Chapter 2

Many years later, whenever Lin Taiping talked about his first experience in Kantans, he would always recall the past with deep emotion: "Thank you, CCTV, thank you, MTV, and I must especially thank my ex-girlfriend for forcing me to attend a cooking class..."

Alright, talking about the cooking class, it was indeed a painful memory, but it was precisely because of that hellish training that he could now, with his not-so-skilled hands, conquer the stomachs of a large group of minotaurs.

Under the dim night sky, by the flickering campfire, dozens of hungry minotaurs squatted in a neat circle, staring wide-eyed as he prepared a few large winter bamboo shoots—

Due to the lack of seasonings and cooking oil, methods like stir-frying or braising were not feasible. The best way to use local resources was to use the most primitive method of mud roasting, which could also best preserve the original flavor of the winter bamboo shoots.

First, a large pit was dug beside the bamboo grove, filled with firewood and dry grass, and a lot of bamboo leaves and bamboo joints were added, which would give the roasted bamboo shoots a natural bamboo leaf aroma.

Next, five or six winter bamboo shoots with their shells were selected and wrapped in a thick layer of mud. Under his direction, the minotaurs placed these large bamboo shoots into the pit and covered them completely with firewood and dry grass.

Finally, a torch was thrown into the pit. As the firewood and dry grass ignited, the entire pit burst into flames. As time passed, the bamboo shoots buried deep in the pit gradually cooked, and a faint aroma began to waft through the air, making everyone take deep breaths involuntarily.

"Hmm, can we eat them now?" Already starving, the dozens of minotaurs couldn't help but swallow their saliva at the faint aroma. Tulu, in particular, couldn't resist tiptoeing and stretching his neck, looking like a duck hanging on a spit.

"Don't rush, there's one last step." Lin Taiping estimated that the time was about right, then extinguished the flames in the pit. After the temperature dropped, he used branches to dig out the bamboo shoots.

At this point, the bamboo shoots, after being roasted for some time, had their outer mud shells hardened. He picked up a large rock and smashed the mud shells to pieces. As the bamboo shoots were fully revealed, the rich aroma could no longer be contained, instantly filling the entire beach.

Under the temptation of this aroma, not to mention the minotaurs, even Lin Taiping found it hard to resist. However, he still swallowed his saliva and carefully peeled off the still scalding hot bamboo shoot shells, exposing the white and tender bamboo shoot flesh, which was so appetizing that it made one's mouth water: "Alright, now you can... meow meow, I haven't finished yet!"

Who had the patience to listen to him? Tulu couldn't wait any longer and rushed forward, ignoring the heat, and started gnawing on the bamboo shoot. After just a few bites, his face suddenly froze, and his horns began to tremble as if he had malaria.

Was it poisonous? The dozens of minotaurs looked at each other in confusion, but before they could react, Tulu suddenly shouted, gnawing on the bamboo shoot and nodding frantically: "This taste... this taste... do you want to try it?"

Do we need to ask? The dozens of minotaurs immediately rushed forward, grabbing the remaining roasted bamboo shoots and gnawing on them without even peeling the shells. After tasting them, their eyes turned red, and they started to howl and beat their chests, fighting over the bamboo shoots...

"Delicious! So delicious! Too delicious!" Tulu's mouth was full of oil, but he turned his head in disbelief, his jaw almost dropping: "Hey, how did you know? How did you know this thing can be eaten when buried underground?"

"It's a matter of character." Lin Taiping smiled, showing eight shiny white teeth.

In fact, until the 21st century, Westerners still did not have the habit of eating bamboo shoots. Considering that this world was similar to the Middle Ages, it was normal for the minotaurs not to know about winter bamboo shoots.

Now, after eating the roasted bamboo shoots, the minotaurs, still unsatisfied, immediately turned into a digging army. In a short moment, the poor bamboo grove was turned into a large pit. Not only the small, unformed bamboo shoots but even the hard bamboo rhizomes were dug out.

"Please, bamboo rhizomes are not edible." Lin Taiping watched in awe, unable to help but pat his forehead. "Besides, if you destroy the entire bamboo grove, we won't be able to eat... hmm?"

