Wen Ze replied, “It’s about chopping the meat into filling and stuffing it into animal intestines. Once it’s done, it tastes really good. So, what do you all think? Want to do this with me?” 

Bai Ling’s eyes lit up, and he immediately said, “Of course! Just hearing you talk about it makes me hungry. I really want to try what these meat sausages taste like!” 

The others also agreed, “We’ll help you out and learn how to make them too.” 

Wen Ze smiled generously, “Alright!” 

The fluffy beasts were the first ones they caught. Wen Ze was worried about the meat spoiling, so he’d been eating it over time, and what was left had already been turned into salted meat. 

So, for the sausages, he used half a long-haired curved-horn beast and a black-armored beast. 

For the intestines, Wen Ze prepared those from both the fluffy beast and the long-haired curved-horn beast, planning to see which one would work better. 

Sang Hui and the others gathered around, waiting for Wen Ze to assign tasks. 

Wen Ze looked up first, scanning the area where Yin He was playing with his friends, before his gaze landed on Zhuo Mu’s face. 

The entire morning, Zhuo Mu had been busy handling medicinal herbs and hadn’t joined in. 

Seeing Wen Ze looking at him, he set down what he was holding and asked, “Do you need me to do something?”

“Can you boil some water, pour it into a pottery jar, and cool it in the mountain spring? We’ll need it later.”

Zhuo Mu nodded and stood up. “I’ll go now.” 

Wen Ze smiled, “Thanks~” 

After giving the instructions, he asked Sang Hui and the others to help him chop the meat. 

“When making sausages, it’s best to use the hind leg meat with a mix of fat and lean. First, separate the lean meat from the fat, then cut the lean meat into small cubes and mince the fat.” 

“As for the black-armored beast, it’s hard to tell which parts are fatty and which are lean, so we’ll just mince all of it.” 

Everyone got to work.

Since Wen Ze arrived in this world, he hadn’t eaten sausages and missed the taste a lot.

To make sure everything went smoothly, he worked carefully, using his black-silver knife to chop the meat.

Fatty meat was harder to mince, so he handled that part himself.

For a while, aside from their occasional chatter, the steady sound of chopping echoed through the cave.

They worked hard and soon filled ten large bowls with minced meat, but they didn’t mix it right away.

Next, Wen Ze took Li Shui to wash the intestines.

First, they soaked them in water mixed with plant ash, then in starch water, scrubbing them thoroughly.

As they worked, Li Shui remarked, “Good thing we brought back so much lotus root last time. Otherwise, we’d never have enough starch for this.”

Wen Ze nodded. “Exactly.” 

After washing a few times, he sniffed the intestines. The foul smell had faded, but there was still a little left. 

“If only we had some wine,” Wen Ze sighed. 

Curious, Li Shui asked, “What is wine?”

“Well, it’s a kind of brewed drink. But it’s not just for drinking—it can also be used for burning, for flavoring, for medicine. Basically, it’s really useful.” 

Li Shui clicked his tongue in amazement. “That really sounds like a great thing. How do you make it?” 

“I remember that fruits and grains can be used to brew wine, though I’ve never actually done it myself. For making salted meat and sausages like we’re doing today, it’s best to use a white wine made from grains. Do we have any grains in the territory?” 

Wen Ze described the appearance of rice, sorghum, and wheat to him. 

Li Shui thought for a moment and said, “They look familiar, and I think I’ve seen them before. I’ll keep an eye out when we go gathering.” 

Wen Ze nodded. “Mm-hmm.” 

The others, having overheard, also promised to keep an eye out for grains. He smiled and thanked everyone, but they quickly told him there was no need to be so polite. 

Once the intestines were nearly clean, Wen Ze soaked them in fresh water and moved on to the next step—preparing the meat filling. 

Everyone stopped what they were doing and gathered around Wen Ze to watch as he added salt, sugar water, minced ginger, and lotus root starch into the meat mixture, stirring it vigorously. 

The seasoned meat filling released a rich, savory aroma, and its color became glossy and enticing. 

The cold water, which had been chilling for a while, had already been brought back by Zhuo Mu. 

Wen Ze kept repeating the process: stirring the meat mixture, adding cold water, stirring again, then adding more cold water. 

Bai Ling watched for a while, then curiously asked, “Wen Ze, why do you keep stirring it like that?” 

Stirring this large bowl of meat wasn’t an easy task, and Wen Ze was breathing a little heavily. 

