He neatly arranged the yarn. At first, his movements were slow, but he wasn’t hesitant as he wound, poked, and picked, steadily knitting a few stitches in a row. 

Gradually, he became more skilled, and his speed increased significantly. 

His two delicate, slender hands moved with fluidity, like flowing water, leaving Wen Ze dazzled. 

He couldn’t help but widen his eyes, his lips parted a few times before he found his voice. “Yes! This is how you knit! You really understood what I meant!” 

Just how skilled did someone have to be to grasp knitting so quickly, especially when his own explanation had been so poor? 

Wen Ze wasn’t just shocked—his gaze was now filled with admiration. 

“Li Shui, you’re amazing!” 

Li Shui stopped his movements and smiled as he looked at him. “When we couldn’t weave fabric before, didn’t we always use hemp thread to make things? At that time, we used our hands and never thought about using wooden sticks. The two methods share some similarities, so I could understand what you meant.” 

He shook the homemade “knitting needles” Wen Ze had crafted and said seriously, “I actually think you’re even more impressive. These are really useful.” 

Wen Ze shook his head. “You’re being too modest. Come on, now that you know how to knit, teach me! I want to try too.” 

Li Shui agreed cheerfully. “Sure, try it out. I’ll tell you what to do from the side.” 

Wen Ze nodded repeatedly. “Okay, okay. Let me first undo this piece. We’ll start from scratch and do it properly this time.” 

Having someone to teach him was much easier than figuring it out on his own. With Li Shui’s patient and detailed guidance, Wen Ze quickly grasped the basics of knitting a sweater. 

He struggled for a while, but soon realized he wasn’t cut out for knitting—his stitches were completely uneven. 

Letting out a sigh, he turned to Li Shui and said, “Look at this piece I made. It’s way worse than what you just did. How about you knit an extra piece of fabric for me? My plan is to make three vests.” 

Li Shui nodded. “Alright, I’ll go into the woods and fetch a few wooden sticks.” 

Wen Ze agreed. “Mm-hmm.” 

Not long later, Li Shui returned with the wooden sticks he was happy with. He sat down beside Wen Ze and started knitting with him. 

Though Li Shui was also a beginner, his work was much better than Wen Ze’s. 

Wen Ze couldn’t help but feel a bit envious in his heart—some people were just naturally skilled in certain areas. 

The others were busy making charcoal and didn’t pay much attention to them. 

The two of them worked and chatted, and time passed quickly. 

By the time Sang Hui’s voice reached them, the sun was already close to setting. 

“Wen Ze, Li Shui, what are you two up to?” 

Both of them looked up and greeted him with friendly smiles. 

Standing beside Sang Hui was Bai Ling, who also looked curious. 

“We’re knitting vests with yarn! Wen Ze taught me the method we’re using!” Li Shui waved them over and explained the technique. 

They were both smart half-beastmen and understood it right away. Bai Ling even eagerly expressed wanting to give it a try himself. 

Before Li Shui could speak, Wen Ze smiled and handed over the half-knitted piece of yarn he had made. 

After watching Li Shui’s demonstration, Bai Ling quickly picked it up and started knitting with ease. 

Surprised, he marveled, “This knitting method is great! Look at the fabric—it’s loose, elastic, and feels soft to the touch.” 

Sang Hui nodded, noticing the difference “That’s right. if we used a weaving frame, the fabric would be dense, and wearing it would probably be stiff and uncomfortable.” 

Li Shui added, “Animal fur is warmer than hemp fabric making it perfect for chilly autumn weather.” 

“Exactly! Father,” Bai Ling excitedly looked at Sang Hui, “Let’s ask Father to hunt some fur-covered beasts for us? We can collect the fur and knit sweaters!” 

Sang Hui smiled gently. “Sure, I’ll make one for you first when we have enough.” 

Bai Ling quickly shook his head. “I don’t need one. You’re always busy outside, so you should have one first.” 

Sang Hui smiled with satisfaction, then spoke warmly to Wen Ze. “I noticed that the fur is very clean, with almost no odor. Did you process it beforehand?” 

Wen Ze nodded. “Yes.” He explained how to select and clean the fur, sharing the process with the others. 

Sang Hui nodded, thoughtfully. “I see now. I understand.” 

Once Wen Ze finished speaking, he reached out to Bai Ling. “Come, let me knit now.” 

Bai Ling refused to let go. “Wen Ze, I haven’t knitted enough yet, let me do it a little longer.” 

Sang Hui also asked Li Shui, “How about I take over? You two can take a break.” 

Li Shui replied, “No need, knitting this isn’t tiring. Wen Ze said he wants to knit three pieces, so how about you use the wooden sticks I brought and just knit one?” 

Sang Hui agreed, “Alright, I’ve been meaning to try it.” 

