Chapter 27 Tiger Cart [15 chapters complete!] Processing seeds...
As evening fell, the boundless blue sky was dyed a deep crimson by the sunset.
Orcs, orcish creatures, those that could fly, and those that couldn't, gathered into a lively and vast procession.
Yu Yan flapped her white wings and flew in mid-air.
Looking up, the beastmen carried their relatives and friends, their wingspans blotting out the sky;
Looking down, Lan Xiu, now transformed into a massive white tiger, abandoned his usual lazy demeanor and led the way at the very front of the group, followed by several furry creatures slightly smaller than him.
Many other sub-beastmen have also transformed into their own beast-type forms. For example, Jin Xia is a deer-type sub-beastman with two beautifully curved but powerful elk antlers on his head.
After admiring the wild and untamed scene for a moment, Yu Yan flew from the tree forest where the peninsula tribes lived to the front of the new pottery kiln.
He flapped his wings and landed, and Cang Feng, Xin Yu, and the others rushed over to him.
Cangfeng was worried about the new kiln and hadn't left the place all day.
He turned to Yu Yan and said, "The firewood we added has all burned out, and the kiln is still very hot. Be careful."
Yu Yan nodded and stopped a few meters away from the pottery kiln, feeling a warm sensation on her skin.
The ashes below the combustion chamber had been cleared away by the diligent orcs, and the air was filled with the mixed smell of burning firewood and clay.
Looking up, the steamed bun kiln has an adorable shape, and the tall chimney next to it is no longer emitting smoke.
He used a stick to pry the two pieces of gray ore out. On the surface, there was no sign of them melting at all.
Even though Yu Yanbo was surprised by this, he still asked Cangfeng and the others, "Did the limestone change after being burned?"
Cangfeng: "Yes, it was heated to a red-hot color, but we took it out to check and it didn't soften."
Okay, he knew it wouldn't be that easy; he'd have to think of another way.
"The kiln can't be opened yet, can it?"
Xin Yu: "Yes, we have to wait for the kiln to cool down."
Yu Yan was a little disappointed. He really wanted to see what the newly fired pottery looked like.
He wasn't alone in thinking this way. Yin Qing sighed and said, "When I was making pottery before, I never felt that time passed so slowly."
Feng Gui: "I had already anticipated this, but I still wanted to come and see."
Xuefei: "Yes, after all, it's the first time the new kiln has been used for firing."
Yu Yan turned her head and looked at the handsome and stylish young faces. Everyone's eyes were filled with anticipation for the new artifact.
He knew that flowing water could cool things down, but it was better to be cautious with a newly built pottery kiln.
Once I have more experience, I'll see if I can make some modifications.
“Father,” he looked at Feng Gui, “when will it be ready?”
Feng Gui: "Based on past experience, it should be around midnight."
Yu Yan thought for a moment, realizing that it was so dark in the middle of the night, he probably wouldn't be able to get up, so she said, "Then let's open the kiln together when it's light tomorrow morning."
Everyone agreed without any objection, and after reaching a mutual agreement, they returned to the tribe.
There are still hundreds of baskets of oysters they dug up from the rocky beach at the altar square.
On the way, Yin Qing kept urging, "Yu Yan, hurry up! I'm starving."
Yu Yan laughed heartily: "It's flying, it's flying! We'll process the ingredients as soon as we arrive."
After landing, a group of orcs surrounded him, asking him how to best eat oysters.
Yu Yan: "Actually, the way to eat them is very simple, just steam them. But before steaming, we need to clean these oysters thoroughly. Take a brush made of animal hair or grass stalks, carefully scrub the shells clean, and then soak them in salt water for a while..."
He meant to say one or two hours, but then realized that the concept of "hours" didn't exist in the Beast World, so he changed his words: "Anyway, we have to soak first, otherwise we won't be able to get rid of all the mud and sand."
“Okay, okay, we’ll do as you say,” Xuefei said.
Yin Qing simply suggested, "We don't know how long to soak or steam it, so why don't we just handle it all here at the altar square?"
Feng Gui: "I think it's a good idea. These oysters were dug up by everyone together."
Xin Yu: "Another get-together? That's great!"
Yu Yan nodded: "Alright, then you all come with me to the water to clean oysters, Uncle, Xin Yu, Xue Fei, and Yin Qing. The rest of you go back and get salt and cooking utensils. The orcs should chop more firewood."
Everyone responded in unison and immediately got to work.
