139: Stir-fried chicken with chestnuts

The two of them leaned in to take a look, only to see the tree hollow piled high with various Nuts.

There were plump Pine Nuts, hard-shelled Chestnuts, and some wild fruits they couldn't name.

These Nuts were layered upon each other as if they had been meticulously arranged, shimmering with an enticing luster in the dim hollow.

“This must be a squirrel's winter food stash!”

Lu Fan realized with a start and laughed, “It seems we've stumbled upon a squirrel's treasure vault.”

“Looks like a certain squirrel is going to go hungry.”

An Lan teased with a smile.

Lu Fan scratched his head and thought for a moment: “It's fine, there are plenty of Nuts in this forest. The squirrel surely has other storage spots.”

Saying this, Lu Fan reached into the tree hollow, and in a short while, he pulled out a handful of Nuts.

【Wilderness Survival Announcement】

【Huaguo Contestant Lu Fan has triggered ten thousand times rebate】

【Nuts 46 * 10,000】

【Pine Nuts 198 * 10,000】

【Chestnuts 40 * 10,000】

...These Nuts varied in size; some still had fresh husks, emitting a faint fruity fragrance.

Da Hei leaned in as well, sniffing the Nuts curiously, his tail wagging even more happily as if asking, 'Master, what's this delicious treat?'

“These Pine Nuts and Chestnuts are good things. We can roast them when we get back, or grind them into flour for pastries.”

Lu Fan spoke while placing the Nuts into his back basket.

An Lan also joined the 'treasure digging' ranks, carefully taking the Nuts out of the tree hollow for fear of crushing them.

“I didn't expect such a huge harvest just from coming out to chop wood. This wilderness really hides surprises everywhere.”

While the two were busy, they suddenly heard a series of 'chi-chi' squeaks.

They looked up to see a small squirrel standing on a branch, looking at them angrily, its tail twitching incessantly as if in protest.

“Haha, the squirrel owner must be back. It's angry because it found us digging through its treasures.”

Lu Fan smiled at the little squirrel and said, “Little guy, don't be mad. We're only taking a bit; we've left plenty for you.”

The little squirrel didn't seem to understand him, continuing to hop around on the branch, chattering away non-stop.

Da Hei was also attracted by the squirrel's cries and barked a few times at the tree, scaring the little squirrel into hiding behind the trunk.

“Da Hei, stop barking, you're scaring the little squirrel away.” An Lan quickly stopped Da Hei.

During the 'standoff' with the little squirrel, Lu Fan and An Lan continued digging out the tree hollow.

They divided the Nuts into two piles, and Lu Fan grabbed a handful to put back into the hollow.

Before long, the basket was full of Nuts, and there was still a large handful left in the tree hollow—it looked like several dozen Nuts.

“Alright, that's enough. We should go and stop bothering the little squirrel.”

Lu Fan said, putting the last handful of Nuts into his basket.

Carrying these dry goods and the wood they had chopped earlier, the two hummed a little tune and walked back to the Shelter with light steps.

Da Hei followed behind them, occasionally running back and forth joyfully, as if he too were excited by this unexpected harvest.

As soon as they returned to the Shelter, Lu Fan acted like a master chef about to show off his skills.

He set the wood aside, rolled up his sleeves, and looked at the fresh Chestnuts and plump Wild Chicken. The enticing image of Chestnut Braised Chicken already appeared in his mind.

“An Lan, today I'll let you taste my specialty—Chestnut Braised Chicken. This is a delicacy that blends nature's gifts; it'll definitely make your taste buds dance on the tip of your tongue!”

An Lan nodded with a smile and began helping to wash the ingredients.

Lu Fan took half a chicken out of the Storage Room, muttering to himself as he prepared it.

“This Wild Chicken has eaten plenty of good things in this wilderness, so the meat will definitely be firm and chewy. Combined with these Chestnuts we found, this dish is a match made in heaven.”

He cut the chicken into uniform pieces and tossed them into a sizzling oil pan. Instantly, the pan hissed, and the aroma of meat drifted out.

While waiting for the chicken to turn golden brown, Lu Fan started processing the Chestnuts.

He put in a lot of effort to remove the chestnut shells, complaining as he peeled: “The shells of these Chestnuts are really hard, though still a bit weaker than me.”

After finally peeling the Chestnuts, he poured them into the pan and stir-fried them with the chicken.

As various seasonings were added, the fragrance grew even more intense.

Standing aside, An Lan couldn't help but swallow her saliva and said with a smile, “Lu Fan, your cooking skills are truly impressive.”

Lu Fan looked at An Lan and smiled: “Actually, cooking is about understanding the underlying principles. Once you've mastered a few dishes, you can basically recreate others just by seeing them, though the taste might not compare to professional chefs.”

Before long, the Chestnut Braised Chicken was ready.

The golden chicken paired with soft, waxy Chestnuts looked enticing in color, making one's mouth water just by looking at it.

The two sat in the Shelter, eating the delicious meal heartily. Da Hei watched eagerly from the side, occasionally letting out a 'wu-wu' sound.

Suddenly, Da Hei's ears pricked up. Lu Fan looked at the suddenly alert Da Hei with some confusion.

At that moment, the heavenly dao prompt sound rang out.

【The Monkey King has arrived at the Shelter】

Lu Fan looked up, and sure enough, the Monkey King was standing at the entrance, peeking in tentatively.

Its eyes were fixed on the chicken in front of Lu Fan, its gaze filled with longing.

It turned out that after eating the cooked meat Lu Fan had given it before, it had been unable to forget it. It couldn't help but follow Lu Fan back to the Shelter.

An Lan also saw the Monkey King: “Why is it here? Does it need something from us?”

“I suspect it was drawn here by the delicious food I made,” Lu Fan guessed.

Lu Fan picked up a piece of chicken and offered it to the Monkey King, saying with a smile, “Then you should have a taste too.”

As a result, the Monkey King turned its head and ran away immediately.

Lu Fan: ???

Looking at Lu Fan blankly holding up the chicken, An Lan couldn't help but laugh: “It seems it was just passing through.”

After finishing the meal, the sun was still high in the sky.

Lu Fan decided to spread out the dry goods to dry in the sun.

He found a clean, flat patch of ground and spread the various Nuts evenly across it so they could be uniformly exposed to the sunlight.

Seeing Lu Fan's serious expression, An Lan couldn't help but joke: “Your posture makes it look like you're not drying Nuts, but a pile of gold.”

Lu Fan said solemnly: “This is no different from gold. In this wilderness, the utility of these Nuts is even greater than gold.”

During the drying process, Lu Fan would occasionally turn the Nuts, checking if any were spoiled.

As he turned them, he shared some knowledge with An Lan: “You know, drying Nuts is a technical skill. If you dry them too much, they lose moisture and become shriveled.”

“If you don't dry them enough, they easily get moldy and rot. So you have to master the right balance, just like being a person—you can't go too far, but you can't fall short either.”

An Lan listened with great interest; men were truly mysterious creatures, able to derive life lessons even from drying Nuts.