Group A campsite.
After finishing making bamboo flutes in the morning, Li Yinsheng did not cut or make mahjong tiles in the afternoon after lunch. Instead, she processed the bamboo and began to make a table.
Group A currently has no shortage of food and drink, but lacks items such as tables and chairs.
First, she cut the bamboo strips. Li Yinsheng already knew exactly what kind of bamboo table to make.
She selected several bamboo stalks and carefully measured the diameter and length of each one to ensure that every part could be used in the most efficient way.
She first removed the outer skin of the selected bamboo, revealing the smooth and tough inner bamboo flesh. Then, she carefully cut along the pre-drawn lines with a Swiss Army knife.
With a "snap snap" sound, bamboo strips gradually took shape and were neatly stacked to the side.
Next came the more complex assembly stage. Li Yinsheng first crafted the table's four legs, bending and assembling bamboo by heating it over a fire. Then she began building the tabletop. For the tabletop, she chose thicker bamboo planks, carefully sanding and joining them to ensure a flat surface with strong load-bearing capacity.
During the assembly process, she also cleverly incorporated mortise and tenon joints, an ancient and ingenious connection method that makes the table structure more stable, eliminating the need for additional nails or glue.
It took an entire afternoon to make one bamboo table.
"Fatty, your skills are comparable to those of a professional carpenter." Zhang Yixing appeared beside her at some point, a smile on his face.
"Master, Yixing, go quickly to the bamboo forest and see if Teacher Li's traps set this morning have caught any bamboo rats."
"Wow! Fatty, your cooking skills are amazing! Now we have a table to eat at!" Zhao Liying woke up in the afternoon, yawning and rubbing her eyes. She was still half asleep, but she was already thinking about whether she could have bamboo rats for dinner. When her eyes gradually focused on the bamboo that Fatty had made, she instantly became more awake, and her eyes sparkled with amazement and admiration.
"This not only solves our food problem, but it's also a great table for playing mahjong." Huang Xiaoming walked quickly to the chubby girl's side, gently stroking the edge of the newly finished table. The wood was fine and the polishing was just right, without any roughness. He nodded with great satisfaction.
Zhang Yixing nodded and smiled in agreement: "Yes, Fatty's cooking skills are indeed superb. However, let's go to the bamboo forest to check the situation first, since food is the most important thing right now."
"Holy crap! I spent the whole afternoon setting up two traps in Group A, and finally the traps in Group A were loaded with bamboo rats!"
"Group A's luck is incredible, they'll have meat tonight."
"How do you think Fatty Girl would cook bamboo rat?"
"There are chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. How about some spicy bamboo rat meat? Just thinking about it makes my mouth water."
Friday evening at 6 PM, the next day being a rest day, netizens watching the live stream speculated that Zhang Yixing would sing the new song for Fat Girl tonight, and the number of viewers watching the live stream surged this evening.
A trending topic suddenly appeared at the top of the list, followed by a large "hot" sign.
The viewership of "Survival on the Island" has surpassed 300 million!
As night fell, the atmosphere in Group A's live stream room grew even more enthusiastic.
........
Huang Xiaoming and Zhang Yixing went to the bamboo forest to check the traps and see if they had caught any bamboo rats.
Upon arriving at the bamboo forest, they saw two plump bamboo rats trapped near the traps Li Xiang had set that morning, anxiously trying to escape.
"Wow, we really caught one! Now we can feast!" Huang Xiaoming exclaimed excitedly, and quickly stepped forward to carefully take the bamboo rat out, afraid of hurting it.
"Looks like dinner's sorted out for tonight." Zhang Yixing smiled and stepped forward to help.
When Zhang Yixing and the cult leader returned to the camp, Zhao Liying's eyes lit up when she saw the bamboo rats in their hands.
"Fatty, Yixing and the leader are back with the bamboo rats. Dinner is ready!" Zhao Liying licked her lips and called out to Li Yinsheng.
"Alright, I'm heating the oil in the wok. Sisi's bamboo rice will only need another fifteen minutes, one bowl for each person. Master, Yixing, kill both bamboo rats; we'll stew them all together today," Li Yinsheng instructed.
Today's dishes include four items: stir-fried nightshade, stir-fried passion fruit tips, spicy and sour bamboo shoots stewed with bamboo rat meat, and shrimp and crab.
Both black nightshade and passion fruit tips are easy to stir-fry. As for the dish "Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals", the crabs, black tiger prawns, razor clams, and scallops collected during the morning beachcombing are cleaned, then stir-fried with lemongrass, wild ginger, wild onions, and chili peppers until fragrant. They are then stir-fried quickly over high heat to preserve the original flavor of the seafood. When serving, chopped green onions are sprinkled on top. The dish is colorful, fragrant, and delicious, making it mouthwatering.
After Li Yinsheng finished cooking the three dishes, the leader and Zhang Yixing also cleaned up the bamboo rat.
First, blanch the bamboo rats in water with lemongrass, wild ginger, wild onions, Sichuan peppercorns, and a few bay leaves to remove the fishy smell. After the water boils, take them out and rinse them again.
Heat oil in a wok, stir-fry the bamboo rat meat over high heat, then add lemongrass, chili peppers, and other spices. Next, add bamboo shoots and unripe green passion fruit, and simmer over low heat, allowing the bamboo rat meat to gradually become tender and flavorful in the broth. The bamboo rat's fat slowly renders out in the pot, intertwining with the flavors of various spices and passion fruit to create an indescribably enticing, sour and spicy aroma that permeates the entire camp.
Zhao Liying, who was assisting Li Yinsheng, was also frequently drawn in by the aroma and couldn't help but secretly swallow her saliva.
"Holy crap! Group A's food is so lavish! Look at the other four groups, the difference is just too big! It's a survival challenge for all of us, but Group A is like heaven, while the other groups are like they're going through hell!"
"Looking at the dishes that Fatty Girl cooks, they must taste amazing. They look and smell delicious. I really want to try Fatty Girl's cooking."
"It seems that having a teammate who can cook is really important in survival challenges! Fatty is a real gem!"
"This isn't a survival challenge, it's practically the prelude to a gourmet feast!"
"Fatty is lucky. She knows a little bit of everything and has such good cooking skills. When the other members of Group A are stuck with Fatty, I feel like they're not here to survive, but rather to go on vacation."
"I was eating the food my dad cooked while watching the live stream, and suddenly the food didn't taste as good."
"It's a pity that my husband Lao Hu and my brother Cheng Yi didn't team up with Fatty."
"Bamboo rice is also a must-try. I've been to Yunnan before and had bamboo rice there. It tastes amazing."
Viewers watching the live stream saw smoke rising from Group A's campsite, with some cooking, others helping to start fires, and still others passing things around – a harmonious and peaceful scene that gave them the illusion of enjoying life rather than surviving in the wilderness.
It resonated with many people, and the number of likes and discussions quickly rose.
At this point, the camera switched to the dinners of other groups, and viewers watching the live stream found it even more appalling. Group B's dinner appeared to be nothing more than a simple wild vegetable soup with half-cooked root vegetables. The team members sat together, their faces etched with exhaustion and helplessness.
Group C was even more direct, with several people sharing a few bananas and other fruits.
The situations in groups D and E were similar; either the food was monotonous or the cooking methods were rough, making it unappetizing.
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