The previously empty altar square has become very lively.
The new pottery kiln, the new pottery, and the bumper harvest from the beach all brought great joy to the people in the tribe.
Yu Yan watched as they walked, and they almost jumped up, with one beautiful song after another playing continuously.
Before starting to clean the oysters, Yu Yan loudly reminded everyone: "The edges of the oysters are still very sharp, so please be careful not to hurt your hands."
"Okay!"
Dozens of sub-orcs lined up by the water, and once they started working, the sound of "swish, swish" filled the air.
Before long, Cangfeng and the others sent the cubs over with the salt.
Yu Yan directed Shuoxing to bring over a large water vat, add salt water, and soak the oysters, whose shells had been cleaned, in it.
While waiting for the oysters to soak, they continued to chat and shuck the oysters.
Another group of sub-orcs lit a fire at the altar plaza to process meat and root vegetables.
Fortunately, everyone had stored up a lot of food a few days ago for pottery making, so they can eat it without feeling guilty.
Cleaning oysters doesn't require much skill, and once Yu Yan got the hang of it, she could even listen to everyone chatting.
Yin Qing, the social butterfly, is discussing with Jin Xia and the others how to dye the fabric more beautifully.
Some said they discovered a vibrant sea of flowers, others said they collected exquisite mineral soil, and still others said they drew beautiful pictures of birds and animals.
About an hour later, Yu Yan checked and found that the oysters were almost soaked.
Since the oysters were dug from the rocky beach, he was worried that they might not be cleaned properly and would upset his stomach if he ate them. So he called on everyone to help him open the oyster shells, remove the internal organs, and wash them thoroughly with water, inside and out.
People who make a living by gathering and hunting have excellent skills in processing food, and they can cook it faster and better than ever before.
Before long, the processed oysters were piled up into a small mound, with thin slices of meat attached to the oyster shells, translucent in color and smelling fresh.
The fire pits had already been lit, with cooking utensils set up on them.
People placed straw-woven baskets inside the cooking utensils, with stones or earthenware bowls underneath for support.
Then, place the cleaned oysters, meat side up, on the sieve.
Finally, cover the cookware with a stone slab, a straw lid, or other similar items, and start steaming!
Yu Yan had a very precise grasp of the steaming time for oysters; after the water boiled, steaming them for five to seven minutes was about right.
"The first batch is ready! Yinqing, what about those evergreen fruits we picked?"
"Here it is!"
"Wash some, cut them in half, and bring them to me."
"immediately!"
They worked quickly; just as Yu Yan had used her chopsticks to pick out two pots of oysters, they brought over the small green lemons.
Feng Gui said, "Yu Yan, I'll do it. You can do whatever you want."
"Mmm. It's actually very simple, just like this..."
Yu Yan picked up half a small lime and squeezed it onto the steamed oyster meat.
The abundant juice of the lime dripped onto the oyster meat.
The limes in the Beast World were huge; it took him three oysters to squeeze out half of one.
"You can eat it after you squeeze it out. Let me try it first."
Yu Yan fanned the oyster shell with his hand to cool it down a bit. He held the shell in one hand and used chopsticks in the other to pick up the oyster meat.
She blew on it again, then opened her red lips and took a bite.
Hmm! Good, no mishaps!
These oysters were already very fresh, and the steaming time was just right, so the meat was very tender.
The juice of the small lime is very sour when eaten alone, but when it comes into contact with the oyster meat, it has a wonderful neutralizing effect.
The fishy smell of the seafood was almost completely removed by the juice, leaving only a little bit, which he felt was harmless.
In addition, the lime juice perfectly highlighted the sweetness of the oyster meat, leaving him with a refreshing taste.
He chewed the oyster meat casually with his upper and lower teeth, and it crumbled into pieces. He swallowed it down with a "gulp".
This is the familiar, authentic flavor! Awesome!
No one around him needed to give any comments; just by looking at his satisfied and delighted expression, they knew that this dish was delicious!
"How was it? How was it?" Yin Qing asked impatiently.
"Delicious!" Yu Yancan greeted everyone with a smile. "Come on, everyone, have a taste. If you think it's too bland, you can add a little salt."
"That's exactly what I was waiting for you to say!"
No one stood on ceremony; they all picked up small limes and squeezed juice onto the steamed oyster meat.
The first batch of steamed oysters was quickly devoured.
A chorus of praise rang out in the altar square.
