“Even if he’s not a monk, he wouldn’t… What did you just say? You said you smelled meat?” Qi Yi exclaimed.
Amuer nodded, “Yes, chicken and pork.”
Qi Yi knew Amuer’s capabilities. The guy had an incredibly keen sense of smell, comparable to a hound.
So, his sister was eating meat in the temple?
That made things much easier.
“Roe deer meat is delicious. Let’s hunt one and carry it back.”
Men naturally had a sharp instinct for prey. The two who hadn’t found any fruit for half a day soon found their quarry.
When they returned, they weren’t just carrying a roe deer, but also two pheasants and two wild rabbits.
“Wild pheasant stew is incredibly flavorful. These rabbits, brushed with honey and roasted, will be so delicious you’ll want to swallow your tongue. I haven’t tried roe deer before, but Xuanxuan is a great cook, she’ll definitely know how to make it even tastier,” Amuer said gleefully.
He couldn’t beat Qi Yi in a fight, but when it came to hunting, Qi Yi was no match for him.
He had caught the roe deer, and he had also spotted the pheasants and rabbits.
The two carried the game back to the kitchen, eliciting exclamations from Qi Xuanxuan.
Never mind the pheasants and rabbits, this roe deer, though not large, weighed dozens of pounds. With the weather so hot, wouldn’t it spoil if they couldn’t eat it all? A temple was different from other places; if they couldn’t finish it, they could share it with friendly families. This was a place of serenity, and the monks were all vegetarians.
It was such a waste.
Although there were other pilgrims staying at the temple, those people came with devout hearts to offer incense and make wishes. If she were to give them meat, she feared she would be scolded.
Thinking of so much good food going to waste, Qi Xuanxuan felt a pang of regret.
Therefore, Qi Yi and Amuer were puzzled. They had brought the game back and apologized, so why was her expression still so grim?
To avoid waste, Qi Xuanxuan went to discuss it with Qi Zhenzhen.
“Make it into jerky. But with the weather so hot now, the meat will spoil easily,” Qi Zhenzhen also didn’t know what to do.
In winter, they could smoke meat and make jerky.
At this time, it would likely grow maggots before it even dried.
If only they had an oven.
Right, not just the electric ovens from her previous life, but also those wood-fired ovens.
Even if she didn’t know how, perhaps Yuan Jue would.
“Xuanxuan, go ask Master Yuan Jue if he knows how to build a roasting oven. If he can build one, we can not only make jerky but also many other delicious dishes,” Qi Zhenzhen suggested.
Qi Xuanxuan’s eyes lit up, and she trotted off to find Yuan Jue.
As expected, Qi Xuanxuan returned with a drawing, which included a list of materials and steps.
It involved mud and earth. How could a young lady do such work?
Qi Yi and Amuer became the laborers, starting to build the roasting oven according to the diagram.
Qi Xuanxuan wasn’t idle either. She stewed the pheasants and mushrooms, and made spicy chicken. The wild rabbits were prepared as "jumping into water" rabbits. When Qi Zhenzhen wanted to eat them, she was stopped. Er Xi solemnly stated, “Your servant heard from the elders that if a pregnant woman eats rabbit, the child will be born with a rabbit’s mouth.”
Therefore, Qi Zhenzhen could only watch as Er Xi ate with a greasy face, gasping from the spiciness while exclaiming how satisfying it was.
Fortunately, the elders didn’t say pregnant women couldn’t eat chicken. Qi Zhenzhen ate several mouthfuls of spicy chicken, finally feeling a bit more balanced. No, she had to warn Qi Yi and Amuer that they were forbidden to hunt wild rabbits next time they went into the mountains. To see but not to eat was too frustrating. Qi Zhenzhen now deeply understood how she felt when she prevented her grandmother from eating whatever she pleased.