Recaps

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong successfully made paper from soaked bark fibers, and the first sheets dried well enough to write on. The Riverside Tribe eagerly anticipated making more.

• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong soaked pounded bark fibers in the tribe's hide-soaking pit and made fine-mesh papermaking screens.
• Jian Mo showed the gathered Riverside Tribe members how to scoop the fibers onto screens and lay the sheets out to dry.
• Wu Jiong and Qing Kuo made sheets successfully, and the others took turns until they had used all the fibers.
• Ban Ming and others found the dried paper the next morning and hurried to tell Jian Mo.
• Jian Mo examined a sheet and found it soft, pliable, and good enough to write on.

Jian Mo and the Riverside Tribe made their first paper notebook, and the tribe agreed to produce paper and clothes for him. He and Wu Jiong then made charcoal writing pens, and Jian Mo showed Wu Jiong two styles of writing.

• Jian Mo showed the tribe how to bind paper sheets into a notebook, and Qing Kuo, Ye Luo and the others helped make the Riverside Tribe's first one.
• Jian Mo suggested that the tribe make paper together, and Wu Jiong agreed while Qing Kuo proposed keeping the method secret and rewarding Jian Mo with supplies.
• Jian Mo asked for extra paper and agreed to draw clothing designs for a batch of clothes the tribe would make for him.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong experimented with charcoal, animal fat and clay to make writing pens, then dried and wrapped them in bark.
• Jian Mo wrote in the notebook with a new pen, and showed Wu Jiong how his writing looked in running script.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong shared a quiet exchange of calligraphy and love poems before Ban Ming arrived with news that Shu Guang, chief of the Qin Sea Tribe, was near death. Jian Mo set off with Wu Jiong to reach the injured chief and assess his condition.

• Jian Mo showed Wu Jiong different scripts and wrote down poems they shared from their respective cultures.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong went gathering in the woods southeast of the tribe after deciding to spend time working on their own.
• Ban Ming arrived on Jiujiu and told Jian Mo that Shu Guang had been seriously injured and was dying.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong raced back to the Riverside Tribe, where exhausted members of the Qin Sea Tribe explained that a Horizontal-Horned Beast had gored Shu Guang and his intestines had fallen out.
• Jian Mo said he would hurry to the Qin Sea Tribe to examine Shu Guang.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong rushed to the Qin Sea Tribe after learning that Shu Guang had been gravely injured. Jian Mo found Shu Guang alive but with severed intestines and severe abdominal contamination, and warned the tribe that emergency surgery was his only chance, though survival was uncertain.

• Jian Mo agreed to go to the Qin Sea Tribe to help Shu Guang, and Wu Jiong joined him while Qing Kuo and De Jiang promised to care for their tribe.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong rode Jiujiu to the Qin Sea Tribe, where its people confirmed that Shu Guang was still alive.
• The Qin Sea Tribe's people told Jian Mo that Shu Guang's intestines had been severed and that their medicines had not helped.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong entered Shu Guang's cave and found him conscious, with a large abdominal wound and two severed sections of small intestine.
• Jian Mo told the Qin Sea Tribe's people that Shu Guang needed immediate surgery but might still not survive.

Jian Mo operated on Chief Shu Guang using catgut made from a Pack-Pack Beast’s intestines after discovering that Shu Guang’s intestines had ruptured. Shu Guang survived the operation and slowly improved, while the Qin Sea Tribe prepared stronger tendon sutures in case the deep stitches failed.

• Jian Mo asked the Qin Sea Tribe to provide Pack-Pack Beast intestines, which he sterilized and used to stitch Shu Guang’s ruptured intestines and close his wounds.
• Jian Mo completed the operation, then warned the tribe that the catgut might not be strong enough for Shu Guang’s large body and asked them to find Long-Tailed Beasts for tendon sutures.
• Jian Mo stayed to watch over Shu Guang, rested briefly after confirming Jiujiu was safe, and Wu Jiong remained by his side.
• The Qin Sea Tribe brought back Long-Tailed Beasts, and Jian Mo had their tendons prepared and steamed as backup sutures.
• Shu Guang’s condition held through the night, and Jian Mo observed that he was slowly improving.

