Chapter 29: The Freedom of Eating Snake Meat

No oil was necessary. There was still plenty of fat on the bear meat. Ye Da sliced it all off and rendered it in a skillet, then poured the liquid fat into a bamboo tube to cool and set aside for later. Once animal fat solidified, as long as it was kept in a cool, shaded place, it could be preserved for quite a long time. Each use would require only a small scoop—whether for stir-fried rice or vegetables, nothing could surpass the deliciousness of animal fat!

Ye Da instinctively opened the trading market, just as he would at home when he ran out of condiments and reflexively turned to online grocery apps to place an order. To his surprise, luck was on his side—someone was selling salt and black pepper on the market!

“One bottle of black pepper plus a tin of salt, saltshaker included. Will exchange for food and water. DM for details.”

Ye Da: “Brother, I’ll offer a bamboo-tube rice and a bottle of water—deal?”

An Guojun: “Bamboo-tube rice?! You actually have rice?!”

Ye Da: “Opened a treasure chest and found some; just happened to chop some bamboo, so I made bamboo-tube rice. There’s not just rice in it, but also meat and mushrooms—a balanced meal. So, trade?”

An Guojun: “Condiments are rare goods now, one bamboo-tube rice isn’t enough.”

Ye Da: “If one isn’t enough, how about two?”

An Guojun: “What?! Brother, just how much bamboo-tube rice do you have?”

Ye Da: “Not much, just a few dozen servings. If you’re not interested in two, I can also offer a bag of toast and a bottle of cola.”

An Guojun: “Brother, are you some kind of tycoon? You even have cola?!”

Ye Da: “So, deal or not? If not, never mind, I see others offering condiments too…”

Before Ye Da could finish, An Guojun impatiently sent a trade link. “Deal! Only a fool passes up a bargain!”

Ye Da: “The bamboo-tube rice isn’t ready yet. I’ll give you the other items first.”

An Guojun: “I was getting my hopes up, but it’s not like I have a choice… You’re not going to swindle me, right?”

Ye Da: “In the name of the Bear Slayer, I’d never deceive you. If I do, may I be a bear!”

An Guojun: “You’re the Bear Slayer?! Damn, I didn’t recognize you! Can I call you godfather?”

Ye Da: “No, that’s disgusting!”

An Guojun: “Crying, then can I be your sidekick? The trade link is ready, great one, please confirm!”

Ye Da did not reply.

It was mainly because he found it revolting to discuss topics like godfathers and crying with a grown man. If An Guojun were a woman, maybe it’d be different.

He merely opened the link An Guojun sent and, after a glance, confirmed the trade.

[Trade successful!]
[Toast -1, Cola -1]
[Black Pepper +1, Salt +1]

“Sizzle! Sizzle!” With salt in hand, Ye Da began to stir-fry the snake meat.

Wielding a spatula carved from bamboo, he added a bit of bear fat to melt, letting the oil sizzle in the pan over the fire. Only then did he add the cut snake meat. As the pieces of meat spread out and curled slightly, Ye Da tossed the pan swiftly to ensure even heating—the campfire’s temperature was anything but stable.

The outcome depended entirely on the cook’s control of the fire. Sometimes, it wasn’t just about adjusting a valve; tossing the pan and occasionally drawing it away from the flames were also ways to control the heat.

As the golden-brown snake meat, slick with juices, arced through the air, the aroma of meat and the snake’s natural savor filled the air. Just before it was done, he sprinkled salt, then a touch of black pepper.

Thus, a savory stir-fried snake dish was born.

The only regret was the lack of a fine porcelain plate for the snake meat, which resembled stir-fried eel. He had to leave it in the skillet and eat it alongside bamboo-tube rice.

Pop!

The bamboo tube roasting over the fire let out a loud crack. Its once-vivid green surface had been scorched black, as if painted with thick ink.

Using an axe, Ye Da lifted the steaming tube from the fire. When it hit the ground, the earth sizzled with the fragrance of roasted bamboo. Once it cooled a bit, Ye Da stood the tube upright and split it open with his sharp axe—like peeling a banana.

The bamboo tube instantly became a lunchbox, revealing within glistening, steamed rice.

Up close, he could smell the rich aroma of bamboo leaves.

Grrrgle!

The scent made Ye Da’s stomach rumble uncontrollably.

Without further ado, he picked up his chopsticks—fashioned from spatula scraps—and dug in with gusto!

“Ahh—hiss—ahh—hiss!” The bamboo-tube rice, soaked in mushroom and bear meat juices, was incredibly fragrant, but also searing hot.

Ye Da sucked in air to cool his burning mouth. Even so, he couldn’t resist, shoveling rice into his mouth as he drew in breaths to ease the heat.

Now and then, he’d add a piece of snake meat—springy, with a bit of cartilage. Each bite made a crisp sound.

The taste was similar to eel, but chewier and meatier—simply outstanding!

Once, as a child, Ye Da had joined his father’s superior for a snake meat dinner—eight hundred per pound. That night, they had hotpot, racking up a bill of over two thousand, while everyone’s salary back then was barely above a thousand.

As a result, his father boasted about it to his mother for ages afterward, making it a vivid memory for Ye Da.

Afterward, snakes became protected animals, and he never saw snake meat hotpot in the city again.

He had never imagined that one day he’d enjoy “snake meat freedom.” The single plate he’d just prepared would have cost at least eight hundred yuan, yet now it was his private dinner.

The bamboo-tube rice was delicious, the snake meat delectable—though eating too much meat was a bit cloying.

“If only I had a plate of greens, this meal would be perfect!” Ye Da sighed.

But just as he was lamenting, he suddenly remembered something!

“Agave!”

He shot to his feet, pushing the firewood aside. “Damn, I forgot about the agave hearts! Aren’t those ready-made vegetables?”