Chapter 78 Roasted Lamb Leg

Chapter 78 Roasted Lamb Leg

"Roasting a whole lamb isn't practical," Yu Xin explained. "It's too much effort, and it might not even be fully cooked by midnight. Besides, roasted lamb gets tiresome after two meals at most—it's wasteful. We can just roast the two hind legs."

"The rest can be frozen in the snow, and tomorrow we can make other delicious meals with it."

He had already thought it through: in such freezing weather, how could they not have a bowl of hot lamb soup?

The others agreed, so they only removed the two hind legs. They piled up snow to create a natural icebox, burying the rest of the lamb inside. It would keep for days without spoiling, and they stored their other food items as well—this was their supply for the next few days.

The removed legs were thoroughly washed. Cuts about two centimeters apart were made along the connective tissue, slicing deep into both the tissue and the meat. This would allow the flavors to penetrate better during roasting. The neatly scored cuts revealed the clear, well-defined grain inside.

Since these mountain goats foraged daily, their activity level was much higher than farm-raised sheep, resulting in firmer muscles. When cut open, the meat was a beautiful red with relatively low fat content, making it more tender, aromatic, and nutritious.

The lamb legs needed to be marinated in advance. Fortunately, they had brought back many seasoning plants today—wild onions, cilantro, onions, garlic—pretty much everything they needed.

Ginger, onions, and garlic were minced and mixed with chili powder, cumin, pepper, and salt. This mixture was spread over the lamb legs, followed by a thorough massage to ensure every fiber on the surface was fully infused with flavor. This task was assigned to Ruan Qing, who possessed greater strength.

The onions, ginger, and garlic were used to remove any gaminess. Fresh lamb legs only needed the simplest seasonings to highlight the natural flavor of the meat.

The legs needed to marinate for at least an hour. During this time, they built a simple kiln using stones and mud, suspending the legs inside. They added vigorously burning charcoal to the kiln. Kiln-roasting ensured more even heating, preventing the outside from burning while the inside remained raw.

Controlling the kiln's temperature was a technical skill—too hot, and the lamb's surface would char quickly; not hot enough, and the meat would become tough. Someone had to keep a constant watch.

Once the marinating time was up and the kiln had reached the right temperature, the two lamb legs were hung inside, and the door was closed to begin roasting.

When they were almost done, the legs were removed and placed over the bonfire for a final roast, while being brushed with seasoning to fully integrate the flavors and let the aroma seep deep into the meat.

By now, the lamb legs were golden all over. The moment the kiln door opened, the rich aroma of the lamb rushed out, dominating everyone's senses. All anyone could think was, "It smells so good!"

The drone camera was very attentive, automatically focusing on the lamb legs. The live chat was filled with "Ooooh!"

Sheng Xingyao was completely captivated: "So fragrant... so fragrant..."

But the lamb legs weren’t ready to eat yet—they still needed to be finished over the bonfire.

Salt, chili powder, and cumin made up the simplest seasoning, brushed onto the lamb repeatedly during roasting. The high heat had already evaporated excess moisture, and the melted fat from the lamb seeped into the surrounding lean meat, making the lean parts dry but not tough, and the fatty parts oily but not greasy—a perfectly balanced blend.

Excess fat dripped down the meat's grain, falling drop by drop into the charcoal, creating puffs of smoke that added an irresistible smoky flavor to the lamb.

By now, the sun had sunk below the horizon, and darkness had taken over the surroundings. But the bonfire illuminated their area, and everyone sat around it, their faces glowing red as they watched Yu Xin brush seasoning onto the lamb.

Everyone held cups of hot water, taking occasional sips—not because they were thirsty, but as everyone knows, adults often use drinking water to mask when they can’t help but swallow saliva from craving.

It was absolute torture, pure agony.

These celebrities hadn’t felt like this in ages—it was like waiting by the stove during New Year’s as a child, excitedly waiting for the first meatball or chicken wing fried by mom or grandma.

Oh, right, they forgot—these people from the interstellar era had long delegated cooking to Household Robots. They probably never had feelings like this before.

