Chapter 39: Roasted Snake
Zhao Lan’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. "What did you say? Eat a snake? Is this thing even edible? Isn’t it poisonous?"
Smiling, Bai Zhi pulled Zhao Lan back into the shade of a tree. "It is a poisonous snake, but its meat isn’t toxic at all. In fact, it’s incredibly fresh and delicious. If you don’t believe me, just wait and try some. You’ll see."
Zhao Lan was skeptical. She was still afraid, but seeing how confident her daughter was, she couldn’t bring herself to dampen her spirits. She simply stood by and obediently watched as Bai Zhi deftly cleaned the snake with a dagger. Then, as if by magic, Bai Zhi produced a bamboo tube of water from her basket. She let her mother drink first before using the rest to rinse the snake meat.
Bai Zhi hung the cleaned snake on a tree branch, then gathered some dry grass and twigs from nearby. She built a fire, cut the snake into four sections, and skewered each piece on a branch to roast.
Like fish, snake meat cooks quickly. Before long, a tantalizing aroma drifted through the air, causing both Uncle Hu and Hu Feng to stop their work and draw closer to see what was happening.
"Is that snake meat?" Hu Feng asked in surprise, pointing at the pieces roasting over the fire.
Bai Zhi nodded. "Yes. Snake meat is tender and nutritious. It’s delicious and good for you. Here, have a taste." She took the largest of the four skewers and handed it to Uncle Hu.
The closer he got, the more intense the tantalizing aroma of the roasting snake became. Uncle Hu was already starving, and smelling that, there was no way he could refuse.
He set down his farm tools, dusted off his hands, and heartily accepted the skewer from Bai Zhi. He eagerly took a bite. Even though it had no seasonings, not even salt, the flavor was indescribably wonderful.
"How is it?" Bai Zhi asked Uncle Hu.
With his mouth full, Uncle Hu took another bite before giving her a thumbs-up. "Delicious, delicious!" he mumbled indistinctly.
Bai Zhi then gave the other two skewers to Hu Feng and Zhao Lan, leaving the smallest piece, the tail, for herself.
Zhao Lan saw how small her daughter’s portion was and tried to trade with her, but Bai Zhi refused. "Mom, I’m not hungry at all," she said with a smile. "This is more than enough. Besides, Hu Feng and I ate two Snow Lotus Fruits at the foot of the mountain, so I’m still full."
Zhao Lan was incredulous. "What nonsense are you talking about? Where would we find Snow Lotus Fruits in a place like this? Don’t those only grow in the Tianshan Snowfield?"
Bai Zhi said, "This Snow Lotus Fruit isn’t the same as a Snow Lotus. Just eat your roasted snake for now. You’ll see what a Snow Lotus Fruit is in a little while."
Seeing her daughter’s insistence, Zhao Lan’s heart warmed. ’My daughter seems so much more thoughtful and mature than before.’
Uncle Hu devoured the large skewer of snake meat in no time, and he clearly wanted more. He sighed, "If I’d known snake meat was edible, and this delicious, I wouldn’t have wasted so many. I’ve killed plenty of snakes in the fields over the years. What a pity. I threw every single one of them away."
Bai Zhi laughed. "If you like it, you can just have Hu Feng catch more for you. He’s amazing at it. To him, a snake like this is no more threatening than a fly or a mosquito. It doesn’t stand a chance."
Hearing her exaggerated praise, both Uncle Hu and Zhao Lan laughed heartily. Even Hu Feng, who was usually so stern and rarely smiled, couldn’t help but let a small but noticeable smile touch the corners of his lips.
After finishing her piece of snake tail, Bai Zhi took two more bamboo tubes out of her basket, both filled with cool stream water.
"We brought this from the foot of Luoying Mountain. You two can share one tube, and my mother and I will have the other."