My Manor

Just as the turkeys were about to take flight, Xiao Huang suddenly emerged from the bushes on the opposite side, rushing forward like a real beast. Without a word, he swiftly slapped the heads of the two wild turkeys—one on the left and one on the right—with two powerful palms. The turkeys, clearly stunned by the sudden appearance of Xiao Huang, were pressed firmly to the ground.

At this moment, the other turkeys, now nearly ready to fly, flapped their wings and began to lift off. But just as the last turkey was about to take flight, Xiao Hei appeared. He leaped into the air and sank his teeth into the turkey's neck. After landing, the turkey struggled briefly before losing strength and falling helplessly to the ground.

Hearing the sounds of the struggle winding down in the distance, Bell stood up first. Upon seeing the situation, he couldn't help but sigh, "With these two, we save a lot of trouble."

Indeed, Xiao Huang and Xiao Hei were excellent helpers. Their presence was more useful than two extra people. Bell hurried into the area, dispatching the two struggling wild turkeys and hanging them at his waist. Jiang Hai also grabbed Xiao Bai's turkey and secured it at his side. These were their lunch.

After the hunt, they continued deeper into the mountains. It wasn't long before they reached the small river they had passed by before. The timing was perfect—it was about time for lunch.

Bell cleared a patch of grass, and everyone got busy. Cindy Clive, Kama Clive, Darlene, and Marian, the four girls, gathered dry branches from around the area. Bell focused on tidying the camp and preparing the three pheasants. He would also need to start a fire, but since he had brought a fire stick, it wasn't too difficult.

Meanwhile, Jiang Hai went fishing again, as the fish in the area were quite tasty.

Though they didn't do much camping, everyone was familiar with the routine. Soon, the four girls had gathered enough firewood, and Jiang Hai had caught a North American pike and a river perch—enough to make a hearty fish soup.

When Bell started the fire, the smell of three roasted turkeys and a simmering pot of fish soup began to fill the air.

The fire wasn't particularly strong since it wasn't fueled by gas, so the roasting was slow, and the soup took its time. While waiting, everyone, except for Xiao Huang, Xiao Bai, and Jiujiu in the distance, sat around chatting.

In North America, or more specifically in Europe and the United States, people don't often eat animal entrails, and it's hard to say why. They prefer meat over organs. The exception is goose liver from France, considered a delicacy, but otherwise, things like intestines, hearts, and lungs are left untouched.

However, animals have no such aversions. In fact, the first part of a hunt that wild animals consume is typically the internal organs—because they're rich in nutrients, soft, and delicious. Wolves and lions, for example, keep the organs for themselves, leaving the rest of the body to their pack members.

Though Xiao Huang, Xiao Bai, and Jiujiu aren't truly wild beasts (well, Jiujiu might be close), they have no problem devouring raw internal organs. After washing them, the organs were given to them, and they ate with gusto.

"Jiang, when will this be ready?" Kama Clive, seeing Xiao Huang, Xiao Bai, and Jiujiu happily eating in the distance and smelling the increasingly appetizing scent from the roasting meat, couldn't contain her impatience.

"It's almost done, just give it ten more minutes." Jiang Hai glanced at the chicken, then replied.

All wild food must be roasted thoroughly to avoid any health risks, as wild animals can harbor parasites. Only when the meat is fully cooked can the high temperature kill these harmful organisms, making the food safe to eat.

Kama, though hungry, patiently waited, keeping her eyes on the roasting meat.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the food was ready. At Jiang Hai's signal, everyone dug in.

Six turkeys and six chicken legs were served, one for each person, along with six chicken wings, also divided evenly.

As they shared the meal, everyone remembered the real heroes—the animals, Xiao Huang and Xiao Hei. Each of them got a portion of the feast. The leftovers were enough for Chuchu, while Jiang Hai and the others enjoyed the biggest portions.

The meal was quickly devoured, with only the chicken bones left.

Turkey and fish soup—this life was pretty good.

After lunch, everyone took a break. Jiang Hai and the others put out the fire, cleaned up the camp, and discarded the chicken bones—wild animals would soon take care of the leftovers. They packed up their trash and continued their trek into the mountains.

The afternoon felt far more serious than the leisurely morning. After all, Jiang Hai had come for a specific purpose.

He was searching for snakes, lizards, and perhaps some deer to harvest antlers.

The weather was warm, and food was abundant. Deer didn't need to search hard for food, so they could stay hidden from humans. The deer, which were usually easy to spot, weren't around today. However, snakes were abundant.

It wasn't so much that Jiang Hai found the snakes, but rather that Xiao Huang and Xiao Bai did. After their meal, they were more motivated than ever, and there were plenty of snakes to find.

Though it had been early spring when snakes were less active, by late spring, they were out in full force, scouring for food. In just an hour after crossing the river, Jiang Hai encountered more than a dozen snakes, though none were what he was hoping for.

"Another flower snake," Jiang Hai said with some regret, eyeing the snake Xiao Huang had caught. In China, this kind of snake is known as the Bungarus, a highly venomous species. However, the flower snakes in the U.S. were simply non-venomous varieties, like grass snakes or water snakes, harmless but good for making wine.

Jiang Hai was on the lookout for venomous snakes, as only they were effective for making snake wine. Non-venomous snakes didn't serve the purpose.

Grabbing the flower snake's tail, Jiang Hai gave it a shake—a technique snake catchers use to temporarily paralyze the creature. After securing it, he threw the snake into his backpack.

The four girls, who were further off, frowned when they saw his actions.

"If you're not going to soak it in wine, why catch it?" Cindy Clive asked. Jiang Hai had mentioned searching for venomous snakes, but why bother with a harmless one?

"For eating. Snakes are very delicious," Jiang Hai explained, continuing to scan the area.

"Ugh, you're a real weirdo, eating snakes," Kama Clive remarked.

Jiang Hai shrugged. "I don't get why it's so surprising. Snake meat is quite nutritious, more so than whip." In China, even non-venomous snakes could cost as much as 180 yuan per pound, not a small sum. But here, not only did they cost nothing, but Jiang Hai also got to experience catching them himself.

"And they're tasty—sort of like horse meat, but more delicate."

"I always heard Chinese people eat everything. I didn't believe it, but now I do," Kama Clive whispered, still shocked by Jiang Hai's snake-eating revelation.

Just then, Jiang Hai's eyes lit up. On a nearby stone, he spotted a small skink, a type of lizard. Though he had hoped for a venomous snake, this discovery was still a nice surprise. He crouched down, signaling Xiao Huang to assist. It looked like his luck was turning around after all. To be continued...