"I always thought oysters were delicious, but this way of cooking them makes them even more delicious!"
"That's right! Before, if you grilled or boiled the meat directly without letting it sit, it would be very fishy and the meat would be very dry. This time, it's not only delicious and not fishy at all, but the meat is also very tender!"
"Eating evergreen fruit on its own is so sour, even half of it can make your teeth ache. I never imagined that adding it to oysters would make them taste so good!"
"Yes, yes! Although it's still a little fishy, it would be better if you added some scallion roots while steaming it."
"When we steam other shellfish, squeezing some Evergreen juice on them can also remove the fishy smell, right?"
...
We've dug up so many oysters today, and we also have plenty of firewood, water, and salt. We can have an oyster feast!
Seeing how much they liked it, Yu Yan was also very happy and replied:
"Oysters are not a very fishy shellfish. If it were other foods, the effect of removing fishy smell would not be as good as that of the root of the hand."
Xin Yu sighed: "During this period, everyone has been cooking with their hands and feet, and we've almost eaten up all the food we stored up last year."
Feng Gui: "Even if there's any left, it's been sitting for so long that it's dried out and unusable."
Jinxia: "My uncle and I dug up this year's succulent roots, but they haven't grown up yet, so they're not very effective at removing fishy smells."
Yu Yan nodded, thinking to herself that experience is indeed valuable.
While everyone was eating oysters, they were all worried about what to do with the oysters after they ran out.
Once they've had a good meal, they can no longer stomach fishy or rancid food.
Yu Yan finished off a few more oysters, pursed her lips, and said to them, "I do know a few other foods that can remove the fishy smell."
"What? What?" everyone hurriedly asked.
Yu Yan then focused on describing the appearance of chili peppers, scallions, and garlic to everyone.
He also mentioned Sichuan pepper and black pepper, but he hadn't found them in the wild during this time, so he wondered if the climate of the peninsula tribes was unsuitable for these two plants to grow.
Another reason is... he doesn't really like Sichuan peppercorns or black pepper.
Onions, ginger, garlic, and chili peppers were common side dishes he used to use when cooking.
While digging for oysters today, he thought: "If only the tribe had garlic, I could make some charcoal-grilled garlic oysters. They would smell so good!"
"...The foods I'm talking about have a strong flavor when eaten alone, but they can be very good for seasoning dishes, especially for removing fishy smells. They can be used as a substitute for hand roots. When you're out in the wild these days, keep an eye out for similar things. It's okay if you mistake one for another; just bring it back for me to identify."
Xin Yu and the others immediately nodded in agreement: "Okay, we've got it."
Moye said, "We can also ask around among the people in the nearby tribes. If they have any, we can trade with them."
The peninsula tribes now hold "cloth" as a super hard currency, and no tribe would refuse to exchange it.
Cangfeng and Shuoxing sat on either side of Xinyu.
Shuoxing was eating non-stop, while Cangfeng seemed to be deep in thought.
Xin Yu patted his strong lower back and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
Cangfeng said, "I think I saw scallions when I was a merchant before."
Xin Yu's eyes lit up: "Really? Then why didn't you bring it back?"
Cangfeng said hesitantly, "Because the people there, just like we used to, use scallions as medicine. The boiled water tastes terrible. I think it's only for treating colds, and we have enough scallion roots, why would we need to drink scallion water?"
Xin Yu: "Do you remember which tribe had scallions?"
Cangfeng scratched his head: "I'm thinking about it."
Before Xin Yu could speak, Shuo Xing, who had freed her mouth, exclaimed, "Father, you really have to remember! Yu Yan just said that stir-fried pork and eggs with scallions are super delicious!"
Cangfeng chuckled and rubbed his head: "I know, I know, all you ever think about is eating."
Shuoxing straightened her back: "Brother Yu Yan said that I need to eat more because I'm growing!"
Qiu Ze turned his head sharply, his eyes shining brightly as he asked, "What are we eating? I want to eat too!!"
Xuefei pinched his chubby cheek: "Just focus on eating, you're everywhere."
Akizawa: "Okay, okay."
He chewed with his cheeks puffed out, and suddenly his eyes widened.
"Father! Father!" he exclaimed in surprise.
Xuefei thought he had choked and quickly reached out to catch him, saying, "What's wrong? Are you choking? Spit it out quickly!"
Mo Ye was extremely anxious.
Qiu Ze opened his small mouth and "poof," spat something into Xue Fei's hand.
