“Huh? We’re eating that again?” 

Wen Ze couldn’t help but burst out laughing when he saw how scared Yin He looked. 

On their way back to the cave, Wen Ze didn’t make Yin He change into his beast form. Instead, they walked back as if they were taking a leisurely stroll.

Wen Ze said confidently, “I’ve thought of another way to cook the clam meat. I have a feeling it’ll work this time!” 

Yin He thought to himself, You said the same thing yesterday when you made that clam soup. I’m not falling for it this time. 

Sigh, now that they didn’t have a food shortage, why was his brother so fixated on clam meat? Back when they didn’t eat clams, he never acted like this. 

Just thinking about that fishy, awful smell made Yin He, a bear who loved his meals, lose all enthusiasm for dinner. 

In the afternoon, Wen Ze and Yin He first processed the starch together. 

After that, they planted some of the chili seeds and the chive roots that Chi Yu and the others had brought over. It worked out perfectly since the patch of land Wen Ze had tilled with the little one’s last time still had some space left. 

While covering the chive roots with soil, Wen Ze said to Yin He, “Actually, if we had Yangyang grass seeds, it’d be better to plant those instead.” 

Chi Yu and the others said the roots should grow just fine, but Wen Ze still felt unsure about it. 

Yin He said, “Then we’ll plant them when Tribe Leader Chi Yu brings the seeds. Besides, planting the roots directly means we don’t have to worry about birds digging them up.” 

Wen Ze smiled. “You’re right.” 

After planting and watering the crops, Wen Ze noticed the sun was still shining strong. He grabbed a few large pieces of wood that had been split in half and set them up in the open space outside the cave. Then, he brought out a basket of leftover lotus roots, washed and peeled them, sliced them into thin pieces, and laid them out to dry in the sun. 

Yin He offered to help, but Wen Ze felt bad about him working at home every day at such a young age. So he told him, “No need. You should go play with Qin Shu and the others in the tribe. While you’re at it, let the adults know I’ve finished making the sulfur soap. Tell them they can come pick it up whenever they have time.” 

Only then did Yin He obediently follow his brother’s instructions. He changed into a giant panda and happily ran off toward the tribe. 

From his panda ears to his tail, he practically radiated the joy of escaping chores. 

Wen Ze called out from behind, “Be back before dinner!” 

But for once, Yin He didn’t seem to hear and ran even faster. Wen Ze guessed he was trying to avoid eating clam meat tonight and couldn’t stop laughing to himself. 

When Yin He arrived at the tribe, the first thing he did was look for Qin Shu. 

Qin Shu, who now lived with Qin Shan’s family after losing both his fathers, was pleasantly surprised to see him. 

Since Qin Shan and Li Shui weren’t home, Qin Shu pulled Yin He and Jia Yi to play around the tribe while also passing along Wen Ze’s message to the adults. 

As evening approached, Qin Shan and Li Shui returned from working at the pottery kiln. Yin He, after delivering the message, said he’d head back home but was dragging his feet. 

Li Shui, being attentive, walked over and gently asked, “Yin He, did you have a fight with your brother?” 

Yin He answered, “No…” 

“Then what’s wrong?” 

Yin He wasn’t the type to keep things to himself, and he also wanted to vent about his brother. Looking dejected, he sighed and said, “It’s my brother. He’s been obsessed with cooking clam meat these past few days. Brother Li Shui, you know how fishy that stuff is, right? I ate one bite and almost threw up everything I ate the day before. And now, he says we’re having clam meat again tonight!” 

Li Shui thought about the strong smell of river clams and couldn’t help but sympathize with Yin He. 

But still, he sided with Wen Ze and asked, “Did your brother not make any other dishes?” 

“He did make it… but after taking a bite of clam meat, no matter how good the dish is, it just kills the appetite.” 

Li Shui figured that with Wen Ze’s personality, there was no way he would mistreat his younger brother. He tried to reassure him, “Maybe your brother will cook the clam meat really well this time. If you really don’t want to eat it, just talk to him. He’ll understand.” 

