Lin Zhen watched the flock of sheep, while Song Wei was having the time of her life.
With a camera hanging around her neck, she rode her horse farther and farther away.
The scenery on the grassland truly gave one a sense of vastness and awe.
It was the season when the grass was lush, and many of the plants reached up to the calves.
After dismounting from her horse, Song Wei quickly spotted a little creature that seemed fun.
The small thing moved quickly, darting into the grass. If you didn’t look carefully, it would be gone in a flash.
She chased after it with the agility of a swallow.
A few minutes later, she got up from the ground, holding a squeaking little creature in her hand.
It was about the size of a palm, looking like a cross between a rabbit and a hamster.
“Squeak, squeak, squeak…”
The noise was a bit annoying.
Song Wei carried the little creature back, and Feng Tingxuan was utterly surprised.
“You actually managed to catch this little thing.”
Even little Boss curiously came over, wagging his tail and sniffing at the creature.
“Uncle, what’s this little thing called? Can we eat it?”
Feng Tingxuan nodded: “Yes, you can eat it. There are plenty of these on the grassland. They’re called pikas, and they’re very fast. Even if you see one, it’s usually hard to catch.”
As long as it was edible, Song Wei swiftly and decisively ended the squeaking pika’s life.
In just a moment, the pika was gone.
Feng Tingxuan: …………
He remembered that his niece had never even killed a chicken before.
After a brief pause, Feng Tingxuan casually asked, “How do you want to cook it?”
“There aren’t many tools here. How about we roast it?”
Feng Tingxuan nodded: “Be careful when you’re riding. Pikas reproduce quickly and like to dig holes all over the grassland. If the horse runs too fast and steps into one of their holes, it could easily injure its leg.”
Song Wei nodded in agreement.
It was about time to prepare a meal.
Lin Zhen took out the food they had brought, mainly flour—some white flour and some coarse grain flour.
Feng Tingxuan immediately suggested, “Let’s make baked flatbread. There’s a special way to make it here—you spread the dough flat, bury it in the hot ashes, and when it’s done, you can just take it out and eat it.”
They got to work right away. Feng Tingxuan hadn’t been much of a cook before, but now he could at least manage a little.
However, given his status, there were limits to what he could eat and what he could prepare.
So, he mostly assisted Lin Zhen.
While they were preparing to knead the dough and roast sweet potatoes, Song Wei rode out on her horse again for another round.
This time, she carried a slingshot, which Feng Tingxuan had given her.
Seeing the pikas running across the grassland, how could Feng Tingxuan not be tempted? So, he had secretly made a slingshot to practice hunting pikas.
His weapons were limited, and having a slingshot on him made him feel a bit safer.
But clearly, after all this time, his aim wasn’t great.
Hitting one pika in a few days was considered a success.
As a result, he had grown so thin that he was almost unrecognizable. He had the slingshot, but he couldn’t hit any prey.
Song Wei went out with the slingshot and returned with three already-dead pikas in her hand.
Feng Tingxuan: …………
At this moment, his feelings were indescribably complex.
Who could tell him when his niece had become so skilled!
“What’s wrong, Uncle?”
Song Wei carried the pikas, planning to find a place with water to clean them.
Feng Tingxuan clutched his chest and replied with difficulty, “Nothing, I just feel a bit… heartbroken.”
Song Wei scratched her head, not quite understanding what he meant.
Lin Zhen glanced at Feng Tingxuan and seemed to guess something, but he held back his laughter and didn’t say anything.
This was just the beginning. There would be more surprises for him in the future.
After Song Wei efficiently cleaned the pikas, she turned half of the pika meat into minced meat and placed it in Little Boss’s bowl.
The little guy happily trotted over and started eating.
Since they were making the flatbread, they decided not to roast the rest of the meat. Instead, they sliced it, mixed it with sauce, and spread it over the thin dough.
They sandwiched the meat and sauce between two pieces of dough, then buried it in the hot ashes to cook.
While waiting, the three of them sat together eating roasted sweet potatoes.
The steaming hot sweet potatoes tasted even better when shared among friends.
Little Boss wasn’t picky either, happily munching on half a sweet potato.
Feng Tingxuan suddenly asked, “Can Little boss still drink milk?”
Song Wei nodded, then suddenly noticed a lamb kneeling under its mother to nurse. She slapped her thigh in realization.
“Right! We didn’t have milk before, but there’s plenty of it here.”
With so many sheep around, there had to be a few nursing ewes!
The three of them exchanged glances, then stealthily approached one of the ewes.
Working together, they managed to catch one and started milking it.
Song Wei hugged the ewe’s neck and made a face.
“Ugh, this sheep smells so bad.”
Feng Tingxuan replied, “There’s no helping it. It’s not like we can bathe them often.”
The sheep had a strong, gamey smell, though it was still better than that of a wild goat.
Finally, they managed to get a small bowl of milk for Little boss. As soon as they let go, the ewe bolted away in panic.
“Little Boss, come here!”
Little Boss waddled over with his chubby little body. After drinking the milk they had worked so hard to get, he wagged his tail like a little fan, burying his entire face in the bowl.
In the end, he ate until his belly was round and he couldn’t even walk, lying sprawled on the ground.
Feng Tingxuan laughed and picked him up, rubbing his belly.
This little guy was going to be his companion from now on.
After all the commotion, the flatbread should have been ready.
The cooked flatbread was crispy on the outside. A light tap shook off the dust, leaving only a bit of fine ash, which was harmless to eat since it was just plant ash.
They cut the large round flatbread into triangular pieces. When they opened it, the pika meat inside was fully cooked, releasing a rich, savory aroma that made everyone’s mouths water.
“I’ll save some for the old squad leader. When he comes over, we can give it to him.”
Now that they were all together, it was thanks to Lin Zhen’s old squad leader, so they naturally had to think of him.
No one objected.
Song Wei even brought out a jar of mushroom sauce.
She spread the spicy mushroom sauce on the flatbread, and with one bite, the outer layer was incredibly crispy, while the inside was tender and flavorful. The meat and the bread were both perfectly seasoned—it was utterly satisfying!
Song Wei’s eyes lit up after taking a bite.
“This is delicious!”
They couldn’t get enough of this meal.
Feng Tingxuan also felt deeply satisfied. Ever since the incident, he hadn’t had a proper meal.
Just being full was a luxury, let alone eating something this good.
This meal moved him so much that his eyes turned red.
After everything they had been through, he realized how precious the past had been.
As the three of them ate, the sound of hoofbeats approached.
They turned to look, and Feng Tingxuan instinctively hid what he was holding.
But they soon realized it was Yu Wei approaching.
“Uncle Yu.”
“Old squad leader.”
“Brother Yu.”
The three of them greeted him with different titles.
Yu Wei laughed heartily as he rode over.
“I came to check on you guys. Everything alright here?”
The three of them shook their heads.
Yu Wei sniffed the air. “What’s that delicious smell?”
Lin Zhen handed him the flatbread they had saved for him.
“We made some flatbread. We saved some for you. Have some before you leave.”
Yu Wei didn’t stand on ceremony. He dismounted and walked over.
“Oh, this one has meat filling!”
He was genuinely surprised.
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