Jian Mo cared for Shu Guang after surgery and found him recovering well, though he restricted his movement and water intake to protect the weak stitches. Jian Mo stayed in Qin Sea to monitor him while Wu Jiong returned to the Riverside Tribe.

• Shu Guang woke, recognized Jian Mo, Wu Jiong, and Shu Ming, and soon fell back into a semicoma.
• That evening, Shu Guang woke again, told Jian Mo he was thirsty, and drank a little water one spoonful at a time.
• Jian Mo warned Shu Guang to remain in bed and avoid moving or changing form, and Shu Ming promised the tribe would watch over him.
• After resting, Jian Mo found Shu Guang recovering further and allowed the Qin Sea Tribe to prepare him a small serving of meat broth.
• Wu Jiong returned to the Riverside Tribe, while Jian Mo stayed in Qin Sea for several days to monitor Shu Guang.

Jian Mo bathed Jiujiu by the river, where Qin Sea Tribe children invited the hungry creature to watch them fish. After the children failed to catch anything, Jian Mo asked to borrow a fishing rod.

• Wu Jiong left Jian Mo with Shu Ming, Kuang Ning, and the others after asking them to look after him.
• Jian Mo took Jiujiu to the river, bathed it, and let it dry in the sun.
• Qin Sea Tribe children invited Jiujiu to watch them fish, and it eagerly followed them upstream.
• The children fished for a long time without catching anything, while Jiujiu waited hungrily.
• Jian Mo arrived and asked the children if he could borrow a fishing rod, and they readily agreed.

Jian Mo caught several fish in the Qin Sea Tribe and taught the cubs and adults to roast them in leaves sealed with mud. After staying until Shu Guang was recovering steadily, Jian Mo announced that he was returning to the Riverside Tribe to gather food.

• Jian Mo cut the bait into smaller pieces, caught a large fish, and warned the cubs not to eat raw fish because of parasites.
• Jian Mo caught several more fish with help from adults of the Qin Sea Tribe and offered to teach the cubs a new way to roast them.
• Jian Mo seasoned the cleaned fish, wrapped them in leaves and mud, and roasted them over a bonfire.
• Jian Mo opened the packets and shared the tender roasted fish with the cubs, Jiujiu, and the adults.
• After staying a few more days while Shu Guang recovered, Jian Mo told the Qin Sea Tribe he planned to return to the Riverside Tribe to gather food.

Jian Mo attended a lavish farewell party hosted by the Qin Sea Tribe after saving Shu Guang, then prepared to return to the Riverside Tribe with Wu Jiong. The Qin Sea Tribe sent him off with valuable supplies, and Jian Mo reaffirmed that he intended to grow old with Wu Jiong.

• Shu Ming persuaded Jian Mo to wait two days for supplies and a farewell party before returning home.
• The Qin Sea Tribe held a bonfire celebration where Jian Mo ate, drank, and watched the beastmen dance in their bear forms.
• Shu Guang tried to persuade Jian Mo to join the Qin Sea Tribe while he watched the celebration from beside the bonfire.
• Wu Jiong arrived the day after the party and defeated the Qin Sea Tribe's giant bears in his wolf form, while Shu Ming accepted a challenge for Shu Guang to fight him at a future Hunting Gathering.
• Shu Guang sent Jian Mo garlic powder, hides, meat, and Long-Tailed Beast sinew, and Jian Mo said he and Wu Jiong would grow old together.

Jian Mo returned to the Riverside Tribe and was welcomed by the cubs and other villagers, while rumors about his healing of Shu Guang spread among nearby tribes. Later, he was called to treat a beastman from the Red Zheng Tribe who had been stung by an insect, and he sent Wu Jiong to gather herbs.