Hearing their conversation, Qin Shu said, “Yin He, why don’t you eat at our place instead? Brother Li Shui’s cooking is really good too. We’re having fried lotus root slices tonight.” 

Yin He shook his head. “No, I still have to go back and eat.” 

Qin Shu looked worried. “But you just said clam meat tastes awful.” 

Yin He replied seriously, “More than that, I don’t want to disappoint my brother.” 

Wen Ze always praised him for being capable, but in Yin He’s eyes, Wen Ze was the truly capable one. 

There was so much work to do, both at home and outside. He was busy from morning to night almost every day, yet he never once complained. 

If he insisted on making clam meat, then so be it. 

Besides, Brother Zhuo Mu would be there with him too! 

With that thought, Yin He felt much better. He said goodbye to Li Shui and the others, changed into his beast form, and headed home. 

Near the cave, he ran into a massive white python coming from the other direction. 

On its back was a fully grown, long-haired, curved-horn beast! 

The beast was enormous, and its weight pressed down on the python’s body significantly—it must’ve been incredibly heavy. 

Yin He’s eyes lit up as he shouted, “Brother Zhuo Mu! Looks like you had a great harvest today!” 

His loud voice startled Wen Ze, who was busy scrubbing clam meat. Wen Ze looked over and smiled. “Yin He, you scared me.” 

Then, he glanced at Zhuo Mu. “You’re back?” 

Zhuo Mu dropped the prey onto the open ground in front of the cave with a loud “thud,” then changed back into his human form. With broad shoulders, a lean waist, long legs, and sharp, striking features, he was undeniably handsome. 

He gave a soft “hm” in response and glanced at the clam meat Wen Ze was handling but didn’t show much of a reaction. 

Without stopping his work, Wen Ze chuckled and asked, “Seems like things went well today?” 

Zhuo Mu replied, “Yes, we’ve scared off all the long-haired, tusked beasts in the territory. They don’t dare to show up anymore.” 

Wen Ze grinned. “That’s great! Now we can gather supplies without worrying. But with all this meat we’ve got, we’d better hurry and fetch more salt.” 

Zhuo Mu nodded. “I’ll go tomorrow.” 

Wen Ze nodded. “Mm, the meal will take a while to finish cooking. Do you want to go wash up first?” 

Zhuo Mu didn’t leave right away. “Do we still have enough firewood and water?” 

Wen Ze assured him, “We still have a lot.” 

Zhuo Mu said, “I’ll be back after I’m done, then.” 

The tall man turned and walked away. Yin He, now in his human form too, looked at the pile of clam meat and grimaced slightly, sighing to himself. It’s fine, as long as my brother’s happy. 

Suddenly, he noticed something different. “Wait, is this raw?” 

“Yes. Yesterday, I boiled the clam meat to open the shells, then took the meat and organs out. Today, I thought I’d try processing the raw clams,” Wen Ze explained. 

“But clam shells are tightly shut. Did you crack them open?” 

“No, don’t you remember? I have the Black Silver Knife. While the river clam wasn’t paying attention, I stabbed the shell, then made a cut around it, and it just popped open!” Wen Ze was quite pleased with his work. 

The cleaned clam meat in the bowl had already been stripped of all impurities. Wen Ze first washed it with water mixed with wood ash, then rinsed it clean with fresh water. After that, he chopped the clam meat into pieces. 

Next, he mixed the clam meat with some lotus root starch he’d made over the past couple of days, coating it evenly before setting it aside to marinate while he prepared other dishes. 

Once it was ready, Wen Ze heated the oil in the pot.

First, he tossed in some thorny fruits and chopped chives, stirring them quickly. Chives cook fast, so as soon as they softened, he added the marinated clam meat and used a wooden spatula to vigorously stir-fry everything. 

The clam meat in the stone pot quickly curled slightly, turning a tempting milky white color. 

