Borrowing Flowers to Present to Buddha (continued)

After finishing their tea, Kang Ying led Mu Chu, who had just cleaned up Jiujiu's nest Mu Chu leave.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong went out to see them off, and insisted on giving them a small bag of nut candy as a return gift for the nuts they had brought.

Despite his reluctance to persuade Jian Mo, Kang Ying eventually gave in.

The two sides parted amicably.

As soon as they left the Riverside Tribe, Mu Chu pestered Kang Ying for a piece of candy. As he ate it slowly, the bear became happy again.

Even Kang Ying was exasperated. "Why do you like this candy so much?"

Mu Chu: "It's really delicious! Chieftain, you should try some too!"

Kang Ying said, "I won't try it; I'll take it back so Yi Wang and the others can learn to make some."

Mu Chu the candy in her cheek and said, "I think the candy made in our tribe might be different. Doctor Jian Mo's candy is soft and sticky, not as hard as regular candy."

Kang Ying's hands were itching, and he couldn't resist slapping Mu Chu on the back. "It's different, so be it!"

After seeing Kang Ying and Mu Chu, Wu Jiong went to attend to matters concerning the tribe, while Jian Mo went to check on the various crops he had planted.

The weather is nice today, it's warmer outside, and relatively drier, so I guess I'll need to water the crops.

While Jian Mo was watering her crops by the river, she saw a group of big cats and dogs swimming around in the water; it was Ban Ming and his friends.

Upon closer inspection, one could see the tribe's cubs swimming in the river.

Some of the cubs were too weak, so they sat on the backs of the big cats and dogs, their fur covering most of their bodies, leaving only their round heads showing.

These cubs included both orcs and sub-orcs. Jian Mo glanced around and realized that almost all the tribe's cubs were here.

Orcs and sub-orcs are different from pure humans, and even more different from the modern humans he has encountered.

Swimming in the river is basically a daily activity for them; their parents don't care, and Jian Mo can't possibly interfere.

Fortunately, the teenagers in the tribe are quite reliable, and the river is relatively shallow, so nothing serious will happen.

Looking at the river, Jian Mo couldn't help but ask the group, "Don't you guys feel cold?"

The big cats and dogs were very helpful and answered all questions enthusiastically, saying, "It's alright, not too cold. Jian Mo, would you like to come down for a swim? We'll water the plants for you later."

Jian Mo looked at the broken ice on the riverbank and politely declined, "Thanks, but I can't stand it."

The big cats and dogs said, "It's alright, spring has already arrived, it's not too cold."

Jian Mo asked in confusion, "Is it already spring?"

Big cats and dogs:

"Anyway, the ice has melted, so be it. Nobody's going to tell us when spring will actually arrive."

"I think it's over. I saw flowers blooming in the woods yesterday."

"Yes, yes, the algae have grown on the bottom of the river. Here, it feels like spring has arrived."

Listening to their chatter, Jian Mo decided to ask Wu Jiong when she got back.

Others may not know, but Wu Jiong certainly does.

The big cats and dogs, having finally managed to strike up a conversation with Jian Mo, were exceptionally enthusiastic. "Jian Mo, how are your crops growing?"

Jian Mo: "It's alright, it's sprouted some tender shoots. When I get back, I can pick some to cook with."

The big cats and dogs responded enthusiastically once again:

That sounds really good.

"Jian Mo, the seaweed in the river is edible too, do you want some? If so, we can pick some for you."

"Yes, yes, this seaweed tastes really good. I need to get home early later, Jian Mo, can I get some for you too?"

"Jian Mo you guys don't want to eat it, you can give it to Jiujiu. It tastes better than regular grass."

"Yes, we can also feed Jiujiu. We should scoop up a lot later!"

Jian Mo smiled and said to them, "Okay, be careful when you go down to retrieve it."

"Don't worry, Jian Mo, we'll be above water as soon as we stand up, we definitely won't drown!"

The big cats and dogs, rarely getting anything of importance done, went back to get baskets and scooped ten baskets for Jian Mo in one go.

Upon seeing this, Jian Mo paused for a moment, a rare occurrence. "Let Jiujiu eat; she'll need to eat for at least three days."

The big cats and dogs chuckled, "Then let it eat it for three days. If that doesn't work, we can dry it and let it eat it slowly later."

Jian Mo laughed, "If it could talk, we'd really have to thank you."

The big cats and dogs said, "Tell it not to be shy. This algae is edible even for humans, and it tastes just as good as the Pearl Algae from the Jintuo Tribe. Jian Mo, you can pick some tender shoots to eat."

Jian Mo: "Okay, we'll try it tonight."

Jian Mo originally planned to pick some Tendon Grass to make an egg, but since there was seaweed, she changed the egg to seaweed egg soup.

I'll make a big pot, and give some to Jiujiu.

Seaweed soup with oil, salt, and bird eggs is definitely tastier than plain seaweed and is more popular with Jiujiu.

There was so much algae today that Jian Mo found the largest earthenware pot, filled it with more than half water, and then scooped in a large piece of animal fat.

The water boiled quickly, bubbling and gurgling, Jian Mo poured in the washed and chopped seaweed.

After a short boil, the algae changes color and releases its unique, delicious aroma.

He poured in the beaten egg mixture, and after the egg flowers formed, the whole pot of soup looked even more appealing.

The soup was ready, and the meat patties that Jian Mo had been frying on the stone slab had developed a crispy crust.

He glanced at the food, picked out the meat patties he and Wu Jiong had eaten, ladled out a bowl of soup, and planned to give the remaining soup and meat patties to Jiujiu.

The frozen meat, stored for the entire winter, is now in spring, and with the warmer weather, its freshness has been greatly reduced.

He planned to turn the meat into various dishes, distribute them to Jiujiu, and consume them as soon as possible.

Jian Mo was lost in thought as she fed Jiujiu.

Jiujiu was very enthusiastic about every kind of food that Jian Mo made, and today was no exception. It quickly devoured most of the food while chirping away, and would look at Jian Mo expectantly with its round eyes from time to time, maximizing its emotional value.