Rainy Season (Continued)

He happened to be running low on insect wax, so he asked someone to exchange it with the Yangyao Tribe for a batch, which he would then stockpile and use gradually.

The medicinal oil I got from the Mengshui Tribe is very useful.

It's been raining for the past few days, and the intermittent heavy rain has caused the river near the village to rise considerably, forcing insects to seek refuge in people's homes.

Thanks to the medicinal oil from the Mengshui Tribe, they suffered from far fewer bites.

That morning, when Jian Mo woke up, it was raining again.

Rainwater streamed in through the half-open window, wetting the walls and floor. The glass window was fogged up by the moisture, and he couldn't see anything when he looked out.

He picked up a rag and wiped himself haphazardly, then opened the window and looked outside.

The forests in the distant mountains are a deep, lush green, and mist drifts through the mountains.

Nearby, several giant wolves and cats were busy working in the tribe.

Etc--

Jian Mo looked closely and discovered that Wu Jiong was also among them, and it seemed that he was carrying something on his huge back.

The raindrops soaked his fur, causing his beautiful medium-length hair to clump together, making him look a bit disheveled.

They were too far apart for Jian Mo to see clearly.

He quickly put on his shoes, went downstairs, put on his hat, and headed outside to see if he could go and help.

When they reached the center of the tribe, Jian Mo noticed that they were carrying baskets of sand on their backs.

Someone is dumping sand on the ground and using a large wooden board to smooth it out.

Upon seeing Jian Mo approach, one of the men scraping sand straightened up and called out, "Jian Mo, what brings you here?"

Jian Mo realized the man was Qing Kuo: "You're laying sand so early in the morning?"

Qing Kuo: "The road is too muddy. Several people slipped and fell yesterday, so I was thinking of taking advantage of my free time to bring back some sand to pave the road."

Jian Mo over to help. "It's not too late to lay it after the rain stops."

Qing Kuo wiped the water off his face. "It wasn't raining this morning, but it just started raining again. But we've already finished the work, so we thought we'd finish it first. You should go home now, so you don't get wet too."

Jian Mo: "It's okay, I was wearing a hat."

Jian Mo could even get started, the giant wolves and their crew came up carrying sand again.

Several taller sub-orcs went over to unload the sand, and upon seeing Wu Jiong's back, immediately shouted, "Why are there two big fish in the basket?"

De Jiang, whose beast-like form resembled a giant lion but lacked a mane, remarked from the side, "The chieftain saw Jian Mo coming and specially went down to the river to catch him."

The giant wolf didn't speak, but a smile appeared in its eyes.

One of the orcs pulled out a fish and handed it to Jian Mo, saying, "While the fish is still fresh, Jian Mo don't you take it back and cook it?"

Jian Mo lifted her hat and then realized that the orc was Min Dang.

Wearing a hat, Min Dang gently nudged Jian Mo, urging him to go back.

Jian Mo tied the fish to a tree trunk by the roadside. "It's raining, the fish won't die so easily. I'd better stay and work with everyone, finish quickly, and then everyone can go home for dinner."

Jian Mo insisted, and no one dared to send him away anymore.

So, everyone worked together to spread sand on the muddy road and then smoothed it out with wooden planks.

Although the road surface was still wet after the sand was laid, it was no longer muddy and slippery underfoot, making it much more comfortable than before.

Their tribe already has cement, but to make cement, they first have to burn charcoal, then burn stones, and then crush and mix them, which is too much work.

Nobody wanted to use cement for paving roads; using it for building houses was already the limit for everyone.

If we have extra cement, we might as well trade it for other resources with other tribes.

Qing Kuo said, "Let's take advantage of this free time to finish paving the roads throughout the entire tribe. Then we can scatter some flower seeds along the roadside, and it will look beautiful."

Jian Mo: "Aren't there flowering trees along the roadside?"

Various kinds of trees grow on the open ground of the Riverside Tribe. I don't know if they are planted by humans or wild. In spring, they bloom with flowers that look like peach blossoms, which are quite beautiful.

Qing Kuo: "That's not enough, let's plant some more. We'll see if we can plant some Red Sparrow Branch later, they'll come in handy."

They worked all morning, paving the entire stretch of road, before heading home.

Back home, Jian Mo boiled water and first took Wu Jiong to wash his hair and take a bath.

After cleaning up and changing into dry, new clothes, the two then made breakfast.

Wu Jiong prepares the fish, Jian Mo the side dishes.

After the fish was cleaned, Jian Mo poured animal fat into the pot, added a spoonful of salt, and then fried the fish over high heat.

A well-maintained metal pan is basically non-stick. Jian Mo high heat to quickly sear the fish until the skin is fragrant and thoroughly cooked, then gently flip it over and add all the seasonings to fry together.

Today's fish had two large clumps of roe, which he also fried on the side.

There are only two of them eating, and these two big fish are enough for breakfast.

The fish was pan-fried until dry and fragrant, coated with the flavors of salt and seasoning powder, making it very appetizing.

The fish roe, in particular, has a slightly grainy texture, and it's fragrant, smooth, and incredibly delicious.

Jian Mo sighed, "If only we had rice! Sweet rice would be such a perfect match for this slightly salty fish!"

Wu Jiong: "I'll go to Qing Kuo's house later and ask him to help me inquire whether I can get any information."

Jian Mo: "I asked before, and they all said no."

Wu Jiong: "Ask him again, didn't he get to know several new tribes of sub-orcs?"

"That's true, "Jian Mo nodded. "Then let's ask after we finish eating."

After breakfast, the two washed their clothes, tidied up the house, and then, wearing hats, went to Qing Kuo's house to inquire about the rice.

Qing Kuo had indeed forgotten to ask again during this period. Upon hearing their request, Qing Kuo said that he would ask for them when he met with the other tribes of sub-beastmen after the weather cleared up.

After asking about the rice, the two stayed at Qing Kuo's house to chat and petted the cat Banjiu, who was sleeping at home.

The kitten Banjiu has now grown into a big gray cat, and looks almost as big as a Samoyed.

Even when Jian Mo tried to hold him, it was difficult; only a tall, long-legged orc like Wu Jiong could still manage to put him on his lap and pet him.

The little guy is growing so fast. Jian Mo squeezed his paw; no wonder he's been sleeping so much lately.