Chapter 111: Delicious Cold Toad Meat
Chapter 111: Delicious Cold Toad Meat
As the sky gradually darkened, Tang Jinbiao followed Captain Wang and the others. They found an open area, pitched tents, and lit three campfires. Grouping into sets of seven or eight, they gathered around the fires to grill food and warm themselves.
A small number stood guard outside the convoy, keeping watch and alert. Others were already resting in the tents; clearly, there would be a shift change at midnight.
After several hours of acquaintance, those guards remained wary of him, but their initial hostility had faded away.
Crackle! Crackle!
Tang Jinbiao sat with Captain Wang by one fire. He held a metal skewer threaded with five or six slices of meat. Each slice was about half a foot wide and an inch thick. He lowered the skewer close to the glowing embers beneath the fire to roast it.
It was unclear what animal this meat came from, but Tang Jinbiao was sure it wasn’t beef, pork, chicken, or anything familiar.
At first glance, the meat looked dark red, similar to beef. Yet, upon closer inspection, it was different. Unlike beef where fat usually sits in defined streaks, the fat here was embedded within the meat itself, reminiscent of streaky pork. However, the texture looked far more tender than pork, almost chicken-like. When he saw these slices earlier, he had been intrigued; he’d never seen such meat before.
Plip-plop! Plip-plop!
Under the extreme heat, the fat on the meat sizzled and popped, making plip-plop noises. Large drops of oil dripped steadily onto the glowing coals. With a whoosh, they ignited instantly upon contact, accompanied by puffs of black smoke.
Yet, with the spattering fat and rising black smoke, came a wave of intense, savory fragrance.
“Haha, Captain Wang! If all goes well, we should reach Chuyun City before dark tomorrow night. Then everyone can relax a bit!”
While Tang Jinbiao was diligently roasting his meat, a young man around twenty seated across held up his skewer. He took a big bite, chewing two pieces rapidly. He started speaking even as his mouth was full, still chewing.
“Haha, Old Seven, what exactly do you mean by ‘relax’?” asked another young man of similar age sitting beside the speaker. He seemed to have finished roasting his own; he lifted his skewer, tore off a piece of meat, and popped it into his mouth with a knowing, almost teasing expression before chewing vigorously.
“Hmm?”
The one called Old Seven paused in his chewing, momentarily confused. But then he seemed to grasp the implication, and his cheeks instantly flushed red.
“Cough! Cough! Cough!”
Having eaten too hastily in his agitation, he seemed to choke. He immediately coughed uncontrollably, quickly explaining between coughs: “Cough… cough… Third Brother, you’ve got it all wrong! Not like that at all!”
“Haha, Old Seven, were you maybe thinking about that place?” asked another man sitting nearby, wearing a similarly teasing smile on his face.
“Haha!”
“Hahaha!”
Hearing this, several others nearby joined in the laughter.
“No! No! Absolutely not!”
The young man called Old Seven’s face flushed crimson—whether from the firelight or embarrassment was unclear—and he looked almost drunk. He vehemently denied it.
“Haha! No explanations needed, no explanations!”
“Right, Seventh Brother! No explanations!”
“Exactly, no explanations!”
Seeing Old Seven refuse to admit anything, the others burst into laughter.
“Heh,” Captain Wang, sitting beside Tang Jinbiao, chuckled softly with a trace of resignation and shook his head. “Drinking is off the menu tonight. Just have some roasted meat. When we get things sorted tomorrow, I’ll take you. Won’t cost much.”
“Heh!”
Hearing their topic, Tang Jinbiao couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Heh, seems men are the same everywhere, huh! Wonder how Ah Hu and the others are doing? We agreed to go wash hair, but never made it in the end!”
After listening to their discussion, Tang Jinbiao found himself thinking of Tang Hu and Tang Bi.
“Captain Wang!”
The man called Old Seven flushed even redder when Captain Wang spoke up, looking rather annoyed.
“Haha!”
“Haha, Old Seven, relax! When has Captain Wang ever taken us out without some fun?”
“Haha, Brother Seven, don’t worry—first time’s awkward, second time’s familiar!”
The others joined in the laughter too.
“Haha!”
Captain Wang also burst out laughing, grabbing a skewer of roasted meat and offering it to Tang Jinbiao. “Brother Tang, try a piece?”
“No need, thank you, Brother Wang!”
Tang Jinbiao raised his own half-cooked skewer slightly, showing Captain Wang his was almost ready.
“Heh, then I won’t stand on ceremony. We’re all wanderers here—no need for formalities!”
Unfazed by the refusal, Captain Wang tore off two chunks of meat, chewing slowly.
Sizzle, sizzle!
The meat, originally half a foot wide and an inch thick, had shrunk to half its size after roasting as the grease dripped away. Each drop of oil hitting the flames released an irresistible, mouthwatering aroma.
“So fragrant!”
Though he’d eaten rice cakes earlier to curb his hunger, the tempting smell made Tang Jinbiao swallow and lick his lips.
