Farming Family's Pocket Dimension: A Charmed Little Lady Comes to Farm

Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Dares to Eat Anything

Gu Fei’s spatula was a blur. Once the snake pieces were fried to a golden brown, she scooped them out and set them aside on a plate.

Next, Gu Fei added ginger, garlic, dried red chilies, star anise, cassia bark, and bay leaves to the wok. The spices sizzled in the hot oil, sending a fragrant aroma wafting through the air.

An old woman nearby caught a whiff and sneezed. "What is that smell? It’s so pungent!"

A few others in the crowd also sneezed. The village chief clicked his tongue. "She’s from the Marquis Mansion, all right. I’ve never seen anyone cook with so much oil and so many spices."

Lan Zhi, standing nearby, covered her nose and shook her head. ’People in the Marquis Mansion don’t eat this stuff, nor do we use spices so pungent they could choke you.’

’She didn’t even know Little Fei could cook!’

Gu Fei tossed the snake meat back into the wok. She stir-fried it until it was golden, then added soy sauce and chili paste for color. Once the meat was evenly coated, she poured in a bowl of water, put the lid on, and let it braise.

Uncle Ma stroked his chin as he watched from the side, clicking his tongue in admiration. "Tsk, tsk. You, my girl, are clearly a foodie. And one with good taste, at that."

"By the way, what was that red stuff you put in?"

Gu Fei blinked. "It’s a wild berry I picked in the mountains. It looks like this once it’s sun-dried. It’s very spicy. I tested it back at our camp—it’s hot, but it’s not poisonous. It adds a lot of flavor to dishes."

Uncle Ma looked at Gu Fei. "You’re a bold one, aren’t you? Daring to eat just about anything."

The snake meat had to braise for a while to become tender, so seeing that the excitement was over, the adults quietly dispersed.

But the few older boys stayed put, gathered around the stove.

Just then, Gu Rong patted the boys on the head. "Go on, go on. Nothing to see here. There’s so little meat, it’s not even enough for our own families."

Gu Fei had counted as she was chopping it earlier. There were twenty-nine pieces in total—truly not enough to go around.

With fourteen people between their two families, that was only two pieces per person.

The village chief then called Uncle Ma over, gathering a few other men to discuss the situation. "Everyone’s out of water. Should we send a party to search the vicinity?"

Uncle Ma pondered for a moment. "I wouldn’t advise looking for water now. First, it will waste time. Second, we aren’t familiar with the area and might get lost. We should all just hold out a little longer. I remember there’s a small river about twenty li from here, not far from the main road. It should still have water. We’ll just have to leave a bit earlier tomorrow."

The village chief had no choice but to nod. "All right, then. We’ll all just have to endure it a little longer."

Eager to eat the braised snake, Uncle Ma finished speaking and promptly turned back to stand guard by the wok.

After the snake had braised for half an hour, Gu Fei lifted the lid, and a rich, fragrant aroma billowed out.

Gu Fei told Gu Sanlang to add more firewood to the blaze as she began to season the dish with salt, oyster sauce, and chicken bouillon.

Uncle Ma, watching from the side, blinked rapidly. ’What on earth is she putting in there?’ he thought. ’I’d better not get poisoned.’

The sauce in the iron wok slowly reduced, bubbling thickly. Every piece of snake meat was coated in a glossy, rich glaze.

Gu Fei ladled the snake meat into a large bowl and placed it on the wooden board Mrs. Chen had set up. She had just started to turn away when she saw a pair of little hands belonging to Bao’er reaching for the bowl.

Gu Fei yelled, "Sanlang—!"