The Primitive Adventures of a Chipmunk 53

Chapter 53

After being boiled in clear water, the lean and slightly shriveled sheep’s hind leg meat immediately rejuvenated, becoming firm and plump. It hadn’t been dried for too long, so the texture of the mutton was still clear, the color was bright, and it exuded a tempting sweet fragrance.

He used chopsticks to pick out the meat. The meat broth with oil floating on top couldn’t be wasted either. Hua Shi’an poured the peeled and diced potatoes into the pot, added a few chestnuts, a few slices of ginger, and some dried sour papaya, and let it stew in the meat broth.

The freshly cooked mutton was very hot. The beastman volunteered to take it and cut it into slices according to Hua Shi’an’s request. He was very enthusiastic, but his knife skills were indescribable. It was unclear whether the meat was too hot or the knife was too dull, but the cut mutton was thick in some places and thin in others, and some pieces had even crumbled.

A whole piece of mutton was still very large, four fingers wide and half a forearm long. Hua Shi’an estimated that he could eat it for three days. Considering the beastman’s large appetite, Hua Shi’an had him cut it all. Half was to be eaten as is, and the other half was for stir-frying with rock ear.

The rock ear had also been rehydrated. A handful of dried rock ear had turned into a full bamboo tube after soaking, and it was even overflowing.

While the beastman was cutting the meat, Hua Shi’an washed the rock ear and tore the large pieces into smaller ones. He then lit the other small stove and placed his clam shell wok on it.

The clam shell was relatively brittle and not resistant to high temperatures, making it easy to break. It was actually not suitable as a cooking utensil, but there was no more suitable wok at the moment. One clam shell could probably withstand being used for stir-frying once or twice… right?

With a sense of trepidation, Hua Shi’an dug out a piece of white sheep fat from a bamboo tube and carefully placed it in the wok.

The temperature rose quickly, and the sheep fat melted smoothly. Seeing that the clam shell had not changed, Hua Shi’an breathed a sigh of relief. He then poured the pre-cut ginger and chili segments, and Sichuan peppercorns into the wok and stir-fried them with a bamboo spatula.

The hot oil brought out the fragrance of the spices. He then added the cut smoked mutton slices. The freshly cooked mutton had some water in it, and when the water droplets combined with the hot oil, it crackled and popped.

Oil splattered everywhere. Hua Shi’an quickly covered his face with a sheepskin, while at the same time, he quickly stir-fried a few times with the bamboo spatula and instructed the beastman to pour the washed rock ear into the wok.

The mutton was mostly lean and would become tough if stir-fried for too long. The rock ear also cooked very quickly. He quickly stir-fried it to fully incorporate the rock ear with the hot oil, then used the temperature of the clam shell to cook the rock ear. Finally, he sprinkled a little salt and it was ready to be served.

There was no need to specifically scoop out the dish. The wok was the plate, and the plate was the wok. When the temperature had cooled down a little, Hua Shi’an placed a coir sheet under it and directly carried the entire clam shell back to the tree hollow.

The potatoes were still a bit hard. After carrying the two large plates of mutton into the tree hollow, Hua Shi’an added some more firewood to the small stove, then walked to the large stone pot, scooped a bamboo tube of water, and turned to call the beastman, “Come and wash your hands, Huaishan. Let’s eat first. The food will get cold later. Let the potatoes simmer slowly.”

“Mm, coming.”

The beastman heard him and came over, washing his hands with Hua Shi’an.

After rubbing his hands and shaking off the water droplets, Hua Shi’an stood up first and walked towards the tree hollow.

It was just a few steps. As soon as he reached the entrance of the hollow, Hua Shi’an deliberately stopped and looked back. This time, the honest beastman was following closely behind.

His fluttering gaze and clenched hands still betrayed his nervousness. Hua Shi’an ducked into the tree hollow first, then turned and beckoned to him, comforting him softly, “It’s okay, come in. The tree hollow is a place for eating and sleeping. There aren’t so many rules.”

To Hua Shi’an, the tree hollow was a home, a place for eating and sleeping.

To the beastman, the place for eating and sleeping was their private territory, a private domain that outsiders could not enter at will.

