Chapter 24

A basket of potatoes lay before them as Zhuo Yan taught everyone how to cut them into pieces. “Each piece should have at least two or three sprouts, and the cut side should be dipped in ash.”

“Isn’t cutting them bad for storage?” Qiao asked.

Zhuo Yan replied, “Normally, when cooking at home, this method isn’t suitable for long-term storage since they can rot easily. But when planting potatoes, this piece becomes the seed.”

“Qiao Jie, do you remember when we went to Ada’s house? Ada’s mother mentioned a herb for stopping bleeding.”

Qiao remembered, “At that time, Ada’s mother offered it to you, but you refused.”

“That herb has already dried up, and I don’t know how to obtain its seeds, so I can’t plant it. Not everything can just be thrown into the soil to grow food.”

The others listened and suddenly understood, and Xiao Xian added an example: “Fish grow in rivers; they can’t be planted in the soil.”

“Smart,” Zhuo Yan praised, noticing Xiao Xian’s ears perk up.

It was especially adorable.

A-Yin, who was on the ground, also perked up his ears, rubbing against his brother. Zhuo Yan eventually focused on A-Yin’s ears and gave them a gentle rub. “Alright, let’s go plant.”

The five of them worked quickly and efficiently. Once Qiao and Xiao Xian got the hang of it, Qiao skillfully cut the pieces, while Xiao Xian took care of dipping the cut sides in ash. Shitou and Aman were responsible for planting, and Zhuo Yan was like a brick, moving around to teach everyone how to dig holes.

Zhuo Yan demonstrated how to dig holes—

At first, Shitou and Aman could dig a large hole for planting trees.

“It doesn’t need to be that deep; this is good enough,” Zhuo Yan instructed.

Once the initial work was done and they started planting, the process went quickly. The sub-beastmen worked efficiently and diligently, and the soil was just right. When it was time to water, Shitou and Aman took charge, carrying the buckets while Zhuo Yan lent them his family’s ladle. Aman found it very useful and said he wanted to get one for his family as well.

“You’ll get the hang of it if you dig slowly yourself. It’s not difficult,” Zhuo Yan said.

Qiao turned to Zhuo Yan and said, “Whether it’s wooden doors, water buckets, wooden bowls, or planting potatoes, it’s not hard for us to learn, but at first, none of us thought about it this way.”

“Even the wisest elders and uncles in the tribe never thought of it; Zhuo Yan, you’re really amazing.”

That sounded a bit like borrowing wisdom from future generations, but the wisdom of later generations is built on that of their predecessors. Now he could also be considered a ‘predecessor,’ and rounding it up, “It’s all thanks to everyone!”

Aman listened in confusion and said, “Zhuo Yan, you’re really generous.”

“If others ask, should we tell them?” Xiao Xian couldn’t hold back.

Zhuo Yan nodded, “Sure, if someone wants to learn how to plant potatoes, they can be told. But I feel that right now, aside from you guys, no one will believe we can grow potatoes.”

Xiao Xian didn’t believe it, but Aman, Shitou, and Qiao all trusted Zhuo Yan’s words. Qiao said, “Everyone hasn’t spent time with Zhuo Yan or seen the wooden door at his home. Let’s wait; it will be fine once the potatoes grow.”

“You can say it; I think everyone will laugh at you,” Aman said.

That may be true, but Xiao Xian still didn’t believe it. While fetching water by the river at noon, another sub-beastman team called out to him and asked what they had been doing these days.

“We’re planting potatoes. Zhuo Yan said we can grow a lot of potatoes,” Xiao Xian replied excitedly, wanting everyone to know how impressive Zhuo Yan was.

But Sub-beastman 1 asked, “What are potatoes?”

“They’re mud beans.”

Sub-beastman 2 replied, “Mud beans are everywhere, and they only exist before the snow season.”

Xiao Xian seriously explained again how Zhuo Yan said to plant them, but all he got were skeptical looks from everyone. Some even advised Xiao Xian not to get too close to Zhuo Yan, saying that look at Qiao—she had become less smart.

“… Zhuo Yan is very smart, and so is Qiao,” Xiao Xian finally couldn’t convince everyone and could only return in frustration. He didn’t understand why everyone was so doubtful about Zhuo Yan.

He recounted what had just happened, and Aman teased Xiao Xian, saying he was right earlier—no one would believe them. Xiao Xian crossed his arms and huffed.

Zhuo Yan smiled a little, and Xiao Xian looked puzzled. “Aren’t you angry?”

“I’m not angry. And don’t be upset either. Just think about it; when we first started playing, I was the one who shamelessly stuck to Qiao, and you and Aman were chattering away, saying bad things about me.”

