Chapter 38
The sub-adult very much wanted to refuse, but did not dare. If he really made Lang Shuo angry, being lectured by the chief would be secondary. The most important thing was that from now on, he could forget about eating food prepared by Lang Shuo.
In the end, the sub-adult obediently took off his animal hide and went into the water to catch fish.
Across the entire Beast God Continent, it was not only their tribe that disliked eating fish. Most tribes disliked it. Compared to fish, which were small, troublesome to handle, and required spitting out several mouthfuls of bones for every bite, land prey was much more popular. Aside from a few tribes that especially liked eating fish, other tribes did not even want to catch them. With that time, they might as well chase other prey. Even a long-eared beast that was not very big was better than fish.
There were few beastmen who caught fish, so the fish in the water had no vigilance at all. Even when the sub-adult jumped into the river, they merely swam away a little because they were startled, then quickly swam back again, extremely leisurely.
The sub-adult washing bowls was called Lang Wei. He was a little thinner than Lang Nuo, but his movements were not slow at all. When a fish about the length of a forearm swam beside him, he struck like lightning, his two hands gripping the fish’s body.
The caught fish flicked its tail, frantically slapping the water’s surface. However, the force of its struggle was nothing to Lang Wei. He easily subdued the fish.
Lang Shuo was surprised. He had not expected it to be this easy. He handed over the basket that had held the bamboo bowls just now. “Put it in the basket first.”
Lang Wei placed the fish inside. Seeing that it still wanted to flop around, he slapped the fish on the head.
With a muffled sound, the fish quieted down.
“Should I keep catching them?” Lang Wei asked.
“Catch more. Several more.” Lang Shuo nodded and shouted behind him, “Nuo, go back and get a back basket. A bigger one.”
Lang Nuo agreed. Before leaving, he glanced over and was shocked. “Shuo, what are you doing?”
Lang Nuo suspected there was something wrong with his eyes. Otherwise, how had he seen fish?
This kind of hard-to-handle and hard-to-eat food was not worthy of appearing before Lang Shuo!
“Catching fish,” Lang Shuo answered honestly, urging him, “Hurry. The basket is almost full. Oh right, do you have knives on you? If not, bring a knife over too.”
Lang Shuo remembered that in the morning, the sub-adults had gone out with the hunting party. Even if they did not participate in the real hunt, they definitely carried some tools.
“We brought them.” The one who answered Lang Shuo was Lang Wei. Lang Wei pointed at the animal hide beside them. “They’re on top.”
Hearing this, Lang Shuo said to Lang Nuo, “Then there’s no need to bring a knife. Just bring the back basket.”
Lang Nuo looked at the fish in the basket, paused, and tentatively asked, “Shuo, are we eating fish for lunch?”
When the other sub-adults busy paving stones heard the word fish, they raised their heads in unison and looked toward Lang Shuo in disbelief. When they saw the fish in the basket beside Lang Shuo, they became even more despairing.
It was over. They had made this trip for nothing!
The hunting party had seen prey nearby. In order not to be disturbed, they had the sub-adults wander around nearby. The sub-adults discussed it and decided to first return and eat lunch, then go back out afterward.
This plan had been quite good. Everyone had agreed. However, now that they saw fish, the group of sub-adults instantly regretted it beyond words. If they had known coming back meant eating fish, they would have honestly eaten jerky outside. Jerky was not as delicious as stewed meat, but at least it was meat, much better than fish.
Seeing their reaction and connecting it with Lang Wei’s resistance to fish just now, Lang Shuo understood what this group of sub-adults was thinking and promised, “Don’t worry. You don’t have to eat fish. You can eat meat.”
Receiving this promise, the sub-adults all let out a breath of relief at the same time. Those moving stones continued moving stones, and the one getting the back basket went back to get the back basket, enough to prove how deeply prejudiced they were against fish.
Lang Shuo felt that when he returned, there might be members who did not understand why he would eat fish.
Forget it. In any case, he was definitely going to stew fish soup once. Thinking this, Lang Shuo urged Lang Wei, “Keep catching them. Is soaking in the river that fun?”
If he stopped watching for even one moment, he started slacking.
Lang Wei said reluctantly, “Shuo, do we really have to catch that many?”