"I found a stone in my food!"
Xue Fei raised an eyebrow: "How could that be? We opened the shells to clean them... Hmm?"
Under the glow of the campfire, the "stone" in my hand was emitting a warm, pale yellow light.
Xuefei held it up to the firelight so she could see it more clearly.
Isn't that irregularly shaped pearl?!
"Moye, Yuyan, look! Qiuze found a pearl in his food! It must have been hidden inside the meat; we didn't even notice it when we were washing it," Xuefei exclaimed excitedly.
"Oh?" Yu Yan looked over in surprise.
It really is a pearl! But it's not round; it's flat, and the warm yellow color is very pretty.
Yu Yan laughed and said, "Not bad! Qiu Ze actually got to eat a pearl, how lucky!"
He's eaten so many oysters in his two lifetimes combined, but he's never tasted a pearl!
Xuefei and Moye were also very happy and said they would save the pearl and make a necklace for Qiuze later.
Upon hearing that they could eat pearls, everyone in the tribe became even more excited and enthusiastic.
The sounds of slurping filled the air as the empty oyster shells piled up higher than the campfire.
Even so, they still dug up too many oysters, and even though everyone ate their fill, they only managed to eat a small portion of them.
Also, the probability of eating a pearl is too small. Including Qiu Ze's pearl, I only ate three in total.
When it came time to distribute the remaining oysters, Yu Yan, the "hero" who led everyone in digging for oysters, received a total of eight large baskets, Feng Gui received three baskets, and Lan Xiu received two baskets.
Most of the evergreen fruits that Yu Yan and Yin Qing collected today have been consumed.
The people in the tribe said they would collect new ones and return them to Yu Yan.
When we parted, it was already late at night.
Lan Xiu transformed into his beast form and carried over a dozen baskets of oysters, a small half-basket of evergreen fruit, and some food collected by Feng Gui on his back.
The three of them went back and moved the oysters to the stream to soak. Lanxiu asked, "With so many oysters, how are you going to eat them?"
Yu Yan: "Now that the weather is hot, oysters can't be kept for long. Let's steam them again tomorrow morning, and dry the rest?"
Feng Gui agreed: "Okay, let's save it for winter."
She hadn't noticed it before, but now that she was home, Yu Yan was incredibly sleepy.
He yawned, his eyes welling up with tears: "We've all worked so hard today, everyone's exhausted. Let's wash up and go to sleep, we'll talk about the rest tomorrow, we have to get up early."
Feng Gui and Lan Xiu agreed.
The next day, Yu Yan got up earlier than usual. The forest was still filled with a white mist.
When he went to wash up, he glanced at the stream.
I don't have many containers at home, so I can only soak the oysters here.
However, this is freshwater, which has a limited effect on extending the lifespan of oysters.
Some oysters that were in good condition yesterday are showing signs of dying today.
The smell of the stream also became unpleasant due to its fishy odor.
Yu Yan thought to herself, "I have to process all these oysters today."
In the morning, the three of them worked together to finish breakfast, and it was almost time to go to the pottery kiln.
Yu Yan and Feng Gui sprouted wings and flew in the sky, while Lan Xiu transformed into a beast and ran on the ground.
No matter how many times she saw it, Yu Yan always felt that the big white tiger was extremely majestic.
When they arrived at the new pottery kiln, a considerable number of people had already gathered there.
The orc on patrol last night was Senber. As soon as he saw Yu Yan, he waved excitedly and said, "Yu Yan, you've arrived!"
Yu Yan: "Hmm, how's it going?"
Senbai: "The cooling time is much longer than in the old kiln, but it's cooled down now and we can open the kiln!"
A glint of light flashed in Yu Yan's eyes: "Okay, let's wait a little longer before we open the kiln!"
After waiting for about fifteen minutes, when the appointed time arrived, Yu Yan immediately called Cang Feng and the others to open the kiln.
As soon as the kiln was opened, the smell inside immediately wafted out.
The people of the Beast World had an extremely sensitive nose; they could distinguish the differences between these pottery pieces simply by their smell.
The kiln couldn't accommodate so many people, so most of them waited in the open space.
At that moment, everyone stared intently at the kiln, asking each other incredulously, "Can you smell it?"
"You can smell it too?"
"It's not really appropriate to say it like this, but it smells so good..."
"I also want to say that the pottery from the past always had an earthy smell after firing, but this time it even has a faint fragrance!"