Wen Ze was so focused and meticulous while stir-frying that Yin He, watching from the side, couldn’t help but develop a newfound respect for the dish. 

It felt like calling river clam meat unappetizing would be an insult to it. 

Having made this dish two days in a row, Wen Ze had done a good job controlling the heat. 

When he felt it was just right, he sprinkled in some salt, then plated the steaming hot stir-fried clam meat with chives. 

Looking up, he saw that Zhuo Mu had returned. Waving the spatula in his hand, Wen Ze called out, “The clam meat is ready!” 

Zhuo Mu had changed into clean clothes and held the wet clothes, which had been washed with soap, in his hand. 

There was a hemp rope tied in the grass hut. He hung the clothes to dry, then walked over. Upon seeing the plate of white and green, with a delightful color, he asked, “What did you use to stir-fry the clam meat?” 

Wen Ze answered, “Yangyang grass. The people from the Rainbow Sun Tribe sent it to me today.” 

Zhuo Mu took another look. “So this is Yangyang grass. The smell is quite fragrant when stir-fried.” 

Grinning brightly, Wen Ze handed him a pair of chopsticks. “Right? It smells really good. Come, let’s try it together!” 

Yin He, hoping to delay for a bit, stayed still. 

Instead, he watched as Zhuo Mu took the chopsticks, picked up a piece of clam meat, blew on it lightly, and put it into his mouth. 

As he chewed, his deep red eyes lit up with delight. 

Wen Ze grabbed his own pair of chopsticks, scooped up some clam meat along with chives, and took a bite. 

“Mm!” His eyes grew wide in surprise as he breathed out the hot air and said, “It’s delicious!” 

The clam meat, soaked and marinated in starch after washing, had lost much of its fishy smell. Its texture remained tender, smooth, and slightly crispy. 

Stir-frying it with chives not only eliminated the fishy taste but also wonderfully brought out the natural freshness of the clam meat, which was a different kind of freshness from fish—it was fresher and more vibrant, with a richer flavor! 

The stir-fried thorny fruits were the finishing touch, adding just the right hint of numb spiciness that accentuated the clam meat’s natural sweetness. It was absolutely mouthwatering! 

In short, it tasted just like the restaurant-quality dishes he remembered from his past life! 

Also, the river clam was large, and the clam meat was thick. With each bite, it was so satisfying! 

If it weren’t for the fact that Wen Ze still had other dishes on the stove, he would have easily finished the whole plate! 

Reluctantly setting his chopsticks down, Wen Ze looked at Zhuo Mu with eager anticipation. 

The other person gave a faint smile and praised the dish highly. “I didn’t expect the clam meat, which isn’t fishy, to taste this good. The texture is really nice.” 

Wen Ze immediately smiled even brighter. “Once we plant more Yangyang grass, we can catch more river clams again and eat to our hearts’ content!” 

Zhuo Mu nodded. “Alright.” 

Having a dish that was both delicious and filling made the two of them genuinely happy. 

Yin He, seeing their exchange of words, started to feel doubtful. 

Stir-fried clam meat with Yangyang grass smelled good, sure, but was it really that delicious? 

The clam meat soup from yesterday also smelled fine. 

Could it be that his brother and Brother Zhuo Mu were teaming up to trick him? 

Just as he was starting to doubt, Wen Ze asked him, “Yin He, do you want to try some?” 

Yin He shook his head. “I… I’ll eat later.” 

“Alright then, help me keep the fire going.” 

“Okay.” 

When it was time to eat, Wen Ze and Zhuo Mu continuously picked up the clam meat with their chopsticks, and they had already eaten quite a bit of the Yangyang grass as well. 

Meanwhile, Yin He was having an inner battle with himself: 

— Eat it, maybe it’s really good. 

— Forget it, how good can it really be? 

— If you don’t eat now, there won’t be any left! 