Finally, the outermost layer of the lamb legs was roasted to a crisp. The lean meat was dry and crispy, while the fatty parts were golden and glossy, with some areas showing a tempting caramel color. Yu Xin sliced off a piece of the roasted meat, picked it up, and tossed it into Sheng Xingyao’s mouth. "Try it, see if it’s done?"

The roasted lamb was still quite hot, but Sheng Xingyao didn’t mind at all. Instead, he looked like a big dog happily receiving a treat from its owner, almost ready to jump up and spin around in joy.

"Delicious... wow, so fragrant, so good!" he mumbled through a full mouth, blowing to cool it while speaking incoherently.

"Sorry, I forgot the lamb was still hot," Yu Xin apologized, realizing his oversight.

"It’s fine! That doesn’t matter. Can we eat the lamb legs now?"

"Yes, if you can’t wait, slice off pieces yourselves."

Everyone cheered and eagerly went for the lamb legs—or rather, their knives.

The aromatic, steaming lamb had a crispy exterior with juicy, tender meat inside. The lamb’s flavor was enhanced by the seasonings and charcoal roasting, resulting in a complex and wonderful taste and texture. Even the greasiness was just right. With the first bite, their brains were briefly overwhelmed by the aroma.

After that blank second, their minds were flooded with bold, capital letters screaming "DELICIOUS!"

After each bite, the lingering flavor filled their mouths, tempting them to immediately take another.

At first, they ate politely, slicing pieces with knives and using chopsticks to bring them to their mouths. But soon, they were practically tearing at the meat with their hands—though the intense heat of the lamb hindered their efforts.

Even so, they were happily murmuring with pleasure.

No words were needed—the expressions on their faces said everything about how delicious the lamb leg was.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of viewers in the live stream, separated by screens, achieved the feat of swallowing saliva simultaneously.

Who could resist this?! Who could?!

"I can’t take it anymore, I’m gnawing at my screen nibble nibble nibble nibble nibble nibble nibble nibble"

"Damn leg sellers, this looks exactly like my legit lamb leg—give me back my lamb leg!"

"Hahaha, watching during mealtime on an empty stomach, just love this torture"

"This show involves abuse of a certain two-legged mammal—reporting it now (bye) (I mean myself)"

As expected, this episode quickly soared to the top of the trending topics, luring in more unsuspecting netizens to suffer. The live stream’s chat was filled with even more complaints.

"I shouldn’t have clicked in—damn it, I’m still on a diet, waaah!"

"Help! My cat suddenly went crazy, snatched my phone, and ordered skewers—I couldn’t stop it, so I had to eat them myself with tears in my eyes"

"My friend called me over—no one told me this was a food show?"

The director beamed at the real-time viewer numbers, his mouth twisting with joy. Who said he was too old to make shows for young people? He’d always said fifty was the age to venture out!

But the roasted lamb leg really did smell amazing. The crew on site could smell it even more clearly, yet they could only look and not eat. Many staff members were already distracted.

Their lunch boxes suddenly seemed completely unappealing!

The guests, however, were completely unaware of their agony. By now, one lamb leg was mostly eaten, and the other was placed on the grill.

Though roasted lamb leg was delicious, eating too much could get greasy. As if by magic, Yu Xin brought out a plate of peeled onions and handed one to each person.

"How are we supposed to eat a whole onion? It’s hard to eat whole," someone asked doubtfully.

"However you usually eat an apple, eat the onion the same way," Yu Xin said, taking a bite of one. "Trust me, it’s absolutely delicious."

Skeptical but willing, everyone followed his example and took a bite. Their eyes immediately lit up—it really was good!

The crunchy, pungent, and slightly sweet onion perfectly countered the greasiness of the roasted lamb. With each bite, they felt refreshed. The chilled onion also quickly lowered the temperature in their mouths. Having a bite after the lamb was as refreshing as a cold drink on a hot day.

The lamb leg continued roasting over the bonfire. In the wilderness, roasting and slicing the meat themselves, eating it right off the grill, and following it with a refreshing bite of onion—they were experiencing peak enjoyment.

They soon discovered that wild garlic went perfectly with it too. There’s a saying that eating meat without garlic misses half the flavor—after trying it, they found it absolutely true. Garlic and lamb were a perfect pairing, a match made in heaven.