"May the Beast God protect us! May the Beast God protect us! It must be successfully burned!"
Cangfeng and his group have already entered the pottery kiln.
The light here was dim, but everyone had excellent eyesight, so they immediately noticed the differences between these pottery pieces.
They were actually glowing.
In the dim light, these newly fired pottery pieces emitted faint, shimmering light.
Everyone present was stunned, having never seen anything like it before.
Cangfeng and Moye, who were clearly among the best hunters in the tribe and could lock onto their prey with their keen eyesight, rubbed their eyes hard, their faces full of disbelief.
"Did I...see wrong?"
"I don't think I'm seeing things either..."
"How could pottery be fired like this?"
Xin Yu said helplessly, "One person might be wrong, but how could so many people all be wrong?"
Yu Yan: "Stop worrying about it. Let's move it outside and take a closer look, and while we're at it, we can count how much was burned."
Cangfeng: "Yeah, everyone outside must be getting impatient."
The group immediately got busy, carrying out both fired pottery and broken pottery shards in trip after trip.
Yu Yan made two trips with Lan Xiu before he stopped her.
"You wait outside, and while you're at it, take stock of the pottery. We'll take care of moving it."
Yu Yan readily agreed. The new pottery was unveiled, and everyone in the peninsula tribe was quite excited; he really needed to keep an eye on it.
Standing in the open space, his gaze swept over the rows of new pottery.
These pottery pieces are clearly different from the ones his family used before, even to the naked eye.
The surface of the pottery is smoother, and the glaze colors are more vibrant.
He bent down and picked up a ceramic jar, then tapped it with his long, slender fingers. The clear, crisp sound was like heavenly music.
Yu Yan's anxiety was completely relieved.
Although the grey ore didn't melt, the quality of these pottery pieces is really good! Not only are they more beautiful, but they should also last longer than before.
Other onlookers also held the pottery pieces tightly, reluctant to let go.
Yin Qing ran over to Yu Yan, holding a small ceramic bowl, and said, "I drew the patterns on this!"
Yu Yan stared intently: "Is this a sunflower you drew?"
This is a flower commonly found in peninsula tribes; it is bright yellow, round, with large leaves and a fragrant aroma.
Yin Qing replied with delight, "That's right! I just suddenly had an idea, so I sketched a few lines on it, and I didn't expect it to fire successfully! I rarely manage to fire the patterns I draw before!"
He pressed the bowl directly against his cheek, his voice filled with excitement: "Ahhh, I love this bowl so much! It's so beautiful, how could I bear to use it!"
As more and more pottery pieces were brought out, everyone found their own creations and examined them from all angles, praising them endlessly.
"I could tell these pottery pieces were excellent the moment I touched them! Look how evenly they were fired!"
"The large ceramic jar I sculpted actually fired successfully! The previous ones all cracked."
“A couple of years ago, Cangfeng and his group went on a trade and brought back a piece of very good quality pottery. I traded three animal hides for it! But now that I look at it, that pottery is far inferior to ours!”
"Yu Yan, the teacup I made for you is finished! Feel it, how thin the walls are. I never dared to imagine that we could make such thin pottery!"
"Great! Our new pottery kiln works wonderfully!"
"Yes, yes, it's much bigger than the old kiln! I love this new kiln so much!"
"Where is the clan chief? Let's quickly make another batch of pottery and fire it today!"
Cangfeng put down the large pottery jar he was holding and said with a smile, "The new pottery is so good, of course we have to keep firing it! Once we've finished counting it, we'll get to work!"
The people responded in unison, "Yes!!!"
Looking at the beaming faces, Yu Yan couldn't help but smile.
Feng Gui stood beside him, admiring the newly fired earthenware pot.
After watching for a while, he suddenly realized something and asked in confusion, "Don't you guys think there are an unusually large number of pottery pieces fired this time?"
This statement immediately garnered widespread approval.
"I found it!! I was just about to say that the pottery shards that were burned before could have been piled up into a small mountain, but look, after so many trips, there are only five or six burnt ones."
"Yes, yes! There's barely enough space in the open! I've never seen anything like this before."
"The pottery fired last time was covered in smoke and grime, but look, this time the pottery is clean as soon as you wipe it."
After all the pottery was moved, everyone took stock and found that the firing rate was an astonishing 80% or more!
Even though Cang Feng had made so many trips and was mentally prepared, he was still shocked and stared wide-eyed.
