Xiong Yue opened the door and came out of his house. He lived together with Lu Xuan and the three cubs. Since the house was completed, Tian Xuan had used his authority as chief that very day to distribute all the stored food to everyone.
Everyone ate breakfast in their own houses, then gathered at the central point of the tribe.
The so-called central point was the area where the animal hide shelters had been moved. It was about the same distance from each house. The shelters had now been dismantled.
But the space was open, and the ground was packed firm from being stepped on, so everyone naturally gathered there.
Tian Xuan’s expression was cold, but his bearing was different than before. “Xiong Yan, Xiong Qi, Xing Chi, Hu Yi will hunt. I, Hu Er, Xiong Yue, and the Healer will forage. Xiong Xuan, Xiong Yuan, Xue Rong will stay behind to guard the tribe and the cubs. Any objections?”
No one objected. Hunting required strong beastmen, foraging required protection for the sub-beastmen, and the newly built houses especially needed someone to look after them.
The group split into three teams. This time, they changed direction and did not go to the foot of the mountain where the mud bricks had been made. The important houses were already built. Next was gathering food to survive the cold period. As for the soft furnishings and furniture inside the houses, those could come later, one by one.
Although Hu Er was slow to react, he was still a beastman. After being well-fed for so long, he was now strong and sturdy, carrying a basket half as tall as himself.
Lu Xuan gradually walked over to Tian Xuan’s side and said in a low voice, “Just call me by my name. You don’t have to call me Healer.”
It sounded too strange.
Tian Xuan did not agree: “In all tribes, priests are respected. How can I call you directly by your name?”
Lu Xuan said, “But I’m not a priest. I’m just a sub-beastman who treats people’s illnesses.”
Tian Xuan turned his face to look at Lu Xuan: “Why are you so opposed to being a priest?”
What else could it be? He wasn’t worthy of the position. Lu Xuan said, somewhat embarrassed, “I don’t know what a priest is supposed to do. Besides, there are only a few of us in the tribe. We all get along harmoniously. Why bother with honorifics? Calling me by name directly would be much friendlier.”
The sub-beastman truly didn’t want the title, so Tian Xuan didn’t push it.
“All right. I understand.”
Only then did Lu Xuan feel relieved and turn his attention to this unfamiliar forest. The terrain was gentle, and the ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves.
Not a single footprint was seen along the way. The forest was rich with birdsong, and there were occasional rustling sounds in the grass, probably animals darting through quickly.
Lu Xuan even saw a squirrel standing on a treetop watching them, seemingly unafraid of people. Clearly, this area was rarely visited.
Fiddlehead ferns and various wild fruits quickly filled half a basket. Even the dead branches that had fallen to the ground were piled up as high as a person.
After passing through a dense thicket of red berries, the view suddenly opened up. A large, flat expanse of land was covered with many wild vegetables that looked like spring Chinese cabbage.
There are many varieties of Chinese cabbage. Spring Chinese cabbage, commonly known as “Chinese cabbage,” is the most common type seen on the market.
Lu Xuan was astonished. He quickly ran over, pulled one up, and peeled off layer after layer.
Tian Xuan walked over and squatted down beside him: “Edible?”
Lu Xuan’s eyes lit up: “Of course it’s edible.”
It could also be made into pickled cabbage. And if they had pickled cabbage, could pickled cabbage fish be far behind?
“Quick, dig them up. Dig a lot.”
The basket Hu Er had brought was soon half full. Considering they still needed to collect other things, Lu Xuan said with some regret, “Let’s dig this much for now. We’ll come back for the rest tomorrow.”
Tomorrow, they would bring more baskets.
The group walked further into the depths. The slope by the foot of the mountain had only small vegetation, and even the trees were the size Lu Xuan was familiar with from his past life.
Here, there were fewer trees and more dense thickets of shrubs. Lu Xuan parted the leaves of a flexible, thornless shrub and had just stepped over when he was once again stunned by a cluster of cup-shaped leaves.
