Chapter 158: Sour Bamboo Shoots and Cured Meat

Only Ba Ke Er remained, holding the dragon egg, standing in place and smiling.

After Zhang Fan led the females running about ten laps, he then ordered everyone to stop.

After a brief rest, Zhang Fan walked back onto the platform and began arranging for everyone to prepare the archery field and the shooting stands.

"Everyone already has their own weapons, so next we should prepare for training. However, due to limitations of the venue and conditions, I plan to have everyone make their own training shooting stands themselves."

"So, I hope everyone can gather as much dry grass as possible; most importantly, remember each person should prepare a few sticks to secure the shooting stands. That's all I have to say—let's get moving!"

After saying that, Zhang Fan suddenly remembered the assembly matter, gave a slightly embarrassed smile, then coughed lightly a few times, before restoring his usual deadpan expression and speaking solemnly:

"Right, everyone, remember to gather after you've had lunch at home today."

The females below, upon hearing Zhang Fan finish speaking, instantly erupted in chatter—not for any particular reason, but simply because they were full of anticipation for this afternoon's activities! Just thinking about it feels fun! Making our own shooting stands!

Moreover, the most important thing is that everyone knows gathering dry grass and such is hardly any effort—every household has stored the rice straw and wheat stalks harvested during the harvest season; you just need to go home and fetch them.

As for why Zhang Fan is giving everyone so much time to prepare—this question needs no thought; everyone already guessed it. Isn't this essentially granting everyone a few hours of a short break?

For this, everyone was deeply appreciative! Thinking so, they left the central square in small groups of two or three, heading toward their respective homes.

As for the arrangements after the shooting stands are finished, it concerns whether we'll need to train archery over the next few days, and everyone is full of their own anticipation and curiosity.

After seeing everyone's reaction, Zhang Fan smiled silently, hiding all his amusement in his large eyes. Having composed his expression, he then pretended to walk down from the platform unhurriedly, heading toward Ba Ke Er.

When Zhang Fan reached Ba Ke Er's side, he reached out and took the dragon egg from Ba Ke Er's hand, placed a light kiss on its shell, then took Ba Ke Er's hand and together they stepped onto the path home.

It was just past ten in the morning, the sunlight not overly strong. Ba Ke Er and Zhang Fan, hand in hand, cast two tightly connected shadows on the ground in the warm sunlight.

After returning home, Zhang Fan did not rush to look for dry grass. Instead, after placing the dragon egg safely, he and Ba Ke Er together pulled the burning firewood from beneath the branch shelter in the yard, then jointly dismantled the shelter.

While doing this, Zhang Fan also took the cured meat piece by piece and temporarily placed them inside the jade thumb ring on his hand.

After the yard was cleaned up, only about ten or so minutes had passed—of course, this is according to Beastmen Planet's time; if measured by Earth time, it would have been much longer.

Zhang Fan looked at the now-clean yard and smiled reassuringly at Ba Ke Er. Seeing this, Ba Ke Er also stopped his steps, returned a doting smile, his eyes full of tenderness, and said:

"Fan Fan, I'll go prepare the dry grass you need first—you've been busy all morning, hurry up and rest! I'll take care of the rest."

"Ba Ke Er, you're so good!"

Having said that, Zhang Fan rushed over, lunged into Ba Ke Er's embrace, tiptoed to press a light kiss like a dragonfly touching water on Ba Ke Er's cheek—brief and fleeting.

Then, Zhang Fan put on a mischievous grin, patted Ba Ke Er's chest a few times, posing as a wealthy gentleman, and said in a swaggering tone: 'Young man, you've got potential! Keep at it! I'm off first!'

Having said that, Zhang Fan darted away like a gust of wind, as if he'd be snatched by a monster if he lingered even a second longer.

Ba Ke Er watched Zhang Fan's retreating back, shook his head helplessly, chuckled softly, then, eyes full of smiles and affection for Zhang Fan, turned and went to the house's woodshed to prepare the dry grass and sticks Zhang Fan needed.

As soon as Zhang Fan returned to his room, he flung himself onto the bed and lay still. After a while, he finally moved, rolling around on the bed several times before regaining his composure, and began muttering to himself.

"Oh my god! I actually acted like that in front of Ba Ke Er! Good thing I got away quickly—if Ba Ke Er had caught me, there would surely have been another 'fierce battle'."

Thinking about it, Zhang Fan's face somehow flushed like watercolor, slowly spreading a rosy glow. After calming down for a while, his face gradually returned to normal.

After resting on the bed for a while, Zhang Fan then recalled the cured meat pieces he had just placed in his jade thumb ring. He lifted his wrist, checked the time—it was already half past ten in the morning, time to prepare lunch.

Thus, Zhang Fan hurriedly sat up from the bed, went into the kitchen to prepare lunch. First he washed the pot, boiled a pot of water, and once the water boiled, he took two pieces of cured meat from the jade thumb ring.

Because the cured meat is smoked, its surface has many tiny particles like soot, so Zhang Fan took a plant net similar to a loofah on Earth, dipped it in hot water, and began washing the cured meat.

