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Although it obstructs walking a bit, the path here is relatively easy to walk on, and there's someone leading the way, so it's not a big problem.

Qing Kuo and the others have now realized that Jian Mo really likes this thing he calls a bean pod.

Jian Mo said earnestly, "If we follow your logic, after processing it, even if we can't finish it ourselves, we can use it to feed Jiujiu or Pack-Pack Beast."

Qing Kuo: "Yes, your family has Pack-Pack Beast."

Jian Mo: "It's not entirely a matter of feeding the Pack-Pack Beast. Bean pods are easier to pick than Flour Fruit, right? We picked all the Flour Fruit last year."

Qing Kuo: "But it's really poisonous. Eating too much will make you vomit and have diarrhea. That won't do."

Jian Mo: "Let me handle this first. I'll see if I can come up with other ways to eat it."

Seeing Jian Mo's reaction, no one said anything more.

When they reached a more difficult part of the road, Qing Kuo even offered to carry the basket on his chest.

When they returned to the tribe, everyone who saw Jian Mo was surprised that he had picked so many pods.

When Jian Mo returned home, several of her chicks, including Banjiu, were obediently guarding the yard, chasing away other birds.

When Jian Mo returned, the kids ran up to him, some pulling at his pants, others at his shirt, all looking curiously at the basket on his back.

Upon seeing that it was a fruit pod, the little ones nimbly jumped off him and ran to the side.

Jian Mo: "Is it really necessary?"

The little white wolf Zhou Dao wagged its tail. "Awoo-- Jian Mo, this doesn't taste good, it's poisonous."

Jian Mo: "Shall I try to make it taste better?"

Zhou Dao stood there for a moment, then finally took a step back. "Forget it, I'd better not try."

Even this greedy little white wolf doesn't like the pods. Jian Mo really wonders if these things are completely different from the bean pods on Earth.

But beans are really good, and he himself has a great fondness for all kinds of beans.

Seeing that Jian Mo had returned and their task of guarding the wild vegetables was complete, the little ones grabbed the meatballs they had been given and ran off to play.

Jian Mo gathered the dried wild vegetables and brought the undried ones inside to dry again tomorrow, then processed the fruit pods.

The pods are a bit rough; even the small pods have fuzz on their shells.

Jian Mo scrubbed it with salt to clean it as much as possible, then chopped it up, squeezed out the water, and boiled it in kitchen salt water.

After it was cooked, he picked up a piece and tasted it. As soon as he put it in his mouth, it did have a slightly bitter bean flavor. It wasn't too bad, but it was definitely not delicious either.

The seeds inside look more like young beans, but they taste more bitter than the pods, and the plant's unique aroma is more pronounced.

This thing is definitely different from beans.

Jian Mo has seen countless beans and knows that not every bean tastes good.

Some beans are naturally bitter, like the famous mung bean, which has a slightly bitter taste.

It doesn't matter if it's bitter, as long as it's not poisonous and can be eaten.

Legumes provide a large amount of protein and a variety of nutrients, making them a very superior crop. If they are not poisonous, it's good to prepare a larger quantity to keep on hand.

Steam was rising from the kitchen.

Wu Jiong walked in unnoticed and asked from behind Jian Mo, "Boiling fruit pods?"

Jian Mo turned her head and exclaimed, "Yes! These are very likely the beans I told you about!"

Wu Jiong stepped forward, put his arm around the man's waist, and looked into the pot. "Aren't the beans delicious?"

Jian Mo: "Hmm? It seems you don't like these pods?"

Wu Jiong stared at the pods in the pot. "They're a bit poisonous."

Jian Mo: "Let's try soaking it first to see if we can remove the toxins."

As she spoke, Jian Mo picked up another pod and popped it into her mouth. "It's not too bad."

Wu Jiong: "You might prefer it."

Jian Mo now finally understood why, despite the beans covering the hillsides, no one picked them or even recognized them as beans.

It seems that most people in the Riverside Tribe don't like this food, and they are less accepting of it than processed Flour Fruit cakes.

Just as Jian Mo was busy, Qing Kuo's voice came from outside. "Jian Mo, are you there? I've come to bring you the dried fruit pods from last year."

Jian Mo: "In the kitchen! Come in quickly."

Qing Kuo came in carrying a basket and showed Jian Mo the dried brown pods. "These are the pods dried last year. Try them first; they're not poisonous, but the taste is just so-so."

Jian Mo picked up a small piece and looked at it in her hand. It really looked like dried green beans. She took a small bite, and a salty and raw plant flavor filled her mouth.

Jian Mo scooped clean hot water from another pot and filled a ceramic basin with it. "We'll try it later."

Qing Kuo: "Okay, just ask me for more when you're done eating them. We still have quite a few fruit pods that we dried last year, but I reckon by the time we finish eating them, the fruit pods you dried this year should be ready too."

Jian Mo: "Maybe."

Wu Jiong didn't particularly like these pods, but he didn't complain much about the work.

After Jian Mo blanched the pods, Wu Jiong helped carry them upstream to soak them in the flowing water.

Jian Mo even peeled some dried bean pods from last year; the beans inside were smooth and plump, without a trace of insect damage.

The beans are indeed more bitter than the pods; they don't smell good and taste just okay.

Jian Mo also boiled it in water, then soaked and rinsed it in the river.

If the final product of this bean is still very different from beans on Earth, then the world may not even have the kind of bean he wants.

Thinking about this, Jian Mo couldn't help but feel somewhat frustrated.

But then again, they already had enough food, so whether or not they had beans didn't really make a big difference to them.

You need to relax and have a calm mindset.

After boiling the pods in salt water, the people in the tribe usually put them in the river to rinse overnight, and then bring them back to dry the next morning.

Jian Mo was obsessed with the taste, so she left it outside to rinse for three days.

The rinsing time was long enough, and the bitterness of the pods was indeed reduced considerably. However, in contrast, the flavor of the pods themselves also diminished, making them taste somewhat bland.