IRDFPFCIW Chapter 33

The crispy lotus root had been stewed to a tender consistency, with its fragrance infused with the meaty aroma of the the pork ribs. Even the soup tasted rich without being greasy.

The meat was so tender that it fell off the bone with the slightest touch of teeth.

The meat lovers enjoyed the meal thoroughly.

Even the usually reserved Lin Yucang had an extra small bowl of soup.

Jiang Tang pinched the soft little fox’s front paws. He felt that it had gained a bit more weight then when he first picked it up.

Jiang Tang’s eyes curved. He felt a sense of achievement in fattening up his cub.

“Xiao Jiang, come here,” called Chen Yisheng from a distance, prompting Jiang Tang to get up and walk over.

Chen Yisheng and Lu Rongming had been out recently to search for various natural foods and had finally decided on tomatoes, which were relatively easy to grow and could be cook in different ways.

“Only a 30-day growth cycle?” Jiang Tang’s eyes widened.

In his previous life, even greenhouse-grown tomatoes took at least two to three months. This was already the fastest. Now, whether due to a different variety or technological advances, Chen Yisheng told Jiang Tang that they could be harvested in about a month.

“What’s with the fuss? It’s only a difference of a few days.” Chen Yisheng had a look of disgust on his face, as if saying “you’re making a fuss because you’ve never seen the world”.

Having spent enough time with him, Jiang Tang already understood Chen Yisheng’s temper. He exclaimed and flattered him, “You’re amazing, Grandpa Chen!”

Feeling flattered by Jiang Tang’s admiring eyes, Chen Yisheng perked up.

“Old Chen has been studying natural foods for many years. If it weren’t for the Imperial Star Research Institute…”

“Cough, cough…”

Lu Rongming’s words were interrupted by Chen Yisheng’s cough. Jiang Tang only caught the first half of the sentence.

“Thank goodness for Grandpa Chen’s help. Hehe, Grandpa Chen, what do you want for dinner tonight? I’ll make it for you!”

Chen Yisheng enjoyed Jiang Tang’s flattery. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Let’s have that honey-glazed barbecued pork again.”

Last time, Jiang Tang made a honey-glazed barbecued pork that was so fragrant they could still smell it the next day.

Recalling he had some barbecued pork sauce left over, Jiang Tang agreed.

Only then did Chen Yisheng turn his focus back to tomato cultivation.

If they intended to sell natural foods, securing a reliable source of production was important.

Now with the expert Chen Yisheng here, half of the planting problems had been solved.

Chen Yisheng’s plan was to designate an area to build a vegetable garden, ensuring all conditions for natural food growth. This would improve quality and facilitate collection and transportation later.

When Jiang Tang heard this, he thought, ah, isn’t that just a vegetable greenhouse?

He shared some knowledge he had learned about vegetable greenhouses in his previous life. Chen Yisheng’s eyes lit up as he listened. Then he became excited.

“Yes, we can improve this a little bit…”

The plan for growing tomatoes was quickly finalized.

Next came the harvesting once the tomatoes matured.

Harvesting would be a hassle, especially since there were only a few people and two fluffy creatures on the entire planet. They couldn’t get up at dawn every day to pick tomatoes! Jiang Tang frowned, finding it a bit tricky.

If only they had professionals to help…

Jiang Tang snapped his fingers. Right! Why not find professionals to assist?

He didn’t consider himself a person with business talent. Although he had some assets in his previous life, he always felt overwhelmed by financial matters and in the end hired a professional financial advisor.

The idea of opening a shop had been inspired by a comment from the barrage. Now he felt it would be better to find a reliable partner. He could handle providing various natural foods while someone else could take care of product packaging, registering the shop, marketing, and logistics—eliminating a whole series of headaches!

Chen Yisheng agreed with Jiang Tang’s idea, so the task of finding a reliable partner fell to Chen Jiesen.

Meanwhile, Chen Jiesen on the Imperial Capital Star sneezed.

He scratched his head, wondering if his grandfather missed him. Maybe he should find an excuse to visit the barren planet for a meal, or to see his grandfather.

Poor Chen Jiesen did not know that his grandfather was currently thinking of barbecued pork.

The barbecue sauce was a simple version Jiang Tang had made earlier.

He used a food processor to grind onions and garlic into small pieces, heated oil in a pan until it was hot, and then fry the small pieces until golden.

Next, he added a mixture of water, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and white sugar to the pan, cooking it on medium-low heat while stirring.

Previously, Jiang Tang made starch from potatoes, and now he mixed it with water to create a water starch, which he added to the sauce. He continued to stir. After bringing it to a boil, the sauce thickened.

The homemade barbecue sauce was successfully prepared.

Barbecued pork originally involved inserting pork tenderloin into the belly of a roasted whole pig to be grilled.

Since the tenderloin is the most delicious part of a roasted pig, and there are only two tenderloins in a pig, it was hard to satisfy everyone. People then devised the “insert-roast” method.

But this could only be done for a few pieces. Too many would burn. Later, they shifted to skewering several strips of pork tenderloins for grilling. Over time, the term “insert-roast” was replaced by “barbecued pork”.

