Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Rippling water, bobbing bobbed. Wei Chen's mind was immersed in a peculiar tranquility, feeling the subtle changes in the water flow and every tremor transmitted through the fishing line.

Each deft lift of the wrist brings a lively fish to the surface, into the fish basket beside it, and then automatically into the backpack. Grass carp, common carp, silver carp... a variety of species and sizes.

"Ding! Fishing skill experience increased!"

"Ding! Fishing skill experience increased!" ...

Tirelessly repeating the swinging and pulling motions, time seemed to lose its meaning here. Until a particularly crisp "ding" sounded in his mind: "Ding! Congratulations, host, your fishing skill level has increased! Current level: Penetration Realm!"

Open the properties panel.

Attributes:

Name: Wei Chen (Hunter)

Level: 5 (0/6000)

Cultivation Technique: Nine Heavens Sun-Shooting Technique

True Yuan: 15 years

Skill: Piercing Arrow (Piercing)

Pet: Dog (Big Yellow)

Life Skills: Fishing (Mastery)

An indescribable sense of enlightenment welled up in my heart, as if my control over the water flow, the fish's behavior, and the fishing rod had reached a new level.

Wei Chen stopped what he was doing and scanned the "fish" icon on his backpack with his mind. The number was clearly displayed as 500! And it was slowly increasing at a steady pace with each swing of his club.

"It seems that as long as I'm willing to fish, the fish in this pond... are endless?" Wei Chen looked at the carp that had reappeared out of thin air in the fish basket, swishing its tail, and a thought flashed through his mind like lightning. He immediately exited the space.

In the real world, the mountains and forests were dark and thick as ink, and the night wind carried a chill. With a slight thought, Wei Chen instantly produced a large grass carp, weighing over two pounds and with silvery scales, which he had just caught in the spatial pond!

The fish's tail thrashed about vigorously, the cool, slippery texture feeling incredibly real, and its gills opened and closed rapidly, brimming with vibrant life!

Wei Chen's eyes suddenly lit up in the darkness! He quickly retrieved the fish into his spatial storage, then released it again. The fish was still alive, as if it had never left the water!

He immediately tried to take out the carcass of a wild rabbit he had killed earlier that day from his backpack. The cold, blood-stained rabbit carcass appeared in his hand, still warm, as if it had just been killed, but lifeless.

"I understand!" Wei Chen suddenly realized, a relieved smile appearing on his face. "Fish 'caught' through fishing are essentially a 'product of life skills.' Just put them in your backpack, and they'll still be live fish when you take them out!"

Monsters killed in combat are already "loot" when added to your inventory; taking them out means they're dead. But regardless of the method, as long as they're in your inventory, time stands still, and their state never changes!

The long-standing problem of "fresh meat source" that had troubled him suddenly became clear! Live fish is the most perfect "wild" meat that can be openly and legitimately presented!

The major markets and logistics departments of steel mills in Beijing would flock to these fresh river fish! They were much safer than wild boars or deer!

Filled with immense excitement and a brand new plan, Wei Chen returned to the game space once again. This time, he teleported directly to the "Hunter's Lodge," a place that resembled a paradise.

Pushing open the heavy wooden door, which exudes the fresh scent of pine, warm and bright light pours out.

The modern open kitchen is incredibly clean, with a smooth stainless steel countertop, a gleaming range hood, a huge side-by-side refrigerator, a built-in oven... everything is there, gleaming with a cool yet inviting sheen under the soft overhead lighting.

Wei Chen had no clue about the principles behind these far-fetched electrical appliances, just as he couldn't understand time travel or this game space itself. Can't figure it out? Then accept it and make use of it!

He walked to the huge double-door refrigerator, opened it, and found it completely empty. On the spice rack next to it, there were only two pitiful items: a small jar of coarse salt and a small bag of dried Sichuan peppercorns he'd brought from home, emitting a strong, numbing aroma. This was clearly insufficient for a modern kitchen; he'd have to ask Sha Zhu for more spices when he went to the courtyard house.

"Even a skilled cook can't make a meal without seasonings," Wei Chen said with a self-deprecating laugh, but the excitement in his eyes didn't diminish. What he needed wasn't exquisite cooking, but rather the ability to process ingredients in large quantities!

With a thought, the plump, healthy adult ox that had just been butchered the night before, which was in his spatial backpack, instantly appeared on the gleaming floor in the center of the kitchen. The heavy carcass hit the ground with a dull thud.

The work that followed was far more tedious and "bloody" than hunting in the mountains. Without proper butcher tools, Wei Chen could only rely on some basic knives provided in the space.

A large pot of boiling water was boiled, the skin was scalded, the hair was scraped off, the inside was opened, and the meat and bones were separated... The sharp blade sliced ​​through the tough hide, cut through the thick layer of fat, severed the thick tendons, and removed large, well-defined, dark red pieces of beef.

The kitchen was filled with a strong smell of blood and the metallic rust of raw meat, creating an eerie contrast with the cold light of modern kitchen appliances.

Sweat soaked Wei Chen's temples, and his arms ached slightly from continuously wielding the knife. It took him nearly two hours to completely dismantle this enormous creature.

