Chapter 39
Perhaps it was because they were used to eating roasted meat, or perhaps fried fish chunks were meat and more filling. The crispy, fragrant fried fish chunks were even more popular than the fish soup.
The wolf race disliked eating fish. Aside from the heavy fishy smell, fish bones accounted for most of the reason. Soft fish bones were hard to spit out, and getting them stuck in the throat was uncomfortable. Fried fish chunks did not have this problem. The large bones had been removed before going into the pot, while the small bones had become so crispy they could be eaten directly. Without the trouble of spitting out bones, their deliciousness rose another level.
Most importantly, there was the contrast with past memories.
Similar to how they handled roasted meat, beastmen’s method of handling fish was also rather crude. It was just that when fish was handled poorly, it became even harder to eat, causing everyone to look unfavorably upon this ingredient. In their deepest memories, fish was an extremely unpleasant food. Today, suddenly eating a different finished product brought an even more obvious shock.
Especially the fried fish chunks. Several members who had not dared drink the fish soup also tried some and could not taste any fishiness at all.
Stewed fish still required spitting out bones. After each person tried a bite, they had only one thought: if it tasted like this, then it was not completely unacceptable. It was just a little troublesome.
Seeing that all the members who tried it were satisfied, Lang Shuo, together with Lang Yun and several other members, processed all the remaining fish.
The smaller ones were stewed into soup. Lang Shuo improved the method slightly and directly fried the fish until broken apart. After boiling it, he filtered out the fish bones and fish spines. This made the soup taste better.
The fried fish chunks were made the same way as before. After frying, they were placed in a large basket to drain the oil. Because it was animal fat, the oil would solidify after cooling, so it tasted best while hot.
A group of wolves fried and ate at the same time. Lang Shuo reminded them, “When my brother and the others come back, don’t directly say it’s fish meat. If you say that, they might not be willing to eat.”
The other members understood. After all, they had not been willing to eat it just now either, and in the end, they had been conquered by its deliciousness.
After the gathering team and hunting party returned, Lang Shuo poured the fried fish chunks back into the pot and stir-fried them briefly before dividing them among them.
In truth, if they had seasonings like chili, scallions, ginger, and garlic, he could completely make dry pot fish chunks. Unfortunately, they had not seen any yet.
Thinking of this, Lang Shuo found it a little strange. It was understandable that the medicines for external injuries had been used up quickly. After all, the journey had been full of danger, and many members had been injured. But those oddly flavored plants should have had some left. Many plants could be stored for a long time, and after harvest season came snow season, so keeping them until breeding season arrived should not have been a problem.
Could it be that they had not brought those supplies before migrating? Lang Shuo patted his head. Even after recovering, his brain still was not especially useful. He could not remember anything about before the migration or the journey.
Just as he raised his hand and patted himself once, his hand was grabbed.
“Are you still feeling unwell?” Lang Yu held his younger brother’s hand, his face full of concern. After returning today, he had been observing Lang Shuo’s expression the whole time and found that he was much better than yesterday, the same as usual. He had just let out a breath of relief when he saw Lang Shuo suddenly hit himself. That breath nearly failed to come back up.
Lang Shuo raised his head and met Lang Yu’s worried gaze. Knowing that the other party had misunderstood, he quickly explained, “I just suddenly remembered something. I’m not uncomfortable. I’ve been fine for ages. If you don’t believe me, ask Yun. I just ate lots of fish chunks.”
It would have been better if he had not said this. After saying it, Lang Yu became even more worried.
“Eat fish?” Lang Yu touched his younger brother’s head. The temperature was normal. He was not sick. Then why had he started talking nonsense?
“Who ate fish?” Lang Shi carried a bowl of food and held another piece in his hand, crunching loudly as he chewed and asked, “Shuo, you ate fish? That stuff doesn’t taste good. Listen to your brother, don’t eat random things, okay?”
After speaking, he took another bite and ate with a series of crisp crunches.
Lang Shuo: “…Why don’t you go ask someone what’s in your bowl?”
“This? Isn’t it meat chunks?” Lang Shi found his question strange. “It’s fried crispy today. Make more next time. Delicious.”
Lang Shuo: “…”
Lang Yun explained from the side, “That’s fish chunks. Fried from fish.”
Lang Shi: “???”
Lang Shi did not believe it and chuckled twice. “How is that possible? This is humming beast meat. I can smell the fragrance.”
Want to fool him? Impossible.
