No Beastman Would Eat These

Feng Rumeng watched Aima's expression change. "What's wrong, Witch Doctor? Isn't this prey enough to trade for the pills?"

"No, no, that's not what I meant, little female. Kaka Beasts are herbivores, but they're very cunning. Even the tribe's third-tier warriors have a hard time hunting one. You're truly amazing."

Aima couldn't help praising her. "Kaka Beast meat is tender and well suited for pregnant females and cubs."

Feng Rumeng's eyes flashed. Fortunately, she hadn't recognized it and hadn't dressed it. She would save the one left in her space to sell at the market for crystal stones and food.

"That's wonderful. Witch Doctor Aima, I wanted to ask how I can trade for salt."

"Wait a moment." Aima went into the cave and soon came out with a small piece of stone, which she handed to her.

Feng Rumeng took it, utterly puzzled. "Witch Doctor Aima, what's this?"

"It's a salt stone. When you feel weak during the depths of winter, a couple of licks will give you strength."

Feng Rumeng's lips turned down. A couple of licks? She wasn't a sheep. Feeling put off, she asked, "Is there any that comes in little grains?"

Aima shook her head. "No, we used it all up preserving dried meat. Next year, during the flower season, the tribe will organize a group to trade with the Eagle Tribe."

Feng Rumeng couldn't very well say she didn't want it. She looked at the salt stone in her hand. "Then what can I trade for this?"

"Take it. If you hunt another Kaka Beast, you can come to me and trade it for goods and herbs of equal value."

At the mention of herbs, Feng Rumeng perked right up:

"Witch Doctor Aima, do you have any herbs that stop bleeding or bring down a high fever? I'd like to learn to recognize them, so I can gather some if I come across them outside the tribe and trade them with you for useful goods."

"Come inside, little female." Aima walked to the very back of the cave and took out a few herbs, introducing them one by one. "This is called Hemostatic Vine, this plant is Flower Yellow, and this one is Purple Leaf..."

Feng Rumeng carefully committed them to memory, then smiled at Aima. "Witch Doctor Aima, my name is Rumeng."

Aima put the herbs away. "I'll remember that, Rumeng."

"Then I'll head back to my cave, Witch Doctor Aima."

After leaving, Feng Rumeng ran into Jianyue, who was bringing her some roasted meat.

"Rumeng, did you go to Witch Doctor Aima's place?"

"Yes. Jianyue, I have something for you." Feng Rumeng took a piece of milk candy wrapped in a leaf from her skirt pocket and handed it to her. "Try it."

"What is it?" Jianyue peeled back the leaf, revealing something white inside. "It smells sweet. Is it food?"

Feng Rumeng nodded with a smile.

"Is it made from honey?" Jianyue took a small bite, then answered her own question. "No, it isn't. It's so sweet and fragrant."

"It's called candy. All I remember is that it's called candy. Unfortunately, I don't know how to make it," Feng Rumeng said regretfully.

"Candy?" Jianyue's orange eyes shifted. "I remember there's candy in Beast City too, but it's red and looks like mud. When we go to Beast City someday, I'll trade for some for you to try."

Red and looked like mud? Jianyue was probably talking about brown sugar. Judging by the tribe's primitive state, they probably hadn't learned to boil it down from sugarcane and honey yet. Could there be someone from her hometown here? Feng Rumeng's eyes lit up. Once the cold season was over, she would definitely go to Beast City and take a look.

"All right."

With the candy in her mouth, Jianyue said, "I'm going, Rumeng."

"See you tomorrow." Feng Rumeng headed back as well.

Back in the cave, Feng Rumeng didn't sit idle. She cut all the dressed game into thin strips, took a basin out of her space, and sprinkled instant noodle seasoning over the meat to marinate it.

She spread the several basins of meat she had marinated earlier over large leaves, ready to dry it all into jerky.

The next day, she got up early as usual, washed, ate, and went into the forest. There were no Kaka Beasts in the traps, but there was a snow-white fox beast and a pink Peppa.

She stabbed them with the stick tipped with a black panther beast's claw. Once the prey had stopped moving entirely, she put them in her space and reset the traps.

On her way back, she took a different route and spotted chestnut trees and potatoes.

Her mouth fell open wide enough to fit an egg. Come to think of it, whose potatoes grew on trees?

She picked a great many, only stopping when her space was stuffed full.

