Substitute Alpha Gets Confessed to by Her Ex’s Aunt on a Survival Variety Show – Chapter 76
by Little PandaEating Roasted Deer Legs Until Stuffed
Just past seven in the evening, the twilight deepened.
The setting sun hid all its radiance, and the magnificent waterfall withdrew its golden light. The rapids rushed down, throwing up a white mist.
The beautiful scenery was fleeting, but human eyes and memories would preserve it forever.
Liu Yinxi hiked downstream of the waterfall before it got completely dark, finding a high point along the riverbank to serve as a temporary campsite.
She and Nan Huaixu chopped some wood and built a minimalist triangular shelter. Lacking a raised frame, they could only use gathered palm leaves and banana leaves to make a floor bed on the cleared dirt.
Nan Huaixu collected many small stones, arranged them in a small circle in front of the triangular shelter, and used the leftover wood to build a star-shaped campfire.
Returning from the river with water, Liu Yinxi first boiled two bowls of hot water to set aside. Then, she took the deer meat out of her backpack and cleaned the chunks by the firelight.
Fortunately, they had made ample preparations to explore the upstream Toa River today and carried a good amount of supplies, including enough salt. While chopping trees, they had also foraged for banana stem core and bracken ferns to eat with the deer meat.
Although the temperature in the mountainous rainforest dropped at night, it was still a tropical region. Without preservation, raw meat would quickly spoil. Therefore, they had to roast all the deer loin and front legs, then heavily salt and cure them so they would keep for another couple of days.
Using overlapping banana leaves as a cutting board, Liu Yinxi divided the meat into manageable pieces and asked, “Teacher Nan, are we eating the loin or the leg meat tonight?”
Nan Huaixu was busy washing more banana leaves, intending to dry them to wrap the roasted deer meat later. “Let’s eat the roasted deer legs first. The loin doesn’t have bones, so it’s lighter to carry.”
“Alright. Teacher Nan is as thoughtful as ever.”
“Actually, I just want to eat the leg more.”
“Haha, the active muscle definitely tastes better.”
Liu Yinxi expertly prepped the deer legs, splitting them into two large chunks, skewering them on smooth wooden stakes, and placing them on the wooden rack to roast. The flames licked the edges of the meat, sizzling as white smoke rose. Soon, the deep red meat rendered its fat, slowly dripping into the fire. The flames crackled loudly, burning even more vigorously.
Nan Huaixu took out the small bottle of salt, placed it to the side, and sat on a stone, resting her chin in her hands as she watched Liu Yinxi roast the meat. “They say eating deer meat easily causes excessive internal heat1.”
“That’s because red meat is rich in hemoglobin. If you consume a lot, your body will be filled with energy and convert it into more heat. So, eating high-protein foods in winter helps ward off the cold.”
“This is a tropical rainforest. Will I get pimples if I eat roasted deer meat?”
“I wouldn’t rule out the possibility.”
“Hey, Liu Yinxi. Do you think what’s written in novelsβwhere someone drinks deer blood2 and their veins bulge, making them overwhelmed with lust and confusionβis that possible in reality?”
“I think those people already had ulterior motives, and that was just an excuse. It’s as deceitful as claiming drunk sex was an accident. No normal person nowadays would drink that stuff. It’s even less reliable than the sketchy medicinal wine blindly brewed by some old geezer.”
“Mhm⦔ Nan Huaixu nodded. “I also think it’s impossible.”
Liu Yinxi flipped the meat. “Teacher Nan, help me salt the meat.”
“Coming.”
The sea salt was sprinkled evenly over the crisp, tender roasted deer leg, unlocking a fragrant fusion of rendered fat and protein. Just the smell made both of their mouths water.
“It smells so good.” Nan Huaixu felt her stomach rumble, impatient to get the roasted meat into her belly.
Liu Yinxi licked her lips, equally ravenous. She used her knife to test the meat. “It still needs a bit more time. Let’s wait a little longer.”
“Should we add some crushed pepper?”
“You brought that, too?”
“I did. Would pepper paired with deer meat be too fiery?”
“If you’re worried, we won’t add it. Just salt. You can eat more bracken ferns and drink more water.”
“Okay.”
After roasting for another ten minutes, Liu Yinxi sliced open the venison. It was a beautiful deep pink, steaming with a rich aroma.
She took a deep breath, revealing a blissful smile, and carved off a piece. She cut it into smaller slices and placed them into Nan Huaixu’s mess tin.
“The first bite. Please, Teacher Nan.”
Nan Huaixu picked up the meat and popped it into her mouth. Her eyes immediately lit up as she looked at Liu Yinxi. “So delicious!”
