“This is a small token of our appreciation,” Kai said, taking the animal hides from another Beast Husband and handing them to her.
Xi Yao accepted the hides.
A quick glance told her there were probably four or five of them.
“And this,” Kai added, pointing to the bamboo tubes another Beast Husband was holding.
“I figured you were probably running out of salt.
This should be enough to last you until the end of the cold season.”
“Thank you!” This “thank you” was heartfelt.
After days of eating unsalted food, she was sick of how bland everything tasted.
“It’s the least we could do.
We also have a kill for you.
We’ll bring it over after we get back from the hunt and have it processed.”
Xi Yao nodded, her gaze lingering on the hides and the bamboo tubes full of salt.
To her, in her current situation, these things were a true godsend.
Her terminal had everything—except for seasonings.
“You’re too kind.
I was happy to help.
But you still need to be careful with her injury.
Don’t use any herbs except for the ones I gave you.
If any problems come up, don’t hesitate to find me.”
Kai thought of the herbs the witch doctor had delivered that morning, and his heart skipped a beat.
“What will happen if we use other herbs?”
Xi Yao had said that specifically as a warning against the witch doctor.
Seeing Kai’s reaction, she sensed something was wrong.
“If you want her to die, then go ahead and use them.”
Kai’s face instantly turned deathly pale.
Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead as he said in a trembling voice,
“Xi Yao, I…
I already gave Duoduo the witch doctor’s herbs this morning.
What do I do?”
His eyes filled with terror, and his hands unconsciously clenched into fists.
‘The witch doctor is highly skilled.
It should be fine,’ he kept trying to reassure himself.
Xi Yao’s heart tightened.
‘I can’t believe they actually used the witch doctor’s medicine.’
She took a deep breath, trying her best to remain calm.
“How long has it been since you gave her the medicine?”
Seeing her serious expression, the veins on Kai’s forehead bulged.
“We came straight here after we changed her medicine.
It hasn’t been long.”
Hearing this, Xi Yao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
‘Not much time has passed.
There’s still a chance.’
“Wait here a moment.” She returned to her dwelling.
She quickly rummaged through her terminal and found a small vial containing an Antidote.
This Antidote couldn’t cure everything, but it was highly effective against some common toxins.
She found a clean section of bamboo, poured the potion into it, and brought it out to them.
“Take this and have her drink it.
If you give her the wrong medicine again, not even the Priest will be able to save her.”
Yesterday, the witch doctor had said Duoduo couldn’t be saved, but Xi Yao had cured her.
Now, they trusted her completely.
They took it, thanked her, and left.
Xi Yao returned to the cave once more.
She checked Xi Mo’s leg injury, which had mostly recovered.
The stump of his severed tail had scabbed over, but it would take time to grow back.
“I’m going to the mountains to find food.
Who wants to come with me?”
Xi Bei wagged his tail and was the first to dart out.
“Mother, I’ll go with you.”
Xi Nan secretly perked up his ears.
He wanted to go but was too shy to say so.
Seeing Xi Nan’s expression, Xi Yao immediately understood what he was thinking.
She reached out to pet his head, but he dodged by tilting his head away.
She didn’t mind.
“Xi Nan, you can come too.”
“Boring.
I’m not going.” Xi Nan flicked his tail and turned his head away.
He put on a show of being completely uninterested.
“Oh, alright then.
I’ll just take Xi Mo and Xi Bei.”
Just as Xi Mo was about to nod, Xi Nan became unhappy.
“His injury hasn’t healed yet, how can you take him?
You’re just as mean as you’ve always been.”
Xi Yao raised an eyebrow, looking at Xi Nan with a half-smile.
“Weren’t you the one who said it was boring and you didn’t want to go?”
Xi Nan’s face flushed hot, and he stammered a rebuttal, “I…
I don’t want to go!
I’m just worried about Xi Mo.
He’s injured and you’re dragging him out to work.”
