Chapter 62 My Partner is Fruit 7
Since taking human form, Yunzhen has not eaten or drunk a drop of water, and is now a little hungry.
She patted her stomach: "Aoki, why don't you take out some jerky and grill it?"
Based on my observations over the past few days, Aoki is the best cook among the five.
Although there was grilled meat on both sides, the meat he grilled had the brightest color and looked the most appetizing.
Of course, you can't eat that kind of barbecue now.
The meat Xing sent was all dried meat. Although the weather isn't hot now, fresh meat won't keep for long.
Tian Yaojin and the others also stayed by Yun Zhen's side, and whenever they were hungry, they would take time to hunt.
Moreover, they dared not go too far, as that would take too much time.
The area had been raided countless times, leaving them with only a few rabbits to hunt. They were constantly half-starved and had no time to store fresh meat.
However, Yunzhen only had to make do with this one meal.
She has many people, so even if she doesn't join the hunting team, a few people can form a group to hunt in a slightly more distant place and bring back a good catch.
Those who need the most material support at the beginning of their transformation are actually the tree girls who only have two tree followers.
One tree spirit stayed by the tree spirit's side to act as her protector, while the other simply followed the hunting party.
Going out hunting alone is too dangerous.
"Yes, Master."
Aoki obediently went.
Yunzhen waved her hand: "You all go hunting on your own."
She hadn't forgotten that the trees had to fend for themselves.
Xuan Shui smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Master. We'll be setting off now."
The four left, and Aoki found a flint and steel, started a fire, and dutifully began roasting the dried meat.
I don't know what kind of wild animal this jerky is made from. It doesn't have any seasonings added, but the taste is surprisingly good. The meat is firm but not too dry.
Perhaps it's because the species has changed, Yunzhen's appetite has also increased. She ate several pieces of jerky in a row, but only had a little bit to fill her stomach.
Just as I was munching on some jerky, I saw Xing walking towards me from afar with a tree, but it wasn't a cedar.
Sensing her gaze, Xing waved excitedly.
"Yunzhen, I heard from the clan leader that you have taken human form, so I rushed over immediately."
Yunzhen stood up: "Mother, you've come?"
Xing ran over, but as soon as he got close, he froze.
After regaining her senses, she exclaimed in amazement, "I never expected you to be so beautiful after transforming into human form."
"Mom, you look beautiful too."
She did think Xing was pretty.
"I am indeed prettier than most tree girls in the tribe."
Xing raised her chin, looking quite pleased with herself.
Yun Zhen chuckled softly. Last time, the other person came and went in a hurry, and she didn't realize that the other person was so lively.
After showing off, Xing said again, "Don't call me Mother, just call me by my name."
She refused to let Yunzhen call her that, and she treated Yunzhen as an equal.
It wasn't just her; all the mothers and daughters in the clan interacted in this way.
Perhaps because they skipped the gradual growth stage from infancy and lacked companionship, they were already adults when they met. Relatives interacted more like companions than as younger relatives who needed care.
Yunzhen readily agreed: "Okay."
She also felt awkward calling Xing's overly young face "Mother," as the image of her mother in her mind was still Miao Cuilan.
Xing sat down opposite Yun Zhen: "I originally planned to pick you up myself, but I didn't expect you to transform into human form so quickly."
The Tree Spirits do not have the concept of a mother caring for her children.
The fact that Xingneng said such a thing already shows that he values Yunzhen.
This was thanks to Yunzhen bearing five fruits, and also because she was the first child born from Xinghua after many years.
Yunzhen said, "I have several trees here, and I was too lazy to make you come all the way, so I came back by myself."
Actually, she had completely forgotten that Xing had said she would pick her up. Even if she had remembered, she couldn't possibly be foolish enough to wait there for her.
Xing nodded, equally unconcerned, and looked at the dried meat in Yunzhen's hand.
"You're just going to eat this?"
"Hmm, it tastes pretty good. Would you like one?"
Yunzhen picked up the dried meat and took another bite.
Perhaps because it was her first time eating it and she found it novel, she genuinely thought the jerky was quite delicious.
"No, I don't want to eat that. I've had enough of it in the winter."
Xing waved her hand dismissively, but even so, she did not offer to give Yunzhen any fresh meat. Clearly, food was quite precious here, and the Tree Spirits did not have the custom of sharing food.
Yunzhen asked, "Winter?"
Xing knew that Yun Zhen had only recently taken human form and didn't understand these things very well, so he explained:
"We divide the year into twenty months, with each five months forming a season. There are four seasons in total: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. It's spring now, and winter has only been over for a little over three months."
"So that's how it is."
"You haven't experienced it. Winters are very cold, with heavy snow outside. You can't go anywhere, and there's very little to eat. After you finish eating the frozen fresh meat, you can only eat meat jerky. I ate meat jerky for the last two months of this winter."
Yunzhen immediately understood why she disliked dried meat so much. If she ate it for two months in a row, she would also find it hard to swallow.
"Besides dried meat, are there any other foods that can be stored in winter?"
Yunzhen began to worry.
She still has a strong craving for good food.
"It is possible to store some fruit, but not much. If the fruit is picked too early, it will rot easily, and if it is picked too late, it will be almost entirely ruined by birds and animals."
Yunzhen immediately thought of drying fruit, but since she had never personally witnessed what autumn was like in this world, she didn't speak rashly.
"However, since you have five trees, you can make them spend more time picking more fruit."
Xing sighed, "Unlike me, I only have three trees, and I'm always too busy to keep up with the work in the fall."
"Then I'll have them pick more and send some over to you later."
"Then it's settled."
Xing got excited and quickly pointed out the location of the cave to Yunzhen.
Clearly, there is no concept of polite words here, and Yunzhen is not using polite words either.
As her mother in this life, she wouldn't be so reluctant to part with even a few fruits.
Xing, as if struck by a thought, pointed to the silent man standing behind her and said:
"By the way, your tree will be joining the hunting team tomorrow. You can let him follow Ye to learn more about hunting. Remember to remind him not to be too reckless or impulsive."
Every year, newly grown trees die from hunting, many of which are due to a lack of hunting experience and negligence.
Yunzhen nodded: "I understand, thank you, Xing."
"You're welcome."
Whether it was because of their relationship or because the other person was just too good-looking, just looking at him made her feel refreshed, so she didn't mind taking care of him a little more.
Yunzhen chatted with Xing for a while longer, then Xing took the initiative to get up, say goodbye, and leave.
In such beautiful weather, it's best to go back to the cave and do something fun.
Yun Zhen has only just taken human form and hasn't enjoyed it yet, so she can't delay Yun Zhen for too long.
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