Free Web NovelChapter 17: Chapter 16: This Meat Porridge is So Delicious
"So fragrant, so delicious. A taste of heaven on earth."
Shire clutched a pot, his face practically buried inside.
After so many days of eating "roasted potatoes," even his goblin subordinates had started to look like giant potatoes impaled on sticks.
Finally getting to eat some real food today, even if it was just a pot of meat congee, was enough to bring Shire to the verge of tears.
On the way back, Shire had carefully guarded Little John’s backpack, terrified his subordinates might drop it and spill the rice or salt.
He even thought, ’If we run into a Fearsome Claw Bear, I’ll just have the subordinates charge it all at once while I grab the backpack and make a run for it.’
Fortunately, their journey back to the burrow was uneventful.
Afterward, he had happily prepared the ingredients, forbidding the goblins from touching a single thing. He tossed the large pot to his subordinates to cook their wolf meat soup, while he personally scrubbed the small pot clean four or five times over.
Once his pot was simmering, Shire ordered his subordinates to carry the smoked meat congee far away, afraid the smell of whatever Bai Mao was brewing would contaminate the air around him.
He stuck his head out with great ceremony, gently wafted the air toward his nose with his palm, and let out a long, "Mmm—"
Next, Shire pinched some fine salt between three fingers and, imitating an exaggerated pose he’d seen in videos, let it sprinkle from his fingertips.
"Please, have a seat." He stepped to the side, turning as if he were a waiter at a fine restaurant.
Then he returned to his original spot, tied a ragged cloth around his neck, puffed out his chest, and nodded slightly. "Thank you for your service."
In the distance, the subordinates scrambling for the wolf meat soup heard him and paused, staring dumbfoundedly as their leader sat on the ground before his pot. He’d sat too close and scalded his leg. Seeing that Shire had no new orders, they resumed their CLANGING and CLATTERING scramble for the soup.
Shire picked up a wooden spoon, scooped up some meat congee, and elegantly shoved it into his mouth. "Mmm, the chef’s skill is quite impressive. The rice grains have been simmered until they’ve blossomed, the smoked meat has completely absorbed the broth, releasing threads of its meaty aroma. Most importantly, the salt—just the right amount. It doesn’t steal the show but elevates the entire pot."
He took another spoonful, not caring that it was scalding hot, and swallowed it after just a few hasty chews.
Spoonful after spoonful followed, each faster than the last. He felt like a master swordsman, his spoon a blur before the pot.
’Anyone who dares touch this congee, I’ll kill them. If a Fearsome Claw Bear shows up, it dies. Not even the Gods can save you. Mark my words.’
By the end, Shire was hunched over the pot, the "napkin" around his neck long since thrown aside. He was letting out ferocious grunts, and the subordinates scrambling for food nearby quieted down, afraid that he would eat them like the Bear Goblins of old.
CLANG! The iron pot tipped to the side. Holding it in place, Shire used his wooden spoon to SCRAPE... SCRAPE... every last bit of congee from the bottom. He shoveled it into his mouth and then leaned back, utterly content.
"Pure bliss."
Seeing that their chief had finished, the dozen or so goblins resumed their clamorous squabbling over the food.
Shire stroked his belly, which looked like he was three months pregnant, and grinned as he watched his subordinates’ "performance." He was beginning to understand how the Bear Goblins had felt.
Red Eyes grabbed a piece of meat, kicking another goblin away in the process.
Meanwhile, Buck Teeth was yanking another goblin backward by the leg.
Broken Tooth couldn’t push his way in at all and was forced to circle the scrum, occasionally snatching a small piece of meat that went flying.
The craftiest of all was Scarface. He took advantage of the opening created when four goblins ganged up to drag Red Eyes away, instantly seized the spot, and ignored the goblins pulling at him from behind, simply scooping up meat with both hands.
"Good. Very spirited," Shire said with a smile.
He had added a few more of those mushrooms to the wolf meat soup this time.
The last experiment had worked out quite well. Even after eating their fill, the goblins remained full of vigor. Shire figured he just needed to refine the dosage and preparation method.
This type of mushroom grew on fallen trees in the shade, and he had dubbed it the "Red Bull Mushroom."
Winter wasn’t suitable for mushroom growth, so Shire considered transplanting some into the burrow to cultivate them. He could then air-dry the mushrooms and grind them into a powder. freēwebnovel.com
That way, he could keep his subordinates highly motivated every day.
’In the past, they’d fall into a food coma right after lunch. Well, your easy days are over.’
’Working only five hours a day? Where else can you find a deal that good?’
’A mature goblin must learn to share its leader’s concerns and think its leader’s thoughts. You must proactively face challenges, strive together, and prove your worth through concrete actions! Nothing can stand in the way of your progress!’
’If you don’t advance, how can I? Only when you all work overtime can I get my promotion.’
But transplanting them would require more space, which meant he’d have to find the right time to dig a new burrow.
’No big deal. I’ll just have them dig one in a few days. They can definitely get it done in an afternoon,’ Shire thought, patting his belly. ’Then I’ll put Buck Teeth in charge of the Red Bull Mushrooms. That’ll save me some trouble.’
’I need to start delegating tasks from now on. I can’t have everyone going out to hunt.’
Shire decided to assign different tasks to his subordinates.
He would lead the male goblins on hunts, while the female goblins would stay in the burrow to prepare lunch and make dried, smoked meat.
He’d observed the three female goblins earlier that day; their movements were indeed getting a little clumsy.
In that case, it was better to have them stay in the burrow and do some light tasks. He could have Bai Mao manage them.
As for the Bear Goblins’ offspring, Shire felt he had to ensure their survival. They were the tribe’s new blood, the new hope of the goblins. Shire believed they needed to be carefully cultivated—he would raise them to accept a 12-hour workday from a young age. By the time they grew up, they would simply assume that’s how all industrious goblins were supposed to live.
Shire even felt like passing on a phrase he’d often heard as a child: ’Work hard, and a beautiful tomorrow will be yours.’
