Food Poems

Chapter 50 The way to overcome fear is to face it
The home of the troll Ogg is located in the handicraft area of ​​Winter Lake City.

The house was built of stone bricks, the gaps between the bricks were filled with lime mortar, and the roof was covered with thatch. Pushing the door and walking in, you will see the living room in front of you. In the middle of the living room is a fire pit surrounded by stone steps. The firewood is crackling and the flames are warm and comfortable.

Yeats looked up at the ash covering the roof... In this world, fireplaces and chimneys are symbols of wealth. Common people usually use fire pits or ovens as heating equipment, which are often accompanied by the risk of fire.

On the four walls of Oger's house, there are trophies such as deer antlers, wolf skins, and wild boar teeth.

A short human stood on tiptoe, stretched out his hand to hold the wooden shuttle, stood beside the vertical loom, weaving the weft, and turned his head.

"Ogg, you're back!" The boy's eyes lit up, "And you brought guests with you!"

The troll seemed very happy. He threw his head back and laughed, revealing his long teeth.

"They are warriors who are going to hunt moose. They are also friends of Og, so Og invited them to his house for dinner!"

"Hunting moose?" The little boy looked at Yeats and Gray. "Are you adventurers? You look very capable!"

Adventurers are a group of mercenaries who make a living by hunting monsters. They range from well-trained humans to extraordinary people blessed by God.

Gray looked at Yeats, still not understanding why he came to a stranger's house for dinner, Yeats smiled and explained:
"We are not adventurers. We are just merchants who followed the caravan to attend the grand event. We thought hunting moose was interesting, so we decided to give it a try."

"Ah - so that's how it is." The little boy stretched out the end of his words, as if he was very regretful, and returned to the loom in a depressed mood.

The old lady hunched over, with a hint of confusion in her kind eyes, and asked tentatively:

"Sir, other people are very scared when they see Og, why did you lend him money?"

"Maybe it's because I think Oger is very friendly." Ye Zhi smiled.

The old lady nodded to show her understanding, her eyes showing a sense of intimacy: "I have watched Oger grow up since he was a child, and I know he is a good boy."

Although they are trolls, they do not have the brutal character of ordinary trolls and get along well with humans. Gray is getting more and more confused and can't help but say:

"This troll—"

Under Yeats's glare, Grey stammered:

"I mean, Og, is this the child you adopted?"

The old woman smiled gently, said nothing, and went to make dinner tremblingly.

Yeats followed her, passed a wooden screen next to the fire pit to block the thick smoke, and came to the indoor cooking area.

Gray felt uneasy and glanced at Ogg secretly, and saw a friendly smile on the troll's ugly face.

"This old lady is also a weirdo!" Gray looked at the floor with a strange look in her eyes, thinking, "She dares to adopt a troll cub. Isn't she afraid of the farmer and the snake?"

"Don't be afraid."

At this time, the troll Ogg said seriously: "You won't be afraid if you get used to it. If you don't believe me, look at Rand. He is not afraid of me."

The little boy named Rand muttered, "What's so scary about Ogg? I think some humans are a hundred times scarier than trolls!"

Gray thought this family was quite peculiar. Her nervousness was instantly dispelled, and she asked in silence, "Ogg, is your father also a human?"

"Ogg had two fathers," the troll said calmly, "but they both died, and then my mother took me in."

Gray was stunned, vaguely feeling that she seemed to have said something wrong. She opened her mouth but couldn't find the right words, and felt a little anxious.

If only I could be as eloquent as Yeats!
The other side of the wooden screen.

Yeats used a kitchen knife to cut open the cod. The cod produced in Winter Lake City had white and tender meat, and the cod roe was also a rare delicacy.

Vegetables include carrots, peas and cabbage. Northerners like to stew these vegetables with venison, adding cream and bread to form a thick soup.

Salt-baked cod fillet, creamy cod caviar, vegetable soup, this was exactly what Yeats was going to cook.

The old woman wanted to help Yeats, but found that she could not do anything at all. She was a little surprised that this young master of a merchant family was so good at cooking.

In the iron pot, the vegetable soup exuded a fresh fragrance. The old lady glanced at Ye Zhi's profile, her cloudy eyes flickering, and she whispered:

"Sir, I would like to ask you for a favor."

"please say."

"I would like you to... persuade Rand, the human child, to give up becoming an adventurer."

There was a glimmer of sadness in the old woman's eyes.