The four of them sat on the ground, with the warm charcoal fire crackling not far from them. 

Wen Ze watched for a bit, then pulled out two large handfuls of roasted nuts from his space, and they all ate and chatted while working. The atmosphere was very pleasant. 

He asked about the progress on Sang Hui’s fabric dyeing, and Sang Hui answered with satisfaction, “The purple color from the fruit peel of the purple pearl fruits is really useful. The purple we mixed is so beautiful. I have a feeling this batch of fabric will turn out especially nice.” 

Bai Ling, with a smile in his eyes, added, “The full moon festival isn’t even here yet, but I’ve already made several new outfits. When we go to the autumn harvest festival, I can wear a different one every day, haha!” 

Wen Ze was also happy. “That’s great!” 

Sang Hui then mentioned the kiln. “We just checked the pottery kiln; it’ll be ready by tomorrow morning.” 

“Then let’s go early tomorrow!” 

Bai Ling finished knitting the last piece of yarn, stretched lazily, and said, “It’s done! Wen Ze, could you check it?” 

Wen Ze nodded. “Alright.” 

Taking the yarn fabric, he carefully examined both sides before curling his lips into a smile and praising, “This looks great! Once I cut it and sew two rows of buttons in the front, the vest will be finished!” 

Li Shui spoke up, “That reminds me, if we adjust the stitching at the cuffs, we might be able to leave two holes directly, and there won’t be any need to cut.” 

Sang Hui, sharing the same thought, agreed, “Right, that’s what I was thinking too. Look, how about we add another needle here…” 

The half-beastmen exchanged ideas and truly improved the knitting method. 

Wen Ze wasn’t good at weaving, but he had plenty of knowledge, so he brought up something called a “crochet hook.” 

“With a crochet hook, you can even make lace-like patterns,” he explained while gesturing. 

The half-beastmen listened intently, their eyes lighting up, and they all expressed their eagerness to try it out later. 

By the time dusk settled in, the yarn fabric Wen Ze needed was all finished. 

Two of the pieces, thanks to everyone’s improvements, had cuffs woven in and the neckline tightened. 

There was still some yarn left, so Wen Ze said, “You can divide it up.” 

Seeing that there wasn’t enough left for another vest, Sang Hui waved his hand and said, “Bai Ling and I won’t take any.” 

Wen Ze made a decision, “Then let’s give it to Li Shui. He can knit a hat for Jia Yi or something.” 

Since they had just managed to knit sweater, making a hat would be no problem. 

Li Shui, feeling a little touched, smiled and said, “Alright, then I’ll take it for Jia Yi. That kid has a big head, so a hat on him will probably be hilarious.” 

Well, he really is his father, he even laughed first. 

Wen Ze and the others were also amused. “When you knit the hat, you can leave holes for the ears. That way, it’ll look even better.” 

“Not just better—two bear ears sticking up should be really cute.” 

“Haha, just imagining it is fun.” 

Bai Ling couldn’t wait and said, “Father, let’s have Father hunt a fluffy beast for me tomorrow!” 

Sang Hui chuckled. “Alright, alright, I’ll remember that.” 

As Li Shui was putting away the yarn, he suddenly remembered something, “Every year, when spring and summer come, Qin Shan and Jia Yi shed a lot of fur. It flies around like cotton fluff, covering the cave inside and out.” 

Sang Hui and Bai Ling both nodded in agreement. “Ji Sha / My father is the same!” 

Li Shui pressed his lips together and smiled. “So, it turns out we’re all the same. I was thinking, isn’t the fur they shed still considered fur? Especially since Jia Yi is still young, his fur is soft and fluffy. If we collected the fur he sheds and wove it into a sweater, it would definitely be very comfortable to wear.” 

Sang Hui’s eyes lit up. “You’re right! So, in that case, Ji Sha’s fur could be collected and made into a sweater for him!” 

Li Shui laughed heartily. “Hmm, their fur finally has a useful purpose.” 

Sang Hui sighed. “It’s just a shame that autumn is almost here. They won’t be shedding much anymore. We’ll have to wait until next year.” 

Wen Ze was amused by their mutual understanding and laughed. Bai Ling, leaning beside him, also laughed so hard that he nearly fell over. 

Just then, Zhuo Mu and the others, who had been busy, looked over in their direction with faces smeared with charcoal. 

“What are you laughing at?” he asked. 

Wen Ze met his gaze with his bright black eyes and smiled brightly. “Hahaha, it has nothing to do with us.” 

After all, Zhuo Mu’s beast form didn’t shed fur, and as a half-beastman, he didn’t have such concerns either. 

Sang Hui and the others understood Wen Ze’s meaning, looked at Zhuo Mu, and all burst out laughing. 

Zhuo Mu tilted his head slightly, looking even more confused. 

*** 

The method of knitting sweaters quickly spread throughout the tribe. 

