Chapter 28: Wood Carvings and Braised Dishes

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"I remember reading somewhere that a dragon's features are described as having antlers like a deer, a head like a camel, eyes like a rabbit, a neck like a snake, a belly like a clam, scales like a fish, claws like an eagle, paws like a tiger, and ears like an ox..."

"What are you talking about, upstairs? What deer? What rabbit? We've never even seen those, have we?"

"These are all creatures from Ancient Blue Star, existing in ancient records. Some still exist in their original form in the interstellar era, while others have mutated."

"I know this. For example, the long-eared beast we saw cooked on the livestream earlier is actually the evolved descendant of a rabbit. Very few plants and animals now retain their Ancient Blue Star DNA."

"Look, look! She’s starting to use the knife!"

"Yunyun, what are you doing?" Chen Jiaojiao looked at the lifelike pattern on the wood, which was identical to the one on the blueprint. Before she could properly admire it, Hua Yun picked up a strange-looking knife and began carving along the lines.

"This is sandalwood. It has a faint fragrance and is an excellent material for wood carving," Hua Yun said while working the blade.

"Wood carving?" Chen Jiaojiao was puzzled. What was wood carving?

Many in the livestream were asking the same question.

Hua Yun was not surprised that people were unfamiliar with the craft. Even back in ancient China, traditional artisans were few and far between. Accustomed to the convenience of high technology, how many people would still recall those handicrafts rich in cultural significance?

Interstellar technology was far more advanced, and after the massive shifts in human history, it was not impossible for many ancient civilizations to have been lost.

Hua Yun couldn't help but feel fortunate that she had the system, which allowed her to study and restore those ancient cultures as best she could.

"Wood carving is one of the important cultural practices of Ancient Blue Star. It was once listed as intangible cultural heritage, featuring unique artistic and carving techniques. People of Ancient Blue Star loved to use them as art pieces, ornaments, and the like," Hua Yun explained briefly.

"Ancient Blue Star culture?"

"Is the streamer bluffing? Ancient Blue Star culture has been extinct for a long time. How would the streamer know about it?"

Hua Yun’s hands did not stop. She continued carving, and within moments, a small block of wood shed its original appearance, the initial sketches disappearing.

Hua Yun gave a gentle blow, and the wood shavings instantly cleared away. The shape of the wood had changed, and it was vaguely possible to see that it closely resembled the drawing from earlier.

"This is so strange! Is the streamer lying to us?"

"I don't know about lying, but just watching the streamer’s knife fall stroke by stroke, my hands feel a bit itchy."

"Especially with this music playing—I really want to be the streamer!"

Chen Jiaojiao also quieted down, watching as Hua Yun slowly carved out the prototype, stroke by stroke.

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The world seemed to fall silent, leaving only Hua Yun with her carving knife, her expression one of intense focus.

It wasn't until a large influx of galactic citizens entered the stream that everyone realized it was time for the streamer to share some food.

"Streamer! Streamer! What are you making today?"

"I want to try that dish from last time, and the long-eared beast meat was pretty good too!"

"Baldy Sister, hurry up and remind the streamer!"

Seeing that Hua Yun didn't react, the viewers began calling out to Chen Jiaojiao.

Unfortunately, Chen Jiaojiao was watching so intently that she didn't notice a thing!

Fortunately, Hua Yun knew what she was doing. Feeling her eyes grow a bit dry, she closed them for a moment to recover before opening them again.

"Everyone, don't be anxious. Today we have new cookware, so we can try a wider variety of delicacies," Hua Yun said, taking out a pot.

"That’s not the same pot the streamer uses for stir-frying. It looks a bit like the one she uses to steam rice."

"This is a pressure cooker. It can speed up the cooking process," Hua Yun explained. The interstellar era didn't originally have pressure cookers, but the pots they used for extracting raw materials shared some similarities.

So, Hua Yun had ordered this pot online. As it happened, she was craving something different today.

"Yunyun, what are we eating today?" Chen Jiaojiao asked expectantly. Yunyun had told her earlier that there would be a surprise, though she didn't know what it was.

"We're eating these!" Hua Yun produced a pile of items. "These are 'Oink-Oink Beast' trotters, large marrow bones, and the leftover long-eared beast meat from two days ago."

The Oink-Oink Beast was the most common livestock in the interstellar era and the most successfully farmed ingredient—though wild Oink-Oink Beasts remained quite dangerous.

"Huh?" Chen Jiaojiao was shocked.

"Today, I'm going to introduce you to a cooking method called 'Lu'—braising!" Hua Yun said, boiling water to blanch the meat and remove the blood foam.

"This method is relatively simple; it doesn't require the precise measurements needed for stir-frying." In truth, it wasn't exactly simple, but as long as you had the right braising spices prepared, the difficulty of the process was greatly reduced.

And so, everyone watched as Hua Yun tossed the blanched, cleaned meat into the pressure cooker, added the right amount of water, dropped in a small spice bag, and sealed the lid.

"!!!" What does this mean? It looks like she's making soup, but it doesn't look like it either.

Night Wanderer: I waited for days just for you to show me this?

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He had been skeptical when he first received the Crucian Pig meat Hua Yun sent him, only trying it after it passed safety tests.

The result... that one bite completely conquered him. Unfortunately, there wasn't much of it, and Hua Yun had warned him that it might spoil if not stored properly, urging him to eat it quickly. That had left him craving more ever since.

After days of anticipation, Hua Yun was just making soup!

"I strongly suggest the streamer tell us in advance what she’s making so we can prepare and learn along with her."

"You can look at the videos on the streamer's homepage. The processing methods for the long-eared beast and the Crucian Pig are all there, explained in great detail."

"Don't even mention it. I tried doing it myself these past two days... let's just say it didn't go well! What does 'appropriate amount' even mean? That term is so abstract!"

Overall, however, the people of the interstellar era disliked making soup the most—because they already knew how to make soup!

Seeing Hua Yun walk away and ignore the pressure cooker, a hint of disappointment crept into the chat.

Hua Yun went to a small basket to pick some crisp vegetables from her plot. Her garden had begun to take shape and could now satisfy her basic needs.

"Wow! I just realized there are so many vegetables in that plot!"

"I watched all morning, then went to watch the streamer play with wood."

"Wait, did she plant all of this by herself? That's impossible, right?"

"Isn't she afraid of messing it up?"

"Well, we watched her plant a good portion of it on the stream. As for the rest, who knows."

"I don't believe it. Someone must have helped her. Didn't she gain a 'Baldy Sister' by her side today?"

Chen Jiaojiao saw the bullet comments and was momentarily at a loss for words. Who was this "Baldy Sister"?

Who gives nicknames like that?

However... the netizens weren't exactly wrong. Whether it was the way Hua Yun addressed her or her own voice, she was undoubtedly a girl. But she had specifically chosen a bald mask for her avatar, making "Baldy Sister" a fitting title!