Chapter 31: Red-Braised Pork, Oh Red-Braised Pork

Zhang Fan and Ba Ke Er got up in the morning, after having breakfast, Zhang Fan began to pour all the rice stalks onto the empty ground in the courtyard and spread them out to dry. Ba Ke Er was responsible for finding a few male Beastmen he was on good terms with to go out together and first collect stones for building houses, and also went to the forest to cut down quite a few trees. Building a house required many materials, but fortunately there were many people, and those materials were brought back one after another to the construction site by everyone in the course of a morning. The Beastmen are all simple and honest people; whenever a family has something to do, those on good terms will come over to help. By noon, after everyone had teamed up to hunt enough food, they divided the food and then went their separate ways home to eat, having agreed to continue helping in the afternoon.

Ba Ke Er returned home and saw Zhang Fan in the empty space using a wooden farm tool to turn the rice stalks. Speaking of that farm tool, it was somewhat like the wooden rake resembling the nine-toothed harrow that Zhu Bajie's weapon in Journey to the West. As for what it's called, Zhang Fan could only say he didn't remember either; he had seen it when he went to a classmate's rural home to play during a high school summer vacation. At the time he thought it was fun and even turned the rice stalks a few times.

"Fan Fan, it's almost time to eat, hurry up and stop being busy, go rest a bit." Ba Ke Er saw Zhang Fan drenched in sweat and said with some heartache.

Zhang Fan watched Ba Ke Er walk into the courtyard. Seeing that he had brought back half a slab of wild boar meat, his mouth watered immediately. He thought to himself: Red-braised pork! Stir-fried chili and lean meat! Red-braised spare ribs… He suddenly gulped and said to Ba Ke Er.

"I'm fine, Ba Ke Er, you've been busy outside all morning, go rest first; I'll prepare lunch. Let's have stir-fried chili meat and red-braised pork you haven't tried before. I guarantee it'll be delicious!"

After saying that, Zhang Fan threw down the "rake" in his hand, grabbed Ba Ke Er's hand and headed for the kitchen. In the kitchen, Zhang Fan started to light the fire and wash the pot on the stove, while Ba Ke Er didn't listen to Zhang Fan's advice to rest, but instead helped Zhang Fan slice the lean meat, then also helped him slice the meat chunks for the red-braised pork. They cut enough for two people. Zhang Fan then urged Ba Ke Er to go rest quickly.

After Ba Ke Er left, Zhang Fan began to pour the meat chunks into the stone pot to blanch. After blanching away the blood water, he lifted the meat out and placed it in a large basin, then added an entire soy sauce, then sliced some ginger strips, sprinkled some salt, and marinated them for later use. Then he scooped out the blood water from the stone pot with a ladle, replaced it with clean water, and washed the stone pot clean. At this point the marinated meat chunks were about ready, and Zhang Fan began to put some animal oil he had refined during his free time into the stone pot. When the meat in the stone pot had melted and started to smoke, Zhang Fan dumped the meat chunks in and began stir-frying. When the meat chunks began to release a little oil, he added just enough water to barely cover the meat, then Zhang Fan put the lid on and sat by the stove to start the fire. After simmering for about half an hour, Zhang Fan stood up, lifted the lid, and a wave of red-braised pork aroma hit him. He couldn't help but swallow his saliva. Seeing the meat was almost done, Zhang Fan added a bit of sesame oil, gave it a quick stir, and then took the pot off the heat.

Ba Ke Er smelled a fragrance he had never smelled before from outside, and feeling a bit restless, he followed the scent into the kitchen, just in time to see Zhang Fan holding up his chopsticks to eat red-braised pork. Seeing Ba Ke Er come in, Zhang Fan said somewhat excitedly:

"Ba Ke Er, perfect, you've come in, hurry and try the red-braised pork! Just taken off the pot!" After saying that, he used the chopsticks he had just used to pick up another piece of red-braised pork, walked up to Ba Ke Er, tiptoed, held up the chopsticks, and fed the red-braised pork to Ba Ke Er's lips.

Ba Ke Er looked at Zhang Fan, who was looking at him with eager anticipation, his heart about to melt. He quickly opened his mouth and ate the red-braised pork; as soon as the red-braised pork entered his mouth, Ba te er's face was filled with happiness.

"Fan Fan, your red-braised pork is too delicious!" The blissful Ba Ke Er couldn't help but reach out and pat Zhang Fan's head as he said.

"Of course!" Zhang Fan replied with a proud, tsundere expression.

The next dish, stir-fried chili meat, was relatively simple and was quickly cooked. The red-braised pork was also brought out by Ba Ke Er and placed on the dining table outside. After Zhang Fan brought out the stir-fried chili meat, lunch began.

After finishing their meal, the two resumed work, same as before: Ba Ke Er handled external affairs, Zhang Fan handled internal affairs. With the help of friends, Ba Ke Er gathered all the building materials needed in just one day, as had been agreed upon earlier—to build a roughly 150-square-meter three-bedroom, two-living-room, one-kitchen, one-bathroom house. Once the materials were ready, they would start digging the foundation. However, it was already late, so building the house would have to wait until tomorrow. For now, it was best to wash up and sleep after eating.