Sang Hui, Li Shui, and the other smart half-beastmen even successfully made crochet hooks and tried using hemp thread to weave patterns. 

Now, people who loved beauty and new things became even more excited. Everyone wanted to crochet beautiful clothes for themselves. 

As a result, the demand for fur increased. 

During that time, when the beastmen went hunting, wild animals with lush, soft fur became their top choice. 

But that’s a story for later. 

After a good night’s sleep, Wen Ze stir-fried some clam meat with Yangyang grass and made some homemade yogurt for breakfast. Feeling full, he climbed onto the giant python back and let him take him to the pottery kiln. 

Once they arrived, they joined the others to open the kiln. 

Just like before, the firing process was highly successful. The pottery had beautiful colors, and under the sunlight, the surface seemed to sparkle like starlight. 

The difference this time was that, due to temperature and glaze factors, the colors were different from the previous batch. 

But everything still looked great. 

The success of the pottery firing made everyone feel relaxed and happy. 

Wen Ze smiled and said, “Let’s take a look at the glass next.” 

Someone brought over a block of sand that had been fired, and others eagerly gathered around, their eyes shining with anticipation. 

When Wen Ze cleaned out the contents, someone asked in surprise, “What is this? It’s all black.” 

Wen Ze pinched the black block, and the grain of the sand was very noticeable. 

It was completely different from the glass they had made last time. 

“It didn’t fire properly,” Wen Ze muttered with a frown. 

Sang Hui asked in confusion, “How could this happen? This time we used charcoal to fire it, and the kiln should have been even hotter than last time.” 

Wu Ye added, “Yes, but none of it turned into glass.” 

Zhuo Mu wondered, “Could the problem be with the raw materials?” 

Wu Ye asked, “Are you saying we shouldn’t have added limestone?” 

Wen Ze thought for a moment and said, “Adding limestone should be correct… It might not have fired properly because something is missing.” 

Sang Hui guessed, “Clay?” 

Wen Ze nodded. “Yes, something in the clay.” 

But what exactly was in the clay? He couldn’t figure it out immediately. 

Sigh, before crossing over to this world, he really should have read more about scientific inventions. Then he wouldn’t be stuck like this. 

Zhuo Mu walked over to him and gently said, “It’s okay. If it doesn’t work, just add some clay, and try firing it again.” 

Wen Ze smiled at him. “For now, it seems that’s all we can do.” 

The glass didn’t fire correctly, and Wen Ze couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. 

Especially since he knew the tribe had high hopes for it, he felt the pressure and couldn’t help but feel somewhat guilty. 

Taking responsibility, he apologized, “I underestimated how difficult making glass would be.” 

Zhuo Mu gazed at him and disagreed. “Don’t blame yourself. None of us know how to make glass. It’s normal to encounter problems.” 

Sang Hui also spoke up. “Yeah, take it slow. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.” 

Li Shui added, “We’re all here with you.” 

Wu Ye encouraged, “Since we succeeded before, we’ll definitely succeed again! Let’s stay positive!” 

Bai Xia agreed, “That’s right! Wen Ze, whatever you want to do, we’re all in it together!” 

Ji Sha reassured him. “Anyway, it was just a side attempt while firing pottery. It’s fine if it doesn’t work. Glass isn’t something we need to eat or drink.” 

Zhuo Mu smiled lightly and gently said, “No matter what, we’re all here.” 

Wen Ze felt the weight of everyone’s gaze and the pressure on his shoulders, but his heart felt lighter. 

Seeing the scattered failed attempts on the ground sparked his determination. 

“Alright, I don’t believe it! With so many people in the South Mountain Tribe, we can’t possibly fail to make glass!” Wen Ze clenched his fist and said firmly. 

As everyone moved pottery and tidied up the kiln, he took out the small booklet he had made earlier from his space. 

He grabbed a charcoal pencil and started writing down the details of the first and second glass firing attempts in the booklet. 

He recorded the materials, proportions, and temperatures in detail. 

Sang Hui walked by Wen Ze and curiously asked what the booklet was. 

Wen Ze waved it and said, “It’s paper we made ourselves. I use it to take notes so I won’t forget things.” 

“Can I take a look?” 

Wen Ze handed the booklet to him. 

Sang Hui couldn’t read the words, but Wen Ze had drawn some pictures, so he could roughly understand that it was a record of the glass-making process. 

The more he looked at it, the more he liked the booklet. 

“Wen Ze, this thing is light, and drawing on it is convenient. It’s really a good thing.” When returning the booklet, Sang Hui seriously asked, “Can I exchange some materials for this paper from you?” 

“Sure. Zhuo Mu and I are actually trying this for the first time too. Next time, let’s all work together and make more paper.” 

Everyone answered eagerly, “Okay!” 

From then on, driven by determination, Wen Ze fully committed himself to mastering glassmaking. 

