Chapter 82 Parasites: A Variety of "Craftsmen"

The egg mixture and sea urchin cooked very quickly, and Yu Yan stayed by the pot to prevent them from overcooking.

When the time came, he took out metal clips and carefully removed the sea urchin shell.

"The first batch is ready! You guys eat first, I'll steam some more," Yu Yan said.

Lanxiu used clean chopsticks to pick one up for him, "No rush, steam it again after you finish eating."

Yu Yan smiled and said, "That works too!"

He summoned Feng Gui, Rui Hua, and other friends, and even called the little ones over.

I gave one to each of the kids first, and reminded them, "Be careful, it's hot, and don't prick your hands."

The children obediently replied, "Okay, thank you, Brother Yu Yan!"

Some of the sub-beastman cubs even transformed their hands into beast-like forms, cradling the sea urchin shells in their furry hands, burying their heads in them, and taking a deep sniff.

"It smells so good!" Their eyes shone like stars.

Afterwards, Yu Yan took one for herself and Lan Xiu each, and told the other relatives and friends to do it themselves.

To preserve the flavor of the sea urchin, Yu Yan used only a tiny bit of salt for seasoning.

He picked up a piece of tender sea urchin with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth; it tasted absolutely delicious.

The sea urchins here are of very high quality, with a dense, delicate, and smooth texture that melts in your mouth with just a gentle touch.

You can taste a slight bitterness at first, but it's not because the food is spoiled; it's a very natural and fresh taste.

Then comes a wonderfully sweet flavor, which is made even sweeter by the contrast of the initial bitterness.

After swallowing, the sweet taste lingered in the mouth for a long time, leaving a lasting impression.

Yu Yan's face brightened as she ate, and she said to Lan Xiu, "It's delicious! There's no fishy or astringent taste at all." She smacked her lips and added, "It even has a hint of metallic mineral flavor."

All the sea urchins he had ever eaten before combined were not as delicious as this one, and it suddenly made him crave sea salt ice cream.

Lan Xiu also tasted the sea urchin carefully and agreed, saying, "It's really delicious. Not only the sea urchin, but the steamed egg underneath is also very fresh."

"Let me try it!" Yu Yan said with great relish.

Those around them also raved about the sea urchins.

Feng Gui said, "No wonder Yu Yan was so eager to catch sea urchins. It's truly the best seafood I've ever eaten."

Xin Yu: "Yes, the crab roe and sea urchin I ate before were similar, but I think the sea urchin tastes better."

After Qiu Ze finished eating, he licked his lips and kept peering into Xue Fei's sea urchin shell.

Mo Ye pressed his head down and turned his body around.

"I'll steam some more for you in a bit, don't steal your father's."

Ruihua ate half of it, leaving the other half, and softly asked Fenggui, "Would you like mine?"

Feng Gui chuckled: "No, even the little one doesn't fight with others."

Cangfeng and Hengqing also received steamed sea urchin eggs.

They are both clan leaders, and both have partners. One's child is almost an adult, and the other's child is about to be born.

Despite their seemingly hostile demeanor while catching sea urchins, they actually have a lot to talk about.

After tasting the sea urchin, they all felt a slight pain in their faces and tacitly kept quiet about what they had just said.

After they finished eating, they looked at each other and laughed together.

Heng Qing sat on the beach, looking at the vast, shimmering sea.

White seabirds circled overhead, and fluffy white clouds were so close to the sea that they seemed within reach.

"It would be great if Cheng Liu could try it too."

Cangfeng could tell he was worried about his partner, so he patted him on the shoulder and said, "Ask Yuyan later if she has any ways to keep it fresh. The Highland Tribe is much closer to us than the Rainbow Cloud Tribe, so it might not spoil if we bring it back."

Heng Qing looked at him gratefully: "Yes. Clan Chief Cangfeng, I also wanted to ask you, when your partner was pregnant..."

The two orcs were exchanging "parenting tips".

Shuoxing, the eldest of the group, led the other kids running around on the beach.

They also brought out a wicker ball and chased and tossed it around.

Someone used too much force, and the rattan ball slammed straight towards the back of Cangfeng's head.

"Father, when—"

Before Shuoxing could finish speaking, Cangfeng slightly turned his body, reached out, and caught the ball with a "bang".

He tossed the ball back to Shuoxing.

Shuoxing gave a guilty smile under his cool gaze: "Hehe, let's go play somewhere further away."

