The sun is setting over the mountains to the west, and the reddish clouds are a sign that tomorrow may be a good day. Xiaoqingshan in October was not the rainy season, and the investigation team did not encounter rain in the two days after entering the mountain, which brought great convenience to the operation of the inspection team.

In the summer, under the influence of the ocean monsoon blowing from the southeast of Xiaoqingshan, the entire Xiaoqingshan will be shrouded in rain and fog most of the time, and at that time, Xiaoqingshan is a forbidden area that is difficult to pass. Heat, humidity, flash floods, malaria mosquitoes, ,......, many more dangers can make the depths of Xiaoqingshan a daunting place.

Countless birds hovered over the woods by the river, and the crisp birdsong resounded all around, making the originally somewhat quiet river valley a little lively. Thanks to the dense vegetation and abundant food in the small green hills, the number and variety of birds here are astonishing.

Along the way, the members of the expedition team continued to come into close contact with a large number of birds, and Xiaoqingshan is simply a paradise for birds. Woodpeckers, orioles, sparrows, chickadees, kingfishers ,......, a variety of common birds can be found everywhere, and members of the expedition team even spotted rare ornamental birds such as the crested hornbill.

With a huge mouth similar to a rhinoceros horn, the unique crested hornbill is a typical tropical forest bird, which is only seen in a few places in China, such as Xishuangbanna. The crested hornbill has only one mate in its life, and once the other person dies, the other one will never steal life or find a new love, but will die of hunger strike in sorrow, so it is called the 'love bird'.

Whether in ancient folk legends or academic research, the crested hornbill has a considerable amount of space, and is not a dispensable bird. As one of the members of the national second-class protected animals, the crested hornbill will bring a lot of sensation to birdwatching enthusiasts every time it is discovered.

The appearance of the crested hornbill also proves from another angle that there is a large area of tropical rainforest in the small green mountains.

Along the way, the march of the members of the expedition team was accompanied by the low or high cries of the birds, and in the boring process, the birdsong was a good spice.

Even now, the expedition team is encamped in this highland, and more than 100 meters downstream of the creek, a flock of egrets and storks are pacing gracefully, foraging in the shallow water. They bend down and bow their heads, and from time to time they throw a small fish and shrimp out of the water, and then catch them accurately with their long beaks. Their movements are so gentle, they have the beauty of an artist, and they blend in perfectly with their surroundings.

In the waters where the wading birds stopped, more than a dozen sambar deer of all sizes that had just emerged from the woods were happily nibbling on the fat aquatic plants, and from time to time they made some satisfied calls. For these sambar, resting in the dark forest during the day, swimming in the river in the evening, and having a good meal is the best life.

Seeing waders and sambar deer leisurely foraging and playing in the water, Han Zhengbao and others did not disturb them uninterestingly, but quietly hid in the bamboo forest not far away and recorded all this with camera equipment.

After the afterglow of the sunset gradually disappeared into the sky, the dinner of the expedition team in the bamboo forest camp finally began, although the dining room was a little simple, but it did not affect Liu Rui's interest in the slightest.

A few wild crucian carp caught by Zhao Liang were stewed into a fish soup, which was as white as milk, sprinkled with green onions that Xu Wenchang found on the grass by the river. The heat rises with a rich fragrance, as if the essence of the whole river is concentrated in it, and people can't help but indulge in it when they smell it.

Liu Rui took advantage of the time when he got out of the pot just now, and he had already tasted a small bowl, and the delicious fish soup was warm, flowing from his mouth to his stomach, driving away the fatigue of the whole day.

Although it was already October, Xu Wenchang still found a lot of bamboo shoots that had just broken through the soil in the nearby bamboo forest, which became one of the dishes for dinner. After a few bamboo rats are cleaned up, they are chopped into small pieces, and then together with those fresh bamboo shoots, they become a very mountain-style bamboo rat roasted bamboo shoot slices.

This time in the mountains, in order to ensure that they can eat delicious hot food, the baggage carried by the team members includes a lot of condiments. All kinds of spices, including cooking wine, soy sauce, etc., are packed in special seasoning packets, which ensure that the expedition team can make the same delicious taste as at home, even in the field.

In addition to bamboo shoots, Xu Wenchang also found a lot of bracken nearby, a vigorous fern that can be found everywhere in Xiaoqingshan. In this way, the dinner of the investigation team was very reasonable. Even, at the edge of the river valley, the team members found a bunch of ripe wild plantains as a fruit after meals.

Compared to the high-yielding bananas in the fields that are watered with fertilizer and then ripen with ethylene, these wild plantains are smaller and do not look good, but they have a better pure and rich taste. Liu Rui ate one just now, which is sweet and smooth, full of aroma, and can be called a good fruit.

