Chapter 282 Primitive Beast World Cubs 56

The winter sun is especially precious. Usually, it's cold and the wind chills you to the bone, but this day is a rare sunny day.

There was no rain or snow, the roads were dry, and it had been sunny for several days in a row, so the roads were dry and not muddy.

The roads here are truly primitive mud roads, bumpy and rugged. They're fine when it's not raining, but when it rains, they're covered in mud.

When it rains, Shen Ci usually doesn't go out; there's no need for her to.

On a rare sunny day, she brought along the little snake cub. The little snake cub had grown a little bit more; half a month had passed since its birthday.

It's as if it changes every day. It's already as long as a forearm. Since it's an orc, it's naturally different from pure orcs and pure humans, so it's reasonable that it grows faster.

She put the baby snake into her pocket, which she had roughly sewn herself. It was just big enough to hold things, warm with her body heat, and could also keep out the wind and rain, and allow her to see the outside world clearly.

Aside from greenhouse-grown and supermarket-sold vegetables, Shen Ci didn't know much about winter vegetables. Accustomed to living in a convenient world, she couldn't find anything else for the time being.

But there was one thing she remembered: houttuynia cordata.

Houttuynia cordata, also known as fish mint, becomes more tender in winter. Buried in the soil, it grows plump and strong. Its smell is loved by some and disliked by others who don't want to smell it at all.

Houttuynia cordata is both a dish and a traditional Chinese medicine. It is cold in nature and has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling and promoting diuresis, strengthening the stomach and aiding digestion. It also has antibacterial, antiviral and immune-boosting effects.

This is a delicious dish; it has many health benefits.

Where does houttuynia cordata usually grow? Shen Ci remembers digging it up when she was a child. It grows outside, usually on the ridges of fields, but there are no ridges here.

In winter, when it gets cold, houttuynia cordata grows vigorously. When dug up at this time, it is plump and tender, and is at its freshest and most delicious.

Shen Ci carried a hoe, followed by Cang Ye, who ran around at a distance that was never too close, and the little snake cub in his pocket—a family of three.

The forests here are very pristine, with many places where fallen leaves accumulate. These leaves fall year after year, rot without anyone collecting them, and eventually turn into fertile soil.

Underneath these thick leaves, houttuynia cordata (a type of herb) is most likely to grow.

Shen Ci used a hoe to clear away the thick layer of withered grass. The grass and leaves had rotted and turned black, and some of them had even turned into liquid. If you grabbed a handful of them, your hands would definitely get covered in smears.

After turning over all these dead leaves, there's a thick layer underneath, and below that is fertile black soil. This kind of soil is perfect for growing things; it's very nutritious.

Shen Ci pondered for a moment, and then, taking some food and some soil, he dug it all up.

Just as fertile soil should not be allowed to flow into other people's fields, neither should fertile water.

Beneath the thick, fertile black soil, only a layer of red buds can be seen on the surface, a very tender red, with tiny tips sprouting one by one.

You wouldn't be able to see it at all unless you parted these fallen leaves.

These red, tender shoots are the best part to mix with other ingredients. They're tender, juicy, and come in a dense layer. If you stir them a bit more, you'll see even more tender shoots revealed.

Shen Ci could no longer contain himself. He was so excited that he didn't even want to use a hoe. He could only use the hoe to dig around the base of the plant first, and then pry the soil out to preserve the integrity of the houttuynia cordata as much as possible.

Anyway, these dug-up houttuynia cordata roots will have to be broken and mixed when we get back, but we are always careful when digging them up.

One or two, Shen Ci was having a blast digging; the sense of accomplishment was insane!

She didn't care where the wolf cub was anymore. He was probably just running around in the forest, and he wouldn't get lost. The cub was old enough to know where home was.

One hoe stroke, two hoe strokes, three hoe strokes, and one after another, the houttuynia cordata was pulled out.

After digging the ground, Shen Ci used his hands to pull out the houttuynia cordata, picked them up one by one into a small handful, and then shook them a couple of times to remove the dirt.

The freshly pulled houttuynia cordata is very clean; a gentle shake removes almost all the dirt. It's one of the few vegetables you can find in winter.

Houttuynia cordata loves to grow in clusters, and I dug up a huge handful from just one spot.

The forest in winter is not all withered and covered with snow. There are also many evergreen trees in the forest, which are green all year round.

Even in winter, the mountains are still green when viewed from afar.

Shen Ci dug up half a basket of houttuynia cordata; its fresh smell was wonderful.

He reached into his pocket to check if the little snake was still there, but to his surprise, his pocket was empty. He rummaged through it until he reached the bottom.

Oh no, where's the baby?!

Shen Ci broke out in a cold sweat. How could the child have disappeared in the short time it took to dig for wild vegetables?

Neither of the two children is there! The baby snake is so small; if it swam into the mountains, where would she find it? It's the dead of winter; most snakes hibernate. What if the baby snake crawled into someone's burrow…

The consequences would be unimaginable.

"Qingming! Qingming!"

Shen Ci shouted, carrying a basket. She was so engrossed in digging for wild vegetables that she hadn't noticed where the child had gone. Instantly, the image of Xianglin's wife popped into her head.

"It's all my fault, it's all my fault!"

I only know that animals hibernate in winter..."

The little snake was long and thin, a dark green line. She searched the ground with all her might. In the winter mountains, although there were many green trees, most of the ground was covered with withered yellow leaves.

If a green snake is on the ground, it's quite easy to spot.

"Holy crap! Someone's here!"

As Shen Ci searched intently, he suddenly saw a little girl squatting by the water ahead.

The little girl was naked, her hair was shoulder-length, and most importantly, she looked exactly like a human.

Isn't this just a person? Fair and delicate-looking.

"No, kid, what are you doing here?"

Could it be that I've misunderstood this continent? Are there actually other people living there?

Hearing the question, the little girl turned around. Her big eyes on her oval face looked watery, and she had a little bit of baby fat, but you could tell that her chin was pointed.

She is a very pretty child.

"Mother."

The little girl looked at her and suddenly shouted, causing Shen Ci to freeze on the spot.

She must be right, this is the little snake she's been searching for.

On her fair and delicate face, there was only a faint bluish-green tinge at the corner of her eyes, making it look like she was wearing makeup, but it was very subtle.

"Qingming?"

Shen Ci asked, and the little girl immediately stood up, opened her arms and ran towards her, throwing herself into her arms.

Shen Ci didn't know when the orcs would transform into human form, but it had only been a short time, less than a month, and there were still several days left before a month was over.

The little snake transformed into human form; it truly lives up to its royal blood!