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After Wu Jiong threw the plank beetle in, Jian Mo was a little worried. "Won't it trap the fish?"

Wu Jiong: "Generally not, the speed is too slow, it can't grab them."

While Jian Mo and Wu Jiong were chatting, Ban Ming and the others called out from the front, "Jian Mo, how many have you caught? We've already caught several here."

Jian Mo casually remarked, "We already have one, and we've seen another one. If we catch two more, we'll have quite a few."

Ban Ming and the others originally only wanted to make a fuss, but after Jian Mo said that, everyone's minds were in a state of shock.

After a moment of surprise, everyone burst into laughter, even the little ones started laughing in their babyish voices.

Ban Ming: "Jian Mo, you've changed."

Jian Mo: "No, I just revealed my true colors."

Everyone laughed again, Wu Jiong's eyes also showed a smile.

Catching plank bugs requires some skill. Jian Mo tried catching them a few times, but each time he was afraid the bug would slap him.

Fortunately, as long as you catch it from behind, and avoid getting pinched or scratched by its shell, things are relatively simple.

Jian Mo caught them one by one and soon discovered that, probably because no one eats these things, the plank worms here were all bigger and plumper than the last.

There were several large ones, longer than his arm.

Everyone searched all morning and returned home with a full load.

However, the little ones had all turned into muddy little ones, their fur all flattened.

Seeing this, Wu Jiong instructed Ban Ming and the others to take the cubs to take a bath.

Ban Ming and the others grumbled, but in the end they couldn't disobey the clan leader's order and had no choice but to take the little ones to the river to bathe.

The little ones hadn't had this much fun in a long time; they were so tired they were sticking their tongues out but kept laughing until their voices were almost hoarse.

After Ban Ming and the others finished bathing and drying the cubs, Jian Mo and Wu Jiong were brushing woodworms in the yard.

They crowded around to watch, pushing Jiujiu to the back.

Ban Ming asked, "Jian Mo, how are you going to eat these wood worms?"

Jian Mo: "It's stir-fried with hot pot broth that has pepper powder added. Do you guys want to eat it? Wait, have you ever had this before?"

Ban Ming's eyes widened. "What are you talking about? Who didn't sneak a piece of wood worm when they were little?"

Jian Mo asked with a smile, "After taking it, has anyone developed a rash?"

Ban Ming and the others all shook their heads. Whether they were orcs or sub-orcs, they were all quite resilient and did not have this problem.

Jian Mo said, "Then you can try it later and see if my hometown flavor suits your taste?"

Now, whether they were teenagers or little kids, everyone looked over with sparkling eyes.

Ban Ming, ever the perceptive one, took the grass from Jian Mo's hand. "Jian Mo, let's wash it."

Jian Mo thought for a moment and said, "Okay, then be careful not to get your hands caught."

Ban Ming chuckled twice, "How could we possibly get caught? We weren't caught when we were being captured, so there's even less chance we'll be caught now."

The others nodded in agreement.

Jian Mo then handed over the task of cleaning the plank worms to them, and took Wu Jiong to the field to pick large garlic leaves.

Large-leaf garlic has a bitter taste. After harvesting it, fry it slowly over low heat until fragrant, then pour off the oil. What you get is crispy garlic with a strong garlic flavor.

Once Jian Mo's side dishes were ready, Ban Ming and the others had also cleaned the wood worms.

Jian Mo directed them to twist off the woodworm's head, leaving only its fleshy tail.

This step can only be done by adults; the little ones cannot interfere.

For teenagers accustomed to hunting and gathering, this was incredibly easy, and they finished processing the two large basins in no time.

Jian Mo started a fire to stir-fry the wood worms.

First, fry various spices in plenty of oil until fragrant, then add bone marrow oil, and finally put in the tail of the wood plank worm.

After a quick stir-fry, the worm tails turn an enticing red, releasing a fragrant aroma.

Jian Mo stir-fryes the ingredients directly with a large spatula until they are fully cooked and fragrant. Then she adds fruit wine to remove any fishy smell and enhance the aroma. After that, she pours in boiling water and mushroom sauce to simmer, adding a little powdered sugar and shellfish powder to enhance the flavor.

Everyone crowded into the kitchen and yard, eagerly inhaling the rich aroma.

It smells so good!

The bone marrow oil smells so good.

The mushroom sauce smells so good.

The wood worms smell so good, and the garlic powder sprinkled in also smells so good.

The teenagers were alright, but the little ones and Jiujiu Chiu were practically drooling.

Jian Mo reduced the sauce over high heat until it thickened, coating each piece of worm tail with a glossy sauce. He then sprinkled on a layer of crispy fried garlic leaves and broadleaf grass, stir-fried them together, and then placed them in two large basins for the teenagers to carry to the yard.

Jian Mo them to reach in and eat slowly, "It's a little hot."

Everyone responded in unison.

The heat was no problem for the thick-skinned teenagers. They picked it up, sucked on the delicious and rich slightly spicy broth, and then used both hands to break open the outer shell.

The tender, juicy white tail meat was revealed inside, two thick slices. A gentle bite revealed its freshness and tenderness, with absolutely no fishy taste, only a rich aroma.

After eating the tail meat, the orange-red tail roe hidden underneath is even more delicious and fragrant, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

The teenagers broke off a worm's tail with a snap, a bite, and a suck, finishing it off in just two or three bites.

The little ones have it much harder. They hold the insect's tail with their two little hands or two paws, slowly nibbling at the shell until it's broken open, then they break it open to find the meat inside to eat.

Eating this way is a bit slow, but every bite is filled with delicious tail meat, and the little ones squint their eyes with happiness.

Jiujiu's teeth aren't very good, so when it comes to eating worm tails, it does the same thing as the little ones: it uses its two short front paws to grab the tail and slowly gnaw on it, occasionally sucking on it, looking very content.

Jian Mo glanced around and, seeing that the possibility of something unexpected was relatively low, turned his gaze away and began to gnaw on the tail meat that Wu Jiong had peeled for him.

I must say, this freshly caught seafood is incredibly delicious, much better than the farmed seafood I've had before. Farmed seafood rarely has such plump and springy meat.