Flower Chicken

"Ye Chui, it ran over there! Hurry, catch it! Over there...huh?" 

On the small hill of Maple Leaf Mountain, Lin Wei was joyfully directing Ye Chui to catch a chicken with a net. However, as she shouted, the completely black Tibetan Mountain chicken suddenly charged towards Lin Wei... 

The Tibetan Mountain chicken was small, agile, and particularly aggressive, making it challenging to deal with. Irritated by Ye Chui, it unexpectedly flapped its wings and attempted to attack Lin Wei. Despite Lin Wei's enthusiastic commands earlier, she was now frightened, screamed, and instinctively crouched down, covering her head. 

Ye Chui quickly followed and managed to catch the chicken just before it was about to pounce on Lin Wei. 

The chicken struggled vigorously inside the net, as if it could escape at any moment. Ye Chui stepped on the net with his foot, anxiously asking Lin Wei, "Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine, phew, that scared me." Lin Wei lightly patted her chest, smiling but finding the situation amusing. "It was so dangerous just now. Fortunately, you arrived in time." 

"The chickens nowadays, after over eighty years of wild growth, have developed a wild nature. They are not easy to tame. I didn't expect catching them to be so difficult." Ye Chui said, panting. 

Originally, Chen Sitang at the foot of the mountain had intended for Ye Chui to select a few chickens from those caught by the chicken-catching team. However, Ye Chui insisted on personally going up the mountain to catch the chickens, as he planned to prepare the ingredients himself. Additionally, he wanted to accompany Lin Wei for a fun outing. 

Chen Sitang assumed Ye Chui was just a rich young man with nothing to do and didn't think much before allowing them to enter the mountain. 

Now, Ye Chui squatted down to inspect the chicken inside the net. Satisfied, he nodded, "This chicken is only a few months old, the prime time for its tender meat. Well done! Using this chicken, I can make that dish perfectly!" 

"Ye Chui, what dish are you going to make?" Lin Wei hurriedly asked, as this was the topic that interested her the most. 

"The dish is called 'Braised Chicken with Mushrooms.'" Ye Chui replied with a smile. 

'Braised Chicken with Mushrooms' is a Northeastern-style home-cooked dish. Despite being a home-cooked dish, it truly belongs to the high-end culinary category. It is delicious and nutritious. Ye Chui planned to serve this dish to entertain Han Lao, the elderly man, in a few days. 

Lin Wei repeated the name 'Braised Chicken with Mushrooms' to herself, her eyes shining brightly. "It sounds delicious! Ye Chui, I want to try it." 

"Hehe, when there's a chance in the future, I'll make it for you. But for now, I'll prepare another dish for you." 

"Is it the 'Flower Chicken' you mentioned yesterday?" Lin Wei immediately asked with a smile, clearly remembering Ye Chui's words from the day before. 

"Yes, that's right. The preparation for Flower Chicken is simple; it can be done with minimal effort. It's the most suitable dish to make in this situation." Ye Chui smiled and explained. He carefully lifted the struggling Tibetan Mountain chicken from the net. 

When he came up the mountain, he had brought a chicken coop with him. Inside the coop, three other chickens were already enclosed. These three were ordinary bantam chickens and seemed to be more docile, crouching in the cage without much fuss after being caught. 

After putting the Tibetan Mountain chicken into the coop, Ye Chui took out a meat chicken from it. This meat chicken was for making Flower Chicken. As for the other two meat chickens, they were reserved for the upcoming chicken feast for Han Lao. 

Since it was a grand feast, it couldn't consist of only Braised Chicken with Mushrooms. Ye Chui had prepared two more chicken dishes, along with a dish from the imperial cuisine called 'Royal Flavor Cold Dish.' 

The Manchu Han Imperial Feast is the highest level of Chinese culinary culture, consisting of a complete menu with a total of 328 dishes. These dishes are divided into four tiers: Ordinary Dishes, Fine Dishes, Royal Dishes, and Imperial Dishes. 

Even the top-notch dish, Spicy Chicken, is only considered an Ordinary Dish in the Imperial Feast. This emphasizes how extraordinary the Royal Flavor Cold Dish Ye Chui planned to make would be. 

