Old Master Zhao cast a pitying glance at Li Menglan’s pale little face. He gave her a calm smile, then patted her on the head. “Lan girl, don’t be afraid… Grandpa will help you kill those two wild boars.”
“Grandpa Zhao, what are you going to do?” Li Menglan asked, utterly stunned.
Old Master Zhao weighed the few branches in his hand and gave Li Menglan a reassuring smile. With a whoosh, the branches shot through the air, carrying a fierce rush of wind.
Good heavens… just look at that force… and that faint rumble of wind and thunder… They were only a few unremarkable little branches, yet Old Master Zhao had somehow thrown them with the force of crossbow bolts.
Before Li Menglan could even speak, a sharp howl from nearby shook her eardrums until they hurt and left her head spinning. Only after the great tree stopped swaying did she discover in shock that Old Master Zhao had already brought her down from the tree.
And… and the two wild boars that had been tearing and fighting each other not long ago had both been struck squarely in the head by the branches Old Master Zhao had thrown. Now they lay on the ground, breathing out but not in, their snouts occasionally letting out one or two low whimpers.
Uh… this… they died just like that? Li Menglan was dumbfounded.
Old Master Zhao strode over. Two bangs rang out. Seeing that the wild boars still had a breath left in them, the old man simply raised his fists and gave each boar another punch to the skull. In an instant, the two wild boars that had already been on the verge of death were dead beyond dead.
“Wow! Grandpa Zhao, you’re amazing!” Li Menglan’s eyes immediately shone as she looked at Old Master Zhao with a face full of worship.
“Lan girl, this is nothing.” Li Menglan’s admiring gaze pleased Old Master Zhao immensely, and he said without the slightest modesty, “Back in the day, your Grandpa Zhao even killed a tiger with his bare hands.”
They said a true hero did not boast of past glory, but when Old Master Zhao spoke of those days, he did not look the least bit embarrassed.
“Really?” Li Menglan cheered loudly with great enthusiasm. “Grandpa Zhao, you’re truly capable.” Naturally, Old Master Zhao once again received Li Menglan’s admiration.
Seeing Old Master Zhao’s smug expression, hehe… Li Menglan almost could not hold back her laughter. People always said the old were like children, and sure enough… the older one got, the more childlike one became!
Li Menglan walked closer to take a look. Good heavens… what a sight. Earlier, when she had been up in the tree, she had been too far away to see clearly. She had originally thought the two wild boars were not that large, that a little over a hundred jin each would already be the limit. But now that she was close, she realized… she had been dead wrong. Together, these two wild boars had to weigh at least four or five hundred jin—there was no doubt about it.
At that sight, Li Menglan became worried. “Grandpa Zhao, how are we supposed to get two wild boars this big back?”
Li Menglan thought about her own skinny little arms and legs, then looked at Old Master Zhao’s white-flecked hair. Uh… the little girl immediately wrinkled up her face in worry.
Wild boars—also known as mountain pigs—belonged to the pig genus. They were widely distributed throughout the world, but due to human hunting, the sharp shrinking of their living environment, and other factors, their numbers had declined dramatically, and they had already been listed as endangered species in many countries.
Li Menglan remembered having read introductions about wild boars in her previous life, but none of that was important. What mattered was… the meat on the wild boars.
Wild boar meat was tender, fragrant, rich with gamey flavor, high in lean meat, and low in fat—only 50% of domestic pork. It was nutritious, containing seventeen kinds of amino acids and various trace elements, and its linoleic acid content was 2.5 times higher than that of domestic pork.
To put it simply… wild boar meat was good stuff. Eating more of it was very good for the body.
And now, right in front of Li Menglan, two wild boars were lying there in all their glory. If anyone were to tell this girl not to take them now… it would probably feel no better than cutting flesh from her body with a knife.
Compared to Li Menglan, Old Master Zhao was clearly much calmer. “I say, Lan girl! Why are you wrinkling up your little face? Aren’t they just two wild boars? What’s so special about that? Besides… wild boar meat is coarse and doesn’t taste like much. It doesn’t matter whether we take them or not.”