Cangfeng watched them leave, shaking his head helplessly.

Heng Qing said enviously, "If only our little one could be as lively and adorable as Shuoxing."

Cangfeng: "He's so mischievous. If he were really like that, you'd have a lot of headaches."

That's what they said, but their tone was full of pride and affection.

Heng Qing smiled, looked at the sea, and thought to herself, it doesn't matter if he's not cute, as long as he's safe and healthy.

...

Yu Yan left the task of steaming sea urchins to the other sub-beastmen, while he went to grill oysters and eggplants.

He pinched the soaked vermicelli into small balls and placed them on the oyster meat, then scooped on some minced garlic and sprinkled some chili flakes.

The minced garlic has been mixed with seasonings, making the flavor much milder.

He first roasted the eggplant whole until it was soft, then cut it in half, spread it out, and sprinkled a layer of minced garlic on top.

Oysters, eggplant, and garlic are a perfect match, and the intense aroma dominates the beach amidst the swirling smoke.

Many people gathered around, asking curiously, "We know what oysters are, but what's this fruit over there?"

Yu Yan: "You've never seen this before? This is called eggplant, it's a kind of vegetable. I picked it from the woods over there."

"Never seen it before."

“We rarely come to this forest to collect materials.”

"It smells so good..."

After the oysters and eggplants were grilled, Yu Yan and everyone gathered around to enjoy them.

The oysters I caught this time were absolutely amazing! The meat was incredibly thick and tender, making them exceptionally satisfying to eat.

The garlic and vermicelli also tasted exceptionally good, especially after grilling, when they blended perfectly with the aroma of the oysters, amplifying the flavors even further. The different textures intertwined, making it incredibly delicious.

After the eggplant is roasted, the flesh inside is tender and soft, and it's full of juice. When eaten with minced garlic, it's so delicious that you'll want to bite your tongue off.

Feng Gui said happily, "We have more and more supplies, and the same food tastes even better this time than last time."

Xin Yu smiled and said, "Yes, it's getting better and better."

Yu Yan didn't bring as many fans this time, but everyone brought a lot of garlic, which they used to grill oysters, eggplants, and seafood.

There was too much seafood, so Yu Yan didn't grill the ravens. She planned to make fried bird pieces when she got back.

The leftover oyster shells and sea urchin shells were piled up like a mountain next to us.

Several people even unearthed round and shiny sea pearls, their joyful and enthusiastic voices carrying far and wide.

After the "day trip to the beach," Yu Yan chose a cloudy day to officially lead everyone in building houses.

The entire peninsula tribe mobilized, with even the young children helping out with whatever chores they could manage.

Needless to say, the highland tribe stayed behind to learn how to build houses, and they eagerly asked Yu Yan to assign them tasks.

The surrounding Mingyuan, Shenhu, and Qingqing tribes also sent many strong young men to help.

These people gathered in the new habitat of the peninsula tribe, making it as lively as if they were holding a small "autumn harvest party".

For easier command, Yu Yan conjured wings and flew in the sky.

"Lanxiu, Jiang Kuo, move the timber over here."

"Fan Su, the cement ash has already been delivered? Okay, listen to me later before you discuss it."

"Shuyu, take some people and bring over some more plaster powder."

From sunrise to sunset, from cloud formation to cloud shedding, the beast-like creatures such as giant birds, tigers, pythons, and cheetahs were busy at work, while the sub-beastmen also formed small teams to work together.

Houses with hardwood beams and stone walls rose up one after another.

During this process, Yu Yan discovered that everyone was very smart and learned things quickly, but there were some differences in how they did their jobs.

For example, the orcs led by Wen Lie scraped the cement clean and neatly, and the walls they built were exceptionally smooth and beautiful.

They will also improve the bricklaying method taught by Yu Yan, making the house more sturdy and beautiful while saving a lot of materials.

Yu Yan flew around in the sky and exclaimed, "It's so beautiful! You guys are really good at building walls!"

They were overjoyed to receive Yu Yan's approval, and everyone else envied and admired them.

Even before this batch of houses was completed, many people approached them, wanting to provide supplies and asking them to help build houses for them.

Wen Lie's beast form is a red falcon, while his human form has short, misty blue hair, a sharp appearance, a calm personality, and a perpetually indifferent expression.

He was all smiles today, being fawned over.

Even if he doesn't hunt in the second half of the year, he can still earn a lot of resources by building walls for others.

