Chapter 98 Sugar-Making Red Lanterns, Hanging High
Upon arriving at work, Yu Yan washed her hands and changed her clothes, quickly beginning her busy day.
There's so much to do; we have to race against time to drink water and eat.
During his breaks, he didn't want to move or talk. He would scroll through his phone for a while and then turn it off, not even remembering what he had just looked at.
I finally made it to the day I could go home, but by the time I finished, it was already late at night.
I threw myself onto the bed, knowing full well that I had a ton of things to do tomorrow and should go to sleep early, but I just couldn't bear to. I felt it was such a waste to go to sleep like this. I scrolled through my phone until my eyes were sore and my eyelids were drooping.
Yu Yan yawned, wiped away the tears that welled up in her eyes, and thought to herself, what will he do when he has money and free time?
As drowsiness grew, his eyelids slowly closed...
etc.
Isn't he already dead?
Why do I still go to work?
"Crash!" A clear sound of something being shattered echoed from deep within his mind.
His heart suddenly clenched, and he abruptly opened his eyes.
What came into view was the familiar roof of the new house, the pale green glass windows were closed, and the quacking of ducks and bleating of sheep could be heard from outside.
On a table not far away, there was a sketch that he had only partially completed the night before.
The kang (heated brick bed) beneath him was warm, making his back feel cozy.
He hugged the newly made quilt, turned over, his heart pounding, and let out a soft breath.
"It was all a dream."
After getting up, he didn't rush to wash his face, but instead went to the kitchen for a walk.
Feng Gui and Rui Hua were busy inside; the former was chopping and stir-frying vegetables, while the latter was adding water and tending the fire.
Steaming white vapor rose from the pot, filling the entire space with its aroma.
Hearing his footsteps, Feng Gui turned his head and smiled, "You're up? It's still early. Didn't you say you wanted to sleep a little longer?"
In a single sentence, the somewhat unrealistic Yu Yan was brought to reality.
He grinned and said, "I'm used to it. I can't fall asleep even if I want to."
He walked over to Feng Gui and peered into the pot next to him.
"You stewed fish? It smells delicious."
Feng Gui flipped the fish over. "Your father caught this in the river early this morning. Taste it and see if it's salty enough. I'll add some more salt if needed."
Yu Yan picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth, exhaling hot air as she said, "That's enough, just right! Father, the fish you made is really delicious."
Feng Gui: "I also made potato pancakes."
Yu Yan's eyes lit up: "I'm going to wash my hands, I'll be right back to eat!"
Feng Gui and Rui Hua both burst out laughing.
Yu Yan carried a basin outside to fetch water. She took a sniff and smelled the desolate scent of winter, which was cool and refreshing.
He looked at the desolate plains, the withered mountains, and the gray sky in the distance; he listened to the sounds of talking and walking coming from the tribe. He felt a mix of melancholy and a faint sense of relief.
If it weren't for today's dream, he would have forgotten how long it had been since he last thought about his past life.
There's no convenient transportation, no electricity, no internet, and not many forms of entertainment here, but Yu Yan feels very grounded living here.
He looked down at his calloused palms.
This is proof of hard work.
These hands wove warm fabrics, cooked delicious meals, built sturdy houses, and planted seeds of hope.
Now, he is no longer empty, no longer stressed, no longer confused, and no longer hesitant.
When he clenched his fists, he could clearly feel that a happy life was in his hands.
"Yu Yan, the water is full." Lan Xiu's voice rang out with a smile.
Yu Yan looked down and saw that the water in the basin had spilled all over the floor, so she quickly turned off the valve.
After the tribe built an irrigation canal, he connected it with a wooden pipe, and he also made the valve himself.
"You're here." He shook the water off his hands and smiled at Lanxiu.
Lan Xiu walked up to him, took his hand, and asked gently, "What are you thinking about? You seem so lost in thought."
"Haha, it's nothing." Yu Yan suddenly wanted to hug him, and of course, he did.
Holding onto Lan Xiu's strong waist, Yu Yan nuzzled his angular jaw and murmured, "I just feel that life is really good now."
Lan Xiu smiled and hugged him back.
...
Yu Yan said he wanted to rest, but in reality, he couldn't stand being idle for more than two days.
The new clothes he and Lanxiu were going to wear were mostly finished. Feng Gui was embroidering the final patterns, and he couldn't help much.
After thinking for a moment, he went to move the beets out of the warehouse and prepared to drag them to the water's edge to wash them.