• Jian Mo returned to the Riverside Tribe with Wu Jiong, Jiujiu, and supplies escorted by ten giant bears from the Qin Sea Tribe.
• The cubs crowded around Jian Mo and Jiujiu, and Jian Mo invited the villagers to his home to talk and clear up rumors about Shu Guang's recovery.
• Jian Mo avoided visitors from nearby tribes who came to praise him by spending his days gathering supplies in the forest with Wu Jiong.
• A patrolling beastman told Jian Mo that a visitor from the Red Zheng Tribe was waiting at the clinic after being stung by a bug.
• Jian Mo collected his medical kit and asked Wu Jiong to gather herbs for treating the sting.

Jian Mo treated Jing Huo, a beastman from the Red Zheng Tribe, after Eight-Mouthed Insects stung him all over. Jing Huo left with instructions for caring for his wounds and an embarrassing story about how he encountered the swarm.

• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong went to the clinic, where Jian Mo recognized the swollen, three-tailed Red Zheng Beast who had come for treatment.
• Jian Mo learned that the beastman had been stung by Eight-Mouthed Insects, whose fangs were difficult to remove and caused severe swelling.
• Jian Mo carefully extracted the fangs from Jing Huo's wounds, cleaned them with soapy water, and applied herbs.
• Jing Huo explained that he had been stung after approaching a silverleaf tree to taste its sweet sap, and his companions teased him for not sharing.
• Jian Mo checked that no fangs remained and told Jing Huo to wash the wounds with soapy water and apply herbs morning and evening.

Jian Mo learned that Silverleaf Trees could hold sweet sap after being bitten by Eight-Mouthed Insects, and he spent several days searching the forest with Wu Jiong. They finally found a bitten tree, and Wu Jiong cut down the sap-filled burl, but Jian Mo refused to puncture it without a bucket.

• Jing Huo thanked Jian Mo for treating him and paid for the care by agreeing to bring ten pieces of hardwood after his wounds healed.
• Wu Jiong explained that Eight-Mouthed Insects caused Silverleaf Trees to form burls filled with sweet sap, and offered to take Jian Mo to find one.
• Wu Jiong carried Jian Mo into the forest, where they searched Silverleaf Trees for several days while hunting and gathering along the way.
• Jian Mo spotted a large burl on a Silverleaf Tree, and Wu Jiong climbed up and cut it off.
• Jian Mo declined to taste the sap because they had no bucket and he did not want to waste it.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong harvested sweet sap from bulges in silver-leaf trees, then Jian Mo fermented sap that had already begun to turn into an unusual drink. After less than ten days, Wu Jiong tasted the finished wine and found it pure and distinctive.

• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong found six bulges, including two that had split open and contained sweet sap.
• Wu Jiong noticed that one bulge held cloudy, diluted sap that smelled of alcohol, and Jian Mo decided to salvage it as wine.
• Jian Mo heated the sap and poured it into a jar previously used for Snow Pearl Fruit wine.
• Jian Mo checked the jar daily as the sap wine developed alcoholic, floral, fruity, and caramel aromas before settling within ten days.
• Wu Jiong tasted the finished wine, said it had no off flavors, and described its flavor as distinctive.
• Jian Mo steadied Wu Jiong's wrist and drank the remaining wine in the spoon.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong enjoyed their sweet-sap liquor and continued gathering and drying wild vegetables as summer approached. Qing Kuo visited with Banjiu and invited Jian Mo to harvest thick-fleshed pods near Mount Ambus, which could be preserved for times when food was scarce.

• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong tasted the sap liquor, waited to see if it caused discomfort, and found it richer after further fermentation.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong failed to find more sweet sap, and Wu Jiong warned that provoking a swarm of Eight-Mouthed Insects could be dangerous.
• Jian Mo and the others gathered, sorted, blanched, and dried wild vegetables while they were still tender.
• Banjiu arrived at Jian Mo's courtyard with Qing Kuo, who invited Jian Mo to cut pods near Mount Ambus.
• Qing Kuo explained that the thick pods could be boiled, soaked, dried, and later stewed when food was scarce.

Jian Mo joined Qing Kuo and the tribe’s sub-beastmen to gather pods in the Grand Canyon, where he discovered the plants were beans like the ones he had been seeking. He filled both baskets with tender pods and planned to try preparing the seeds after they returned.

