Chapter 258 - 116: Racing Toward Year 2
On September 30, 1660, Chen Zhou organized the most lavish feast in the cave since arriving on the island.
To arrange numerous dishes, he specifically cleared out the bedroom and pulled together two short tables, joining them.
Beside the short tables, there were several chairs, reserved seats for Lai Fu, Xiao Huihui, Tizi, Little Dragon Cat, and the three kittens.
...
On the 30th, it didn't rain, and looking out at the forest from the platform, there was white mist everywhere, as if stepping into the realm of gods from Northern European mythology.
Chen Zhou got up early, washed up, and lit all the oil lamps.
The cave had never been so bright.
Floating dust danced in the light, as Tizi cuddled the three little ones, poking their heads out from the wooden box beside the bed, lazily blinking her left eye.
The wooden floor of the bedroom had been cleaned with a homemade mop but had yet to dry.
Lai Fu walked over it, leaving a trail of plum blossom-like footprints and a few strands of dog hair.
Neatly arranged beside the kitchen's cutting board were prepared ingredients——lamb, turtle meat, fresh fish, rabbit meat, frogs, pigeons…
The dagger and iron blade used for cutting meat had long been sharpened to a chilling gleam, lying crosswise on the counter.
Oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, rum, sugar, garlic, fennel…
Seasonings were placed on a wooden rack, ready to be used at any time.
As if knowing it was an important day, the fire in the stove blazed more vigorously than usual.
Flames danced excitedly, red tongues of fire licked the pot's base, scorching the seal oil within.
Chen Zhou tied on an apron he had sewn himself, ruffled Lai Fu's head, rinsed his hands in a clay pot, and glanced out of the kitchen.
Without the pitter-patter of rain, the world seemed quieter than usual.
The sun hadn't risen yet, the mist tangled like ribbons around the treetops refused to disperse, and the noisy sounds of chopping meat added a lively atmosphere to the tranquil forest.
Knowing his appetite was limited, Chen Zhou focused this feast on "small and beautiful."
There was no refrigerator on the island, and his cold storage was not even in the rudimentary stages.
The homemade "nitre icebox" could barely fit two and a half fish, making excessive quantities of dishes resulted in inevitable spoilage and decay.
Fried prawns, roast pigeon, grilled fish, turtle soup, lamb skewers, fried frogs, rabbit meatballs…
Additionally, steamed clams, sea urchin steamed turtle eggs, canned peaches, hazelnuts, pine nuts, and marinated, stir-fried almonds.
After the meal, cane segments, slightly shriveled grapes, lemon juice, and orange wedges were also prepared.
There was even a secret recipe aloe juice, known for aiding digestion.
Even in modern society, such a feast could be considered bountiful.
From the sky to the ground to the sea, meat and vegetarian, sour, sweet, salty, and spicy, aromatic and subtle, nothing was missing.
Thanks to Chen Zhou's effort, Lai Fu and the others also enjoyed an unprecedented lavish meal.
Of course, in the early morning when Chen Zhou was cooking, they slept where they should and played where they might, utterly unaware of what September 30th meant to them.
...
Moving around in the kitchen, apron-clad Chen Zhou almost felt like a "chef," as the dishes on the makeshift dining table increased, most presented with simple plating.
Be it placing a few lemon slices or arranging some leaves and broken fresh flowers yet to wither as garnish, with exquisite silver plates, it had a sense of a high-end restaurant—if one overlooked the cave's simple decor.
Having cooked for so long, the stove remained lit, and the usually damp cave turned dry for the first time, the heat making Chen Zhou drink water repeatedly.
The first dishes to finish were covered under plates to keep warm flavors intact.
His dishes were freshly cooked one after another, while beside the cutting board, there was still plenty of fresh meat. Chen Zhou chopped it into minced meat, mixed it with flour, molded it in self-made ceramic bowls, and finally steamed it in an iron pot filled with over half a jug of water.
Several unappealing, variously hued "bowl-shaped cakes" were his gifts for the cats and dogs.
Despite their unattractive appearance and lacking salt or soy sauce, not even a drop of oil, these cakes were a hodgepodge of various meats, incredibly rich in taste—at least that was Chen Zhou's belief.
The truth proved Lai Fu and Xiao Huihui were not shallow creatures who cared for "appearances," the all-meat mini cakes were well-received.
Lai Fu, who had shown little interest in shellfish last time, devoured the little meat cakes one after another, as if eating digestive aids, with growing appetite.
Needless to say about Xiao Huihui, Tizi, and the three little foodies, each ate so contentedly that their bellies were round, satisfied, they went finding places to sleep.
As for the vegetarian Little Dragon Cat, it wasn't overlooked; Chen Zhou prepared it some fresh grass molded into balls.
These balls were both edible and entertaining, delighting Little Dragon Cat so much, it hesitated to eat, hugging the balls with its tiny forepaws, rolling around the wooden box for quite a while.
...
Starting from the morning, cooking until the afternoon, some of the covered dishes had cooled, yet Chen Zhou finally completed the entire feast.
However, though dishes cooled, it didn't mean he hadn't savored them fresh and hot at their best.
There's an old saying, "Cooks who don't taste, shall never reap," and as he cooked, Chen Zhou snuck quite a few bites.
After all, he was alone, who would disdain himself?
With physical strength continuously replenished, by the time all dishes were done, he was almost full.
After sampling the last of the dishes from the stove, feeling like his food was piled up to his throat, Chen Zhou dared not eat more. He then tidied all the dishes, cleaned the kitchenware, and took a walk outside.