I never expected such a good thing to happen to him!

Some people who are skilled at making furniture, weaving curtains, and sewing cushions have also received a lot of "orders".

Even the sub-orcs who were particularly good at rubbing lamp wicks received a lot of "ordered" supplies!

This batch of new houses has completely revitalized the surrounding villages.

The bustling scene continued until evening, when Jiang Kuo and his men were about to return home.

Many of them had saved enough materials to build a house.

However, in order to build good houses, they all chose to come to the peninsula tribe to learn first.

After a day's work, they were not tired at all; on the contrary, they were extremely excited.

Jiang Kuo was inspired by the rows of new houses. When he came to say goodbye to Yu Yan, he said, "I thought that as long as we had enough materials to build the house, it would be fine. Now I realize that it is far from enough. We need to hire people to build walls, make furniture, weave beautiful curtains... we need supplies everywhere."

Shuyu nodded and said, "Yes. I need to lead more people to hunt and blacksmith, to earn more supplies."

Fan Su laughed and said, "My people are urging me to go back and mine stones."

Yu Yan said, "I understand how you feel, but there's always work to be done, so don't work yourselves sick."

Jiang Kuo: "Don't worry, it won't happen. Besides, we don't feel tired at all from working hard to build the new house."

Fan Su: "Yes, these are all things we want to do."

Shuyu: "I get really excited when I think that our tribe can build a beautiful house like yours in the future."

Since they had all said that, Yu Yan stopped trying to persuade them. "Alright, if you need any help, just come to me."

Everyone thanked him gratefully.

Although many people came to help, it still took three days to build the first batch of unfinished houses.

Midway through, Heng Qing led his men back.

It drizzled all night last night. When Yu Yan got up and opened the window this morning, she found that the temperature had dropped again.

The distant, layered mountains have become colorful, resembling a magnificent oil painting representing a bountiful harvest.

After eating, Yu Yan went out wearing long sleeves and trousers. Considering the muddy roads, she also put on her tung oil rain boots.

Lan Xiu came to find him, and the two of them first went to Lan Xiu's new house next door for a look.

“Everything is fine,” Yu Yan said, inspecting the wall. “The colors of these stones you chose are really beautiful.”

Lanxiu smiled and said, "I've exchanged a lot of glass with the tribe. Which piece do you think would be better for the windows?"

Yu Yan helped him choose the glass and the wood for the window frames, and then the two went to inspect other houses.

The finishing touches weren't completely done, and materials were piled up in front of many houses.

When walking, Lanxiu would naturally support Yuyan.

After looking around, it was completely bright outside, and the sunlight felt warm and cozy.

Yu Yan took a breath of the crisp autumn air and said, "Judging by the time, the sorghum in the Caiyun tribe should be ripe on a large scale. I wonder when they will be able to come over."

Lan Xiu: "It should be soon."

As they walked, a patrolling orc flew over and said to Yu Yan, "Yu Yan, two people have come to see you for treatment. Should I lead them to your clinic?"

Yu Yan: "Okay, thank you! Lan Xiu, let's go back too."

"Um."

The arrival was a beastman and a sub-beastman. The beastman had transformed into a large fox-like beast, with brownish-yellow fur on his head and back, white fur from his cheeks down to his chest and belly, black fur on his feet, a long tail swaying from side to side, and anxious eyes.

The sub-orc lay on its side on the fox orc's back, most of its body buried in its fur. Its hair was brown, obscuring its face.

Upon seeing Yu Yan, the orc transformed into a tall, long-legged, delicately-featured, pale-skinned man.

The weakened orc was held in his arms.

Yu Yan's heart sank when she saw his sallow complexion.

The fox-like beastman walked over and introduced himself to Yu Yan: "We are beastmen from the Gale Tribe. My name is Xituo, and his name is Muyao. He is my partner. We met at the Autumn Harvest Festival."

The Gale Tribe has a particularly delicious type of grape. Yu Yan traded a lot of them at the gathering, and dried the rest into raisins for storage.

He recognized the two men, nodded, and said, "Come with me."

Xi Tuo immediately picked up Mu Yao and walked into Yu Yan's clinic.

Everything here was new and exciting, but he had no interest in looking at it.

"Put the person on this bed."

Following his instructions, Xi Tuo slowly put Mu Yao down.

He was already very gentle, but Mu Yao still groaned in pain, frowned, and slowly opened her eyes.