"Fourth uncle, is your name Huaji going to be good?" Seeing that the other dishes were ready, Liu Rui couldn't help but look forward to what Wang Huaan said called flower chicken.

In the past, there was a text in junior high school, in which the protagonist spent an unforgettable experience in the forest of the Xing'an Mountains, and there was the practice of 'mud chicken'. Later, after watching "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", Liu Rui knew that this delicacy wrapped in mud and baked had a very vivid name - 'called Flower Chicken'.

In the past, Liu Rui had also experimented with Liu Zhi and Tongtong on the beach by Xiaojing Lake with Liu Zhi and Tongtong, but because of experience problems, it has not been successful. Liu Rui has always thought that one day he can learn how to make this famous dish, and he can feast on it when he has the opportunity. This time, Liu Rui participated in almost the whole process of Wang Huaan's production of 'Called Flower Chicken', and he easily learned the method from Huang Huaan's mouth.

"Right away!" Wang Huaan, who was removing the bonfire on the ground, replied without looking back.

In addition to the main ingredient of this delicious "flower chicken", such as pheasant, bamboo chicken, and partridge, various auxiliary ingredients are also indispensable. Among them, the most important excipients are the delicate yellow or red clay, which can only transfer heat evenly and effectively and block the dissipation of aromas.

Wang Hua'an didn't find a suitable mud seal last time he went into the mountain and yesterday, even if he was very worried about 'calling Huaji', he could only wait. Camping by the river this afternoon and finding enough suitable materials, how could Wang Huaan not take action immediately?

After cleaning up the bamboo chickens caught in the bamboo forest, Wang Huaan stuffed the bamboo chicken's stomach into the bamboo sunflower and mushrooms found in the forest, as well as the seasonings and liquor he had prepared at home. Without lotus leaves, Wang Huaan naturally has other ways to make 'called flower chicken' delicious.

In the valley area of Xiaoqingshan, where wild plantain trees can be found everywhere, Wang Hua'an quickly collected enough plantain leaves to wrap the processed bamboo chickens one by one. Immediately afterwards, Wang Huaan wrapped a thick layer of clay on the outside, and then put it into the pit that had been preheated.

Wang Huaan, who has baked 'called flower chicken' countless times, is naturally extremely rich, and in his opinion, with so many materials, he will definitely be able to make the most delicious 'called flower chicken'.

In the wilderness picnic, there will naturally be no luxurious dining table, and the expedition team will only spread out a plastic sheet in the open space in the center of the camp, and then sit down around and prepare the meal.

In the center of the cloth, a large pot of milky fish soup is naturally very eye-catching; Although the pot of bamboo rat bamboo shoots that were colored with sugar color was not good enough, the strong fragrance still made the eyes of the members of the investigation team light up. On the plate next to it, several grilled fish grilled by Yu Shanwei were grilled to a golden brown, and it was their presence that made the air always have a special aroma of grilled fish.

Under the leadership of Xu Wenchang, bracken and other wild vegetables were soon excavated from the deep mountains and old forests, resulting in a drastic natural change in demand, and the green vegetables were all original.

Now the dinner cloth has been filled with the middle, most of the people are honest farmers, they should rush to commit crimes in the secret of the proverb before the Spring Festival, of course, but Liu Rui's business is a little disappointed.

"'Called Flower Chicken' is baked!" When the bonfire on the ground was removed, Wang Huaan began to dig a small pit with bamboo chips to bury the flower chicken.

Wang Hua'an's movements were fast, and in the blink of an eye, the ten buried mud balls were dug out unscathed, and they were laid out next to the dinner cloth. Unlike the original moist soil, these sealing muds have lost a lot of water and become a hard shell.

Wang Huaan took the stick and began to knock open the mud balls called Huaji, and suddenly the mud balls that didn't seem to have the slightest temperature suddenly cracked, allowing Liu Rui to see another scene. After removing the outer layer of sealing mud, the heat that had been sealed for a long time suddenly flourished, and in the blink of an eye, it steamed up and drifted away in the camp.

The wonderful taste of roasted poultry mixed with the fragrance of a plantain leaf leaves leaves leaves a lasting impression. Wang Huaan's movements were very fast, and as soon as he entered the rhythm, the bamboo stick in his hand had already knocked open the mud on the ground.

Liu Rui carefully transferred the steaming 'Calling Flower Chicken' from the plantain leaves to the bowl, and everyone was given a shiny, golden 'Calling Flower Chicken'.

didn't care about burning his mouth, Liu Rui bit down on the thigh of the bamboo chicken, and immediately felt the oil and water splashing, and a rich aroma filled his mouth. The chicken is very tender and melts in your mouth, and when you chew it, you have a faint aroma of banana leaves. It is this fragrance that dilutes the smoke and fire flavor of ordinary roast chicken, and becomes light and delicious.

For Liu Rui, there are really not many such experiences.

(To be continued)