Chapter 110 Xie Yunze demonstrates his roast chicken skills
Xu Zhili felt a slight alarm bell ring in her heart. She immediately looked around warily, her body instinctively crouching slightly, like a cheetah poised to pounce.
Her post-apocalyptic habits made her wary of anything unusual.
How could there be a treehouse on the edge of this deep mountain forest?
Look around the treehouse; the branches intertwine, as if weaving a natural barrier for it.
Was it an observation post left by a hunter from the nearby area?
Or... a hideout for someone else?
She held her breath, her sharp eyes scanning the ground around the treehouse, searching for footprints or other traces.
Just then, the vines hanging below the treehouse swayed, and a figure nimbly climbed down and landed lightly on the ground.
The person who arrived was none other than Xie Yunce!
The mountain wind ruffled his bangs, revealing his smooth, full forehead.
With bright eyes and a straight nose, a naturally upturned mouth, and a tanned skin with a healthy blush, he exudes the vibrant energy of a young man from the mountains.
He was wearing a faded blue work shirt, army green trousers rolled up to his calves, and a pair of worn-out liberation shoes covered in mud—he looked like someone who had been working.
Xie Yunze was clearly surprised to meet Xu Zhili here. He paused for a moment, then gave her a bright smile.
"Sister? What are you doing here?"
He dusted off his hands and explained, “My dad asked me to patrol the mountains to see if there are any new signs of wild boars damaging the crops, and also to check the traps we set in this area a while ago.”
He pointed to the treehouse, "This dilapidated treehouse is quite old. I heard it was left behind by an old hunter. I sometimes climb up there to rest when I'm tired from patrolling the mountains. It has a good view."
Xu Zhili's doubts lessened slightly.
It was reasonable for Captain Xie to have his son patrol the mountains to check for wild boar tracks.
It makes sense that an abandoned hunter's observation post could serve as a temporary resting place.
Her tense body relaxed a little, and she nodded: "Captain Xie is very thoughtful. I'll see if I can find some prey."
Xie Yunze's eyes lit up with the enthusiasm unique to young people: "Looking for mountain goods? Hunting? Sister, I know this place well! I've been running around these mountains since I was a kid. I know exactly where the rabbits are and where the pheasant nests are. I'll help you!"
His tone was confident and eager.
Looking at his sincere yet slightly proud expression, Xu Zhili remembered that he was the captain's son, and that he was usually efficient in his work and indeed looked agile.
She hesitated for a moment, then did not refuse: "Okay, thank you for your trouble, but be careful, I heard there have been wild boars recently."
Don't worry!
Seeing that she agreed, Xie Yunze's smile widened, and he immediately got into character, "Come with me, I know a path where pheasants often scavenge for food."
He said no more, turned around and led the way, his steps light and practiced, clearly very familiar with the mountain path.
Xu Zhili followed behind him, also becoming more alert and keeping an eye on her surroundings.
The two walked through the mountains and forests.
Xie Yunze was indeed not bragging. He walked around, stopping frequently, sometimes squatting down to examine the paw prints and feces on the ground, and sometimes listening intently, like an experienced little hunting dog.
He led Xu Zhili away from the difficult bushes to a relatively open clearing in the woods, where there were plenty of berries and grass seeds.
"Shh-"
Xie Yunze suddenly stopped, raised his index finger to his lips, and signaled Xu Zhili to be quiet.
His sharp gaze fell on a clump of dense bushes at the edge of the clearing.
Xu Zhili looked in the direction he pointed and indeed saw a brightly colored pheasant pecking at its food, completely unaware of what was happening.
Xu Zhili subconsciously reached for the slingshot at her waist.
Xie Yunze shook his head at her, and with extremely slight movements picked up a sharp-edged pebble from the ground, weighing it in his hand.
He didn't throw it immediately, but patiently waited for the pheasant to wander to a relatively exposed spot with no cover behind it.
His eyes narrowed, and with a sudden burst of strength in his wrist, the pebble shot through the air like an arrow.
"puff!"
With a muffled thud, it struck the pheasant precisely in the neck.
Before the pheasant could even flap its wings, it collapsed to the ground.
"Great aim!"
Xu Zhili couldn't help but whisper a word of praise.
This technique was clean and efficient, much more so than her slingshot.
Xie Yunze smiled smugly, strode over, picked up the still convulsing pheasant, and skillfully snapped its neck to kill it completely and prevent the smell of blood from spreading.
He returned carrying the plump pheasant, looked at Xu Zhili with sparkling eyes: "Sister, you're lucky! This chicken is quite plump. Um... how about we go to my place? I'll clean it up and roast it. My roasted pheasant is so good, even my dad says it's delicious."
Xu Zhili looked at the sky, then at the fat chicken, and was indeed a little tempted.
Although there was food stored in the space, the temptation of fresh wild game was even greater.
"Sure, then I'll try your cooking."
She readily agreed, adding, "But I can't just eat your food for free. You take care of it here, and I'll go wander around the neighborhood and see if I can get some more mushrooms or wild vegetables to add to the meal."
"Okay!"
Xie Yunze happily replied, his face beaming with pure joy, "Sister, be careful and don't go too far. I'll find a sheltered spot with water nearby, under the treehouse, and start a fire to wait for you."
He deftly began searching for a suitable location, his movements practiced and skilled, clearly not his first time doing this job.
Xu Zhili nodded: "I know, be careful of fire too."
Without further delay, she turned and headed in another direction to continue her "treasure hunt".
Xie Yunce's cheerful humming and the rustling sound of gathering firewood echoed through the mountains and forests.
Xu Zhili had a good harvest in the mountains and forests, catching a fat rabbit and picking some fresh mushrooms and wild onions.
She figured it was about time, so she picked up the rabbit and wild vegetables and went back to the vicinity of the treehouse.
From afar, you can smell the enticing aroma of meat.
Xie Yunze had already lit a small campfire, and the fire was perfectly controlled. The pheasant was roasting over the fire, sizzling and dripping with oil, its skin turning an enticing golden yellow.
He was intently turning the roast chicken, sprinkling it with salt every now and then.
"You're back?"
Hearing footsteps, Xie Yunze looked up with a bright smile on his face and fine beads of sweat on his forehead. "Perfect timing, we can eat right away! Oh, you even caught a rabbit?"
His eyes lit up when he saw the rabbit in her hand.
"Well, I was lucky to run into a silly rabbit."
Xu Zhili placed the rabbit and wild vegetables on a clean stone nearby, then leaned closer to the fire. "It smells so good! Your cooking skills look pretty good."
Xie Yunze chuckled, a hint of pride in his voice: "That's right! I've been running around in the mountains since I was a kid. I can't say I'm good at anything else, but roasting a pheasant or a rabbit is a piece of cake for me. The heat and the salt are the most important things."
He poked the chicken with a twig to make sure it was cooked through, then carefully removed the roasted chicken from the fire and placed it on a clean, large leaf.
The chicken skin was roasted until crispy, with oil rolling on the surface, and the aroma wafted straight into my nose.
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