Feeling the iron skewer grow warm in his hand and seeing the meat turn golden brown, he finally lifted it.
Sizzle, sizzle!
Each of the five slices looked utterly tempting, especially with droplets of oil still bubbling on the surface, making Tang Jinbiao gulp.
Chomp!
Raising the skewer, he mimicked the others, tearing off a piece and stuffing it all into his mouth.
“Ah! So hot!”
But the moment the meat touched his tongue, scalding heat hit him. He spat it out right away.
“Pah! Pah! That’s scalding hot!”
His rash bite had left his tongue feeling blistered.
“Haha! Brother Tang, forgot to warn you—Cold Toad Meat is piping hot inside! Just bite through it and it’s fine!”
Seeing Tang Jinbiao’s mishap, Captain Wang paused briefly before chuckling. He figured this proved Tang Jinbiao was definitely a refugee from elsewhere.
“Ha ha, Brother Tang, you’re not doing it right!”
“Ha ha, there’s a saying—can’t eat hot tofu when impatient—but this Cold Toad Meat’s the opposite. You’ve never tried it before, have you?”
“Ha ha, Brother Tang, don’t worry! Take another piece. Bite into it right after it touches your tongue, and you’ll taste the magic!”
The onlookers burst into laughter after seeing Tang Jinbiao’s clumsy attempt at eating the Cold Toad Meat.
“I…”
Tang Jinbiao felt blisters forming on his tongue, but heeding their words, he resolved to try again and bit into the next piece of Cold Toad Meat.
Huff, huff, huff!
This time, having learned his lesson, he didn’t swallow it whole. Instead, he blew on it first, waiting for the oily sheen to cool before taking a cautious bite—just a small half-piece.
Scalding!
Yet even that tiny bite felt searingly hot. His expression shifted slightly, and he nearly spat it out.
“Brother Tang, don’t stop! Keep biting!”
Seeing Tang Jinbiao’s change in expression, Captain Wang immediately urged him on.
“Screw it, I’ll tough it out!”
Noticing everyone watching him intently and expectantly, Tang Jinbiao gritted through the burning heat and forcefully bit down.
Splatter!
Cold!
But the moment Tang Jinbiao applied pressure—the instant that splatter pierced the surface—an icy chill surged against his teeth.
“Huh?”
Tang Jinbiao’s expression shifted again as he registered the frigidity trapped inside the meat.
Yet it was precisely this chill that eased the earlier scalding heat. Instantly, a burst of savory juice flooded his mouth—an extraordinary sensation.
“Don’t stop! Chew it!” Captain Wang continued guiding him.
Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!
Once he felt the wondrous flavor bloom, Tang Jinbiao didn’t hesitate. He tore off another piece and chewed vigorously.
Pure bliss: beneath the searing exterior lay an icy-delicious juice. The clash of temperatures balanced in his mouth, amplifying the meat’s savory richness.
“Delectable! Pure heaven!”
Soon, Tang Jinbiao finished chewing one piece of Cold Toad Meat, swallowed, and sighed in awe.
“Heh, Brother Tang, never had Cold Toad Meat before, have you?”
A pleased smile spread across Captain Wang’s face as he observed Tang Jinbiao drinking in the delight.
Crunch!
Tang Jinbiao surrendered to the taste again, tearing off another piece, chewing as he mumbled “Never tried it” through a mouthful, shaking his head.
“Ha ha, don’t worry, Brother Tang! We’ve got plenty of this! Among all things, the Gongsun Family lives off breeding Cold Toads—we’d never run short!”
Seeing Tang Jinbiao so content, Captain Wang beamed with pride.
“Delicious—absolutely divine! This old man’s lived decades, yet never tasted grilled meat this amazing!”
After another swallow, Tang Jinbiao couldn’t stop praising, though he’d started using the crass term “old man” at both ends of his sentences—a habit resurfacing as he grew comfortable.
“Er…”
“Uh…”
The others wore uneasy looks at Tang Jinbiao’s abrupt “old man” claims.
Crunch!
“You know what? It’s damn delicious!”
He ripped off yet another piece, chewing and cursing without reserve.
Crunch… crunch…
Tang Jinbiao remained oblivious to everyone else. He kept on chewing—then paused mid-bite, puzzled by all the eyes locked onto him.
“Uh… What’s wrong?”
Silence hung heavy.
“Ha ha! Nothing, nothing! Brother Tang loving the taste is all that matters—as long as you enjoy it!”
After a moment, Captain Wang snapped back to reality first. He patted Tang Jinbiao’s shoulder with a hearty laugh, flashing a swift glance at his men.
“Heh, tasty’s what counts!”
“Yes! As long as Brother Tang’s pleased!”
Taking the cue from Captain Wang, the rest followed suit. They tore chunks of meat off their own plates and dug in.
“Alright!”
Still not clear on what happened, Tang Jinbiao muttered an acknowledgment. Then he tore off another piece and resumed chewing…