Chapter 136 - 54: Pan-Fried Meat
Chen Zhou plans to set up eight wooden stakes around the center point, then nail frames between the stakes and cover them with canvas.
To prevent the rain shelter from being overturned by the sea wind, he also needs to drive in wooden pegs to anchor the top cover of the rain shelter on the sandy ground and then find some rocks to surround the stakes and stabilize the structure.
The entire rain shelter has only a top cover without walls, so it is ventilated but not permeable to rain.
If wind and rain come together, although this shelter cannot stop the slanting rain brought in by the wind, it can still block some rainwater and prevent the reward items from getting completely soaked.
Placing the toilet paper beside the high tree area, Chen Zhou cuts down trees, removes obstructive branches, sharpens the bottom of the wooden sticks, and then hammers them deep into the sand.
The biggest advantage of building a shelter on the beach is not having to worry about flooding, the biggest disadvantage is the unstable foundation.
The sandy soil is loose, and no matter how deep the poles are inserted, their stability cannot be guaranteed.
Permanent buildings near beaches in modern society have very deep foundations, generally using reinforced concrete materials, eliminating potential hazards.
Temporary beach shops, barbecue stalls, and beverage shops use integrated assembly houses for small buildings.
Even beach umbrellas are rarely inserted into the ground, usually relying on heavy concrete bases to ensure they don't fall over.
While driving stakes and pegs into the sand, Chen Zhou had already realized this problem.
He knows this rain shelter won't withstand strong winds, and its lifespan won't be very long.
But to protect future reward items, he can tolerate these shortcomings.
Moreover, on each reward day, he will maintain the rain shelter, trying to ensure it remains functional throughout the entire rainy season.
After the rainy season, even if this shelter can still be used, he will dismantle it.
The Cannibal Tribes use canoes as their maritime tools and cannot travel far during the storm-filled rainy season, so they are unlikely to arrive on the island.
During the dry season, when natives are more active, it's unwise to leave such an obvious structure on the beach, for if discovered by the natives, it could be a big problem.
After working all morning, the rain shelter was finally set up.
He nailed in a few more long nails and moved some stones to press down on the pegs. Feeling that the shelter was stable enough, Chen Zhou happily returned to the camp with the toilet paper.
Today, upon descending the mountain, besides collecting the rewards, he also plans to bring back some small bricks.
On one hand, it is to prepare for a large stove, on the other, to build a small stove with a smoke vent leading outside, attempting to fry some vegetables or pan-cook some meat.
The flat-bottomed copper pan has been idle for three days since it was dismantled.
Seeing that the outer wall is almost completed, Chen Zhou intends to test whether this thing is as useful as imagined.
...
After all, it was a huge structure connecting the upper and lower decks of the ship, and a significant number of bricks were brought down after dismantling the furnace, filling the entire shack.
Chen Zhou made several trips, gathering the necessary number of bricks by nightfall.
Estimating that it wasn't too late, he lit two oil lamps, hanging one under the top of the outer cave entrance and the other inside the kitchen, using the light to study how to construct the stove.
The difficulty at hand is more than one.
First is the issue of the smoke vent.
Chen Zhou already has some ideas; he plans to fire some ceramic pipes to use as a chimney, then dig upwards about two meters, and break through from the outside, connecting the ceramic pipes inside the passage to vent smoke outside.
But the rainy season is imminent, and with the outer wall unfinished, it's impossible to complete such a large project in a short time.
He can only first build a simple small stove for temporary use.
The rainy season is long, there will be plenty of indoor time for him to slowly dig out the smoke vent and fire the ceramic pipes.
Besides the smoke vent, the stove and pot also pose a challenge.
Northern stoves connect to heated beds, using the heat from the fire for cooking as well as warming the bed, warming the entire house and removing moisture, which is very practical.
Chen Zhou originally also wanted to build a heated bed behind the stove.
But after living in the cave for a while, he found the heated bed not as practical as the heated wall.
Because the island's climate is not cold, and he has a bed and sufficiently thick bedding, forcibly sleeping on a heated bed easily causes internal heat, which isn't good for health.
If he wants to remove moisture, the heated wall has a larger heat dissipation area, lasting longer, and occupies less space than a heated bed, more suitable for the cave's needs.
The heated wall is also a northern winter heating facility, with principles similar to a heated bed.
Its shape resembles a hollow wall, one end sealed, the other connected to a fire-burning stove, sharing a chimney with the stove, quick and easy to build, requiring no advanced skills.
The reason why Chen Zhou finds the stove challenging is not because he doesn't know how to build one.
After living in the countryside for over ten years, every few years someone's heated bed collapses, needing repair.
And there are cases of pots breaking and needing replacement, or stove doors breaking and needing rebuilding.
Having never eaten pork doesn't mean he's never seen a pig run, and a stove isn't some high-tech instrument; its structure is straightforward enough not to stump Chen Zhou.
His worry is -- how to actually use this big iron pot as a cooking vessel.
If he builds a normal stove, once the iron pot is placed on top, its rim is too high, making it inconvenient for adding water or cooking and cleaning.
If he digs downwards to build the stove, the iron pot's rim is lowered, but then he doesn't know where to build the heated wall.
Weighing the pros and cons, Chen Zhou decides that he wasn't planning to use the iron pot for cooking anyway, just for boiling water, so having it higher is fine. It's better to deal with a bit of inconvenience than hinder the heated wall.
During the rainy season, drying clothes and roasting bedding will completely rely on it.
...