• Jian Mo told Wu Jiong he was going gathering with Qing Kuo, and Wu Jiong agreed while he stayed to feed Jiujiu.
• Jian Mo set out with Qing Kuo and the sub-beastmen, carrying two baskets, and followed them to the Grand Canyon.
• Jian Mo saw the flower-covered canyon and learned from Qing Kuo to pick the tender pods from the vines.
• Jian Mo recognized the flowers as resembling pea blossoms and realized the pods were beans, but Qing Kuo said the seeds were considered poisonous.
• Ye Luo showed Jian Mo dried pods from the previous year, and Jian Mo identified their seeds as beans; Qing Kuo agreed to try preparing them.
• Jian Mo picked tender pods until both baskets were full.

Jian Mo gathered and processed wild bean pods, hoping they could become a useful food despite their poisonous, bitter taste. After soaking them to remove the toxins, he was left unsure whether they were anything like the beans he remembered.

• Jian Mo returned to the tribe with baskets of pods, and the cubs warned him that they were poisonous and tasted bad.
• Jian Mo scrubbed, chopped, and boiled the pods, finding them bitter and unlike the beans he knew.
• Wu Jiong identified the pods as somewhat poisonous, while Qing Kuo brought Jian Mo dried pods from the previous year.
• Jian Mo boiled and soaked the fresh and dried pods and shelled some of the dried beans to test them.
• After rinsing the pods for three days, Jian Mo found that their bitterness had faded, but so had most of their flavor.

Jian Mo and the tribe prepared bitter beans and made sweet soy milk as the first step toward trying tofu. The chapter leaves them tasting the soy milk, with tofu-making still ahead.

• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong brought back salt lake water and planned to use it to make tofu from bitter beans.
• Qing Kuo and other sub-beastmen joined Jian Mo, and the group soaked and peeled the beans before grinding them into soy milk.
• Jian Mo boiled the soy milk and added sweet tree sap to bowls for everyone to taste.
• The tribe members tried the hot, sweet soy milk and were captivated by its smooth texture and fragrant taste.

Jian Mo taught the others to make tofu from soy milk, and their first batch turned out soft and slightly bitter but tasty. He prepared to show them how to cook it with Arrow-Bone Beast meat and pepper stamens.

• Jian Mo strained the boiled soy milk through cloth and added salt lake water until curds formed.
• Jian Mo and the others pressed the curds in baskets, and Qing Kuo, Ye Luo, Min Dang, and others each tried making a batch.
• Jian Mo checked the first basket, found that it had set into soft tofu, and shared pieces with everyone to taste.
• The group praised the tofu and discussed trading it, while Jian Mo asked for Arrow-Bone Beast meat and went to gather scallion greens for the next dish.

Jian Mo organized a tribal feast and prepared pepper-stamen tofu and fish-and-tofu soup, introducing the tribe to new dishes. As everyone ate, Wu Jiong enjoyed the tofu, while Banjiu quietly asked Ban Ming for more.

• Qing Kuo suggested holding a feast, and Jian Mo assigned Jiang Xing and the other cubs to catch fish.
• Jian Mo watched the cubs fish and saw Jiujiu catch a large fish only to lose it when he could not hold on.
• The tribe prepared grilled meat and stem tubers while Jian Mo cooked pepper-stamen tofu and fish-and-tofu soup.
• At dinner, the tribe praised the pepper-stamen tofu, and Jian Mo gave his portion to Wu Jiong because he preferred the grilled meat.
• Banjiu rubbed against Ban Ming and asked him for more food while their fathers were occupied.

Jian Mo dried the beans the tribe gave him and checked on his fish sauce before being asked to help a pregnant sub-beastman from the Tianning Tribe. The chapter leaves him preparing to assess Shan Yan, whose tribe fears the baby may be difficult to deliver.