“I can’t explain the exact reason behind it, but once it’s stirred enough, the meat becomes more elastic and tastes better… Hah, you’ll see when you try it later.” 

As the sun climbed higher, the weather gradually got warmer. 

If it weren’t for the cold water, Wen Ze was worried the meat might start cooking from the heat. 

The half-beastmen saw the beads of sweat constantly dripping from Wen Ze’s forehead and immediately offered, “I already know how to mix it. Let me do it—you should rest.” 

Zhuo Mu, who had been quiet until now, spoke up as well. “I’ll do it. I have more strength.” 

Wen Ze had seen him pull out trees with his bare hands, so without hesitation, he stepped aside. 

After catching his breath, he told Zhuo Mu, “Alright, you stir, and I’ll add the water.” 

“Got it.” 

The tall and sturdy man immediately took Wen Ze’s place. 

Not only was he strong, but his strength was just right, and his movements were steady and even. 

Despite stirring for a long time, he remained expressionless and showed no signs of exhaustion. 

Wen Ze thought to himself: With that much strength, he can succeed at anything. 

In the end, most of the minced meat was stirred by Zhuo Mu, while the half-beastmen took turns helping with the rest. 

The filling had become thick and sticky, with the ground meat and chunks completely mixed together. When you grabbed a handful and lifted it, it would stretch just a little. 

“It’s almost done. We can start stuffing it now.” 

Wen Ze brought over a bowl of sausage casings, sat down with everyone, and quickly pulled out a cleaned casing. He tied one end in a neat knot. 

Then, he began filling the casing with the meat mixture. 

At first, Wen Ze was careful while stuffing, afraid they might tear. But after realizing the beast intestines were strong enough, he packed the filling in tightly. 

After filling one, he grabbed some clean hemp thread and tied the sausage into sections. 

Then, he took a pine needle and made three or five small holes in each sausage. 

Sang Hui, who had been watching intently, asked, “Why are you making holes?” 

Wen Ze explained, “There’s air inside the casing. When we steam them, the air could cause them to burst. Also, we’ve added a lot of water to the filling. The holes help the sausages absorb the water, which makes the meat more tender.” 

Everyone nodded in understanding. 

“Seems like there’s a lot to keep in mind.” 

At some point, Yin He, Qin Shu, and the little ones had gathered around, sniffing the air curiously. They asked, “If adding water makes the meat tender, why don’t you add water when making salted meat?” 

Qin Shu added, “Yes, salted meat always ends up too dry.” 

From the way he frowned, it was clear salted meat hadn’t made the best impression on him. 

Wen Ze didn’t answer directly but instead looked at the other half-beastmen. “I think you all already know.” 

Bai Ling immediately spoke up, “If we add water, how could we store it? The meat would spoil.” 

Wen Ze nodded approvingly. “Exactly.” 

Once everyone had learned how to stuff the sausages, things moved faster with everyone helping out. 

The sausages, now filled, were placed in a large clay pot. Underneath the casing, the filling was shiny with oil, and the sausages made from long-haired, curved-horned beast meat had a bright red color, while the black-armored beast sausages were a light apricot shade, resembling the chicken sausages Wen Ze had eaten before. 

The seasoning brought out the savory smell of the meat, making it impossible not to take a deep breath and drool. 

Jia Yi rolled over happily and asked Wen Ze several times when they could eat. 

Wen Ze chuckled. “Be patient. Once we finish stuffing them, they still need to air-dry for an afternoon. We can cook them for dinner.” 

Jia Yi couldn’t help but stare at the sun in the sky, feeling like it had never set so slowly before. 

The sausage casing ended up a little short, leaving behind some extra meat mixture.

Wen Ze didn’t let it go to waste. He brought a pot of water to a boil, rolled the leftover meat into small balls, and dropped them in.

The mixture already had a bit of salt, so he kept the seasoning light. As the meatballs cooked, they bobbed up and down in the bubbling water, perfectly round and oddly satisfying to watch.

He saw the wild greens he had picked earlier but hadn’t eaten, so he threw them into the pot for a quick dip. They turned a vibrant green, fresh and ready to eat.

“Come on, come on!” Wen Ze called out. “You’ve been working all morning—grab a bowl and have some meatball soup!”

The others didn’t need to be told twice. Everyone eagerly scooped up a bowl, the rich aroma making their mouths water.

“There’s plenty left,” Wen Ze added. “If you want more, help yourselves.”

With that, Wen Ze settled onto a small stone by the stove, picked up his chopsticks, and dug into the meatballs. 

