Chapter 7 Cucumber "Spinning Thread?"

He jumped up, he jumped up, and instantly felt weightless!

But the next moment...

"Splat!" He had a close encounter with the ground.

“…Damn it.” Yu Yan landed face down and couldn’t help but curse.

He quickly looked around to make sure no one else had seen his embarrassing moment before retracting his wings.

Pretending nothing had happened, he got up from the ground, dusted himself off, and obediently walked in the direction Xin Yu had pointed out.

I was busy collecting alkaline soil today. Next time, I'll definitely practice flying properly!

After walking for another twenty minutes or so, we arrived at a dried-up mudflat.

The mudflats were cracked by the sea breeze, and grayish-white powder was clearly condensed on them.

Yu Yan's eyes lit up. He took out a bucket-shaped straw basket from his space and picked some large leaves to spread on the bottom and sides of the basket.

Once he was ready, he used a piece of wood to scrape off the saline soil from the ground and put it into a basket.

Since she would have to filter it again when she got back, Yu Yan didn't worry about how much impurity there was.

The basket wasn't very big, and it was full in about half an hour.

He then covered the basket with two more leaves and carried it on his back.

The golden-red sun was about to sink below the horizon, and the sunset glow burned across half the sky.

In the distance, the sound of waves and the cries of seabirds could be heard.

Yu Yan could already feel the chill in the air; it would get even colder after the sun set.

If he got back late, Feng Gui would worry. He checked the direction and started walking towards the tribe.

It took another hour to get there, and Yu Yan couldn't help but mutter, "I guess I'm not staying close to the beach at all."

When she encountered some orcs patrolling outside the tribe, Yu Yan greeted them and asked, "Has my adoptive father returned?"

The orc replied, "You're back! I told him you went to the beach with Xin Yu and the others."

Yu Yan: "Mmm, thank you!"

Thinking of the kudzu vines they brought back, Yu Yan smiled broadly and quickened her pace.

As he approached the ginkgo tree, he ran into his new neighbor, Lanxiu.

The young orc was handsome, tall, and had a lazy demeanor.

The simple straw skirt he wore had a lazy, wild beauty.

He was holding several ribs from some kind of wild animal, each as long as his arm.

The meat was bright red, clearly indicating it had been recently cut from a wild animal.

Their eyes met, and Yu Yan raised her hand to greet him, "Lan Xiu."

"Hmm." The man responded, and only when he got closer did he lift his leg and walk with him towards the ginkgo tree.

"How was your visit to the cave this morning?" Yu Yan asked.

Lan Xiu replied, "It's completely collapsed."

Yu Yan: "Ah...should we fix it up? Or should we dig a new cave to live in?"

Lan Xiu: "We won't repair or dig anymore."

Yu Yan: "Okay, then let's stay here for now."

As they approached the ginkgo tree, Feng Gui, who was tidying up, stood up and said to Yu Yan:

"You're back?"

He looked at it more closely and asked, "Didn't you go to collect the fish?"

Yu Yan: "No."

A troubled look appeared on Feng Guijun's face: "Then I'll go to the beach now."

Yu Yan has just recovered from his illness, so we should at least get him some meat to eat.

Lan Xiu stood beside Yu Yan and said calmly, "If we go now, we might not be able to find any fresh fish."

Yu Yan looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Lanxiu added, "Many people in the tribe have gone to the beach."

Feng Gui frowned.

After Lanxiu reminded her, Yu Yan also said, "When I came back, I did see a lot of beastmen flying towards the sea. Could they all be going to collect fish?"

Lanxiu: "We went to collect fish. Now everyone knows that fish soup made with the roots of your hands is especially delicious."

Yu Yan let out an "Ah..." She originally wanted to ask why he didn't go, but then she thought that he was such a powerful orc that he could hunt any wild beast he wanted.

Lan Xiu looked at Yu Yan with his icy blue eyes.

At such close range, Yu Yan noticed a small black mole on the right side of his handsome nose.

It looks really good.

"Here, take this." Lan Xiu handed the ribs he was holding to Yu Yan.

Yu Yan was taken aback: "Give it to me? Why?"

Lanxiu: "Thank you for the fish soup you treated me to yesterday."

He paused, then added, "It's very delicious."

Yu Yan was embarrassed to accept it: "It's just a bowl of soup, no need."

I didn't even invite Lan Xiu over for something to eat this morning because the orcs have huge appetites... Damn it...

Lanxiu insisted on giving it to him: "You can keep it. Or do you want a different part? I can trade with the people in the tribe."

Yu Yan waved her hands repeatedly: "No need, no need, this is very good."

Looking into the man's icy blue eyes, Yu Yan said sincerely, "Thank you, Lan Xiu."

Lan Xiu already had a naturally smiling mouth, and now that he smiled, it was even more dazzling.

After delivering the ribs, he went back.

The bird's nest he lives in now is only about a hundred meters away from here. The woods are open, and Yu Yan can see it as soon as she looks up.

Lanxiu went to the tree and started a fire with the dry branches he had collected.

Yu Yan turned around, picked up the ribs in her hand, and smiled at Feng Gui, "Shall we have this for dinner?"

Feng Gui: "Okay, then I won't go to the beach."

Yu Yan smiled broadly.

Compared to the seafood he'd already eaten three meals of, he definitely wanted to eat pork ribs more!

However, before cooking, they had to tidy up the pile of things under the tree; it was getting in the way.

Feng Gui finally found a chance to ask, "Yu Yan, why did you bring back so many three-leaf vines?"

Yu Yan replied, "I want to use them to spin thread!"

Feng Gui had never heard of this word before: "Spinning thread?"

"Yes! Thread is a very useful thing, you'll see when I make it. Father, come and lend a hand, let's move these vines over here."

