Braised Tiger Meat

Ignoring the looks from the others, Luo Yi didn't mind sending anyone who dared set their sights on him and his sister—and came looking for death—on their way to the afterlife.

He dragged the tiger all the way back to his own courtyard.

When Luo Xi saw the tiger in the courtyard, she hurried over to her brother.

She circled Luo Yi, then looked at the wounds on his hand, torn open by the tiger's sharp claws.

She ran into the room, fetched the herbal medicine their father used to treat his hunting injuries, and applied it to Luo Yi's hand.

Looking at his worried sister, who had been bustling around for ages, he ruffled the little girl's hair.

"Don't worry, Xiao Xi. Your big brother is a Skin Refining Martial Artist now. A little wound like this is nothing."

After reassuring his sister, Luo Yi looked at the tiger's carcass in the courtyard.

His hide-skiving skills were too poor. Tiger Hide was worth far more than Wolf Hide; if he damaged it, his heart would ache.

Professional work was best left to a professional.

Luo Yi thought it over and decided to ask Wang Meng if he knew anyone in town who was good at skinning.

Just as he was about to head out, Wang Meng came in with a pudgy, middle-aged man.

"Xiao Yi, you're getting more and more impressive. You're practically a celebrity in Dongsheng Town now."

"I was resting at home when your sister-in-law rushed back from outside and told me you'd taken down a tiger weighing six or seven hundred jin. I could hardly believe it. Then I went out to ask around, and the whole town was already going wild over it."

"Remembering how you did an average job with the Wolf Hide last time, I brought over a professional for you."

Meng Gang was the best butcher in all of Dongsheng Town. There was no one else who came close.

His family had been in the butchering trade since the founding of Great Qi under Emperor Taizu. The craft had been passed down through the generations, giving them over nine hundred years of experience. His Ox-Severing Knife Art was a sight to behold, and his skill was beyond question.

When he finished, Wang Meng gave Luo Yi a big thumbs-up.

Speak of the devil, and he appeared. As Luo Yi listened to Wang Meng's explanation, the worry over what to do with the Tiger Hide lifted, and his face broke into a grin.

He clasped his hands toward the stout middle-aged man. "Uncle Meng, sorry for the trouble today."

Seeing that the young master of the house was no more than eighteen, yet had managed to take down such a huge tiger, Meng Gang didn't dare put on the airs he usually reserved for ordinary villagers.

Smiling, he said, "Wang Meng and I are good friends. He asked me to come today, so there's no need to be so polite, young brother."

Luo Yi welcomed Meng Gang and Wang Meng into the courtyard, then asked his sister to heat some water.

He pointed at the tiger on the ground.

"Uncle Meng, it's been so hot lately, and this tiger's been dead for an hour or two. If we don't deal with it soon, the meat could spoil."

Meng Gang examined the carcass carefully, then looked at the fatal wound in the tiger's belly.

He glanced at the Dao hanging from Luo Yi's waist and confirmed that the young man in front of him was the one who had killed it.

He crouched down and patted the tiger's carcass.

"Young brother, in our line of work, we charge for every job. But since you and Wang Meng are friends, I won't take any silver this time. Would you be willing to spare me a few jin of Tiger Flesh to try?"

After butchering a tiger that weighed six or seven hundred jin, there would be at least five hundred jin of meat.

There were only two people in Luo Yi's family, and they couldn't finish that much tiger meat in a short time. He might as well do them a favor.

"Of course, Uncle Meng. Once you're done, you and Uncle Wang can each take some home to try."

A smile appeared on Wang Meng's face at Luo Yi's answer.

"See? I told you on the way here that you'd definitely get some meat out of this trip. You didn't believe me, did you?" He shook his head as he spoke.

At Wang Meng's teasing, Meng Gang smiled and beckoned toward the gate.

A young man of sixteen or seventeen, who bore some resemblance to Meng Gang, entered the courtyard with a basket on his back.