The moment he bit in, a burst of juice spilled out. 

He happily blew on the steaming meatball and took another small bite. 

Mmm! The meat was full of flavor, with a nice chewy texture—soft yet satisfying. 

The meatballs made with long-haired tusked beast meat were a perfect mix of lean and fatty meat, with just enough fat to add richness without being greasy. 

The ones made with black-armored beast meat had an even firmer texture, with the savory flavor of chicken and the fresh taste of fish, giving two distinct flavors in one bite. It was simply amazing! 

Even the bitterness of the wild greens in the soup was completely masked, making it taste absolutely delicious!

“Hoo hoo hoo…”

It wasn’t just Wen Ze—everyone was blowing on their hot food and eating nonstop.

“Wow, this is amazing!” Bai Ling exclaimed excitedly. “I’ve never had meatballs before! They even burst with juice when you bite into them!”

Yin He was so eager to stuff his mouth full that he mumbled through his chewing, “Brother, listen! It’s crunchy and tastes really good!”

A child his age could manage on his own, but Jia Yi still needed someone to watch him while he ate, or he’d end up burning his mouth.

“Jia Yi, stop pulling my pants… just wait a second! Let me cool it down for you first!” Li Shui chuckled helplessly.

“I want to eat! I want to eat! Wuwuwu!” The panda swayed its head, its little body trembling with excitement.

Sang Hui and the others also had nothing but praise for the meatballs.

Zhuo Mu, sitting a little farther away, didn’t say a word, but the relaxed expression on his face said it all as he quietly enjoyed his food.

After Jia Yi had the meatball in her mouth, Li Shui finally had one. He widened his eyes and said, “When I was making the sausage earlier, I thought this was too much trouble. Now I get it—all that effort was totally worth it! It’s really delicious!” 

Wen Ze slurped some soup and smiled. “See? I didn’t lie to you. Although the meatballs might not last as long as salted meat, if you soak them in cold water and change the water regularly, they can last for several days. When you want to eat them, just pull them out and cook them.” 

Sang Hui nodded. “Hmm, I have some beast meat at home that we can’t finish. When we get back, we’ll make some too.” 

Everyone sipped the delicious meatball soup, and the warmth flowed from their throats to their hearts, leaving them thoroughly satisfied. 

Bai Ling squinted at the blue sky, dotted with fluffy white clouds. “Not only do we have plenty of starch and salt now, but we’ve also got these delicious meatballs to enjoy. Life is good.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, feeling content with their current life. 

And it was all thanks to Wen Ze. 

After drinking the meatball soup, everyone said their goodbyes to Wen Ze. Outside the cave, everything suddenly became quiet. 

“Yawn.” Wen Ze had eaten his fill and was starting to feel sleepy, so he walked into the cave, ready to take a nap. 

Just as he was drifting off to sleep, he heard faint voices outside the cave. 

“…Still not awake? I’ll go call him…” 

“No need, no need… we’ll just wait here!” 

Someone’s here? 

Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Wen Ze sat up and walked toward the cave entrance. 

Before he could see anyone, he already caught the scent of an unfamiliar presence. 

His instincts kicked in, and his drowsiness quickly faded. 

“Zhuo Mu, is someone here?” His voice was a little hoarse from just waking up. 

Zhuo Mu looked over. “Mm, people from the Snow Sea Tribe.” 

Wen Ze looked outside and saw five tall, strong beastmen standing in the clearing, each one more intimidating than the last. 

The man at the front had short hair with some black streaks in his white hair, giving him a bold and domineering look. 

Of course, in this beast world, there were no hair dyes, so Wen Ze guessed it was likely related to his beast form. 

The man’s facial features were sharp and handsome, with big eyes, double eyelids, and golden vertical pupils. His pupils were wider than most beastmen’s, making his gaze look really sharp and intense. 

Aside from wearing rough linen clothes, the others were wrapped in animal hides. 

They seemed a bit uncomfortable with the temperature in the South Mountain Tribe. A few of them loosened the animal hides around their upper bodies and tied them at their waists, showing off their toned and muscular chests. 

Wen Ze took a quick look at them, “Hello.” 

“Hello, Wen Ze.” The man at the front introduced himself, “I’m Bai Han, the leader of the Snow Sea Tribe.” 

Wen Ze nodded and gestured for them to sit in the straw shelter. 

“I was busy all morning, so I took a nap at noon,” he explained, feeling a little embarrassed. 

