Chapter Summaries

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.

After finishing the Flour Grass harvest, Jian Mo took a relaxing trip to the White Sandbar with Wu Jiong, where they swam and played in the lake. They returned home with birds, berries, wild vegetables, and mushrooms after Jian Mo fell asleep on Wu Jiong’s back.

• Jian Mo stored a packet of the year's first Flour Grass seeds and planned to test whether they would germinate after their dormant period.
• Jian Mo invited Wu Jiong to go berry-picking, and Wu Jiong suggested they relax by swimming at the White Sandbar.
• Wu Jiong carried Jian Mo to the White Sandbar as a giant wolf, and Jian Mo swam and played with him in the lake.
• After swimming, Jian Mo and Wu Jiong caught two Violent-Violent Birds and gathered berries, wild vegetables, and mushrooms on their way home.
• Jian Mo fell asleep on Wu Jiong’s back and woke after they arrived home, still disoriented.

Jian Mo suffered a painful sunburn after swimming, and Wu Jiong treated it with Spirit Cat Tail Grass. After seeing how well the herb worked, Jian Mo used its juice to make a batch of medicinal soap, which had nearly set by evening.

• Wu Jiong noticed Jian Mo's reddened arms and legs, then licked his skin to ease the worsening burn.
• Qing Kuo and Ye Luo brought herbs, and Qing Kuo identified Spirit Cat Tail Grass as a cooling treatment for sunburns.
• Wu Jiong applied mashed Spirit Cat Tail Grass to Jian Mo's skin, easing the pain, and Jian Mo said he had been sunburned while swimming at White Sandbar.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong mixed the herb's juice with lye and animal fat to make medicinal soap, then left it to set in molds.
• Jian Mo checked the soap that evening and found pale green, herbal-scented bars that had almost set.

Jian Mo made medicinal soap and oil from Spirit Cat Tail Grass, then planned to trade them and search for wax to make ointment and lip balm. He and the others found fragrant Red Sparrow Branch flowers and prepared to gather them for scenting the products.

• Jian Mo made medicinal oil from leftover Spirit Cat Tail Grass and gave jars to Qing Kuo and the others.
• Jian Mo explained that wax could turn oil into ointment and asked everyone to look for a suitable material.
• Qing Kuo proposed trading medicinal soap and oil with other tribes, and Jian Mo suggested adding flower or berry fragrance.
• Qing Kuo invited Jian Mo to gather Red Sparrow Branch flowers, and Ye Luo explained that they could also produce a lasting light-red dye.
• Jian Mo smelled a Red Sparrow Branch and praised its crisp, delicate fragrance.

Jian Mo and his companions made Red Sparrow Branch soap and oil, then traded with the Mengshui Tribe, whose insect-repelling medicinal oil proved highly effective. They returned with some of the oil while keeping their soap recipe secret.

• Jian Mo and the sub-beastmen gathered Red Sparrow Branch flowers, and Jian Mo slowly heated them in oil to extract their fragrance while sharing fried flower balls with the cubs.
• Jian Mo made soap and medicinal oil from the flowers and took them to the Mengshui Tribe, where the soap traded well.
• Yun Long offered the Mengshui Tribe’s new medicinal oil, which eased insect bites and itching, in exchange for Jian Mo’s soap recipe; Jian Mo refused to give up the recipe and traded for some oil instead.
• When summer insects swarmed, the Mengshui Tribe’s oil kept them away from Jian Mo and the others.
• Qing Kuo and Ye Luo suspected the Mengshui Tribe had concealed its oil’s ingredients with strong spices, and Jian Mo said their own soap-making methods were similarly protected.

Jian Mo received a lump of insect wax from the Yangyao Tribe and confirmed it was the wax he had been seeking. He began making lip balm with Qing Kuo and a few others, using animal fat, medicinal juice, and red sparrow branch oil.

• Qing Kuo and Jian Mo discussed gathering more alkali and trading with the Mengshui Tribe for medicinal oil.
• Qing Kuo sent Ban Ming to bring Jian Mo to the clearing, where he revealed a hard yellowish-brown lump.
• Jian Mo recognized the lump as possible insect wax and melted some in a clay pot, confirming it was wax.
• Qing Kuo explained that the Yangyao Tribe had provided the wax after hearing about Jian Mo’s skill as a witch doctor.
• Jian Mo invited Qing Kuo and a few others to help make lip balm in the courtyard.