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As he spoke, Ji Xun's gaze fell on Jiujiu and Ying'ao: "They're so well cared for."

Jiujiu seemed to understand that Ji Xun was praising it, and called out loudly, "Jiujiu!"

Jian Mo smiled and patted Jiujiu's neck, "Its name is Jiujiu, and the one next door is called Ying'ao. They are indeed very nice."

Ji Xun nodded. "The Flying-Winged Beast can be chained outside, come in."

Jian Mo: "We usually don't tie them up, they won't cause trouble, is that okay?"

Ji Xun glanced at Jiujiu and Ying'ao a couple more times, then nodded. "As long as they don't damage my vegetable garden."

Jian Mo smiled and said, "We also grew vegetables, and they all know that."

Jian Mo and the others released Jiujiu and Ying'ao, letting the two of them move around freely, and then went into the house with Ji Xun.

The cabin was soon packed to the brim.

Jian Mo looked around. The small wooden house had a hearth, a cabinet, and small flowers growing in a ceramic pot. Although it was small, it looked very neat and cozy.

Ji Xun must be someone who loves life.

Ji Xun gestured for them to sit down, picked up the pot, and said, "I'm cooking, shall I make you an extra portion?"

The chubby chirps chirped, "Alright, then we won't be polite!"

After the chubby birds finished speaking, they said to Jian Mo and the others, "Ji Xun's cooking is amazing, absolutely delicious, one of a kind."

Ji Xun: "No, it's just a bit unusual."

Ji Xun was rinsing the rice, Jian Mo glanced at it and realized it was clearly Pearl Rice, likely all wild. Some grains weren't very plump, and they varied in size and shape.

The Pearl Rice grown here should be more uniform, not like this.

Ji Xun rinsed two large pots of rice and placed them horizontally on the fire pit, then took out some dried meat.

Jian Mo noticed that the dried meat he made was half lean and half fat, and its moisture content was much higher than that of ordinary dried meat. It didn't look like it had been air-dried at all, and it was even coated with a layer of sauce.

Ji Xun used a metal dagger to cut the dried meat into pieces and spread them evenly in the pot.

The cut dried meat has a slightly runny texture, with oily lean meat and translucent fat, making it look very tempting.

After placing the meat in the pot, Ji Xun covered it with the lid and stuffed grass around the edge of the lid, making the pot completely sealed except for a vent in the middle.

After seeing it, Jian Mo exclaimed, "We have a similar way of cooking rice where I'm from, called claypot rice. After the rice is almost cooked, we put in some greens, then crack an egg on top, and finally drizzle some sauce over it when it's ready to serve."

Ji Xun glanced at Jian Mo, "I sometimes eat like that too."

Jian Mo: "Do you make special rice crust? We sometimes make a special rice crust where I'm from; it tastes extra delicious."

Ji Xun: "Yes, I also like to eat crispy rice crusts."

The two chatted, exchanging techniques for cooking claypot rice, and then talked about planting.

Ji Xun said he was originally a sub-beastman of the Thick Flow Tribe, but later he didn't like interacting with people and was no longer interested in the tribe's life, so he simply moved out to live.

It was too much trouble for him to collect the plants alone, and it wasn't safe to go too far, so he simply planted the collected plants in front of his house, and gradually the land was cultivated.

He doesn't eat much; planting a little bit is enough, which is much more convenient than going outside.

Jian Mo agreed, saying that if they grew their own food, they could eat whatever they wanted without having to rely on luck to gather resources outside.

Ji Xun the same idea.

The two got along very well.

The rice in the pot was ready quickly. Ji Xun took them outside to pick vegetables. They washed the vegetables with snow water from a spot not far from the house, wrung them out, put them in the pot, and then drizzled them with oil.

Before putting the lid on the pot to simmer the rice again, Ji Xun found a few bird eggs and, following Jian Mo's instructions, cracked them into the pot.

Once the rice was cooked and the quail eggs had just solidified, Ji Xun poured on the sauce, flipped the crispy rice and rice from the bottom to the top, stirred it well, and said to everyone, "It's ready to eat."

They each received a bowl of rice.

The rice was cooked just right, with the perfect texture—soft yet firm—steaming hot, and with a unique aroma.

The crispy rice crust at the bottom is even crispier, making a crunchy sound when you bite into it.

Jian Mo picked up a spoon and took a bite, instantly exclaiming in amazement. "Is the sauce here similar to the sauce from the Snow Foot Tribe?"

Ji Xun nodded. "It was traded from their tribe."

Jian Mo: "I knew it! It's so delicious, the rich and savory flavor is amazing!"

Ji Xun: "Try a piece of meat. This is a recipe I came up with myself."

Following his recommendation, Jian Mo actually tried a piece.

The meat has a slightly sweet taste, and the texture is just right – tender and juicy. It's incredibly delicious, and when you bite into it, the rich juices flow out. It's not greasy at all, but very fragrant, and it's absolutely fantastic with rice.

Jian Mo gave a thumbs up. "This rich flavor truly whets the appetite to the extreme!"

You could tell from the fact that the fat chicks could no longer speak and were just burying their heads in their rice.

Ji Xun's eyes sparkled. "Eat more if you like, there's more in the pot."

Jian Mo asked somewhat shyly, "Could I have two more servings? I'd like our two Flying-Winged Beasts to try some too."

Ji Xun: "They can eat human food?"

Jian Mo: "Sure, as long as the percentage isn't too high."

Jiujiu a small portion of their food is cooked; the majority consists of fresh grass stems and tubers gathered directly from the wild.

Ji Xun exclaimed, "You've taken such good care of them!"

Jian Mo: "Our own beasts should be taken good care of."

The two got along well, and after dinner, Ji Xun took Jian Mo and Wu Jiong to see the place where he kept Honey Sparrow.

Ji Xun pointed to a row of Honey Sparrow on the back hill and said, "I raise them here. Most of the time they can find their own food and even save extra honey in their nests. I take the extra honey."

Jian Mo nodded. "We've found the Honey Sparrow and made contact with it."

Ji Xun laughed, "No wonder you want to raise them. Raising Honey Sparrow is quite nice, not too troublesome. All I have to do is drive away their natural predators, provide some food when there's a shortage, and take them indoors to wait when the weather is too bad."

Years younger

Come on, there won't be many times when you need to worry.