Chapter 48: Sheep Innards
The two of them made it safely through to the other side of the dense forest.
Once they reached an open area, Xia Lu Nong glanced around, relieved to see there were no large mutated beasts nearby.
If they had encountered one, he wouldn’t have been able to handle it.
Kong Zhi tossed the dying sheep onto the ground, inspected it briefly, and said, “Let’s head back.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded, then asked, “Are we transforming into beast form again?”
“Yes,” Kong Zhi replied. “You can ride on my back, and I’ll carry the sheep.”
Xia Lu Nong hesitated, standing still. Even though he was slim, he weighed around 130 pounds. With the bamboo shoots and other items in the backpack weighing about 40 pounds, plus the 70-80 pound sheep—it seemed like too much for Kong Zhi to carry alone.
Seeing his hesitation, Kong Zhi gave him a questioning look. “What’s wrong?”
Xia Lu Nong said, “It’s too heavy. How about I transform into my beast form instead?”
“Can you?”
“I think I can. Let me give it a try.”
Xia Lu Nong glanced at him, and without taking off his clothes, he focused on transforming into his cat form. In an instant, his limbs retracted, and his tail extended, turning him into a cat almost instantly.
His now unsupported clothes fell softly to the ground.
Xia the Cat emerged from the pile of clothes, looking up at Kong Zhi and meowing, “Meow.”
Kong Zhi was more familiar with this sleek forest cat than Xia Lu Nong’s human form. He crouched down, scratched the cat under the chin, a smile in his eyes.
Xia the Cat placed a paw on Kong Zhi’s wrist, his green eyes questioning, “Meow?”
Is this okay?
Kong Zhi scratched him again and then withdrew his hand, saying, “That’s good. Now, change back to human form and tie the sheep and backpack onto my back.”
Xia Lu Nong had no objections. He transformed back into human form with some effort.
Kong Zhi turned around, and Xia Lu Nong quickly put on his clothes and shoes before hopping in front of him. “All set.”
Kong Zhi nodded, took a few steps to the widest area, and undressed, transforming back into his beast form—a golden eagle.
The transformation took a bit longer than Xia Lu Nong’s, but it was still over in a flash.
The massive golden eagle crouched on the ground and screeched toward Xia Lu Nong, “Screech—”
Xia Lu Nong quickly opened his backpack, pulling out a rope. He threw it over the eagle’s back, then carefully secured the backpack and the sheep side by side on him. He ran around the eagle several times, tying and tightening the rope as much as possible.
The eagle was so large that Xia Lu Nong, after running a few laps, was flushed and looked even more radiant.
Standing in front of the golden eagle, Xia Lu Nong looked up and said, “Done.”
The golden eagle looked at him and let out a urging screech, “Screech.”
Under his watchful eyes, Xia Lu Nong quickly transformed back into Xia the Cat.
The golden eagle glanced down at the cat, grabbed both him and the bundle of clothes in his beak, then took a running start, flapping his wings and soaring into the air.
The cool breeze rushed against Xia the Cat, ruffling his long fur and cooling the heat from his skin. He let out a small, satisfied “Meow.”
The golden eagle flapped its wings, flying higher.
Looking down from the sky was an entirely different experience than looking up from the ground. Xia the Cat gazed at the land below, feeling an indescribable sense of freedom.
When they reached the base, Xia Lu Nong noticed several large geese circling overhead. Judging by their size, they were clearly beastmen. Xia the Cat curiously poked his head out to get a better look. Was this a new arrangement by the base?
The geese and the guards on the walls recognized them and allowed them to pass without interference.
The golden eagle soared over the walls and into the base, eventually diving down in front of Xia Lu Nong’s home and gliding to a stop.
Once they landed, the golden eagle gently set Xia the Cat down.
Xia the Cat grabbed his clothes in his mouth, dashed to the door, and quickly transformed back into human form, slipping into his clothes.
Kong Zhi also returned to human form, dressed, and picked up the sheep and backpack from the ground.
The sheep’s blood had soaked its coat, staining it red. After a quick glance, Kong Zhi said, “The sheep’s dead.”
“I thought it would hold on a little longer,” Xia Lu Nong scratched his head. “How about we take it to the cafeteria, cook part of it tonight, and save the rest for tomorrow?”
“Sure,” Kong Zhi agreed. “You stay here. I’ll take it over.”
Xia Lu Nong waved him off, telling him to hurry back.
They hadn’t had lamb in a long time. Xia Lu Nong, left alone, began to plan how to prepare it. He decided on roasting the lamb.
Roasting was simple and satisfying. Eating large chunks of meat guaranteed they wouldn’t go hungry, and the roasting process would bring out the best flavor in the lamb. Plus, he hadn’t had roast lamb in ages and was really craving it.
With that in mind, Xia Lu Nong washed the bamboo shoots, placed them in a bamboo tray, and set them outside to dry under the sun.
He then grabbed his basket and headed to the vegetable patch.
The plants had perked up, and the tomatoes tied to stakes were growing again. It seemed the recent earthquake and rain hadn’t affected them too much.
Xia Lu Nong checked everything over, picking tomatoes, eggplants, and green beans, along with the red peppers that were ready. He also picked about forty green chilies.
By the time he returned, Kong Zhi still hadn’t come back. So Xia Lu Nong sliced ginger, minced garlic, and washed the peppers. He also gathered star anise, cinnamon, and bay leaves from the kitchen, washing them and mixing them with the ginger, garlic, and peppers.