Ruihua saw this, took the initiative to come over, transformed into her beast form, and carried away all the beets in one trip.
The commotion attracted the attention of the tribe, and soon Xuefei arrived with a group of apprentices from the weaving workshop.
The apprentices arrived wearing animal skin skirts and straw skirts, but now they have all changed into clothes made of cotton and linen.
They greeted her with smiles: "Teacher Yu Yan!"
Yu Yan smiled: "Finished with work today?"
Tan Nian said, "We have a holiday today, teacher, what are you doing?"
Xuefei's eyes lit up: "Are we going to make sugar from beets?"
Yu Yan nodded, "Yes."
Xuefei: "I'll help!"
The apprentices looked at each other, somewhat surprised.
They squatted down and carefully washed the beets, discussing, "I've heard that beets are sweet, but how can you make sugar from them?"
"Simmer until the sugar syrup is formed, then boil it dry?"
"It seems like a lot of trouble... and wouldn't it burn the sugar? The fruit is so sweet, and it's never been used to make sugar."
"I feel that the red color of beets is quite suitable for dyeing fabric."
Xuefei had eaten beets before, but their sweetness was nowhere near that of fruit. He was very curious about how much sugar could be made from a single beet.
After washing the beets, Yu Yan took everyone home.
People brought out cutting boards, stools, and tools, and cut the beets into thin strips as Yu Yan instructed.
This step really had to be done by them, because Yu Yan's knife skills weren't that good.
After cutting the shredded ingredients, put them into a pot, add water, and boil over high heat for about ten minutes. The water in the pot turned dark red, and Yu Yan tasted it; it already had a faint sweetness.
Then came the main event.
Everyone saw Yu Yan heat the filtered sugar water and add lime milk to it!
Is this still edible?
Soon, a miraculous scene unfolded.
Impurities settled to the bottom. After Yu Yan skimmed off the foam on the surface of the sugar water with a spoon, the sugar syrup inside became surprisingly clear!
Everyone stared wide-eyed and swarmed around, marveling at what they saw.
"Did all the lime sink to the bottom?"
"So this sugar water is drinkable, right?"
"It's so clean, and the colors are beautiful too."
Yu Yan smiled and said, "It's drinkable. Everyone, give me a hand and pour out the syrup. I'm going to start boiling the sugar. Xue Fei, could you collect some more wood ash for me? I'll need it later."
"good!"
Making sugar syrup is a task that requires patience; you have to keep stirring the pot to prevent it from burning.
Fortunately, everyone had extensive experience in boiling salt and oyster sauce, so they took turns boiling it, and in the midst of laughter and conversation, they boiled the sugar until it was almost done.
As a final step, Yu Yan poured in the wood ash while it was still hot.
The pigment was absorbed into the wood ash, turning the sugar syrup a lighter color!
"Wow!" Everyone was stunned. "You can do that?"
"And after simmering for so long, there's still so much syrup left. Is there really that much sugar in beets?!"
Xuefei said excitedly, "We harvested so many sugar beets this year even though we didn't have many seeds. If we plant more next year, we'll be able to make enough sugar for the whole tribe, right?"
Yu Yan smiled and said, "Pretty much."
The apprentices were even more shocked, staring intently at the sugar syrup.
This is candy! Precious candy!
Collecting sugar in the wild is so difficult. You can only collect it once a year from a single beehive, and you might even get stung by bees.
The insect honey is also small and scarce.
Beetroot isn't very sweet, but it's large and produces a lot of sugar! The sugar-making process is also quite simple. With beets, you'll never have to worry about not having sugar again!
Everyone eagerly asked Yu Yan, "Teacher, can we send a message to the tribe and tell them to keep an eye out for sugar beets? We want to plant them next year too."
Yu Yan nodded: "Okay, besides beets, also keep an eye out for sugarcane, sugarcane is..."
That day, the orcs patrolling the peninsula tribe sent out dozens of messages.
Besides sugarcane and beets, there's also the matter of Yu Yan and Lan Xiu becoming partners. The ceremony is scheduled for twenty days from now. Friends from various tribes are welcome to attend their marriage ceremony if they have time. They will treat everyone to a meal and drinks.
Not only can sugar be made from beets, but it's also a novel idea to use them to entertain guests.
Moreover, his partner is none other than the famous Yu Yan!
People were so curious that they all wanted to know how the ceremony was conducted.
Everyone who knows Yu Yan said they definitely want to go and see her.
