After answering this question, Yao Wei seemed to lose interest in continuing the conversation.
Seeing this, Lu Xi'an decided not to continue the topic.
He offered some good stuff, specifically salt he obtained from Mozhou City.
The salt he brought from Wanhu Village in East Gate County was still stored, but that's his daily supply, and he only uses a tiny bit when needed, reluctant to use more. This salt came from a different batch.
This batch of salt was packed in a plastic bag and came from a member of the Wolf Gang.
The gang member carried it personally, and when killed by Lu Xi'an's rapid fire, a vegetable knife was dropped near his hand. The knife had been used for years, full of chips and worn out, yet he was unwilling to discard it—likely the Wolf Gang's cook.
Judging by the quantity of salt, it was intended to supply the whole gang. Now, it's all Lu Xi'an's.
Yao Wei was slightly surprised by Lu Xi'an's generosity.
Lu Xi'an smiled and said, "You have to treat yourself better. I need to eat too."
"Thank you."
Yao Wei, with a hint of gloom, expressed her gratitude and took the salt.
She started washing the meat with water, doing it very carefully, afraid of wasting even a drop of water.
Once cleaned, she hung it on a wooden rack and rubbed salt on it.
The salt wasn't hers, and she was reluctant to use too much, wanting to save more for Lu Xi'an.
After salting, she pulled out a lighter and lit the firewood that Lu Xi'an had already chopped and piled under the grill.
She had her own lighter, saving Lu Xi'an from using his own.
Lu Xi'an considered helping but realized he wasn't as efficient as Yao Wei. Instead of being helpful, he disrupted her rhythm, so he wisely stepped aside.
He saw Yao Wei busily working and went to deal with other tasks.
Calling the mechanical dog over, lifting it up by its metal leg, he inspected it closely. Lu Xi'an confirmed that the dog's paw had screws and gear structures, which could be dismantled with a screwdriver and wrench. Whether he could attach wheels on later, he'd have to try.
Anyway, it was just an experiment, not necessarily successful. Lu Xi'an wasn't a professional, just thinking that if it failed, then so be it.
He couldn't try now, mainly because Gou had other tasks to do.
Lu Xi'an set up two rows of meat racks, which Yao Wei filled entirely with meat hanging over the fire.
This woman was highly skilled, dividing the meat and bones meticulously, and cutting the meat into small pieces, ensuring proper roasting and thorough disinfection.
Lu Xi'an then assigned Gou to her.
When she turned the racks to roast the meat, Gou constantly scanned the roasting meat with its mechanical eyes.
"You'll see Gou's expression later; if it confirms the meat is done, then it's done."
Lu Xi'an told Yao Wei, "Gou can detect parasites and toxins in the meat and check the quality.
This way, we can accurately control the heat, ensuring the meat is cooked without burning."
A flash of envy appeared and disappeared in Yao Wei's eyes as she looked at Gou.
Having such a mechanical dog, how wonderful!
But she had another question for Lu Xi'an: "How do I read its expression?"
These six words were obviously forced out, unlike earlier out of spontaneous expression.
Lu Xi'an said, "Just watch whether its eyes light up."
Yao Wei nodded and intermittently flipped the meat until Gou's eyes lit up.
Lu Xi'an chopped more wood to prevent running out of firewood.
Having just started mastering this new skill upon arriving in this world, now he was proficient without flaw.
Lu Xi'an felt that with his wood-chopping skills, he could become an expert in the Martial Arts World.
However, this wasn't the Martial Arts World; everyone he saw was wielding guns.
And he also handled guns—though his aim wasn't accurate.
Returning with a stack of chopped wood, Lu Xi'an just saw Gou's eyes light up, and Yao Wei took down the cooked meat.
Seeing Lu Xi'an returning, Yao Wei first handed him a piece of roasted pork before eating herself.
The meat was tender and well-cooked, though not particularly tasty.
But it was enough, at least edible.
Initially, Gou only cared whether the food was toxic or edible, not if it was cooked. Lu Xi'an had trained Gou for a long time to reach this state.
In such a resource-scarce world, this was quite satisfactory.
At least it was flavored with salt and cooked.
Before, when firewood was scarce, Lu Xi'an had eaten cold, raw wild game.
The two silently chewed the meat, neither speaking.
Only after each had eaten two pieces, Lu Xi'an suggested, "Should we roast the remaining meat more? It will taste better cooked well-done."
Yao Wei frowned, saying, "Wasteful."
Clearly, she knew a bit about how to retain nutrients in the meat.
Lu Xi'an chuckled, "You should treat yourself kinder. Pleasing your taste buds keeps the spirit cheerful.
We've replenished enough fats and proteins in this meal, why not roast the remaining meat more to enjoy it thoroughly?
Anyway, we can't store this meat."
The weather here alternates between cold and hot extremes, making it unsuitable for long-term preservation of the meat.
Yao Wei hesitated for a while, ultimately not insisting on her stance, and roasted the remaining meat properly, letting the meat sizzle with oil and emit a fragrant aroma.
"It's ready."
Lu Xi'an reminded Yao Wei.
Then Yao Wei stopped.
This time, the texture and taste were different; the crisp aroma mixed with roasted oil and salt enhanced the appetite, quickly leading Lu Xi'an and Yao Wei to devour the cooked meat.
After finishing, Lu Xi'an couldn't help but lament, "If only there was some cumin."
"What?"
Yao Wei asked. She didn't understand this term.
"It's a kind of seasoning. If we come across it one day, I'll let you try it."
Lu Xi'an replied.
Yao Wei remained silent, pretending not to hear.
To her, Lu Xi'an's words were as good as a blank check.
They had eaten plenty of meat from the wild pig, still leaving half untouched.
That was quite a lot. Though the wild pig wasn't huge, the weight of a whole pig still wasn't light.
Lu Xi'an felt his stomach was like a balloon, capable of going hungry for days but getting hearty when food was available.
Apparently, Yao Wei was the same.
Having someone as peculiar as himself around felt rather nice.
Yao Wei and Lu Xi'an tidied up together, moving the meat and other tools onto the car.
When the weather wasn't too hot, the meat could be preserved for a bit longer, good to eat either tonight or tomorrow.
Lu Xi'an casually remarked, "If only the weather suddenly turned cold, these meats could be preserved a bit longer."
He just said it casually, as cold weather only benefited pork preservation but otherwise was all detrimental.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, a gust of cold wind suddenly rushed over, "whoosh," blowing away many leaves.
It stung the face sharply.
Lu Xi'an quickly took out thicker clothes from his backpack and put them on, speechless, "Are my words this effective? When will the sky drop some supplies? I don't ask for much, just more cans."
It was more like making a wish, naturally without any real effect.
Yao Wei took out the leather jacket from the car that she wore yesterday and couldn't help but snark, "Sure is effective..."