“We’ll pick that one over there,” Wen Ze raised his hand and pointed ahead. 

The place had thick, rich grass swaying in the wind, and a few big trees stretched out their branches. 

Everyone placed their hands on their foreheads, looking into the distance, and said one after another: 

“That spot by the trees? It’s pretty close to Zhuo Mu’s cave.” 

“Why choose that place?” 

“I didn’t expect it to be such an open area. But houses are different from caves, and there’s no need to dig into the mountain, haha.” 

Wen Ze answered them one by one. “Yes, the trees can be left behind the house to block the sun. The terrain and soil there are also good, and it’s also close to the water source. There’s a lot of open space around, so I can use fences to enclose a few vegetable plots and build a livestock shed, but I haven’t planned the details yet.” 

Anyway, the tribe leader said that he can choose anywhere, so there’s no need to rush. 

Also, it’s over a thousand meters from Zhuo Mu’s cave. It’s just that their beast forms are so fast, so it feels like it’s close. 

When they move over, not only will they not bother Zhuo Mu, but they’ll also be able to make some delicious food and drinks and invite him over to try them. 

The more Wen Ze thought about it, the more satisfied he became with his choice of location. 

After hearing Wen Ze’s words, a few of them said, “I won’t be hunting tomorrow morning, so I’ll come help you clear the land.” 

“Yes, we can use our beast form, so the work will go fast.” 

Wen Ze had been in this world for a while, but he still wasn’t quite used to the simplicity and warmth of the people here. 

Feeling embarrassed, he said, “I’ll work slowly with Yin He. As long as we finish the house before winter, that will be enough.” 

“That’s way too slow. Anyway, it’s decided!” 

Wen Ze scratched his head and decided to go along with them. 

“Alright, then I’ll prepare food for everyone.” 

They waved their hands. “No need to go through all that trouble. We’ll head out now, see you tomorrow!” 

Without giving Wen Ze a chance to stop them, the group quickly left. 

Watching their backs, he smiled and shook his head. 

*** 

In the evening, Wen Ze made a batch of regular soap and then went to bed. 

He couldn’t stop thinking about the land clearing, and it wasn’t just him; even Yin He, who loves to sleep in, got up early. 

As for Zhuo Mu, it goes without saying—Wen Ze had never seen him sleep in. 

Outside the cave, the forest was covered in a blanket of white fog. 

Zhuo Mu chopped the wood, Yin He started a fire to boil water, and Wen Ze went to check on the two cows first. 

The calf’s wound had healed even more, and it could walk now, but it still had a slight limp. 

The big cow had likely gone out again since its belly was half-full. It rested on the ground, eyes closed, lazily chewing its grass. 

Hearing Wen Ze’s footsteps, both cows stood up at once, eagerly calling out with loud “moo moo ~” sounds. 

“Wait a second, I’ll go get some grass now,” Wen Ze said with a smile. 

As he passed the big cow, he reached out and patted its strong body. 

The big cow no longer resisted his touch, and as for the little one… 

Wen Ze had an idea and turned to call out to Zhuo Mu, “I’m thinking of letting the calf go for a bit. Can you keep an eye on them for me?” 

Zhuo Mu, “Sure.” 

Wen Ze raised his hand and loosened the hemp rope tying the little cow, then casually stroked its thick ears. 

“Alright, I’m leaving.” 

He went to the grass mat ahead, cutting grass with the newly made curved sickle, occasionally turning his head to see what the two cows were doing. 

After being released, the calf happily walked around and eventually came towards him. 

The big cow let out a couple of low “moo” sounds and slowly followed the calf’s pace. 

When the calf reached his side, it nuzzled him with its round, smooth head. 

“Moo~” 

Its affection made Wen Ze smile. “Good job, it was worth saving you, and you even came to find me. If you two can come over to eat grass on your own, that’ll save me some trouble.” 

The calf seemed to understand, giving a low “moo” and beginning to graze. 

The cow flicked its tail and also started eating the tender grass leaves. 

Wen Ze watched them for a while before lifting his foot to head back. 

To his surprise, the little calf followed him! Of course, the big cow trailed right behind it. 

Zhuo Mu saw this scene and asked, “Has it recognized you as its owner?” 

Wen Ze smiled and placed his hand on the calf’s back, “I’m not sure, but it’s a good sign.” 

Zhuo Mu nodded. “Hmm.” 

He glanced at the big cow again and asked, “I noticed the cow doesn’t seem to mind you. Want to try milking her?” 

Wen Ze’s eyes lit up at the thought of the wonderful taste of fresh milk. 

As the calf grew, it needed less and less milk. If it wasn’t milked, the cow would eventually stop producing. 

“Well, let’s give it a try?” 

“I’ll go get a clean animal hide bag.” 

“Alright!” 

Yin He had just finished boiling the water when he heard they were going to milk the cow. He quickly added two handfuls of firewood and excitedly ran over. 

“Brother, do you need any help?” 

Wen Ze smiled and replied, “Not for now. Just stay a bit farther away; I’m worried the cow might kick you.” 

Yin He straightened his back and grunted, “Don’t worry, I’m quick on my feet!” 

Wen Ze thought of the “acrobatic panda” he had seen at the zoo and didn’t argue with him. 

He first gathered a bundle of tender grass and tossed it at the big cow’s feet. Then he washed his hands and, along with Zhuo Mu, found his spot. 

“Hu…” Wen Ze let out a breath, stretched his fingers, and asked, “Should I start now?” 

“Mm, don’t worry.” 

He had to admit, with him around, Wen Ze really felt a lot more at ease. 

At this height of the cow, he didn’t need to squat down to milk; a slight bend at the waist was enough, which was very effortless. 

