Chapter 24: Fighting a Brat Over a Pork Knuckle at the Banquet
Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Fighting a Brat Over a Pork Knuckle at the Banquet
The Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons was a bit far, and besides, the braised pork knuckles needed a good amount of time to stew until they were fall-off-the-bone tender.
The next day, Lu Wu got up before the sun.
Having pulled another all-nighter, Lu Wu had dark circles under her eyes and seemed a bit listless.
But this was the Green Origin Realm. After circulating the small amount of Spiritual Power in her body, Lu Wu’s dark circles faded considerably, and her spirits lifted.
Patting her fair, tender cheeks, Lu Wu blew a kiss to her reflection in the mirror before heading to the kitchen.
The light that flickered on in the darkness was especially conspicuous.
Next door, Uncle Li, who had been snoring soundly, suddenly opened his eyes. He looked over at the newly lit lamp with a puzzled expression.
He just figured Lu Wu was up for a bathroom break, so he rolled over and went back to sleep.
In the kitchen, Lu Wu took out the pork knuckles Butcher Lin had delivered yesterday. They were very fresh, still glistening with bloody juices.
Lu Wu washed them clean, then soaked them in fresh water for half an hour.
While waiting, Lu Wu prepared the other ingredients for the stew.
Dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, and cooking wine were essential, and Lu Wu also brought out a host of spices.
Ginger, star anise, and cinnamon were the pork knuckle’s best partners, but bay leaves, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried chilies had to be used as well.
The whole family of aromatic spices was gathered, ready to work their magic.
The fire was fueled by Spirit Stones, allowing the heat to be controlled at will.
The bloody water was soaked out of the pork knuckles. Butcher Lin was very meticulous; there wasn’t a single pig bristle to be seen on them.
Lu Wu placed the large knuckles in a pot to be blanched. Each knuckle from these Spirit Pigs was satisfyingly heavy; they were bound to be incredible to eat.
It was only the first day, so Lu Wu decided to make fifty knuckles to test the waters. One pot wasn’t enough, but thankfully, she was prepared and fired up another stove.
As the water in the pot began to boil, scum floated to the surface, and Lu Wu skimmed it off.
Once that was done, she removed the knuckles, washed them again, and drained them.
Normally, making these knuckles would require a pressure cooker.
The Green Origin Realm didn’t have pressure cookers, but a small pressurizing Spell could solve the problem.
Lu Wu crammed at the last minute, searching on One World Communication for the Spell that consumed the least Spiritual Power and learning it.
She gave it a try, and guess what?
She screw—ah, no, she succeeded.
’I learned it instantly. I’m a true genius.’
Praising herself, Lu Wu hummed a tune as she placed the knuckles into a pot of fresh water.
The water needed to cover the knuckles.
Lu Wu tossed in the whole family of aromatic spices, added a suitable amount of fine salt, and after putting on the lid, snapped her fingers.
A spiritual light flashed, and the Spell took effect.
All that was left was to wait.
With nothing else to do, Lu Wu sat on a small stool in the kitchen and started to doze off.
’So sleepy.’
Yawning nonstop, Lu Wu groggily fell asleep.
She had a dream. She dreamed she had returned to Blue Star, where a relative was getting married, and she was trailing her mom to get some free food and drinks.
There were many meat dishes at the banquet, and Lu Wu ate happily.
What she loved most was the large, braised pork knuckle. It was stewed until it was fall-off-the-bone tender; with a single bite, the skin melted in her mouth.
The rich sauce had seeped through every layer of the knuckle. Even the lean meat wrapped in fatty skin was incredibly flavorful.
The more Lu Wu ate, the more obsessed she became.
She almost got into a fight with a kid at her table over a piece of the knuckle, but in the end, she won.
She claimed the last piece of meat.
She picked it up with her chopsticks, the rich, meaty aroma wafting everywhere and drilling straight into her nostrils.
Lu Wu’s nose twitched, and then she heard her stomach grumbling.
It was the hungry wolf in her stomach, roaring.
’Strange, wasn’t I already full?’
