Chapter 69 – Electricity
Xia Lu Nong hadn’t had wontons in a long time. In fact, the last time he’d eaten them was before the great catastrophe. He hummed a tune as he prepared the filling, rolled out the dough, and shaped each wonton. The wontons were huge, about the size of half his palm, and felt hefty in his hand.
After rendering the fat from the bird and removing the breast meat, Xia Lu Nong placed it in a clay pot with ginger and set it on the small stove to simmer. It had already been cooking for over two hours, and the rich aroma, like chicken soup but not quite, filled the room like a cloud.
When Xia Huo Qu and Yan Xi Nian returned, they were immediately drawn to the smell.
Yan Xi Nian came over, eyeing the marinated rabbit meat on the cutting board. He smiled and asked, “What delicious dish are you making today? It smells like a holiday feast.”
Xia Huo Qu glanced at him. “Ever since we started cooking together, you’ve been saying that more and more often.”
Yan Xi Nian laughed heartily. “Maybe it’s true! I just can’t help but say it.”
After they finished chatting, Xia Lu Nong cheerfully said, “We’re making something special today. Kong Zhi got hurt, so I’m making something to help him recover.”
He then recounted Kong Zhi’s heroic efforts from earlier that day.
Yan Xi Nian chuckled as he listened. “Golden eagles are definitely better at hunting than us. I’ve chased rabbits before, but they’re so fast and slippery that they disappear into the grass in no time.”
Xia Huo Qu added, “Rabbits and deer are both very alert. They’re tough for us to catch.”
Curious, Xia Lu Nong asked, “Do you mostly chase cattle and sheep, then?”
“Yes, pigs, cows, sheep, and sometimes horses. Horses are rare, though—you have to spot them first,” Xia Huo Qu explained. “When we go out, we mostly search for supplies, not to hunt.”
Kong Zhi’s hunting skills were exceptional, a rarity. Xia Huo Qu reminisced about the challenging early days of the base’s establishment, sharing insights into which animal forms were most advantageous for various tasks.
Xia Lu Nong listened intently, his face full of awe.
As they talked about transforming into animal forms, Xia Lu Nong realized that he mainly used his beast form to save space and move around more easily. When it came to hunting, he was just glad not to be mistaken for prey.
Feeling somewhat dejected, Xia Lu Nong reflected on the fact that, in many respects, beast folk were truly incomparable to one another.
Despite his thoughts, his hands didn’t slow down. With a quick press and pinch, another large wonton was formed. His brother and the others wanted to help, but they couldn’t keep up.
Seeing this, Yan Xi Nian, who was chopping scallions nearby, commented, “You’re really skilled, Xiao Nong.”
“It’s nothing, just something I’m used to.” Xia Lu Nong laughed. “I used to be much faster, but now I’m a bit slower.”
The four men bustled around the kitchen.
Before long, Xia Lu Nong began cooking the rabbit. This wild rabbit was particularly fat and tender, though its gamey smell was stronger than that of domesticated rabbits.
To counter this, he needed to use strong seasonings to fully bring out the rabbit’s flavor.
He dry-fried the rabbit meat in the pan until its moisture evaporated and the fat rendered out, cooking it until the meat turned a crispy golden brown, bouncing lightly in the rabbit fat. Only then did he move on to the second stage of cooking.
He grabbed a dish of seasonings—garlic, ginger, cinnamon, star anise—and tossed them into the pan, continuing to stir-fry over high heat.
The fragrant aroma quickly filled the air, captivating everyone’s senses.
Xia Lu Nong checked the meat’s doneness, then added rings of green and red chili peppers, stirring everything together.
At this moment, the golden-brown rabbit meat, crisp green and red chili rings, fragrant white garlic cloves, and vibrant yellow ginger slices combined to create a dish that was as visually appealing as it was aromatic.
Xia Lu Nong grabbed the bottle of rice wine beside him and poured a little into the pan. With a loud sizzle, a richer aroma filled the kitchen, spreading throughout the entire space.
At this point, the chili peppers had begun to shrivel slightly from the vigorous stir-frying, while the rabbit meat gleamed with a rich, oily sheen. Xia Lu Nong then added soy sauce and lowered the heat to braise the rabbit until it was fully cooked through.
Meanwhile, the bird soup in the clay pot had finished cooking. Xia Lu Nong tossed in the pre-sliced chicken-fat mushrooms, letting them roll in the boiling broth, slowly releasing their fragrance.
The mingling of aromas and steam created a cozy, comforting atmosphere in the kitchen, typical of a summer evening.
Before long, all the dishes were ready, and everyone moved to the dining table to start eating.
