Chapter 100: Chapter 100: Rendering Lard

“Chang Xia, what does your family eat for breakfast?”

“Wu, what are you drinking? It smells so fresh.”

Ya Dong and Kong Shan hurried over, squeezing past Bai Qing to the storeroom next to the kitchen, just in time to see Su Ye drinking pig liver soup. They couldn’t help but swallow hungrily.

“Bai Qing, pack up the pig liver soup and the pan-fried meat and fruit flour pancake and take them to the cellar for Shen Rong. Oh, and take this bowl of freshly made medicinal soup too,” Chang Xia said, waving her hand and ignoring Ya Dong and Kong Shan’s questions. She packed the food into a rattan basket for Bai Qing to deliver to the cellar.

Bai Qing took the medicinal soup and the basket and headed back to the cellar.

Then Chang Xia turned to Ya Dong and Kong Shan. “The pig liver soup was made to help Shen Rong recover his blood. If you want some, I’ll make it for you next time. There’s bone broth in the stone pot on the stove, and some more pancakes—help yourselves.”

“What happened to Shen Rong?”

“The Wu treated his poisoning, but he vomited a lot of blood.”

As Chang Xia explained, she ladled soup and pancakes for herself and Bai Qing, letting Ya Dong and Kong Shan serve themselves.

After hearing this, the two didn’t ask any more questions.

They took their soup and sat at the long table, copying Chang Xia by sandwiching the fried meat with the pancakes and eating it with the blanched wild greens. As they ate, they nodded in satisfaction—clearly, volunteering to deliver things to Chang Xia’s house was the right move. Look at this delicious breakfast they scored!

Soon, Bai Qing returned from the cellar.

He didn’t sit down right away, but went to the kitchen to wash his hands and face before coming to eat.

After breakfast.

Ya Dong and Kong Shan didn’t leave.

Instead, they followed Bai Qing back to the cellar.

They weren’t in a hurry to get back to work on their own cave dwellings, planning to help Shen Rong tidy up the cellar and, while they were at it, learn how Chang Xia renovated her cave so they could do the same at home.

They were openly “stealing” her techniques.

With Su Ye’s help, Chang Xia planned to cut up the pork fatback and render lard, then clean the rest of the pig offal. At noon, she’d make a big meal of “butcher’s feast” to reward everyone.

Not long after she got busy, Gen arrived with Mu Qin and Nan Feng.

They all wore the same kind of animal skin coats and had the same cheerful faces.

“Chang Xia, what did you have for breakfast?” Nan Feng called out with a grin.

Chang Xia smiled back. “Pan-fried meat and fruit flour pancakes, and bone broth. What about you?”

“Cold noodles and roast meat,” Nan Feng said, smacking her lips enviously. “Just hearing about your breakfast makes my mouth water. Is there any left? I’d love to try some—”

Behind her, Gen and Mu Qin exchanged helpless glances.

“Nope, all gone,” Chang Xia replied. “Ya Dong and Kong Shan had breakfast here—do you think there’d be any leftovers? No matter how much I make, they finish it all.”

“Ugh—” Nan Feng grumbled.

She’d come too late, and those two had beaten her to it.

“Wu, did you sleep well last night?” Gen greeted Su Ye respectfully.

Su Ye waved her hand casually. “I’m fine. If you’ve got something to say, just say it. I’m helping Chang Xia cut up the pork fatback to render lard.”

“Wu, let me do it,” Mu Qin offered, stepping forward to take the ironwood knife from Su Ye.

Su Ye dodged and gestured toward the knife rack. “If you want to help, grab a knife and join in.” There was over a hundred pounds of pork fatback, and just as Su Ye and Chang Xia were about to start, Gen’s family of three showed up. With everyone but Chang Xia, Su Ye had no problem giving orders.

Mu Qin took an ironwood knife from the rack and started cutting the fatback, following Su Ye’s example.

Gen’s eyes lit up as he stared at the pig offal in the rattan basket.

He’d put all that offal in the basket himself, so he recognized every piece.

