Leisurely Life in the Beast World - Chapter 360

The tantalizing aroma wafted through the air, and Xiu Yan was nearly drooling.

Seeing his longing expression, Ji Nuan chuckled and pointed toward the adjacent room. “Go wash your hands first. Then you can eat.”

Xiu Yan hesitated briefly, shifting his paws as if resisting. However, under Ji Nuan’s firm gaze, he drooped his head in mock defeat and trudged off to the next room. A moment later, he returned as his tall beastman self, extending his large, defined hands for Ji Nuan to inspect. Only after her approval did he sit down beside her and dig into the fragrant food.

After dinner, while Xiu Yan cleaned up the dishes and pots, Ji Nuan pulled out a slab of pre-marinated green ox meat. Carefully, she began slicing it into finger-sized strips and placed them into a ceramic basin.

“What’s this?” Xiu Yan asked, drying his hands as he approached her from behind. His warm breath brushed against her ear, sending strands of her hair tickling her neck.

Ji Nuan shrank her shoulders with a giggle. “I’m making jerky for you. I heard that the Rock Tribe and Grizzly Tribe still eat raw meat. If you end up eating with them, you can have some jerky to fill your stomach instead.”

Xiu Yan’s gaze softened as he looked at the petite figure in front of him, her head barely reaching his chest. Gently, he took the green ox meat from her hands. “Let me do it. That stone knife isn’t very efficient.”

Ji Nuan nodded and stepped aside, flexing her aching hands. She had barely cut half the meat, but the rough stone knife had already worn her palms raw.

Xiu Yan’s long fingers extended sharp claws, which glided effortlessly through the meat, slicing it into evenly sized strips in less than a third of the time Ji Nuan had taken.

The two carried the ceramic basin outside to the open-air roasting pit. They lit a fire, laid thick wooden sticks over the flames, and carefully arranged the meat strips on top.

“What’s this?” Xiu Yan asked, pointing to a layer of yellow-green leaves covering the wooden sticks.

Ji Nuan smiled. “These are leaves that grandmother recently discovered. When used to wrap meat during roasting, they give it a unique aroma that makes it taste amazing.”

Xiu Yan’s eyes lit up, and his gaze became fixated on the roasting meat, watching it with intense anticipation.

As the flames licked the meat, a subtle, tantalizing aroma wafted into Xiu Yan’s nose. “It smells amazing!”

Ji Nuan laughed. “I thought the same when I first tried meat roasted with these leaves at grandmother’s place.”

She flipped the jerky over and continued roasting. “Once it’s done, I’ll let you try a piece.”

A flicker of satisfaction crossed Xiu Yan’s deep eyes as he nodded.

Minute by minute, the moisture in the meat strips evaporated under the fire’s heat, leaving behind dark brown jerky that was shrunken in size but bursting with a rich, smoky aroma.

Ji Nuan used chopsticks to pick up a piece of jerky and handed it to Xiu Yan. “Brother Xiu Yan, try it and see if it’s good.”

Her eager gaze fixed on him as she waited for his reaction. The last time she had tried this method at grandmother’s house, the jerky hadn’t been pre-marinated. She wasn’t sure if her added flavors would ruin the effect of the leaves.

Xiu Yan popped the jerky into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. The meat was slightly spicy, seasoned with hints of the flavorful fruits Ji Nuan often used in her cooking. Combined with the enticing aroma of the leaves, it created a flavor that was both rich and irresistible. After finishing the piece, his eyes instinctively wandered toward the rest of the jerky now resting in another ceramic basin.