When Zhang Fan had washed half of the first piece of cured meat, Ba Ke Er had already prepared everything Zhang Fan needed.

Ba Ke Er came out of the woodshed carrying a hemp sack full of dry grass, rubbed his eyes, then looked up at the sky; after being in a dim environment for a long time, his eyes gradually adjusted to the outdoor brightness.

Upon seeing smoke rising from the chimney on his roof, Ba Ke Er realized it was nearly noon.

After stacking everything under the eaves, Ba Ke Er washed the dirt off his hands in the yard, and once his hands were clean, he went inside, entered the kitchen, and began helping Zhang Fan wash the other piece of cured meat.

After the cured meat was cleaned, the next step was due. Zhang Fan eyed the scant hot water left in the pot, furrowed his brow, and while using his knife to split the two pieces of cured meat into four small pieces, he said to Ba Ke Er:

"Ba Ke Er, you go start the fire first; I'll add water to the pot."

Saying that, Zhang Fan placed the cured meat at hand into the pot, then began adding water.

Once the water for boiling the cured meat in the pot came to a boil, Zhang Fan had Ba Ke Er pull some firewood from the stove to reduce the flame, then began simmering it over low heat.

Seeing there was nothing else for him to do in the kitchen, Zhang Fan washed his hands, took his bowl and chopsticks, and left the kitchen. Ba Ke Er watched Zhang Fan's departing back and guessed what he was about to do.

Entering the storage room, Zhang Fan headed straight for the pickle jar. Upon lifting the jar's lid, a strong pickle aroma burst forth—mixed with the scents of ginger, garlic, and Sichuan pepper, plus a pungent spiciness and a faint fresh note.

Upon smelling it, Zhang Fan's mouth involuntarily began secreting saliva. At that moment, he didn't notice anything special happening to his body; he merely felt that this aroma's pull on him seemed stronger.

Having smelled enough, Zhang Fan then inserted his chopsticks into the jar, picked out some pickled chilies, ginger, garlic, and Sichuan pepper, and afterwards replaced the jar's lid.

He then turned his gaze to another pickle jar. Upon lifting its lid, a sour smell burst forth, different from the previous jar's aroma.

This smell wasn't like pickle; it resembled that of sour vegetables. Peeking in, sure enough it was pickled vegetables—but not pickled cabbage, rather pickled bamboo shoots.

Upon smelling that sour taste, Zhang Fan's saliva production increased even more; he tried to hold back but couldn't resist, first picking a piece from the jar and eating it. After tasting that strange flavor, his appetite became uncontrollable.

He then ate several more pieces in succession, barely restraining his appetite, and placed the pickled bamboo shoots piece by piece into his bowl.

Even as Zhang Fan carried the bowl back to the kitchen, his eyes remained fixed on the pickled bamboo shoots inside.

Ba Ke Er saw Zhang Fan carrying the bowl toward the kitchen, quickly set down his firewood, hurried to Zhang Fan's side, and took the bowl from his hand.

When Ba Ke Er saw Zhang Fan reluctantly gazing at the pickled bamboo shoots in the bowl, a thought flashed through his mind, but he missed grasping it in time. Only a month or two later did Ba Ke Er learn the truth.

At this moment, Ba Ke Er merely watched Zhang Fan's greedy expression, found it somewhat amusing, chuckled twice, curled the corner of his mouth, and said:

"Fan Fan, are these pickled bamboo shoots really that delicious?"

Saying that, Ba Ke Er also pinched a small piece, put it in his mouth to chew. He nodded, took Zhang Fan's hand, and said in a good mood:

"Indeed not bad. Alright, stop staring! I've already put the rice in the pot to cook—you go watch the fire, I'll help you chop the vegetables."

Having said that, Ba Ke Er carried the bowl to the prep counter, took out a cutting board and knife, and began chopping vegetables. Although Zhang Fan was thinking about the pickled bamboo shoots, he restrained himself and obediently went to the stove to watch the fire.

After turning the cured meat twice, Zhang Fan fetched a chopstick, poked the meat with it, found it cooked, and then scooped out the cured meat piece by piece.

Meanwhile, Ba Ke Er had already transferred the cooked rice into the steamer basket and began steaming it.

After Zhang Fan sliced the hot cured meat into slices, he then poured the meat broth from the pot into a basin.

After washing the pot clean, Zhang Fan summoned Ba Ke Er to light the fire. Once the moisture in the pot had evaporated, Zhang Fan did not add oil, but directly tossed the fattier pieces of cured meat into the pot to render the fat.

When the fatty meat in the pot had mostly fried, Zhang Fan then added the remaining cured meat and the previously prepared ginger, garlic, Sichuan pepper, and pickled bamboo shoots, and stir-fried them.

After stir-frying for a while, Zhang Fan then served out the stir-fried sour bamboo shoots and cured pork from the pot.

At this moment, the rice in the other pot was also fully steamed; thus, the lunchtime belonging only to Zhang Fan and Ba Ke Er as a couple also began.

After lunch, Zhang Fan, accompanied by Ba Ke Er, carried a large sack of dry grass and several wooden sticks to the tribe's central square.