Chapter 25: I Climbed the Wall for a Bite to Eat
Chapter 25: Chapter 25: I Climbed the Wall for a Bite to Eat
The pork skin was undeniably fatty, but the pressure-cooking process had rendered it soft and tender.
The thick braising liquid—a special concoction of various spices and soy sauce—was perfectly locked inside the skin.
The moment it entered your mouth, the skin melted into a rich sauce at the slightest touch of your teeth. Before you could even register the fattiness of the knuckle, it was already flowing down your throat and into your stomach.
And when the pork skin was torn away, the lean meat inside was fully revealed.
The dark, savory color of the sauce had seeped deep into the meat.
The entire knuckle had been stewed until it was falling apart. The lean meat, now loose and stringy, soaked in the juices, a truly mouthwatering sight.
Uncle Li couldn’t wait, picking up a piece of lean meat with his hand and eating it.
Pure lean meat isn’t greasy, but if not handled well, it can become very dry. However, with the knuckle Lu Wu made, there was absolutely no need to worry about that problem.
After just a few chews, the pressure of the bite squeezed the absorbed fat back out of the lean meat, exposing the fragrance hidden within.
The entire knuckle not only had none of the gamy pork taste, but instead carried the unique, delicate fragrance of a Spirit Pig.
This aroma infused the entire dish, acting as the perfect catalyst.
A single bite felt like it could elevate the soul.
Compared to Uncle Li eating it layer by layer, Lu Wu was more experienced.
She picked up the knuckle and took a deep bite.
A large piece was torn off; eating a well-proportioned mix of fat and lean was the best way to enjoy the braised knuckle.
Uncle Li copied Lu Wu’s method of tasting, and his expression instantly lit up.
The lingering aroma drifted from the kitchen, wafting out into the courtyard and beyond.
In the small alley, a few early-rising children were playing and roughhousing.
In their game of chase, they happened to end up at the gate of Lu Wu’s courtyard.
Although the courtyard gate was shut tight, the rich aroma made the children stop in their tracks.
"Meat! I smell meat!"
A Little Fatty with a keen nose began to salivate uncontrollably.
He was an only child, so he always got first dibs on the best food at home. He loved meat more than anything, which had contributed to his sturdy, well-fed physique.
Now, with one sniff, he knew that the people in this house were eating meat.
What puzzled Little Fatty was how this meat smelled so much better than anything his mother had ever made.
The scent alone was enough to make Little Fatty’s stomach roar.
The other children were in a similar state.
They gathered in twos and threes at the gate, no longer roughhousing, unwilling to leave.
"Pang, I’m hungry."
A cute little girl walked up to Little Fatty and tugged on his clothes, her expression heart-meltingly pitiable.
The two were childhood friends, and Little Fatty often shared his treats with Yaya.
This had led Yaya to a simple conclusion: if you want something good to eat, find Pang.
"I’m hungry too."
Little Fatty rubbed his belly.
He remembered his mom saying they were having braised pork today, but now, tempted by this incredible aroma, he didn’t want to wait at all.
All he could think about was eating meat, right now.
"Come on, I’ll take you to get some meat."
Little Fatty walked to the gate and raised his hand to knock.
KNOCK, KNOCK. A few knocks, but no one answered.
It was, in fact, because the gluttonous Uncle Li had forgotten to deactivate the Array on the door.
With his level of cultivation, Uncle Li should have easily sensed what was happening outside. But at this moment, his entire world had been reduced to the giant pork knuckle in his bowl.
He couldn’t spare the energy to observe his surroundings.
After knocking a few times with no response, Little Fatty’s cheeks puffed out in anger.
’Darn adults, hogging all the food!’
Little Fatty, who was used to getting his way at home, fumed silently.
’The smell is coming from inside, which means there are people in there, but they won’t open the door. It must be because they don’t want to share!’
’Good things should be shared.’
Seeing Yaya’s disappointed expression, Little Fatty—already a master of the guilt-trip at his tender age—puffed out his chest.
"You guys, follow me."
He surveyed the area, then walked to a corner of the wall and squatted down.
"Yaya, climb on us. We’ll make a human pyramid so you can get over the wall."
’A real man has to keep his word.’
’I’ll be the base. I’m sturdy enough.’
"Should we be doing this?"
One of the children hesitated.
His mom had told him to be good when he was outside and not to cause trouble.
"Don’t you want to eat?"
Little Fatty put on a fierce face. As he spoke, drool dribbled from the corner of his mouth, which he then wiped away with his sleeve.
Faced with this question, the hesitant child touched the damp corner of his own mouth, unable to argue.
Just like that, the children formed a human pyramid and hoisted Yaya onto the top of the wall.
The courtyard wall wasn’t very high.
In the Cultivation World, a wall like this could only keep out gentlemen, not scoundrels.
And today’s intruders were truly "little" ones.
Lu Wu dipped a piece of lean meat into the broth.
Just as she was about to eat it, she looked up and saw a little girl on her courtyard wall.
When the little girl saw her, her eyes darted around, her face instantly turned red, and her big eyes filled with tears.
Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought she was being bullied.
"You..."
Lu Wu was stunned.
’Are kids in the Green Origin Realm this wild? Learning to climb walls at such a young age!’
Just as she was about to say something, she saw the little girl get startled. Her body swayed, and with a scream, she fell from the wall.
"Careful!"
She stood up, but before she could even move, Uncle Li reacted faster than she did.
With just a flick of his sleeve, an invisible gust of wind caught the little girl and set her down safely.
"Yaya, you didn’t fall, did you?"
Outside the courtyard wall, Little Fatty shouted anxiously.
He had heard Yaya’s scream and was very worried.
After waiting a moment without hearing Yaya’s reply, Little Fatty’s face turned pale.
"Yaya hasn’t been captured, has she?" a companion muttered.
"Maybe a bad guy lives in there. My mom said that some bad people like to lure kids with delicious food, and after they trick them inside, they skin them, steam them, and eat them with dipping sauce."
This horror story scared the already guilty children out of their wits.
"I don’t wanna be eaten!"
One of them turned and ran.
With that child taking the lead, the others quickly followed.
They wanted to live more than they wanted meat.
In the space of a few breaths, only Little Fatty was left outside the wall.
He looked at his friends who had abandoned him, then thought of Yaya who had been captured by the bad guys, and huge tears started to fall from Little Fatty’s eyes.
"WAAAH! Mommy, I’m scared!"
Little Fatty’s voice was trembling, but he remembered he had sworn to protect Yaya.
Pumping his chubby legs, he started ramming the door.
His expression was one of tragic heroism.
Unfortunately, after he rammed it a few times, the door didn’t move at all. Instead, Little Fatty’s own body ached.
He wiped away his tears, then wiped his snot, and bravely continued his efforts.
"Yaya, wait for me!"
"I’ll definitely save you."
Saying this, Little Fatty summoned his courage and, with all his might, charged at the wooden door.
"I’m the best!"
He cheered himself on. At the very instant his body was about to make contact with the wooden door, the door opened from the inside.
Little Fatty had not expected things to develop this way at all. He couldn’t stop his momentum and lost his balance.
SPLAT!
Lu Wu held her bowl up high, avoiding the dust kicked up from the ground.
Facing Little Fatty, who had just taken a spectacular face-plant, Lu Wu pressed her lips together tightly. In the end, she couldn’t hold it in and broke into a grin.