Chapter 73: Wild Boar Meat
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Ye Ling left the kitchen and found a corner. She quickly entered the small world and picked a handful of herbs from the herbal field.
After that, Ye Ling returned to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, Min Nan was tending to the fire, and after Wan Feng finished washing the pot, he went to peer at the fish inside the water tank. The kitchen was smoky, and due to that, no one noticed she had a bunch of herbs hidden under her sleeve.
Once the iron pot was heated, Ye Ling added oil, scallions, ginger, and chili for flavor. Then, she added the wild boar meat and stir-fried it. Just before taking the wild boar meat out of the pot, she crushed the herbs in her hand and dripped their juice onto the meat. She then stirred it twice with a spatula.
The final dish was ready.
Li Bin and the team leader took the prepared dishes out. Ye Ling fetched a clean plate and put the excess wild boar meat on it.
During the cooking process, Ye Ling made extra portions for each dish. These dishes would serve as lunch for her, Min Nan, and the others.
In this era, rural people rarely had opportunities to eat meat. Today, thanks to the visiting leaders, Ye Ling and the others could enjoy a lavish meal.
Min Nan had already set up the folded wooden table, and Ye Ling placed the plates of food on it.
Subsequently, Min Nan, Wan Feng, Wan Xue, Li Bin, and the team leader entered the room. Everyone gathered around the table and began their meal.
The team leader picked up a meatball and took a bite, exclaiming, “This is delicious! It’s just as good as Old Li’s!”
As they tasted each dish, they all praised it. When they got to the wild boar meat, Wan Feng was astonished, nearly dropping his chopsticks. “Wow, is this wild boar meat? It’s incredibly tasty! Can wild boar meat even taste this good?”
Initially, the team leader had thought that wild boar meat would always have a gamey flavor no matter how it was prepared. Thus, he hadn’t been in a hurry to taste it. But upon hearing Wan Feng’s reaction, he immediately picked up a
piece of wild boar meat and put it in his mouth.
His subsequent expression mirrored Wan Feng’s shock. “Of all these dishes, this wild boar meat is the most delicious!”
The continuous praises were starting to feel surreal for Ye Ling. She could only offer modest smiles and quietly finish her meal.
Ye Ling didn’t have a big appetite and only ate one bowl of rice, while the others had two or three bowls. If it weren’t for Ye Ling reminding them to leave some wild boar meat for Wan Hai, they would have finished all the dishes.
After the meal, while Li Bin was tidying up, the deputy team leader of the production team came over. His face was oily from the meal, and upon entering the dining hall, he asked, “Li Bin, where did you find this cook? The leaders were highly satisfied with the meal. They’re even discussing how the wild boar meat was prepared. It’s so fragrant!”
Li Bin’s emotions had taken a rollercoaster ride today. From initial worry and despair to the present sense of pride and joy after the deputy team leader’s compliments. All these transformations were thanks to Ye Lings help.
Li Bin gestured towards Ye Ling and told the deputy team leader, “It was Ye Ling who cooked the meal. She’s the one who prepared the wild boar meat. I’ve never tasted such delicious wild boar meat in my life. I might even dream about its flavor when I go back home.”
The deputy team leader looked at Ye Ling in surprise and nodded in approval. “Impressive, young lady. You’ve outdone yourself this time. You’ve been a tremendous help to our entire production team. I’ll award you seven labor points!”
“Thank you, Deputy Team Leader, ” Ye Ling replied with gratitude.
After the meal, the production team members were tasked with cleaning up the kitchen. Ye Ling and the others planned to take the remaining wild boar meat and a few braised lion’s heads back home.
Wan Feng took the bamboo basket filled with food, and he and Wan Xue left ahead of the others.
These two brothers were very considerate, understanding the importance of giving Min Nan and Ye Ling some alone time.
When Ye Ling stepped out of the kitchen, she saw that Wan Feng and Wan Xue had already left, leaving only Min Nan waiting for her in the courtyard.
She felt a little uneasy. The idea of walking back home with Min Nan gave her a peculiar sensation.
Just as Ye Ling was about to descend the stone steps, her right leg twitched just as her left leg was hanging in the air. Ye Ling felt a faint pain emanating from her leg wound.
She bit her lip and endured the pricking sensation that felt like needles. She continued down the stone steps.
Her leg hadn’t fully healed, yet she had walked a fair distance today. Additionally, the extended period she stood in front of the stove while cooking had resulted in less-than-optimal blood circulation in her leg, causing the wound to ache.
Ye Ling didn’t want Min Nan to worry, so she pretended that nothing had happened. She wanted to rest well when she reached home, but her face was a little pale, and Min Nan immediately noticed that something was wrong.
“Are you feeling unwell somewhere? Or could it be the exhaustion from cooking for so many people?” Min Nan inquired, genuinely concerned.
Ye Ling managed a smile. “I’m okay. Don’t worry..”