Chapter 52: Dog Meat

"Don't you think we should set up a kitchen of our own here?"

"You're a grown man, aren't you ashamed of fussing over culinary matters?"

"You can't look at it that way. Only those who can feed themselves properly are true men. Look at the three of us: I am fifteen, Sanlang is... well, Xiaochun is only twelve, and we are all still growing. If we eat well now, we will reap endless benefits for the rest of our lives. While we tend to the horses, we shouldn't neglect ourselves, don't you agree?"

"Let's set up a kitchen, and I'll take charge of the cooking. Rest assured, within a year, I'll make sure Sanlang grows taller than you."

"What's wrong with the mess hall's food? Can't it nourish people?"

"They aren't nourishing people there; they're feeding livestock. You're probably the only one who enjoys eating that stuff."

The old man's eyes widened, as if all his hair stood on end. "You little brat, useless at work and only knowing how to eat! You went and stewed Eldest Brother Li's dog—why didn't you suggest hacking off a few horse legs as well?"

Li Po slumped his shoulders. Forget it, it was impossible to talk sense to this old man.

The two younger ones paid no attention to what they were saying and sat firmly by the stove fire.

Yuanlang muttered under his breath, "Do you think it'll taste good? It certainly smells delicious." As he spoke, he reached out again to lift the lid.

Just like the previous few times, with a sharp slap, Li Chun batted his hand away.

"If you don't want to eat, then don't eat... I told you not to move, what's the rush? Big Brother said that stewed meat must be simmered with the lid on. Not only does this save firewood, but it also lets the flavors soak in. If you lift the lid before it's done, a third of the aroma escapes first, and it won't taste nearly as good. Understand?"

"Big Brother Li really has plenty of tricks up his sleeve. Judging by this craftsmanship, I'm going to be in for a treat from now on. Heh-heh."

"Of course! My big brother knows all sorts of things. You're just realizing this now? Big Brother's proudest skill is his cooking. He says knowing how to prepare meals isn't much, but making food that tastes delicious and suits most people's palates—that's the real skill."

"What are you doing? Throwing more firewood in again."

"I just wanted to make the fire burn brighter so it cooks faster..."

"Step aside, you're just making a mess. First, you need a high flame to stew the meat until it's tender—that's called fierce-simmering. Then you need a low flame to brew the broth—that's called gentle-cooking. You have to let the seasonings seep deep into the meat. If you keep it on a high flame the whole time, it'll just turn into mush..."

Having spent the entire winter with Li Po, Li Chun's other skills remained mediocre, but when it came to cooking, she spoke with absolute authority, showing the beginnings of true mastery.

Yuanlang refused to yield. "I've eaten dog meat before, it's not that much trouble. Don't try to fool me."

Li Chun snorted with disdain. "Dog meat has an earthy gamey taste and requires heavy seasoning. The meat is slippery and tender... well... you can't boil it too long or too fiercely. You wouldn't understand, you rough brute."

Yuanlang curled his lip, unwilling to bicker with a little girl, but in his mind, he immediately began imagining a scenario where he could find some deserted spot and give this little wretch a thorough beating. As always, this instantly improved his mood.

Li Po walked over, shooing the two of them away. He twitched his nose to catch the scent, lifted the lid, stirred the contents with a ladle, and brought a bit to his lips to taste. The doneness was just right.

A large, steaming basin of stewed dog meat was served at the table, along with millet rice and pickled vegetables. As for today's roasted mutton, nobody even bothered to touch it.

Then, the three of them watched eagerly as the old man leisurely picked up a chopstickful from the basin, popped it into his mouth, and swallowed it down in one go, meat and bones alike.

Though scalded to the point of wincing, his eyebrows smoothed out and the corners of his eyes curved slightly—this was the old man's version of a smile. Truth be told, he was blessed with striking features; whether he was cursing, flying into a rage, or wearing this expression that could hardly be called a smile, he certainly looked capable of catching a woman's eye.

The three youngsters, however, paid none of this any mind. Seeing the old man reach out with his chopsticks again, they all dove in simultaneously.

The old man swallowed another piece of dog meat. Though he said nothing aloud, inwardly he was already cursing the good-for-nothings in the main kitchen, who were not even as competent as a mere groom. Compared to this, what they cooked was like the difference between heaven and earth, making him almost forget what the food in Chang'an even tasted like.

His chopsticks kept moving while his left hand suddenly slammed the table, startling the others.

"Little bastard, you only know how to eat! Why haven't you gone to fetch my jar of aged wine yet?"

Yuanlang scampered off, looking aggrieved. The poor boy had the bad luck of being born to such a grandfather, having spent over a dozen years living in what must have been sheer misery.

According to Yuanlang, he had two older brothers living in Chang'an, who had likely suffered severe abuse, which was probably why they stayed as far away from the old man as possible.

The old man truly had a healthy appetite, eating swiftly and voraciously, quite unbefitting his age.

Li Po and Li Chun naturally fell right in behind him, neither of their table manners being much more refined than the old man's.

After eating a few pieces of dog meat and without looking at anyone in particular, the old man muttered to himself, "Hmph, setting up a kitchen isn't such a big deal after all. Tomorrow I'll go have a word with someone..."

Li Po suppressed a laugh, nodding repeatedly as he chewed. "Dog meat boiled thrice, even immortals can't stand steady on their feet—this is truly good stuff. You should eat more of it; eating this in the spring is most fitting indeed. By the way, the commandery government office must keep quite a few dogs, right?"

That single remark almost caused the old man to choke.

Out of habit, he glared and rebuked, "We ate Eldest Brother Li's dog, and that was that, since he failed to watch it and let it wander into the stable. Are you thinking of going out to steal other people's dogs now?"

"No, no, there are so many things one can eat, why would I pick on dogs? Look at you, you're practically a veteran resident of this estate. Getting hold of a few ingredients should be effortless, shouldn't it? Otherwise, whether we build this kitchen or not makes very little difference."

The old man grunted twice and remained silent, which was as good as tacit consent.