Lang Shuo said, “I’m not lying to you. It smells like humming beast meat because the oil was rendered from humming beast fat. If you don’t believe it, wait until it cools, break it open, and smell it carefully.”
Lang Shi very much wanted to say the two of them were teaming up to fool him, but the texture of the meat in his mouth was indeed different from humming beast meat. He had not suspected it before because Lang Shuo could make the same food into different textures. Therefore, when he noticed this difference, he had only thought it was caused by a new method.
Now that fish meat had been mentioned, Lang Shi suddenly realized that it was indeed a little similar to fish meat.
Waiting until it cooled and breaking it open to smell was impossible. While eating, Lang Shi asked the other members who had stayed in the residence, “What is this? What am I eating? Guess what meat this is?”
He asked around in a circle, and all the answers were the same. It was possible for one or two members to deceive him, but it was not very likely for so many people to deceive him together. After all, it was the same answer. Even if they had discussed it in advance, someone would have slipped up. But he had asked so many members, and not a single one said it was other meat.
The other hunting party members and gathering team members also tried to distinguish it.
After finishing one bowl without tasting that strong fishy flavor of fish meat, Lang Shi refused to believe it and served another bowl.
Perhaps because this bowl was a little cooler than the one just now, or perhaps because his stomach was not as hungry as before, Lang Shi really did taste a little bit of fish flavor.
In truth, a faint fishy taste had always been present, but most foods beastmen ate carried a bit of bloody smell. In addition, they had eaten fish meat few times, and in their limited memories, the fishy smell of fish meat was very strong. The taste of oil had also covered it with another layer, making it impossible to connect the two for a while.
Seeing that they finally believed it was fish meat, Lang Shuo laughed and reminded Lang Yu, “Brother, you should try some too.”
Lang Yu had stayed beside Lang Shuo since just now. After confirming that his younger brother’s eyes only held pride in having made delicious food and that he paid no extra attention to any male beastman or female beastman, Lang Yu let out a breath of relief.
He did care somewhat about sub-beastmen, but the sub-beastmen he cared about all had partners and were pregnant. Sub-beastmen partnering with sub-beastmen was relatively rare, so he could feel reassured.
The stone in Lang Yu’s heart landed. Hearing his younger brother urge him to eat, he did not hesitate at all and nodded. “Mm, I’ll go eat right away.”
Lang Shuo waited by the side for a response.
Lang Yu tasted a bite and thought, no wonder the members did not believe it. If he had eaten it before knowing the truth, he probably would also have misunderstood and thought everyone was deliberately fooling him.
The two teams ate most of the remaining fish. Only a few bowls were left for the sub-adults who still had not returned. If not for knowing they had not returned to the tribe yet, even these last few bowls would not have been left.
The sub-adults did not return until the sky was completely dark. When they returned, they were unusually excited. From very far away, everyone could hear their happy voices.
Lang Shuo was curious what could make them this happy. After all, sub-adults only knew how to be silly and happy every day, but such excitement was uncommon.
The other members were equally curious. Some younger wolves could not hold back and directly ran over to see what the sub-adults had brought back.
Immediately afterward came another burst of cheers.
Now Lang Shuo was even more curious.
Only when the sub-adults ran up to him and displayed their harvest as if asking for credit did he understand. “Shuo, we found a sweet bug nest!”
Lang Shuo lowered his head to look into the back basket. It was actually honey.
After seeing it clearly, Lang Shuo’s first reaction was to look at the sub-adults’ faces. “Were you hurt?” There were not many sweet foods here, and honey counted as one, but the bees beside the hive were not vegetarian either.
Lang Nuo said, “We’re fine! We changed into beast form and ran back. They didn’t catch up!”
Only then did Lang Shuo feel reassured.
Lang Yu glanced at the sub-adults. Lang Shuo still did not understand sub-adults enough. In previous years, when they encountered this kind of food, sub-adults always ate first and then brought it back. This year was strange. One look inside the back basket, and it was clear they had broken off a whole piece without touching it.
Lang Shi, who had leaned over, had sharp eyes and a quicker mouth. “You didn’t eat a few bites first this year?”
Lang Nuo was proud. “No!”
In truth, after escaping the bees, they had hesitated a tiny bit. After all, sweet bugs were usually very hard to find. If they brought it back to the tribe, they could keep half. If they ate first and then brought it back, they could eat more. However, after hesitating for a while, someone brought up one matter: food could become even more delicious in Lang Shuo’s hands.