Bai Han nodded in understanding. “It’s hotter here than in our tribe. With the sun, it’s easy to feel drowsy.” 

After sitting down and exchanging a few pleasantries, Wen Ze asked, “I’m curious, what brings you and your people all the way here, Leader Bai Han?” 

Bai Han got straight to the point. “We’d like to exchange for spinning tools to take back with us.” 

Wen Ze raised an eyebrow slightly. 

He knew that ever since the South Mountain Tribe started weaving cloth, several nearby tribes had come to buy fabric. 

The Snow Sea Tribe was quite forward-thinking and set their sights on the spinning tools instead. 

“Looks like you’ve heard that our spinning tools work well,” Wen Ze said. 

Bai Han nodded. “Yes.” 

Wen Ze continued, “If I trade you a spinning tool, it’s essentially the same as teaching you how to make one.”

Bai Han replied, “Yes. We know the method is valuable, which is why we’ve brought plenty of supplies.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the beastmen behind him began pulling out their supplies from their spaces. 

More than ten baskets were arranged on the ground, all filled to the brim and covered with large leaves. 

One beastman stepped forward and lifted a leaf, revealing what was inside. 

The basket was packed with large, plump mountain walnuts! 

He lifted another leaf, and this time, there were round, fat hazelnuts! 

When he lifted yet another leaf… the whole basket was filled with pine nuts! 

The South Mountain Tribe also had nuts, but there weren’t many, and their appearance and aroma couldn’t compare to the ones they brought. 

The most important thing was that nuts were hard to come by. They required climbing trees and peeling skins, and even after collecting an entire forest, it might not be enough for a single basket. 

Wen Ze breathed in the unique scent of the nuts, his eyes staring openly, and saliva started to gather in his mouth. 

It had been a long time since he had enjoyed nuts like this, and he was so tempted… 

With so many nuts, whether they were eaten raw, roasted, or turned into nut candy, it would be more than enough. 

Wen Ze, moved by the temptation, hesitated and glanced at Bai Han. That phrase, “I’ll exchange with you,” nearly slipped out of his mouth. 

With the fragrance of the nuts in the air, Wen Ze smiled softly and explained, “Leader Bai Han, if you come back in a little while to exchange, I’d definitely give you a spinning tool. But right now, I only have twenty spinning tools in total, and I haven’t exchanged any of them with people in the tribe yet. It wouldn’t be fair to exchange one with you.” 

There’s an old saying, after all: “Don’t worry about having too few, worry about the unfairness.” 

If he exchanges with anyone, it would mess with the balance. 

As for renting them out, both Wen Ze and the people of the Snow Sea Tribe understood that it would be a losing deal. 

The two tribes are far apart, and it takes a long time to travel back and forth. 

Taking the spinning tools with them would give them enough time to take them apart and study them thoroughly. 

That’s why the people of the Snow Sea Tribe didn’t bring up the idea of renting them, and even if they did, Wen Ze wouldn’t agree. 

Wen Ze is the one who created the spinning tools, and coming to the South Mountain Tribe first already shows the Snow Sea Tribe’s sincerity. 

Seeing Wen Ze’s serious attitude, Bai Han paused for a moment before saying, “Then we’ll go to the Rainbow Sun Tribe. Sorry to trouble you today.” 

As soon as he finished speaking, he stood up, ready to leave. 

Wen Ze’s eyelid twitched, and he thought to himself that the tribe leader of the Snow Sea Tribe was really different from Chi Yu—he didn’t talk much, but he was decisive. 

If Chi Yu were here, they wouldn’t have obtained the spinning tools without having a discussion and trying to convince them. 

Wen Ze quickly raised his hand and stopped him, “Leader Bai Han, although we can’t exchange the spinning tools today, I do have other things here. Would you like to take a look?” 

Bai Han glanced at the sky; it was the hottest time of the afternoon. 

Even if they left now for the Rainbow Sun Tribe, made the exchange, and rushed back to their own tribe, if everything went smoothly, it would be dark by the time they returned. 

So he furrowed his brow slightly and wasn’t very eager to stay. 

Wen Ze was watching him closely and noticed his hesitation. He immediately said, “All the things are at my house. It won’t take long to have a look. If you don’t want to exchange, I won’t force you.” 

Bai Han sat back down. “Alright, let’s take a look. Sorry to trouble you.” 

But Wen Ze stood up. “Follow me.” 