• The tribe gave Jian Mo three baskets of beans for teaching everyone how to make tofu, and he set them out to dry.
• Jian Mo tended the fermenting fish sauce and collected fish traps from the river.
• Jian Mo saw Jiujiu watching cubs fish, but Jiujiu stayed behind because he wanted the fish they caught.
• Pengxi of the Tianning Tribe visited Jian Mo and asked him to examine Shan Yan, whose partner was from the Xiongying Tribe and whose baby might be large.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong hurried to the Tianning Tribe to help Shan Yan, who was nearing childbirth. They arrived before sunset and went straight to Shan Yan’s home, where he was waiting for them.

• Pengxi told Jian Mo that Shan Yan was expected to give birth soon, so Jian Mo prepared food for Dala and set out to find Wu Jiong.
• Jian Mo returned with Jiujiu, fed him, and reassured him that his own food had not been given away.
• Jian Mo checked the medicines and surgical instruments, then flew with Wu Jiong and Pengxi to the Tianning Tribe.
• Huan Yu welcomed them and said Shan Yan had not yet given birth.
• Jian Mo declined dinner and followed Huan Yu to Shan Yan’s home, where he found the tired, heavily pregnant man waiting.

Jian Mo discovered Shan Yan was carrying twins and prepared for a difficult birth. When Shan Yan went into labor and one fetus became stuck, Jian Mo used forceps to reposition and deliver it, leaving the second twin still to be born.

• Jian Mo examined Shan Yan and confirmed he was carrying twins, then arranged for boiling water and an experienced sub-beastman to help.
• Shan Yan went into labor during the night, and Jian Mo hurried to his home with Wu Jiong and his medical kit.
• Jian Mo found Shan Yan struggling to deliver the twins, while Ba Tong waited anxiously outside.
• When the fetuses became stuck, Jian Mo rejected the suggestion to pull them out by hand and decided to use forceps.
• Jian Mo carefully repositioned one fetus and delivered it with Shan Yan's help.

Jian Mo helped Shan Yan safely deliver twin sub-beastman cubs and later examined them, finding both healthy. Ba Tong tried to reward Jian Mo with a basket of pottery and metal, but Jian Mo refused most of it, leaving the payment unresolved.

• Jian Mo and a sub-beastman helper delivered Shan Yan’s two cubs before dawn, and Shan Yan fell asleep afterward.
• Jian Mo examined the newborn meerkat-like cubs and found both developing well.
• Ba Tong took the cubs home after thanking Jian Mo, who said he and Wu Jiong would leave the next morning.
• Ba Tong returned with a basket of metal and fine pottery as payment for the delivery.
• Jian Mo said the basket was too much and offered to accept only a few pieces, while Ba Tong insisted he had saved the family.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong returned from the Tianning Tribe after safely delivering Shan Yan's twin cubs, and Jian Mo recounted the difficult birth to the Riverside Tribe. The next morning, Jian Mo found that the Flour Grass crop had ripened and brought home a handful of its heavy ears.

• Jian Mo refused to accept all of Ba Tong's payment, then learned that the twins were named Shan Ning and Ba Wu.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong returned to the Riverside Tribe, where Jian Mo told the gathered neighbors that Shan Yan and the twins were safe.
• Min Dang and Zhou Fu recalled a sub-beastman from the Mengshui Tribe who had died after a difficult twin birth, and the group praised Jian Mo's medical skills.
• Qing Kuo told Jian Mo that his Flour Grass had turned yellow and might be ready to harvest.
• Jian Mo checked the field, tested the hardened grains, and brought home a handful of heavy Flour Grass ears.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong harvested their ripe Flour Grass after successfully making popcorn from its seeds. The tribe helped thresh the crop, and the larger cultivated seeds showed how much better the harvest was than last year’s wild gathering.

• Jian Mo made popcorn from Flour Grass seeds over hot ashes, and he and Wu Jiong tasted it.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong harvested the ripe Flour Grass and carried the bundles across the river to dry.
• Tribe members came to help with the harvest, and Jian Mo hoped to plant another crop if they could spare enough seeds.
• Jian Mo brought the dried Flour Grass to be crushed and threshed, and the tribe finished the work in half a day.
• Jian Mo saw that the cultivated seeds were noticeably larger than the ones gathered in the wild the previous year.