RPS – Chapter 54 The All-Egg Feast

This trip to the reed marsh turned out to be quite fruitful. They had gathered a whole basket of various eggs, and more importantly, they collected a good amount of reed fluff. The only pity was that they didn’t bring back many actual reeds. Still, both Li and Bu each carried a bundle. Li Feng was thinking—maybe once they finished making their shoes, they could weave some mats too? Whether used as bed coverings, wall hangings, or even wallpaper to keep out the dust, it would be practical and decorative. Not a bad idea at all.

They had harvested quite a lot, but so did everyone else. Some of the tougher folks managed to gather loads of both bird eggs and reeds—it was a wonder how they even carried it all. Watching them haul, carry, and drag everything back was enough to make one feel exhausted just looking at them.

Li Feng kept it simpler: he carried a basket on his back filled with reed fluff and some eggs, while holding the baby in his arms. Nuo was in charge of most of the eggs and still had to spare a hand to hold Mo’s, just to keep him from wandering off. As for Li and Bu—no surprise—they were the muscle. They had already brought their baskets on the way in, now filled with reed fluff and eggs, plus they were each carrying two bundles of reed stalks. Of course, Li Feng had already padded their shoulders with animal pelts. Otherwise, with their bare torsos, they’d have been stabbed raw by the sharp stalks.

Looking at the whole group marching back, Li Feng couldn’t help but think they looked like a bunch of refugees—actually, worse than refugees. They looked like primitive people barely clothed. Hair disheveled, wearing straw sandals—some with toes sticking out but still reluctant to replace them. Their only real clothing was a scrap of fur tied around the waist. The women at least had an extra large piece to cover their chests. Underwear, though, had become almost standard since Li Feng introduced the concept. Everyone had a pair now. But still, they had to make them themselves—Li Feng only spread the idea, not the actual underwear. He wasn’t that perverted—to make intimate garments for the entire tribe. For one, he didn’t have the skill; for another, he wasn’t fond of the idea of handling strangers’ underwear.

“It’s getting a bit chilly now. Why aren’t you wearing the vests I made for you?” Li Feng asked Li, puzzled. Just a few days ago, he had made him a fur vest, and Nuo had made one for Bu. But neither of them were wearing theirs. When asked, they just shrugged it off and said they weren’t cold.

“It’s not cold. Wearing it now would be a waste,” Li replied, shifting the reeds on his shoulder.

Li Feng frowned. “How is it not cold? It’s already autumn. Can’t you feel the wind? Look—goosebumps,” he said, rolling up his sleeve to show Li. The wind wasn’t that strong, but it was noticeably chillier. Leaves were falling, there had already been two autumn rains. It was the kind of weather where even a short-sleeved shirt would feel cold—how could they not feel anything with bare skin? No matter how tough, skin has nerves.

“Exactly! Why aren’t you wearing it?” Nuo chimed in, turning to question Bu. He couldn’t understand what was going through their heads either. They never listened.

“Well, actually… we didn’t want to wear them yet…” Bu scratched his head sheepishly.

Both Li Feng and Nuo felt a bit exasperated. What did he mean, didn’t want to wear them? They were meant to keep them warm.

“It’s because it’s the first piece of clothing you gave us. We wanted to save it—to wear when we’re not out hunting,” Bu explained, still scratching his head awkwardly. It was just that their clothes often got dirty or torn while hunting. Even though animal hide was sturdy, it could still get damaged.

“Why not wear them when you hunt? We can just make more!” Li Feng whispered to Li with gritted teeth. These two idiots—usually so sharp—how could they be so dumb about something like this? “Put them on as soon as we get back. It’s freezing. Worst case, we just make a few more. It’s not like we’re short on hides.”

They were already preparing winter clothes—wool coats, fur blankets, quilts. Li Feng had been thinking about this for a long time. If only they had cloth, he’d have loved to collect all that duck down from the riverbanks and turn it into jackets and comforters.

Unfortunately, duck down was light and fluffy—just a breeze would send it flying. And he hadn’t found anything that could substitute for fabric to wrap it. Animal hides were too thick; wrapping duck down in them would squish the fluff flat, losing all its insulating properties. Plus, it would ruin the hides’ own warmth. Totally not worth it. So Li Feng could only watch as duck down floated through the air like mature dandelion seeds.

