Free Web NovelChapter 424: Chapter 214: The Curtain Falls [Double-Length!]
Various reasons contributed to the reputation of bear paws as a luxury.
Therefore, Li Younan did not plan to take all the bear meat back; as he dissected and butchered the bear meat, he explained to the camera some interesting facts about bear paws.
While doing this, time seemed to fly by, and soon he had finished dissecting the bear.
He casually chopped some wood nearby, made a simple sled, padded it with the bear skin, loaded about forty to fifty kilograms of the bear’s four paws and some of the tastier choice cuts of bear meat, and then started pulling the sled back.
Li Younan did not plan to come back for the remaining bear meat.
With these forty to fifty kilograms of bear meat and the bear’s head.
And the four huge bear paws, plus the grain back home, Li Younan could easily stay here for another four or five months without a problem.
However, he felt it wouldn’t take that long, not out of arrogance, but considering the other competitors, it was unlikely they could endure to the same extent.
Not long after Li Younan left, he heard movement behind him.
He glanced back and saw several small-sized coyotes suddenly emerging from elsewhere, naturally targeting the leftover bear meat he had butchered.
Since it took quite some time to butcher the grizzly bear, the bloody scent could waft far in the wilderness, which wasn’t surprising to be detected by the highly sensitive-nosed coyotes.
In the instant Li Younan turned his head, the coyotes were startled and jumped back a distance, then looked at Li Younan eagerly.
Li Younan stood still, and they dared not move.
Seeing this, Li Younan found it somewhat amusing.
Come to think of it, animals that can survive in the wilderness aren’t foolish, especially carnivores; they can assess which animals pose a threat.
Especially since he had killed a grizzly bear, which not only would have a significant psychological impact on humans but also shock the coyotes tremendously.
At this moment, Li Younan felt a bit regrettable; suddenly, he thought, during the earlier days, it might have been interesting to have a coyote as a pet.
But this absurd idea only circled his mind once before slowly sinking into his heart.
When he dragged the bear meat back to the shelter, it was already evening.
After hunting the grizzly bear, Li Younan’s mindset had changed drastically upon returning to the shelter.
How to put it, there was a unique peace, yet an exhilarating feeling in his heart... he was the undisputed king of this region.
And indeed, that was the case—a region where a grizzly bear lived was unlikely to have a second mature grizzly bear, especially since this was a male grizzly bear.
At this moment, Li Younan was the rightful regional king.
He hung the bear’s head on the door, and thereafter, it was unlikely other wild animals would dare to roam in this area.
Next, he needed to handle the bear meat.
Since it was winter, Li Younan no longer needed to smoke the meat; the small house where the little ewe used to sleep was just right for storing bear meat. The weather was naturally like a freezer, ensuring the bear meat would not spoil before winter ended.
Li Younan placed most of the bear meat into this natural freezer, then took out a bear paw and a small piece of tender bear chest meat.
On a bear, apart from the bear paw being a highlight, the leg meat and chest meat are actually the best.
Bear leg meat, due to high activity, has firm texture akin to beef shanks, tastes flavorful, and is easier to infuse with flavors; the chest meat, often called the ’heart-protecting fat,’ has layered fat, fascia, and tendons, providing a rich aroma.
Li Younan planned to have a dinner of pan-fried heart-protecting fat today.
It’s worth mentioning that bear liver contains extremely high levels of vitamin A, far exceeding that of other animals, with a per gram content reaching 10,000 to 30,000 international units.
Calculating it, consuming a bear liver piece the size of a fingernail would exceed an adult’s metabolic threshold, leading to vitamin A poisoning, and apart from the heart, the other organs weren’t very edible, so most of the bear’s organs were discarded by Li Younan.
As he cooked, he educated the video camera with this knowledge.
At the same time, he chopped the bear paw he had taken out into small pieces and put it into a clay pot for slow simmering on low heat.
Despite having only one paw taken out, even this one bear paw was enough for several days’ worth of dinners... it was really big.
This process needed a long time, but Li Younan was not in a hurry; he was like an ancient noble, with ample time and energy to enjoy this top-notch delicacy through the ages.
After dinner, Li Younan remembered he had left his skis at the previous skiing spot and sighed slightly.
It didn’t matter, though; he could fetch them tomorrow since there wasn’t much to do now.
Then, he turned on the crystal radio, enjoying a bath while listening to the latest episode of late-night music.
In the shelter, the sound of a bear paw slowly stewing in a clay pot continued, with the aroma slowly drifting out.
...
Two more weeks passed, and winter was fully in swing.
Kanna’s situation was very grim; she was down to her last day’s ration.
What’s worse, she had been feverish all night yesterday; though her fever subsided by this morning, her body remained very weak.
The show’s medical personnel arrived, and after a check-up, the staff said sternly, "Kanna, while I admire your resilience and positivity, you can’t continue; your body needs to return to modern civilization for recovery."
When Kanna heard, it felt as if the sky was collapsing.
The smile she had been forcing finally cracked, and she couldn’t stop crying, "Please, I think I can still hold on. My weight only dropped because of the fever last night; once I eat today, I can return to the normal standard, really, trust me."
The staff exchanged looks, genuinely moved by this strong woman.
But reality was merciless.
After a moment of silence, the team’s leader patted Kanna on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Contestant Kanna, your body no longer meets the standard, and the show’s rules are the rules."
Seemingly to ease Kanna’s mind, he continued, "Your only competitor, Li Younan, recently hunted a bear."
At this moment, the air seemed to fall silent.
Kanna looked as if all energy drained from her, slowly sat down without responding, as if still digesting this shocking news.
After a while, she managed a bitter smile on her lips and gently nodded.
"I... understand!"
