RPAGF Chapter 160 is what I caught for you.
Chapter 160 is what I caught for you.
Bai Ling and Wu Yi dragged a tree back. Rows of wooden racks had been erected in the camp, with pieces of cut meat hanging on them. Under each rack was a fire, but the fires were not fully burning and were emitting a lot of smoke.
Meat is an essential part of the orcs' diet. Over a long period of time, they have also learned how to preserve meat by smoking and salting. Well-made jerky can be preserved for two or three months, and even longer in winter.
First, the meat is smoked until dry. Then, a thick layer of salt is applied to the dried meat strips. After returning to the tribe, the dried meat is smoked again until almost all the moisture is gone. Then, another layer of salt and yellow mud are applied before the dried meat is considered ready.
The Blue-Eyed Beast was so big, and there was so much meat cut off; the fire would have to burn all night tonight.
Bai Ling put down the tree behind him and stretched his sore hands. He looked towards the Blue-Eyed Beast, where Yue was still cutting it apart with her people.
As Bai Ling looked over, Yue also looked over, their eyes met in mid-air, and they both smiled.
While Yue was busy, Bai Ling didn't go to find her, but instead started boiling animal oil.
The meat from the Blue-Eyed Beast needs to be smoked, and the fat needs to be rendered into animal fat. Right now, the tribespeople are busy butchering and smoking the meat and haven't had time to render the animal fat yet, so Bai Ling took over the job.
Bai Ling held his dagger and cut the fatty meat into pieces. After filling half a clay pot, he lit the fire pit for cooking.
This time, there was a lot of animal fat to render, so Bai Ling added more water.
The earthenware pot was simmering with animal meat, while Bai Ling continued to cut the fatty meat. The dagger in his hand was not very good, but unfortunately, the knives brought by the hunting team had all been taken by the tribesmen to cut the animal meat, so Bai Ling could only use the dagger to cut the fatty meat for the time being.
*
It wasn't until nightfall that the Blue-Eyed Beasts were finally divided up. The beastmen only cut up the large pieces of beastmen; the meat that was difficult to cut wasn't wasted. The beastmen transformed into their beast forms and began to gnaw on the scraps of meat.
When orcs eat in their beast form, their appetites are indescribable. However, their strength in beast form is also much greater than in human form. They can even chew up and swallow small bones.
After they had eaten their fill, Cang began assigning tasks. He told half of the tribesmen to rest first, while the other half were responsible for guarding the campfire.
They would change shifts at midnight so that all the orcs could rest for a while and continue working the next day.
Bai Ling was assigned the task of boiling animal oil, which was the only thing he was capable of doing.
*
The weather was perfect today, with not a single cloud in the sky and bright, dazzling stars. There were two brilliant star rivers in the sky, but Bai Ling wasn't an astronomy enthusiast, so he couldn't tell whether one of the star rivers was the Milky Way or not.
As soon as night falls, all kinds of insects come to life, their chirping filling the air. Not far from the Yuanhu tribe is a large lake, where frogs croak incessantly. From a distance, the occasional bird call adds a touch of melodious music to this lively night.
Bai Ling bent down to stir the animal fat in the earthenware pot, while Yue sat beside him, quietly slicing fatty meat.
The firelight illuminated their faces, painting them with a bright orange hue, and then passed through their bodies, illuminating a patch of ground behind them.
Their shadows were also cast behind them. Because they were so close together, a small part of their shadows overlapped, making it look as if they were holding hands.
A pot of animal fat was ready. Bai Ling clapped his hands and asked softly, "Yue, are you tired? Do you want to rest for a while?"
Yue shook her head: "I'm not tired."
Bai Ling poured the rendered animal fat into the earthenware basin, then added fatty meat and animal fat to the earthenware pot. He could then let the fire in the hearth burn on its own and take a break.
Bai Ling washed his hands with soap and waited for them to dry before taking the knife from Yue's hand: "Yue, take a rest."
Yue whispered, "It's alright, look, the other clansmen aren't resting either."
The other tribespeople were also tending to the smoked meat racks while doing other chores.
The Blue-Eyed Beast was enormous, and the weather was too hot. They had to hurry up and get all the meat out. The beastmen were all working hard, their hands never idle.
Bai Ling didn't say anything more. He took the heart of the Blue-Eyed Beast and began to wash it with clean water.
The heart of the Blue-Eyed Beast was so large that it couldn't fit in a single ceramic basin. It was cut into several pieces and placed in several ceramic basins. Bai Ling washed it several times with clean water and then cut it into thin slices about the thickness of a finger.
Once all that was done, the water in the earthenware pot boiled, and Bai Ling began stirring the animal fat again.
"Moon, I'll cook the heart of the Blue-Eyed Beast later, and we can eat it tomorrow morning. I'll also cook its spleen, stomach, lungs, and other organs. I'll marinate its two kidneys first, and then grill them on the stone slab tomorrow."
Yue nodded.
Bai Ling continued, "Yue, when we go back this time, the sheep beasts at home will be giving birth. After the wheat harvest in the fall, I'll try to see if I can make bread and cakes."
"Are the bread and cakes delicious?" Yue asked.
While stirring the animal oil, Bai Ling nodded and said, "Of course it's delicious, Yue, you'll definitely like it."
Yue likes sweets, and since bread and cakes are sweet, he'll definitely like them.
Yue then said, "Well, when we get back this time, we need to build a few more sheds in the backyard, so we can have more livestock later." He pointed behind the two of them, "Those three 'Kengchi' beasts are the ones I caught for you."
When Bai Ling first arrived at the camp, he noticed the three grunting beasts, but he didn't think much of it. Nowadays, the tribe's hunting team often catches live wild animals, which they bring back to the tribe to raise.
Yue had never said anything, and Bai Ling had never asked. Now Bai Ling realized that Yue had caught those three gnats specifically to give to him.
Bai Ling stopped what she was doing and stared straight at the moon.
The two were so close, and Bai Ling's gaze was like a hook, that Yue immediately sensed it. He turned his head, and his eyes met Bai Ling's.
Perhaps it was because it was night, but Yue felt that Bai Ling's gaze was no longer as gentle and bright as it was during the day. Instead, it was dark and deep, as dark as a starless and moonless winter. That kind of darkness was like a living thing, sucking in any light that dared to approach.
Yue had never seen Bai Ling like this before, but he wasn't afraid, or even confused. He simply asked directly, "Ling, why are you looking at me like that?"
Upon hearing Yue's question, a glimmer of light appeared in Bai Ling's dark eyes. He didn't even have time to savor the slight regret in his heart, and could only explain, "Yue, I didn't expect you to be so good."