Aman touched his nose, emphasizing that he wouldn’t say anything more now.

Xiao Xian huffed and felt his face flush.

“Before was before; now it’s different,” Xiao Xian managed to say.

Zhuo Yan replied, “That’s right. I worked with you all to pick fruits for more than ten days. Qiao Jie gave me the first piece of meat, and you all were willing to accept me to work together. Later, when I made the door, you thought I had changed for the better. With winter approaching, you were worried I wouldn’t survive, and out of pity, you all are very kind.”

“Now everyone doesn’t know if we can grow them. It’s normal for them not to believe me. Once the potatoes grow in the field, surely someone will ask about you.”

Xiao Xian angrily said, “If they ask me then, I won’t say anything!”

Zhuo Yan burst out laughing, finding it hilarious that Xiao Xian remembered how indifferent he was to him back then.

“Okay, okay, when the time comes, whoever wants to plant will praise you, saying things like, ‘Xiao Xian, you’re the best! Please tell me!’ or ‘I’ll trade you something tasty for it,’ or ‘Xiao Xian, Xiao Xian, tell me!’ Then you can decide whether to speak or not.”

Just hearing Zhuo Yan say this made Xiao Xian feel as if he could already sense everyone’s enthusiastic inquiries. He felt a bit embarrassed, his fluffy ears perked up, and he seemed a little excited, looking quite happy.

“Well, I might say a bit, but they can’t say bad things about you. Otherwise, I won’t say anything.”

Zhuo Yan exclaimed, “Good brother!”

Even though Aman and Shitou didn’t chime in, they wondered about the picture Zhuo Yan painted—would anyone also ask about them?

For some reason, just thinking about it made them quite happy.

Zhuo Yan: “I’m writing a face-slapping story in the orc world (not really).”

Farming is a long process that requires patience, but sometimes it can be quick. Once the seeds are in the soil, you have to wait; you can’t rush it. Day after day, Xiao Xian and Aman were the most invested, going to check the fields daily, but they found nothing—no sprouts had broken through the soil. Their initial excitement gradually faded.

Meanwhile, the other sub-beastmen secretly watched Zhuo Yan and the others turning the soil, hearing that they were planting mud beans and that many mud beans would grow. They were skeptical and watched for a few days, but the soil remained unchanged. Some even laughed at Xiao Xian for believing what Zhuo Yan said.

Xiao Xian was angry but didn’t want to argue with them.

Zhuo Yan was right; they would talk about it once the potatoes grew.

While waiting, there were other things to keep busy with.

Xiao Xian’s two older brothers had recovered from their injuries, and although Ada was still healing, Qiao said he was almost back to normal. However, Ada’s mother advised him to refrain from joining the hunting team for now; he could stay with the patrol team and recuperate a bit more.

Zhuo Yan thought Ada’s mother was a warrior with both courage and wisdom.

In the patrol team, Ada could often meet up with Qiao. The patrol team surveyed the tribe’s territory, making a large loop along the river for ten kilometers to the mountain where they lived. The patrol team included older beastmen leading nearly adult beastmen, or those temporarily recuperating from injuries or illness.

Seventeen- or eighteen-year-old beastmen were filled with youthful enthusiasm, lacking experience and often impulsive. Patrolling the territory helped them become familiar with the tribe’s land and also taught them to control their tempers and practice patience. After patrolling for a small half a year, they would be ready to join the hunting team.

If the beastmen’s parents were reliable, they would teach some hunting skills to their offspring while they were still young, such as the habits of various prey, how to capture them, how to transport caught prey, and what places were temporarily safe—these theoretical knowledge.

Zhuo Yan found Qiao and expressed a request regarding Ada.

“Can A-Yin join the patrol team? The tribe is too big, and A-Yin is still young and can’t make a full loop…” After all, A-Yin was a beastman; following him to work in the fields and gather wild vegetables wasn’t inappropriate, but the children still needed to go to school to learn skills.

While other adult beastmen were out hunting large prey, A-Yin was learning to catch chickens and rabbits; he would be grateful if later, as a middle schooler, he could catch sheep and pigs.

He shouldn’t take too big of a step just yet.

In this world, learning hunting and survival skills was what was best for children.

Zhuo Yan thought, “Poor brothers everywhere.”

Qiao didn’t promise for Ada but said they could go ask Ada together. Zhuo Yan felt the same way. Around two in the afternoon, when Ada and the patrol team arrived at the riverside area, Qiao called out to Ada, and Zhuo Yan went over to explain the situation.

