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Ran Wu: "I got up when I heard a noise outside."

People from the tribe arrived one after another, each carrying an empty bucket to collect tree sap later.

Jian Mo also brought over a bucket, which was significantly larger than the empty buckets carried by most people.

Qing Kuo walked over and laughed at him, "Carrying such a big empty bucket, what if you can't even fill it halfway? Won't you be very disappointed?"

Jian Mo: "No, that won't happen. Just bring a bigger bucket, so it doesn't spill."

After greeting Ran Wu, Qing Kuo said from the side, "The wooden tubes I installed for Jian Mo shouldn't be less than half full; I installed quite a lot."

Everyone laughed when they saw the boy's serious expression.

Once everyone had arrived, the beastmen transformed back into their beast forms and set off.

They were running even faster this time to harvest the produce than they had last night.

It was a bit chilly in the morning, but Jian Mo's heart was burning with warmth.

He had never tasted tree sap before, nor did he ever taste it on Earth, and he was quite curious about its flavor.

With endless anticipation, they arrived at the Purpleheart Tree forest where they had collected sap the previous night.

Upon arrival at their destination, everyone went to retrieve the wooden tubes they had personally installed, based on the areas they had surveyed the previous night.

Ran Wu said the collected tree sap should be given to Jian Mo, so the three of them set off together.

Once they reached the tree, Jian Mo looked at the wooden tubes that had been installed the night before.

The wooden tube was about the size of a 500ml water glass. Gently peeling back the leaves, it was found to be filled to the brim with a clear liquid, probably about 500 or 600ml.

The sap emitted a sweet and refreshing aroma, very pleasant.

Jian Mo the wooden tube, waiting for Wu Jiong to pull out the wooden nails from the tube wall, and then carefully removed the tube.

He was about to pour the sap into the bucket when Wu Jiong grabbed his wrist. "The sap can be drunk directly."

Jian Mo: "Really? Then I'll try it."

Jian Mo tilted her head back slightly, raised the wooden tube, and poured a mouthful of tree sap into her mouth.

The sap touches the tongue, feeling cool and refreshing with a slightly sweet taste, somewhat like mint water, but not as strong. It's much tastier than mint water, with a unique aroma amidst its sweetness.

It was surprisingly delicious, better than any other drink he had ever had.

Jian Mo's eyes lit up, and she held up the sap for Wu Jiong to drink as well. "It tastes very good."

Wu Jiong: "If it doesn't taste good, no one will bother to make it."

Jian Mo laughed. Collecting tree sap only after the moon rises and then collecting all the sap before sunrise is indeed quite a hassle.

Wu Jiong didn't drink directly from the bottle; he took a sip and then handed it to Ran Wu.

Without hesitation, Ran Wu took a big gulp. "Delicious!"

Wu Jiong: "Drink more, this is a specialty of the Riverside Tribe."

Ran Wu held the wooden tube and nodded vigorously.

The Purple Heart Tree produced quite a lot of sap, and eventually the bucket that Jian Mo brought was more than half full.

He was a little worried that the sap inside might spill out, so when he climbed onto Wu Jiong's back, he made sure to tie the wooden bucket to his front and hold it with his hands.

Surprisingly, Wu Jiong ran very smoothly; not a single drop of sap spilled out despite the long distance.

They went home and had breakfast.

Jian Mo looked at the nearly half-bucket of tree sap she had painstakingly collected. "How are we going to preserve this?"

Wu Jiong: "Just freeze it in a shady place outside. When you want to drink it, just cut off a piece."

Jian Mo: "Will it taste the same after thawing? Will it be less refreshing?"

Wu Jiong: "How much? So drink more now, and freeze any leftovers."

Jian Mo immediately took the three cups and poured three more, filling them to the brim. "Come on, let's all drink quickly, don't waste any. Especially you, Ran Wu, you should drink more."

Ran Wu pursed his lips and nodded.

Jian Mo picked up her cup and took a big gulp, letting out a satisfied sigh, "Speaking of which, we have a similar drink where I'm from. Besides drinking it, we also use it to cook chicken."

Wu Jiong roughly knew what a chicken was, and upon hearing this, he said, "I'll go hunt a good-tasting bird later."

Jian Mo immediately said, "Then it's up to you. I'll go gather some fresh spices, and we can make bird soup tonight!"

Wu Jiong: "I'll take Ran Wu with me later."

Even in winter, there are relatively fresh spices available outside. Jian Mo took Qing Kuo to pick some spices and invited them to his home for dinner.

Jian Mo felt a little embarrassed, having troubled them quite a bit during this time.

That evening, Jian Mo made bird soup with tree sap.

Bird meat cooked with tree sap does indeed have an exceptionally sweet flavor, and when dipped in fresh seasoning, it has a completely different and delicious taste.

Everyone ate meat and drank soup, and they were all very satisfied.

Ban Ming rubbed his stomach and said, "Jian Mo, your cooking is amazing! I want to learn from you so I can make it for A Meng after we become a couple."

Jian Mo was a little surprised and smiled, "Sure, you can come and learn anytime if you're willing. Actually, I only ever cook the same dishes, it's not difficult."

Ban Ming counted on his fingers. "That's different. You have frying, stir-frying, steaming, deep-frying, baking, roasting, oh, and boiled dishes. There are too many varieties, I can't remember them all."

Jian Mo smiled and said, "Then you should learn the most commonly used patterns."

Ran Wu: "I'll learn too."

Jian Mo: "Learn, learn, learn! As long as you're willing to learn, I'll teach you, and I won't charge you tuition."

Everyone laughed.

Ran Wu has indeed grown a lot in the Riverside Tribe; even his beast form has grown larger.

His two fathers would visit him every few days, and each time they saw the changes in him, Min Dang's eyes would redden.

That day, Ran Wu's two fathers came to see him again.

In addition to bringing two large baskets of meat for Jian Mo and Wu Jiong, they also specially brought a bag of peppercorns.

Jian Mo: "You're too kind."

Min Dang's eyes reddened again. "It's nothing, thank you for taking care of Ran Wu."

As she spoke, Min Dang put her arm around Ran Wu's shoulder. "None of us expected Ran Wu to recover so quickly."