Chapter 31: An Unfamiliar Taste
A group of people gathered around a central table. On it was a roasted wild rabbit and two steamed dried fish. Both dried fish were quite large, likely weighing around ten catties when alive. There were also several corn flatbreads. This clearly wasn't freshly made; it was probably the forest rangers' usual dry rations.
"Alright, stop staring and eat. There aren't so many formalities in our mountains. Just pick whatever you want to eat. This wild rabbit is Da Shan's specialty. Cumin powder and chili powder are hard to come by; we can only buy a little when we go down the mountain, and we have to ration it, or it'll be gone in a few days.
When roasting, Da Shan also brushed a layer of honey on it. We got this honey last autumn when we encountered a black bear trying to steal honey from a beehive. It didn't eat much before its nose was covered in stings from the bees. Finally, the black bear couldn't stand the swarm's attack and fled in a hurry. The next day, we went up, smoked the bees away, and got these two jars of honey. Da Shan guards it very tightly; he only uses a little when roasting chicken or rabbit.
This fish is a specialty of our Northeast. We call it 'big white fish.' Its flesh is white and tender, delicious and not fishy. We love eating this big white fish here. Every winter, during the coldest time, a village or several villages will organize a winter fishing trip on the lake. This fish was caught during our winter fishing last year. We didn't finish it in winter, and fearing it would spoil after thawing, we made it into dried fish. Fresh fish tastes best; when we get a chance, we'll catch some fresh ones from the lake for you to try. Although this is dried fish, steaming it makes it quite delicious." Captain Xu introduced the delicacies on the table, making everyone's mouths water.
"Stop staring, eat," Captain Xu said, picking up a piece of fish. Everyone else also extended their chopsticks to what they wanted to eat.
Ye Hao picked up a piece of fish and put it in his mouth. The taste was indeed much more delicious than ordinary fish, without the earthy taste common to freshwater fish, and it had a slight sweetness. It was very tasty.
If he had the chance in the future, he would get some and raise them in his space; the taste would definitely be even better, Ye Hao thought.
After the rabbit was roasted, it was sliced into small pieces with a knife. Ye Hao picked up a piece of rabbit meat that was still sizzling with oil on the outside. It had a slight sweetness upon entry, likely from the honey, then spiciness, and finally, the taste of cumin filled his mouth. Because it was the outermost layer of rabbit meat, it was slightly charred, giving it a crispy texture. It was much more fragrant than what he made himself. It seemed he could learn from this method to roast the rabbits in his space; wouldn't that make the neighboring kids cry with envy?
He picked up another piece of rabbit meat from the inside. Since it hadn't been marinated beforehand, the rabbit meat wasn't very flavorful, but with chili powder and cumin powder, it was already an absolute delicacy in this era. He saw that the others were eating like starving ghosts reincarnated, not even bothering with chopsticks, just grabbing it with their hands.
Ye Hao wasn't surprised to see everyone like this. In this era, being able to eat one's fill was already a luxury. Among them, Niu Jianwen and Niu Jianwu came from poor families and probably often went hungry when they were in the capital. Lu Bingsheng might have had a decent life before his family's incident, but after such a thing happened to his family, he didn't even dare to go home, so he must have been eating irregularly. Only Sun Chaoshu probably hadn't lacked food much, but he still didn't get to eat meat often.
If Ye Hao hadn't frequently brought fish and rabbits to his family before, he would have been someone who couldn't eat meat even once every half a month.
Because Ye Hao often ate meat in his space and didn't lack oil, he stopped after eating a little. The others, however, gorged themselves, eating until they were utterly stuffed.
In less than half an hour, everyone had polished off the fat rabbit and two steamed fish on the table.
Looking at the plates on the table, which looked like they had been licked clean by a dog, Captain Xu asked, "Are you all full? Today is your welcoming feast; I have to make sure you're all full."
Everyone replied in unison, "We're full."
Seeing everyone's post-meal lethargy, Captain Xu almost laughed out loud but managed to hold it in.
"Alright, then I'll assign you all here. Niu Jianwen and Niu Jianwu, since you're brothers, you'll follow Da Zhu and Er Gou from now on. Ye Hao, Sun Chaoshu, and Lu Bingsheng, you'll follow me and Da Shan. Starting tomorrow, you'll begin patrolling the mountains. When you go on patrol, you must listen to the veteran team members. Do whatever they tell you to do, and absolutely do not do what they tell you not to. There are many dangers in these mountains.
Don't touch any unfamiliar plants or flowers; many of them are poisonous. Also, always follow the footsteps of the veteran team members, or you might get caught in an animal trap. Those traps are for large animals like wild boars; if a person gets caught, they might not be able to save their leg. Remember to stick close to the veteran team members and never fall behind. If you can't walk anymore, remember to tell a veteran team member.
That's generally it. We'll teach you other details during future patrols. Alright, it's not dark yet, so if you want to walk around nearby, go ahead, but remember not to go too far. Make sure you can still see these few cabins, otherwise, it's easy to get lost in these mountains, and if you get lost, with your abilities, you might have to stay in Changbai Mountain." Captain Xu finished grouping everyone and gave them some instructions, then let them move freely.
Everyone went outside the room and took a walk around the vicinity while it was still light. This also gave them an idea of where they would be living.
The forest rangers' cabin was on a flat area on a hillside, surrounded by what looked like primeval forest. There was only a small path leading down the mountain to the south, which was the direction they came from. There were three cabins: the middle one was where the veteran team members lived, the left one was a warehouse for tools and food, and the right cabin was where Ye Hao and the others lived. Next to the warehouse on the left was a small kitchen, with a shed built outside, under which was a large stove. There was also an outhouse in the corner. The entire camp consisted of just these few buildings, surrounded by a wooden fence. The wooden fence served as a warning and protection, also acting as a buffer if wild animals approached.
To the east of the fence was a small stream. The stream water was clear, and according to Er Gou, it came from a spring on the mountain and was safe to drink directly. They usually got their drinking water from here.
The general layout of the camp was like this, with several indistinct small paths in all directions (east, west, north, south). These were likely paths worn by patrols. There were originally no roads in the world; they became roads when many people walked them. (Just kidding)
After a brief look around, everyone returned to their rooms to rest. They had walked so far with their luggage today and were already tired. They needed to rest quickly, as they had to patrol the mountains tomorrow.
Back in the room, no one felt like chatting. They simply washed up and went to sleep on the heated brick bed.