Chapter 39: Fragrant Wild Game Jerky
After Wang Xingyu and the others had left, Lin Feng felt he had rested enough. Taking up his dagger, he began to skin the leopard.
Seeing this, Cheng Xiangyu hurried over to help.
Once again, Lin Feng was pleased with her eagerness but waved her off. “No need. You should go sleep in the leopard’s den. Tonight, I’ll handle the meat and keep watch.”
Cheng Xiangyu shook her head. “No, no. First, you killed Yuan Shuang to save us, then rescued He Tiantian and Wang Xingyu from the pond. You were pushed into the water yourself and got back up. Then you went to find Qin Meng, helped me to this cave, and finally fought the leopard. You’ve done too much today. You must be exhausted. How could I sleep while you stay up working and keeping watch?”
She yawned, feeling the weight of the day’s strain. She had done a lot too, and with her injured leg and the earlier tension, she was worn out once she relaxed.
Seeing this, Lin Feng said gently, “If you’re tired, go rest. Don’t push yourself. But I must finish processing the leopard meat tonight so it doesn’t spoil.”
“Also, if those three come to steal the meat tomorrow while I’m resting, you can wake me.”
Cheng Xiangyu yawned again but nodded in agreement, sensing the reason in his words. “Alright, I’ll rest then. But if you get too tired tonight, don’t hesitate to wake me. I can take the watch.”
“Good,” Lin Feng replied. After a moment, he added, “And whatever you do, don’t give the meat to them when they come. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being harsh.”
Cheng Xiangyu nodded firmly. “Don’t worry, I’m not that naïve.”
“I’ve come to understand this is a nameless island without even a lighthouse. No one outside probably knows we’re alive or when we’ll be rescued.”
“Pandering to Wang Xingyu, the boastful and useless son of the city lord, only causes misery and gains nothing.”
She also felt Wang Xingyu wouldn’t live to see rescue.
Because he had offended the island’s only doctor—Lin Feng—he was bound to die from illness.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have begged Lin Feng for treatment earlier.
Hearing her, Lin Feng nodded in satisfaction. “I’m glad you understand.”
In his heart, he wished Qin Meng and He Tiantian could see this truth too.
Cheng Xiangyu then slipped into the leopard’s den and fell asleep.
---
The leopard’s den was surprisingly soft and warm, far better than the treehouse she had slept in the previous night.
She couldn’t help but admire Lin Feng’s ingenuity—upon seeing the leopard, he thought to use its den as a better shelter and had the strength to kill the beast and claim it.
Her fondness for Lin Feng grew deeper.
Even if he were an ordinary man, if they ever returned home, she would want to marry him.
Meanwhile, Lin Feng pinched himself to shake off drowsiness and carefully skinned the leopard, striving to preserve the pelt intact for making clothes or blankets.
Having studied surgery and wielded scalpels to dissect many small animals, though never a leopard, his knowledge of feline anatomy—gained from dissecting cats—served him well.
With just his dagger, he managed to remove a nearly perfect leopard skin and separate the meat cleanly from the main bones.
The entire process took little time.
Starting at 9:30 p.m., he finished by 11:00 p.m.—only an hour and a half.
Noting the early hour, he cracked open a coconut to drink before continuing.
On a flat stone slab, he separated the small amount of fat and oil from the lean meat.
Then he cut all the internal organs into small pieces and laid them out on the leopard skin.
After chopping all the meat into small cubes, he rested briefly, then added dry and damp wood to the fire to keep it burning longer.
Taking a burning stick, he stepped outside to gather some non-toxic broad leaves.
Returning inside, he stacked stones on either side of the fire and set the stone slab atop them.
He first placed the leopard fat on the slab to render out the oil, then added the lean meat, cooking it thoroughly until dried into jerky.
This way, the leopard meat could be preserved for several more days.
By then, it was nearly 2 a.m.
---
Cheng Xiangyu, who had fallen into a deep, peaceful sleep since 9:30, was awakened by the enticing aroma of cooking meat.
After two days stranded on the island, she hadn’t even eaten enough, let alone meat. How could she resist such a delicious scent?
Stirring, she hobbled over with a smile. “It smells amazing, Lin Feng. Can I have some?”
Lin Feng nodded, pointing to the cooked jerky wrapped in leaves. “It’s there. Help yourself.”
“But don’t eat too much, or you’ll get thirsty. There’s no more water. I finished my coconut, and I also ate one of yours.”
Cheng Xiangyu replied, “Lin Feng, that’s your cooked meat. I’ll eat what I prepare myself. I promised you, I won’t freeload by just eating and living here.”
Lin Feng chuckled. “I’m glad you think that way. But tell me, do you know how to cook leopard meat? Even if you did, it’s piping hot right now.”
Cheng Xiangyu’s face flushed with embarrassment. “I don’t know how to cook leopard meat, but I can learn. I’ll eat yours while watching and learning. You can teach me.”
Lin Feng agreed. “Alright, I’ll teach you.”
She took a bundle of leopard meat, eating as she followed his instructions on cooking it.
Lin Feng taught her earnestly, hoping she could help more and ease his burden.
Cheng Xiangyu learned diligently, and after just half an hour, she asked to try cooking herself.
Her jerky turned out dry but not burnt—she had succeeded.
“I’ve learned how to make jerky,” she said. “And after sleeping, I’m less tired. You should rest now. I’ll take the watch.”
Lin Feng was utterly exhausted but watched her cook another batch to confirm she had truly mastered it before finally resting in the leopard’s den.
---
Meanwhile, a few hundred meters from the cave, Wang Xingyu, He Tiantian, and Qin Meng had just left when Wang Xingyu suddenly stumbled, walking unsteadily before collapsing.
It was clear he hadn’t been lying earlier. He truly felt unwell and had rushed back, hoping He Tiantian could treat him.