Lang Wei was not old, but he was not stupid at all. If they only caught a few fish, with so many people in the whole tribe, the fish would probably be finished before it was their turn. But if they really caught a whole back basket, and the entire tribe ate together while only they refused to eat, would that not be the same as disdaining the food Lang Shuo made? But if they really ate it… The feeling of fish bones stuck in his throat seemed to still be there. He still did not want to eat it. As long as it was fish, it would not taste good. No matter who made it, they did not want to eat it.
Lang Shuo said, “Don’t worry. Since I said I won’t make you eat it, I won’t give you any. Hurry up and catch them. The sooner you finish catching them, the sooner we can return to the tribe.”
After speaking, he shouted to the other sub-adults, “Pave the stones this afternoon. Come catch fish first.”
One person’s speed was too slow. After the fish were caught, their innards had to be removed. Going this slowly would not do.
After driving the other sub-adults into the water, Lang Shuo took a stone knife, picked up the big fish, walked to the empty ground nearby, and struck its head with a stick.
After knocking the fish fully unconscious, Lang Shuo began cutting it open. The scales on the fish’s back were relatively dense, but its belly was very soft. With a knife, it could easily be sliced open. He dug out the innards and placed them on a leaf, then removed the gills and scales. After cleaning it, he washed it clean in the water, made a few cuts on both sides to make marinating easier later, and placed it into the basket.
The sub-adults were stunned in place by his neat fish-killing technique.
The entire tribe, including these sub-adults, knew that Lang Shuo was thinner and weaker than other members and was not in good health.
Other wolves were born during breeding season, but Lang Shuo had reached adulthood during snow season. In other words, he had been born during snow season. When he was born, he had been much smaller than other cubs. When the sub-adults were young, they had heard the adults mention it. If Lang Yu had not spent all day holding Lang Shuo against himself inside animal hide back then, Lang Shuo might not have grown up.
Too many cubs in the tribe had died young, especially during snow season. A situation like this year, where not a single cub had been lost, was rare.
Lang Shuo had survived, but his body had always been weak. In addition, he did not fit in with others, so the sub-adults’ understanding of him was limited.
After moving here, Lang Shuo recovered, but because of his leg injury, there were very few things he could do. The sub-adults usually paid great attention and tried not to let Lang Shuo tire himself. Even now that Lang Shuo’s leg injury had healed, they still felt that Lang Shuo needed care and placed him in a position where he needed to be protected. If there were danger, they would definitely protect Lang Shuo. The sub-adults had always thought this.
Until now. Seeing Lang Shuo kill and clean a fish without blinking, the sub-adults suddenly discovered that they did not seem to understand Lang Shuo very well.
The last member of the tribe who had killed a fish had been slapped across the face by the fish’s tail and had taken half a day to clean it. Lang Shuo had only used a short while.
The sub-adults exchanged glances, silently retreated into the water, and caught fish!
One person catching fish was somewhat boring. A group of people catching fish—at first, they each caught their own, but later, it gradually turned into a group of sub-adults surrounding and blocking one fish.
With more people, efficiency also decreased.
Lang Shuo looked at the sub-adults who had gradually turned fish-catching into a chase. “Take your time catching them. I’ll count. The one with the lowest number… hehe.”
Hearing the threat in his words, the sub-adults who had turned “catching fish” into “slacking off” in another sense shivered and hurriedly separated, seriously catching fish.
Footsteps sounded behind him. Lang Shuo looked back and saw Lang Nuo coming over with a back basket. He took it, placed the cleaned fish back inside, and used the basket to hold the newly caught fish.
Lang Nuo had originally wanted to help kill fish. After seeing the speed at which Lang Shuo killed fish, he quietly paused, took off his animal hide, and went into the water to catch fish too.
All eight sub-adults were among the nimblest in the tribe. Coupled with Lang Shuo’s threat, they caught fish very quickly. They caught one, Lang Shuo killed one, and the number of fish in the back basket grew larger and larger.
This was the kind of place where even an angler who did not bait a nest would not return empty-handed. There were many fish, and they were fairly large. Even the small ones weighed two or three jin, while the big ones weighed seven or eight jin. Before long, more than half a back basket was filled.
Lang Shuo saw that it was already noon and called to the sub-adults who were swimming farther and farther away, “Stop catching. Come back.”