Realizing this, Yin He slowly reached for his chopsticks, picked up a piece of river clam, and, with a slight frown, put it in his mouth. 

Unlike yesterday, the moment it hit his taste buds, the fresh, slightly numbing flavor overwhelmed him! 

As he savored it, he was absolutely stunned. 

Beast God, how is this so delicious? Is this the same ingredient as yesterday? 

He gulped down the food and immediately went for more—only to discover that there was barely a thin layer left in the bowl! 

“Ahhh! I hardly got to eat any!” 

“Brother, did you only stir-fry this much?” Yin He asked, feeling distressed. 

Wen Ze nodded, “Yes.” 

Yin He was completely conquered by the dish and said eagerly, “Can you make it again tomorrow?” 

Wen Ze sighed. “I’m afraid that won’t work… I only harvested a few Yangyang grass leaves, and I’ve already used up all the river clams I brought back.” 

Yin He was shocked. “!!” 

How could this happen? He didn’t even get to eat enough! 

It was all his fault for hesitating earlier—now there was nothing left! 

Ahh, he regretted it so much, he felt like his intestines were turning green with regret! 

The two noticed how distressed he looked and tried to hold back their laughter. They left the remaining clam meat with chives for him to eat. 

Yin He finished it all and even drank the leftover soup. This time, Wen Ze couldn’t hold it in and laughed out loud. 

His laugh was warm, the sight of them eating so happily made him feel happy inside.

Zhuo Mu, unlike Wen Ze, was more reserved and just curved the corner of his lips. 

Yin He was embarrassed. His handsome face turned bright red. He opened his mouth a few times but couldn’t bring himself to complain. 

They had said it was delicious from the start, and he just hadn’t believed them. 

Ah! He felt so regretful! 

Now, he just hoped the Yangyang grass would grow quickly. His brother had said that once it grew leaves, they could harvest a batch. 

Remembering that, Yin He, who usually wasn’t interested in planting, began checking the fields every day. He couldn’t help but check the soil to see if the Yangyang grass had taken root.

Because of his frequent visits, the birds that had been stealing seeds from the vegetable garden were scared off, and Wen Ze’s tomatoes successfully sprouted. 

Of course, that’s a story for later. 

At this moment, Wen Ze and Zhuo Mu finished cleaning the bowls and stove, fed the cows, and packed everything up to take back to the cave. 

While working, they agreed to gather salt tomorrow afternoon. 

As for the morning plans, Wen Ze said, “I haven’t gone gathering in a while, and since we don’t have to worry about the long-haired tusked beasts anymore, I’ll go out with the tribe.” 

Zhuo Mu nodded. “Alright, I’ll take the team to hunt.” 

Listening to their conversation, Yin He eagerly asked Wen Ze, “Brother, since gathering isn’t dangerous, can I come along? I won’t slow you down. At the very least, I can help carry things.” 

Wen Ze thought for a moment. There was no need to keep an eye on things at home, and Yin He wasn’t old enough to hunt. Gathering seemed fine. 

But before he could speak, Zhuo Mu said, “It’s going to rain tomorrow afternoon.” 

“Oh…” Wen Ze quickly changed his tone. “Everything else is fine, but the lotus root I’ve been drying can’t get wet. I need to harvest it before the rain comes. Yin He, why don’t you stay home this time? I promise I’ll take you next time when the weather is better.” 

Wen Ze spoke kindly. Though Yin He felt a bit disappointed, he understood and nodded. 

“Alright, it’s a promise. Next time, for sure.” 

Wen Ze nodded seriously. 

To his surprise, Zhuo Mu also made a promise. “In just over a year, you’ll be an adult. It’s time to start learning hunting skills. When the time is right, you can join me and learn out in the wild.” 

Yin He was a beastman, and compared to gathering, he was much more interested in hunting. 

Zhuo Mu was also a warrior from the South Mountain Tribe and following him would surely teach him a lot. Not everyone had the chance to learn from someone like him! 