Initially made with pork tenderloin, people found that it could become a bit dry, so they later used a half lean and half fatty meat. This way, the fat rendered and combined with sugar during the grilling process, alleviating the fire and preventing it from drying out. This also gave a sweet and fragrant taste to the barbecued pork.

Jiang Tang washed the prepared pork belly, dried it, and cut it into long strips. He peeled and sliced ginger, and cut the scallions into sections for later use.

He retrieved a tightly sealed container and placed the strips of pork inside, added the ginger slices and scallion sections, and poured in the barbecue sauce and mixed it well so the meat was coated.

Then Jiang Tang sealed the container and put it in the refrigerator. It was recommended to marinate it for 12 hours. By evening, it would be ready. He only needed to turn the meat strips occasionally to make them evenly flavored.

After placing the meat strips in the refrigerator, Jiang Tang headed out. He was fully armed. He came to the beehive hidden behind the bushes, planning to “borrow” some honey.

Beside him, Wen Renyuan discreetly used his spiritual power to drive away all the bees.

Jiang Tang thought he was just lucky after seeing the bees fly away as soon as they spotted him.

He murmured, “I’m just borrowing a bit of honey to enjoy, thank you big bee brothers!”

Just like last time, Jiang Tang successfully collected a small jar of honey and was about to turn back when suddenly a white fluffball charged out from the nearby bushes.

The fluffball bumped into Jiang Tang’s calf and proceeded to rub against his leg.

Jiang Tang: !!!

For some reason, this scene felt oddly familiar.

He instinctively turned to look at Wen Renyuan beside him.

Wen Renyuan: …

Jiang Tang: …

The atmosphere became a bit awkward.

Jiang Tang squatted down. Just as he reached out to touch the fluffy creature, it happily nudged his hand with its head. Its tail wagged excitedly behind it.

Seeing Jiang Tang’s expression, Wen Renyuan immediately realized what was happening. He quickly became furious. Another one?

“Kitty, look how small it is. It’s so dangerous out here…” Jiang Tang’s tone sounded like a scumbag trying to give every girl in the world a home.

Wen Renyuan squinted at the little snow wolf. How did it end up on the barren planet? Was it similar to the previous fox?

“How can such a small puppy protect itself out here? It’s too pitiful. Let’s take it home with us.”

Wen Renyuan: … you’re calling a wolf a dog?

The kitten growled at the fluffy creature. Just as Wen Renyuan released a hint of spiritual power, he saw the little snow wolf collapse onto its hind legs, whimpering softly and trembling violently in fear.

Wen Renyuan felt puzzled. Could he be mistaken? Was this actually a genuine snow wolf?

He retracted his spiritual power and eyed the little snow wolf with suspicion. It was now unavoidable that Jiang Tang would bring it home. He would let that dead fox investigate its background later.

If it turned out to be something sinister, a sharp light flashed in Wen Renyuan’s eyes. He would make it so that it wouldn’t return.

Jiang Tang happily brought the “little puppy” home and quickly named it “Wong Wong[mfn]In Mandarin Chinese, the sound a dog makes when barking is represented by 汪汪 (wāng wāng). This translates to “woong woong” or “wong wong” in English[/mfn]” on the way.

The little snow wolf seemed to like the name. It wagged its tail excitedly whenever Jiang Tang called it.

So Jiang Tang barked[mfn]Not really bark, but called out “Wong Wong”[/mfn] happily all the way home.

Wen Renyuan: …

Barking so happily, who’s really the little dog here?

But given the snow wolf’s stupid reactions, it likely wasn’t anything sinister.

Jiang Tang introduced the little snow wolf to the other family members.

Wen Renyuan and Lin Yucang exchanged glances, both clearly unfriendly to the little snow wolf. For the first time, they moved toward a corner in such a tacit understanding.

The two fluffballs huddled together, clearly plotting something. They would occasionally glance at the little snow wolf happily playing with toys in the distance.

Meanwhile, Jiang Tang took out the marinated meat strips and removed the ginger slices and scallions.

He lined a baking tray with tin foil and placed the meat on a rack above it. He let it sit for about fifteen minutes to allow the sauce to drip down before brushing honey over the meat strips. He then replaced the tray with a clean piece of tin foil.

Next, Jiang Tang placed the tray in the lower part of the oven and the rack with the meat in the middle. After about twenty minutes, he removed it and brushed it with marinade. After it dried a bit, he applied a layer of honey.

The aroma of the meat began to fill the air.

Jiang Tang flipped the meat and placed it back in the oven to continue roasting. He repeated the honey glazing process a couple of times until it was done.

The finished meat had a crispy exterior and a beautiful dark color. Jiang Tang sliced it into small pieces and drizzled a little honey over it, making the barbecued pork look more crystal clear and appetizing.

Jiang Tang picked up a piece of barbecue and took a bite. Today’s barbecued pork was cooked perfectly. It was tender and juicy with just the right balance of lean and fatty meat, carrying a hint of smokiness. When chewed carefully, it was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It was salty with a hint of sweetness. It was simply perfect.

From a distance, Chen Yisheng caught a whiff of the aroma. “Yes, that’s the smell!”