Chapter 60: Bullfrog
Yan Xi Nian and Kong Zhi returned at dusk.
The giant golden eagle flew back first, and after it landed, the massive tiger followed, carrying a half-grown pig in its mouth.
The pig was plump and pink, still alive, occasionally twitching its legs.
Yan Xi Nian tossed the wild pig onto the ground.
Xia Huo Qu, quick to react, grabbed the pig by its ear and checked it over, finding that apart from an extra eye, there were no other abnormalities.
Deeming the pig safe to eat, Xia Huo Qu pulled it away from their makeshift kitchen.
Yan Xi Nian, back in human form and catching his breath as he put on his clothes, said, “Don’t worry, it’s a good pig. I specifically chose a half-grown one, tender and fat.”
“Good,” Xia Huo Qu nodded and asked, “Did you notice anything unusual on your way back?”
“What do you mean by unusual?” Yan Xi Nian stopped and looked surprised. “There were no large beasts nearby, no hidden toxins either. The air was very clean.”
Xia Huo Qu said, “Xia Lu heard a strange sound.”
Yan Xi Nian looked around, frowning. “I didn’t notice anything.”
He glanced at Kong Zhi, who had a better vantage point from the sky.
Kong Zhi, sitting by the pot drinking water, said, “I didn’t see or hear anything either.”
Xia Huo Qu concluded, “Maybe whatever it was ran off. Forget it, we’ll deal with it if we hear it again.”
With that, he picked up a bucket and went to slaughter the pig.
Xia Lu Nong quickly ran over to help, only to find his brother didn’t need any assistance at all.
His brother’s slender hands gripped the pig’s ear like a vice, pulling its head back while his legs pinned down its body. With a swift motion of a gleaming knife, Xia Huo Qu slashed the pig’s neck, creating a large cut.
Despite the pig’s frantic, dying struggles, it couldn’t break free.
Xia Huo Qu calmly collected the blood in a wooden bucket, and after the pig died, he poured hot water to start processing it.
Xia Lu Nong couldn’t believe how skilled his brother was. He handled the pig with the precision of a master butcher, his movements almost artful.
In awe, Xia Lu Nong crouched down beside him. “Brother, didn’t you say you didn’t know how to slaughter a pig?”
“When did I say that?” Xia Huo Qu replied, his hands moving fluidly. “I just don’t enjoy doing it. Go grab another basin for the organs.”
“Got it.”
Yan Xi Nian came over and said, “Xia Lu Nong, you handle the crabs. Your brother and I will take care of this.”
Xia Lu Nong stood up. “Brother Xi Nian, do we need to stay here for a couple more days? There are so many crabs, we won’t be able to finish processing them tonight.”
“If we can’t finish tonight, we’ll stay an extra day,” Yan Xi Nian replied. “We’re not far from Yacheng town, so after we’re done, we can rest there. They’ve got inns with nice beds, and it’ll be more comfortable.”
The thought of staying at an inn brightened Xia Lu Nong’s mood, and he stopped asking questions.
He joined Kong Zhi in picking the crabs.
Being quite skilled at this, Xia Lu Nong quickly separated the meat from the large, plump crabs, filling a small basin in no time.
Soon, the hundreds of weakened crabs were steamed and shelled, and the crab meat filled a large wooden bucket to the brim.
Xia Lu Nong then started rendering lard.
The pig, being only half-grown, didn’t have a thick layer of fat—just about two fingers wide.
He peeled and diced the fat, placing it in the pot to render, adding water to ensure the lard came out clean and smooth.
Meanwhile, Kong Zhi started another fire to cook rice.
By now, night had fully fallen, and the firelight cast a warm glow on everyone’s faces.
The crackling of wood echoed under the stove, while the smells of crab, pork, and rice mingled in the air, creating a unique, enticing aroma.
Xia Lu Nong, working on the last bit of crab meat, felt unusually calm, almost leisurely as he finished his task.
The fire in the makeshift stove was blazing, and the lard finished rendering quickly.
Xia Lu Nong scooped out the golden cracklings, blew on one, and tossed it into his mouth.
The pork crackling was crispy and fragrant, crackling between his teeth. It tasted so good that he immediately grabbed another one.
Seeing this, his brother warned, “Careful not to overeat. It can cause heatiness.”
“Got it.” Xia Lu nodded, putting the cracklings into a bowl.
The cracklings were set aside to cool before being stored in a container. Whenever cooking was inconvenient, they could just grab some cracklings, mix them with salted pork, and toss it over hot rice for a quick, delicious meal.
Humming a tune, Xia Lu Nong looked at the cracklings with a soft gaze.
Once the cracklings were set aside, Xia Lu Nong poured half of the lard into a container, leaving the rest in the pot. After checking the oil temperature, he added a large portion of crab meat to the pot, stirring it slowly over low heat to evaporate the moisture.
Though the dish Xia Lu Nong was making wasn’t exactly traditional crab roe butter—since it had a lot of crab meat as well as roe—the pork lard gradually absorbed all the water from the mixture, and a rich, enticing fragrance started to fill the air.
He added just a pinch of salt before scooping it out and starting on the second batch.
As he cooked the second batch, the four of them finally took a break to eat.
The rice had been ready for a while, kept warm in the pot.
Once the crab roe butter was done, the four of them eagerly scooped rice into their bowls, topped it with a generous spoonful of crab roe butter, and drizzled it with a little salted pork, mixing it all together while it was still steaming hot.
Xia Lu Nong scooped up a big spoonful of rice mixed with the rich crab butter, blew on it, and put it in his mouth.
The still-warm rice was fragrant and soft, releasing a light, clean aroma as soon as it hit his taste buds. The crab butter clung to the grains, and after the fresh scent of the rice, a rich, oily crab flavor followed, blending together into a mouthful of deliciousness that wasn’t overwhelming.
