Chapter 58: Making a Recurve Bow

As Yan Yu ran over, several women burst into laughter.

"What's this? Just two rabbits, and everyone is running around claiming they shot them! Hahahaha!"

"My boy says he shot them, but I don't believe it for a second. With that little bow in his hands—his father only made it to appease him because he couldn't win an argument. I've seen it; if he can shoot five feet, it's considered a long distance."

"My boy is a good shot with his slingshot; maybe it really was him."

"Er-ya's mother, is Yan Er's brother practicing his archery well? I reckon one of these must have been his, right?"

Li Xuemei herself didn't believe it. It had only been a few days; how could he have mastered a crossbow already?

"Who knows? I'll go take a look."

...

When the mother and daughter heard that he hadn't even made a move and the rabbits were freebies, they had a good laugh.

"Dad, you really need to step up your game! Even with this divine weapon in your hands, you're worse than a slingshot! Hahahaha, I'm dying!"

Yan Er split the rabbits in two and said without looking up, "I've only just started practicing. I'll get better with more practice! You have to give me time. Besides, everyone has their own strengths; I can't be good at everything. Dabao! Your dad is already capable enough. If I get any more excellent, I won't leave any room for others to live. That's not good. Look at the cooking—doesn't Dad's food smell better than theirs?" He lifted his head proudly, looking as if he were waiting for praise.

Yan Yu burst into laughter again. "Dad, that's for sure! How could they possibly compare to you?"

*They probably haven't even stepped foot in the kitchen more than a few times,* she thought.

*My dad and his damn competitive streak.*

*Hahaha!*

The rabbits were a bit thin, so Yan Er planned to roast them all in one go.

Half would be roasted normally, and the other half would be seasoned with chili.

He peeled the branches to secure the half-rabbit. Lacking a small brush, he washed his hands and applied the oil directly. He had become quite proficient at setting up a roasting rack.

Once the fire was up, he placed the oil-glistening rabbit over it and rotated it slowly.

Yan Xiangheng watched with itching curiosity. "Uncle, can you teach me how to roast?"

"Why not? Come here, you handle the rotating." Yan Er readily yielded half the rabbit, letting the boy rotate it slowly.

"If you're in a hurry, keep the fire closer and roast it side by side. If you want it to taste good, keep it a bit further from the fire and rotate it slowly. When the color changes, don't rush; wait a bit longer until the color deepens. That's when it's truly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. At that point, sprinkle the seasoning—yes, that little bag—sprinkle it evenly. Mmm! Smell that? The aroma is coming out. Our conditions aren't great, otherwise, I'd brush on a few more layers of oil, and it would be even more incredible!"

Yan Xiangheng finished his first attempt at roasting rabbit meat in a frantic rush. Smelling the scent and seeing the color, he couldn't wait to taste his own handiwork.

"Don't bother looking for a knife; it tastes better when torn by hand. Stop, I'll do it." Yan Er deftly tore it apart in a few quick motions.

The skin was crispy, the meat fragrant, and the bones tender...

*Slurp!*

The saliva began to run wild again, threatening to burst from his mouth.

Yan Er had his eldest nephew carry a portion to share with his father and Da Ya. Then, he focused intently on his own half.

He solemnly sprinkled the chili and cumin. The two domineering seasonings refused to yield to one another, clashing violently like a brawl of fists and feet... merging into a soul-stirring aroma!

The villagers originally thought having meat was a great blessing, even if it was just a tiny bit, and they felt satisfied just chewing on it. Yan Xiangheng had also thought his second uncle was passing on all his secrets and that he had grasped the essence of roasting meat. He never expected that once Yan Er brought out the chili and cumin, ordinary rabbit meat would instantly become extraordinary.

Once this flavor appeared, who could compete!

When Yan Huaiwen smelled the scent, he gave a light snort. He finally knew where Tianyou's money—no, *his* money—was being spent. Chili and cumin were seasonings brought from the "extra" world. They were rare and certainly not cheap. His second brother was truly willing to spend money when it came to eating!

Looking at the other side, the family of three was eating until they were drenched in sweat. Yan Yu went without saying; she was like a little meat-eating beast. Her father, fearing her current body couldn't handle the spice, picked the edges where the chili was light and tore those pieces for her. By the time she was nearly finished, she was even shamelessly licking her fingers...

Yan Er went even further, even chewing and swallowing the bones; his teeth were something else entirely.

Li Xuemei had zero resistance to spicy food; the spicier it got, the more she wanted to eat. It felt like since their family had transmigrated into this book, they hadn't had a single meal this satisfying.

When the villagers asked Yan Er what that was, saying the smell was so enticing, and heard it was a foreign seasoning, they clicked their tongues in secret. Like Yan Huaiwen, they gained a deeper understanding of Yan Er's reputation for being a gourmet. Not only had he learned to cook for the sake of food, but he was also willing to spend large sums on seasonings.

That night, the aroma of Yan Er's roasted rabbit lingered for a long time. That night, the scent of chili and cumin was quietly planted in the hearts of the villagers...

...

Yan Er suddenly discovered that the men in the village had developed a profound interest in his crossbow. They borrowed this one, then that one. They often gathered in small groups, chatting heatedly. It was said that the two boys' slingshots had been confiscated, so they could only play with small wooden bows like the other children.

Finally, everything found an answer when they discovered a sparse bamboo grove. It was the first time the villagers proactively suggested staying for an extra day. Yan Huaiwen naturally agreed.

The men rushed toward the bamboo grove as if they would be left behind if they were even a step too slow. Yan Er followed out of curiosity, watching a group of men hacking away at the bamboo. They observed the grain of the bamboo meticulously, determined the position, and cut sections. They carefully split them into two strips the width of a palm. They placed a piece of wood in the middle and used fine hemp rope to slowly wrap the bamboo strips around it...

Once they had attached the so-called bowstring made of hemp, Yan Er realized: they were making bows. Looking at the shape, they were recurve bows.

*It actually works!*

The hemp rope pulled, the bamboo strips bent, and when the hand released, the force of the bamboo's recoil shot the arrow out. The accuracy needed improvement, but the power was sufficient.

"Did you figure this out yourselves?" Yan Er stepped forward to ask.

"How is it? Pretty good, right? We got the idea from your iron crossbow. The bow doesn't need to be too long; shorter and able to bend at the ends makes it more powerful and allows it to shoot further." Hu's eldest son fired arrow after arrow, getting more into the rhythm.

Hu's second son was somewhat uncertain and pointed to the middle of the bow's body: "I think we could carve a groove here. If the arrow passes through here, wouldn't it be straighter?"

Yan Er was dumbfounded!

*Holy crap! You kid are amazing! You even thought of that.*

Qi Wu leaned in and said without thinking, "Why not try it?" Having said that, he used his own bow as an experiment, grunting and working for a few moments until he carved out a groove that was quite straight.

Hu's second son tried it a few times and shouted excitedly, "It works! Not only does it not hurt the hand, but the accuracy is better too. You guys should try it."

Everyone took turns trying the bows, feeling like they had returned to childhood, having discovered a novel new toy. Once the novelty wore off, Hu's second son said with some regret, "It's just that our materials aren't good enough. If we used better ones, we could shoot even further."

Yan Er was speechless.

He thought to himself: *Why don't you just fly to heaven? With such simple materials, you don't miss a single shot within twenty meters; every arrow hits the same bamboo tree. Compared to you, I'm just trash...*