Red-Braised Pork (Continued)

Because they were flying high enough, Jian Mo could see the lake in the distance.

Despite the cold weather, several lakes remained unfrozen, their waters shimmering as if a small patch of sky had fallen into them.

The sunset appeared quickly and disappeared just as fast; by the time they flew to the tribe, the sunset had completely vanished.

The sky turned a muted gray-blue.

However, Jian Mo didn't manage to keep a low profile at all when they returned.

Everyone was astonished to see that they had brought back two large baskets of honey and honeycomb.

The news spread like wildfire, and almost everyone came out to watch. The whole tribe was even more lively than when they had a bonfire party.

"It really is honey! My goodness, so many honey chunks!"

"It's been so long since I've seen honey. When I was with my partner, he gave me a small bag of honey. It's such a sweet memory."

"Two years ago, the Mengshui Tribe invited us to help with a long-distance hunt for the long-haired ferocious beasts. Was honey included in the reward?"

"Of course! I only went to help because of the honey."

"Jian Mo, are you going to trade the honey? Anything is fine with me!"

Upon hearing someone ask about this, everyone's eyes lit up, and they all turned to look at Jian Mo.

In winter, they don't have to work collectively; they can manage all their harvest themselves.

Jian Mo wants to change it, she can just do so.

Jian Mo was startled by them and waved her hand, saying, "I don't plan to change it for now. Honey blocks can be stored for a relatively long time, so I want to store them first."

Everyone nodded in disappointment but understanding, and stopped asking questions.

Jian Mo was a little puzzled. They only asked themselves, not Wu Jiong. Then he thought about it and realized that Wu Jiong might be fierce, and he was also their clan leader, so they didn't dare to ask.

One of the younger orcs persisted, asking, "Jian Mo, where did you get your honey blocks from?"

Before Jian Mo could answer, the orcs and sub-orcs beside him retorted:

"They found the collection sites themselves, how can they just casually reveal them?"

"Don't ask! It's the tribe's rule that if you find anything good, you don't have to tell anyone else."

"Haha, let's leave a secret gathering point for Jian Mo."

Jian Mo was surprised to find this custom in the tribe. She smiled and didn't try to be generous.

Everyone took a look, had their fill of visual enjoyment, and then went home.

Jian Mo and the others went home.

The first thing Jian Mo did upon returning home was to find the pepper stamens, boil half a pot of water with them, then pour in syrup, making a cup for himself, a cup for Wu Jiong, and planning to give the remaining half pot to the Flying-Winged Beast later.

It's too cold outside, I need to drink something hot to warm myself up, otherwise I might catch a cold later.

Jian Mo poured out the water, blew on it, and then took a small sip.

The pepper-flavored water is sweet with a hint of spiciness, and tastes somewhat like ginger water, but the spiciness is different; the pepper-flavored water is also more pungent.

Jian Mo thought it tasted pretty good.

There aren't many beverages in this world, and he thinks even sweet, flavorful water tastes good.

Wu Jiong held the water for a long time but didn't drink it.

Jian Mo initially thought he was afraid of getting burned, but after taking a closer look, she realized he didn't like the taste and couldn't help but laugh.

Wu Jiong rarely acts like this when it comes to food.

Jian Mo: "Don't you like it?"

Wu Jiong remained calm. "It's alright."

Jian Mo raised her glass in a toasting gesture. "If you don't mind too much, have a couple of sips, and give the rest to Jiujiu."

Wu Jiong grunted in agreement, then picked up the cup and slowly finished drinking the peppercorn water.

Jian Mo went upstairs and found a few unused earthenware jars, carefully placing the honey blocks inside.

After packing the honey blocks, he also specially found a few good-quality charcoal pieces and put them into several earthenware jars.

Wu Jiong asked, puzzled, "Why put charcoal in? Is it to make a kind of delicious food?"

Jian Mo: "No, charcoal has excellent absorbency; putting it in helps to prevent moisture and absorb odors."

Wu Jiong didn't quite understand, but he nodded nonetheless.

Seeing the omnipotent clan chief with such an expression, Jian Mo smiled again, "Go and get a piece of meat with the skin on; we're making braised pork tonight."

Wu Jiong agreed and went to the back of the house to get the frozen meat.

They stored a large amount of food, including dried bacon, pickled vegetables, durable stems and tubers, and frozen meat in jars.

Because the food was all obtained through gathering and hunting, the types of food stored were not very uniform.

Wu Jiong brought back a piece of meat that was relatively tender and had a relatively mild odor, and under Jian Mo's instructions, cut it into pieces about three fingers thick.

Jian Mo blanched the meat chunks twice with spices, and then specially caramelized the sugar in a stone pot.

After the sugar is caramelized, add the spices and meat and stir-fry until fragrant, then add fruit wine.

Once the seasonings in the pot are evenly mixed, Jian Mo puts the meat into an earthenware pot, adds water, and simmers it over a fire.

The aroma quickly filled the air, growing stronger and stronger, wafting far and wide from their house.

Wu Jiong didn't urge them to start eating, but instead paced back and forth in the room.

Their stomachs were growling with hunger. Jian Mo scooped out the cooked stems and offered them to Wu Jiong to have some, but he refused.

Wu Jiong said, "I'll save my appetite for later dinner."

Jian Mo smiled and said, "Okay, it shouldn't disappoint you."

After a long wait, the braised pork in the earthenware pot was finally ready.

Even under the firelight, the meat's skin was glistening with an enticing reddish-brown color, and its aroma, carried by the heat, rose in wafts, creating a captivating fragrance that made one's mouth water.

The aroma was like meat, sweet, and spices; all the flavors combined were so distinct that even Wu Jiong, a beastman with an extremely keen sense of smell, couldn't distinguish what it was.

The rich aroma wafted towards Wu Jiong's nose, even refreshing his memory of scents.

So there is a fragrance in this world that smells like this.

Jian Mo left a portion for the Flying-Winged Beast, then handed the chopsticks to Wu Jiong: "Eat, eat, we've been starving for so long."