Chapter 201: Feast

Actually, when it comes to flying dragon soup, it sounds magical, but it's not too difficult to make. Looking at Jiang Hai, Fu Yuan began to operate, explaining as he worked.

There are three ways to make flying dragon soup. The first is the simplest and most traditional. In the forests of the Xing'an Mountains, there is a minority group called the Oroqen. When Jiang Hai and his friends were young, they learned a nursery rhyme that went like this: High heels, a layer of big black wrinkles... No, it's the high Xing'an Mountains, a vast forest, where the brave Oroqen live. This ethnic group is known for being the ancestors of flying dragon eaters. In ancient times, their method of preparing this bird was to make soup.

There are two methods of cooking it. One is to cut the dragon meat into small pieces, throw it into boiling water, and cook for about two minutes. Afterward, sprinkle some wild onions in it, and you can drink it. The soup captures the freshest taste, and while the meat might not be fully cooked, the soup is quite delicious.

The second method is similar. Hold the dragon in one hand and pour boiling water from a pot over it. Once the dragon meat is about 60% cooked, add the whole dragon and the wild onions to the pot. Boil for ten seconds, and then you can drink the soup. The meat may not taste as good, but the soup is incredibly flavorful.

However, there's one crucial thing: this method cannot involve any oil. Even the smallest amount of oil will ruin the freshness of the dragon soup. No other seasoning—like salt, MSG, or spices—is added. The soup is meant to showcase the natural taste of the dragon.

This makes the soup a bit bland to some people, and it's not considered a high-end dish.

In addition to this flying dragon soup, there are two other variations. One is made with mushrooms, and the other with ginseng. The methods are basically the same: remove the internal organs of the flying dragon, blanch it in boiling water, rinse it, and then place it in a pot with water—preferably chicken broth—along with mushrooms, ginseng, ginger, onions, and cooking wine. Boil the mixture, then simmer on low heat for about an hour. Afterward, add salt, MSG, and pepper, and boil again. The soup is then poured into bowls with the meat and ingredients.

The process isn't difficult, but the challenge lies in controlling the heat.

Flying dragon soup became famous during the Tartar period, when it was a dish exclusively for the royal family. Many people have heard of dragon meat, with sayings comparing it to donkey meat on the ground. However, not many know that dragon meat refers to flying dragons.

It wasn't until the modern dynasty that common people had the chance to experience dragon meat. Since the time of Taizu's success, flying dragon soup has been a staple at state banquets.

As a result, flying dragons have once again gained importance, but there are not many of them because so many people want to eat them.

Because Jiang Hai's ingredients are top-notch, what Fu Yuan made today is flying dragon soup with ginseng and pine mushrooms.

The two of them went to the area behind the house where flying dragons are raised and caught five more. The one they used for the soup had died long ago and was already in the pot. What they would eat tonight was made from five live flying dragons, which they killed by cutting their throats, bleeding them, and scalding off the feathers. In fact, killing flying dragons isn't much different from killing chickens.

After cleaning up, the flying dragon soup was almost ready, and Fu Yuan began to get busy.

After more than half an hour of work, the soup was finally done. They cooked it in a clay pot.

Jiang Hai fanned the aroma coming from the pot with his hands. It wasn't as fragrant as he'd imagined, but the smell was undeniably delicious—an indescribable fragrance, a bit like chicken but not exactly. It was hard to put into words.

"It's up to you next." After covering the lid, Fu Yuan sat back and watched Jiang Hai prepare other dishes.

"Okay, just watch." Jiang Hai didn't hesitate and started cleaning up.

What he had to prepare was simple, and also something he often made: cheese-baked lobster, steamed abalone, scallion-fried sea cucumber, and two types of beef—steak and red wine-braised beef.

Compared to the flying dragon soup, these dishes smelled much more appetizing. As Jiang Hai busied himself, Fu Yuan kept taking pictures with his phone, especially of the raw ingredients, which were the focus. He posted these photos in his groups, and the reaction was far more explosive than when he'd posted photos of the house earlier. His groups exploded with comments.

"Damn, such a long lobster! Did you win the lottery? This is so unfair!"

"The abalone—one is enough for me to have a meal! You're making ten? Do you have no shame?"

"I despise you, show-off, but by the way, Brother Yuan, can you bring some back for me to taste?"

"XXX, you've embarrassed us, we won't accept charity. But if you bring some back for us to taste, I'll even tell you where Yu Jia's address is."

As Fu Yuan looked at these comments, a smile spread across his face. He hadn't posted in these WeChat groups for a while, and he was proud of his "wall-breaking" post.

Despite Jiang Hai being busy in the kitchen and Fu Yuan getting some playful teasing, the rice was steadily cooking.

Just as the steak was nearly done, Darlene and Marian ran into the room.

In the afternoon, when Fu Yuan was resting, the two girls had visited Mrs. Philemon. Recently, they'd been getting closer to Jiang Hai's employees, which Jiang Hai was happy to see. He wasn't sure whether it was his bloodline affecting them, but even if it wasn't, it was still a good thing for the girls to get more attention.

"You came at the right time. Go wash your hands, dinner is ready." Jiang Hai greeted the two girls as they rushed in.

However, instead of washing their hands, they gestured to Jiang Hai. Seeing their actions, Jiang Hai realized that Maren Rupert had returned.

"Hey, Fu Yuan, do you want to see the helicopter?" Jiang Hai asked, excited.

It was his first helicopter, and he wanted to check it out. When he looked back and saw Fu Yuan still confused, he knew that if he didn't bring him along, Fu Yuan would scold him later. So, he called him over. Sure enough, Fu Yuan immediately jumped up at the mention of it.

But after jumping up, Fu Yuan hesitated, glancing at the casserole on the stove. He was concerned about it.

"It's fine. My stove has an automatic shutoff function when it detects a leak. Let's go." Jiang Hai smiled, waved to Darlene and Marian, and left the villa first. Seeing that the boss was leaving, Fu Yuan gritted his teeth and ran after him.

The four of them got into an F750 and drove to the hangar Jiang Hai had built. Sure enough, a helicopter was parked on the runway— the Z-11 Jiang Hai had purchased earlier. The giant helicopter stood silently on the tarmac, with Maren Rupert and the maintenance crew talking nearby. When they saw Jiang Hai's car approach, they paused their conversation, knowing that Jiang Hai had arrived.

"Boss," Maren Rupert greeted as Jiang Hai stepped out of the car.

After leaving New York, the team had tested the helicopter's performance, making a loop over Jiang Hai's manor's sea area before returning. Along the way, Maren Rupert drove the helicopter to check for any issues and was now ready to communicate.

"How's the plane? Can it be used?" Jiang Hai asked, admiring the giant machine next to him. He was a little envious, wishing he could fly it himself.

"There's no problem with the hardware. It just needs some adjustments, but we'll finish that soon. We can take it out for a test flight tomorrow." Maren Rupert, who was mainly hired for his flying license, reassured Jiang Hai.

"Great, can we take it out to sea tomorrow?" Jiang Hai asked, excited.

As soon as he finished speaking, Fu Yuan, standing behind him, looked eagerly at Maren Rupert, Darlene, and Marian, clearly excited about the helicopter as well.

"Of course, we'll take a test flight tomorrow morning, and then in the afternoon, the boss can take the two ladies and this gentleman with him," Maren Rupert smiled. The boss's wish would definitely be fulfilled.

(To be continued.)