Liu Ruoxi gently lifted the pot lid, and immediately, a billowing steam rushed out, accompanied by a rich aroma. She blinked, and through the hazy mist, her gaze fell upon the delicious food on the pot's surface. First to catch her eye were the slightly browned acorn cakes, neatly arranged at the bottom of the pot, emitting an enticing caramelized fragrance; while inside the pot was a fragrant stew of pheasant and mushrooms, the tender chicken and succulent mushrooms blending together perfectly, making one's mouth water.
However, what arrived even before her sight was undoubtedly the intoxicating aroma. Like an invisible force, it instantly penetrated Liu Ruoxi's nasal cavity, directly stimulating her taste buds. She took a deep breath, fully enjoying this wonderful flavor, as if the whole world had become beautiful.
Even before seeing it, the aroma emanating from the earthenware jar alone was enough to evoke all sorts of fantasies and make one's mouth water.
With the moon high in the sky, Wang Lun, due to his weak health, was forced by Li Ling to keep watch during the first half of the night. However, now it wasn't two people, but one.
Wang Lun sat alone by the fire pit, his mind still replaying the dinner that had just passed. After the meal, only chicken bones remained on the table. The remaining broth was shared between Wang Lun and Liu Ruoling, who dipped it in acorn cakes. The pot itself was scraped clean by the two of them before being left untouched.
It was indeed delicious. Firstly, the ingredients were fresh; although the mushrooms were dried and rehydrated, they seemed to have an added sun-kissed flavor, making them even more delicious. Secondly, the cooking method was unique, perfectly blending the savory flavors of the chicken and mushrooms, creating a truly unforgettable experience.
Wang Lun recalled the delicious meal he had just enjoyed and couldn't help but swallow. He knew he couldn't keep thinking about it, or he would only get hungrier. So, he began to observe his surroundings, trying to distract himself.
The forest was unusually quiet at night, with only the occasional chirping of insects and the rustling of leaves in the wind. Moonlight shone down, illuminating the surrounding trees and grass, creating a tranquil and mysterious atmosphere. Wang Lun quietly observed everything before him, feeling an immense sense of peace.
It's not fair to blame them for eating in a bad mood; they really have no choice. On one hand, the cold weather increases appetite; on the other hand, everyone has been eating salted fish for a while now and hasn't had fresh meat. So when they suddenly eat fresh meat, it tastes especially delicious.
Wang Lun is now thinking about how to get through this winter. There is still food, enough to get through the winter. But the food is too monotonous. The staple food is basically salted fish or smoked fish, occasionally supplemented with some dried wild vegetables or dried mushrooms, but these are still very scarce.
Wang Lun wanted everyone to have a better life, but he didn't know how. It was the dead of winter, everything was silent, there wasn't a single patch of green, and even the animals rarely came out.
Wang Lun could only shake his head helplessly. Suddenly, he heard a squeaking sound. His eyes lit up—wasn't that the sound of a mouse? Wang Lun was very familiar with this sound; after all, he had heard it often before. Although it was now a deserted island, mice still existed, just far fewer in number than before.
Wang Lun was secretly pleased. Other animals might be less visible in the dead of winter, and even if they did appear, they would likely be quite capable of fighting, and he might not be able to kill them. But rats were different. When their numbers were low, they were terrified of humans. Moreover, rats didn't hibernate in winter; they would come out to forage as long as there was food. Therefore, catching rats would be relatively easier.
Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Wang Lun's face. He had already begun to devise ways to set traps to catch these rats. Slab traps, flip-top traps, lasso traps... one trap after another appeared in his mind. He even thought of using bait to increase the success rate.
Wang Lun decided that tomorrow morning he would take Li Ling and the others to set up various traps throughout the camp, waiting for the "lucky" rats to take the bait. In this way, they would be able to obtain enough food to get through this difficult period.
Of course, to catch mice, you need good bait. Wang Lun had his own ideas about this. The fish bones from the fish we usually eat can be used as traps, although there's no meat, so the mice are unlikely to fall for it, but it's better than no bait at all.
Moreover, Wang Lun still has some chicken bones, which make excellent bait. The effect will definitely be better than having no bait at all.
However, Wang Lun is now worried about something else: how to convince Li Ling and the others to eat rat meat. After all, rat meat isn't a common food choice for many people. But if he really can't convince them, Wang Lun says he'll just have to enjoy the delicacy himself.
Driven by this intense motivation, Wang Lun began to repeatedly rehearse how to set up traps in his mind, even simulating the operation in the air. It was as if such practice would allow him to accumulate experience more quickly and increase the success rate of setting up traps.
Time passed by unnoticed, and Wang Lun was gently awakened by Li Ling. He came to his senses, turned around, and found that Li Ling was already sitting quietly opposite the fire pit, adding a lot of firewood to make the fire burn brightly.
Li Ling asked softly, "What were you thinking about just now? You seemed so lost in thought. I called you several times, but you didn't respond." Her eyes revealed a hint of curiosity and concern.
A smile appeared on Wang Lun's face as he said, "It's a good thing." Then, he smiled brightly at Li Ling, as if his heart was filled with joy.
However, Li Ling felt a strange unease when she saw Wang Lun's smile. She couldn't help but wonder, "Is he plotting something bad again?" Remembering how Wang Lun had assaulted Ruoxi last time, nearly causing her to commit suicide, her heart tightened. So, she said sternly, "Who are you trying to assault this time? You know Ruoxi almost committed suicide because of you last time!" She then stared intently at Wang Lun, her eyes flashing with wariness.
Wang Lun was speechless upon hearing Li Ling's words. He quickly explained, "What nonsense are you thinking about? I was just thinking about how to set up some traps to catch wild animals, like rats, so that we can improve our living conditions." His voice carried a hint of helplessness, as well as a touch of amusement.
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