Once they got home, they all quickly unloaded their burdens. Li and the others tossed the reeds straight into the courtyard. The journey home had been exhausting, even for strong guys like Li and Bu. The drooping leaves of the reeds had kept brushing against their exposed skin—itchy and irritating. They really should have worn the fur vests.

As for the eggs, they had already divided them fairly. Each took only what they were due. The tribe leaders would handle the rest. With so many people watching, there’d be no cheating. Li Feng and his group hurried home to cook, especially since the baby was crying from hunger. The others were understanding and let them go. After all, the child was important.

Li Feng handed the baby to Li and Mo, then went to prepare food. The others went to wash up—after all, they were covered in itchy fluff and grime. Nuo stayed to help him cook. They had to hurry. None of them had eaten lunch, except for the baby and Mo. No one in the tribe had eaten. Seeing all those eggs, everyone had been working nonstop—no time even for a proper meal. Li Feng hadn’t even dared cook earlier, feeling too guilty to eat in front of everyone, so he just munched on a few fruits. But fruit wasn’t filling—it just made him hungrier.

This time, the bird eggs they received added up to about one and a half baskets altogether. With so many people, Li Feng decided to make an “all-egg feast” that night—simple and convenient.

First, he boiled some plain eggs on the side, then stir-fried eggs with wild vegetables, made corn-egg pancakes, egg drop soup, steamed meat and egg custard… and of course, a special steamed egg custard just for the baby. The whole table was filled with egg dishes—fried, stir-fried, steamed, boiled, deep-fried—every egg dish you could think of that was simple, convenient, and delicious. Li Feng made them all. After all, they had plenty of eggs, and this wouldn’t be the only time they’d be collecting them.

Usually, they’d be reluctant to eat this many eggs, but now that they had so many, they might as well treat themselves for once. As for the leftovers, they could take their time with those. Later, they could either hatch some of them or make salted eggs—whatever they wanted. And since they had a large salt well right in front of them, they didn’t have to worry about running out of salt.

Taking advantage of this, Li Feng decided to make salted egg yolks. This was a relatively simple method of curing just the yolks. All it required was salt and eggs. The first step was to separate the yolks from the whites, which wasn’t difficult. Li Feng planned to cure the yolks, and mix the leftover whites with cornmeal and soybean flour. That way, the dough would be more elastic and flavorful. Even if they couldn’t use it all at once, it could be stir-fried later—no need to worry about waste, especially with so many mouths to feed.

The next step was even easier. He brought over a bowl with about half a bowl of salt and gently placed the yolks into a small hollow in the middle of the salt. The key was to shape the salt so that it cradled the yolks and rose to at least the same height or slightly higher.

Li Feng had Nuo watch the fire while he busied himself with the egg curing. Though simple, the salted yolks would still need two days before they were ready to eat. After placing the yolks into the salt bowl, he covered them with more salt, making sure they were well sealed. Then he added a bit of water to keep the salt moist, preventing it from drying out too much during the curing process.

With that, most of the work was done. All that was left was to store the bowl in a cool, shady place for two days. Once ready, the yolks could be rinsed to remove the salt and then steamed directly. They’d look beautiful and taste delicious—biting into one would feel like biting into a chewy candy, with a unique flavor all its own.

Li Feng made quite a lot this time. Each bowl held several yolks—his bowls were large, and he even used basins. It was thanks to the salt well that he felt comfortable using this much salt. Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t have been so generous with it, since once the salt mixes with egg and moisture, it’s not quite as good for reuse. Fortunately, with so many people in the household and the amount of cooking he usually did, they would go through the salt quickly enough. If not, they could always use it for more cured yolks or even whole salted eggs.

Salted eggs were also easy to make, though they took about a month before they were ready. For now, curing the yolks would do. He’d make whole salted eggs later when he had more time.

Li Feng checked on the hard-boiled eggs that Nuo was watching—they were about done—so he quickly took them out and replaced them with some fresh ones. He also added some spices, though unfortunately, they didn’t have soy sauce or tea leaves. Otherwise, he could have made tea eggs. For now, he just wanted to test the flavor to see if it was tasty enough to repeat next time.

As for the remaining egg whites, besides being mixed into the dough for pancakes, some were used to make egg rolls. Without yolks, these were even easier to make, and he folded in wild vegetable leaves. Sadly, they didn’t have any scallions. If they did, the rolls would’ve been even more fragrant. Stir-fried eggs with scallions, or scallion-flavored egg pancakes, would surely have been more flavorful than ones made with just wild greens.

