vstars Chapter 18: Grass Skiing or Whole Roasted Lamb? Double the Fun!
Chapter 18: Grass Skiing or Whole Roasted Lamb? Double the Fun!
Although the destination of Yinzhuo and his group was not far from the camp, it was not close either. It took them nearly half an hour to ride horses to reach the hillside that Altai had mentioned. The hillside was indeed not very high and the slope was gentle, making it a good place for grass skiing.
"Hatu, take some men to that slope and check if there are any uneven spots, bumps, or stones on the ground. If so, clean them up."
Although the slope wasn't steep, if they were to slide down and hit a rock or a protrusion, it would be quite a pain. Yinzhuo didn't want to come out to play happily and then go back crying with injuries.
As guards by the emperor's side, Hatu and his men were undoubtedly highly capable. They not only quickly led people to clear the rocks from the steep slope and level the ground, but also personally led people up there several times to test it out, ensuring that the danger was within their control before reporting back.
"Brothers, let me demonstrate for you first. Like this, first place the sheepskin on the edge of the hillside, then sit on it, grab the back of the sheepskin, and then slide down. As long as you keep your body still while sliding, there should be no danger. If you really can't control yourself and fall over, don't panic. The grass here is thick, and the ground has been cleared, so even if you roll down, it won't be a big deal..."
Once they reached the top of the hill, Altai first spread a sheepskin on the ground and carefully explained to them the precautions to take when slipping. Then he personally went up and demonstrated it to Yinzuo and the others.
Seeing that there was indeed no danger, Yinzhuo took the lead, spread out the sheepskin, and sat down. Before Yinzhi, Yinzhen, and the others could react, he slid down the slope in a flash.
The hillside wasn't very high, and Yinzhuo quickly slid down to the bottom. He then stood up and waved to his brothers on the hillside.
"Third brother, fourth brother, fifth brother, seventh brother, you guys should hurry up and try it out, it's really fun, you just swish down in a flash."
Yinzhi, Yinzhen, and the others were a little nervous before, but seeing that Altai and Yinzuo had slid down without any problems, their previous worries vanished. They all took the sheepskins and, following Altai's instructions, sat on them and slid down the hillside.
Blue sky, white clouds, green grass, and a gentle breeze on their faces as they slid down from the top—all of this was so beautiful that it felt somewhat unreal to the brothers who had always lived in the palace, a place that felt like a prison. As they played, the brothers let loose, and laughter, screams, and even shouts of laughter filled the hillside. Everything seemed so wonderful.
"Sigh, it's exhilarating to come down the grass, but climbing up is so painful. If only there were a way to get up the slope without having to climb it myself."
Yinzhuo patted his sore legs from climbing the slope and plopped down on the ground, completely exhausted. He was tired, and Yinzhen and the others weren't much better off. Seeing him sit down, they all sat down around him.
“There’s no way to do that unless someone pulls us up, we have to climb up ourselves.”
Upon hearing Yinzhi's words, Yinzuo wanted to refute them, but he swallowed his words in the end. Yinzhi and the others had never seen a conveyor belt before, and even if he told them, they wouldn't believe him.
Grass skiing is undeniably a very physically demanding sport. The group set off in high spirits in the morning, but by noon, when they returned to the camp, everyone was sore and weak. They decided to disperse and go back to their own tents to rest, planning to reschedule for the evening.
That's the good thing about being young. Even though he was exhausted at noon, he recovered after a nap. The guys met up with Yinzuo as agreed beforehand and then headed to the riverbank where they had barbecued last time for another barbecue 2.0.
When the group arrived, the whole roasted lamb was already almost done roasting over the fire, and the aroma wafted over from afar, instantly making Yinzhuo's stomach rumble, as he hadn't even had lunch due to his eagerness to rest at noon.
"It smells so good! This aroma is making me hungry. How much longer is it going to roast this lamb?"
Although the others had eaten something at noon, after sleeping all afternoon, the smell of roast whole lamb made their mouths water, and they suddenly realized they were hungry too.
"The lamb should be almost cooked. Since you're hungry, let's go sit at the table. They should have prepared other things too. Have something to eat first."
Seeing that Yinzhuo's stomach was growling with hunger, Yinzhen comforted him and led him towards the dining table. Sure enough, as soon as they sat down around the low table, someone brought over the food that had been prepared in advance.
"Gentlemen, please have something to eat first to fill your stomachs. The mutton will be roasted soon..."
Sure enough, the whole roasted lamb was soon placed on a special iron plate and served. The lamb was a small lamb that was only a few months old, so it wasn't very big. After a long roasting process, the skin of the whole lamb had turned golden brown, and it looked extremely tempting.
Dexi stepped forward and deftly cut the whole roasted lamb into small, easy-to-handle pieces, distributing them to Yinzuo and the others. Everyone had been tempted by the aroma of the meat for a long time, and now that the meat was in front of them, they couldn't wait to pick it up and take a bite. The lamb was crispy and fragrant on the outside, and tender and juicy on the inside, which made them nod in satisfaction.
"Indeed, when it comes to eating mutton, you have to eat the kind raised on the grasslands. Back when I was in the palace, the imperial kitchen also made roasted whole lamb, and the taste was quite good at the time, but compared to this now, it's really just so-so."
“That’s right. Compared to this, the whole roasted lamb made by the imperial kitchen is indeed a bit inferior. If it weren’t for the hot weather now and the fact that lamb is hard to preserve, I would have had someone take some back with us when we left.”
Yinzhuo and his companions were having a great time, eating and playing. Of course, they didn't forget that their father, who couldn't stand seeing them so relaxed, was in the camp not far away. As early as after Dexi had broken down the sheep, Yinzhuo had Dexi take a portion and send it to Kangxi. After all, only by making their father happy could they have more fun, right?
When the mutton was delivered, it happened to be during Emperor Kangxi's dinner. Upon learning that it was Yinzhuo and his men who had sent the food, Emperor Kangxi immediately ordered Liang Jiugong to bring Dexi, along with the food box he was carrying, into the imperial tent.
"This servant greets Your Majesty."
Kangxi glanced at Dexi, who was paying his respects, and then at the food box he was carrying. He called him to stand up and then gestured for Liang Jiugong to bring the food box over.
"What did your master send you over?"
"Your Majesty, the princes had a lamb roasted tonight, and they thought it tasted good, so they asked me to quickly send a portion over for Your Majesty to try."
Liang Jiugong opened the food box, took out the plate inside, and then checked it according to procedure. He then called the eunuch who was supposed to taste the food to come and taste it. After waiting for a while to make sure there was no problem, he placed the meat in front of Kangxi.
After all that fuss, the mutton was almost completely cold. Thinking that it was the children's good intention, Kangxi still picked up a piece with his chopsticks and tasted it. He nodded and said that although the mutton was cold, it tasted really good.
"It tastes good. Go back and tell your master that I have eaten the mutton and it tastes good. I have also received their filial piety. You may leave."