Seeing the unfamiliar surroundings, he asked weakly, "...Have we arrived yet?"

Looking at his sallow and emaciated face, Xituo was on the verge of tears.

He bent down, took Mu Yao's hand and said, "We're here. Look, Yu Yan is right here. With him here, you'll be alright."

Yu Yan washed her hands, put on a mask, walked over, and gestured for Xi Tuo to make room for her.

Seeing Mu Yao's protruding belly, Yu Yan asked Xi Tuo, "Was he not like this during the Autumn Collection Meeting?"

Xi Tuo replied, "Yes, his belly only started to swell after the gathering. I touched it, and it was full of gas. He said it was in a lot of pain. An experienced sub-beastman in the tribe boiled some herbs for him, but after he drank it, he vomited non-stop and couldn't even eat anything! Yu Yan, we really had no other choice but to come to you. Please, you must save him."

By the end, his voice was terribly hoarse.

Seeing this, Mu Yao said with heartache and self-reproach, "Xituo, I'm fine..."

Xi Tuo shook his head, his throat feeling like it was stuck with burning coals, burning painfully.

He spends every day with Mu Yao and knows best about his changes.

Watching helplessly as his partner's life slipped away, unable to do anything about it, filled him with an overwhelming sense of panic and despair.

The thought that Mu Yao had truly left, and that this vast beast world would never again be home to her, caused him immense heartache.

I wish I were the one who was sick, and that I were the one who suffered...

Yu Yan sensed their feelings and sighed inwardly.

Mu Yao's complexion and large belly immediately reminded him of cirrhosis and ascites.

The medicine in his hand wasn't very effective in treating his liver disease.

"Mu Yao, let me check you out first."

"Um," Mu Yao said with difficulty, "thank you."

Yu Yan stepped forward and performed a physical examination on him, paying particular attention to his abdomen.

Even though Mu Yao was sweating profusely from the pain, she tried her best to cooperate. Xi Tuo watched anxiously from behind, but dared not make a sound.

After confirming that what was in his stomach was gas and not ascites, Yu Yan felt a little relieved.

Then, Yu Yan carefully examined his eyes, and then lifted his hand to look at his fingernails.

After completing all the checks, he had his answer.

Xi Tuo asked worriedly, "Yu Yan, can you tell what illness Mu Yao has?"

Mu Yao was also extremely nervous, wanting to know the truth but also afraid that what Yu Yan said would be too much for him to bear.

Yu Yan calmly said, "Based on the symptoms you described, combined with his abdominal distension, dark circles under his eyes, and white spots on his fingernails, I judge that he has been infected with parasites."

Xituo and Muyao exchanged a suspicious glance.

"Parasites?" Xituo pressed. "What are those?"

Yu Yan: "Insects that parasitize living organisms."

Xi Tuo suddenly realized: "I feel like I've seen that before..."

Yu Yan: "The worms were competing with him for nutrients inside his body and blocked his intestines, so he would have bloating, loss of appetite, and become pale and thin."

Mu Yao stared wide-eyed in horror, and Xi Tuo also gasped.

"Insects... growing inside my body? How could this happen? How can I get the insects out?"

The more Xituo talked, the more desperate he became.

You can't just pull out all the worms from your body, can you? Besides, they might have multiplied already, so you can't just pull them all out...

Mu Yao has stopped eating, so the insects can't get any nutrients from her. Will they eat her?

Xi Tuo's face was deathly pale, and his body swayed precariously.

Mu Yao's condition was even worse than his; the thought of the worms inside his body made him gag.

Yu Yan didn't panic because of them. She said, "You can think about whether you have ever eaten unclean food, such as raw meat, which may contain parasites or worm eggs."

Xi Tuo said blankly, "We've been eating cooked food all this time..."

Mu Yao: "Last winter, we ate raw meat once."

"The bugs have been living inside you for so long?" Xituo looked at his stomach in horror. "Could there be bugs inside me too?"

Yu Yan interrupted him: "Don't scare yourself. Going back to what we were saying, you can take medicine to expel the worms from your body."

Xi Tuo pleaded, "Do you have any medicine? Can you give it to Mu Yao right away?"

"Yes, but we can't use it right away."

"Why?!"

"Mu Yao's body is so weak right now. The deworming medicine is very strong. If he takes the medicine directly, he might die before the worms are expelled!"

Xi Tuo fell silent instantly.

Yu Yan said sternly, "If you want to live, listen to me."