Several boatmen who boasted of their tough skin had already taken off their outer garments. They tentatively stepped into the salt lake and slowly lay down.
The azure - colored water overflowed their bodies, as if covering them with a layer of green gauze curtain. The salt stung them so much that they couldn't help wrinkling their eyebrows and blinking their eyes, but they still couldn't bear to get out.
The wonderful experience of floating on the salt lake was truly unheard of.
Li Ying was not convenient to act too boldly in front of a group of men. Although she was extremely eager to try this rare salt lake, she had to restrain herself. Hearing A Man's stomach gurgle involuntarily beside her, she couldn't help laughing.
When they were on the boat, they were already anxious and hadn't eaten much. Now, they had been on the island for half a day without any food or water. It was only natural that they were hungry.
Li Ying smiled. Seeing that it was getting late, she didn't delay any longer. She took out some vegetables and meat from her bag, found an open space, and set up a stove.
The volcanic rocks all over the place, which were blackened, still retained some residual heat after the ravage of the magma. The boatmen had been laboring all the way. At this moment, using these heated volcanic rocks to roast a meal of rock - slab barbecue was just the right way to comfort their tired bodies.
The beef only needed to be sprinkled with pepper and sea salt, and marinated slightly with raw scallions and sesame oil.
During the roasting process, the fat wrapped around the thick slices of meat, firmly locking in every wisp of tender meat juice. The spiciness of the pepper sharply stimulated the taste buds, and the originally pungent scallions became crispy and slightly sweet under the roasting of the volcanic rocks.
Roll up a thick layer of scallions with the soft meat slices and chew them while they were still hot. The plump fat lingered on the tip of the tongue, and the unique mellow flavor of beef tallow was irresistible.
The brisket was firm in texture, and the fascia of the ribs provided a sense of satisfaction when bitten into. Whether salt - roasted or sauce - grilled, they were all delicious.
The boatmen came ashore in twos and threes, fetched some clean water to wash off the residual salt on their bodies, thanked Li Ying, and then came to have a meal.
Taking advantage of this time, A Man had already helped Li Ying scald off the rough outer skin of the whole beef tongue and washed it clean.
The tip of the tongue was the most tender and suitable to be cut into thick slices, then scored with fine cross - cuts to enjoy the soft and thick texture.
The root of the tongue was cut into slices as thin as cicada wings. Just laying them flat on the heated rock slab, they would curl up slightly at the edges, with a crispy and tender texture.
Then thread a whole raw scallion through the middle of the pre - marinated pig intestines.
These straight pig intestines were rolled and roasted on the rock slab until they were shiny with a maroon color on all sides and exuded a delicious burnt aroma, and then cut into small pieces.
The salt - roasted pig intestines were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The sweetness of the scallion white and the spiciness of the scallion leaves well neutralized the greasiness of the pig intestines, leaving only the fragrance of meat in the mouth.
Finally, take out some homemade meat sausages from the village, which were already half - dried. Brush them with some beef tallow and roast them until slightly charred. They had a slightly chewy texture, were sweet and salty, and had a unique flavor.
The boatmen ate heartily. Even Mao Mao was given two pieces of unseasoned roasted meat and gobbled them up "gurgling".
Li Ying smiled indulgently. The little kitten lazily meowed with a long - drawn - out sound, swayed its round belly, grabbed the corner of her skirt with its mouth, and walked forward proudly.
Lu Xunguang didn't care about having any more food. He immediately followed without hesitation. Before long, the figures of the two people and the cat disappeared at the end of everyone's sight.
Mao Mao trotted away proudly on its four short legs. After a long time, it finally turned a corner around a jagged rock and stopped with its head tilted.
"Little ancestor, slow down..."
Li Ying called out softly. The terrain of the island hadn't been fully explored yet, so she had to be more careful with her steps. At this moment, she was a bit out of breath.
As soon as the words came out of her mouth, when she saw the scene in front of her, her eyebrows and eyes immediately showed great joy.
She had already guessed that since there were volcanoes and a salt lake, there must be a hot spring.
She never thought that the little guy Mao Mao could easily lead her to the destination without any effort.
What came into view was another deep pool. Hidden behind the overlapping volcanic rocks like a natural screen, it was filled with curling mist, like a dream.
"Brother Lu, it seems that God really wants to help us!"
Li Ying bent down and tentatively put her hand into the hot spring. The heat made her whole body feel warm.
She wrinkled her cute little nose and faintly smelled a strange odor.
Lu Xunguang obviously also noticed the strange smell and was about to reach out to stop her.
But Li Ying quickly shook her head.
"Brother Lu, it's okay. If I'm not wrong, this is a sulfur spring!"
After a volcanic eruption, it was very easy to form a sulfur spring rich in various minerals. Although the smell was unpleasant, bathing in such spring water would make the skin more tender and people more refreshed.
Li Ying always liked to be clean. After days of bumping on the boat, her body was already tired. At this moment, she couldn't wait to try this natural sulfur spring. Lu Xunguang saw her eagerness. Although he vaguely felt something was wrong, he finally nodded.
"If so, A Ying, you can go take a bath and change your clothes. As for the entrance of this sulfur spring, I'll guard it for you. I will never let anyone else get close."
He said firmly, with a hint of worry in his expression, and added, "I'll wait behind that strange rock. If you have anything, just call me."
Li Ying readily agreed. Seeing that Lu Xunguang really turned his back, she carefully surveyed the surrounding environment, took off her shoes, socks and clothes, and tentatively stepped into the water.
The sulfur spring was extremely hot. Li Ying submerged her whole body in the water and finally let out a long, satisfied breath.
The fatigue accumulated in her body for days was completely swept away. If she could have a cup of cold wine, a plate of refreshments and seasonal fruits, while bathing in this hot spring and enjoying the beautiful scenery of the lake and mountains, it would really be a wonderful thing.
Li Ying took a clean towel. After soaking until her whole body became a bit soft, she leaned crookedly against a smooth bluestone. She felt that the mist of the sulfur spring was so thick that her vision seemed to be a bit distorted.
She let out a long, satisfied sigh and feebly wiped the moisture from her face with the towel. With her two fair jade arms supporting her body, just as she was about to get up from the sulfur spring, she suddenly felt her feet go weak.
"Ouch!"
Li Ying let out a scream. Her body staggered and she fell straight into the pool!
"A Ying, what's wrong? Is there an accident?"
The commotion in the hot spring naturally couldn't escape Lu Xunguang's sharp ears. His eyebrows frowned, and he was extremely anxious. He no longer cared about the taboo between men and women. He turned around and rushed to the side of the hot spring in a few strides without hesitation.