"Ye Chui, how do you make Flower Chicken? Can I help you?" Lin Wei eagerly followed behind Ye Chui, asking for guidance. 

"First, help me collect some dry hay and firewood from around here. I'll prepare this chicken." Ye Chui smiled, as slaughtering a chicken requires skill and can be somewhat bloody. He didn't want Lin Wei to witness it. 

Lin Wei immediately nodded and started searching for dry hay and grass. She had never done such a thing before, being pampered since childhood. However, the thought of soon enjoying delicious chicken spurred her into cheerful and lively actions. 

On Maple Leaf Mountain, there was a small artificial pond for the free-range chickens, with several lotus plants growing inside. Although the flowers had not bloomed yet, the large and round lotus leaves were perfect for wrapping chicken. 

Ye Chui had brought a small toolbox with him today. When opened, it revealed a kitchen knife. It was a heavy straight-edged chopping knife. 

However, in Ye Chui's hands, this knife showed remarkable flexibility and versatility. He swiftly and skillfully processed the chicken, performing the basic techniques of bleeding, feather removal, and gut cleaning. 

Afterwards, he took out some seasoning wrapped in paper from his pocket, sprinkled it evenly inside and outside the chicken, and then wrapped the entire chicken in a lotus leaf. From the pond, he dug out some mud and evenly coated it on the outside of the lotus leaf. 

Once all this was done, Lin Wei had finished collecting the firewood. 

Ye Chui dug a hole in a flat area, placed the mud-wrapped chicken inside, covered it with a thin layer of soil, and then started a fire on top. Now, all they had to do was wait for the chicken to cook. 

The process of making Flower Chicken was so simple that it didn't require extra steps or seasonings. However, achieving the perfect roasting level depended on the chef's skill. Only those with extensive experience could truly create a satisfying taste. 

After cleaning the mud from his hands in the pond, Ye Chui returned to find Lin Wei sitting by the fire, adding more firewood. She was already quite impatient. 

"Ye Chui, is it ready yet?" 

"How can it be ready so quickly? We have to wait a bit longer." 

After a while, 

"Ye Chui, is it ready? I think I can smell something delicious." 

"...Where's the fragrance? We still need to wait a bit more." 

A little more time passed, 

"Ye Chui, is it still not ready yet?" 

"...It's almost done, but the firewood is not enough. Let's find some more." 

After a bit more time, 

"Ye Chui, I'm really hungry now. Is it not ready yet?" 

"We can't rush it; we still need to wait a bit longer." 

And after a little more time, 

"Ye Chui, we've been waiting for so long. Is it not ready yet?" 

"It's ready now." 

Lin Wei, squatting by the fire with her hands supporting her chin, suddenly reacted, "Oh!? Is it ready now? Hurry up, hurry up, I really want to taste this Flower Chicken." 

Ye Chui chuckled, shaking his head. Being with this little glutton was indeed full of joy. When the fire burned out in front of him, he carefully scraped away a layer of ash, dug out the mud-wrapped chicken, and knocked off the outer layer of mud. 

The chicken, now thoroughly cooked, emitted a strong aroma mixed with the fragrance of lotus leaves. 

The flavor was not as intense as Spicy Chicken, but it had a charming and unique quality. Using this distinctive cooking method, the chicken presented a bright red color, making it mouthwatering. Lin Wei, looking at the enticing chicken, reached out to grab it, but Ye Chui hurriedly held her small hand, "Careful, it's hot." 

"Oh." Lin Wei, with an eager look, watched Ye Chui take out a knife to process the Flower Chicken. Surprisingly, she didn't notice that her hand was being held by Ye Chui. 

At this moment, suddenly, there was a rustling sound in the nearby grass. 

The sound wasn't loud, but both Ye Chui and Lin Wei heard it. They quickly looked toward the source. 

"Ye Chui, what's that sound?" Lin Wei asked with a hint of fear, looking at the tall grass nearby. "It can't be some wild animal, right?" 

"There shouldn't be any wild animals on this small hill." 

Ye Chui frowned deeply in his heart, looking warily towards the direction of the bushes. 

Could it be that there really is a wild animal here?