At that moment, his gaze casually swept over the pit, and he suddenly noticed something unusual. In a newly dug deep pit, there seemed to be a glint of metal.

"What's this?" He curiously stepped forward, picked up the metal object covered in mud, and said, "This is, this seems to be, a ring?"

Yes, hidden in the mud was a very ancient-looking ring, entirely made of platinum, with intricate and complex runes carved on it. In the center of the ring, a bright red gemstone was embedded.

"A very ordinary ring, at most it's pretty." Tulu, who had curiously leaned over, said. In the eyes of this minotaur chief, everything in the world was divided into two categories: edible and inedible.

"So, a simple mind is truly a blessing." Lin Taiping muttered as he put away the ring. However, he soon realized a more important issue. The promise of finding food had been fulfilled, so would the well-fed minotaurs suddenly turn on him?

"How could they?" Feeling insulted, Tulu angrily puffed out white breath, "Our great and brave minotaur tribe never does such ungrateful things... Hey, you helped us, so from now on, you are a guest of our tribe, though not the most honored one."

What's the difference? Will the drop rate of equipment increase? Lin Taiping couldn't help but comment, but he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. At least, after being transported to this unknown world, this was a good start.

At this moment, Tulu warmly picked up a bamboo shoot and, with a pained expression, handed it over: "Hey, do you want to eat some? This time, I really appreciate your help."

"Thanks." Looking at the half-cooked bamboo shoot, Lin Taiping had to politely decline. However, considering that he couldn't hurt the other's enthusiasm, he thought for a moment and took out his last pack of cigarettes, "Hmm, do you want one... Hey, hey, hey, this isn't food!"

Very good, very powerful. If he hadn't stopped him in time, Tulu would have swallowed nicotine raw. However, when he saw Lin Taiping take out a lighter, he was even more surprised and stepped back a few steps: "Fire? Are you, a mage?"

"That's what you said, I didn't say anything." Lin Taiping innocently blinked and lit a cigarette for him, "Come, follow my example, take a light puff, then exhale, how does it feel?"

"Feels... dizzy." Tulu honestly answered, using his large lung capacity to finish the entire cigarette in one breath. If he wasn't dizzy, it would be a miracle, "But, it's not bad, another one?"

There was nothing to say. Seeing that expectant look, Lin Taiping could only sigh painfully and reluctantly take out another cigarette.

Soon, it was proven that, as long as it was a male, they learned to be bad very quickly—

One minute later, Tulu had figured out how to use the lighter, though he almost burned his hand;

Two minutes later, he was holding a cigarette, shaking off the ash skillfully, and even learned to blow smoke rings;

Three minutes later, under the sunset of the deserted island, a cow and a man sat side by side on a rock, facing the sea, smoking and exhaling smoke, with a light mist floating above their heads;

The blue sea, the black island, the red sunset, you can imagine how harmonious and full of friendship and passion this scene was... cough, cough, that's a bit far-fetched.

"Really nice, I feel so light." After a long silence, Tulu took a deep breath, satisfied, and blew a smoke ring, "But it's strange, after smoking this, I feel a bit hungry again."

Sighing with a troubled look, he patted his always hungry stomach and opened his large, pitiful eyes, even a misty layer covering his big cow eyes: "Hey, you know..."

"Please, don't be cute, okay?" Lin Taiping looked at him speechlessly and finally gave in to those pitiful eyes, "Alright, I'm afraid of you, let's go to your tribe and look around, okay?"

Great, great, that's what I was waiting for. The dozens of minotaurs nodded in agreement and rushed forward, patting his shoulders and hugging his waist, escorting him away in a grand procession, as if protecting a crucial treasure.

What can I say? At that moment, looking at the sea of black minotaurs around him, Lin Taiping suddenly had a strange premonition.

Alright, why do I suddenly feel that my life, which has never been peaceful, will become even more extraordinary from now on?

Many years later, in his memoirs "The Days I Spent with Lin," Tulu described this scene with great enthusiasm—

"At that moment, when I first saw Lin, I had a strong premonition. This wise, brave, and far-sighted man (the following is omitted for 10,000 words) was the great messenger sent by the Dark God to save us... What? Rob him? Nonsense, do I look like a fool who only thinks about eating?"

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