The entire peninsula tribe was overjoyed. The question they asked Yu Yan most often was, "Is there anything you're missing for your mating ceremony? I have some food at home, shall I bring it to you?"
Yu Yan replied with a smile, "We've saved up quite a bit of food, so we're not short of it for now. I'll definitely let everyone know if we need anything!"
"Yes, please don't be shy!"
During this time, Yu Yan successfully cooled and crystallized the sugar syrup made from beets in the ceramic jar.
He crushed and sieved the crystals to obtain a light pink sugar.
He didn't waste the residue filtered out during sugar production; he used it all to feed the pigs.
The two pigs are living a very comfortable life in the valley now, eating and sleeping, and have gotten much fatter.
After the sugar was made, people from not only the peninsula tribes but also several surrounding tribes came to visit.
They could hardly believe their eyes: "Beast God! Such fine and pure sugar, made from beets? And so much of it!"
"Yu Yan, this is great! From now on, you can have as much candy as you want!"
Yu Yan smiled and said, "Yes, we finally have enough sugar at home. If you also want to grow sugar beets, you can come and exchange seeds with me next year, and I will teach you how to propagate them by cuttings."
Everyone exclaimed enthusiastically, "We really want to plant it! Yu Yan, thank you!"
Some people said with distress, "Then let's exchange something else, but we can't use candy anymore, right?"
Yu Yan: "Sure, you can use it. Sugar won't spoil. It's like salt; you always need it at home."
“Once we no longer lack sugar, you can trade it with me for things such as metal, clay, wood, limestone and so on.”
The words "no shortage of sugar" stirred everyone's emotions and filled them with anticipation.
It's unbelievable, they'll have an endless supply of candy! All of this was brought to them by Yu Yan!
Everyone was excitedly discussing how to grow sugar beets and how to make sugar. Someone murmured, "You must be an envoy sent by the Beast God..."
...
As winter deepens, the weather is getting colder and colder.
Not only has the food available in the wild become scarcer, but wild animals have also become harder to hunt.
But this year, the peninsula tribes are living more comfortably than in any previous year.
Especially for those families who moved into new houses, the spacious and sturdy houses sheltered them from the wind and rain; with the kang (heated brick bed) lit, even young and strong people felt warm wearing only a single layer of clothing inside.
They no longer need to cook outside, and they don't have to worry about the pots exploding. The food they've stockpiled is enough to last them until next summer.
People still enjoy lively gatherings. During the day, they would bring their fabric and needles, along with a handful of roasted nuts, and find someone's house to meet up with. They would chat and work together, and if they felt like it, they could sing or dance, which made them especially happy.
Time flies, and Yu Yan and Lan Xiu are about to become partners.
Starting two days ago, guests began arriving at the tribe.
Zhu Yu and Bai Lang from the Caiyun tribe, Heng Qing from the Gaodi tribe, Xi Mu from the Chongshan tribe, Mu Yao and Xi Tuo from the Jifeng tribe, Hong Yong and Ge Meng from the Chongchong tribe, and so on... The peninsula tribe became very lively.
They also brought gifts, some food and some useful items, showing their heartfelt sentiments.
Yu Yan was very happy and touched to receive the blessings.
He and Lanxiu warmly welcomed everyone.
"Bai Lang, let me see how your face is? Not bad, I can't even see the scar up close."
"Mu Yao, I'll have to ask you to send me purple tube flowers again next year."
"Chief Ximu brought us so many dates? They're huge and so sweet! Thank you!"
"It's a real shame that Xinchen couldn't come because she has to stay home with her two kids."
"Clan Chief Hengqing, is your partner alright?"
Although we hadn't seen each other for a long time, we weren't strangers at all and had so much to talk about.
Heng Qing also shared some great news with everyone: "My partner Cheng Liu has given birth, and it went very smoothly!"
Yu Yan was overjoyed: "That's wonderful! Congratulations! Is it a beastman or a sub-beastman baby?"
Heng Qing's beast form is a black panther. The usually composed man is now grinning from ear to ear.
"It's a beastman cub, but like Cheng Liu, its beast form is a desert cat."
Yu Yan's eyes lit up. "That's absolutely adorable!"
Cangfeng chimed in, "You guys are so lucky! Bring the little one over when he's a bit older so we can play with him."
Heng Qing had previously exchanged a lot of "parenting experience" with him, but now she glanced at him and said protectively, "Go play with your Shuoxing."
