Chapter 49: A Treasure from Head to Tail

Physician Cui was carefully cleaning the snake skin.

Using a scraper, he meticulously removed the residual flesh clinging to the inside, then propped it open with bamboo sticks to lay it flat for drying.

Looking at the dog-chewed-looking snake skin that had been stripped off, he couldn’t help but grumble, “Such waste… absolute waste…”

But as the aroma of roasted snake meat drifted over, he immediately shut his mouth and swallowed hard.

His nose twitched. Smells amazing!

Fat dripped onto the fire, making a sizzling sound.

The entire village had unknowingly gathered here, watching Yan Lao’er direct everyone to skewer the meat, turn it over the fire, and generously sprinkle it with salt.

The salty, savory fragrance made mouths water and tongues tingle.

Yan Lao’er was confident in his grilling skills, but since this was his first time cooking a non-native snake, he felt it was only right to taste it first.

He gave it a quick couple of blows to cool it down, then eagerly popped it into his mouth.

Sizzling and crackling between his teeth, the flavor burst across his taste buds!

The coarse salt hadn’t fully melted, clinging tightly to the meat, kissed by the flames until it melded into one.

Crispy on the outside, tender inside—before he could even fully savor the taste, his throat instinctively swallowed it down…

Yan Lao’er immediately grabbed another skewer and stuffed his mouth full of meat.

Immense happiness surrounded him.

In that moment, he felt like the whole world had ascended to a higher plane!

So delicious!

Oh, he’d never hated his lack of education more than now—he simply didn’t have the words to describe how good this snake meat was.

There wasn’t the slightest trace of gaminess—instead, there was a faint and delicate sweetness.

“Come on, everyone, have a taste.” As he called to his fellow villagers, he moved quickly, snatching the freshly grilled batch of skewers and feeding his family first.

Li Xuemei ate with some restraint, but Yan Yu, that tiny thing, was already a pro at eating skewers, taking big bites of meat, happily shaking her head from side to side.

With the skin gone, the meat bore no resemblance to a giant snake. What remained was pure, primal yearning for meat.

Yan Yu attacked the food with the ferocity of someone who hadn’t eaten for days.

Only when her little belly couldn’t fit another bite did she stop, reluctantly.

Yan Huaiwen took a bite, raised his eyebrows, then quickly finished off a whole skewer in a few chomps before accepting a second one from his younger brother at just the right time.

Yan Lao’er chuckled, not just eating himself but taking care of the whole family.

His eldest nephew was in a growth spurt—he needed to eat more.

Daya hadn’t wanted to eat at first—the mere mention of snake meat scared her—but Second Uncle shoved one over, and she had no choice but to take a bite… then tiny bite after bite, she polished off three skewers.

Looking at the three bare sticks in her hand, Daya’s face flushed bright red.

She’d eaten way too much.

Yan Yu saw her staring at the sticks, grabbed another skewer from her dad, and handed it to Daya: “Sis, eat more.”

Never mind that Eldest Uncle had just recovered from illness—honestly, you’re the weakest in the family. Every mealtime it’s like you’re swallowing medicine, just a few mouthfuls. It’s rare to find something you can eat, so hurry up, Sis! Besides, that lady already said this snake meat is good for your health.

Li Xuemei didn’t need anyone to remind her. She ate diligently and stopped the moment she felt full. She didn’t dare overeat.

Then she drifted over to the group of women she was familiar with.

Yan Lao’er called them the Straw Weaving Militia. His daughter called them the Straw Weaving Girl Group…

There she overheard something that left her dumbfounded.

Madam Cui was speaking in hushed, mysterious tones: “That Yan family’s Ox isn’t an ordinary Ox, it’s got spiritual energy! Qi Si said it himself, he saw that Ox stomp the giant snake to death. Oh my! It must be here to repay a debt of gratitude!”

Someone chimed in below, “That’s a righteous Ox, for sure!”

“Whose debt do you think it’s here to repay in the Yan family?”