“I can’t guarantee anything; I’ll have to ask the older uncle first,” Ada replied, indicating he couldn’t make the decision alone and needed to consult the elders in the patrol team.

Zhuo Yan felt a sense of helplessness, like an orphaned mother desperately seeking connections to send her child to school.

In this world, learning hunting and survival skills is what is best for children.

Zhuo Yan thought, “Poor brothers everywhere.”

Qiao didn’t promise for Ada but said they could go ask Ada together. Zhuo Yan felt the same way. Around two in the afternoon, when Ada and the patrol team arrived at the riverside area, Qiao called out to Ada, and Zhuo Yan went over to explain the situation.

“I can’t guarantee anything; I’ll have to ask the older uncle first,” Ada replied, indicating he couldn’t make the decision alone and needed to consult the elders in the patrol team.

Zhuo Yan felt a sense of helplessness, like an orphaned mother desperately seeking connections to send her child to school.

He thought he would have to wait a few days or that there might be some obstacles, but unexpectedly, after Ada finished speaking with them, he quickly caught up with the patrol team. A few minutes later, Ada ran back and said it was fine.

Orphaned mother Zhuo Yan thought: …it seems he isn’t as fragile and helpless as he thought.

“It can be done now,” Ada said.

Zhuo Yan was taken aback: “Huh? Now? So soon?” Although he was reluctant, feeling like a protective older brother wanting to suggest waiting until tomorrow morning, he suppressed that impulse—

It wasn’t just him suppressing it; A-Yin seemed prepared, wagging his tail. Zhuo Yan knew A-Yin wanted to go. The family hadn’t had meat or fish for the past few days, and after that hearty meal, it had been nothing but dried fruit.

Zhuo Yan’s expression turned as fast as dried fruit.

“Okay, let’s go. A-Yin, you need to listen to your elders and study hard. Go on, go on.”

“Be careful.”

A-Yin ran off, looking back three times at his brother, who had dreamed of chickens while sleeping yesterday. His brother wanted to eat chicken.

He was going to catch a chicken for his brother.

Qiao looked at Zhuo Yan, who was still watching the patrol team, and couldn’t help but smile, saying, “You two are really close; you can’t bear to part even for a moment.”

“He’s still young,” Zhuo Yan said, completely unaware of Qiao’s underlying meaning. When he finished speaking and saw the teasing look in Qiao’s eyes, he suddenly understood.

‘You two seem inseparable and sweet as honey’ was the implication.

Zhuo Yan: …ah… never mind, it’s too complicated to explain.

His reputation was already gone.

So, he changed the subject, “The wild vegetables I found last time are all dried now, but I didn’t dare to eat them. If I had a chicken to help test them, that would be great.” No wonder he had been dreaming of chickens.

Qiao said, “Oh, that grass? I haven’t heard anyone in the tribe say it was edible before.”

No one could hold onto it. Zhuo Yan looked at the patch of “wild grass” in the soil. Should he carefully chew on it?

In the evening, the hunting team returned.

The sound of clanging echoed in the tribe, and Zhuo Yan thought they had caught something again. However, when he saw Qiao’s strange expression, he was immediately taken aback, and the joy in his eyes faded. The next day, Zhuo Yan heard Xiao Xian and Aman mention that a newly adult beastman in the hunting team had acted impulsively and chased after a mammoth, only to be trampled by it.

“Is… is the person still alive?” Zhuo Yan asked.

Xiao Xian shook his head. Zhuo Yan thought the person was dead until Aman said, “They were sent to Uncle, but it’s hard to say.”

“They might not necessarily die. A-Yin encountered a white-horned cow before and was trampled, bleeding a lot, but A-Yin is still alive.” Xiao Xian racked his brain to come up with an example.

Everyone hoped the young beastman would survive.

Unfortunately… this newly adult beastman didn’t make it.

After learning the news, Zhuo Yan could only sigh. The period after winter and before spring is the hardest to endure. The sub-beastmen could survive on Dudu fruit, while the beastmen had a genetic craving for meat.

After a long winter, many animals were dead, starving, or had migrated away. Only now was spring slowly returning, and the spring animals needed time to reproduce.

The young beastman saw the mammoth, and despite the elders warning them not to disturb it, the young beastman felt that with their numbers, they could do it. A single mammoth could feed the entire tribe, but they never expected…

“Actually, I didn’t mention it, but there were a few elders in the big cave who didn’t survive,” Aman said at that moment.