Yin He wasn’t disappointed at all. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he said, “Yes! I’ll go! Thank you, Brother Zhuo Mu!” 

Wen Ze felt a bit guilty, but he didn’t want him to miss such a great opportunity, so he sincerely thanked Zhuo Mu as well. 

“Zhuo Mu, thank you. I’m really sorry to trouble you.” 

Zhuo Mu smiled slightly and said, “No need to thank me.” 

Wen Ze turned to remind Yin He, “If you really go with Zhuo Mu, you need to watch closely, listen carefully, and learn a lot. Don’t rush into things, understand?” 

Yin He nodded eagerly, like a chick pecking at rice. “Got it!” 

Wen Ze then turned to Zhuo Mu and sighed. “Now that you mention it, I do feel the unusual humidity in the air. I had a feeling it was going to rain, but not as accurately as you predicted. Do you have some trick to it?” 

Zhuo Mu thought for a moment and said, “It’s mainly from experience…” 

While he couldn’t pinpoint any specific trick, he patiently explained to Wen Ze how to roughly predict the weather, and Wen Ze found it very useful. 

As for Yin He, after a full meal and receiving Zhuo Mu’s promise, he slept soundly that night. 

The next morning, Wen Ze, who had to change soap for the people in the tribe, left home a bit later than Zhuo Mu. 

When he arrived at the altar square, the sun had just risen in the east but quickly disappeared behind thick clouds. 

Sang Hui was carrying two stacks of empty baskets, looking up at the sky. He said, “It’s going to rain today, so we should head out early and come back early. Everyone’s here, let’s go.” 

The half-beastmen responded and started walking out of the tribe. 

As they walked, they chatted with familiar friends. 

Wen Ze overheard them talking about Zhuo Mu. “My partner was out with Zhuo Mu a couple of days ago, checking the territory and hunting the long-haired tusked beasts.” 

“Yes, I heard they had a good harvest.” 

“Right, Zhuo Mu contributed the most. When they caught up with the long-haired tusked beasts, some even turned and attacked them. Zhuo Mu charged in, bit down on the neck of a full-grown beast, and with a powerful twist of his body, he knocked it over! It struggled desperately, but Zhuo Mu’s body wrapped tighter and tighter until it strangled the beast to death!” 

“Wow!” Li Shui, who had been chased by the long-haired tusked beasts before, knew how fierce these animals were. He was left speechless. “Zhuo Mu is really impressive. No wonder he’s one of our tribe’s warriors.” 

“Exactly!” The other half-beastmen nodded proudly. “If it weren’t for them, we’d still be worrying about gathering today.” 

Bai Ling, also curious, asked, “What happened to the long-haired tusked beasts they hunted?” 

At those words, everyone turned their attention to Wen Ze. 

Wen Ze, who was in the middle of the group, was momentarily stunned and said, “We haven’t eaten them yet.” 

Sang Hui teased, “Too much meat at home, can’t finish it all, right?” 

He was telling the truth, and Wen Ze nodded in agreement. 

The others immediately became envious. “It’s great to have Zhuo Mu around. The meat at home is always fresh.” 

“And the best cuts too, right?” 

“If only I could find a beastman like Zhuo Mu to be my partner in the future.” 

Wen Ze froze for a second, then hurriedly denied it. “Zhuo Mu’s not my partner! I’m just staying at his place with Yin He for now. Once my house is built, we’ll move out!” 

“We know, we know,” they chuckled. “We were just saying, hahaha, look at you getting all nervous.” 

“Did Zhuo Mu tell you what to do with the leftover meat?” 

Wen Ze, carrying a basket on his back, felt a little awkward with everyone teasing him. He replied, “We’re planning to turn it into salted meat and store it. We’re running low on salt at home, so we’ll go gather more this afternoon.” 

One of the half-beastmen said, “Oh, we’re also low on salt at home. I’ll go with you to gather some this afternoon.” 

Wen Ze nodded. “Sure.” 