“Let me try. It’s my first time eating this kind; I’ve only had sika deer before.” Liu Yinxi used her knife to skewer a small piece directly into her mouth, chewing carefully. She nodded as she ate. “Not bad. The fawn is very tender.”
The venison was rich in fiber; every bite offered a substantial, springy texture. Moreover, the meat was fresh and tender. Once chewed, it was incredibly juicy, quickly turning into a fine mince that was easy to swallow.
Nan Huaixu feasted, scarfing down several large bites before wiping a stray crumb of meat from the corner of her mouth. “A fawn? It was still a child?”
She had assumed this species of deer was just naturally that smallβ¦
Liu Yinxi looked regretful. “Its body was very small, and its antlers were just starting to show. It wasn’t fully grown. It was hunted by a predator; we didn’t harm it. However, its fall will give another animal baby the energy to survive. Nature is cruel, but it’s also balanced.”
Nan Huaixu stared thoughtfully at the meat in her mess tin for a few seconds before eating it. “Thank you, little deer, for helping fill my stomach.”
Though it was a pity, they needed to survive. They needed to live on.
The hearty roasted deer legs provided them with a satisfying feast.
It had been a long time since they had experienced the feeling of being stuffed to bursting.
Liu Yinxi and Nan Huaixu lay in the triangular shelter, their heads facing outward as they gazed up at the night sky. The leaves framed their view.
Lying on the floor bed, they could faintly feel the vibrations of the distant waterfall and hear the crashing sound of the current.
Burp. Liu Yinxi rubbed her belly and took a deep breath toward the sky. The cultivators in the mountains called this ‘breathing in the essence of heaven and earth3.’ Whether one could truly achieve the Dao and become an immortal through this, Liu Yinxi didn’t know, but doing it definitely made her feel more comfortable.
The bright moon and countless stars illuminated the entire night sky.
Bathed in the clear radiance of the stars and moon, Liu Yinxi recalled the magnificent waterfall at dusk, regretting that she didn’t have a camera in her hands. If she were in the world before her transmigration, such a beautiful sunset would have been enough for her to produce a dedicated feature video.
She hoped the camera drone could get a good angle of the waterfall.
Nan Huaixu gazed at the starry night for a while and sighed with emotion, “I’ve already gotten used to life without the internet or electronic devices. It feels as though life has been stretched out.”
Liu Yinxi said, “That’s because the pace has slowed down. There’s no complicated daily socializing or information cocoons4 here.”
Nan Huaixu closed her eyes, listening to the myriad sounds of the rainforest at night: the chirping of insects, the croaking of frogs, the cries of nocturnal birds, the wind rustling through the treesβ¦
“Yeah. But running around every day for food is a different kind of exhaustion.”
“Teacher Nan, modern technology makes us think that eating our fill is a very simple thing, but the reality is that acquiring food is extremely difficult.”
“That’s true. Plus, our agricultural farming standards are very high.”
“Let alone whether people can even grow crops, some people wouldn’t know how to handle fresh ingredients if they were handed to them. For example, how to peel taro to prevent an allergic reaction, how to chop an onion without tearing up, whether sprouted garlic is safe to eat, why some pork is terribly pungent and hard to swallow, or being unable to distinguish the differences between various cuts of meat and which cooking methods suit them.”
“Huh? Peeling taro gives you an allergic reaction? Coughβ¦ Thank you for not calling me out by name directly.”
Liu Yinxi hastily apologized, “I’m sorry, Teacher Nan. I phrased that poorly. Everyone has their own specialty. You’re an actress, not a chef. Naturally, if you have the means, you don’t need to spend energy learning those things. What I meant is that the process of domesticating wild plants and animals into delicious, high-yield ingredientsβand us figuring out the best ways to cook themβis the result of civilization’s evolution and development. It took millions of years of accumulation and was an incredibly long process. If we were completely without fresh supermarkets, restaurants, takeout, and fast food, making meals relying solely on the yields of farmlands and the wild wouldn’t be a simple matter.”
Nan Huaixu sighed, “Yeah, just like right now. Relying only on the wild is too hard. Even having just a plot of farmland would be much better. At least we could guarantee grain carbs, raise a few chickens and ducks for eggs and meat. To say nothing of salt and seasonings. It wasn’t until I participated in this survival show that I truly understood why, since ancient times, salt and iron were monopolized by the state5, and the desolation behind the phrase ‘the spring swallows return, nesting in the forest trees.'”
Liu Yinxi blinked, letting out a soft “Mhm.” “There won’t be such tragic famine years anymore.”
Surprised, Nan Huaixu propped up her cheek. “You understood what that classical quote meant?”
