In Shi Village, there was no fixed dining area. Many adults would squat in a corner and chat with their neighbors. Those who were a bit older would find a sunny spot, while many of the women gathered to gossip.

Of course, the most important part was the children. Each child had a large bowl filled with meat and vegetables. They would gather with their friends, exchanging food, saying "Try mine," and "I'll try yours."

The delicious aroma from Li Yi’s cooking attracted many children. They stood at a distance holding their bowls, watching. Since Li Yi was still a bit of a stranger to them, they felt shy and didn’t approach directly. It wasn’t just the children—many adults were also drawn by the scent, but they didn’t have the courage to come closer.

Li Yi added more spices to the meat, and the scent burst into the air once again. The meat was almost cooked. The sizzling sound of fat dripping onto the charcoal, accompanied by the juices sizzling, was utterly delightful.

Many of the children swallowed their saliva in secret, and the adults weren’t much better. Whether it was the spices or the salt, everyone was eager to taste the meat. Li Yi felt like he had mastered the process effortlessly. Even though the ingredients were simple, the meat was still delicious.

"Try this," he said, handing a skewer to Shi Hao. He also moved the wood around, reducing the fire’s intensity.

Li Yi took a skewer for himself. The pieces of meat were large—each piece weighed about three to four ounces. The meat had been partially dried, and though it had shrunk a little during roasting, it wasn’t as bad as he had imagined.

He took a bite. Though it had been dried, the juices were still rich and flavorful, with a unique taste. It was delicious—very, very delicious. He never imagined he could make something this tasty.

Li Yi wasn’t unfamiliar with cooking. After all, he had lived alone for years and had worked in kitchens and barbecue stalls to earn tuition and living expenses. His cooking skills were better than most ordinary people. But even so, he knew that he had never made anything this good before.

The meat was delicious, and Shi Hao wasn’t afraid of the heat. He devoured the skewer like a hungry wolf. Li Yi handed him another skewer. The little guy still had an appetite.

Shi Linhu walked over at that moment. He had never thought that he would be drooling over something like this. Shi Village was poor, but he never went hungry; he could always eat enough and stay warm. There were some animals in the forest with really good meat, but nothing that made him salivate uncontrollably.

It felt like when you’ve decided to lose weight and you go out for a run, but halfway through you smell roasted lamb skewers from a stall. The aroma of charcoal, the scent of oil, and the natural spices all burst together.

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Your mind tells you not to eat after your run, but your body doesn’t listen. Instead, it starts salivating like crazy, telling you that you need food, that you need to eat.

That’s exactly how Shi Linhu felt right now. He couldn’t resist anymore and went over to Li Yi.

The main reason was that the meat was from Li Yi’s home, and they were familiar with each other. So he had no shame in going over.

As soon as he arrived, a few of the strong men in the village watched from the side. Li Yi saw him and quickly pulled a skewer off the grill and handed it to him. Shi Linhu wanted to be polite, but before he could say anything, his hand had already grabbed the skewer.

Shi Hao had already eaten three skewers and was full, though he kept trying to eat more. He burped repeatedly and couldn’t eat anymore. He got up, patted his round belly, and said, "I’m full."

At that moment, he spotted a bright red bird not far away, hopping around, chirping excitedly. He quickly ran over to chase it.

Shi Linhu took a bite of the meat, and immediately, tears welled up in his eyes. He felt like the first thirty years of his life had been wasted.

He had never tasted anything so delicious before. He was happily eating alone, while the men watching from a distance muttered curses.

They thought it was unfair that he was enjoying the food while ignoring them.

But Shi Linhu couldn’t care less. He was too focused on the taste. The more he ate, the more he wanted. The pieces of meat were big, so there weren’t many skewers. He ate one, and then three more, leaving none for the others.

Li Yi hadn’t expected Shi Linhu to gobble up so many skewers. When Shi Linhu had finished, he realized just how much he had eaten.

His face turned red, and he was embarrassed. He wanted to hide. "I’ll go get more meat," he said, turning and running off.

Soon, he returned with a large amount of meat. Not only him, but a group of thirty or so strong men followed behind him.

Shi Linhu tried to hide in the back, ashamed, and the others didn’t dare ask Li Yi directly for any more meat.

They were embarrassed because they hadn’t even tasted the meat themselves. All they could do was look at the delicious food.

Li Yi saw the men standing around, and he figured that if he didn’t say something, they would stand there until nightfall, waiting for him to offer more.

"Come on, lend a hand," Li Yi said, standing up and directing them to set up the barbecue racks and cut the meat.

With so many people helping, the work went quickly. Soon, several barbecue racks were set up, and many skewers were prepared. Fortunately, they had enough meat, or else even if everyone only had one skewer, it might not have been enough.

Li Yi also had them add some wild vegetables and flatbread to the skewers, grilling them alongside the meat.

By the time the meat was cooked, it was already evening. The scene now resembled a bonfire party.

When Shi Yunfeng and the other elders came outside, they were stunned by the sight.

They had been so absorbed in studying the book that they hadn’t noticed the time. Their research had been so intense that they had only skimmed through the contents of the book.

Now, as they carefully put the book away and stepped outside, they saw the villagers gathered around, enjoying the barbecue. They hadn’t figured out exactly what was happening yet.

Someone handed them skewers of meat and grilled vegetables.

At first, they hadn’t noticed their hunger. They had been so focused on their research. But now, as the delicious food reached their mouths, they realized how hungry they were. The meat tasted so good that they forgot all about their questions.