On the way back to the cave, Li Zhu’s mind was already buzzing with ideas for dinner. Her steps were light and lively.
“Ah Ze, let’s roast the tusked beast ribs tonight! With the freshly made chili powder and the fine salt we just prepared, it’ll be so fragrant!”
“All right.”
Ze Yu indulged her enthusiasm, watching her eyes sparkle, and couldn’t resist reaching over to ruffle her hair.
“Then let’s simmer a pheasant-beast soup too, with those wild mushrooms you dried last time.”
(The tusked beast is their version of wild boar, and the pheasant-beast is like wild chicken.)
“Mm-hmm! And roast some sweet potatoes—our last batch is ripe now, soft and sweet!”
Li Zhu counted on her fingers, wishing she could make every single delicious thing at once.
Back at the cave, Ze Yu first set about preparing the tusked beast they had hunted earlier, while Li Zhu grabbed a small stool and sat beside Li Heng’s bed.
“Ah Bro, how are you feeling today? Want me to bring you some water?”
Li Heng, leaning on the pile of furs while cleaning his stone spear, smiled.
“I’m feeling great. Dad wouldn’t let me go help at the stream, says I still need to rest and grow.”
He flexed his arm, the muscle lines noticeably firmer than before.
“But the crystal from the earth-splitting bear really works—I feel full of strength. In a couple of days, I’ll go with the hunting team and try it out!”
“Be careful, don’t overdo it.”
Li Zhu warned him.
“Got it, little housekeeper,” Li Heng teased her.
“Go check on your beast-husband, don’t let him burn the meat,” she said, blushing as she turned toward the main cave.
Sure enough, Ze Yu was at the stone stove, ribs sizzling over the flames. Fat dripped onto the fire with a loud sizzle, and the aroma of meat mixed with chili and fine salt filled the air, making mouths water.
“Watch the fire, don’t burn it,” Li Zhu said.
She picked a few sweet potatoes from a nearby bamboo basket and buried them in the embers beside the stove.
“Don’t worry, nothing’s going to burn.”
Ze Yu freed a hand, grabbed a freshly roasted piece of meat, and fed it to her.
“Try it.”
The ribs were crisp on the outside, tender inside, with a savory, slightly spicy flavor. The fine salt brought out the full aroma of the meat—it was the best they’d ever tasted.
Li Zhu’s eyes lit up as she mumbled through a mouthful.
“Delicious! Even better than what I make!”
Ze Yu chuckled softly, his eyes warmer than the fire itself.
One grilled ribs, one cleaning vegetables—they spoke a few words now and then. The cave gradually filled with the homely smell of cooking.
As the sun dipped in the west, the stone table was laden with food: glistening roasted tusked beast ribs, bubbling mushroom soup, soft roasted sweet potatoes, and a plate of cold wild vegetables sprinkled with fine salt—fresh and appetizing.
“Dad and Mom should be back soon, right?”
Li Zhu peeked outside.
Just then, Ming Yuan’s voice called out.
“Smells so good! We’re back!”
Li Cheng and Ming Yuan entered, eyes widening at the spread.
“Wow, this looks so hearty!”
Ming Yuan set down her clay jar and leaned in to smell the food.
“The ribs smell amazing! Looks like Xiao Ze’s got some serious skills!”
“Sit down quickly, it’s fresh and hot.”
Li Zhu pulled Ming Yuan to the table and handed Li Cheng a pair of wooden chopsticks.
The family gathered around the stone table, chatting and laughing as they ate.
Li Cheng took a bite of ribs and couldn’t help but praise.
“This fine salt really makes a difference—the meat is so much tastier!”
Ming Yuan loved the mushroom soup, downing two big bowls and constantly feeding Li Zhu more ingredients for nourishment.
Li Heng held a roasted sweet potato in one hand and tore at a rib with the other, his mouth full of juices. He couldn’t believe this guy, who had cooked for only a couple of days, could make food better than his own ten years of practice.
Laughter echoed in the cave, evening light painting warm glows on everyone’s faces.
Li Zhu looked at Ze Yu beside her, at her chattering mother, at her father and brother laughing heartily—and suddenly realized that the luckiest thing about being transmigrated into this beast world was having such a complete and warm family.
After dinner, Li Zhu and Ze Yu cleaned up the dishes and walked back to their cave side by side.
A gentle breeze drifted past, carrying the scent of grass and wood, and their shadows stretched long in the sunset, closely intertwined.
…
Days flowed like the stream outside, and before they knew it, a month had passed.
During this month, Li Zhu and Ze Yu had made the cave increasingly warm and cozy.
Li Heng’s injury had fully healed, and after absorbing the energy of the earth-splitting bear crystal, his strength had grown tremendously. He had already joined the hunting team several times, each trip yielding more than enough food—double what they usually stored.
One morning, while Ze Yu was checking their hunting tools, Li Zhu approached with a bright idea.
“Ah Ze, can I go with you on this hunt?”
Ze Yu paused, frowning slightly.
“It’s dangerous out there, you…”
“I’ll just go to the southern forest, it’s close to the tribe—it’s where we first met.”
Li Zhu tugged on his arm.
“I want to go while I still can. Maybe we’ll find something new. Once my belly grows, I won’t be able to move much.”
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Ze Yu looked at her hopeful expression and finally relented.
“All right, but you must stay close to me. No running off.”
“I promise I’ll be good!”
Li Zhu’s smile curved her eyes into crescents of joy.
The next morning, they set off. Ze Yu shifted into his beast form, and Li Zhu carefully climbed onto his back.
The southern forest wasn’t far from the tribe. The trees were not as dense as in the Dark Woods, letting sunlight filter through the leaves, and the ground was covered with soft grass and small, unidentified flowers.
Li Zhu looked at the familiar place and couldn’t help but recall the first time she had met Ze Yu, a slight blush rising to her cheeks.
“Thinking about something?” Ze Yu asked, leaning closer.
“Nothing.”
Li Zhu shook her head and held onto him as they walked slowly.
Indeed, being in the forest felt completely different from being at home. At home, her mind wandered to other things every day…
The spring forest was alive with sound, many little birds singing from the treetops.
Li Zhu walked carefully, keeping an eye on the plants around her, bending occasionally to dig up some wild vegetables she recognized.
When they reached the edge of a bamboo grove, she suddenly stopped.
“What’s wrong?”
Ze Yu asked softly, thinking something might be wrong.
“Ah Ze, look!”
Following her pointing finger, Ze Yu saw the edge of the bamboo grove where the soil gave rise to pointed shoots wrapped in brownish-green husks, standing upright like tiny guardians of the land.
“What is this?” Ze Yu asked, puzzled.
“Spring bamboo shoots!”
Li Zhu’s eyes lit up immediately.
“These are treasures! Delicious whether stir-fried or in a stew.”
She hadn’t expected to find them even in this beast world!
“Quick, Ah Ze, let’s take these back!”
Seeing her excitement, Ze Yu became curious too, wondering what these spring shoots would taste like.
Li Zhu carefully broke one off—a plump, fresh bamboo shoot.
“This is perfect!”
Her mind raced with ideas—bamboo shoot braised with meat, bamboo shoot and beast bone soup…
She asked Ze Yu to put the shoots into his spatial pocket, then bent down to harvest more around them.
Soon, Ze Yu’s space was filled with a large collection of fresh, tender bamboo shoots.
Seeing the sun climbing higher, they began their journey back home.