Siheyuan (courtyard house): My father, Li Yunlong!

Li Zhenhua chuckled, skillfully using tongs to pick up charcoal and place it on the grill, then lighting the ignition wax, all the while speaking in a pretentious manner.

"I told you, I have a plan. When you're out having fun, you have to eat and drink well! Don't just stand there, Tao Tao, Da Feng, you two go to the stream and clean those two pheasants, pluck their feathers, and gut them. Today we'll have pheasant and roasted meat, a double whammy!"

After sending the two women away, Li Zhenhua quickly ordered a complete set of ingredients for making beggar's chicken from Pinduoduo.

A large dried lotus leaf, a large sheet of thick oil paper, a thin hemp rope, and a packet of secret sauce prepared in advance with cooking wine, soy sauce, scallions, ginger, garlic, and other seasonings.

These things appeared instantly at the bottom of the backpack.

By this time, the charcoal fire had turned bright red, radiating intense heat.

Li Zhenhua neatly arranged the meat skewers on the grill and brushed them with a thin layer of oil.

Suddenly, with a "sizzle," the oil dripped onto the charcoal fire, bursting into an enticing flame. A rich aroma, a blend of meat and charcoal fumes, instantly filled the air, its pungent fragrance particularly overwhelming in the cool mountain wilderness.

He skillfully flipped the meat skewers, occasionally sprinkling them with cumin and chili powder.

The mutton's gamey aroma is brought out by the high temperature and blends perfectly with the spices, creating a mouthwatering complex fragrance.

The beef slices curled slightly over the fire, their edges turning golden brown, locking in the juices and looking incredibly tender.

The pork skewers sizzled and dripped with oil, the fatty parts becoming translucent and crispy.

Lin Taotao and Dafeng, who were painstakingly plucking feathers from a pheasant by the stream, were captivated by the overpowering aroma wafting in the wind.

"My goodness...this smells amazing!"

Da Feng sniffed, her stomach growling even louder, and she almost dropped the pheasant in her hand into the stream.

Lin Taotao couldn't help but turn around frequently, looking at Li Zhenhua's focused profile as he busied himself amidst the hustle and bustle, her heart filled with unbelievable amazement.

This man always manages to pull off something unexpected.

This barbecue skill, along with the ridiculously thorough preparation, is simply not how things should be done in this day and age.

By the time the two women finally brought back the cleaned and shredded pheasant, Li Zhenhua's first batch of meat skewers was already grilled, golden and glistening, with a wonderful aroma.

"Come on, have something to eat first, and see how it tastes."

Li Zhenhua smiled and handed them several perfectly grilled meat skewers.

The two women didn't care that it was hot; they took the meat skewers, blew on them, and eagerly took a bite.

"Mmm! Delicious!"

Lin Taotao's eyes lit up. The lamb skewers were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The flavor of the spices had permeated the meat, making it savory and delicious, with no fishy smell at all, only a mouthful of freshness and satisfaction.

Da Feng wolfed down her food, gasping for breath as it burned, while mumbling her praises.

"It smells amazing! Li Zhenhua, your cooking is incredible! It's just as good as those famous old-established roast lamb restaurants in Beijing!"

Li Zhenhua smiled smugly, his hands never stopping as he continued grilling the remaining meat skewers and slices.

At the same time, he took the two processed pheasants, evenly coated them with the secret sauce he bought from the mall, wrapped them tightly with dried lotus leaves, then wrapped them with oil paper, and finally tied them with thin hemp rope.

"What are you doing?"

Lin Taotao asked curiously.

"This beggar's chicken is roasted using traditional methods, giving it a unique flavor."

As Li Zhenhua spoke, he dug a shallow pit in the open space next to the barbecue grill, put the two wrapped chickens in, and then covered them with a thick layer of hot charcoal and ash.

"Let it simmer slowly; it'll be almost done by the time we finish eating this grilled meat."

Next, he placed a few more sesame cakes on the edge of the grill to bake. Before long, the surface of the cakes turned golden brown and crispy, and the aroma of the dough mixed with the aroma of meat made them even more tempting.

The three of them sat around the barbecue grill, enjoying their meal while listening to the mountain spring stream.

The charcoal fire was still warm, and the aroma of the roasted meat lingered in the air, mixed with the unique smoky scent of burning pine.

Lin Taotao and Dafeng patted their slightly bloated bellies with satisfaction, their faces flushed with the afterglow of a hearty meal. Their gazes, however, drifted involuntarily to the charcoal embers still steaming slightly where the beggar's chicken was buried.

Li Zhenhua estimated that the time was about right, so he used a twig to brush away the surface ash, revealing two large, hard, blackened lumps of mud underneath.

He carefully used a twig to pull the two "mud lumps" out and let them roll onto the open ground next to him.

"Is this the beggar's chicken you were talking about?"

Da Feng came over and kicked one of the hard shells with her foot, making a "knock knock" sound. Her doll-like face was full of suspicion.

"Can we eat these black lumps? Maybe they've burned the chicken to a crisp."

Lin Taotao also squatted down curiously, fanned herself with her hand, and tried to smell a trace of the scent, but only smelled of dirt and burnt earth.

"What's the rush? The good stuff is all inside."

Li Zhenhua smiled mysteriously, picked up a handy stone, aimed it at the top of one of the mud clumps, and struck it hard.

"Snap!"

With a crisp crack, the hardened mud shell split open with several fissures.

A richer, more exotic aroma, a blend of the fragrance of lotus leaves, the rustic scent of earth, and the intense, savory aroma of chicken roasted to perfection, burst forth from the crack!

The aroma was almost tangible, instantly dispelling the greasiness of the previous grilled meat and bringing a back-to-basics temptation.

"Wow! It smells delicious!"

Da Feng took a deep breath, her eyes widening, all her previous doubts vanished, replaced by eager anticipation.

Li Zhenhua carefully peeled away the broken mud shell, revealing a lotus leaf inside that had turned dark brown, but remained intact.

He gently untied the hemp rope and peeled back the lotus leaves layer by layer.

In an instant, a plump pheasant with golden color, glossy skin, and perfect shape appeared before the three of them!

The chicken, having been braised and roasted for a long time, is so juicy that it looks like it might drip with the slightest touch.

The steaming hot aroma, a blend of the fragrance of lotus leaves and the complex scent of sauce, wafts straight into your nose, making your mouth water.

"My God..."

Lin Taotao couldn't help but exclaim in amazement. The appearance and aroma were more tempting than any chicken she had ever eaten at any restaurant.

Li Zhenhua followed the same method, cracking open another lump of clay, which also yielded a mouthwatering finished product.

He tore off a tender and juicy chicken leg. The chicken leg was roasted to perfection, with a slightly crispy skin and tender, white meat inside. Juices slowly flowed down the torn part.

Instead of eating it himself, he naturally turned around and offered the chicken leg to Lin Taotao's mouth.

"Come on, Peach, try this first bite and see how it tastes."

Li Zhenhua's voice was tinged with laughter as he looked at her intently.

Lin Taotao was already craving a delicious aroma when she saw the chicken leg being offered to her mouth. She paused for a moment, and two blushes instantly rose to her cheeks.

She instinctively reached out to take it, but Li Zhenhua's hand was steady and showed no intention of letting go, holding it up as if to indicate that she should bite directly.

Surrounded by open mountains and fields, with a large phoenix staring wide-eyed beside her, Lin Taotao felt a wave of embarrassment.