Old Master Zhao had eaten wild boar meat before. For Old Master Zhao, who loved good food, wild boar meat truly was not very tasty.
Hmph… rich people really were extravagant, Li Menglan rolled her eyes helplessly in her heart. Did he even know how much silver these two wild boars were worth?
That was what she thought, but not the slightest bit of it showed on Li Menglan’s face. She smiled at Old Master Zhao and said, “Grandpa Zhao, that’s where you’re wrong.”
“Oh… Lan girl, then tell me, where is this old man wrong?” Li Menglan’s words piqued Old Master Zhao’s interest greatly.
“Grandpa Zhao, dishes made from wild boar meat are much more delicious than ordinary pork.” Li Menglan thought for a moment, then gave examples of several wild boar dishes she had once eaten. “For example, in this kind of weather, it’s perfect to eat wild boar and radish balls—the main ingredients are minced wild boar and radish. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, savory and delicious. There’s also crispy wild boar made from the tenderloin—the soup is fresh, the meat is tender, and it’s very tasty too.”
“And for another example—stone-cooked wild boar strips. The pork strips are smooth and tender, savory, fragrant, and appetizing. That’s also a rare delicacy. And there’s also… qianzhang wild boar made with wild boar belly meat and preserved mustard greens. The meat is soft and moist, the flavor rich and mellow, tender but not greasy. Just hearing about it makes people want to swallow their saliva. Golden-sand wild boar ribs…”
As Li Menglan spoke, even she could not help secretly swallowing. Those were all top-notch delicacies!
Not to mention Li Menglan… even the gluttons in Old Master Zhao’s stomach had long since been hooked by her. “Lan girl.”
Old Master Zhao swallowed involuntarily and said with a suspicious expression, “You wouldn’t be deliberately tempting the cravings in this old man’s belly, would you? This wild boar meat… is it really as delicious as you say?”
“Grandpa Zhao, why would Lan’er lie to you? What benefit would I get?” Li Menglan pouted aggrievedly and said, “If you don’t believe me… once we get home, Lan’er can make two dishes for you to try. Then won’t you know whether it’s true or not?”
The moment Old Master Zhao heard Li Menglan say this, he became even less calm. “Really? Lan girl!”
“Of course. Not only is wild boar meat delicious when cooked into dishes, even if it’s made into smoked meat, cured meat, or directly air-dried… they’re all rare delicacies.” This time, Li Menglan smacked her lips very generously. “Those pig offal parts are the same too!”
“This old man has eaten things like smoked meat and cured meat before. They didn’t taste like much.” Yunliang Kingdom also had methods for making cured meat and smoked meat. Though they were a little simple, they still looked more or less the part.
“Tch, Grandpa Zhao. Would what other people make be as delicious as what Lan’er makes? Of course smoked meat and cured meat are the same.” Li Menglan judged without the slightest politeness.
“Very well. Then we’ll bring both of these wild boars back and let you, Lan girl, show your skills. We’ll see whether they’re as delicious as you claim.”
Under the temptation of good food, Old Master Zhao waved his hand and made the final decision.
Though that was what he said, Li Menglan truly did worry over how they were going to bring the two wild boars down the mountain.
Suddenly… a scene that made Li Menglan’s jaw nearly drop appeared. Old Master Zhao very easily grabbed a wild boar in each hand and dragged them all the way back along the path the two of them had taken.
Holy crap!
A… a strongman!
Li Menglan truly had not expected that Old Master Zhao was not only highly skilled in martial arts, but also a man of great strength.
Uh… although wild boars had thick hide and tough flesh, dragging them like this… who knew whether the meat would still be edible once they got back? Li Menglan discovered that ever since she had come to this ancient era, she seemed to be worrying more and more. Boohoo… would she become old before her time in the future?
“Grandpa Zhao, dragging them like this… won’t the wild boar meat be ruined? If the wild boar meat does get ruined… you mustn’t blame me if what I make doesn’t taste good.”
She had to say the ugly words in advance, lest things become unclear later.
“Don’t worry. In a while, I’ll have your father go back to the village and call people over to carry them.” Clearly, Old Master Zhao had already thought of this problem.