wolf people gathered around couldn't help but swallow their saliva. There was no other way. The aroma of the barbecue and chicken soup Yu Sui had made yesterday was too strong. Since the Snow Wolf Clan lived in groups and had a keen sense of smell, almost everyone in the tribe could smell it.
The aroma was completely different from the barbecue they usually ate. There was no burnt smell at all, only the aroma of charcoal-grilled meat and a hint of fruity aroma. They usually cooked their own meat, but the meat they cooked was not as fragrant as the broth cooked by Yu Sui yesterday.
For the Snow Wolf, who had a sensitive nose, last night was no less than torture. Now, hearing that Yu Sui was going to make food again, thinking of yesterday's torture, he was both excited and afraid.
But after watching for a while, they felt relieved because the white juice that Yu Sui produced this time only had a bean smell that they didn't like.
They were just a little disappointed. They thought Yu Sui would be able to make something delicious like last night.
I don’t know what Yu Sui did yesterday, but the barbecue and meat soup were so delicious.
After grinding the soy milk, Yu Sui remembered that the only clay pot in the house was still filled with chicken soup. Thinking that it was a good time for breakfast, he built a fire in front of him and placed the clay pot on it to heat up the chicken soup.
Because it rained last night and the house was damp, he lit a fire inside to cook and warm up the room. Now that the weather was clear, he lit the fire outside.
This was a real pain for the orcs present. The aroma filled their nostrils with the same overwhelming aroma as last night. They were too embarrassed to ask the two cubs for food, so they all started to go back to their homes to find something to eat.
At that moment, Xu came over from a distance to find Notting, ready to go out on patrol. The tribe had caught a lot of prey yesterday, so there was no need to go hunting today. However, the daily patrol was essential. They needed to check the territory for enemies or high-level monsters invading.
Yu Sui saw Xu and waved happily. He first poured a bowl of chicken soup for Xiaochu, then picked up the pot and handed it to Xu. "Thank you for the Thunder Fire Beast meat yesterday. This is the broth I made myself. Try it."
Xu took it embarrassedly, and he couldn't bear to refuse it after smelling the fragrance. Yu Sui handed him a spoon. Xu took it and couldn't wait to scoop a spoonful into his mouth.
The chicken and the Thunder Fire Beast slices were stewed until soft and rotten. The unknown green leafy vegetables were slightly bitter, but the aftertaste was sweet and fresh. The soup was rich and juicy. I took a bite and the soup was so fresh and the meat was so delicious that I almost swallowed my tongue.
Notting had been craving for the food for a long time. When he saw the pottery jar in Xu's hands, he didn't hesitate and grabbed the spoon and took a bite himself. He was stunned and stood there.
Yu Sui watched the orcs in front of him, each one scrambling to finish the soup in the clay pot, some even licking the bottom of the pot with relish. He couldn't help but feel lucky that he had prepared a bowl for Xiaochu in advance.
"I've never eaten such delicious broth. I didn't expect Yu Sui to have such good cooking skills!" Ashan, who came over after hearing the noise, grabbed the last bite and shouted.
Xu only took one bite before the food was snatched away. His face turned black and he felt like hitting someone.
Yu Sui hurriedly said, "I still have to make tofu later. Brother Xu, can you come over and try it for me?"
There were so many things he wanted to do that he couldn't handle it all by himself. If these orcs could help him, with their strength, many things would become easier.
It is autumn now, and he wants to collect more beans so that they can sprout in winter and make tofu. It would be best if he could save some as seeds for sowing next year.
Beans have so many uses that just collecting wild ones is not enough. He also wants to make bean paste, soy sauce, soybean oil, and various soy products, all of which require a lot of beans.
In order to farm, he needed to plow the land, and he also wanted to renovate his house before winter came, even if it was just the roof.
Renovating the roof requires tiles. Clay for making tiles is easy to find near the river, but you also need a kiln to burn the tiles. Ideally, you can also make some pottery. Otherwise, you're really short of resources. You can't keep using heavy stone tools. Pottery is much more practical than stone tools. For example, when growing bean sprouts, clay pots are much more airtight than stone ones.
If he wants these people to help him, he can certainly ask them directly, but it is not a long-term solution.
Capturing the stomachs of these orcs will make it easier to command them in the future. This is a very simple task for Sui. His cooking skills may be just average in modern times, but in this place that is equivalent to a primitive tribe, they are very impressive. He can grill meat in many different ways.
Xu nodded hurriedly. Notting and Ashan also said with a playful smile: "We will definitely come!" The other orcs also nodded eagerly.
Just for the taste of this broth, even though the bowl of juice in front of him that smells like animal milk doesn't smell very pleasant, Yu Sui can definitely make it delicious.
They still needed to go on patrol, so even though they were reluctant to leave, they set off. The other orcs who needed to go out for gathering had also left. Autumn meant winter was coming, and they needed to store firewood and various foods for the winter.
Yu Sui cleaned the pottery jar, filtered the soy milk with the washed linen cloth, and poured the filtered soy milk into the pottery jar to boil.
As the temperature rose, the aroma of bean juice soon wafted into the air. It had a bit of a raw, grassy taste at first, but the more it cooked, the richer the flavor became. The thick white bean juice churned gently in the clay pot, and Xiaochu watched without blinking.
I need to chew dry beans every winter, and I never thought that beans can be eaten like this.
While cooking, Yu Sui skimmed off the foam and stirred it from time to time to prevent the bottom from getting stuck. When it was almost cooked, he poured in some water to cool it down.
