Chapter 190
The activity paths of these small mammals in the forest are quite easy to find, at least for Shi Wen, there was no difficulty at all.
He glanced around a few times, then heard people outside already packing up their things.
In those few short seconds, he quickly made a judgment, found two paths that squirrels often took, and then followed those paths forward.
He quickly found the squirrel's burrow where it hid acorns.
Squirrels have a habit of storing food, and they build several storage sites every year.
This nest of acorns was probably stored by the squirrels specifically for winter, but now that it's summer, no squirrels have come to collect them.
It may have forgotten that there was a nest of acorns here.
Squirrels are like that; they like to hide things and often forget things, so they are important little seed-planting experts in the forest. Many trees grow from fruits that squirrels have forgotten.
Shi Wen sees this batch of acorns today, then I'm sorry, he'll have to take them back for Yan Kexing to try.
Shi Wen, without any guilt, dug out the nest of acorns, leaving only two or three in place. If they were to sprout, those two or three acorns would be enough to grow into a large tree.
Shi Wen at the small pocket tucked up at the hem of his clothes; this amount of acorns wasn't enough, he'd have to find two or three more nests.
So he quickly searched deeper into the forest, found two or three more nests of acorns, and then, carrying a large bag full of acorns, he walked out contentedly to meet up with Tang Duohai and the others.
Tang Duohai looked at his heavily laden hem and said, "Brother Shi, what are you looking for? We thought you were relieving yourself deep in the Linzi, so we didn't dare call you."
Shi Wen opened his pockets to show them. "I found a big bag of acorns."
Everyone gathered around to look:
"Aren't these Mongolian oak seeds? We used to collect these things and use them as projectiles with slingshots when we had nothing else to play with."
"Yes, yes, I used to play with this all the time when I was little. Why are you picking this up? Can you eat it? Or are you going to plant it on your mountain?"
"This thing should work in your area, right? I heard that foreigners especially like to use this to feed their pigs, and that the pigs have a peculiar aroma after eating it, is that true?"
"You just mentioned it, and it reminded me of something. Aren't those Iberian pigs raised on this?"
Shi Wen them ramble on and on, going in circles, Shi quickly explained, "This isn't for feeding pigs. In my hometown, there's a food called acorn tofu. I haven't had it in a long time, so I'm taking some acorns back to see if I can make acorn tofu."
Tang Duohai was taken aback for a moment. "Brother Shi, are you homesick?"
Shi Wen smiled and said, "I'm a little homesick, but I mainly want to share some food from my hometown with Yan Kexing."
When he said that, everyone laughed and felt too embarrassed to ask any further questions.
Shi Wen herself wasn't embarrassed at all; she wanted to share the foods she ate as a child with her loved one—it was such a serious matter!
I wonder if Yan Kexing has ever tried this? And if he can stomach it?
It's okay if you don't like the food; just try it once or twice.
Chapter 190
Shi Wen returned home on horseback, Yan Kexing personally came out to greet him.
The two hadn't seen each other for a week, Shi Wen felt that Yan Kexing's features had almost become unfamiliar.
Upon seeing Yan Kexing's tall figure appear at the entrance of the ranch, Shi Wen disregarded everything else, jumped off his horse, and smiled as he opened his arms to Yan Kexing.
When he jumped, he stumbled forward several steps due to inertia.
Yan Kexing's steady and strong arms caught him firmly.
Shi Wen the familiar scent, she rubbed Yan Kexing's back and said, "It's strange, even though we chat every day, I still miss you so much."
Yan Kexing: "I miss you too. You've lost weight."
Shi Wen laughed, "Really? You can tell we've lost weight in just one week? We've been eating quite well outside."
Yan Kexing: "Your face looks a bit sharper now. We made roast goose at home; let's have a good meal tonight."
Shi Wen had no objections. "I miss your cooking when I'm away from home."
The two walked together into the pasture, with the Shi Suo was carrying following behind.
Once back in the main courtyard, Shi Wen washed his hands, then took a sealed bag out of the things Shi Suo was carrying. "This is dried meat I brought for you."
Yan Kexing with a smile, "You actually brought back some dried meat?"
"Of course! A man's word is his bond." Shi Wen held up the jerky towards Yan Kexing. "I've already torn off the part I bit. You should try it and see if it's good."
Throughout his long life, Yan Kexing ate many kinds of dried meat.
He had tasted all kinds of jerky, both common and uncommon, even those with lost recipes, but this was the first time he had ever tasted a large piece of jerky that someone had specially brought back for him.
This piece of jerky is slightly larger than the palm of your hand, reddish-brown in color, and has a distinctive beef aroma.
He took a bite and found the jerky to be perfectly tender and firm, with the salty and spicy seasoning bringing out the unique umami flavor of the beef—it was indeed a very delicious piece of jerky.
Shi Wen observed his expression and saw the look of enjoyment in his eyes. She happily said, "It really is delicious, isn't it? I wanted to share it with you the moment I tasted it."
Yan Kexing: "It's delicious. When the weather is right, we'll make a batch on our ranch too."
Shi Wen, "Okay. I'll find out which restaurant makes the best beef, and we'll buy more."
Besides the dried meat, Shi Wen also brought back quite a few other things, the most special of which was a large bag of acorns.
Yan Kexing glanced at the acorns. "Should we take them up the mountain to plant?"
"We'll plant some and eat some ourselves," Shi Wen my hometown, we have a tradition of eating acorn tofu. When I came down the mountain, I saw some acorns on the ground and thought I'd pick some up so you could try them too."