Another half-beastman added, “I’ll come too!” 

“Count me in!” 

What had originally been just Wen Ze and Zhuo Mu’s plan turned into a collective effort involving almost half the tribe. 

Wen Ze listened to everyone chatting excitedly and thought back to when he first arrived in the tribe. He had joined the gathering trips, but since he wasn’t great at socializing, he usually just followed behind quietly. 

At some point, though, more and more people started talking to him, offering friendship and kindness. 

While chatting, he noticed Li Shui looking at him curiously. 

Wen Ze asked, “What’s wrong?” 

Li Shui, recalling Yin He’s sad expression from the night before, hesitated before asking, “Did you eat clam meat last night?” 

“Yes,” Wen Ze answered. “Did Yin He mention it to you?” 

Li Shui nodded. “Mhm… how did he like it?” 

Wen Ze smiled widely. “He loved it, said it was delicious, and even drank all the soup. He even asked me to make more.” 

Li Shui paused for a few seconds, then seriously complimented, “Yin He is such a good child and he’s not picky at all.” 

Even when eating something unappetizing, he still acted like he loved it. 

If his own Jia Yi were that sensible, he’d be thrilled and would happily cook for him every day. 

Wen Ze, noticing the envious look in Li Shui’s eyes, was a little confused. 

Could it be that Li Shui was also craving clam meat? Next time, when he made it, he could send over a plate for them to try. 

The other half-beastmen around them didn’t really believe Wen Ze could make clam meat taste good, but out of respect, they kept quiet and didn’t argue. They subtly suggested, “Since you have so much beast meat, you shouldn’t just eat clam meat for now.” 

“Yes, yes, Yin He’s still growing.” 

Wen Ze agreed but thought to himself, Yin He’s had plenty of beast meat already, and I’ve been making sure he gets enough milk every day for calcium. 

The conversation didn’t last long. 

Once they entered the forest, they had to spread out and search for food. 

As Wen Ze walked, he bumped into Sang Hui and brought up something he had been thinking about. 

“Uncle, does our tribe’s territory have beans?” 

Sang Hui tossed some wild fruit into his basket, then looked at him and said, “We do. You want to pick some beans?” 

“Yes.” 

“There are many kinds of beans. Which one are you looking for?” 

“Have you ever seen yellow beans?” Wen Ze gestured with his hand. “They’re round, grow in long pods, and have a slightly bitter scent. If you peel off the skin, they’re white inside.” 

Sang Hui thought for a moment before asking, “You’re asking about the mature beans, right?” 

“Yes.” 

“I thought so. The beans aren’t ripe yet; they’re still green. But I have seen yellow beans before. If you want them, I can take you to find them in a little while.” 

Wen Ze’s face lit up. “Thank you!” 

“No need to be so polite,” Sang Hui chuckled. “Do you want to use the beans for cooking? Be careful, though. You can’t eat too many, or it’ll make you bloated, and that’s uncomfortable.” 

Eating raw soybeans is something only the tough ones would do. Wen Ze certainly didn’t want to be in a position where he would be constantly farting. 

However, whether or not they would find the beans was still uncertain, so Wen Ze didn’t rush to tell him. He was planning to make some soy milk or soybean paste with them. 

He smiled with squinted eyes. “Got it.” 

The group gathered until noon, then returned to the tribe just before it started to rain. 

Zhuo Mu came back earlier than him. When Wen Ze arrived home, the sky had turned dark, and light rain began to fall. 

He saw Zhuo Mu collecting half-dried lotus root slices and bringing them inside the cave. Wen Ze looked around but didn’t see Yin He. 

He frowned and asked, “Where’s that kid?” 

Zhuo Mu glanced at him and continued working smoothly with his hands. “You’re back? Yin He is probably playing in the tribe. I’ll call for him in a bit.” 

Just as he finished speaking, Wen Ze heard hurried footsteps from behind. 

He turned his head, and once he saw clearly, everything in front of him went black. 

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