The tribe hadn’t been short on food lately, and the hunting team had been bringing back live prey. These wild boars had been slaughtered in the tribe this morning, and he’d sent Ya Dong and Kong Shan to deliver one and a half boars to Chang Xia’s house, along with two sets of offal. Earlier, Chang Xia had made pig liver soup for Shen Rong, and she’d set aside the remaining liver, wrapping it in leaves and putting it in a rattan tray.

The pig lungs, large and small intestines were all in rattan baskets, ready to be washed at White Lake.

All the pork fatback was taken out, cut into pieces, and would be rendered into lard.

They cooked large portions for every meal at home, so they went through a lot of lard. These two slabs of pork fatback were just what Chang Xia needed.

“Chang Xia, can you really eat pig offal?”

“Yes, if you clean it properly, it tastes great. At noon, I’m planning to make a big ‘butcher’s feast.’ Chief, would you like to stay and eat with us?”

“Yes—”

Gen hadn’t even finished his sentence.

The nearby Nan Feng quickly answered for him.

Gen, for once, didn’t scold Nan Feng. He replied, “Then I’ll trouble Chang Xia at noon. If you need any help, just let me know.”

“The pig’s lungs and both the large and small intestines need to be taken to Bai Lake to be cleaned. Chief, you and Nan Feng can help wash them. The lungs should be scrubbed with fruit powder, and the intestines need to be turned inside out. First, clean them with wood ash, then scrub them again with fruit powder…”

Chang Xia didn’t stand on ceremony and directly assigned Gen and Nan Feng to clean the pig’s lungs and intestines.

Pig lungs taste great, as long as they’re thoroughly cleaned.

The large intestine would be set aside for now, but the small intestine could be stewed together with the pork and vegetables, making a delicious sausage dish.

It was a pity there was no pig’s blood.

Thinking of this, Chang Xia said, “Chief, next time you slaughter a pig, remember to catch some pig’s blood in a wooden basin. Fresh pig’s blood cooked in the stew is really tender and tasty.”

“Pig’s blood is edible?” Gen exclaimed in shock.

“It is,” Chang Xia replied. “Not only can you eat pig’s blood directly, you can also use it to make blood sausages.”

“What a waste, what a waste!” Gen cried out, looking heartbroken.

He and Nan Feng picked up the pig’s lungs and intestines, packed some fruit powder in an animal pouch, wrapped some wood ash in leaves, put on their fur coats, and headed out into the rain toward Bai Lake.

The large intestines had too strong a smell, so Chang Xia didn’t want to clean them in the courtyard of the cave dwelling.

Since Bai Lake was nearby, she simply had Gen and Nan Feng make a trip there.

At home, Su Ye and Mu Qin were slicing pork fat, while Chang Xia washed and heated the pot, getting ready to render the lard.

Of course, clay jars for storing the lard were essential.

“Sigh! We’re short on clay jars again,” Chang Xia pouted, sighing.

Mu Qin laughed and said, “If you’re short on jars, just trade for some at the tribe!”

“But I don’t have any animal skins left—what would I use to trade?” Chang Xia rubbed her forehead, looking troubled. She couldn’t just go and mooch for free again; she wasn’t thick-skinned enough for that.

“The pig offal alone is enough for you to trade for dozens of clay jars,” Su Ye said leisurely.

Chang Xia was such a silly kid. For generations, the beastfolk had never eaten offal. First, because of the strong flavor, which they weren’t used to. Second, because the bloody smell could attract wild animals. Usually, the beastfolk would just bury the offal on the spot.

But now—

Chang Xia had discovered ways to cook offal.

Trading it to the Heluo tribe for dozens of clay jars was hardly taking advantage.

This method, if shared, could save many lives during the food shortages of the cold season.

“Granny Su Ye, you mean I can trade this with the tribe?” Chang Xia asked in surprise.

Mu Qin glanced at Chang Xia and said seriously, “Of course. The shaman said you could trade for dozens of clay jars, maybe even more.”

Pottery is just an object; it can’t fill your belly during the cold season when food is scarce.

But offal is real food.

You can’t compare the two by the same standard.

“Mu Qin, my family needs clay jars. Could you help me tell the chief later that I’m willing to trade the method of cooking offal for pottery?” Chang Xia said happily.