These iron pots were forged by the blacksmith shop over the past few days.
The walls of the pots were smooth, and they heated evenly.
With iron pots, they could now make stir-fries and stews.
Wu Liang had people bring over several large bags of small, golden, unknown grains.
Wei Xian, with her protruding belly, walked over curiously.
She was currently a focus of special protection, but she still couldn't resist joining the excitement.
Eliza followed beside her, looking at those oilseeds, her beautiful eyebrows furrowing slightly:
"Wu Liang, these things are so hard and small, they won't even soften when boiled. How are we supposed to eat them?"
Wu Liang smiled.
"These are oilseeds."
Wu Liang grabbed a handful and explained to the curious Wei Xian and Eliza.
"By crushing and pressing them, we can get a wonderful thing called rapeseed oil."
Wu Liang had people use a stone mortar to crush a large amount of oilseeds, then wrapped them in thick beast skins.
Next, he directed several strong Female Warriors to place the beast skin bundles on a large, flat stone slab, then pressed another stone slab on top of them.
Wu Liang found a hardwood lever several meters long, wedged one end into a crack in the stone house wall, and pressed the other end onto the stone slab.
"Come, Kayla, take a few people and press down hard on this wood."
Wu Liang directed.
"Yes, Lord Wu Liang!"
Kayla responded, called over four or five Female Warriors, and together they grabbed the end of the wooden lever, pressing down with all their might.
"Heave-ho! Heave-ho!"
As the Female Warriors exerted themselves, the wooden lever slowly sank, and immense pressure was applied to the stone slab.
The other women in the Tribe gathered around, craning their necks to see, not understanding what Wu Liang was up to.
"What do you think Lord Wu Liang is doing?"
"I don't know, it looks like a lot of effort."
"It's definitely another good thing we've never seen before!"
While everyone was discussing it, golden-yellow liquid began to seep out, drop by drop, from under the pressed beast skin bundles.
Following the grooves pre-carved into the stone slab, it flowed into a pottery jar placed below.
A peculiar scent of plant fragrance slowly permeated the air.
"Is this... water?"
A Female Warrior asked in surprise.
"No, it's not water. Smell it, it's fragrant."
Eliza stepped forward, dipped a finger into the yellow liquid, brought it to her nose to smell, and then licked it with the tip of her tongue.
"It's slippery and very fragrant, but it doesn't have much of a taste."
Wei Xian also dipped a finger and brought it to her nose; a pure aroma of plant oil wafted into her nostrils.
"Is this what you said would make food taste better?"
"Exactly."
Wu Liang looked at the rapeseed oil accumulating in the pottery jar, the smile on his face deepening.
"This is called rapeseed oil. With it, our food will be much more delicious and flavorful."
With oil, the possibilities for cooking were opened up infinitely.
Wu Liang directed several Female Warriors to bring over one of the fattest wild goats and slaughtered it on the spot.
He handled the knife himself, his movements efficient.
Bleeding, skinning, gutting, and removing the organs were all done in one smooth motion.
Then, he began to butcher the mutton, explaining to the surrounding women as he worked.
"This is the leg of lamb; the meat is firm, suitable for roasting or stewing."
"This is the tenderloin, the most tender piece of meat. Sliced thin and stir-fried quickly over high heat, it has the best texture."
"These are the lamb chops. The meat on the bone is the most fragrant; we'll braise them today."
"Don't throw away the offal either. Wash it clean, boil a pot of soup, and sprinkle in some wild onions; it'll taste wonderful."
These women from a primitive Tribe had never seen such a sophisticated way of butchering.
In the past, when they ate meat, they would just throw a whole chunk into the fire to roast or into water to boil.
It was either half-raw or incredibly gamey and bland.
Today was truly an eye-opener for them.
"Today, I will teach you a new way of cooking."
Wu Liang picked up an iron spatula and spoke to everyone.
He first set up a large iron pot, and once it was hot, he ladled in a large spoonful of the freshly pressed rapeseed oil.
Sizzle!
A loud crackle, accompanied by a rich aroma, suddenly burst forth!
The watching women were startled and all took a step back.
They had never seen such a display before!
The oil sizzled at high heat, and a rich fragrance instantly exploded, filling the entire kitchen area.
"It smells so good!"
"Oh my god, what is this smell! It's too fragrant!"
"My mouth is watering..."
The women's saliva began to secrete uncontrollably in their mouths.
Wu Liang slid the sliced lamb tenderloin into the pot and stir-fried it quickly with the iron spatula.
As soon as the meat slices touched the scorching oil, they curled up, their color turning from red to white.
He then tossed in a handful of sliced wild garlic and ginger; the fragrance intensified, becoming more layered.
Then he added some bright green wild vegetables and gave them a few quick tosses.
Finally, he sprinkled on some ground salt he had brought back from a wild salt mine, and a plate of Sautéed Sliced Lamb with Scallions was ready.
On the plate, the lamb slices were white and tender, the wild vegetables were vibrant green, and the yellow ginger slices provided accents; just looking at it made one's mouth water.
"Is... is it done?"
Eliza looked at the dish, somewhat unable to believe it.
It had only taken a few minutes.
"Try it."
Wu Liang handed the plate to Wei Xian and Eliza.
Wei Xian looked at the food on the plate, feeling a bit hesitant.
Eliza was bolder; she took a pair of chopsticks that Wu Liang handed her.
These chopsticks were also something he had the woodworkers carve over the last two days; the people in the Tribe had never seen them before.
Wu Liang briefly taught her how to use them, and Eliza learned quickly.
She somewhat clumsily picked up a slice of lamb, blew off the steam, and carefully put it into her mouth.
The next second, her eyes widened suddenly.
"Mmm!"
An indescribable deliciousness instantly exploded on her taste buds.
As the meat entered her mouth, an incredible savory flavor burst onto the tip of her tongue.
The aroma of the oil, the pungency of the garlic, the tenderness of the meat, and the freshness of the wild vegetables blended perfectly, creating an unprecedented sensory experience.
The meat was so tender it almost melted without much chewing, leaving her mouth full of the savory taste of meat.
"How is it?"
Wei Xian asked nervously.
Eliza was so excited her face turned red, and she stuffed another large mouthful into her mouth.
While chewing, she shouted indistinctly:
"Delicious! It's so delicious! Wei Xian, hurry and try it!"
Seeing her like this, Wei Xian couldn't resist either and followed suit, taking a bite.
"Oh my god..."
She felt her mind go blank for a moment.
The taste was so comforting she almost moaned aloud.
She no longer cared about her dignity as a leader and began to scramble for the food with Eliza.
"It's... it's too delicious!"
A happy flush appeared on Eliza's face.
"This is better than anything I've ever eaten!"
Wei Xian's mouth was full of meat as she shouted indistinctly:
"Delicious! Wu Liang, you're amazing! How can this be so good!"
The surrounding women watched them devouring the food, and their mouths watered even more intensely.
"Lord Wu Liang, let us have a taste too!"
Kayla couldn't help but shout.
"Hahaha, don't worry, there's plenty for everyone today!"