At first, the fish had been relatively easy to catch, but the sub-adults’ movements became louder and louder, scaring away quite a few. There were no fish nearby anymore. If they continued catching, they would have to go farther. These were enough for several pots of fish soup today. Since it was his first time making it, there would definitely be people who would not drink it, so half a back basket was enough.
Hearing this, the sub-adults loudly agreed and swam toward this side.
Lang Shuo watched them get closer and hurriedly stepped backward.
It was not to avoid impropriety. After all, the sub-adults still had a layer of animal hide on them. Rather, he understood sub-adults. Based on his understanding of canines, it was better to stand farther away.
After going ashore, the sub-adults immediately transformed into beast form and then shook off water.
In an instant, water droplets flew everywhere.
Lang Shuo was glad he had dodged quickly.
The sub-adults shook off the water clean, changed back into human form, put on their clothes, and Lang Nuo picked up the back basket. “Shuo, let’s go back?”
If they returned now, it would be just in time for lunch! They definitely would not have to eat fish, because there was no time!
Returning directly to eat and not having to eat fish—there were two pieces of good news in total. The sub-adults wished they could wag their tails on the spot to express their happiness.
Lang Shuo looked at their excited faces and was speechless for a moment. This was the first time he had seen the sub-adults reject a food this strongly. Even when he had them eat leafy vegetables before, they had not resisted this much.
No, there was one other food they also resisted. To be precise, medicine.
Lang Shuo wanted to know which one was harder for them to accept, so he asked, “If you had to choose between medicine for treating toothache and fish, which would you choose?”
The toothache medicine was the chaotic stew of vegetables and fruits. Any illness caused by eating too few leafy vegetables used this formula. Because most members who suffered from it showed symptoms of tooth pain or mouth pain, it was generally called toothache medicine to distinguish it from other prescriptions. If Lang Shuo had named it, he would have directly called it fruit and vegetable juice.
From the moment toothache was mentioned, the smiles on the sub-adults’ faces disappeared. Later, when they heard it was a choice between the two, their brows immediately furrowed.
Both could be eaten. They only differed in how awful they were. One tasted bad, and the other made one uncomfortable after eating.
Lang Nuo asked, “Do we have to choose?”
Lang Shuo kindly comforted him. “You don’t have to eat them. It’s just a choice.”
Lang Nuo’s brows were tightly knitted. “I can’t choose. Neither can be chosen.” Both were hard to accept.
The other sub-adults nodded in agreement. That was right. There was no way to choose. They did not want either.
Lang Shuo understood. The two were tied for first place.
He wondered whether they would like them after improvement.
The sub-adults were picky eaters, but their taste was very good. The foods they liked were all extremely delicious and were also the most popular among the other members of the tribe.
In truth, this matter could be viewed from another angle. Most members actually had different preferences when it came to food. It was just that because they were sensible, they pressed those preferences deep inside. Since both delicious and unpleasant foods had to be eaten, years of experience made them no longer express themselves directly like sub-adults.
Lang Shuo liked listening to the sub-adults’ opinions precisely because only they dared to speak. When other members ate something they liked, they would be happy. When they ate something they disliked, they would still eat it. He could only receive positive feedback and had no way to adjust according to everyone’s preferences.
Thinking this, Lang Shuo went directly to the stove.
Lang Yun, who had already divided the food with two other older members, smelled a strong fishy odor, and alarm bells rang in her heart. “What smell is that? Nuo, what did you bring back? Didn’t I tell you? If you bring this thing back again, I’ll throw you out together with them!”
Lang Shuo: “???”
Before Lang Shuo could ask, the member helping nearby looked into the back basket Lang Nuo was carrying and laughed cheerfully. “Nuo, did you secretly catch fish again? When you were little, you secretly put fish into the soup every day. Your sister forced you to eat fish for several days, and now you want to eat it again?”
Lang Shuo: “…”
Lang Shuo truly had not known Lang Nuo had a prior record. However, when placed on Lang Nuo, it did not feel out of place.
But this time, Lang Nuo was innocent. Seeing that everyone was about to misunderstand, Lang Shuo hurriedly explained, “It wasn’t Nuo who wanted to bring them back. I had them catch them. I plan to boil fish soup this afternoon.”