“Has to be the Scholar! Our Scholar is the reincarnation of the Literary Star, maybe he saved this Ox in a past life. The Scholar descended to the mortal world, and this Ox followed…”

“Hey, Yan Lao’er’s wife, perfect timing, come tell us—has your Ox shown any signs of spiritual manifestation?”

All the women turned their gossip-hungry eyes on her.

Li Xuemei braced herself and said, “Our Ox’s pretty normal… just a bit wary of strangers, doesn’t like outsiders getting close.”

“See? That says it all! Why would it only recognize your family? Definitely not an ordinary Ox!”

“No wonder it’s so strong…”

“And obedient! Even lets Er Ya ride it.”

“Yan Lao’er doesn’t seem to struggle at all when driving the cart…”

Li Xuemei felt like she couldn’t stay there another second and quickly went to find Yan Lao’er.

“Qi Si said he personally saw our Ox stomp the snake to death?”

Yan Lao’er was stunned by the question.

“What? I never taught him to say that!”

Yan Yu’s little head poked over, and before she could speak, she burst into uncontrollable laughter.

“Dad! Just go over there and listen, you’ll get it.” She pointed at the cluster of village men, where Qi Si was surrounded in the middle, narrating something excitedly.

“Spreading the legendary story of our Sanbao! Saying Sanbao is a debt-repaying Ox, super mystical! Hahaha!”

Li Xuemei immediately understood: “Probably a case of rumors getting twisted along the way.”

The village men and women didn’t often mingle—easy for them to catch bits and pieces, add their own imaginations, and before long…

…

A single giant snake fed the whole village, and there was still some left over. Yan Lao’er knew this was because the villagers didn’t want to take advantage of him, but when it came to sharing in good fortune, they were happy to accept a taste.

Old and young alike—everyone got at least a bite.

Yan Lao’er thought it over, rubbed salt onto the remaining snake meat, and decided to make jerky. Better for storage.

Because of the roasted snake meat, they set out later than planned that day.

They walked a little longer past noon, stopping just before midday.

Strangely enough, no one felt tired today. The further they walked, the more energized they became.

If Yan Lao’er hadn’t stopped at the front, they probably would’ve just kept going!

Yan Lao’er felt it too—his whole body felt light and relaxed. The effects of the snake meat were really something. If they ate it every day, they’d probably be able to walk hundreds of miles a day.

Physician Cui came to find Yan Lao’er: “Brother Yan, this snake skin—there’s quite a lot of it. How long was the snake you killed?”

Looks like he’d overheard the part about Yan Lao’er and the Qi family brothers killing the snake.

“Pretty long, about ten feet or so,” Yan Lao’er knew he couldn’t hide it from Physician Cui. The man had been working with the skin this whole time—he had a rough idea.

“For a snake that long, every part of it’s a treasure. Didn’t see the snake gall?” Physician Cui wouldn’t let it go.

He hadn’t found it himself and wondered if Yan Lao’er had stashed it away.

“No other reason, just wanted to have a look, broaden my knowledge,” Physician Cui quickly explained, worried Yan Lao’er might misunderstand.

“If we had it, it would’ve gone straight to you, Elder Brother Cui. I wouldn’t know how to handle it anyway.”

“That’s not called handling—it’s called processing.” Physician Cui corrected him.

Yan Lao’er laughed, “Right, processing. Even if we kept it, we wouldn’t know how to store it. Honestly, didn’t see it.”

Physician Cui nodded regretfully. “Probably dropped somewhere by accident.

Oh right, Brother Yan, once I’m done drying this snake skin, I’ll give it to you. There’s a lot of it. If you pass through any county towns, stop by a pharmacy, see if they’ll buy it.”

“Elder Brother Cui, tell me—what illnesses can snake skin treat?” Yan Lao’er had no intention of selling even a scrap of it. But Elder Brother Cui’s words rang true—this snake, truly, every part was a treasure.

“Snake skin dispels wind, calms convulsions, wards off epidemics, improves eyesight, detoxifies—especially good for skin ulcers and boils.” Physician Cui added, “But honestly, it’s not used much in medicine, so don’t expect a high price.”

(End of Chapter)