"good."

"Oh right, do you have any smaller straw baskets? Or winnowing baskets or something? I need to pick the flowers off them."

"Yes, let me get it for you. Is this okay?"

"OK!"

Yu Yan took the winnowing basket that Feng Gui handed her.

The people of the beast world needed to dry and store wild vegetables, so they had many straw-woven tools.

This winnowing basket was woven by Feng Gui from thin twigs. It is flat, beautiful, and has a faint woody fragrance.

Next, Yu Yan and Feng Gui carried the kudzu vines, picking the small purple-red flowers from them and putting them into a winnowing basket.

Seeing this, Feng Gui asked in confusion, "Flowers are also used to spin... thread?"

Yu Yan smiled and said, "No."

Flowers can be used in medicine, and he thought it best not to waste them; he might need them someday.

What's this called? My "occupational hazard" has followed me to the beast world? Haha.

With so many vines, Yu Yan picked a whole basketful of flowers.

There was no wind in the woods at this time of evening.

He looked around, placed the winnowing basket filled with flowers in a place where it wouldn't get in the way, and planned to put it back in the bird's nest when he went to bed that night.

Of course, there are no weather forecasts in the Beast World, but he discovered that after becoming a sub-beastman, he had a faint ability to sense the weather.

Fearing he might have made a mistake, he checked with Feng Gui: "Father, what's the weather like tomorrow?"

Feng Gui looked at the sky and sniffed the air, then said, "The weather will be fine for the next few days."

Yu Yan's eyes lit up: "That's great! Remind me tomorrow morning that I need to hang the picked flowers up to dry."

Feng Gui: "Okay, got it."

Yu Yan looked at the kudzu vines they had piled up to the side with satisfaction, and said with great enthusiasm, "Let's cook the main course, and deal with these later."

Feng Gui smiled faintly: "You've been working all day, aren't you hungry?"

He shouldn't have mentioned it, because as soon as he did, Yu Yan felt a stomachache.

And the muscles all over his body were sore and swollen, as if they were clenching their fists in protest against his abuse.

"Hehe, it's alright." Seeing Feng Gui return with the firewood, he volunteered, "Father, I'll go fetch water!"

When he returned carrying the vat, he found Feng Gui organizing the things he had collected.

The young man sat casually on a stone stool, with two piles of objects in front of him.

One pile contains edible wild vegetables and mushrooms, while the other pile naturally contains inedible weeds and poisonous mushrooms.

Yu Yan was surprised that she had gathered so many wild herbs. Her face flushed red, and she pretended to be very busy as she ran to the stone stove to start a fire.

He wasn't very skilled at using the flint yet, and it took him several tries to get the fire going.

Feng Gui praised him with a smile: "This is your first time going out to gather wild vegetables, and you've done a great job. We can't even finish all these wild vegetables in one meal."

Yu Yan glanced at him sideways and said, "Father!"

Feng Gui laughed out loud and stopped teasing him.

Yu Yan boiled the water, and Feng Gui also tidied up his things, patted his legs, and stood up.

"Would you like to come wash the vegetables with me?"

Yu Yan nodded: "Okay."

Feng Gui: "I'll bring the spare ribs that Lan Xiu gave me. Go pick out what you want to eat from the pile of wild vegetables I picked."

Yu Yan didn't refuse. Feng Gui's gathering experience was much more advanced than his; he picked the freshest and tender leaves, unlike him, who plucked a bunch of old leaves.

He filled the fire, took long strides, walked to Feng Gui's pile of wild vegetables, and casually flipped through them.

Suddenly, my hand touched something hard with thorns on its surface.

"Huh?" Yu Yan asked, "What's in here?"

Feng Gui: "Oh right, I also picked a few cucumbers today."

Cucumber? Fruit?

While she was thinking, Yu Yan had already pushed aside the wild vegetables, revealing what was hidden inside.

Green, elongated, with thorns on the surface, and small yellow flowers at the top...

Isn't this a drought-resistant cucumber?

Everything in the beast world grows big. Judging from the color of its skin, this cucumber is very tender, but it is much thicker and longer than the ones he had seen in the modern world before, like a big green radish.

He really likes cucumbers because they're crunchy and refreshing!

He used to always order a plate of smashed cucumber whenever he went out for barbecue, because it was refreshing and helped cut through the greasiness.

When he's at home, he'll also stir-fry cucumbers with eggs, sliced ​​meat, or other quick and easy dishes.

Yu Yan happily turned all the cucumbers out of the container; there were three in total.

Let's eat this tonight!

Feng Gui smiled and said, "Sure."

The two carried their things and went to the stream to wash them.

Yu Yan washed the cucumber and took a bite with a "crunch".

With its crisp texture, he first tasted the cucumber's unique slightly astringent flavor, followed by a mouthful of refreshing and tender taste.

He was amazed.

These vegetables in the Beast World have such an intense flavor!

He's been poisoned by greenhouse-grown, hormone-treated vegetables in his takeout meals every day, and he can't even remember the last time he ate such delicious cucumbers!

It's so delicious! He felt he could eat one without any seasoning!

However, he restrained himself, swallowed the cucumber in his mouth, and asked Feng Gui, "Father, do you remember where you picked the cucumber...?"

Feng Gui was amused by the way he liked it so much after just one bite, and her eyes were full of affection: "I remember. If you like it, I'll pick it again when the little cucumber grows up."

Yu Yan said, "I really like them, but please leave two for me."

He seemed a little uneasy: "Why don't you take me to see it next time, and I'll choose it myself?"

Seeing his seriousness, Feng Gui also became puzzled.

What are you trying to do?

Yu Yan replied, "Of course..."