Chapter 24: A Battle Over a Pork Knuckle and a Brat at the Banquet

The Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons is quite far away, and to get the braised pork knuckles tender and succulent, it would take some time.

Before dawn the next day, Lu Wu was already up. Having stayed up late the night before, she had dark circles under her eyes and felt a bit sluggish. However, this was the Qingyuan Realm; after circulating the meager spiritual energy in her body, the dark circles faded, and her spirits lifted. Patting her fair, tender cheeks and blowing a kiss to her reflection in the mirror, she headed to the kitchen.

The light flickering in the darkness was particularly conspicuous. Next door, Old Man Li, who had been sound asleep, snapped his eyes open. Seeing the light, he looked puzzled but assumed Lu Wu had simply gotten up to use the restroom, so he rolled over and went back to sleep.

In the kitchen, Lu Wu took out the pork knuckles Butcher Lin had delivered yesterday. They were incredibly fresh, still glistening with blood. She washed them clean and soaked them in clear water for half an hour. While waiting, she prepared the seasonings. Soy sauce, light soy sauce, and cooking wine were essential, but she also brought out a variety of spices. Ginger, star anise, and cinnamon were the perfect partners for pork knuckles, and she also included bay leaves, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried chili peppers. The whole family of aromatics was gathered to work their magic.

Using spiritual stones to fuel the fire allowed for precise control over the heat. The blood had been soaked out, and since Butcher Lin was meticulous, there wasn't a single pig hair to be seen. Lu Wu placed the large knuckles into a pot to blanch them. These spirit-pig knuckles were hefty; they would surely be satisfying to eat. Since it was the first day, she decided to start with fifty knuckles to test the waters. One pot wasn't enough, but fortunately, she was prepared and had set up a second stove.

As the water in the pot began to boil, foam rose to the surface, which she skimmed off. Once finished, she removed the knuckles, rinsed them, and drained them. Normally, making these would require a pressure cooker. While the Qingyuan Realm lacked such devices, a simple pressurization spell solved the problem. Lu Wu had made a last-minute effort to search on the World-Link and learned the least energy-consuming version. She tried it, and—would you believe it?—she mastered it instantly.

"Learned it on the first try; I really am a genius." Boasting to herself, she hummed a tune as she placed the knuckles into clear water. The water needed to submerge them completely. She added the aromatics and a pinch of fine salt, then covered the pot and snapped her fingers. A glimmer of spiritual light flashed; the spell was cast.

All that remained was to wait. Feeling relaxed, Lu Wu sat on a small stool in the kitchen and began to doze off. She was so tired.

Drifting off into a haze of yawns, Lu Wu fell asleep. She dreamt she had returned to Earth, where a relative was getting married, and she was tagging along behind her mother to enjoy the feast. The banquet was filled with meat dishes, and Lu Wu ate happily. Her favorite was the braised pork knuckle; it was so tender that the skin melted in her mouth with a single bite. The rich sauce had permeated every layer, making even the lean meat wrapped in fat incredibly flavorful.

Lu Wu grew more obsessed with every bite. She almost got into a fight with a child at the table over the last piece, but she won. She picked it up, savoring the overflowing aroma that tickled her nose. Her nose twitched, and then she heard her stomach growl—the roar of a starving wolf. Strange, hadn't she eaten her fill? In her distraction, the kid snatched the knuckle right out of her hand. Devastated, Lu Wu cried and woke up.

Her head slipped from her palm, and she nearly fell to the floor. She looked around, bewildered, before realizing what had happened and breaking into a wry smile.

"It smells so good." She looked toward the stove, where steam was billowing. The fragrance that had made her fight in her dream was wafting from the pot. Her knuckles were ready!

She hurried to open the lid, inhaling deeply, though she knew they hadn't quite reached their peak yet. She lifted the knuckles out, cleaned the pot, and added oil. The high heat released the fragrant scent of the oil, reminding her of the endless fields of rapeseed back home. That was the unmistakable scent of rapeseed oil.

She tossed the knuckles into the hot oil, sautéed them briefly, and added the broth she had set aside, followed by light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Now that all the seasonings were in, the time-consuming part began. As the sauce reduced, she had to constantly ladle it over the knuckles to ensure every inch absorbed the flavor. As she did, she watched the knuckles change color from the pale white of cooked pork to a deep, glossy brown, accompanied by an increasingly rich aroma that made her mouth water just by standing there.

The process was agonizing. Only when the sauce had been mostly absorbed did she stop. The knuckles were done. Before taking them off the heat, she sprinkled them with chopped green onions. The vibrant green against the deep brown was so tempting it made her want to grab one and devour it right then and there.

Meat always stirs the desires of a food lover, and Lu Wu was no exception. As the creator of these braised knuckles, she decided to have the first taste.

"Boss Lu, give me a knuckle."

Suddenly, a voice appeared at her ear. Having run a stall for so long, Lu Wu responded by reflex: "Coming right up!"

Only after saying it did she realize something was wrong. She was at home, not at the stall. Turning around, she saw Old Man Li standing in the doorway, neck stretched out and drooling. He gave her a fawning smile. "I knocked, Boss Lu, you must not have heard."

He really hadn't meant to trespass. He had been sleeping, but in his dream, a little enchantress was constantly seducing him with a belly dance he couldn't resist. Just as he was about to make his move, he woke up to the smell of meat drifting from next door. He realized then that the enchantress in his dream was the embodiment of these pork knuckles, whispering, "Come and eat me!" He felt one should always take good advice, so he had come.

Lu Wu was speechless at his explanation. But thinking of her own dream, she couldn't bring herself to scold him. She had intended to bring him one once he woke up, so since he was already here, they might as well eat together.

She fished a knuckle from the pot. As the sauce dripped off the ladle, Old Man Li looked pained by the loss of even a single drop of the essence. "Little Lu..." he started, unable to finish, his eyes fixed on the pot. Amused, Lu Wu added an extra ladle of sauce to his portion.

"Hehe, thank you, Boss Lu." Old Man Li rubbed his hands together, took the bowl, and squatted at the kitchen entrance. Forgoing chopsticks, he grabbed it with his hands and started eating. Lu Wu followed suit, the two of them squatting on either side. Their eyes met, and they took a bite at the same time.

"My goodness!"
"Mmm!"

Old Man Li’s eyes widened in surprise, and Lu Wu squinted in delight. In that moment, the old man and the young girl had the same thought: This knuckle was damn delicious.