He brought out a bowl of brine and slowly poured it into the pot, stirring the liquid in the pot with a spoon. Soon, the liquid slowly solidified into flocs...
"Now we have tofu pudding." Yu Sui announced proudly. It was also his first time to make tofu pudding by hand, and it was quite successful.
He scooped out a spoonful for Xiaochu. There was no seasoning at home, so he just sprinkled a little coarse salt on it.
The tofu pudding just out of the pot is steaming hot and exudes the aroma of beans. Even without any seasoning, it tastes fragrant, delicious, tender and chewy.
Xiaochu ate without even looking up. Yu Sui also ate a bowl himself.
He found some reeds by the river in the morning and used the reed stalks to weave something similar to a basket. The workmanship was very crude.
He spread the linen cloth in the basket, poured the tofu pudding into it, tied the cloth tightly, and pressed a large stone on top.
After all this was done, only the cubs were left in the tribe, playing and frolicking, with a few frail old orcs watching. Everyone else had gone out.
I found some Polygonum hydropiper by the river yesterday. I had planned to go borrow some food with the tribe leader today, but I ended up running late. The tribe leader had taken the warriors who had been relieved yesterday out for training. Guess I'll just have to wait until they get back.
Yu Sui missed the chance to go out with the gathering team, and wanted to see what other food and minerals could be discovered on this land, so he planned to take Xiaochu with him.
The Snow Wolf Tribe's territory was vast, and if he stayed within it, he wouldn't encounter any dangerous monsters. Patrols would hunt or drive away high-level monsters every day to ensure the tribe's safety.
But it is only relatively safe. There are many adult orcs in the gathering team to protect the cubs and old orcs in the team.
This continent is full of dangers. Even powerful orcs cannot survive alone. The two of them can follow the path taken by the gathering team. After the scent of the Snow Wolf Tribe passed there, many monsters have been scared away.
Today, the gathering team headed towards the forest they had visited yesterday. Yu Sui and Xiao Chu transformed into their animal forms and ran along the way. Along the way, they recognized many familiar wild vegetables, but he didn't stop to pick them. This place was close, so he could come over and pick them anytime.
The advantage of being in animal form is that you can see more things, such as the mushrooms that pop up at the bottom of the trees after rain. Yu Sui cautiously picked some that he had eaten before, leaving the others he didn't recognize untouched in case they were poisonous.
The family had backpacks, but they had come in the shape of animals, not backpacks, and only brought their own hides. Yu Sui made two simple ones using strong vines and some branches.
After picking a bunch of mushrooms, Xiaochu happily climbed up the tree to pick fruit. However, the foraging team had already walked the path they took, and there were few ripe fruits on the trees.
They chased forward for a while and finally caught up with the main group.
"Yu Sui? Xiao Chu?" Lu looked at the mushrooms they were carrying in surprise. "Be careful not to get poisoned if you pick so many. Someone in our tribe got poisoned after eating these before," she said worriedly.
It's really worrying that these two children have no adults at home.
"I've eaten this one before, it's not poisonous. I didn't pick the other poisonous ones." Yu Sui explained. Lu was Qi's mother, and she took special care of the original owner, so Yu Sui had a good impression of her.
Midori's eyes turned to pity. This child must have eaten this before when she was hungry, otherwise she would know it wasn't poisonous. Clearly, she had misunderstood.
"We plan to collect more firewood today. You two little cubs can follow us to collect some food. You don't have to hand over the food to the tribe. Keep it for yourselves." She patted their heads.
There are no adults at home for these two little cubs, so the people in the tribe take good care of them. Generally, they don’t have to hand over the things they collect to the tribe.
"Auntie Lu, do you know where I can collect a lot of beans?" When the original owner participated in the collection mission in the past, he fished for three days and slacked off for two days. He just looked for things casually and couldn't remember where he found those beans. Now he wants to make tofu, and that little bit of beans can only be used for a try. He wants to pick a large amount, so it would be best to ask those who often come out to collect.
Lu was a little puzzled. "Do you want to eat those beans? They're hard to chew and won't fill you up." Except in winter when there's really no food, no orc would eat them. So, that was all Yu Sui had at home, and the original owner didn't like them.
Although he was confused, Lu still pointed him in a direction. After walking out of the woods and following that direction, there would be a large field of beans.
Yu Sui silently noted the location.
There was a loud bang. Xiaochu, who was playing with fruits on the tree, was startled and quickly jumped down and ran into Yu Sui's arms. The hair on his body stood up.
Yu Sui stroked his fur soothingly and looked up. It turned out to be a group of orcs, working together to knock down a towering tree. The snow werewolves' firewood gathering was so simple and unpretentious.
On this continent, even the trees grew unusually large, towering giants. Any one of them would be considered a protected tree today. As far as the eye could see, the Snow Werewolves had already knocked down two or three trees. Each tree was at least three or four meters in diameter.
In a magical world, plants are simply nutritious. Yesterday, he'd carried a mere 50 kilograms of small tree branches, feeling smug. Now, he watched as the male and female snowwolves before him transformed into their beast forms. Two or three of them could carry a large tree.
Thinking back to yesterday when the Thunder Fire Beast, which was as big as a hill, was easily carried into the tribe, Yu Sui felt relieved.
No wonder the humans of the East and West Continents call this continent the Cursed Land. The orcs are all so fierce, and there are elves who can fight the orcs to a draw, and all kinds of high-level monsters appear in an endless stream.
Yu Sui looked at the basket of mushrooms and wild fruits he had collected and felt a little ashamed. No wonder the tribe didn't require them to hand them over. The few things they collected every time were probably just playing house in the eyes of other orcs.
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