Although it all sounded like a lot of work, most of the dishes were fairly simple and not too time-consuming. The only slightly more labor-intensive one was the egg pancake dough, which served as their main staple. Just eating eggs might not be filling or appealing enough, especially since plain boiled eggs could be quite dry and hard to swallow. That’s why he only made one boiled egg per person. Even the spice-boiled ones had to be made with small eggs—he didn’t want to waste food if they couldn’t finish them.

As for the stir-fried dishes, he wasn’t worried at all. Those were their favorites—especially when stir-fried with the aromatic punch of ginger. The only regret was the lack of various seasonings and ingredients, which made some dishes fall short of their full potential. If only they had green peppers, tomatoes, scallions… Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Still, despite the limitations, Li Feng was quite satisfied. At least everything was all-natural, which was far better than the overly processed, flavorless eggs of the modern world. Back then, he could barely taste the “egg” in eggs anymore.

Before the meal was even fully ready, everyone had already gathered around the kitchen. As soon as dishes were served, they began eating right there. If Li Feng hadn’t stopped them, they would’ve devoured everything before he even got a bite. And there were still more dishes coming—he had already prepared the ingredients. It would’ve been a waste if they got full too early.

Finally, after much anticipation, the meal was ready. They had already eaten the boiled eggs beforehand and were still crying hunger—probably because the smell from the cooking made them even hungrier.

As soon as the food hit the table, they all swarmed over. Their speed was much faster than usual—after all, they rarely got to enjoy this many eggs, especially with no restrictions on quantity. The delicious aroma had been teasing them for ages. Even the baby reached out with tiny hands, trying to grab the stir-fried eggs cooked with ginger. The fragrance, with that sharp ginger heat, was far more appealing to them than the soft, plain steamed egg custard.

Li Feng had originally thought Mo would prefer the steamed version, but surprisingly, the kid loved the stir-fried one too. Nuo, on the other hand, was still loyal to the steamed egg custard. Of course, the baby loved it the most—because it was the only thing Li Feng would let him eat. Soft and silky, it was perfect for him.

Now, no one had the time to talk. They were all too busy stuffing egg pancakes wrapped around stir-fried eggs into their mouths, picking up fried eggs and egg dumplings with their chopsticks. Not a single dish on the table was egg-free. But they ate everything with great gusto—completely cleaned their plates.

At the end, Li Feng brought out the spiced eggs he had boiled earlier with various aromatics—he temporarily named them “five-spice eggs.” Everyone was already full to bursting, nearly with their stomachs pushed up to their necks. When Li Feng placed the eggs on the table, they just lazily glanced at them and slumped over on their stools like corpses. Seeing their awkward, varied poses, Li Feng was speechless. Thank goodness they didn’t have chairs—otherwise, wouldn’t they be sitting there with their legs crossed like some old grandpa, toothpicks in hand, idly picking their teeth?

“Hey, you guys should at least try it before saying anything! I painstakingly came up with this recipe—it’s definitely tastier than those plain boiled eggs you had before,” Li Feng quickly tried to coax them, even though now he didn’t really feel like eating it himself anymore. Right now, probably the only one who wasn’t stuffed was the baby. Li Feng had been very careful when feeding the baby, and once full, the baby wouldn’t eat anymore—unlike the rest of them, who seemed to have less and less self-control as they got older. They just couldn’t stop themselves from overeating, insisting it was all in the name of “never wasting food”—because wasting food is shameful…

Look how high they’ve raised that moral flag. Even here, in this primitive environment, they’ve fully internalized the concept that “wasting food is shameful.” You only understand what “waste” means after you’ve stuffed yourself silly. Food that can’t be finished—that’s what waste really is!

“I don’t want to eat anymore. Just leave it there for now. Maybe we’ll want it later. Right now, I seriously can’t eat another bite,” Nuo waved his hand. He was the one who had eaten the most and couldn’t stop himself.

Li Feng had originally planned to eat more himself, but he was also completely full now. People always said that dinner should be eaten until you’re about 70% full—that’s the key to a long life. But what about them? They’ve skipped straight to the luxury phase and eaten until they were stuffed. In this kind of backward, harsh, primitive society, if anyone found out about this, they’d probably point at them and scold them: “The eggs were right in front of you and you dared not to eat them? You dared to waste them? You deserve a good smack…”

“Mo, why don’t you try one? Here, this one’s smaller.” Li Feng picked up what looked like a bird egg—a tiny one—and offered it to Mo. At least eat one! He had been worried earlier that he hadn’t cooked enough, thinking that this flavored version would definitely taste better than plain boiled eggs, and they might run out. But now, they were forcing themselves to eat.