She wouldn't have enough to eat this winter, but she wouldn't starve to death either. When she'd looked for vegetables before, she had always looked at the ground, assuming they grew in the soil as they did on Earth.

If potatoes grew on trees, did other foods grow on trees too? Just as she said that, she found an onion tree, then a lettuce tree...

(σﾟ∀ﾟ)σ

But there was no room left in her space. After some thought, she cut some thin branches from a tree and sat down beside it to weave carrying baskets. They weren't well made, but they were usable.

She filled both baskets to the brim. When she reached the river, she dressed the prey and tanned the hides that could be tanned. She hadn't forgotten the venomous snake this time either and had brought a few fish along as before.

Feng Rumeng squatted in front of Ling and took out a potato, an onion, and some lettuce for him to smell. "Are any of these poisonous?"

Ling was very displeased. What did she take him for? After pondering for a moment, he said coldly, "They're not poisonous."

"Look carefully. If I'm poisoned to death, there'll be no one to bring you Baibai Beasts to eat."

Feng Rumeng looked straight into Ling's slit pupils. Before she knew it, she seemed to have grown less afraid of the venomous snake.

Ling's voice was indifferent. "No beastman would eat these!"

Feng Rumeng tossed the fish by Ling's mouth and went off to look for herbs that could reduce inflammation. After wandering around for a while, she actually found some.

She plucked a lot of leaves and carried them back in her hands, setting them down beside the snake's body. Then she found two stones, crushed the leaves between them, and applied them to the wounds on his body.

Ling felt the herbs sting, and his snake body twitched. This silly female even knew about herbs? Wasn't she afraid he might be a bad beast?

After applying herbs to all of Ling's unhealed wounds, Feng Rumeng shouldered her baskets and left.

When she returned to the tribe, she finished preparing the prey, then rubbed soot from the bottom of the pot onto all the hides, rolled them up, and put them with the earlier ones.

She spread all the strips of meat evenly over large leaves to dry, then cut the meat from today's prey into strips and marinated it.

Once everything was in order, she chopped the onion into small pieces, took out the stone slab, lit a fire, and fried the meat. She also washed a head of lettuce, sprinkled on some instant noodle seasoning, and ate it wrapped around the meat.

After eating her fill, she fried some more, wrapped each piece in lettuce, and put them in a small box folded from leaves. Then she went to Jianyue's cave.

Jianyue's cave was on the mountain at the very center of the tribe. Females who lived on the mountain held a high standing in the tribe.

Everyone living on this mountain was one of Jianyue's beast husbands. It took Feng Rumeng quite a while to get there.

"Jianyue, are you there?" Feng Rumeng called from the cave entrance.

As soon as she spoke, Hu Feng lifted the curtain, and Jianyue came out from inside first. "Rumeng, come in."

Feng Rumeng didn't go in. She handed the leaf box to Jianyue.

When she had first met Hu Feng, his aloof, handsome face had shown disdain. He had only stepped in to resolve the matter with Lina because he didn't want Lina offending people on her account.

"What's this?" Jianyue sniffed. "It smells so good."

"This green vegetable is called lettuce. Wrapped around roasted meat, it keeps it from being too rich. If you have salt grains, sprinkle some on and it'll taste even better."

As soon as Jianyue picked up a roll, Hu Feng sprinkled fine salt on it. She tilted her head happily and met his eyes.

Seeing this, Feng Rumeng didn't stay any longer. "Jianyue, eat it while it's hot. I have things to do, so I'll head back. I'm going to gather branches this afternoon. Just help me leave the meat I'm allotted at the entrance to my cave."

"All right," Jianyue agreed.

Back in her cave, Feng Rumeng cleaned the stone slab and lay down on the bed for a short nap. After waking, she went into the forest again and gathered some dead leaves to use as tinder.

That evening, after dinner, she brought in the drying jerky, washed up, and went to bed early. The next morning, she took out all the strips of meat and put them in the sun.

Before leaving the tribe, she stopped by Jianyue's place and asked her to keep an eye on the drying jerky when she had time.

Jianyue watched Feng Rumeng's retreating figure, looking as though a gust of wind could knock her over. "Rumeng doesn't have a male. I'm so worried she'll freeze to death in the cold season."

Beside her, Hu Feng's blue eyes softened. "Yue, don't worry. The little female isn't as fragile as you think!"

Jianyue asked tentatively, "Hu Feng, do you think Hu Yun would be willing to become her male?"