The sub-adults hesitated between eating more and eating something tastier. In the end, they chose something tastier. Therefore, they brought it back completely intact.
Lang Shuo had them go eat first while he handled the honey and beeswax.
The sub-adults answered in unison. After running for half the day, their stomachs had long since been growling. They had only held on until now through their trust in Lang Shuo.
Lang Shi also urged them, “We left fried fish chunks for you. Hurry and eat.”
Hurry up and finish them, otherwise he kept thinking about eating a little more.
The sub-adults collectively froze in place and looked at Lang Shuo in disbelief.
They had not expected that after they trusted Lang Shuo so much, Lang Shuo would actually feed them fish.
Hadn’t he said that if they were obedient, they would not have to eat it?
Lang Shuo was searching for a suitable container. Sensing the sub-adults’ resentful gazes, he raised his head and looked at them. “There are roasted ribs and stewed meat. Choose for yourselves.”
Of course he had not forgotten what he said at noon. Leaving fried fish chunks was only to give them one more choice.
Hearing this, the sub-adults charged toward the earth kiln. “Ribs, ribs!”
Lang Shi watched them run off in a flash, then turned back to look at the fried fish chunks not far away. He chased after them and asked, “You’re not eating the fried fish chunks, right?”
Food left for members who returned late at night—if the late-returning members did not finish it and did not plan to keep it, members who still wanted to eat could divide it. After all, beastmen had large appetites. If there was food left and they did not want it, it definitely meant it was food they disliked.
Several sub-adults behind Lang Nuo were just about to nod when Lang Nuo stopped them.
Lang Nuo felt something was not quite right.
Lang Shi was too enthusiastic today.
Lang Nuo became vigilant.
To be safe, Lang Nuo replied, “We’ll eat it later.”
After they finished the ribs and stewed meat, they would go taste it.
If it tasted good, they would eat it. If it tasted bad, they would say they were full, Lang Nuo thought.
Not receiving the answer he wanted, Lang Shi was deeply disappointed.
The other sub-adults were puzzled. “Nuo, you want to eat fish?” Had he not been forced to eat enough when he was little? He still wanted to keep eating?
Lang Nuo said, “We’ll go taste it later. What if Shuo made it delicious?”
They absolutely would not eat fish made by others, but if Lang Shuo made it, they could try. They had brought back so much fish at noon, and now it was all gone. There had to be a problem!
When Lang Wei and the others heard this, it made sense, so they decided to listen to him.
On the other side, Lang Shuo, with Lang Yu’s help, had already moved the honeycomb into a stone pot. He cut it into small pieces with a knife, then pressed and stirred with a spatula. Finally, he poured it into a clean small high-sided basket. Beneath the basket was a stone pot.
Honey was viscous, and filtering it all would take several hours. It would only be ready tomorrow morning.
There was still a little honey left in the pot. Lang Shuo scooped it into a bowl and let Lang Nuo and the others dip ribs in it. He cleaned the back basket that had held the honeycomb.
The young wolves were very clever. Knowing honey would flow out, they had lined the bottom of the back basket with a thick layer of leaves. Looking closely, the leaves had even been washed clean. One glance showed they had received Lang Shuo’s true teachings.
The honey on the leaves was not wasted either. He poured it into a pot together with the leaves. “Yun, add some water and stir it. Give everyone some.”
Honey water was also a good thing. Not a bit could be wasted.
Eating honey directly was sweet, yes, but after a few bites, it became a little cloying. It was better eaten with other foods. It was too late today, so Lang Shuo prepared to change a few dishes tomorrow.
As he was thinking, Lang Shi, who had wandered around once, came back again and simply crouched beside him, asking Lang Shuo, “Shuo, will there be fried fish chunks tomorrow?”
Lang Shuo hesitated. Today, the sub-adults had just brought back honey. If they did not use it tomorrow, it would definitely discourage their enthusiasm. But the hunting party could not be ignored either. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Going into the water to catch fish will scare the fish away. If we do it too many times, the fish will become harder and harder to catch, and it’ll be easy to catch none in the future. Tomorrow, I’ll teach everyone to weave fish traps. We’ll catch more, and the day after tomorrow, we’ll eat fried fish.”
Not being able to eat it tomorrow was a little disappointing, but there would be more the day after tomorrow, so it was not a loss. Lang Shi was perfectly satisfied.
Sure enough, Lang Shuo was the easiest person to talk to in the whole tribe.