"My husband and children all died at the hands of the monsters. I don't want to see my grandson go down the same path..."

Ye Zhi was startled and said, "Isn't Oger... also an adventurer?"

The old woman lowered her eyes and said, "Adopting Og is a promise my husband made to his comrades. I have no right to interfere in Og's life."

From the other side of the screen came Og's hearty laughter. He was boasting to Rand that he could definitely kill the giant moose.

The laughter was full of the heroic spirit of a troll, shaking the ceiling slightly. "Although sometimes, I also feel a little scared..."

The old woman's smile hid sadness and guilt.

"But every time I think back to the moment when Ogg first grabbed my hand, I no longer think of him as a troll."

"Maybe... Oger often doubts himself, whether he is a troll or a human." Ye Zhi lowered his head to stir the thick soup, with the corner of his mouth slightly raised, and said:
"But every time he thinks about the first time he held your hand, he can't help but smile."

The old woman stared at Ye Zhi blankly for a while, then wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

Yeats suddenly said loudly:
"Everyone, it's time to eat!"

"Hahaha, let me taste my good friend's cooking!" Oger laughed heartily.

"Hey, don't touch my axe, it's dangerous!" Grey warned Rand.

"Tsk, when I become an adventurer, the weapons I use will definitely be more powerful than yours!" Rand yelled.

Everyone sat on benches next to the fire pit.

Yeats distributed wooden bowls of vegetable soup to everyone, topped with a piece of golden and fragrant salt-baked cod, with creamy sturgeon caviar dotted on the puff pastry.

"Northern Vegetable Soup: One star. A home-cooked dish made from vegetables commonly found in the North. Eating it temporarily increases cold resistance (medium)"

"Salt-baked cod: 1 star. Simply baked with fresh cod, it temporarily increases your affinity with ice elements after eating (small)"

"Creamy sturgeon caviar: two stars. The salty sea breeze flavor is paired with a soft milky aroma. After eating, it temporarily improves your insight (small)"

The ingredients are not very luxurious, but the Food Spirit still provides decent benefits, and the home-cooked dishes stewed with ordinary ingredients make people who are used to eating the same dishes look surprised.

"This, this!" Oger was shocked, and then he wolfed down the soup in two or three mouthfuls, laughing, "This is so delicious!"

"It's amazing that a simple dish can be made so delicious." Rand's face was full of disbelief.

The old woman tasted the salt-baked cod with a look of surprise, then looked at Og and Rand who were eating with shining eyes, and smiled.

"It turns out that your dishes can be so delicious without using Warcraft ingredients?" Gray came close to Ye Zhi and praised him.

Ye Zhi said calmly: "After successfully hunting the giant moose, we can have a feast!"

“I heard that many hunters died in this hunting activity.” The old woman expressed her concern.

"Even so, Og won't be afraid, right?" The little boy elbowed the troll proudly.

The troll grinned and nodded vigorously: "Just do it!"

Yeats nodded silently.

A line flashed through my mind.

The way to overcome fear is to face it!

*
The giant moose is a giant beast that can reach more than three meters in height, and its size is even more terrifying when a pair of antlers are included.

It is the ultimate goal of this hunting activity. The person who kills it can receive a reward of 300 gold coins, and the trophy of the giant moose will be disposed of by the hunter.

Legend has it that offering the antlers of a giant moose to the gods by the lake will bring blessings from the goddess of fishing, hunting and winter!

the next day.

Lakeside forest.

Yeats, Grey, and Ogg the troll travel together.

The coniferous forest floor was covered with snow, and Ogg's footprints stood out. Yeats quipped:

"Og, wait a minute someone will mistake your footprints for a giant moose and shoot arrows at us."

Oger scratched his head, feeling a little worried about Ye Zhi: "That won't do, let's split up!"

Ye Zhi thought about it and decided that this was a good idea, as it would prevent his "Poison Blade" blessing from being exposed when it was used.

"I'll come find you after I kill the giant moose, oh oh!" Oger let out a loud war cry, and set off with big strides, carrying a bag of spears on his back.

Yeats was going to set a trap first, and then use the aroma of food to lure the giant moose to appear. When he lowered his head to survey the terrain, Grey frowned instinctively and pulled Yeats into a small path.

Gray lowered her voice and pointed forward: "Look there!"

A large group of squirrels surrounded a huge pine tree, each squirrel holding an acorn in its hand, as if praying for something.

Yeats' eyes widened.

Oh my god, so many squirrels!

(End of this chapter)