Meng Gang pulled the young man to his side and introduced him to the two of them.

"This is my son, Meng Yu."

"This is your Uncle Wang, and this is your big brother Luo Yi."

After the introductions, Meng Gang took the basket off Meng Yu's back.

He laid out the tools he needed for the job, one by one.

"Xiao Yi, the wound in this tiger's belly is too large. Most of its blood has already drained out."

"And since it's been dead for so long, the blood has already clotted. There's no way to bleed it now."

Hearing Meng Gang's explanation, Luo Yi nodded.

"Uncle Meng, you're the professional. Go ahead and do it your way. I'm an amateur, so I won't interfere."

Meng Gang felt quite pleased by Luo Yi's answer.

He had his son hand him tools while he began skinning the tiger from the wound in its belly.

Watching Meng Gang's fluid, effortless movements, Luo Yi felt as if he were back in his previous life, watching someone trim a cow's hoof on Douyin.

A feast for the eyes, a balm for the mind.

Wang Meng, Luo Yi, and Luo Xi stood in the courtyard, watching with rapt attention.

There was no denying that Meng Gang was a man of real skill.

His Ox-Severing Knife Art was a sight to behold. Aside from the wound Luo Yi's Dao had made in the tiger's belly, there wasn't a single flaw in the intact Tiger Hide.

After removing the hide, Meng Gang detached the tiger's kneecaps, shinbones, and limb bones, then handed them to Luo Yi.

"Xiao Yi, Tiger Bone is valuable stuff. You can't even buy it in Dongsheng Town."

As he accepted the Tiger Bone, Luo Yi recalled the Four Treasures Animal Medicine said to be famous in his previous life's Hua Kingdom.

Bear Gall, bezoar, musk, and Tiger Bone. Since Bear Gall could increase the time he had to practice martial arts, surely Tiger Bone, ranked alongside it, couldn't be all that bad.

He decided to put the idea into action. He asked his sister to keep an eye on the Tiger Bone, then ran to the town's liquor shop and bought back two large jars of Bai liquor.

He scraped away the remaining sinew and flesh from the Tiger Bone, washed it clean, and boiled it in a pot for an hour. After taking it out and letting it dry in a cool place, it would be ready to soak in liquor.

Before long, the sky gradually darkened. Watching Meng Gang divide up the tiger meat, Luo Yi thought of how, back in the countryside in his previous life, his mother would invite the butcher and anyone who helped slaughter the Year Pig to stay for a meal every New Year.

He had been in this world for quite some time, and his sister had cooked every meal. Today, he would try cooking for himself. He took out two large chunks of butchered Tiger Flesh, cut them into pieces, washed them, and blanched them in a pot.

He poured oil and White Sugar into the pot and cooked it until the sugar caramelized. Then he added the blanched Tiger Flesh and stirred it until evenly coated, before adding water, salt, and spices. He left it to simmer over low heat.

Meng Gang's knife work was impressive. In about an hour, he had cleanly butchered the entire tiger into cuts from its different parts.

After cooking, Luo Yi walked into the courtyard and found Meng Gang finished with the butchering.

"Uncle Meng, Uncle Wang, thanks for all your hard work this afternoon. Stay for dinner."

Wang Meng laughed. "We're definitely staying. I want to try Xiao Yi's cooking." Meng Gang didn't refuse either, and stayed with his son.

Back in the kitchen, Luo Yi placed the Braised Tiger Meat in a basin and carried it to the stone table in the courtyard. He set out the bowls and chopsticks, brought out a jar of Bai liquor he had bought that afternoon, and invited everyone to sit down.

They gathered around the stone table and looked at the glistening Tiger Flesh in the basin.

Luo Xi picked up a piece of Tiger Flesh and put it in her mouth.

Her eyes lit up. "Big brother, this Tiger Flesh you made is so delicious! I've never eaten meat this good before."

Hearing her, the others couldn't resist trying some too.

They polished off the entire basin of Tiger Flesh.