Soon after, Xia Huo Qu and Yan Xi Nian returned home. As soon as they walked through the door, they were greeted by the spicy aroma.
Yan Xi Nian laughed as he walked in, “Smells delicious! What’s on the menu tonight?”
“Not tonight. This is for tomorrow.” Xia Lu Nong stirred the mixture with chopsticks and said, “We caught a sheep today. Tonight, we’ll have stir-fried lamb innards and braised lamb, and tomorrow we’ll roast the rest.”
“Wow, lucky catch!” Yan Xi Nian peered over to take a look. “There are a few sheep outside the base, but they’re quick on their feet. A lot of people have tried to catch them and failed.”
Xia Lu Nong beamed proudly. “We got lucky. The sheep was several meters away, and we couldn’t get to it in time. Kong Zhi told me to give up, but I threw my machete and managed to hit and kill it.”
Xia Lu Nong was telling the story with great excitement, his expressions lively and animated. Yan Xi Nian, standing beside him, was laughing the whole time, trying to suppress his laughter by biting into a tomato, as if to prevent himself from laughing too loudly and embarrassing Xia Lu Nong.
Xia Lu Nong was so engrossed in his story that he didn’t notice anything amiss.
His older brother patted him on the head and asked, “Your strength increased?”
Xia Lu Nong’s attention shifted instantly. He hadn’t considered that possibility before.
Thinking back to earlier when he carried such a heavy backpack without much effort, it seemed like his strength really had increased. After a moment of reflection, he nodded. “It seems so.”
Yan Xi Nian chimed in, “Beastmen naturally have greater strength. I’m curious how much stronger you’ve gotten, Xiao Nong. We should test it someday.”
Xia Lu Nong, who always hated physical tests at school, immediately felt his scalp tingle at the suggestion. He quickly waved his hands and politely declined, “That’s not necessary. I’m not competing in anything, so knowing that kind of data won’t help me.”
Yan Xi Nian laughed again.
As they were chatting, Kong Zhi walked in, carrying the sheep on his back. He said, “I left the head and hooves at the base, but I brought back all the blood, innards, and wool.”
Xia Lu Nong hurried over to check, and after a quick look, he smiled broadly. “Great! I’ll start cooking. Let’s stir-fry some sheep offal—how about pickled vegetable stir-fry? As for the blood, we can make a version of ‘Mao Xue Wang’ (a spicy blood stew).”
Everyone agreed with the plan.
There was still some time before sunset.
They all worked together to prepare the sheep.
Xia Huo Qu rubbed the outside of the sheep with the seasoning Xia Lu Nong had prepared, making sure to get it into the cuts on the thicker parts of the meat. Yan Xi Nian went up the mountain with a hatchet to cut some bamboo, since they didn’t have a metal rack to roast the sheep. He would have to build a temporary bamboo stand and tie the sheep to it with wire.
Meanwhile, Kong Zhi stayed in the kitchen to help Xia Lu Nong.
Xia Lu Nong worked quickly, and soon, the kitchen was filled with the aroma of cooking, including the sharp scent of chili peppers.
Kong Zhi, stoking the fire, stayed quiet, but his stomach started to growl loudly, loud enough for Xia Lu Nong to hear it over the sizzling food.
For once, Xia Lu Nong didn’t tease him.
He was hungry too.
After transforming into his beast form earlier, it felt like all the energy in his body had been depleted. Waves of hunger kept hitting him, leaving him feeling weak and shaky.
Xia Lu Nong called out to Kong Zhi, “Make the fire stronger—use high heat.”
Kong Zhi nodded and threw a handful of dry grass into the stove.
The flames quickly flared up, licking the dry grass.
Xia Lu Nong stirred the stir-fried sheep offal rapidly. Bright oil coated the pieces of offal, and the high heat made them curl slightly. The green and red pepper slices were slightly charred, and the sharp spiciness had transformed into a fragrant heat.
Xia Lu Nong grabbed a bottle of rice wine, pouring it along the edges of the wok. As the wine hit the hot pan, it burst into yellow flames that quickly flared up.
Unfazed, Xia Lu Nong didn’t flinch or step back. He continued stirring, adding soy sauce, salt, and minced garlic before taking the dish off the heat and plating it.
The freshly stir-fried offal was covered in a shiny brown sauce, garnished with green and red chilies. Just by looking at it, one could imagine how delicious it would taste.
Yan Xi Nian, returning from cutting bamboo, walked in and sniffed the air deeply, exclaiming, “Smells amazing!”
Xia Huo Qu came in with a large wooden basin holding the whole sheep, which he covered with a bamboo tray. He suggested, “We’ve got a lot of food today. Should we invite Liao Cheng to join us?”
Xia Lu Nong had no objections, and Kong Zhi didn’t mind either.
Only Yan Xi Nian took a sharp breath, glancing at Xia Huo Qu with a half-serious, half-teasing look. “You’re always thinking about him.”
Xia Huo Qu frowned slightly, about to say something, but Yan Xi Nian quickly raised his hands and said, “I’ll go invite him. I’m quick.”
Xia Huo Qu watched Yan Xi Nian’s tall figure leave, half of his face hidden in the shadows, lost in thought.
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Thanks for the chapter! Vinegar drinking?