His palms were starting to sweat. Mo Huaishan grunted softly and squeezed into the tree hollow, steeling himself.

This was the first time in his life that he had stepped into a sub-beastman’s territory. Mo Huaishan lowered his head and his eyes, not daring to look around. But his eyes seemed to be completely out of his control, sweeping over the flat and narrow bamboo bed, the cluttered but not messy low table, prying into the sub-beastman’s privacy.

This was the place where the sub-beastman ate and slept. His scent was very strong. The beastman’s nostrils flared, and his steady breathing gradually became rapid. After a couple of seconds, he realized what he was doing, and Mo Huaishan’s ears instantly turned red.

The light in the hollow was dim, and he didn’t notice the beastman’s abnormality. Hua Shi’an squatted in front of the bamboo table and was still showing off to him, “Well? My tree hollow is a bit small, but it’s tidied up quite nicely, right?”

Holding his breath, Mo Huaishan nodded like a chick pecking at rice. “N-Neat and clean. It looks very, very comfortable.”

“Right? I think so too.” Hua Shi’an smiled with satisfaction, then patted the empty space beside him and gestured to the beastman with his chin. “What are you still standing there for? Sit. The food is getting cold.”

Casting aside the distracting thoughts in his mind, Mo Huaishan took a deep breath and sat down beside Hua Shi’an.

After being cured and then smoked, the mutton in the clam shell was incredibly fragrant. Hua Shi’an had been hungry for a long time. As soon as the beastman sat down, he picked up his chopsticks and stuffed a piece of the original-flavored mutton into his mouth.

Lean but not dry, fragrant and chewy, the salty and smoky flavors were just right, perfectly blended. The rich texture and unique taste were endlessly satisfying.

One piece of mutton completely activated his taste buds. Hua Shi’an’s appetite was whetted, and he tried the stir-fried cured meat with rock ear. The rock ear was crisp and tender, and the glistening mutton was numbing, spicy, and fragrant. What gamey or rank smell? There was none. Only a fragrant taste ran rampant in his mouth.

Immersed in the delicious food, after eating half a plate of mutton, Hua Shi’an finally remembered that there was still someone sitting beside him.

Mo Huaishan had good table manners. He ate with his head down, without a sound. Hua Shi’an looked at him with his cheeks puffed out. Just as he was about to ask him how it tasted, his peripheral vision swept over the beastman’s forehead and saw a fine layer of sweat.

It’s a cold day. It can’t be from the heat. Then this is… from the spiciness?

He had indeed added a handful of dried chili segments to the stir-fried mutton. It was a little spicy, but he clearly remembered that the beastman could eat spicy food. Last time, with the roasted whole lamb and stewed offal, Mo Huaishan had specifically taken the dry dip with chili peppers.

It was very strange. Hua Shi’an swallowed the food in his mouth and gently nudged him with his arm. “Well, Huaishan, is it delicious? Do you like the stir-fried mutton?”

Mo Huaishan’s hand, which was holding the chopsticks, paused slightly. He licked his lips. “It’s, it’s delicious, very fragrant. I like it very much.”

“Is that so?” Hua Shi’an looked at his thin, rosy lips, which looked like they had been painted with lipstick, and suddenly burst out laughing. “What’s wrong? If you can’t eat spicy food, you should have told me. I would have put less. You had to force yourself to eat it. Look at all the sweat on your head, and your mouth is all red.”

Mo Huaishan belatedly touched his forehead and, sure enough, found a handful of sweat.

This was awkward. The beastman quickly wiped away the sweat and then rubbed his lips with the back of his hand, anxiously explaining to Hua Shi’an, “It’s not spicy. I like the taste of chili peppers. It’s delicious, Shi’an.”

Loves it but can’t handle it? No, this reaction was too strong.

Hua Shi’an looked at him with a meaningful gaze, a smile on his lips. He lifted his chopsticks and picked out the chili segments from the stir-fried mutton, placing them in the beastman’s clam shell bowl. “If you like it, then eat more. Don’t be polite. Dried chili peppers also have a unique flavor.”