Lost in thought, Lu Wu let her guard down, and the piece of pork knuckle just about to reach her mouth was snatched away by the little brat.
Coming up empty, Lu Wu was so angry she cried, and the anger woke her up.
Her head slipped from her palm, and Lu Wu, who had nearly fallen to the floor, stared blankly at her surroundings. Once she realized what had happened, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
"It smells so good."
She looked toward the stove, where steam was billowing.
The aroma she had fought for in her dream was wafting from that very pot.
Her pork knuckles were ready!
Lu Wu quickly got up and lifted the lid. The burst of fragrance made her inhale deeply, but she knew the knuckles hadn’t reached their peak yet.
She took the knuckles out, cleaned the pot, and added oil.
The high heat released the oil’s rich fragrance, reminding Lu Wu of the endless fields of rapeseed back home.
Rapeseed oil... that was the smell.
Once the oil was hot, she put the knuckles in. After stir-frying them for a moment, Lu Wu added the broth she had specially set aside, followed by light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce—everything went in.
At this point, all the seasonings were in. What came next was the time-consuming part.
As the sauce gradually reduced, she had to continuously ladle the thick liquid from the pot over the knuckles to ensure every surface absorbed the flavor.
During this process, Lu Wu could see the knuckles gradually taking on color.
They transformed from the white of cooked pork to a beautiful soy-sauce brown. This was accompanied by an even more distinct and complex aroma that was mouth-watering just to stand next to.
The process was absolute torture.
Lu Wu only stopped when the knuckles had absorbed most of the sauce in the pot.
The knuckles were done.
Before taking them out, Lu Wu sprinkled some chopped green onions on top as a garnish.
The green of the scallions against the soy-brown knuckles inspired an impulse to forget all manners, grab one, and feast.
Meat always stoked the desires of a food lover, and Lu Wu was no exception.
As the creator of these braised pork knuckles, Lu Wu decided she would be the first to taste them.
"Boss Lu, I’ll have one of those knuckles."
Suddenly, a voice spoke up beside her. Having run a stall for so long, Lu Wu answered out of reflex.
"You got it!"
Only after she’d spoken did she realize something was wrong.
’I’m at home, not at my stall.’
She turned her head and, sure enough, saw Uncle Li standing at the door, craning his neck and practically drooling.
Uncle Li flashed an obsequious smile.
"I knocked just now, Boss Lu. You probably didn’t hear me."
He really hadn’t intended to trespass.
He had been sleeping soundly when, in his dream, a little demon started seducing him.
Her belly dance was incredible.
He was completely unable to resist and was just about to get down to business with the little demon when he suddenly woke up. The moment he opened his eyes, he smelled the meaty aroma wafting from next door.
It was then that he understood: the little demon from his dream was the embodiment of these pork knuckles.
"Come and eat me!"
Those were the little demon’s exact words. He figured a man should listen to good advice, so he came.
Lu Wu was speechless at his explanation.
But then she remembered her own dream and didn’t have the heart to call Uncle Li out.
Lu Wu had originally planned to bring some over for Uncle Li after he woke up. But since he was already here, they might as well eat together.
A knuckle was lifted from the pot. As the sauce dripped from the spatula back into the pot, Uncle Li felt a pang of heartache for every lost drop of that precious liquid.
"Xiao Lu..."
Uncle Li trailed off, but his unblinking stare fixed on the pot made his intentions instantly clear.
Amused, Lu Wu ladled another spoonful of sauce for Uncle Li.
"Hehe, thank you, Boss Xiao Lu."
Uncle Li rubbed his hands together, took the bowl, and squatted by the kitchen doorway. He didn’t even bother with chopsticks, just picked it up with his hands and started eating.
Lu Wu copied his rustic style. The two of them squatted, one on the left and one on the right, met each other’s eyes, and took a bite at the same time.
"My heavens!"
"Mmph!"
Uncle Li’s eyes widened in astonishment while Lu Wu’s narrowed in bliss. At that moment, the old man and the young woman were in perfect sync.
Which was... this damn pork knuckle is too fucking good.