These leaves looked so much like taro, except the whole plant was too tall, too tall and stout.
He took out the Xuan Bone Knife that Tian Xuan had given him from the animal hide pouch at his waist. But the bone knife was slender, and though sharp, it was clearly unsuitable for digging up taro.
As for pulling them up by force, Lu Xuan looked at the taro plant, which was a head taller than him. He turned to Tian Xuan and said, “You do it. Pull one out so I can see.”
Tian Xuan partially shifted his bear claws, dug out a large pit in one go, and lifted the taro plant with his bear claw for Lu Xuan to see.
Lu Xuan: …
Fine. Looking at it like this worked too.
He used the bone knife to pare off some of the skin from the root, revealing enough to confirm it was taro.
“This is taro. You eat this part at the root. It can be prepared in as many ways as potatoes, and it’s just as filling.”
Potatoes were now one of the tribe’s main foods. As soon as Lu Xuan said this, Hu Er directly shifted into his fox form and started digging. He dug at the front, while Xiong Yue used a stone knife to chop off the root parts behind. Tian Xuan was even more efficient, his left bear claw pulled up the plants, and a single finger on his right bear claw sliced off the roots. Lu Xuan simply gathered everything into the basket.
After busily working for half a day, everyone was hungry. They decided to rest right there, and Lu Xuan used the freshly dug taro to make lunch, sourcing ingredients locally.
Hu Er also caught two wild chickens, so Lu Xuan made stir-fried chicken with taro. They had two small iron pots in total and had brought one with them.
They also had dried meat brought from home, wild leek and egg soup, and two boiled taros.
The taros were very large, each one about twice the size of a normal taro. They didn’t have much distinctive flavor on their own and could be steamed, stir-fried, fried, or even made into desserts.
They had a better texture than potatoes. Lu Xuan felt they were also more filling than potatoes. Not only could they serve as a staple food, but they could also be used medicinally to treat canker sores, boils and abscesses, traumatic bleeding, and more. The leaves could also treat hives and scabies.
After lunch, the group began heading back. Everyone’s basket was completely full.
Not only that, but each person also carried bundles of medicinal herbs that Lu Xuan had tied up. Some of these herbs could also be eaten as wild vegetables.
Tian Xuan directly shifted into his beast form as a black bear and carried a pile of firewood over two meters high. Although the pile looked staggering to Lu Xuan, it appeared quite light on the four-meter-tall black bear.
This was their first foraging trip since the house-building had finished. By the time they returned to the tribe, the sun had already touched the horizon.
They had just put down their loads when the four beastmen who had gone hunting also returned, fully loaded.
That evening, everyone gathered around the campfire to cook dinner. The beastmen roasted meat, while the sub-beastmen made meat soup and stir-fried dishes.
Everyone was delighted with the newly acquired taro, which could serve as another staple food, and the Chinese cabbage.
Xue Rong was also a descendant of exile beastmen, but his circumstances were much better than those of the two foxes. He had already known Xing Chi before losing both parents, when he was just over ten years old and not yet of age.
After losing his parents, he was raised by Xing Chi. Naturally, when he came of age, he and Xing Chi became mates.
After listening to Xue Rong’s story, Lu Xuan looked at Xing Chi with a very subtle expression, a “raise your own mate” situation.
Living in seclusion, uninvolved in worldly affairs, yet raising himself a wife.
Tsk~
“He’s quite calculating.”
Tian Xuan happened to be right next to him. Since the two of them were a bit farther from the campfire because they were processing taro, Lu Xuan felt comfortable gossiping in a low voice.
Tian Xuan looked at him, confused. Why should the efforts a beastman made to pursue the sub-beastman he liked be called calculating?
“That red-haired orangutan must be many years older than Xue Rong. Tsk~ a daddy-like mate. Ah, what a pity for our little rabbit, so innocent and cute.”