The yellowish-green wild mountain peppers looked harmless, but their taste… one bite and you’d be speechless.

It was clear that he knew how powerful the wild mountain peppers were. The beastman was stunned, his lips opening and closing, at a loss for words. But after only a moment’s hesitation, Mo Huaishan lifted his chopsticks and, as if facing death with equanimity, fed the wild mountain peppers into his mouth.

“Hey, you’re really eating it!”

It was too late to stop him. Watching him eat the wild mountain peppers, Hua Shi’an was greatly alarmed and quickly patted his arm. “Spit it out, I was just teasing you. Who eats dried chili peppers directly?”

“It’s not spicy.” Mo Huaishan chewed a couple of times and, with a roll of his throat, swallowed.

His mouth was tough, but his body was honest. Less than two seconds after swallowing the wild mountain peppers, the beastman’s lips trembled, and his breathing became heavier. As if he had downed a bottle of high-proof liquor, his cheeks visibly reddened.

Fortunately, there was clear water in the bamboo tube on the table. Hua Shi’an quickly handed it to him, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. “You, if you can’t eat it, don’t force yourself. Why are you so obedient?”

He had no time to be stubborn. Mo Huaishan held the bamboo tube and “gurgled,” and even after drinking all the water, he still hadn’t recovered, sucking in cool air with a “hiss.”

The beastman was sitting on the outside, and he couldn’t even get past him to get more water. Hua Shi’an gently patted his back and asked softly, “Are you better? If it’s still spicy, go and get some water yourself.”

“I’m, I’m better.” Mo Huaishan let out a hot, scalding breath and was still explaining, “It is a little spicy, but the taste is very good. Every time you cook, it’s so delicious, Shi’an. I… I like to eat it.”

He regretted teasing him. Hua Shi’an looked at the beastman’s reddened eyes, his heart softening completely, and he sighed helplessly, “When we eat together, we can’t just cater to one person’s taste. I only put so much chili because I saw you eating spicy food before. If you can’t eat it, I would have put less.”

“You can’t just make do with food. And how long can you make do for? Are we only eating this one meal?” Hua Shi’an looked up at his eyes and suddenly said seriously, “I’ll be cooking for you in the future.”

Mo Huaishan met his gaze, his eyes even redder. “I know, Shi’an.”

He can’t eat spicy food but insists on it, just because Hua Shi’an likes it.

Two large plates of meat, one pot of potato soup, and the two of them were full. In the end, there was still half a plate of mutton left. The leftovers could be finished in the evening. It wouldn’t spoil anyway. Hua Shi’an found a clean clam shell and covered it.

The pots and bowls were not for Hua Shi’an to clean. The beastman was diligent. He cleaned the pots and bowls, completely extinguished the fire, and then said goodbye to Hua Shi’an and left.

Watching that figure gradually walk away and finally disappear among the giant trees, Hua Shi’an went back into the tree hollow, closed the bamboo door, and lay down on his back on the bed.

His sleep schedule was very regular. It was broad daylight, so he definitely couldn’t sleep. So after lying down for a short while, Hua Shi’an got up again, took out the half-finished coir shirt from under the table, and continued to knit, leaning against the head of the bed.

His hands never stopped, but his thoughts slowly drifted away. Hua Shi’an inexplicably thought of the words he had said to Chief Mu during the day.

Interested in him… Hua Shi’an was even more honest than he had imagined. But he couldn’t quite remember when he had become interested in the beastman.

To be a little dramatic, perhaps it was the first time they met.

It was undeniable that Mo Huaishan had a very superior appearance, both in terms of looks and physique. He was a striking presence.

Although it was a bit superficial, good-looking people were just more likely to make a good impression.

Of course, the life-saving kindness was also one of the reasons. Hua Shi’an was very grateful to have been reborn with a healthy body, and he was also very grateful to the original owner and Mo Huaishan for giving him a second life.

His interest had started with his appearance, his approach was out of gratitude, and his help was out of sympathy. But he didn’t know when his heart had started to flutter for the beastman, when he had started to want to see him, talk to him, and be with him.

Realizing his own feelings was as simple as drinking water.