"It's burned down to this extent!! In the past, if it could be burned down to 40%, that would be considered pretty good!"
Xin Yu nodded emphatically, his deep black eyes shining: "That's right, our pottery kiln is even bigger than before. If they're all small items, we can fire up to three hundred pieces at a time!"
"Three hundred!!!" Many people were dumbfounded.
The entire peninsula tribe only has a little over three hundred people! This number completely exceeded their expectations.
Xuefei held onto his smooth, beautiful new ceramic plate tightly, looking at Moye and saying, "I knew the new pottery kiln would be good, but I didn't expect it to be this good..."
Now that the tribe has cloth and such fine pottery, won't partners no longer need to fly to faraway places?
Perhaps they could sit in their tribe and exchange for enough supplies to live comfortably.
Thinking of that beautiful scene, his nose tingled and his eyes reddened slightly.
Mo Ye understood his gaze, reached out, and gently wiped his face with his rough fingertips.
"Yes, it's really good." He looked at Yu Yan gratefully.
Xue Fei followed his gaze, her eyes revealing the same emotion.
The other people in the tribe shared the same idea.
Hundreds of eyes converged on Yu Yan.
The young and gentle orc was dressed in new black clothes and trousers. His short white hair was illuminated by the sunlight, giving it a holy luster.
He was slightly raising his head, exchanging ideas with Lan Xiu, who was a head taller than him, about how to use the pottery in his hands.
Noticing something, he turned his head, met everyone's eyes, paused for a moment, and then smiled.
As the clan chief, Cangfeng was the first to step forward and solemnly thanked Yu Yan: "Yu Yan, we owe our new pottery kiln to you for being built so well. In the future, our tribe will have better pottery to use. On behalf of everyone in the tribe, I thank you."
The others nodded in agreement.
Their seriousness made Yu Yan feel a little embarrassed.
"We're all from the same tribe, let's not talk about these things." By benefiting his tribe, he also benefited himself.
Even the youngest children know how important fabric and pottery are to a tribe.
Yu Yan's calm and composed attitude not only earned everyone's gratitude and respect, but also deeply moved them.
They didn't say thank you again, but their gratitude was evident in everyone's eyes.
Yu Yan coughed awkwardly and changed the subject stiffly: "Take a look at how your pottery is coming along."
To Yu Yan's surprise, the people in the tribe unanimously agreed that he should choose the pottery first.
Regardless of who sculpted it, he took all that he needed, and then they redistributed the rest.
Looking at the sincere and handsome faces, Yu Yan couldn't bring herself to refuse.
So, the first time was supposed to be a trial firing, but Yu Yan collected all the pottery pieces without paying for any supplies.
There were too many pottery pieces to fit in the basket, so Lanxiu transformed into a beast to help transport them back to the ginkgo tree.
Cangfeng and Xinyu had to lead their people to continue digging soil, making clay, chopping firewood, and firing pottery. Once they were sure that Yu Yan and the others were okay, they didn't send them off.
However, he repeatedly instructed, "If you need any help, just let me know, and I'll bring people over immediately."
Yu Yan smiled and waved her hand: "No, you guys go ahead with your business. If anything happens at the pottery kiln that you can't handle, come find me."
"Uh-huh."
After bidding farewell to everyone, Yu Yan conjured wings, ready to fly into the sky.
Lan Xiu, who had already transformed into beast form, turned around and called out to him, "Yu Yan."
"Um?"
They were very close, and Lanxiu's black and white fur was shiny and bright, clearly indicating that he was a very healthy big cat.
As Lan Xiu spoke, his furry tiger mouth opened and closed: "These pottery pieces on my back aren't secured, they might fall off. Do you want to come up and hold them for a bit?"
Yu Yan's eyes widened slightly.
Can he ride in a tiger carriage now?
This was a golden opportunity, and he decisively folded his wings, saying, "Yes!!"
A smile flickered in Lan Xiu's icy blue tiger eyes: "Come."
To make it easier for Yu Yan to climb up, he lay down on the ground, though he wasn't low down.
Fortunately, Yu Yan has honed her skills by going up mountains and down rivers during this time.
Even the shape of his abs is more defined than before, with a full four.
He was light and agile, and climbed onto the tiger's back without much effort.
The first time he rode in the "tiger car," he didn't dare to put any force on his feet.
Lan Xiu's fur was much stiffer than he had imagined, but his skin was very soft when he relaxed. Stepping on it through his straw sandals felt like touching cotton candy, and it was also smooth.
