*

Just then, Bai Ya finished picking the fruit and was about to come and see Nan Qing. As soon as she approached, she heard Nan Qing's words.

"Stone melon?"

Hearing her voice, Nan Qing also took a piece of sweet potato and handed it to her.

"Yes, this is called stone melon, and it's an edible food. You can try it."

Bai Ya had complete faith in Nan Qing, and she had always thought that this little female was very clever, smarter than most beastmen. So without any hesitation, she took the sweet potato and took a big bite.

It's hard and crunchy, with a slightly sweet taste, but not overly sweet, and after swallowing it, you feel a cool sensation in your mouth.

It's really edible!

But more than whether it was edible, she noticed Nan Qing's earlier comment that it "could be stored for a long time."

"Nanqing, do you think this sweet potato can be stored for a long time? How long is 'a long time'?"

Fruits and leafy vegetables spoil very easily, which is why they need to arrange teams to pick them every day.

Nan Qing thought about it and thought, "This thing seems to be hard to spoil even if it's left out for several months, right?"

"Put it in a cool place, or in a cellar or cave, and it should be fine for 2 or 3 months."

Bai Ya was immediately startled, and even Duo Ya, upon hearing Nan Qing's words, leaned closer and eagerly said:

"Bai Ya, Nan Qing said this fruit can also be roasted over a fire."

Bai Ya looked at Nan Qing, who nodded and listed several ways to cook sweet potatoes.

As for what happened next... well... anyway, the entire valley was dug into many holes until all the baskets and rattan baskets they brought were full, and then everyone stopped, still reluctant to leave.

In the Orcish Continent, all orcs respect food, and tribes that waste food will be abandoned by the Beast God.

Moreover, they had all heard Bai Ya say that this fruit called "stone melon" could be preserved for two or three months.

That means that as long as they stock up on more fruit before the cold season, they won't have to risk going out to find other fruits when the cold season arrives.

Male orcs don't mind, but female orcs and cubs can't just eat meat. If they don't eat it with some fruits and leafy greens, they're prone to getting sick, and in the cold season, they'll die if they get sick!

So no one would be unmoved to hear that this fruit can be stored for so long.

In the end, Bai Ya said they would come back to dig for stone melons the next day, and everyone gave up.

On the way back, the other females were even more enthusiastic towards Nanqing than when they arrived. Whenever they saw her stop eating, they would stuff a fruit into her hand, just like feeding a cub.

...

During the hot season, the days are long and the nights are short, so by the time Nanqing and the picking team returned to the tribe, it was only just beginning to get dark.

The hunting party had already returned to the tribe, and Mo Ye was waiting by the stone pillar at the tribe's gate for the gathering party to return.

He didn't know that Nan Qing would go with the picking team. Actually, he didn't need her to go; he could take good care of his little female. The sun was so strong outside, and the little female was so fair; she would definitely suffer from the sunburn.

So the moment the picking team came into view, Mo Ye immediately strode forward to greet them, ignoring the teasing glances from the other females, and took the basket from Nan Qing's back.

Meanwhile, Nanqing was still huddled with Duoya listening to her talk about some interesting things in the tribe, completely unaware of Moye approaching. It wasn't until someone lifted the basket on her back that she turned her head to look.

"Sumino?"

Following Mo Ye's movements, she pulled her arm out of the basket's straps and let him carry it.

Although the basket was not big or heavy, it still left two obvious red marks on her fair shoulders. Mo Ye looked at the two red marks, pursed his lips, and felt a little heartache.

Nanqing wanted to tell Duoya, but when she turned around, she found that not only Duoya, but also the other females in the tribe were some distance away from her. Everyone knew that she was brought back from the Endless Forest by Moye, and judging from Moye's appearance, he definitely wanted Nanqing to be his female.

So when Mo Ye approached the group, everyone just smiled knowingly and even quickened their pace to make room for them.

"Don't go tomorrow."

"Um?"

Nan Qing noticed that he kept staring at her shoulder, so she turned her head to look at him. Her skin was fair, and the two marks on her back were indeed quite noticeable, but the basket was actually not heavy. It was filled with light fruits and wasn't even too full.

"But I think it's quite fun! It doesn't hurt, I'm fine~~"

After saying that, she took his arm and walked towards the tribe, as she wanted to share the fruit with them.

The tribe still practices a resource distribution system. Both hunting teams and gathering teams are allocated by the tribe, and the hunting and gathering teams are also on a rotation system, with each person only getting a turn about once every three or four days.

But when she and Moye carried her little basket to the open space in the tribal square, Baiya pushed her little basket back.

"Nanqing, you don't need to hand this over. You made a great contribution to the tribe today, and the tribe needs to think about how to compensate you."

The other females nodded in agreement, and none of them expressed any dissatisfaction with Bai Ya's decision.

Both the hat and the gourd were of great help to the tribe, and everyone liked the new little female.

Since that's what they've said, Nan Qing didn't stand on ceremony. It's just a small fruit. The resources in this Beast World Continent are actually very abundant. It's just that the beastmen have too little curiosity and haven't been able to research those things.

In addition to the small fruit in the basket, Nanqing also received a basket of fruit and leafy vegetables, including salted fruit and tender leafy vegetables.

The wild beasts were also divided into three groups: one deer and two cattle.

Once the supplies were distributed, all the male orcs transformed back into their beast forms, hoisted their assigned wild animals onto their backs, and then rushed towards their respective stone houses.

Mo Ye did the same. He first used his tail to place the three wild beasts and the bamboo basket on his back slightly behind him, and then gently wrapped his tail around Nan Qing's waist, placing her near his neck.

The fur there is softer and thicker than in other areas, so it should be more comfortable to sit in.

"Qingqing, hold on tight to my fur and sit still."

This was Nan Qing's first time sitting on his beast form. Mo Ye's wolf fur was very smooth, jet black without a single impurity, and exceptionally beautiful. She responded, grabbed a few tufts of his fur, and lay down on his neck.

She loves fluffy things the most!

On the way back, Mo Ye didn't walk fast. He didn't run as usual; he just walked a little faster than normal.

Upon returning to the stone house, seeing that Mo Ye was about to start a fire to roast meat again, Nan Qing quickly stopped him.

"Um... how about you eat mine instead?"