“I’m going to go slow; you eat your grass and don’t move, okay?” 

Muttering to himself, he gradually applied some pressure with his hands. 

“Shh—” A large stream of milk was squeezed into the animal hide bag that Zhuo Mu was holding! 

Aside from a slight gamey smell, all Wen Ze could smell was the rich fragrance of milk! 

Moreover, the cow only glanced at him once and returned to eating! 

This is a good start! 

Wen Ze’s eyes sparkled even more, and his smile grew wider. 

The cow had plenty of milk, and he felt like he squeezed for at least half an hour before he was done. 

At first, the animal hide wasn’t nearly enough to hold it all, so they had to switch to using wooden buckets. 

Milking the cow was also a physically demanding task. Wen Ze straightened up completely, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. 

In the distance, the sky had already brightened with the first light of dawn. 

“Good work,” Zhuo Mu said as he lifted a nearly full bucket of milk and moved a little farther away to avoid being bumped by the cow. 

Wen Ze smiled brightly, “I don’t feel tired at all after getting this much milk!” 

Wen Ze noticed Zhuo Mu’s eyes suddenly shrink, and only then did he realize something was approaching above his head, and it was already too late to avoid it. 

Right next to him was the large cow! His heart skipped a beat. 

Just as Zhuo Mu was about to change into his beast form, that thing dropped down… it was actually the cow’s tongue. 

Wen Ze’s fluffy head was licked by it. 

He froze, feeling the wet touch, and his first thought was: Luckily, there are no barbs on its tongue. 

“Moo~.” The big cow mooed gently, as if wanting to lick him again. 

Wen Ze jumped back suddenly. “Stop, stop, stop! I just washed my hair this morning!” 

Wen Ze saw that it wasn’t hostile and couldn’t help but chuckle. “What’s the point of licking me? I’m not a calf.” 

Zhuo Mu said, “It seems like it’s trying to show its gratitude to you.” 

Wen Ze asked, “Gratitude? Is it because of the milking?” 

He had heard that humans feel pain when their milk glands are full, so he figured maybe animals experience the same thing.   

Just then, the big cow lowered its head. Wen Ze smiled and raised his hand to rub its face. “Hope we can work together smoothly from now on.” 

“Moo~.” 

“Alright, I need to go wash my hair again.” He turned to Zhuo Mu and Yin He. “Wait for me for a moment; I’ll be back to cook it.” 

Yin He was eagerly waiting for this moment and answered loudly, “Okay!!” 

He quickly cleaned himself up and, with his black hair still dripping, he returned to the stove. 

Facing the morning sun, he carefully took out his “family treasure pot,” placed it gently on the stove, and prepared a clean animal hide. 

“Brother,” Yin He said, “I was just thinking, why not just drink it directly? Why bother cooking it?” 

Wen Ze explained in the simplest way he could, “There might be things in it that could make you sick. Heating it can kill those off. Not just with milk; from now on, try to always drink water that’s been boiled.” 

Yin He nodded. “I see. Didn’t Brother Bai Xia wash his hair with stream water and end up with lice? The stream water must have had eggs in it. I definitely don’t want to end up with a stomach full of bugs.” 

Wen Ze smiled. “Exactly, you’re really smart.” 

Yin He grinned and helped with the fire while Wen Ze poured half a bucket of milk into the pottery pot. 

After the milk boiled for a short time, Wen Ze moved the pot to the side. 

“This will be ready to drink once it cools down a bit.” 

Wen Ze thought to himself, it was a shame there was no pasteurizer, so he had to rely on high temperatures to kill the bacteria, which meant losing some of the milk’s flavor. 

Yin He asked, “What about the rest?” 

“I’ll make some double-skin milk.” 

“What’s double-skin milk?” 

“It’s a quick dairy dish…” Wen Ze didn’t feel like explaining further. “You first take half of the firewood out.” 

“Okay!” 

Anyway, as long as it’s food, Yin He was always eager to help. 

Making double-skin milk is pretty simple. Wen Ze had seen some seniors from another department make it during a school food festival and had noted down the steps. 

However, for his first attempt, he was extra careful. 

For this snack, he even took honeycomb out from his space, cleaned it up, and added it to the milk. 

Then, he gently heated the milk until it started to bubble a little before pouring it into bowls to cool. 

During that time, he fired up another pot to prepare breakfast for everyone. 

The anticipation for the milk made him feel especially good, even causing him to hum a tune. 

Once the milk had cooled and a wrinkled skin had formed on the surface, Wen Ze gently skimmed off the skin and poured out most of the milk. 

Then, he added egg whites to the milk and stirred it well. 

He placed a clean leaf over the bowl and put it back in the pot to steam. 

“Let’s have breakfast first, and it should be about ready after we’re done,” Wen Ze said while holding the bowls and chopsticks and smiling as he called them over. 

Before eating, he served each person a large bowl of milk. 

As soon as he tasted it, not to mention the beastmen who rarely get to drink fresh milk, even Wen Ze was shocked by the taste. 

Such a rich taste, a strong sweet aroma—he had never experienced it before! 

With each sip, the satisfaction spread from his throat to his stomach, and before long, it spread throughout his entire body. 

The steaming, pure fresh milk was truly delicious! 

Wen Ze couldn’t wait to look at Yin He and Zhuo Mu. Yin He was holding a bowl, drinking continuously with “gudong-gudong” sounds. 

While Zhuo Mu lightly licked the milk foam on his lips, gave a small smile, and said, “Bringing them back to raise is worth it just for the milk.” 

Hearing this approval, Wen Ze couldn’t help but grin. 

“Exactly! It tastes even better than I imagined!” 

But the fresh milk was just an appetizer, and the real treat was yet to come. 

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