The first thing everyone reached for was the rabbit. Each person grabbed a large, juicy piece of rabbit meat, glistening with oil. A gentle bite released the meat’s flavor, and as they chewed into the firm wild rabbit, they enjoyed the texture. Though the rabbit had been slow-cooked for a long time, it still had a satisfying chew, and the more they chewed, the more flavorful it became.
Everyone smiled at each other as they savored the taste, chewing from one side of their mouths to the other.
After relishing the rabbit, they took a sip of the mushroom bird soup. The broth was clear, sweet, and delicious, with a slight warmth that seemed to wash away all the day’s fatigue.
Before the disaster, Xia Lu Nong had tasted countless soups, from street stalls to gourmet restaurants, across the country. There had been plenty of well-made soups, but none had the soul-stirring freshness of this one.
He sighed contentedly, his eyes narrowing in satisfaction.
After finishing the soup, he took a bite of the wonton from the soup. The wonton was exceptionally delicious—smooth, juicy, and full of flavor. As he ate, a sense of fullness spread through him, leaving him deeply satisfied.
Typically, the family would chat while eating, but today, everyone was so focused on the food that no one spoke, as if talking would interrupt the experience.
In this quiet, they all slowly and thoroughly enjoyed the meal until they were all full and content.
Good food can bring happiness, especially in times like these.
That night, when Xia Lu Nong went to bed, he had pleasant dreams. He couldn’t remember what he had dreamed about, but he knew it was a bright and cheerful dream, leaving a smile on his face the whole time.
The dream left him feeling refreshed when he woke up the next day.
Early in the morning, he went to greet his brother. “Hey, how did you sleep last night?”
“Great, no dreams, deep sleep. I woke up feeling totally refreshed.”
“Haha, that’s awesome! I slept really well too. I feel great this morning.”
After some casual chatting, Xia Lu Nong asked, “I heard from the cafeteria folks that the hydropower station is almost ready. Will they start powering up today?”
“They’ll do a test run today. It won’t reach us right away, but after testing, we’ll prepare for the full power-up.”
Xia Lu Nong clenched his fist in excitement. “That’s amazing! So, in two days max, we’ll have electricity, right?”
Though he asked the question, his tone was certain. He didn’t believe anything would go wrong—after all, their base had plenty of scientists.
Even if the scientists weren’t specialists in this field, there shouldn’t be any major issues. And if the scientists did run into problems, the base still had many engineers and technicians. Someone would figure it out.
Xia Lu Nong had been eagerly anticipating the day when their base would have electricity. Throughout the day, as he worked, he kept glancing toward the hydropower station, unable to calm his excitement.
The children in the base were even more thrilled, spending the entire day jumping around and watching the station.
By late afternoon, as the sun began to set, someone shouted, “The power’s on!”
Xia Lu Nong straightened up at the sound. He heard a low rumble—the sound of water being released to generate electricity.
The sound wasn’t loud, but many in the base had developed enhanced hearing after the catastrophe, and they all picked up on it. Almost in unison, people turned to look at the hydropower station.
Though it was still daylight and the lights wouldn’t be noticeable in the sunlight, that simple shout, “The power’s on!” stirred countless memories.
Everyone stood there in a daze, and for a moment, the base fell into a peaceful silence.
Suddenly, loud cheers and laughter erupted from the direction of the hydropower station.
Xia Lu Nong soon saw a group of workers excitedly running out of the white generator building, crowding into the open space outside.
They were jumping around with joy, their loud voices even louder than the sound of the generators. Their excitement spread throughout the base, reaching almost everyone’s ears.
As people watched them, smiles slowly appeared on their faces.
The base had electricity!
This meant the base was leaping from the agricultural age straight into the electrical age. Their productivity would skyrocket, and many new possibilities would open up.
So much could now be accomplished, and so many dreams could come true.
At some point, Xia Lu Nong found himself smiling too.
For them, electricity didn’t just mean power—it symbolized the dawn of a new era, one where everyone could finally eat their fill.
The adults’ cheers gradually caught the attention of the children, and soon, everyone was celebrating together.
At that moment, both adults and children were ecstatic.
More and more people began emerging from the fields and the mountains, gathering on the main road. The children were jumping up and down, as usual.
On any other day, they might have been scolded for it, but not today. Today, even the adults were jumping.
The people were acting frenzied, drawing more and more onlookers. Everyone was letting loose, shouting and celebrating in waves of excitement.
Xia Lu Nong smiled as he lowered his head, then looked up to meet Kong Zhi’s gaze. Their shared glance seemed to add a sense of reality to the dream-like scene.
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