Chapter 2 Roasted Winter Bamboo Shoots and Cigarettes

  Many years later, whenever Lin Taiping talked about his experience when he first arrived in Constance, he would always recall the past with deep emotion: "Thanks to CCTV, thanks to MTV, and especially thanks to my ex-girlfriend for forcing me to attend a culinary training class..."

  Okay, speaking of attending culinary training classes, that was indeed a past event that cannot be recalled. However, it is precisely because of this devilish hell-like training that he can now conquer the stomachs of a large group of gourmet foodies with his unskilled craftsmanship.

  In the dim night, beside the swaying torches, dozens of hungry cow-headed men squatted down in a circle, staring blankly with wide eyes as he trimmed several large winter bamboo shoots.

  Due to the lack of seasonings and edible oil, methods such as stir-frying in oil are not feasible, so the best way to make do with local materials is to use the most primitive method of mud roasting. This primitive mud-roasted winter bamboo shoot can also maximize the preservation of its original flavor.

  First, a large pit was dug in the yellow mud beside the bamboo forest, and the pit was filled with firewood and dry grass, as well as a lot of bamboo leaves and bamboo joints, which can make the roasted winter bamboo shoots have a natural bamboo leaf fragrance.

  Then, five or six winter bamboo shoots with sheaths were selected, wrapped in a thick layer of mud, and under his command, the cow-headed men put these large winter bamboo shoots into the big pit and covered them completely with firewood and dry grass.

  Finally, a torch was thrown into the large pit, and as the wood and dry grass were ignited, the entire pit erupted in a raging fire. As time slowly passed, the winter bamboo shoots buried deep within gradually ripened, releasing a faint fragrance that wafted through the air, making one involuntarily take deep breath after deep breath.

  "Hmm, can we eat now?" Originally, they were so hungry that their stomachs were stuck to their backs. After smelling this faint fragrance, dozens of cow-headed men couldn't help but swallow their saliva frantically. Tulou couldn't bear it either, tiptoeing and stretching his neck, just like a duck hung over a roasting oven.

  "Don't be in a hurry, there's one last step." Lin Taiping estimated that the time was about right, and immediately extinguished the flames in the large pit. After waiting for the temperature to gradually decrease, he used branches to stir inside the large pit and brought out several large bamboo shoots.

  At this time, the winter bamboo shoots had been roasted for a while and their outer muddy shells had solidified. He picked up a large stone and smashed it several times with force, shattering the outer muddy shells into powder. As the winter bamboo shoots were fully exposed, the intense aroma could no longer be contained and instantly filled the entire beach.

  Under this aroma, let alone the cow-headed man, even Lin Taiping couldn't resist it. He swallowed his saliva and carefully stretched out his hand to peel off the still scalding bamboo shell, revealing the tender white bamboo shoots that made people drool: "Okay, now you can... Meow meow, I haven't finished speaking yet!"

  Who else was interested in listening to him continue, Tulu rushed up eagerly, not caring how hot the winter bamboo shoots were, and directly hugged them and gnawed on them. After only chewing for two or three mouthfuls, this guy suddenly became stunned with a blank face, and then, like he had malaria, even his cow horns started to tremble slightly.

  Isn't it poisonous? Several dozen cow-headed men stared at each other in dismay, but before they could come to their senses, Turo suddenly let out a strange cry, hugged the whole winter bamboo shoot and gnawed at it randomly, while nodding his head frantically with a muffled voice: "This flavor... this flavor... do you want to try it?"

  Do you still need to ask? Tens of cow-headed men suddenly swarmed up, directly picking up the remaining roasted winter bamboo shoots, without even peeling off the shells, they started devouring them wildly. After tasting the flavor, these guys suddenly had red eyes, while yelling and pounding their chests, they began frantically grabbing...

  "Delicious! Too delicious! Extremely delicious!" Toru ate with his mouth full of oil, but turned around with an incredulous expression on his face, shocked to the point where his jaw almost dropped: "Who was it that knew this? How did you know this thing was buried underground and could be eaten?"

  "Character problem." Lin Taiping smiled, revealing eight shiny white teeth.

  In fact, until the 21st century, Westerners still didn't have the habit of eating bamboo shoots, and considering that this world is similar to the Middle Ages, it's normal for the Minotaur not to know about winter bamboo shoots.

  Now, after devouring several roasted winter bamboo shoots, the ox-headed people, still unsatisfied, immediately transformed into a digging army. In just a short moment, the poor bamboo forest was turned into a large pit. Not to mention those small winter bamboo shoots that had not yet taken shape, even the hard bamboo sticks were dug up.

  "Please, bamboo whips are not edible." Lin Taiping watched from the side with a solemn expression and couldn't help but pat his forehead, "Besides, if you guys destroy the entire bamboo forest, we won't be able to eat... uh?"