As they ate with mounting enthusiasm, they felt something was still missing. Qin Shizhen, holding lamb in one hand and an onion in the other, said wistfully, "Such fine roasted meat—if only we had some alcohol! No feast is complete without drinks!"

Upon hearing his words, everyone's cravings were whetted—who could possibly resist roasted lamb paired with ice-cold beer?

Alas, even someone as resourceful as Yu Xin couldn't magic up drinks out of thin air in the wilderness, so they had to reluctantly give up the idea.

Iris Base.

Attendant Bai was as busy as ever today. Since General Ji's recovery, a flurry of tasks had been piling up at their base, and to make matters worse, some people were being particularly troublesome, constantly trying to create more work and stir up trouble.

He was so swamped he barely had time to catch his breath. Holding a stack of documents, he opened the door to General Ji's office: "General Ji, these all require your personal signature... What do you think you're doing?!"

Ji Yixing wasn't handling work at all. Instead, he was kicking back comfortably in his chair, watching the live stream of Wilderness Adventure.

"You've got to be kidding me! I'm spinning like a top, and you have the leisure to watch a live stream?!" Bai Yizhou felt immediately put-out and questioned loudly.

Ji Yixing spread his hands. "I'm General Ji. You're not."

"So?"

"You're busy. I don't need to be busy." His tone was calm but incredibly infuriating.

Bai Yizhou was furious and reminded him, "Yu Xin has only been gone for three days. You don't have to be this far gone, and besides, he'll be back in two days."

He couldn't help but shudder—old tree sprouting blossoms was truly terrifying.

"I think I might have developed a new condition," Ji Yixing suddenly said seriously.

"What condition?" Bai Yizhou's nerves tightened instantly. How could that be? His anorexia and insomnia had been gradually improving. When did a new problem emerge?!

"Separation anxiety."

"…………Give me a break, man."

Yu Xin, come back quickly! Hurry up!

He angrily put down the documents and was about to make a dramatic exit when Ji Yixing stopped him: "Wait."

Bai Yizhou turned back helplessly: "What is it now, Your Excellency?"

"Tonight, I want roasted lamb leg. Have the kitchen prepare it," Ji Yixing said, staring at the black-haired young man roasting the lamb leg in the projection.

"Fine, fine. Then you'll have to eat more." It was rare for General Ji to actively express a desire to eat something, so of course, they had to indulge him.

Roasted lamb leg—now he wanted some too. Since one lamb leg was too much for one person, he might as well invite the professor and Ji Mingcheng for a group feast, Bai Yizhou thought to himself.

That evening, a golden, fragrant roasted lamb leg was served at General Ji's table. Ji Mingcheng and the professor ate and drank with gusto, thoroughly enjoying themselves, and Bai Yizhou also dug in heartily.

Surprisingly, it was Ji Yixing, who had first suggested eating roasted lamb leg, who only took a few slices of the roasted lamb before putting down his chopsticks. He didn't touch them again all night, though his wine glass was never empty.

Having drunk too much, his eyes were glazed over, and thoughts he usually suppressed began to surface. General Ji wallowed in this strange new feeling, and his wine glass was soon empty again.

Little Black, the usually aloof and indifferent cat, suddenly jumped onto his lap, crouched there, tilted its head to observe him, meowed softly, and nuzzled him.

Ji Yixing lowered his head to meet its gaze, scratched its raised little chin, and spoke softly to the cat, his breath carrying a faint scent of alcohol:

"You’re lonesome for him too, aren't you?"

Back in the show, everyone roasted and ate, stripping the two lamb legs clean down to the bone. They didn't even discard the bones, holding them in their hands and gnawing every last shred.

The production team watched with bated breath, hoping the guests would leave some leftovers like they did last time on the island. But this time, there was nothing left, and their hopes were completely dashed.

They could only eat their bland boxed meals. Boo hoo.

They couldn't help but feel some regret. If they hadn't constantly tried to rock the boat and make the guests resent them, if they had built a better relationship from the start, surely they would be enjoying Yu Xin's roasted lamb now.

After so many seasons, this was the first time the Wilderness Adventure crew felt true remorse.

The lamb was all gone, but unexpectedly, Yu Xin fished out a few small potatoes roasted to a charred blackness from the embers. He had buried them in the remaining ashes after roasting the lamb legs, and now they were perfectly slow-cooked.