Hearing Lang Shuo’s words, Lang Nuo nodded frantically. “Right, right, right. Lang Shuo made us catch them.” This time, it was not his problem. He had even tried to persuade him!
Lang Yun did not quite believe it. She suspected Lang Shuo was covering for Lang Nuo.
Lang Shuo knew that words alone were not enough, so he spoke again. “You eat first. I’ll rub some salt on the fish. After you finish eating, I’ll cook two pots for you to taste.”
Lang Yun was half believing, half doubting. However, if they did not eat now, the food would cool, so she nodded in agreement.
After eating, the sub-adults consciously went out to look for prey. Originally, they were supposed to be outside all day. Coming back at noon to eat was fine, but if they did not go out again after eating, Lang Yu would definitely lecture them when he returned.
Lang Shuo washed his hands clean, added some oil into the pot, placed the fish inside, and fried it until golden. Then he poured boiling water in to stew soup. Finally, he sprinkled in some chopped leafy vegetables.
The fish soup was milky white, looked extremely enticing, and smelled especially fragrant.
The members who originally did not dare walk this way, afraid they would be grabbed to test the dish, were drawn over by the aroma. They secretly glanced twice and asked the member beside the stove, “Is he really using fish to make soup? Nothing else?”
The member who was asked nodded. “Fish. I saw it with my own eyes. He just fried fish, then poured in water, and the water turned like this!” Although they did not know where Lang Shuo had learned this method, this pot of fish soup was clearly more delicious than what they had cooked before.
Lang Shuo waited until the pot had boiled for a while before stopping the fire. He served out fish soup and first handed Lang Yun a bowl.
Lang Yun hesitated.
When Lang Nuo had been little and mischievous, there had been a period when he put the small fish he caught into the soup being boiled. At that time, they were still using heated stones to warm food and had not discovered it at all. They only felt that the soup smelled fishy with a faint stench. It was only when Lang Nuo and the young wolves of the same age went to catch fish in the silt and were caught by her that they realized.
Lang Yun was not especially good-tempered either. She forced Lang Nuo and several accomplices to eat fish for five or six days before the siblings reconciled.
So it was not only the sub-adults who had a shadow toward fish. Lang Yun did too.
But today’s fish soup was neither fishy nor stinky, and Lang Shuo had never deceived them when it came to food. After hesitating again and again, Lang Yun lowered her head and took a sip. Her eyes immediately lit up.
“Delicious!”
Most members knew that Lang Yun’s aversion to fish was far more serious than theirs. If Lang Yun said it was good, what were they waiting for? Hurry and line up. If they were late, they would not get any. There was only one pot!
Aside from members who truly disliked the smell of fish, the other members all bustled into action. Those getting bowls got bowls, those lining up lined up. For something like serving soup, there was no need for Lang Shuo to do it. They could divide it themselves!
Lang Shuo gave a few instructions, then lit another stove.
One pot definitely would not be enough. He had to cook another pot.
For this pot, aside from frying the fish, Lang Shuo directly had Lang Yun help watch the rest. He went to handle the remaining fish.
Fish that was too large was not suitable for soup. There were two big grass carp, and Lang Shuo planned to make fried fish chunks.
First, he cut the fish into pieces, removed the large fish bones, split them open, and cut them into chunks. He added salt and marinated them for a while, drained the water, and heated oil in the pot.
When frying fish chunks, oil would splatter. Therefore, after putting in the fish chunks and after flipping them, the lid had to be covered immediately. He listened to the sound to judge the condition of the fish chunks and prevent them from burning.
The fried fish chunks were served into a bowl. Their surface was golden and enticing. When picked up and bitten, they were crisp and crunchy. Because they had been fried for a long time, even the small bones inside had become crispy and could be eaten directly.
One dish of fried fish chunks overturned the entire tribe’s understanding of fish.
They had never known fish could be eaten like this before.
Lang Shuo continued popularizing recipes. “The most convenient kind is small fish smaller than a palm. They don’t need to be cut into pieces. Clean out the innards, marinate them overnight, and fry them directly the next day. They’ll be even crispier than this.”
Hearing this, Lang Yun was deeply moved.
Sure enough, the one who deserved to be beaten was Lang Nuo. Fish were innocent.
