Cheng Mo, Tong Chen and Xiang Bei were sitting in the pavilion outside the warehouse. When they approached, Xiang Bei hurriedly went out to greet them. "The two masters were also disturbed. It's a big sin."
"Hey, as soon as I heard that Little Chen sent over a few carts of dead foxes, I knew Miss Bei must have some new way to deal with the meat of these wild animals. Although it might have a bit of a smell, okay, a very strong smell I have to say, but we can't just waste it, right? The two of us old folks are thinking of coming up with some new flavors." Master Butterfly Dance had now been introduced to a new world of cuisine by Xiang Bei and had delved into researching various new flavors.
"Master Dancing Butterfly, I'll make some for you to taste. I also want to continuously come up with new flavors to exchange for your skill in preparing fish with bone spines. Master Chef, it's been a long time since I've seen you, and I've missed you terribly. Your and my arrival here coincides with the fate of these miscellaneous foxes. After death, their skin and flesh can provide nutrients to alleviate human hunger, which can be considered a good fate for their reincarnation."
Xiang Bei's statement was somewhat unexpected, but it sparked a good deal of contemplation among Uncle Zhong and the others. Can they really obtain this fate by sacrificing themselves? They wondered if they, as flawed individuals, could still have a good reincarnation.
"Butterfly Master, what we need most is your guidance. You don't need to do it yourself; tonight, just keep watch. As soon as the skin is peeled off, they need to make sure to cut out the musk glands inside the thighs of these wild foxes. It must be done cleanly, or else the meat will absorb their musky scent."
Xiang Bei calculated the workload, estimating that it would require thousands of cuts for the hundreds of foxes. Having Dancing Butterfly oversee the process eased her mind.
"Oh, so this musky scent in fox meat comes from these glands. If we remove them, will the meat taste better?" The master chef had already begun to come up with several stewing recipes.
"The best way is to stew it first, then stir-fry or braise it. If it's cut into small pieces and roasted, making spicy dried meat, it's the best way to replenish energy and stay alert during marches. We should marinate it with ginger, wine, and salt for a few hours first, then boil it in cold water until it boils, and then start stewing. By the way, Uncle Zhong, how's the progress on our distillation and purification of white liquor?" Xiang Bei suddenly remembered the records of the Mongolian army riding horses and eating dried meat, chewing on milk tablets as they swept across half the world, which inspired her to develop some military rations from traveler's food.
"Miss Bei, according to your design, we have built a batch of distillation furnaces for repeated purification. Now, not to mention the strong and spicy white liquor, we have also stocked up on the high-concentration alcohol you mentioned for wound cleaning. We even sent some to several major pharmacies for trial use, and the response was excellent. Those doctors are all eager to come and thank the lord with gifts." Uncle Zhong spoke with a smile, showing how good his mood was.
"Continue the production and expand it. With the impending war, we need to ensure an ample supply of that alcohol. We can collect some coarse liquor from the people and continue to purify it into medicinal alcohol. Let's make all this batch of fox meat into spicy dried meat for the soldiers in the Southern Frontier." It was only now that Cheng Mo spoke, and it was evident that he was still concerned about the upcoming battle. "Thank you for your hard work tonight, uncles. We'll go rest now. Brother Cheng, you should get some sleep too. You'll be busy tomorrow."
"Young master, you're too kind to us old servants. Go on, it's been a long day. Miss Bei is still young; she should rest. We old folks are here; nothing will go wrong." The master chef quickly followed up on Cheng Mo's words, his face filled with affection and respect. They were all eunuchs who entered the palace when they were young, and as eunuchs, they couldn't have children of their own. Treating the young master as their own child and cherishing him dearly was an unspoken secret among them.
Resting in the estate, Cheng Mo didn't let Xiang Bei return to her own courtyard before going to rest. Instead, he tightly held her hand and entered the main courtyard together.
No one spoke; they both needed each other's company at this moment. They shed their outer garments, and then the two of them embraced each other quietly, leaning against the bed.
It wasn't until now that Xiang Bei began to calm down and reflect on what had happened today. Although she understood that Jade Marrow might be maintaining the ecological balance in the space, actually removing so many fox corpses made Xiang Bei feel uneasy. Unlike on the mountain, where the Tong family and the hunters hunted together, which was a direct confrontation of intelligence and physical strength, now it seemed like it was just between Marrow and Symbiosis Gong Sheng, a blatantly unfair slaughter where so many lives were lost. Suddenly, she uttered a phrase: "Heaven and earth are not benevolent; they treat all things as straw dogs." In that space, was heaven and earth her? Or was it Gong Sheng? Or perhaps some other person who controlled this piece of jade?
Feeling the hands around her waist tighten and then loosen intermittently, and watching her hair sway slightly, Cheng Mo hugged Xiang Bei's shoulder tightly. He lifted his right hand to support her head against his chest, where his strong and steady heartbeat could be felt.
"Ah Mo, war inevitably involves bloodshed and sacrifice, but can you promise me not to engage in one-sided slaughter? Every life deserves our respect."
"Hmm? Hmm. Yes, I promise you, Xiang Bei." At this moment, as Cheng Mo solemnly made this promise, he had no idea of the difficult situations he would face on the battlefield shortly thereafter.