Flower Garland (Continued)

Whether orc or sub-orc, everyone needs to handcraft a large number of daily necessities, Jian Mo is no exception.

Today, Jian Mo didn't go to the open space.

He first went to the river to check on the Pearl Algae he had planted earlier. Seeing that they were surviving well, he went to Qing Kuo's house to find Qing Kuo.

Qing Kuo is making meat patties.

Seeing Jian Mo approach, Qing Kuo waved to him. "You've come at the right time. I was thinking of looking for you earlier. I didn't quite get the seasoning right, could you help me adjust it?"

Jian Mo walked over. "Okay. Do you have all the seasonings here? If not, I'll go home and get some."

Qing Kuo dragged out a basket. "It's all here: pepper powder, clam powder, honey powder, salt powder... It should be complete. I see you only need these. If it's not enough, I'll get you some more."

Jian Mo checked it over with some surprise. "It's all there. I didn't expect you to have so many seasonings."

Qing Kuo laughed, "Banjiu and the others said your cooking is delicious, so I thought I'd learn from you and that's how I got these seasonings. And you know what? With more seasonings, the food really does taste better."

Jian Mo: "Cooking is all about blending flavors. Why did you suddenly decide to make meat patties?"

Qing Kuo: "Isn't it because the sun has been out these past few days? I had a batch of meat in the front yard, and it thawed as soon as the sun came out, but then it froze again when it got cold at night. This happened twice, and the meat turned white from freezing. I was worried it would spoil, so I decided to make it into meat patties."

Jian Mo lowered her head and added seasoning to the meat chunks, "Should I make it a little saltier? Saltier meat will keep longer."

Qing Kuo: "No need, it won't taste good if it's too salty. After I steam it, I'll put it in the backyard, cover it with animal hide, and make sure it's not exposed to the sun."

Jian Mo prepared the seasoning for the meat patties according to his instructions, and together they shaped the minced meat into small pieces and placed them on a tray for easy steaming later.

As the two were working, Qing Kuo suddenly remembered, "Did you call me here for something?"

Jian Mo nodded. "After the weather warms up, won't the tribe need to quarry stones to build houses? A Hu and the others' houses collapsed, shouldn't they need to be rebuilt?"

Qing Kuo: "That's true, but it will take some time. What's wrong?"

Jian Mo: "I see that young people in the tribe can apply for stones, can I apply?"

Qing Kuo's hand paused. "Of course we can. You're also from the tribe. If you want, we'll help you build a house. I thought you'd always live with the chief, so I didn't ask you."

Jian Mo smiled and said, "I'll apply for a batch of stones first, then build a house. As for how to live there—we'll talk about that later."

Qing Kuo pondered for a moment, "Alright, I'll write it down. If you're not staying with the clan chief, we really should build you a house."

After thinking for a moment, Qing Kuo added, "There's still some time before spring, and the houses won't be finished so quickly. If you don't like living with the chieftain, there are empty houses in the tribe you can move into first, though they're not very big."

Jian Mo: "No, I'm quite used to it. By the way, could you tell Wu Jiong about the stone I asked you for help with the house application?"

Qing Kuo looked up at him.

He looked him in the eye, his gaze unwavering.

Qing Kuo laughed, "I really don't understand you young people anymore. Okay, I'll help you out, right?"

Jian Mo: "Thank you. Actually, I don't really understand other young people either."

Qing Kuo seemed to be in a much better mood, and said slowly, "The clan leader is quite easy to understand; there aren't many things he cares about."

After helping Qing Kuo make the meat pies, Jian Mo said goodbye and went home.

In the afternoon, the sun was shining brightly and warmly. Jian Mo originally wanted to go out and do some work, but in the end, she went back upstairs to catch up on a nap.

Wu Jiong returned in the evening.

He looked at Jian Mo, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

Jian Mo pretended not to see and asked him, "Is it okay if we have boiled sliced pork for dinner? We won't cook the stems separately; just boil them and put them under the pork slices."

Wu Jiong nodded. "Okay."

Wu Jiong watched Jian Mo busy himself for a while, then asked, "Did you go see Qing Kuo today?"

Jian Mo: "Yes, tell him to leave me some stones."

Wu Jiong lowered his eyelashes, making his long eyelashes appear exceptionally thick, and he looked very lost.

Jian Mo looked up at him, pursed her lips, and continued working.

Wu Jiong threw firewood into the fire pit. The firelight reflected on his face, and it was clear that he was in a bad mood.

Jian Mo sat on the other side, stretched out her long leg and kicked his foot. "Don't you have anything to say to me?"

Wu Jiong glanced at Jian Mo but didn't mention the house. Instead, he pulled over his basket, took something out, and handed it to Jian Mo: "I went to the Dianxin Tribe today to ask them to make me a flower wreath."

He handed over a flower wreath.

However, the wreath was made of metal and glass. The black ring was smooth and round, and inlaid with colorful glass—red, yellow, green, and blue—which formed a beautiful, somewhat abstract flower.

At first glance, the metal is smooth and textured, and the glass is crystal clear, like a naturally formed gemstone.

Jian Mo had no idea that the tribe produced so many colors of glass, let alone that metal rings paired with glass could be so beautiful.

It is indeed a wreath, but more importantly, it is a rare work of art.

Even in the entire course of history, Jian Mo has never seen a more beautiful wreath than this.

It gleamed brightly in the firelight, almost burning one's eyes.

Jian Mo has been in this world for a long time and knows very well the meaning of the wreath.

People used flower wreaths to express their love, and these wreaths were similar to rings in later times, almost equivalent to a marriage proposal.

Jian Mo was at a loss and looked up at Wu Jiong.

He actually went to get a flower wreath made today!

With so many materials and such an intricate design, he must have prepared for a long time.

Thinking of this, Jian Mo felt a sense of fullness in his heart, so full that it made his heart ache and his eyes well up with tears.