Jiujiu (continued)

Jian Mo was shorter and thinner than him. His animal-hide robe hung loosely on him, and its sleeves were too long. "I'll alter it after breakfast. What do you want to eat?"

Most of the time, they only ate two meals a day, so both needed to be fairly substantial.

Wu Jiong said, "How about yesterday's fish chunks and pickled-vegetable meat patties?"

Jian Mo nodded happily. "No problem. I'll also make some vegetable leaf soup and steam a few Wood-Stabilizing Roots."

Jian Mo braved the cold wind to wash up, then briskly brought out the various pots.

They used a hearth, which could hold several pots at once. The vegetable leaf soup, Wood-Stabilizing Roots, and steamed meat patties only needed two pots, so they could all be cooked quickly at the same time, without Jian Mo having to watch them constantly.

After putting the pots on the hearth, Jian Mo brought over the pan he had used to fry the fish chunks yesterday.

It was still nearly half full of oil. After frying for so long, the animal fat had turned dark and was full of bits of residue.

With a reasonable supply of food available, Jian Mo decided not to eat the oil anymore.

He found a large bowl and poured the oil into it, planning to take some out later to mix with mashed plant stems and tubers for the Flying-Winged Beast.

Animal fat was good stuff, and pouring it straight out would be a waste. Giving the Flying-Winged Beast an extra meal was a good option.

Both of them were quick and capable with their hands.

By the time they finished breakfast, most of the tribe still hadn't finished eating.

Wu Jiong took the bowls and chopsticks to wash them and cleaned the house.

Once everyone had gathered, they prepared to go out foraging.

Jian Mo went with Zhou Fu and the others again today.

They were relatively young, and they got along well enough in conversation.

The tribe had lived here for generations, so everyone knew exactly what could be gathered on each mountain.

Today's foraging went fairly smoothly as well.

Even Jian Mo, a rookie, gathered more than half a basket of food.

Zhou Fu said that food was most plentiful in spring and autumn, while finding food in winter was very difficult.

Their tribe was relatively well off, with abundant resources nearby.

If some tribes couldn't get much food in summer and autumn, their beastmen and sub-beastmen would choose to eat for two days and go hungry for one, and would eat on only a little more than half the days in winter.

Hearing this, Jian Mo sighed inwardly. With productivity so low, life really wasn't easy for the people of this world.

When Jian Mo and the others returned that evening, most of the beastmen's hunting teams had yet to come back, and Wu Jiong's group hadn't returned either.

After preparing the food, Jian Mo carried some feed to the Flying-Winged Beast and checked its body while he was there.

The Flying-Winged Beast's eyes lit up as soon as it saw Jian Mo. "Chirp, chirp."

With grass on his back and a container of mashed stems and tubers mixed with the animal fat used to fry the fish in his hand, Jian Mo pushed away the Flying-Winged Beast's big head as it came toward him. "How can you be so greedy?"

The Flying-Winged Beast hopped up and down twice. "Chirp, chirp!"

Jian Mo smiled and touched its leg. "Stop jumping. Doesn't it hurt when the rope pulls tight?"

Jian Mo put the food in front of the Flying-Winged Beast and checked its body while it ate.

Soon, Jian Mo discovered that the scab on the Flying-Winged Beast's wound had fallen off, revealing pink skin with fur growing on it.

Its wing also seemed to have more or less healed.

At least, when Jian Mo touched it, it showed no sign of discomfort.

When it had flapped its wings just now, Jian Mo hadn't noticed any hitch in its movements either, which meant that moving its wing didn't hurt much anymore.

The Flying-Winged Beast's ability to heal really was remarkable. He just didn't know how well beastmen and sub-beastmen could heal.

By rights, it should be pretty good. In any case, although everyone knew he was a veterinarian, no one apart from Hong Qiu at the very beginning had come to see him so far.

The Flying-Winged Beast always ate quickly. Before long, it had finished and raised its head to look at Jian Mo expectantly.

Jian Mo spread his hands. "I don't have anything else for you to eat. Wait a bit. Once we've finished dinner, we'll see if there are any leftovers for you."

The Flying-Winged Beast said, "Chirp, chirp."

They didn't necessarily have leftovers every time, but after cooking, they could add a little water to the stone slab and stone pots and rinse them, then put all kinds of vegetable peels and leaves in and boil them for an extra meal for the Flying-Winged Beast.

The Flying-Winged Beast had a big appetite and didn't turn its nose up at food like that.

After feeding the Flying-Winged Beast, Jian Mo returned to Wu Jiong's home with his basket on his back.

The two ran into each other head-on. Wu Jiong asked, "Did you just go feed the Flying-Winged Beast?"

"Yes." Jian Mo walked alongside him. "I also checked it over just now. Its wing has more or less healed. I think it can fly."

Wu Jiong said, "I'll go take a look."

Jian Mo had only just come back from seeing the Flying-Winged Beast, but he went with Wu Jiong to see it again.

The Flying-Winged Beast was as enthusiastic as ever when it saw Jian Mo, chirping at him from far away. He was the only person in the whole tribe who received that kind of treatment.

When he came closer, the Flying-Winged Beast saw that his basket was empty and immediately drooped in disappointment. "Whimper."

Jian Mo gave its plump rump a pat. "I'll feed you again later."

The Flying-Winged Beast chirped.

Beside them, Wu Jiong gently pulled the Flying-Winged Beast's wing, making it move.

The Flying-Winged Beast was afraid of Wu Jiong and didn't dare move, letting him do as he pleased.

Jian Mo watched from the side and asked expectantly, "How is it? The Flying-Winged Beast is doing well, right?"

Wu Jiong said, "It feels normal again. We can find time to train it."

Jian Mo couldn't help getting excited. "Train it to carry people through the sky?"

Wu Jiong nodded.

Jian Mo said, "What tools do we need, then? Should we hurry and make them?"

Wu Jiong said, "We don't need much. A lasso made from sturdy rope will do."

Jian Mo said at once, "Do we have any rope at home? Or should we trade with someone for some? Qing Kuo has rope, and the rope he makes is especially good!"

Wu Jiong said, "I'll go ask him."

Jian Mo urged him on. "Hurry. I'll stay here with the Flying-Winged Beast."

The Flying-Winged Beast had no idea they were already preparing to ride it. It gazed at Jian Mo with big, round eyes full of excitement.