According to the customs of the Leopard tribe, when a few lives are lost in the tribe, the bodies are sent to the mainland to nourish other animals, which is also a form of giving back. They hunt and eat other animals, and after they die, their bodies are consumed by other animals, with their fur and bones washed away by the rain, which then enriches the soil.

It can be seen as a cycle.

In these past few days, everyone has been in low spirits. That night, Zhuo Yan held A-Yin and stroked his fur, giving him extra Dudu fruit at dinner. However, A-Yin insisted that Zhuo Yan eat first. Zhuo Yan couldn’t help but say, “I’ve been too idle lately, not doing any physical work, just chatting with everyone. You run out every day and burn a lot of energy, so eat more.”

“A-Yin.”

A-Yin raised his gaze, focusing intently on his brother.

Zhuo Yan kissed A-Yin on the head. “You must be careful. If you encounter dangerous prey and can’t defeat it, just run and avoid it.”

A-Yin was his partner, his brother, his family.

“Aw~”

Feeling his brother’s sadness, A-Yin eagerly licked Zhuo Yan with his tongue. Zhuo Yan’s chin got a bit wet, but it chased away the pessimism of the past few days. He smiled and rubbed A-Yin’s ears, and A-Yin clung to his brother like a little dog, retracting his claws and sticking out his tongue with a happy grin.

“You can’t act like that outside; it’s too dog-like and would get laughed at.”

A-Yin nudged his head against his brother, doing this only with him, which made Zhuo Yan smile.

The next day was another sunny day. Zhuo Yan took tools and A-Yin out of the cave, first dropping A-Yin off at the patrol team. He worked by the river, weaving mats and door curtains. In the grassy areas, there were earthworms and bugs, which Zhuo Yan would casually pick up, chop, and toss into the river.

He had mentioned last winter that he would feed the fish in the river.

Now there were only some small fish fry; he rarely saw any fat ones. Even if he did, he didn’t go after them. Aman appeared out of nowhere and said, “You just let go of a big fish.”

“I know.”

“Zhuo Yan, what’s been going on with you lately? You don’t seem very happy.” Aman dropped the topic of the big fish.

Qiao, Shitou, and Xiao Xian all gathered around.

Zhuo Yan looked at the concerned faces of his friends and decided to be honest: “I’ve been feeling a bit unsettled lately, especially with the deaths in the tribe. I keep feeling a bit melancholic—” He forgot that everyone wouldn’t understand the idiom. “I mean, sometimes I feel sad, and other times I try to lift my spirits, but most of the time, my thoughts are all over the place. Life is so fragile, and living is hard.”

“I understand,” Aman said first.

Shitou nodded.

Xiao Xian was confused, looking between Aman and Shitou. Qiao also seemed to understand and said, “I feel the same.”

Zhuo Yan: ??? Are sub-beastmen getting their periods too?

“You’re in heat!!!” Aman exclaimed loudly.

Zhuo Yan was taken aback and then didn’t know whether to be relieved that he hadn’t started his period—this world categorizes beings into beastmen and sub-beastmen, but Ada’s mother is a beastman, and Ada calls her “Mom”…

His logic was momentarily confused.

Before he could analyze Ada’s family situation, he was stunned that he was in heat.

“Am I really… in heat?” Zhuo Yan thought it couldn’t be true. It was such a huge misunderstanding! Doctor Aman, did you misdiagnose me? Shouldn’t you listen to my symptoms again and check a bit more? How can you just make a diagnosis like this?

“I’m not feeling anything like that, really! My sleep has been pretty good lately, and I don’t feel any urges.” How could he be in heat? Aren’t only sub-beastmen supposed to have that?

Zhuo Yan felt dazed.

Qiao said, “You’ve become softer, Zhuo Yan. You just said that life is very fragile—”

“You must be wanting to have cubs,” Aman interjected.

Shitou nodded, and Xiao Xian suddenly understood and exclaimed, “Exactly!”

Only Zhuo Yan was still defending his reputation, “I don’t think so. It’s just that someone in the tribe passed away, and I’m feeling a bit sentimental.” He was so shocked that he instantly became alert.

“Are you talking about mating?” Shitou asked about Zhuo Yan’s previous statement.

Zhuo Yan: …Are you all this blunt and open?!

“Just look at his expression; it must be true,” Aman nodded, adding, “I know this too. Zhuo Yan, it’s early spring now, and you might be more sensitive. You’re thinking a lot about things. You need a beastman to hug you, and your family should care for you. After the weather gets a bit warmer, you might feel the urge to mate. This is all normal, so don’t be scared.”

Aman remembered that Zhuo Yan’s mother had passed away early, and he surely hadn’t been told this. He was very patient in answering and even happy to tell Zhuo Yan, “You’ve grown up, Zhuo Yan! You’re almost an adult!”