“Uncle Li Feng, I really can’t eat anymore. Maybe later, okay?” Mo looked at the egg, which wasn’t even as big as his fist, and still didn’t want it—he was too full.

Li Feng turned to look at everyone, only to see each of them turning their heads away, avoiding eye contact. Even Li closed his eyes, pretending not to see. No matter how delicious the food is—even if it’s gourmet delicacies—when someone’s already stuffed, they won’t want it. Might even feel like throwing up…

Sighing, he had no choice but to leave the eggs on the table for now, hoping someone might want them later. But he worried that once they cooled down, they wouldn’t taste as good. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn’t have cooked so many in the first place.

In the end, those few “five-spice eggs” weren’t eaten until the next morning, after Li Feng reheated them. Of course, they didn’t taste as good as the night before. Though Li Feng hadn’t actually tried them himself, he could just tell—they were surely best freshly cooked. Fortunately, the weather had cooled, so the eggs hadn’t gone bad. Otherwise, they’d all feel incredibly guilty about the waste—especially when they were hungry again.

Li and the others still had to go hunting today, while Li Feng stayed home to study how exactly he was supposed to make those woolen “Mao Weng” shoes. He had only ever worn them before, and only had a rough idea of the process. He had never actually made a pair himself. Besides, he didn’t even have the proper tools—or really, any tools at all. He’d have to really think and experiment to figure it out.

Today, both Li and Bu were wearing animal hide vests. Li Feng and the others had strongly insisted they wear them. With the weather turning colder, getting sick due to lack of clothing would be far worse than having their clothes torn during a hunt.

Li’s vest was made from leopard skin. Li Feng had no idea how they had managed to hunt a leopard, but when he first held the pelt, the first thing that came to mind was, “This is leopard print! The most primitive, the most raw leopard print!” He couldn’t help but wonder what Li would look like wearing it.

Li’s build was the explosive kind—well-proportioned and powerful. Honestly, better than the male models Li Feng had seen in his past life. After all, those models were often more like frail scholars. But Li was entirely trained by the wild. His muscles were even and firm, tall and strong without appearing bulky—streamlined and balanced. In Li Feng’s eyes, he was just like a leopard: agile, explosive, with every muscle tightly wrapped to his bones, not jarring, but smooth and comfortable to the touch. Especially if you ignored the scars on his body.

Now Li stood right in front of Li Feng. On his upper body, he wore a leopard-print vest with mid-length sleeves—Li Feng had deliberately made it that way so it wouldn’t interfere with hunting. It was a simple design: just wrapped animal skin sewn together. The front was tied with grass ropes for buttons—five in total, but Li had only lazily fastened three, revealing a wide swath of sun-kissed chest. Even his nipples were faintly visible. The yellow-brown leopard print vest highlighted Li’s relatively slim waist compared to his broad shoulders.

It was a textbook inverted triangle, the classic nine-head-tall male model figure. Li Feng practically screamed inside. Topless under the leopard vest, and below, a leopard-skin loincloth barely covering the tops of his thighs… And then there was his naturally messy black hair, a result of sleeping and never bothering to comb it—he didn’t even finger-comb it. That kind of untamed messiness—it looked like one of those salon-styled deliberate hairstyles. He looked even wilder than those “wild” internet celebrities!

And then… that face. He’d already described it before—it was just so ridiculously handsome. Li Feng, who considered himself a half-baked writer (though admittedly not a great one), felt utterly incapable of capturing this moment’s sheer stunning impact with words.

He felt like he was about to get a nosebleed. Honestly, having Li wear that outfit was a mistake. It was too provocative—more dangerous than if he wore nothing at all! Li Feng deeply regretted making it. If Li went out dressed like that, he’d be devoured alive—nothing would be left. Li Feng refused to let him go out like this. He’d just have to make him a new outfit today—something much less sexy.

And definitely not so rugged. Li in this outfit was practically wild—full of raw, primal allure. He made those male models who flew to Africa to shoot jungle-themed photo spreads look like amateurs in comparison.

Of course, this was all just what Li Feng was thinking to himself. It might be a bit exaggerated, but it wasn’t wrong. This natural, effortless wildness far outshone those who worked out for a few days just to show off their body.

As for whether Li actually went out wearing that sexy, seductive leopard outfit—who knows?