Liu Yinxi shook her head. “I’ve never heard it before. But I know the habits of barn swallows. They coexist with humans and like to build their nests and raise their young under inhabited eaves. They would only choose the forest if they absolutely couldn’t find anywhere else.”
Therefore, the scenario described in that classical text was highly likely a wartime famine where no one was left alive and all the houses had been destroyed.
Nan Huaixu parted her lips slightly, her envious gaze settling on Liu Yinxi’s face as the latter stared intently at the starry sky.
For the first time, she realized that someone could understand the profound meaning of a classical text without any literary background or annotated explanations. All simply because Liu Yinxi was someone who revered heaven and earth, and deeply loved nature.
It was also at this moment that Nan Huaixu suddenly grasped the significance of studying nature and protecting the environmentβcoexistence. A coexistence that permeated both the material and spiritual levels in all directions.
Liu Yinxi raised a hand to cover her mouth, letting out a yawn that brought a bit of moisture to the corners of her eyes. “Teacher Nan, I just remembered something. That good friend of mine who loves exploring had an omega friend. The omega gifted her an ancient poetry collection, and in return, she gave the omega an out-of-print copy of the γRare Amphibian Illustrated Guideγ. Why do you think the omega distanced herself from my friend after that, and eventually stopped contacting her altogether?”
In truth, she was talking about herself and an omega friend she had been on good terms with before transmigrating, but who had inexplicably cut ties with her.
Nan Huaixu was completely baffled. “Give me the details. What was the ancient poetry collection called? What was in it?”
Liu Yinxi’s impression of it wasn’t very deep anymore. “Just a standard copy of γSelected Tang and Song Poetryγ, with appreciations and illustrations.”
Nan Huaixu thought for a moment before asking astutely, “What about inside the book? Did the omega handwrite anything or slip something between the pages?”
“Oh, now that you mention it, Teacher Nan, I remember.”
Liu Yinxi gestured with her fingers. “My friend said there was a bookmark in that book.”
“What did it look like?”
“I’m not too clear. It seemed to be a leaf with a small square pendant that had red beads inside, kind of like the One of Dots tile in mahjong6.”
Nan Huaixu’s expression shifted, her delicate brows knitting together. “A small square with red beads inside? A cube? Did it look like a dice?”
Liu Yinxi thought back carefully for a whole minute. “Yeah, I think so, but I can’t remember clearly. However, that leaf was definitely a white-flowered paulownia leaf.”
Nan Huaixu said, “β¦This friend of yours recognized the specific tree species of the leaf so clearly, but didn’t recognize a red bean dice?”
“⦔
That cube prop that looked like something elementary schoolers used to learn math?
Liu Yinxi grabbed a handful of her hair.
She didn’t know.
Liu Yinxi shifted her gaze away. “She didn’t know.”
Nan Huaixu’s brow relaxed. “‘An exquisite dice inlaid with red beans; do you know of my bone-deep longing?7‘ It’s by Wen Tingyun. No wonder you said no one has ever liked your friend. It turns out she just didn’t know.”
Liu Yinxi froze. “?”
This entire matter seemed to exceed her scope of comprehension.
Who did things like that?
How could anyone possibly understand what that meant?
Nan Huaixu’s voice was gentle and slow. “Although it was a very obscure hint, it was also a tentative confession of affection. And then what?”
She tilted her head to look directly at the still-dazed Liu Yinxi, a hint of amusement in her profound gaze. “What did that out-of-print amphibian book your friend gave back look like? How did she give it?”
That friend of yours.
She’s quite a lot like you.
Footnotes
- A traditional Chinese medicine concept (shΓ nghuΗ) referring to an imbalance in the body, often caused by eating rich, spicy, or high-energy foods, leading to symptoms like sore throat or acne.
- In traditional Chinese beliefs and folklore, deer blood is considered a potent aphrodisiac and vitality tonic.
- A fundamental practice in Daoism and Chinese cultivation fantasy (xianxia) where a practitioner rhythmically inhales spiritual energy from nature and exhales impurities to temper their body and soul.
- A state where one is only exposed to information that reinforces existing beliefs.
- In imperial China, the production and sale of salt and iron were tightly controlled government monopolies, essential for state revenue and military power.
- A mahjong tile featuring a single large red circle in the center. Liu Yinxi is humorously comparing the romantic token to a gambling piece.
- A famous verse by the late-Tang dynasty poet Wen Tingyun. 'Red bean' (hΓ³ngdΓ²u) is a classic symbol of lovesickness in Chinese culture, while the dice represents the 'bones' (since ancient dice were made of bone). The poem is a profound confession of deep, ingrained yearning.
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