Zhou Sui nodded at him, mounted his horse, and rode off in the direction he had just pointed.
The glow of the setting sun bathed the world, making everything look peaceful and beautiful.
With the experience from the morning and noon, Jiang Jin did not need to give any orders this time; everyone performed their duties in an orderly manner.
She walked to the stream and watched Zhou Sui unload the horse meat from the horse's back. She could not help but ask, Do you know how to make jerky?
Zhou Sui's movements paused. He only knew how to eat it!
Jiang Jin was speechless. She really needed a chef!
For some reason, Zhou Sui suddenly felt a bit ashamed and said in a low voice, I know how to do simple steaming and boiling, and I can also pan-fry meat.
He just did not know how to make jerky. When leading troops in battle, they never had time to make jerky, and with so many people in the military camp, there was never a situation where they could not finish the food.
Jiang Jin silently returned to her exclusive carriage, searched through the database in her space, found the information on making horse meat jerky, and silently memorized it.
It required quite a few seasonings. Fortunately, she had collected the governor's mansion's medicine storehouse, which contained medicinal herbs like star anise, cinnamon, and cumin.
Not far away, the villagers watched Zhou Sui take out large chunks of meat from the sack and all swallowed hard. Let alone meat, they could not even eat their fill of coarse grains mixed with wild vegetables.
A dark-skinned man looked at the meat with glowing eyes. He asked the old man beside him, Village Chief, what kind of meat is that? With so much meat and so few people, they probably cannot finish it all, right?
The old man, who was the Village Chief, glanced at him. Li Liang, do not ask what you should not ask, and do not think about what you should not think about. Those people do not look simple. If you really offend them, do not blame me for disregarding our fellow villager ties.
Li Liang gave an awkward laugh. How could I? I was just asking, just asking. I did not think of anything else.
After saying this, he walked away sheepishly.
The Village Chief looked at Li Liang's back and sighed inwardly.
Their journey fleeing from disaster had already been arduous enough. He hoped the villagers would be smart and not provoke people they should not.
Li Liang returned to his family's resting spot and looked at the dinner his wife and eldest daughter, Heiya, were cooking. It was a mush of green wild vegetables mixed with coarse grains, emitting a foul smell.
He stepped forward and slapped Heiya across the face. You useless thing! Look at what kind of wild vegetables you picked, they stink! What use are you?
Heiya's small body tilted from the blow. She pursed her lips and mumbled, Dad, this is the only kind of edible wild vegetable on this mountain.
Li Liang smacked her on the head again. How could there only be this kind of wild vegetable on such a big mountain? Did you slack off? What use is it for me to raise you? I should have sold you earlier to exchange for some grain.
Li Liang's wife not only did not stop him, but also stepped forward and twisted her ear. You cannot do anything right, but you sure know how to eat. Our family's food is all gone because of you.
Heiya kept her head down, not daring to speak or resist. Resisting would only bring a more severe beating.
She was used to her parents' curses and blows. She had more strength than normal people and could eat a lot, but she had never been full for as long as she could remember.
It was all eaten by Heiya. She just knows how to eat all day long, a child's voice sounded from the side. It was Heiya's younger brother, Li Bao.
Most people in the village were sallow and emaciated, including Li Liang and his family, but only Li Bao was very plump and sturdy.
There was absolutely no brotherly affection for his sister in his eyes, only deep disgust. Dad, Mom, I want to eat meat. Sell Heiya and trade her for meat for me to eat.
The old woman sitting next to him immediately hugged him, crying out in heartache, My poor precious boy, Grandma will make some flatbread for you later.
Hearing that there was no meat, Li Bao pushed the old woman away, rolled on the ground, and threw a tantrum, screaming, I do not want flatbread! I do not want flatbread! I want to eat meat! Boo-hoo, I want to eat meat!
The surrounding villagers only glanced at Li Bao rolling on the ground and then ignored him. They were actually used to it; Li Bao was spoiled rotten by his family.
Over on the other side, Jiang Jin started roasting and pan-frying the meat, using her specially mixed spices. The aroma of the meat wafted through the air. Let alone children, even the adults were salivating to the point of tears.
Jiang Jin herself was also craving it. Truth be told, she had never eaten horse meat before and was looking forward to it.
Li Bao's Grandma, whose heart ached for her grandson, was pestered to no end. After thinking about it, she came over to Jiang Jin's side and asked with an awkward smile.
My precious boy is really craving it. Could you spare a little meat for my grandson? Just a little bit, half a bowl will do.
Dong Si secretly rolled his eyes. How could she be so thick-skinned? What kind of times were these to just open her mouth and ask for meat?
He flatly refused, No.
Li Bao's Grandma's face turned ugly, but seeing how tall and burly Zhou Sui and the others were, she did not dare to pester them and went back dejectedly.
Seeing that she did not get any meat, Li Bao started rolling on the ground and wailing again.
Li Bao's Grandma was already in a bad mood from not getting the meat, and now her heart ached terribly from her grandson's crying. She coaxed him for a long time but could not calm him down.
She vented her anger on Heiya, slapping her twice across the face. Heiya was just putting gathered firewood into the makeshift stove.
Caught off guard, Heiya was knocked to the ground. The firewood clattered and brought down the already unstable stove.
The clay pot cooking the mush crashed to the ground and instantly shattered into pieces. The boiling hot wild vegetable mush splashed all over Heiya's feet and lower legs.
Ahhh... Heiya's piercing scream echoed through the sky.
She kept kicking her legs, trying to shake off the dark wild vegetable mush stuck to her feet and legs. However, the mush was not so easy to shake off. In agonizing pain, she kept trying to scrape the mush off her feet with her hands...
The people around were startled and all looked over.
The Village Chief was the first to react, angry and anxious. Quick, pour some cold water on her! Hurry!
A nearby woman moved the fastest. She grabbed the water from her own clay pot and poured it over Heiya's feet and legs.
Then two more women came over to help, and they finally managed to clean the wild vegetable mush off Heiya's feet and legs.
But her legs and feet were already severely scalded. They were as red as cooked meat, covered in blisters of various sizes and peeling skin. It was a gruesome sight.
The woman who had helped first could not help but get teary-eyed. Heiya is such a good child. Even if you do not like her, you cannot let her die. Poor child.
Others also chimed in in agreement. They also could not stand Li Liang's family's cruelty towards Heiya. She was twelve years old, but her body looked less than half the size of six-year-old Li Bao.
That is right. No matter what, Heiya is your first child. Even if you dislike girls and only value boys, you should at least raise her. She could fetch a good bride price in the future!
Sigh, exactly. Most of your family's belongings are usually carried by Heiya.
Yes, yes. This child is hardworking and capable. It is just a pity. So pitiful.
Li Bao's Grandma finally reacted at this moment, but she was furious. She went up and slapped Heiya twice. You black-hearted thing! Did you knock over the clay pot on purpose?
This was our family's only large clay pot for cooking, and you actually broke it! Ah, even selling you would not buy back this pot! Why do you not just die!
Still fuming, she grabbed Heiya's hair and slapped her twice more.
The women who had helped earlier quickly stepped forward to pull her away, persuading her, Enough, enough. Heiya is hurt this badly, and you are still worrying about a clay pot?
Li Bao's Grandma wasn't having any of it. She immediately lashed out at the woman who had just spoken, scolding her, "That's easy for you to say! If you're really so kind-hearted, then give me your family's clay pot."