“Only in this wasteland, where he can’t meet any proper beastmen, does that red-haired orangutan have a chance. If that little rabbit had encountered other beastmen in a real tribe, that red-haired orangutan wouldn’t stand a chance.”
Lu Xuan’s tone was full of regret. Tian Xuan looked puzzled: “You don’t like Xing Chi?”
“Hmm? No. I just think the little rabbit is too good. He’s beautiful, innocent, and well-behaved. He should find someone with a handsome beast form.”
“What counts as a handsome beast form?”
With the ingrained mindset of a human, Lu Xuan blurted out: “A good-looking beast form. Like wolves, tigers, leopards, black panthers, those are good. Snow leopards are great too.”
Tian Xuan, whose beast form was a black bear: …
Lu Xuan stood up and carried the processed taro over to Xiong Yue. Watching Xing Chi feed Xue Rong roasted meat, a faint smile hung at the corner of his lips.
The red-haired orangutan was very strong in combat, his appearance was tough and manly, and most importantly, he loved Xue Rong deeply. That was enough.
The next day, Tian Xuan, Xiong Xuan, and Xiong Qi, three beastmen, went hunting. Hu Yi, Hu Er, and Xiong Yue went to dig up the remaining Chinese cabbage and taro from the day before.
Xing Chi stayed behind to guard the tribe. Lu Xuan taught Xue Rong to recognize medicinal herbs, as well as how to administer first aid and treat wounds.
He never held back in teaching these things. He had taught all of them, Tian Xuan and the others.
For now, it seemed Xue Rong had more natural talent for recognizing herbs. Lu Xuan taught with great satisfaction.
He finally understood the feelings of parents who broke down while helping their children with homework, it was truly indescribable.
“You’re really smart,” Lu Xuan sighed.
Xue Rong’s cheeks flushed at the compliment, his eyes sparkling. “Really?”
Lu Xuan was dazzled. He pinched both of Xue Rong’s cheeks and said, “You’re so cute. I’m melting.”
The three cubs, who had been playing nearby, all stopped in their tracks, craned their necks, and looked utterly confused.
Who did Daddy just say was cute?
The fishing cat cub jumped onto Lu Xuan’s lap and placed its two front paws on Lu Xuan’s shoulders.
“Mie ah~~~”
Daddy, do you have another cub now?
Lu Xuan looked confused: “No, Daddy only has you three cubs.”
The leopard cat cub stretched out its neck in disbelief and stared at Lu Xuan.
“Mew~ mew~”
Daddy, you just said “cute.” Which cub are you calling cute?
Lu Xuan then understood. On one hand, he felt proud, these were truly his cubs, such clever little ones. On the other hand, he found it amusing. He rubbed the leopard cat cub’s little head.
Smiling, he said, “I was saying Uncle Xue Rong is cute. Don’t you think he’s cute?”
The three cubs looked at Xue Rong. Their little heads tilted left, then right. Their round, big eyes were full of confusion.
Adults could be cute too?
Xue Rong placed both hands over his chest. Truly, truly cute. He wanted to have cubs with Xing Chi, also three of them.
The lynx cub turned and threw itself into Lu Xuan’s arms, crying out, “Ah ah.”
Daddy is cute too. The cutest.
All three little ones cried out in unison that Daddy was the cutest, that Daddy was really cute, making Lu Xuan’s old face turn red.
He was a grown man, what “cute” was there?
“All right, go play with Xiong Yuan’s bear cubs. Daddy needs to do some work.”
After the cubs left, Lu Xuan let out a long breath. Indeed, one couldn’t say just anything in front of little children.
Xue Rong asked curiously, “What are you going to do? Can I help?”
He really liked the current atmosphere. He had learned many things, how to make new and delicious meat soups, and how to stir-fry dishes.
Most importantly, Lu Xuan was teaching him to recognize medicinal herbs, treat injuries, and understand the characteristics and prevention of various illnesses.