Zhuo Yan: …Becoming an adult doesn’t seem so great after all.

He was even a bit afraid. Would he really feel those urges? No, no, no, he was human; he could control himself.

After a while, the silent Zhuo Yan raised another question, “Will I be as pitiful as a cat, meowing at midnight?”

Female cats in heat suffer a lot.

Does he have to endure this kind of pain too? That’s terrible.

“Are you talking about wildcats? I don’t know much about them; they run really fast and are quite agile, and their meat isn’t that bad,” Aman said.

Qiao understood Zhuo Yan’s words and said, “We’re different from wildcats, Zhuo Yan. Don’t be afraid. I went into heat last year too. It’s just like Aman said earlier; later on, there were some urges to mate and have cubs, but as long as you don’t work too hard, it’s fine.”

It was also during that time that Qiao and Ada became interested in each other.

“Well, that’s good, that’s good.” Zhuo Yan sighed heavily in relief. He still had a remedy; Qiao was a divine doctor, while Aman was just a quack!

After experiencing Qiao’s treatment, Zhuo Yan suddenly realized he wasn’t tired or lazy anymore. He felt full of energy, wanting to plow three acres of land—

“Right! I need to check on our potato field.” Zhuo Yan suddenly remembered. “How many days has it been?”

Xiao Xian said, “It seems like one, two, three…” and started counting on his fingers.

“I forgot to check on the field these past few days.”

“I went a few days ago; it’s still the same as before,” Shitou said.

In the whole small team, Zhuo Yan noticed that Shitou usually kept quiet but was surprisingly insightful at critical moments, and his work was just the same—he was very dedicated.

The group arrived at the potato field, and Xiao Xian exclaimed, “Zhuo Yan, Zhuo Yan, there are shoots coming up! So many shoots!”

“They’ve sprouted! I didn’t expect it to be so fast.” Zhuo Yan marveled; they were no longer just tiny sprouts.

Shitou crouched down to inspect, saying, “These are definitely the leaves of the mud beans. I remember.”

“Of course! We’re planting potatoes,” Aman replied.

Qiao was wondering when the mud beans would be ready, “Will it be in autumn? Just like the mud beans in the forest, before the snow season?”

“It won’t be that late. Depending on the potato variety, early ones take three months, and the later ones take about five months,” Zhuo Yan thought for a moment. “We can eat potatoes as early as summer!”

“That’s great!” Xiao Xian was very happy.

That day, the few of them diligently watered the plants, while the patrol team, including A-Yin, had only run half a day. When Zhuo Yan finished his work and was heading home, he saw A-Yin holding a chicken in his mouth.

A chicken!

“Awwoo~” A-Yin wagged his tail, and as he opened his mouth, the chicken fell to the ground. A-Yin quickly picked it up again and ran toward his brother, presenting it proudly.

“Brother, your favorite chicken.”

Zhuo Yan was both surprised and delighted. He had completely forgotten to use the chicken to test the wild grass. He had restrained himself and even chewed a bit of the dried grass last night, and everything seemed normal. Now, seeing A-Yin return with the chicken and crouch in front of him, he felt nothing but pride!

A-Yin can catch chickens now!

“A-Yin is amazing! So impressive, he can catch chickens!”

A-Yin circled around his brother, rubbing his head against his brother’s leg, his tail wagging happily, and barking excitedly. Zhuo Yan was overjoyed, rubbing A-Yin’s head and giving him a kiss. “Let’s go home; we’re having roasted chicken today!”

The weather had been hot for a day, and they couldn’t store much meat. They were almost out of salt; if they had more, they could have cured some food for preservation.

The tribe still lived according to the ways of animals, sometimes hungry and sometimes full. If the orcs hunted a large animal, a single meal could last them three days. The sub-beasts could only get some scraps of meat, which they paired with du du fruit and potatoes.

However, a few days ago, the hunting team had mostly returned empty-handed. During times of scarce harvest, the meat was first reserved for the bravest orcs to ensure they maintained their strength for future hunts to obtain more food.

The last time a young orc passed away, the hunting team had brought back a leopard’s carcass and had not returned yet. Shitou said that sometimes they would go further in search of prey, and it was normal for them to be gone for a day or two.

If the patrol team discovered a larger prey, they had to turn over half to the tribe, but for chickens or rabbits, whoever caught them kept them.

Now, this chicken was caught by A-Yin!

Seeing his brother so happy, A-Yin wagged his tail and followed closely behind Zhuo Yan as they headed home!