Chapter 384: Chapter 226: Planning for the Future (Illustrated)
His eyebrow, uncontrollably, twitched slightly.
The first thing that hit his taste buds was the wild and unique flavor of porcupine fat. It wasn’t as mellow as lard, nor as creamy as butter, but rather a grease aroma filled with resin and herbal notes.
To modern people accustomed to farmed livestock, this taste might even seem somewhat "strong" and "strange."
But Lin Yu’an’s taste buds had long been honed by the wilderness to be incredibly tolerant and sensitive. He could taste deeper layers of flavor beneath the dominant gamey taste.
The texture of the tenderloin was, as he expected, exceptionally tender, yet its mouthfeel was leaner, or rather, more "firm" than any meat he had ever eaten, with a resilience that belonged to wild animals.
The simple saltiness drew out a hint of sweetness from the meat’s texture, but the strong herbal notes pervaded the entire process of chewing.
After chewing, he gave a professional evaluation, "A very intense flavor. This is definitely not a taste everyone would like. It’s primitive, like the herbal flavor is reminding you that you’re eating not an ordinary piece of meat, but a part of the forest."
He picked up a second piece of meat without hesitation and popped it into his mouth, "But for me right now, this flavor full of strength and life energy is exactly what my body craves."
After finishing the tenderloin as the "starter," the enormous roasted leg was also almost ready. Under the patient slow roast, the leg’s outer fat had melted, seeping into the whole meat chunk, forming a golden and crispy crust on the surface.
He directly grabbed the hot stick with his hands, brought the leg roast to his face, sliced a piece of crisp-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside meat with his Hunting Knife, and chewed it eagerly.
Compared to the tenderloin, the leg’s flavor was richer. The membranes and muscles clinging to the bone, after slow roasting, became tender yet elastic, with some of the herbal wild taste neutralized, transforming into a complex aroma closer to nuts and roast meat.
More chewable, it also allowed for experiencing that primal pleasure of tearing flesh and blood. Finally, he served himself a large bowl of the boiling broth, now a milky white from stewing.
This bowl of soup, one could say, was a perfect distillation of the porcupine’s flavor. Long boiling had fully dissolved the fats and gelatin from the marrow, as well as the complex precursor flavor compounds within the meat.
His prior blanching and sautéing had successfully removed most of the off-flavors, making the broth unusually clean.
A sip brought the herbal aroma still present, but now seamlessly merged with the meat broth’s richness, forming a unique "forest consommé" that could only be tasted in this wilderness.
Lin Yu’an ate this meal heartily; it was more than just filling his belly, feeling like a sensory adventure and exploration.
Using his experience and skills, Lin Yu’an successfully "decoded" and mastered a challenging ingredient, converting it into energy that could inject him with life energy.
And his body finally received a critical replenishment of rich fats.
Outside, the wind that had paused for a moment howled again, swirling the snow on the ground and making a rustling sound.
After finishing all this, Lin Yu’an glanced at the sky and the notches on the wall, estimating the time; December was almost the time to have a pre-sleep meal of milk again.
He skillfully prepared a formula milk slightly thicker than during the day, watching it contentedly finished on the wolfskin bed, then as usual, wobbled over, crawled into his warm sleeping bag, and fell into a deep slumber.
Lin Yu’an finally embraced a completely tranquil night for himself.
He didn’t immediately lie down to rest. After a hearty meal, the accelerated blood flow and high-calorie fats and proteins kept his mind unusually clear and active.
He added a few logs of the most burn-resistant hardwood to the fireplace, the orange flames leaping vigorously again, illuminating the entire shelter warmly and brightly. Leaning against the warm stone wall, he felt the steady heat from behind.
He didn’t turn on the GoPro recording switch; after such an intense yet rewarding day, he needed a space entirely his own, away from scrutiny.
He simply watched the flames quietly, as if conversing with a silent friend, sorting through his chaotic thoughts in self-talk.
"Today, when I successfully hunted the porcupine and confirmed that my energy supply for the next ten days was secured, a thought inexorably arose—going home."
His voice was soft, carrying a hint of weariness and longing even he hadn’t noticed.
"Though the challenge is far from over, and Dr. MacKeez won’t arrive for another ten days, this successful hunt feels like an important turning point. It’s like winning a crucial battle in a long war."
"It’s allowed me to shift from the constantly tense survival mode of only daring to think about the next meal, to have a precious moment to switch to a future mode, thinking about what to do after returning home."
"Firstly, to properly recover my body. After more than thirty days of high-intensity survival, I’ve lost over twenty pounds, and my body is at a critical point. Muscles are wasting, fat is nearly depleted... it feels like my body’s being hollowed out."