Each person got one. They patted off the ash on the surface—the potato skins had burst open, revealing soft, flaky, steaming flesh that broke apart easily, steaming with white vapor in the freezing night air.

The potatoes were still scalding hot. They tossed them between their hands but didn't put them down: "Hot-hot-hot!"

These high-altitude small potatoes had smoother skins than ordinary ones, higher starch content, and a softer, mealy texture. Breaking them open released a rich potato aroma.

They were delicious even plain, but dipped in a mix of salt, chili powder, and pepper, the flavor was absolutely out of this world. Eating them hot maximized the deliciousness.

Everyone kept eating, huffing and puffing and taking bite after bite, unable to stop.

"Forget the roasted lamb leg! Why are the potatoes so fragrant too!"

"I got so anxious I ran around my living room and found two Tums. After eating them, I'm even hungrier ()"

"Look on the bright side—at least we can easily score the same stuff..."

Sitting by the bonfire on a cold, snowy night, eating a roasted potato—this kind of happiness would stick with them for a long, long time.

One small potato per person was just enough to fill the last bit of space left in their stomachs after the lamb. Now completely stuffed to the gills, everyone grew lazy, cozied up by the bonfire and sipping steaming hot water.

"Wonderful! Tomorrow we can sleep in as late as we want. Finally, we don't have to wake up early and hike miles on mountain roads to find food. I'm so happy," Shen Tong leaned against Ruan Qing and sighed contentedly.

She, the young lady of the Shen family, born with a gold spoon in her mouth, felt a stronger sense of happiness in this moment than ever before, after a meal of roasted lamb and small potatoes in the wild.

"Now do you understand what it means to have food in hand and peace in mind?" Qin Shizhen said with a smile.

"Look, the stars in the sky are so big and bright!" Ruan Qing looked up and exclaimed in delight.

Everyone looked up, and the camera dutifully panned toward the night sky.

At high altitudes, the atmosphere is thinner, reducing its absorption and scattering of light, so the stars appear more numerous and clearer.

Today, the sky was cloudless, with only a serene night curtain. The stars were like diamonds studding it, and the deep night sky seemed to suck in their gaze, making it hard to look away.

Everyone forgot to speak, quietly admiring the starry sky and lost in their thoughts. For a moment, only the crackling of the bonfire could be heard, making the silence even more absolute.

"Ah, so beautiful... I can't remember the last time I seriously looked at the stars."

"Among so many stars, one must be the planet I live on. If I go out and wave, would they see me? (just kidding)"

"Thinking about it, their gaze is cutting across nebulae, galaxies, and the universe to meet ours."

"What a romantic way to put it. I love it."

"Hey, hey, why so deep all of a sudden? It makes my earlier drooling seem ridiculous."

"Which one of these stars is Capital Star? Which one is the planet I live on?" After a long while, Sheng Xingyao suddenly asked.

"How could we possibly tell without observation instruments?" Shen Tong shot back.

"You should at least be able to tell the galaxy," Sheng Xingyao said. Before becoming an idol, his dream was to become an astronomer and follow in his mother’s footsteps.

"Look," he gestured toward the sky, "that's the Ursa Major constellation, over there is the Rosette Nebula, and next to it is the Cygnus galaxy. My home is on one of the planets there."

They chattered away about the galaxies, but Yu Xin didn't join in. He remained silent, gazing up at the night sky.

Realizing he was unconsciously searching for the galaxy where Iris Base was located, Yu Xin pressed a hand to his chest. It felt tight and full with an unfamiliar, inexplicable emotion—something he couldn't recognize, control, or ignore.

He lowered his hand and let the feeling spread unchecked.

Are you... also looking up at the stars right now?

Could we, separated by tens of thousands of light-years and countless planets, unknowingly have our gazes meet?

Could we?

Elsewhere, Ji Yixing set down his wine glass, picked up his cat, and walked to the massive glass dome of the base. As if sensing something, he lifted his head and glanced up at the night sky.

The stars twinkled, timeless and unchanging.

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Author's Note: Never thought I’d write ten thousand words in a day… Well, now it’s truly finished (sprawls out) (peacefully).