NOVEL WEB Chapter 052 – Wild Boar Meat
Xiong Haitao couldn’t slaughter the boars himself, so he called the island’s butcher.
As Qin Yunmei boiled water, she scolded Da Linzi, “You two are something else. Taking down such big wild boars! The hunters from Dragon King Temple almost didn’t make it even with their guns and dogs, and they lost all their dogs! And you just used a corn knife to kill wild boars. You’re really something!” Da Linzi took the scolding quietly. He knew from experience that talking back would only prolong the scolding.
When she saw Zhao Zhao enter, Qin Yunmei stopped scolding and held her tongue.
The butcher arrived and skillfully washed and shaved the boars, then opened them up. Zhao Zhao filmed a short, not-too-gory segment.
The village loudspeaker announced a meeting for all household heads. They had waited for the boats to return to discuss houses and tourism. Zhao Zhao took over stoking the fire from her second uncle, filming the wild boar meat cooking.
Qin Yunmei was an excellent cook. She prepared a dish of braised wild boar meat with fluid grace. She knew exactly how much seasoning and salt to add, doing it effortlessly.
Wild boar meat is all lean. She soaked it in huadiao wine to remove the gamey taste, then added a lot of pork fat to avoid it being too dry and bland. Soon, the kitchen was filled with a rich aroma.
In the smoky little fishing village kitchen, with its iron pot and wooden stove, the braised meat cooked with a deep red sauce filled a large pot, emitting a tantalizing smell. Gun Gun, now half-grown, was drooling beside her, staring at the iron pot.
This is what a meal should be like. What had she been eating with her grandpa? Zhao Zhao decided she would get a big iron pot too and improve her cooking skills. She wondered if her custom stove could accommodate it.
The butcher finished breaking down the two boars, yielding an impressive amount of meat. Even a New Year’s pig wasn’t this big. Zhao Zhao only took one rack of ribs and had Da Linzi deliver it to Little Yang Yang's Mother, the Dairy Worker.
The rest she didn’t want, so Qin Yunmei distributed some to the neighbors and salted some to make cured pork, freezing the rest.
That night, they enjoyed a feast of wild boar, with each dish served in small basins about a foot in diameter, very generous portions. They had a basin of braised wild boar, a basin of spicy potato ribs, and a basin of spinach with dried shrimp. Da Linzi’s family of four, Zhao Zhao, and the butcher ate heartily and joyfully.
Poor Gun Gun had never eaten such delicious meat since he was born. Zhao Zhao usually gave him steak, but nothing compared to the rich, long-cooked flavors from the iron pot. He devoured his meal, barely lifting his head, and when Zhao Zhao nudged him with her foot, he just turned his backside towards her, refusing to lift his head from his bowl.
Zhao Zhao filmed his comical eating scene.
That night, she spent half an hour editing the day’s footage into a short video titled "#EncounterWithWildBoarMeat#."
The video started with Da Linzi harvesting corn and his comical remarks about stealing corn, with added humorous sound effects. Then came the wild boar encounter, Da Linzi’s brave attempt at stabbing the boar, his rolling on the ground, and the final blow. It showed the butcher’s skilled dismembering of the boar, Qin Yunmei’s culinary showcase, Gun Gun’s voracious eating, and the finished wild boar feast.
The content was rich and of high quality. As soon as it was uploaded, it garnered a lot of views, with old fans flocking to watch.
【I didn’t think wild boar meat would be appetizing, but seeing Gun Gun makes me drool!】
【Iron pot cooking has that homey touch. It looks so delicious! The streamer is at it again, tempting us at night.】
【The presentation is fantastic. If this was domestic pork, it would be even more amazing!】
【Poor dog, it’s never had such tasty meat. It’s really going all out.】
【Nonsense, the extravagant streamer often gives it steak.】
【Gun Gun has grown up eating lightly seasoned food. It’s never had such richly flavored stewed meat. The streamer herself hardly eats it.】
【Is wild boar meat good? Someone tell me. Maybe it just looks good, and I can stop drooling.】
【I’ve had farmed wild boar. It’s similar to domestic pork but a bit tougher.】
【Where is this place? Catching two wild boars in a day? I love hunting. Can I come?】
【I want to go too. I have hunting dogs. Let’s team up! There are fewer places to hunt in the country. It’s either no game or protected areas where hunting is forbidden!】
Xiong Haitao reported the wild boar incident to the village, and Secretary Liu held a meeting, advising everyone to keep an eye on their children. If more wild boars came down from the mountain, they would have to organize a hunt, though they only had one old hunter on Jinshi Island and preferred not to resort to such measures unless absolutely necessary.
Wild boars were one of the few wild animals allowed to be hunted in their area due to their abundance.
Inviting outsiders for hunting could be beneficial. Zhao Zhao replied to comments from interested hunters on her video, making it clear that there were some risks involved:
"Note: Our local hunting dogs have been gored to death by wild boars. Hunting wild boars in the mountains is dangerous. Here are some precautions:
- If you insist on coming, make sure you are physically fit and come in a group.
- Hire a local hunter as a guide.
- Do not bring untrained domestic dogs for hunting; it’s as good as feeding them to the boars.
- Avoid going into the deep mountains."
Despite the warnings, many enthusiastic viewers still expressed interest in coming.
