Chapter 134: The Aroma of Stewed Meat (Part One)

A new kitchen knife needed sharpening before use, and a new pot needed seasoning before cooking as well.

The large and small frying pans had been made for a while now, and Liu Heming felt it was about time to season and use them. Mostly, he was craving the taste of a big pot of stew.

He had learned the method of seasoning a pot from his mother at home. He had only seen her do it once before, and now he mostly forgot how it was done.

The materials were also hard to come by—a large piece of fatty meat with the pork skin still attached. Here, unlike in China, you couldn’t just buy it easily at the market or supermarket. For meat like this, you had to place an order in advance.

Liu Heming set up a stove outside, then cut the large piece of fat into chunks and began rubbing it inside the dry, heated pot.

“Dexter, are you sure cooking with a pot like this won’t make people sick?” Robin asked in surprise, watching the dark oil trickle down the sides of the pot.

Liu Heming wouldn’t mess around for no reason; he made this pot specifically for cooking. But seeing the state of the pot, Robin wondered if Liu Heming was attempting some legendary dark cuisine.

“Don’t worry, this is the traditional way to season a pot. Treating it like this not only removes harmful substances from the surface but also keeps the pot from rusting easily,” Liu Heming said, looking up at him with a smile.

He was very careful, rubbing in one piece of fat after another. Only when the oil in the pot turned clear and clean was the pot fully seasoned. The work left him sweating all over, no easier than forging iron.

Back inside the house, he brought out the large bones he had prepared earlier. He boiled them once in water in the pot to draw out any remaining blood from the bones. Then, he added fresh water to the pot and poured all the bones back in.

He cut the ginger into large slices, smashed the peeled garlic with the back of his knife, and threw them into the pot. He cut the scallions into large segments, then added various seasonings: Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, and so on.

It was a big pot of stewed meat, so you had to be generous with the seasonings. If you used them like for a small pot, the meat’s flavor wouldn’t come out fully.

As for the lid, it was a makeshift one; you couldn’t buy a proper lid here no matter how much you paid. He made do with a few wooden boards slapped together. As the water in the pot bubbled and boiled, the aroma drifted out through the gaps between the boards.

“Wow, Dad, it smells so good, so good! Can we eat it now?” Alex, who had been chasing the little kittens, made a quick turn and ran over to the stove, forgetting all about the kittens.

“Not yet, we have to wait until the meat is tender and falls off the bone to taste good. What are you doing with that little basket?” Liu Heming gave his daughter a playful pinch on her nose.

“Oh, I’m trying to catch the little kittens. They’re so naughty.” Liu Heming’s question reminded the little girl of her original task. She ran to the side and picked up the wobbly little kittens one by one, placing them in the basket.

Lately, the little girl had been busy looking after these little kittens. They were adorable when they slept, but once they woke up, they would wander around everywhere.

The four little ones weren’t well-behaved in the basket either, always trying to climb out. But after Alex stroked each of their bellies and necks, the four little kittens calmed down. They lay in the basket in various positions and soon fell asleep, looking very comfortable indeed.

The large bones in the pot needed to stew a while longer. Seeing how cute these four little kittens were, Liu Heming reached out a finger and gently stroked the forehead of the one closest to him.

The little kitten drowsily opened its eyes, and upon seeing it was Liu Heming’s finger, it immediately bit down without any hesitation. It had been sleeping soundly, and how dare he disturb its slumber? Clearly not a good servant.

The little kitten shook its head and bit down hard, but Liu Heming’s skin was thick and tough. No matter how hard it tried, it only made his finger a little itchy.

Liu Heming used his other hand to pinch the little kitten’s neck and stroke its chin. The little one felt so comfortable that it let go of his finger. It tilted its head back as if saying, “Go on, hurry up and serve your master.”

The aroma from the pot spread farther and farther. The Bear Kids, who had been playing on the other side, came trotting over and sat down obediently right next to Alex. Only when waiting for food or sleeping would they behave so well.

Sasha, who had been reading indoors for a while, decided to step outside for some fresh air. Although the living conditions here weren’t as good as at her own home, the environment was truly wonderful. As soon as she stepped onto the porch, she saw her daughter sitting there, with the two Bear Kids and Liu Heming gathered around.

This made her a bit worried. In the past, she had always been busy with work and rarely had time to play with her daughter like Liu Heming did. They were only staying here out of necessity, and she worried that her daughter would miss this place in the future.

Here, her daughter had fun every single day. Not only did she have the Bear Cubs to play with, but Liu Heming, her father, was always by her side, making the little girl’s life suddenly much more colorful.

“Mom, come over here! Dad is cooking meat, and it smells really good.” Alex spotted Sasha and waved her over.

Liu Heming tactfully made room for Sasha, letting the mother and daughter play with the kittens over here. He wanted to join in, but for now, it was just a thought.

Honestly, he already felt his life was quite happy. He had some income now and got to spend every day with his daughter. What more could he ask for? Money could be earned slowly, but the time to be with his daughter would only grow less and less.

After watching the mother and daughter play for a while, Liu Heming lifted the wooden lid and lightly poked one of the large bones with a chopstick. It was perfect—the chopstick went right in. It had taken less time than he expected.

It wasn’t that the more tender the stewed meat was, the better. While such meat was easier to eat, the texture would be much worse than it was now. Even with his Chef attribute bonus, it wouldn’t be as good. The current level of doneness was tender but not mushy, with just the right amount of chewiness—perfect.

He used a large ladle to transfer the bones to a basin nearby. As soon as the first bone landed in the basin, the Bear Kids couldn’t hold back any longer. They immediately ran over to his legs and started hugging them.

“Wait a bit, there’s a portion for you too. It’s so hot right now, your bear paws won’t be able to handle it,” Liu Heming said, amused by the eager Bear Kids.

It wasn’t just the Bear Kids, though. Even his precious daughter came over to his side, staring longingly at the bones in the basin.

Liu Heming gently tore off a small strip of meat from one of the large bones, blew on it to cool it down, and then fed it into his daughter’s little mouth. The little girl was overjoyed by the delicious taste. Even though it was still a bit hot, she ate it happily.

Seeing that Alex had already started eating, the Bear Kids grew even more anxious. Liu Heming had no choice but to give each of them a large strip of meat as well. Otherwise, they would keep pestering him.