He first showed them the milk at home, along with the meatballs he had made that day, and, with evident passion, he began introducing it: “The milk from the slow beast is rich and creamy, with a strong milk flavor. It’s not only tasty but also good for growing children. My younger brother drank it for a while, and he grew taller.” 

This wasn’t really a lie; Yin He had indeed grown taller. 

One of the beastmen behind Bai Han glanced at Yin He when he heard this, looking a bit intrigued, but didn’t ask to exchange. 

Wen Ze continued, “These two types of meatballs are made with meat from the long-haired, curved-horned beasts and the black-armored beasts. They’re delicious and chewy. I guarantee you won’t find anything like this outside. A few friends helped me today, and they all said they were good. If you’d like to try, I can exchange some for you.” 

Unfortunately, Bai Han and the others still didn’t show much interest. 

The third and fourth things Wen Ze took out were starch and the salt they had dried the day before. 

After explaining how to use the starch, Bai Han and the others were a little interested, asked a few more questions, and even tried it out. 

“Let’s exchange some starch and sausage or meatballs. The salt tastes fine,” Bai Han said, “but the quality of the salt isn’t as good as what we use. Our tribe isn’t lacking salt, so we won’t exchange for that.” 

Wen Ze felt a bit disappointed but still smiled. 

“It’s fine. Let’s take a look at this last one.” Wen Ze took out some regular soap and sulfur soap, handing them to Bai Han. 

Bai Han’s nose twitched. “Is this made with beast oil? This one even smells like a volcano.” 

Wen Ze nodded and explained, “Yes, it’s my exclusive recipe, and the main ingredient is beast oil. The one on the left is regular soap, which can clean stains when used with water. The one on the right is sulfur soap, which not only cleans but also keeps insects away.” 

He turned to Zhuo Mu and quietly said, “Can you get me a basin of water?” 

“Okay.” 

Zhuo Mu quickly brought over some water, and Wen Ze gestured for Bai Han to give it a try. 

“Moisten your hands, rub the soap… right, then wash your hands clean.” 

Bai Han’s hands were pale, long, and graceful, with even knuckles and no visible joints. Despite the thin calluses on his fingers and palms, the beauty of his hands was unquestionable. 

He washed them carefully, rubbing his hands together. When he saw the foam and felt the smoothness, his long eyebrows raised slightly. 

After he finished washing, both the palms and backs of his hands were clean and refreshed. 

“How’s it, leader?” one of his companions asked curiously. 

Bai Han answered honestly, “It really does clean well.” 

Everyone was a bit surprised. “It’s that effective?” 

Wen Ze, eager to make a deal, smiled and invited them, “Come, try it too. I’ll get you some fresh water.” 

Zhuo Mu, standing nearby, spoke calmly, “I’ll do it.” 

Although the connection between the tribes wasn’t close, everyone from the Snow Sea Tribe knew that Zhuo Mu was a warrior from the South Mountain Tribe. 

It’s said that he’s skilled in medicine and has a cold personality, making him hard to get along with. 

Now, however, Zhuo Mu was helping Wen Ze actively, causing a few people from the Snow Sea Tribe to be somewhat surprised, wondering if the rumors were wrong. 

After they thanked Zhuo Mu, he quietly stepped aside, not giving them a chance to talk. 

One by one, the others tried the soap and praised it highly. 

“This soap is really good; my hands feel so clean.” 

“It smells nice too. I think my partner will like it. Wen Ze, could you exchange two pieces for me?” 

“My child had some bugs recently; I’d like to get the sulfur soap.” 

Wen Ze listened to them with hope, but his expression showed surprise—only these two wanted to exchange? And just for a few bars? 

He had thought that the people from the Snow Sea Tribe had never seen soap before and would be eager to get some. 

But in the end, it wasn’t as popular as in the South Mountain Tribe. 

Not giving up, Wen Ze tried to persuade them. “It’s a hassle to get it here. Why not stock up a little? If you keep the soap in a cool place, it’ll last a long time.” 

Just then, a large, muscular brown bear approached from outside the cave. 

Wen Ze immediately recognized it as Zhong Chu, the quiet beastman who had been helping him find stones. 

Zhong Chu didn’t change into his human form and was still in bear form. He was holding his paw over his nose as he got closer. 

Wen Ze gave Zhuo Mu a glance and gestured for him to go over and see what was going on. 

Zhuo Mu nodded, then took a step toward Zhong Chu. 

His sharp gaze swept over and finally landed on the bear’s paw, which was covering its nose. 

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