He took two careful steps forward and asked, "Is this pressure okay?"
Lan Xiu turned his head: "What level of force?"
Yu Yan: "I'm talking about the force with which I walk."
Lan Xiu's smile deepened: "It was too light, I didn't feel it."
Yu Yan immediately realized he was teasing her and burst out laughing.
However, Lan Xiu's words did reduce his tension, and he stepped much more boldly.
He walked to the middle of the tiger's back, sat down cross-legged, and gathered all the pottery pieces that were easy to shake around him.
"Okay, let's go."
The tiger carriage, depart!
Lanxiu let out a low growl, took a step forward, and headed towards the tribe.
After realizing that he wasn't moving fast and the pottery was barely falling, Yu Yan quietly let go of his hand.
He spread his five fingers apart, and tiger hairs peeked through the gaps between them, making them prickly and itchy.
The "tiger cushion" I sat on was warm, even more comfortable than the most expensive handmade blankets.
Lan Xiu likes to sleep in the sun, so he has a kind of sunshine scent on him. It's not a fragrance, but it smells refreshing and makes people think of many words that describe warmth.
Just as he was enjoying himself, Lan Xiu's voice came: "If you are tired, you can lie down and rest."
Yu Yan thought to herself, "I haven't done any heavy work all morning, so how could I be tired?"
But he said, "Oh dear, I'm a little sleepy, I'll lie down then."
"Um."
He lay down contentedly, burying his body and face in the thick tiger fur.
When her cheek touched Lan Xiu's soft downy fur, Yu Yan felt like she was about to fly away.
He screamed silently in his heart—Super big cat! I finally got to pet it!
Oh my god, it feels so good. With such a broad back, he can roll around freely.
Even though Lanxiu slowed down, the wonderful time was still very short.
Upon reaching the ginkgo tree, Yu Yan reluctantly pulled herself out of the tiger fur, grabbed the two pottery jars, and jumped to the ground.
Feng Gui flew back, arriving a little earlier than them, and casually remarked, "You two are so slow."
Lan Xiu and Yu Yan: "..."
Fortunately, Feng Gui didn't dwell on the matter. Together with Yu Yan, they moved all the pottery down and found a place to put it.
He carried the loads with great enthusiasm, his upturned lips never fading.
"Father, will these pottery pieces be enough for us to use for a while?" Yu Yan asked him deliberately.
Feng Gui: "This is more than enough! I've never owned so many pottery pieces in my entire life! Even when your father and I first got married, we only had three decent pottery pieces at home."
They are now so wealthy, and it was only because the people in the tribe strongly urged them to accept it. Feng Gui is as happy as if he is in a dream.
Yu Yan smiled and said, "My father also gave you pottery?"
“Yes…” Feng Gui’s gaze was full of nostalgia. “If he knew that we now have so many such fine pottery pieces, he would be very happy.”
There wasn't enough space inside the bird's nest, so the pottery had to be placed under the tree.
However, Yu Yan has been very busy lately, and she hasn't been able to build a thatched shed to shelter from the rain.
For the first time, Feng Gui urged him, "When we have time, let's build a thatched shed so that the pottery won't get ruined by the summer rains."
Yu Yan knew he treasured these pottery pieces, so she nodded and said, "Okay."
Lanxiu asked, "If we're not going to the pottery kiln today, what are we doing?"
Yu Yan explained her plan one by one: "I need to process the oysters soaking in the stream, and the beets and sweet potatoes I soaked before have all sprouted. I need to turn over a plot of land and plant them. Oh, and also, Uncle, take me to pick some old cucumbers. I want to collect their seeds."
Feng Gui: "Sure, I can go anytime."
Several people divided the work and cooperated.
Yu Yan asked Lan Xiu to scoop some fine wood ash from the stone stove for her, and then asked Feng Gui to clean the oysters.
He himself moved the beets and sweet potatoes that had sprouted to the ginkgo tree.
In the morning, they boiled water in a pot. He relit the fire and brought the water in the pot to a boil, carefully boiling the shell knife for a while to sterilize it.
Then he sat on a rock and used a cooled shell knife to measure the sweet potato in his hand.
He had acquired a lot of sweet potatoes, so he wasn't as careful when cutting them, leaving one or two buds on each piece.
After cutting, he immediately applied wood ash to the cut part of the stem.
Lan Xiu squatted down beside him and watched.