【I'm currently in the Alps. Will visit as soon as I return to China!】
【I'm quite nearby. Let me organize a group. If you're interested, message me. Only fit people, no weaklings.】
【It's a bit early now, but how about we go after it snows? Does Jinshi Island get snow?】
【Streamer, can I hire you as a guide? With you around, there won’t be any danger. You can sweep the mountains clean!】
This last comment quickly gained popularity, with many praising the idea, saying that with Zhao Zhao the Druid around, they would be safe and secure...
Everyone seemed to have high hopes.
Zhao Zhao was still excited about her new home. She was fully engrossed in the construction and wasn’t planning to go to sea for a while; she wanted to take a break.
However, the Yaoguang couldn't remain idle for too long. This time, Xiong Haitao led the crew to sea, and Zhao Zhao sent Siren with them, hoping it would follow the ship. The crew had learned to use beef to entice it, so they left with Siren in tow. Whether it would stay with them the whole way back was uncertain.
Zhao Zhao wasn’t worried about Siren getting lost. It had been nurtured in Yaoguang’s realm for so long that it was no longer an ordinary orca.
Meanwhile, Da Linzi, who stayed behind, was lying on the semi-pavilion over the water landscape, staring at the fish, almost dipping his head into the water.
"These fish are so beautiful. I can’t even describe them; they look otherworldly! Why didn’t you take me with you on your night trip? I could have helped you catch more."
Last night, Zhao Zhao had caught about ten white dragonfish and placed them in the front yard. Da Linzi noticed them this morning. Zhao Zhao fibbed, saying she had overeaten and went for a night stroll, discovering a small sea trench where she caught some fish and transplanted some large seaweed to feed them.
Wait a minute, something's not right. How come the seaweed has multiplied? She only transplanted a few strands yesterday and told Yaoguang to make sure the white dragonfish didn’t overeat them. A landscape filled with seaweed wasn’t her idea of beauty. She liked clear waters where you could see the jagged rocks beneath. If it was overgrown with grass, the fish would be invisible and it wouldn't look nice.
But today, there was a lot more seaweed.
She quickly sent a message to Yaoguang: "What’s going on? How did the seaweed in the inner sea multiply overnight like a virus?"
Yaoguang replied, "That’s feastweed. It spreads rapidly and grows very fast. Otherwise, the fish density in the inner sea wouldn’t be enough to eat it all."
Zhao Zhao was worried. "What should I do? Will it fill up my pond in a few days? I don’t like lush green water scenery. It lacks any aesthetic. I prefer clear water where you can see the jagged rocks."
Yaoguang suggested, "Just put more fish in to eat it!"
Zhao Zhao retorted, "What kind of lousy idea is that? More seaweed means more fish, then more fish means more seaweed. Soon, there won’t be any water left in my pond!"
Yaoguang responded, "Then just remove some every few days, or don’t plant feastweed at all. When the fish are hungry, throw some in. The white dragonfish won’t starve easily."
Zhao Zhao: …
Alright, she’d observe for a while to see how long she could tolerate it.
Then she had an idea. While feastweed growing in her pond was a disaster, it could be a boon elsewhere! She could transplant some seaweed seeds to the coastal waters around the island. The seaweed would grow quickly, improving the environment, purifying the seawater, and attracting fish. The barren sea floor had nothing now; how long would it take to see prosperity again? She’d go tonight.
She shared her idea with Yaoguang: "...If only Da Linzi could help. I’d be done much faster!"
Yaoguang was impressed, "If someone calls you a fool, don’t argue. You've been cultivating for so long and still think of manually plucking seeds..."
Right, she forgot.
She had been an ordinary person for the first twenty years of her life, and her thinking often remained that way, forgetting she was now a cultivator.
"These fish are so beautiful when they swim. Too bad my fish tank can’t hold them," Da Linzi admired the fish, not getting enough of the sight.
"How about I get you a bigger tank? You can take a couple of these fish to raise."
Da Linzi quickly waved his hands, "No, no, it’s the same watching them here. Anyway, I’ll be staying here for a few days, experiencing what it’s like to live in a big house. My dad said I should save money to build one, so he can bask in the glory." He then added regretfully, "Zhao Zhao, why didn’t you let me go fishing? Won’t I be broke this month? I have nothing to do at home. I can finish digging the greenhouse in your backyard in two days."
Zhao Zhao wasn’t going and didn’t trust him to go alone, given her lingering fears.
"I didn’t keep you home to dig. From today, start practicing martial arts at home. It’s embarrassing that you can’t even defeat a wild boar. Here’s a book. I’ve marked some difficult parts. If you don’t understand, ask me."
Da Linzi happily took the book, flipping through it apprehensively, "So... thick?" It was a reflex reaction of a poor student who couldn't stand thick books.
"You don’t need to read the whole thing. It might take decades to master. For now, just read the first chapter, the section on basic movements. I’ve skimmed it, and it’s mainly about practicing core strength. This will take a long time. Only with a strong foundation can the techniques be effective, otherwise, it’s just flashy moves without substance." Zhao Zhao marked the three pages he needed to practice.
Da Linzi wasn’t lazy and was obedient. Given a task, he practiced core exercises in the front yard while Zhao Zhao sipped tea, correcting his movements.
Time seemed to slow down, and this pace of life suited her. The days passed gently.