Cang Feng laughed and said, "Shuoxing has grown up and is no longer fun."
Heng Qing: "You can have another one with Xin Yu."
Cang Feng: "I think it's okay, but it's not up to me to decide."
His original intention was that whether or not there would be a child depended on fate, but everyone misunderstood and looked at Xin Yu jokingly.
Xin Yu blushed slightly and pinched Cang Feng's waist.
Cang Feng winced in pain, looking at him innocently, neither daring to be angry nor daring to speak, which amused everyone.
Yu Yan noticed that Ge Meng seemed preoccupied and didn't say much, even his smile was faint.
After dinner, Gomon came to Yu Yan alone and asked, "Dr. Yu Yan, do you have any methods for fetal reduction?"
Yu Yan frowned: "No, not now. Is something wrong with your partner, Hua Xi?"
Gomon looked worried and told him the truth: "Huaxi's belly is very big. We asked an elderly sub-beastman in the tribe to take a look, and he said that Huaxi may be pregnant with three babies."
Yu Yan gasped.
In the beast world, it is very difficult for humans to conceive. If a couple can produce one offspring in their lifetime, it is considered a blessing from the beast god.
People from the Chongchong tribe often have twins, possibly due to their physical constitution.
But this was the first time he had ever heard of a third child!
Gomon said, "I know that the babies are a gift from the Beast God, and I especially hope to have more babies with Huaxi, but being pregnant with three at once is really too hard."
"His belly is bigger than that of a normal orc about to give birth. Although he moves normally and keeps telling me that he is fine, his legs always hurt in the middle of the night, and his feet and calves are a little swollen."
"I came here today to ask you if there's any way to make his life less tiring..."
Yu Yan knew that the people of the Beast World valued their cubs very much, and that Gomon must have gone through a painful struggle to be able to say "reduction of fetuses".
He couldn't bear to part with his baby, but between his baby and his partner, he firmly chose his partner.
If this were modern times, Yu Yan could use medical technology to help him fulfill his wish.
But in the beast world, he was helpless.
"Leg pain may be due to calcium deficiency. Calcium is an essential nutrient for the body and is mainly stored in bones and teeth. I'll write you a menu in a bit, and you can feed Huaxi more of the foods on it."
Gomon's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly: "Okay."
Yu Yan comforted him, "Don't be too anxious, especially Hua Xi. You need to keep him in a good mood. It will be better for both him and the baby."
Gomon: "Yes, I never worried in front of him. This time he persuaded me to come, so I came. I asked the people in the tribe to help take care of my family."
Yu Yan then talked to him about some things related to the pregnancy. “After you go back, you need to pay close attention to Huaxi’s condition,” he said. “When he is about to give birth, I will stay in your tribe and personally help him deliver the baby.”
Gomon looked at him gratefully, his eyes red.
He stood up, bowed deeply to Yu Yan, and said repeatedly, "Dr. Yu Yan, thank you so much. With you here, Hua Xi and I can finally rest easy. Please don't hesitate to ask if you need anything from us in the future."
Yu Yan helped him up, saying, "We're friends, let's not talk about these things."
He dared not give Gomon any guarantees, but he would do his best to help them get through this difficult time.
The next day was the marriage ceremony for Yu Yan and Lan Xiu.
The day before, they and their friends from the tribe tidied up and decorated both houses.
It was supposed to be a decoration, but it was actually quite simple. Yu Yan cut out the character "囍" from red paper and used white glue to stick it on the outside of the glass window, the walls inside the room, and the headboard.
People may not recognize the character "囍", but that doesn't stop them from finding it beautiful and festive, like two lovers standing together.
Yu Yan also used the beeswax she had saved to make candles, then put red lampshades over the candles and directed Lan Xiu to hang them under the eaves.
"That's fine, now both sides are together," Yu Yan said with a smile in the courtyard.
"Then I'll come down." Lan Xiu walked over with a smile.
These past few days, he's been in high spirits, enjoying the good news.
"Beautiful," he commented earnestly, gazing at the red lanterns.
Yu Yan: "When we light them up at night, they'll be a beautiful red color. It's a pity we didn't have enough beeswax, so we only made this batch of candles. Next year, we'll look for insect wax in the wild and mix it with beeswax to make more."
"Okay." Lan Xiu grasped Yu Yan's hand, and the two naturally intertwined their fingers.
The next morning, Yu Yan woke up and looked at the red clothes neatly folded at the foot of the bed with a bright smile.
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