He understands cutting it into pieces and making more, but why coat it with ash?
Thinking about it, he asked the question that had been bothering him.
Yu Yan: "Hmm...aren't the cut stems very prone to rotting? If they rot, they can't be grown. Applying wood ash is to prevent that."
Lan Xiu nodded: "I think I can do this job too."
"Then you do it, I'll cut it into pieces. Spread it quickly and evenly."
"good."
The two of them worked together very well.
When it came time to cut the beets, Yu Yan was very careful, since there were only five.
Beetroots have fewer buds at the gastric end, which should normally be cut off, but he couldn't bear to part with them and left them.
He left more than two buds on each wedge-shaped beetroot.
After cutting off each piece, Lanxiu immediately coated it with wood ash.
After cutting everything up, Yu Yan moved the sweet potato chunks and beet chunks to a shady place.
"We need to let it dry a bit before planting. I'm going to my adoptive father's place now, what about you?"
Lan Xiu immediately said, "I'll go with you."
The two took their oyster-opening tools and went to the creek.
A clear stream flows gently by. Layers of deep green trees cast dappled shadows. The melodious chirping of birds echoes from the depths of the forest.
Feng Gui, with his handsome features, squatted by the stream, having already pried open and cleaned quite a few oysters. Seeing them approach, he asked, "Have you finished preparing the seeds?"
Yu Yan nodded: "That's about right."
Based on his limited planting experience, the cut seeds should have been mixed with some pesticides to prevent pests and promote growth, but unfortunately, there were none available in the Beast World, so this was the only option for now.
Lanxiu: "We'll work with you."
The three of them worked quickly and efficiently, and in just over an hour, they had cleaned all the oysters that had covered the stream, filling two large earthenware basins.
The shell smelled fishy, so Lanxiu went to throw it further away.
Feng Gui and Yu Yan washed the oyster meat carefully with salt again.
Then, they took two large earthenware basins of oyster meat and returned to the ginkgo tree.
Feng Gui lit a fire, and Yu Yan put the oyster meat into the new earthenware pot, adding just enough water to cover it.
After the fire brought the water to a boil, Yu Yan removed some firewood and turned the fire down to a simmer.
He glanced at the sky and said, "Uncle, when you see the sun in that position, the oysters will be almost cooked. You need to stir the bottom of the pot occasionally to prevent it from burning."
"After you've cooked it, if we're not back by then, turn off the heat, take the oysters out and let them dry. We'll deal with the broth in the pot when I get back."
Feng Gui asked, "Are you going to search... that place you mentioned?"
"right."
"Is it far? Can't we just plant them in the forest?"
“No,” Yu Yan stomped her foot on the ground. “It’s too hard. Good things can’t grow on this kind of ground. Besides, the sunlight and water in the forest aren’t good either.”
"The place I chose wasn't far away, just a little in front of the altar square on the riverbank."
Feng Gui: "Okay, I understand. You go ahead, I'll stay home and make the leftover meat into salted meat and let it dry."
"Okay, let's go then."
We're short on tools right now, so we really need Lanxiu's help with turning the soil.
Yu Yan sprouted wings and flew into the sky, while Lan Xiu transformed into a beast and ran on the ground.
"Lanxiu, we'll be counting on you to turn the soil later."
"Okay, just tell me what to do."
Such a good workforce truly won Yu Yan's heart.
He smiled and promised, "When I get back tonight, I'll make your favorite catnip soup and cold catnip salad."
After they reached the riverbank, Yu Yan landed and pointed it out to Lan Xiu.
“I’m going to turn this land upside down. You transform into your beast form and turn the soil over completely. I’ll use a stone hoe (which he made himself) to break up the smaller clods of soil. We also need to pick out any stones or other impurities from the soil.”
Lan Xiu listened quietly, thinking to himself, farming is really not easy.
After giving their instructions, the two immediately got to work.
Lanxiu's claws are very useful, and the soil in this area is relatively loose, so it's not difficult to turn the ground in beast form.
In no time at all, he had turned over a whole page.
The adults were all busy, and Shuoxing was playing with the little ones in the tribe when she heard the commotion and flew over.
"Yu Yan! Lan Xiu! Are you guys playing in the mud?!"
In order to catch up with Shuoxing's speed, Qiu Ze conjured up his fluffy rabbit ears, rabbit tail, and rabbit paws.
He ran up and down, shouting at Yu Yan, "Play in the mud! I want to play in the mud too!"
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