“Big brother, you just want to go but you’re too embarrassed to admit it.”
Embarrassed and annoyed, Xi Nan pretended to pounce on Xi Bei.
“Mother, big brother is trying to hit me!”
“…”
Xi Yao stopped the two little ones, taking the opportunity to give Xi Nan’s belly a few good rubs.
“Alright, alright, stop fooling around.
Let’s all go together!”
Hearing this, Xi Nan still wore a reluctant expression, but his tail began to wag unconsciously.
“Ah Mo, you shouldn’t be on your feet for now.” Xi Yao picked him up with one arm, slung a bamboo basket over the other, and headed outside.
Xi Nan and Xi Bei followed behind her.
The human and three little beasts left the tribe, walking upstream along the riverbank.
Xi Yao wanted to test her identification skills and also look for a substitute for salt.
She remembered a type of fruit that produced salt.
She didn’t know its name, but she figured a primeval forest with its rich biodiversity should have it.
Along the way, she encountered many useful herbs and edible wild vegetables, all of which she collected into her space.
「The cold season was fast approaching.」
Lately, the tribe’s Beastmen had all been stocking up on food for the winter, and she naturally needed to do the same.
The tribe distributed food to the females every day, but the amount was limited.
The three Zaizai were at the age where they were growing fast and ate a lot, so she had to store up more.
She didn’t find any salt fruit, but she unexpectedly came across a lot of Chinese yam vines.
“My treasures, it’s time for you to put in some work.”
She placed Xi Mo in the bamboo basket to the side and beckoned to Xi Bei and Xi Nan.
“Mother, what do you need me to do?” Xi Bei ran over excitedly.
“See this?
Dig down along this vine.
This will be our food for the winter.”
Hearing that it was food for the winter, the three little ones all grew excited.
They remembered last year when they had no food.
When they were hungry, all they could do was eat snow to fill their stomachs.
When they were starving, they resorted to chewing on grass.
Xi Nan was still skeptical.
“Are you sure there’s something down there?”
“Trust your Mother and you’ll have food to eat.”
Xi Nan rolled his eyes.
‘Trusting her is what will make us go hungry.’
“Xi Nan, believe your Mother.
I wouldn’t joke about something like this.”
Xi Bei, on the other hand, was full of energy.
He immediately dropped to the ground and started pawing at the soil with his little claws.
Even though he was small, he didn’t mess around when it came to digging.
With his little body twisting back and forth, he quickly excavated a small hole.
“Mother, is there really something yummy down here?” Xi Bei asked as he dug, looking up with his eyes full of anticipation.
Xi Yao smiled and nodded.
“Of course!
If you just dig a little harder, you’ll see the yummy food.”
Hearing that, Xi Bei worked even harder, his paws digging furiously and sending dirt flying everywhere.
‘I have to dig up a lot, so we won’t have to go hungry during the cold season!’
Xi Nan dubiously began to move his paws.
Xi Mo couldn’t sit still.
He leaned out of the basket, wanting to help.
“Mother, I want to dig too.”
Xi Yao stroked his head.
“Ah Mo, your leg injury hasn’t healed yet.
Just be good and stay in the basket.
When you’re better, you can join us in finding more yummy things to eat.”
Xi Mo was a little disappointed.
‘I feel so useless.’
Xi Bei dug with growing enthusiasm.
Finally, his claws hit something hard.
“Mother, I think I’ve found it!”
Xi Yao walked over and helped Xi Bei clear away the surrounding soil, revealing a long Chinese yam.
“Wow, you really found it!
Good job, Little Bei!”
Xi Nan also came closer.
He wanted to confirm if there really was food.
“Dig it out carefully.
Try not to break it.”
Xi Yao instructed the two little ones.
With Xi Yao’s help, they successfully dug up the first Chinese yam.
“Mother, can we really eat this?” Xi Bei asked hesitantly, looking at the dark brown thing covered in mud.