A Lively Gathering

Qing Kuo said, "I'll go back and tell Di Ya and the others, then bring some food over."

Jian Mo thought for a moment and looked at the other sub-beastmen. "Why don't you bring your beastmen over too? I can set up a couple more pots. Stew is really easy to make."

Hearing that, Qing Kuo said, "In that case, let's have a tribal feast tonight. It's been a long time since we had one. Everyone can contribute some food, and we'll have a lively meal together. We can talk afterward."

Everyone agreed with the suggestion. Zhou Fu said, "After the Hunting Gathering, we were busy picking Flour Fruit and stocking up on food for winter, so we haven't had a feast yet. Today's a good chance to have some fun!"

Chapter 18: A Lively Gathering

When everyone heard about the feast, they brought food from home.

Besides contributing food, Jian Mo brought the ground spices and scallop powder he had prepared earlier.

When he made stew, he stir-fried the ingredients on a stone slab before simmering them, making it much more fragrant than a simple stew.

Everyone crowded around him, watching and learning.

Jian Mo had stir-fried several slabs' worth of meat when he turned around and found a row of eyes fixed on him. Even the little beastmen and sub-beastmen who couldn't yet take human form were crouched in the front row, standing on their hind legs and stretching upright to watch. He couldn't help smiling.

Zhou Fu sniffed. "I cook like that now too, but mine doesn't taste nearly as good. I wonder why?"

Jian Mo said casually, "It might be the heat or the seasonings. If the food heats unevenly and gets overcooked or stays half-raw, it won't taste very good. The wrong seasonings can make it taste bad too."

Zhou Fu sighed deeply. "Then when will I ever be able to cook something tasty?"

Jian Mo smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "You'll just have to practice more."

Jian Mo took a small spoon and sampled the broth from each pot. Once he was sure there was enough salt in all of them, he left them to bubble away.

With nothing to do for the moment, everyone gathered around the bonfire to chat.

The children ran around nearby with the little ones who hadn't yet taken human form.

Jian Mo found the atmosphere truly

warm and cozy

and, for once, relaxed.

He picked up some leftover Flour Fruit cakes from beside him, threaded them onto small sticks, and slowly toasted them over the fire.

The toasted Flour Fruit cakes developed a mottled crust, while the cakes themselves became softer and chewier, giving off a faint fragrance.

Drawn by the Flour Fruit cakes in his hands, the little ones gradually came over and crouched at his feet, clustering around him.

Banjiu, a little cat who couldn't yet take human form, knew Jian Mo best. Standing at his feet, he gave a little hop and landed on Jian Mo's lap.

He kneaded Jian Mo's leg with his little paws. Seeing no sign of objection, the kitten settled down on his lap, turned his round head, and stared motionlessly at the freshly toasted Flour Fruit cake.

Jian Mo set the cake aside to cool for a bit, then tore off a piece and popped it into his mouth. After tasting it and finding no strange flavor and that it wasn't hot, he tore off another piece and held it in front of little Banjiu.

Banjiu meowed.

The little fellow sniffed it, then curled his pink tongue around it and pulled it straight into his mouth. He chewed first on the left, then on the right, concentrating on his Flour Fruit cake.

The other little ones at Jian Mo's feet wouldn't stand for that. They pawed at him and yelped impatiently, letting him know they wanted some too.

He glanced at them and smiled, tearing the cake into small pieces and feeding them one by one.

Seeing this, the others also used little wooden sticks to toast Flour Fruit cakes.

The aroma of toasted Flour Fruit soon drifted around the bonfire.

Watching the scene before him, Jian Mo couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. After giving it some thought, he beckoned to an older child nearby.

Jiang Xing, who was crouching nearby waiting for food, immediately stood up. "Brother Jian Mo! What do you need?"

Jian Mo said, "Could you help me get a jar of jam from my house? The jar of sand-yellow fruit jam I put on the shelf."

Jiang Xing had often gone into his house to watch him cook and knew where the jam was kept. "Should I bring the whole jar?"

Jian Mo nodded.

Jiang Xing said, "Then wait for us!"

The children chased one another as they all ran off to fetch the jam for Jian Mo.

Jian Mo picked up a few more Flour Fruit cakes and toasted them together.

Before long, Jiang Xing came running back, out of breath, with the jar of jam in his arms. "Brother Jian Mo, here you go!"

Jian Mo took the jar. "Thank you. Wait, don't go yet-"

Jian Mo called Jiang Xing back, opened the jar, and used a clean little stick to scoop out some jam and spread it on the Flour Fruit cake.

The freshly toasted cake was sticky and hot, and as soon as the jam was spread on it, it gave off a sweet fragrance.

The children's eyes lit up, and they nearly drooled.

Jian Mo gave each of the children who had helped fetch the jam a stick of toasted Flour Fruit cake, then gave one to Wu Jiong as well.

The children couldn't wait to start eating, while the adults looked at Jian Mo and then at Wu Jiong, subtle smiles appearing on their faces.

Only Zhou Fu watched the jam with shining eyes. "You can eat it like that too?"

"Yes, it tastes good." Jian Mo set the jar down in front of them. "Spread some on yourselves."

Everyone's attention was instantly diverted. Zhou Fu was the first to reach out. "It smells so good! Don't mind if I do."

After spreading on the jam, Zhou Fu first handed a stick to Jian Mo, then gave one each to his mate and child. He couldn't wait to bite into his own Flour Fruit cake. "Mmm, it's so good!!! So sweet and chewy!!!"

As everyone ate their toasted Flour Fruit cakes with jam, similarly moved expressions appeared on their faces.

Jian Mo smiled nearby. A combination of carbs and sugar couldn't fail to make people happy. "Everyone, have some more."

As everyone happily ate their cakes and discussed picking more Flour Fruit when they had time, the sub-beastman Ye Luo said, "I seem to remember that our tribe has Flour Fruit too."

Ban Ming said, "Impossible!!! We've been everywhere in the tribe's territory and never seen a trace of Flour Fruit."

Ye Luo was good friends with Qing Kuo and didn't mind Ban Ming's words. He merely asked, "Have you been behind the mountain over by the Green Marsh Source?"

Ban Ming froze. "We don't like eating fish, so why would we go over there?"

Ye Luo shrugged. "That's why you never found the Flour Fruit."