Four of the best cuts of tenderloin and leg meat, each weighing dozens of kilograms, along with mountain-sized pieces of beef ribs and spine, brisket, shank, tripe, honeycomb tripe... all neatly categorized.

He scanned the cut beef, bones, and offal with his mind, and put all of them back into his backpack, except for the portion he was going to cook.

This time, they each occupied a new slot and no longer shared the "scalper" icon. The backpack space was instantly taken up by more than a dozen slots.

It seems that the method of using large boxes or cabinets that I had previously thought of needs to be put on the agenda.

Looking at the kitchen floor, which had been cleaned but still reeked of blood, Wei Chen frowned. He needed to get rid of the smell. His gaze fell on the huge, gleaming stainless steel soup pot in the corner.

That's it!

He picked out about fifty pounds of marbled beef brisket and selected more than twenty thick beef leg bones with thick membranes attached.

The beef bones were smashed with the back of a knife to expose the marrow. Large chunks of beef were repeatedly rinsed with clean water to remove the blood. The beef bones and beef were then thrown into the huge soup pot, along with seemingly inexhaustible amounts of clear, cold water from the surrounding space, the water almost overflowing the rim of the pot.

The high-tech integrated stove was lit, and a deep blue flame instantly rose, licking the heavy bottom of the pot evenly and fiercely. The heavy lid was placed on top, leaving only a small gap. Soon, a bubbling sound came from the pot, and steam rose from the gap in the lid.

Wei Chen patiently waited. When the water boiled completely and turbid blood foam rose up, he used his mind to control a huge, strainer-like tool, carefully skimming off the floating grayish-brown impurities and blood foam again and again.

This process lasted for a long time until the soup became clear, turning a light milky white color, and the foam almost disappeared.

Only then did he lift the lid. A rich, white steam, carrying the primal aroma of meat, burst forth like an explosion, instantly filling the entire modern kitchen and completely suppressing the lingering smell of blood.

He grabbed a handful of coarse salt and sprinkled it evenly into the boiling soup. He then pinched off a small handful of dried Sichuan peppercorns, thought for a moment, and tossed them in as well. There were no scallions, ginger, cooking wine, or any other spices; only salt and Sichuan peppercorns gave the soup its most primal and rustic character.

Cover the pot again, turn down the heat, and keep the soup at a gentle simmer, cooking slowly. Time flows by amidst the rich aroma of meat.

Wei Chen sat on a high stool nearby, closed his eyes, and circulated the "Nine Heavens Shooting Sun Technique" to recover the energy he had used up while breaking down the beef. His true energy flowed slowly through his meridians, bringing a warm and comfortable sensation, which mingled with the mouthwatering aroma of meat wafting from the kitchen.

After an unknown amount of time, when the aroma of the beef became incredibly rich, seemingly permeating every inch of air, and even the essence from the bones had been thoroughly extracted, Wei Chen opened his eyes. He lifted the lid of the pot.

The sight before me was incredibly tempting! The soup had become rich and creamy, with an enticing milky white color and specks of golden butter floating on top.

Large chunks of beef bobbed and sank in the broth, already tender and mushy; a gentle poke with chopsticks and the muscle fibers crumbled apart. The marrow from the beef bones had also been extracted, giving the broth a richer, whiter color. The numbing aroma of Sichuan peppercorns blended perfectly with the natural savory fragrance of the beef, creating a rustic yet powerful aroma that filled the nostrils!

Wei Chen used a large strainer to scoop out most of the beef, which had been stewed until extremely tender, and placed it in a huge stainless steel basin to cool. This cooked beef weighed about thirty-five pounds. The remaining broth still contained some scraps of meat and broken beef bones, making the soup even richer.

He took a soup bowl, ladled out most of the thick soup, and then carefully added a few pieces of tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef brisket. He blew on it to cool it down and took a big gulp.

"Ugh...!"

Hot, thick, and fragrant! The pure flavor of beef explodes on your tongue! The saltiness of the salt perfectly complements the freshness of the meat, and the slight numbing sensation of the Sichuan peppercorns does not mask the aroma of the meat, but rather brings out a deeper, more irresistible aftertaste.

Although the seasonings are extremely simple, this soup and meat have a primal and powerful feel, pure in freshness and domineering in richness!

Wei Chen ate the tender beef with the soup, a warm current spreading from his stomach to his limbs, dispelling all his fatigue.

After eating and drinking his fill, looking at the pot of cooled, glistening cooked beef, Wei Chen had a thought and put it all into a new compartment of his spatial backpack.

He glanced around the modern kitchen, which had been cleaned and was still faintly smelling of meat, and then looked at his backpack, which was crammed full of various prey, arrows, beef, and cooked food.

"Looks like I need to get a few big cabinets in the space as soon as possible... and I need to find a way to get more seasonings too..." He muttered to himself, rubbing his throbbing temples. With another thought, his figure disappeared from the brightly lit hunter's hut and appeared in the equally comfortable and tidy bedroom next door.

Lying on an incredibly soft modern mattress, covered with a light and warm down comforter, Wei Chen's consciousness gradually sank into darkness.