Chapter 3: Treasures from the Soil - Potatoes
The early morning sun filtered through the gaps in the forest, and the Silvermoon Tribe was already abuzz with activity. The central fire still burned, and two sub-orcs were carefully adding firewood according to Professor Lin Chen's method.
Canglan walked towards Lin Chen's cave and found that he had woken up and was tidying up the strange clothes.
"Today the gathering team is heading to the foot of the western mountain," Canglan said. "Elder Shiyan suggested you go with them. Perhaps we can find more useful things."
Lin Chen's eyes lit up: "Great! I was just thinking about getting familiar with the plants around here."
Yunshan came bounding over, his face brimming with excitement. "Lin Chen! The elders asked me to go with you to collect plants and learn to identify new plants!"
The gathering team consisted of five sub-beastmen: Yunshan, the middle-aged sub-beastman Qingye, his partner Baishi, and a pair of young sisters, Chenlu and Wanxia. They were led by the experienced gatherer Meiguo, a sharp-eyed woman in her forties.
"Stranger, follow closely and don't touch any plants you don't recognize." Meiguo warned Lin Chen seriously, "Although the foot of the west mountain is safe, there are also poisonous plants and fruits."
The team set off, each carrying a simple animal skin bag. Lin Chen noticed that these bags were simply sewn and had no handles, so they could only be carried on the shoulder or in the arms, which was very inconvenient.
The vegetation at the foot of the western mountain was lush, and Meiguo expertly instructed everyone to gather familiar wild fruits, roots, and edible leaves. Lin Chen observed carefully, discovering several familiar plants, but many more he had never seen before.
"Look, this is a sweet root. It tastes sweet when you chew it." Yunshan dug out a piece of purple rhizome and handed it to Lin Chen.
Lin Chen tasted it and found it was indeed lightly sweet, but the fibers were coarse. He suddenly noticed a cluster of plants not far away that looked unusually familiar—heart-shaped leaves, small light purple flowers, and low, creeping plants on the ground.
"This is..." Lin Chen walked over quickly, carefully digging up the soil, and his fingers touched several round tubers. His heartbeat quickened as he dug out a spherical tuber covered in mud and wiped it clean, revealing its pale yellow skin.
"Yunshan, give me a sharp stone!" Lin Chen's voice was filled with irrepressible excitement.
Yunshan hurriedly handed over a sharp-edged slate. Lin Chen carefully cut open the tuber, revealing the white flesh. He took a small bite and was instantly delighted—it was potato! Pure, non-toxic potatoes!
"Berry, come and look!" Lin Chen held up the potato. "This is a very good food. It can be stored for a long time and is very delicious when cooked!"
Berry frowned skeptically. "Clubs? We don't eat clods."
"This isn't an ordinary clod of soil. It grows underground and is the rhizome of a plant." Lin Chen explained, digging out several potatoes of varying sizes. "Look, there are so many underneath one plant! They're very filling and can be stored for a long time."
Chenlu and Wanxia came over curiously, and Qingye and Shiraishi also put down their work and walked over.
"How do you know it's edible?" Berry was still skeptical. "What if it's poisonous?"
Lin Chen thought for a moment and said, "We can take it back to the tribe first. I'll roast it over a fire and let me taste it first. If there's no problem, everyone can eat it."
Yunshan had already started digging excitedly: "I believe in Lin Chen! He brought fire and made the food delicious. This earth...potatoes must be good too!"
Under Lin Chen's guidance, the collection team began to focus on digging potatoes. They soon discovered that the area was full of potato plants, and the harvest far exceeded their expectations.
"We need more containers." Bai Shi looked at the pile of potatoes with worry, "The animal skin bags can no longer hold them."
Lin Chen looked around and suddenly had an idea: "We can use vines to weave a makeshift basket!"
He selected flexible vines and demonstrated how to weave them into simple containers. Everyone learned quickly, especially the sisters Chenlu and Wanxia, whose deft fingers wove several sturdy little baskets.
"This is much more convenient!" Wanxia said in surprise as she picked up the wicker basket filled with potatoes. "It's better than a hide bag!"
The team's fruitful return to the tribe immediately caused a sensation. Elder Shi Yan looked at the piles of strange "soil blocks" with a complicated expression.
"Lin Chen, are you sure this is edible?"
"I'm sure," Lin Chen said confidently, "but it needs to be cooked. Canglan, can you help me find a large stone with a depression in the middle? Preferably one that won't crack when heated."
Although Canglan was puzzled, he still led his men to find suitable stones. Under Lin Chen's guidance, several orcs took turns polishing the harder stones, eventually making a rough but usable stone pot.
Lin Chen set up a stone pot, poured in clean water and washed and diced potatoes, and added a little wild onion he had just collected and a spice similar to pepper.
As the water in the pot began to boil, a strange aroma spread, attracting more and more people to gather around.
"What are you doing?" a young orc asked curiously.
"Stew food," Lin Chen explained. "Boiling water kills harmful substances and makes food softer and easier to eat. It's especially suitable for the elderly and children."
Elder Shi Yan took a deep breath and said, "The fragrance is very tempting."
When the potatoes were cooked until soft, Lin Chen tasted a bite to make sure they were safe before sharing them with everyone. At first, everyone was cautious, but after tasting the soft, fragrant, and sticky potatoes, they were all amazed.
"I've never eaten anything so soft!" an elderly orc exclaimed excitedly. "My teeth can no longer chew hard meat, but this is perfectly acceptable!"
"Children will like the taste too," said the mother happily while holding her child.
After Canglan finished his portion, he walked over to Lin Chen, his eyes full of admiration: "You've brought us another surprise. This kind of potato... can it really be stored for a long time?"
Lin Chen nodded. "If we keep them in a cool, dry place, they can be preserved throughout the winter season. They are also easy to grow. We can cultivate them ourselves instead of relying on collecting them."
Elder Shi Yan immediately took this seriously when he heard it. "You mean we can grow our own crops? Like we grow herbs?"
"Yes, it's even easier." Lin Chen explained, "Just bury the sprouted potato pieces in the soil and take proper care of them, and new potatoes will grow."
The whole tribe was excited. Being able to store food meant that the cold season was no longer so terrible; being able to grow food meant a more stable food source.
The next day, under Lin Chen's leadership, the Silver Moon Tribe began its first large-scale potato harvest. The orcs also joined in, using their strength to dig more potatoes, and at the same time, following Lin Chen's advice, leaving some plants to continue growing.
In the evening, the center of the tribe was filled with potatoes. Everyone had a smile on their face, and even the usually serious Berry looked at Lin Chen with admiration.
"Lin Chen," Elder Shi Yan solemnly announced before everyone, "You have brought not only fire and new food to the Silver Moon Tribe, but also hope. From today on, you are no longer a guest, but an honorary member of the Silver Moon Tribe!"
People cheered, Yunshan hugged Lin Chen excitedly, and Canglan stood not far away, with a warm light flashing in his silver-gray eyes.
As night fell, gathered around a warm campfire, eating stewed potatoes, the people of the Silver Moon Tribe felt confident for the first time about the coming winter season. As Lin Chen watched all this, a strange sense of belonging welled up in his heart—perhaps crossing into this strange world wasn't entirely unfortunate.
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