13. Savoring the Meat (2)
The members of the hunter team arrived back in the village earlier than usual, with the boar already gutted and resting at Yu Feng’s residence.
As expected, Yu Su had obtained the largest part of the boar. However, he noticed that no one planned to make use of the boar’s innards, such as the large intestine, which were set to be discarded. Observing this, Yu Su approached Yu Feng and requested those specific parts.
“Sure, but they are not eatable. What do you plan to do with them?” Yu Feng inquired.
“I’m going to try cooking them,” Yu Su replied.
Yu Feng hesitated, looking at Yu Su with a hint of pity. Perhaps he believed that Yu Su was desperate for meat.
Unconcerned with Yu Feng’s thoughts, Yu Su took the meat and pig intestines and headed home.
It was nearly noon, and both Yu Zhou and his father were likely hungry by now.
Having fetched water before dawn, Yu Su now had water at home. He could prepare a pot of meat soup and work on the pig intestines.
Oh, by the way, did You Yu return?
As Yu Su neared You Yu’s door, he spotted her eagerly awaiting him, waving excitedly.
“So much meat!” You Yu exclaimed in surprise as she saw Yu Su carrying such a large piece.
“I put in a lot of effort during the hunt, so I received a large piece. You Yu, this portion is for you,” Yu Su said, extending a piece of meat to You Yu.
You Yu hesitated, not wanting to accept so much. She said, “This is too generous. I only gathered some wild vegetables and fruits today.”
“We agreed to exchange, and if you don’t accept it, how can I take anything from you in the future?” Yu Su argued.
Only then did You Yu accept the smaller piece of meat. She then proceeded to fill most of the basket with wild vegetables and fruits for Yu Su.
“I’ll help you carry it. It’s not easy to transport all these things,” You Yu offered, curiously questioning, “Why did you bring back the intestines?”
Yu Su mysteriously grinned and replied, “These are valuable.”
Upon arriving home, he found Yu Zhou and Jian Yunchuan eagerly waiting at the doorstep.
Yu Su couldn’t help but soften his expression. “I’m back.”
Yu Zhou rushed over, his eyes fixated on the meat in Yu Su’s hands.
“Today, we’re having meat,” Yu Su announced to him.
Yu Zhou’s eyes gleamed, and he looked up at Yu Su.
After You Yu had departed, Yu Su set the pig’s intestines aside, washed his hands, and filled the earthen pot with water. He then ignited the grass and firewood using flint and began processing the meat.
Once the meat was cut properly, he carefully transferred it into the earthen pot.
Then he rose and went to the corner of the room where the dried herbs were stacked. He selected a handful of withered herbs. These herbs were quite common, yet they possessed a robust fragrance. If used in a broth, they could eliminate any unpleasant odors.
He placed the withered herbs into the pot.
Unfortunately, salt was lacking, so the soup would only contain the taste of meat and the herbal aroma, devoid of other flavors.
Nevertheless, as the meat soup simmered and bubbled, the scent of meat enticed Yu Zhou and Jian Yunchuan to crowd around the pit. Jian Yunchuan even wanted to grab a piece with his hands but was stopped by Yu Su.
“Eat!” Jian Yunchuan began to throw a tantrum.
Yu Su had no choice but to spend a little extra time coaxing him and serving him a bowl of soup as soon as it was ready.
Jian Yunchuan was eager to eat soup, and Yu Su quickly intervened, “Dad, it’s hot. Let it cool down before you take a sip.”
“Hiss!” Yu Zhou let out a cry of pain because his tongue was burned.
Yu Su was too occupied with attending to take care of them at the same time.
He hurriedly inspected Yu Zhou’s mouth and found that it wasn’t too serious, so he had him rinse his mouth with cold water.
Meanwhile, Jian Yunchuan had already gulped down the soup and swiftly snatched the pieces of meat from the broth. Even though he scalded himself, he wouldn’t spit it out.
Yu Su had no idea what to say.