Deciding on the future construction direction, Chen Zhou wets some white clay and builds a small stove tightly against the yet-to-be-completed outer kitchen wall.
The flue of the stove leads outside the cave, so once the fire is lit, all the smoke exits directly and doesn't linger inside.
After smoothing the mud and waiting for the surface moisture to evaporate, Chen Zhou brought over the copper pot to test the fit.
The size was just right, perfectly fitting.
Feeling impatient, he lit the campfire ahead of time, fetching four lemons, grains of salt, dried kelp, seal oil, and the not-yet-dry seal meat, preparing to showcase his culinary skills with a meat fry.
After ten-plus minutes of frying, he rubbed his fingers on the stove's surface, which had turned gray.
"It's almost ready."
It felt like the mud on a newly built country stove, about this level of dampness.
Chen Zhou chopped up small branches to cushion the stove's entrance, placing a few burning coals inside, and then covering them with a layer of finer twigs.
Soon, the fire caught, making the cave increasingly bright.
The heat conductivity of copper is extremely high. Even with a layer of iron in between, the pot quickly became warm once the fire was lit.
He added two spoonfuls of seal oil into the pot, and once it was heated evenly, Chen Zhou used chopsticks to lay sliced pieces of seal meat flat in the pot.
The aroma of frying meat in hot oil filled the air.
The color of the seal meat pieces quickly changed, and fearing the heat would overcook the meat, Chen Zhou quickly flipped them over, sprinkling salt on top.
The seal meat had been air-dried for a while, lacking moisture, so it didn't sizzle with juices like fresh meat during frying.
Yet, the aroma of the meat was not diminished in the slightest.
With the help of the Maillard reaction, the small molecular aldehydes and ketones in the meat were released, the smell far more attractive than stewed meat.
Tied in the kitchen, Tizi widened its eyes, moving closer to the stove with a surprised expression, seemingly unable to believe such a wonderful aroma existed.
Greedy Xiao Huihui had long woken from its slumber, sitting early beside Chen Zhou in anticipation—choosing a spot far from Tizi on purpose.
Lai Fu moved even closer, leaning unreservedly against Chen Zhou's leg, repeatedly stretching out a paw to try to "shake hands" with its owner for a reward.
With the meat not yet ready, Chen Zhou ignored these gluttonous creatures, focusing intently on the meat in the pot.
He flipped them over again, sensing that the aroma had peaked, squeezed some lemon juice on the meat, and sprinkled a bit of powdered kelp.
The fresh scent of lemon temporarily subdued the greasiness of the seal meat, while the kelp remains added a touch of decoration.
Using a small knife, he lifted the meat from the copper pot, placing it on a silver dining plate.
Steaming hot and fragrant, Chen Zhou couldn't wait to cut a piece of seal meat for a meticulous tasting.
Perhaps due to over-salting before air-drying, the seal meat tasted slightly salty.
On this salty base, as it entered the mouth, the fine fibers of the seal meat could be felt, lemon's sweet and sour tasted, along with a special flavor akin to caramel or cream.
Slowly chewing, the fully cooked meat had no bloody taste, just pure aroma, quickly filling the entire mouth.
Having gone so long without fried meat, Chen Zhou involuntarily closed his eyes, quietly savoring this rare delicacy.
Lai Fu sat obediently beside him, tongue lolling, a glistening strand of drool trailing to the ground.
Xiao Huihui fixed its gaze on the remaining seal meat yet to be cooked, daringly inching closer.
The wood crackled in the stove, Chen Zhou could only hear his own chewing.
He was enraptured by the rich aroma of the fried meat.
Meow~
A strange, soft cat call made him open his eyes.
Curiously looking at Xiao Huihui with its paw reaching for the seal meat, Chen Zhou wore a displeased expression.
Xiao Huihui awkwardly withdrew its paw, looking guilty for its failed attempt, gazing around sheepishly.
Staring at the drying rack deep in the kitchen for a moment, it turned back around, dutifully squatting on the ground, curling its body up with effort and grooming its fur, trying to act as if nothing had happened.
Chen Zhou knew that Xiao Huihui naturally had a raspy voice, unable to produce such a sound even if it tried to call sweetly, so he shifted his gaze to Tizi.
Tizi sat primly.
Having been well-fed lately, its coat looked much shinier and brighter than when it was first caught; the fur on its chest appeared dense and soft.
With its front legs together, its tail wrapped around its body, covering its front paws, giving off an air of elegance.
At Chen Zhou's angle, the unhealed scars on its hindquarters were out of sight, maintaining its graceful appearance.
Noticing Chen Zhou's gaze, it slightly narrowed its light green eyes, twitching its mouth, and let out another soft, endearing meow.
Meow~
Blinking, tightening its tail, Tizi lifted its chest, tilting its head slightly upwards, gazing longingly at the remaining large piece of seal meat on the dining plate.
"Oh, how come Tizi has also learned to act so coy?"
Unexpectedly, the allure of the fried meat was so great it even tempted the aloof Tizi to such an extent.
Unable to resist its longing gaze, Chen Zhou almost tossed the seal meat on the plate directly to Tizi.
But he quickly realized that this piece was too salty, unsuitable for feeding cats and dogs.
He patted Lai Fu's head, soothing its mood, all the while telling Xiao Huihui and Tizi to wait a bit.
He went to the drying rack, taking down a meat strip that had been marinated for a shorter period and contained less salt content, preparing to enjoy the fried delicacy along with his furry family.
Only the Little Dragon Cat would be at a loss, unable to eat meat, its meal for tonight was still hay.