Xia Lu Nong chewed happily, his eyes curving in satisfaction. The crab butter was so flavorful that he almost felt like his whole mouth was filled with crab meat.
No, in fact, having only crab meat wouldn’t compare to this taste.
If it were just crab meat, it would probably be a bit too fishy and greasy after such a big bite.
But like this, it wasn’t at all. The rice balanced out the slight greasiness, and frying it added a bit of crispy fragrance to the crab meat. Every bite was fresh and savory, and as it settled in his stomach, Xia Lu Nong immediately felt a warm sense of fullness.
This was the kind of dish that wasn’t meant for slow, leisurely dining. It was perfect for moments like this, when everyone was tired and hungry, not wanting to think too much—just diving in and enjoying a bowl full of hearty food.
Xia Lu Nong ended up eating three bowls of rice mixed with crab butter in one go. When he finally put down his bowl, he let out a small, content burp and turned his head.
Yan Xi Nian, on his fifth bowl, asked cheerfully, “Want another?”
Xia Lu Nong shook his head.
Xia Huo Qu said to Yan Xi Nian, “Stop teasing him. He won’t be able to sleep if he overeats.”
Xia Lu Nong knew his limit and stayed by the fire, continuing to stir the crab butter.
Sitting with his knees bent, his head could easily rest on them when he crouched like this. And now, he did just that—resting his head on his knees, lazily stirring the pot, his eyes heavy with sleepiness.
After a while, he yawned quietly, his eyes filling with tears, which he wiped away before continuing to work.
Seeing this, his brother couldn’t stand it anymore. He took the spatula from Xia Lu Nong’s hand and said, “If you’re tired, go sleep. I’ll finish this.”
“No need, I’ve got the seasoning just right.” Xia Lu Nong dodged his brother’s hand, yawning again. Suddenly, he tilted his head, listening intently. “Bro, did you hear that sound?”
As soon as Xia Lu Nong said this, the others turned their heads, listening carefully.
Xia Huo Qu and Kong Zhi didn’t hear anything, looking confused.
After a moment, Yan Xi Nian spoke up. “I think I heard something—kind of a muffled, thumping sound. It’s coming from the north. I’ll take a flashlight and check it out.”
Yan Xi Nian was used to venturing out and wasn’t afraid.
Xia Huo Qu grabbed his wrist, pulling him back. “I’ll go with you.”
“Be careful,” Xia Lu Nong called after them.
“Got it, you two stay here as well,” Xia Huo Qu said, glancing at Kong Zhi. “Kong Zhi, keep an eye on the surroundings.”
Kong Zhi nodded.
Yan Xi Nian and Xia Huo Qu, both tall and long-legged, stood up and quickly walked out of the firelight, disappearing into the night.
Xia Lu Nong, feeling a bit worried, pushed the crab butter around in the pot again, watching their figures fade into the distance.
Kong Zhi silently kept him company.
Xia Huo Qu and Yan Xi Nian were gone for quite a while. By the time Xia Lu Nong had finished another pot of crab butter—filling two whole buckets—they still hadn’t returned.
He poured the crab butter into a clean wooden bucket, covered it with a lid, and looked anxiously into the distance. “Do you think something’s happened?”
“If something had gone wrong, they’d have shifted to their beast forms. No sounds of a fight means there’s no danger,” Kong Zhi reassured him, bringing over a tray of pig liver and lungs that had been prepped for cooking. “Let’s fry up the liver first.”
Xia Lu Nong snapped out of his thoughts and nodded.
In this heat, the innards would spoil quickly, so it was better to salt and fry them now to preserve them.
One by one, Xia Lu Nong cooked the parts.
As he was frying the kidneys, he finally heard footsteps approaching.
Yan Xi Nian and Xia Huo Qu returned, holding flashlights.
Before they even reached the camp, Yan Xi Nian raised something in his hand and called out, “Lu Nong, look what we found!”
“What?” Xia Lu Nong squinted, trying to make out what Yan Xi Nian was holding. The thing was large, about the size of a newborn puppy.
Just as he was about to guess, Yan Xi Nian walked closer.
In his hand was a massive frog!
“?!?!” Xia Lu Nong’s eyes widened as he jumped to his feet, stumbling back a few steps.
Kong Zhi caught him before he could fall.
“What is that?! Why is it so big?” Xia Lu Nong asked, staring at the creature.
Yan Xi Nian burst into laughter. “It’s a bullfrog! Isn’t it familiar? The sound you heard earlier was probably from bullfrogs jumping.”
Rubbing his arms, Xia Lu Nong refused to connect the two. “Bullfrogs are supposed to croak, aren’t they? The sound I heard was much heavier.”
“We’ve heard frogs croaking too, just didn’t pay attention to it. With a body this size—of course, it’s going to sound heavy when it jumps,” Yan Xi Nian explained, holding up the bullfrog.
Noticing Xia Lu Nong’s hesitation, he added with a grin, “Bullfrogs are even tastier than chicken. Don’t be picky. Once we’re done frying these, come with us. There are bullfrogs all over the grass up ahead. They don’t even run when you shine a light on them. We could catch dozens tonight.”
Xia Huo Qu raised two more bullfrogs he had caught. “Grab a bag and help me pack them.”
Kong Zhi stood up, found a bag, and packed the bullfrogs inside. He hefted one, judging its weight. “Each one is at least four or five kilos.”
Yan Xi Nian smiled broadly. “Exactly. These are almost as big as hens, but way easier to catch.”
Kong Zhi glanced at Xia Lu Nong. “They’d definitely trade for chickens in Yacheng town.”
Yan Xi Nian waved his hand. “Not just trade—bullfrogs are way more nutritious than chickens!”