  At this moment, his gaze swept casually over the big pit, but suddenly keenly sensed something unusual. In a newly dug deep pit, there seemed to be a faint flash of metal light.

  "What is this?" He curiously stepped forward a few steps, reached out and grasped the muddy metal object, "This is, this seems to be, a ring?"

  No, hidden in the soil was an ancient-looking ring, made entirely of platinum, with intricate and complex symbols etched onto its surface, and at the center of the ring face, a bright red gemstone was inlaid.

  "It's just an ordinary ring, at most it's pretty." Before he knew it, Tulou had curiously leaned in close, and in the eyes of this Minotaur elder, everything in the world was divided into two kinds: things that could be eaten and things that couldn't.

  "It's true that being simple-minded is a blessing." Lin Taiping muttered to himself as he put away the ring, but soon realized a more pressing issue - now that the promise of finding food had been fulfilled, would the cow-headed people suddenly turn against them after having a full meal?

  "How is that possible?" Feeling insulted, Turu suddenly became furious and spat out white air. "Our great and brave Minotaur tribe would never do such an ungrateful thing... whoever you are, you helped us, from now on you are a guest of our tribe, although not the most honorable kind."

  What's the difference? Will the equipment drop rate increase? Lin Taiping couldn't help but mock, but he can finally breathe a sigh of relief. At least after crossing over to this completely unknown world, this is a good start.

  It was at this time that Tulu enthusiastically picked up a winter bamboo shoot and handed it over with a painful expression: "Whoever you are, have some too, thanks for your help this time."

  "Thanks." Looking at the half-cooked winter bamboo shoots, Lin Taiping could only decline politely. However, considering that he couldn't hurt the other person's enthusiasm, he thought for a moment and then pulled out his last pack of cigarettes, "Hmmm, want one?...Hey hey hey, this isn't food!"

  Very good, very powerful. If it wasn't stopped in time, Tulou would have swallowed nicotine whole. However, when he saw Lin Taiping take out another lighter, he was even more surprised and took a few steps back: "Flames? Are you... a magician?"

  "This is what you said, I didn't say anything." Lin Taiping blinked his eyes innocently and lit a cigarette for him, "Come on, learn from me, take a light puff, then spit it out, how does it feel?"

  "It feels... dizzy." Toru replied honestly, relying on his large lung capacity, he finished the whole thing in one breath, if he didn't feel dizzy then something was wrong, "However, it seems not bad, want another one?"

  Nothing more needed to be said, looking at that expectant gaze, Lin Taiping could only let out a pained sigh and reluctantly pull out another cigarette.

  It soon turned out that as long as it was a male creature, it would learn bad things quickly.

  One minute later, Tulu had figured out how to use a lighter, although he almost burned his hand.

  Two minutes later, this guy started pinching a cigarette, shaking off the ash very skillfully, and even learned to blow smoke rings.

  Three minutes later, under the sunset of this deserted island, a cow and a man sat shoulder to shoulder on a reef, facing the sea with misty clouds, and there was still a faint smoke floating above their heads.

  The blue sea, the black desert island, the red sunset, you can think about it, how harmonious and friendly, full of passion... Cough, that's not what I meant to say, got sidetracked.

  "It's really good, I feel like my body is floating." After a long silence, Tulu let out a long sigh of relief, feeling satisfied as he puffed out a ring of smoke. "But it's strange, after smoking this stuff, I feel a little hungry again."

  With a worried look on his face, he sighed and rubbed his perpetually insatiable stomach with one hand while opening his big cow-like eyes wide in a pitiful manner. A layer of mist even appeared in those large eyes: "You know who...".

  "Please, stop being cute, okay?" Lin Taiping looked at it helplessly and finally succumbed to its pitiful gaze. "Alright, I'm afraid of you. We'll go near your tribe to take a look, is that alright?"

  Good, good, this is exactly what I've been waiting for. Tens of ox-headed men nodded in unison and rushed forward in a flurry, some patting him on the shoulder, others embracing his waist, as they escorted him away with great fanfare, as if protecting a treasure of utmost importance.

  What can be said? At this moment, looking at the surrounding black and oppressive cow heads, Lin Taiping suddenly had a very strange premonition.

  Okay, why do I suddenly feel that our family has never had a peaceful life, and it seems like from now on it will become even more wonderful?

  And many years later, Turo wrote in his memoir "The Days I Spent Beside Lin" with such passion about this scene:

  "At that time, when I first saw Lin, I had a very strong premonition. The man in front of me, who was so wise and powerful, with a vision for the future... (omitted 10,000 words)... was the great messenger sent by the God of Darkness to save us... What? Rob him? Nonsense! Do I look like an idiot who only knows how to eat?"