Every morning, he went out with the tribe to gather, and in the afternoon, he came back to dye cloth, make charcoal, produce salt, do housework, and tend to the fields. 

As for collecting firewood, clay, and other tasks, there was no need for him to do them himself. 

As long as he spoke, someone would prepare what he needed, which he was really grateful for. 

The next time he fired pottery, he not only took several types of clay, but also dug up ordinary soil. Then, he mixed them with sand and limestone powder in different proportions. 

For each pile of sand, he carefully marked it and made notes. 

After firing the kiln this time, the sand mixed with both clay and regular soil produced glass crystals. 

The colors of the crystals varied; some were light, some dark, some were green, and others gray. 

He carefully recorded the results in his booklet. 

Zhuo Mu stayed by his side, assisting him. 

“This time is better than last time. At least we managed to produce glass.” 

Wen Ze sighed. “But none of them took shape, and they’re too cloudy. At best, they can only be considered as half-finished products.” 

This type of glass definitely couldn’t be used for windows. 

Wen Ze looked at the results in his booklet, wracking his brain. How was the clear, transparent glass he had seen in modern times made? 

It definitely wasn’t made from soil; he had never heard of soil being able to produce glass. 

He said to Zhuo Mu, “The results this time show that besides sand and limestone, there must be a kind of glass-making material in the soil. But I can’t figure out what it is.” 

After saying that, he squatted down, scooped up a piece of earth, and held it close to his eyes, staring at it intently. 

He really wished his eyes were microscopes so he could analyze the soil’s composition… 

Frustrated, Wen Ze knocked on his own head lightly. 

Zhuo Mu grabbed his wrist, stopping him, and gently said, “Maybe you’ll figure it out after a while.” 

Wen Ze pressed his lips together and nodded. He resembled a small dog with drooping ears, looking quite pitiful. 

He wasn’t trying to be anxious, but he just couldn’t control his thoughts. 

He really, really wanted to know what was missing to make glass. 

So, he thought about it while eating, working, walking, and even in his dreams. 

The feeling of his thoughts being stuck in a dead-end was unbearable. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to howl like a wolf. 

Until he solved this problem, he wouldn’t be able to focus on anything else. 

That afternoon, after handling the fresh game they had hunted, Zhuo Mu saw Wen Ze flipping through his booklet, the pages rustling as he frowned and mumbled, “Why can’t I figure it out…?” 

Seeing Wen Ze so anxious made Zhuo Mu feel uneasy as well. He wanted to help however he could. 

“Wen Ze,” he called, “I’ve looked, and the mung beans and red bean pods you harvested before are dry now. There’s nothing else to do this afternoon. How about we thresh the beans?” 

Reminded of the beans, Wen Ze finally snapped out of his thoughts. 

“Yes,” he said, standing up and putting the little booklet away. “I need to make a threshing tool first.” 

“What kind of tool? I’ll help you.” 

Wen Ze wanted to make a tool called a “flail,” which had a simple structure: a long handle, a wide wooden board, and a shaft connecting them. 

When used, raising the handle would make the shaft move the board, smashing the bean pods, and the beans would naturally separate from their shells. 

Yin He was also there, and the three of them quickly made three flails. 

Then, Wen Ze spread an old cloth on the ground and directed the other two to bring the bean stalks and place them on top. 

The three of them, under the sun, stood at three different positions, controlling the distance and swinging the flails, one after another, smashing the bean stalks. 

Accompanied by the sound of “thud-thud,” the beans fell out of the broken pods and were caught by the cloth below. 

Once they finished one batch, Wen Ze signaled them to move on to the next. He himself first cleared away the used stalks, then used a handmade sieve to sift through the beans repeatedly, removing any impurities until he had a pile of clean, plump beans. 

Working together, the three of them spent the entire afternoon threshing and sifting until all the beans were processed. 

The red beans and mung beans were separated and stored in different cloth bags. 

The red ones were kept for seeds, and Wen Ze noticed there were quite a few mung beans, so he took a bowl, soaked them in clean water, and set them aside. 

Yin He, as if he had a built-in food radar, sneakily moved closer and curiously asked, 

“Brother, are you going to make the mung bean cake you mentioned before?” 

Wen Ze smiled. “Yes. I’ll soak them overnight, remove the skins, and make them tomorrow.” 

Yin He cheered, “Great! I’ll add lots of osmanthus honey syrup!” 

Wen Ze smiled even more warmly. “Alright.” 

Seeing Yin He’s joyful appearance made him feel a bit guilty. 

In the past few days, he had been so focused on figuring out how to make glass that he had neglected the food at home. 

Tomorrow, he’d make extra mung bean cakes to make it up to him. 

Thinking this, Wen Ze scooped out another pot of beans to soak. 

The next day, the weather turned bad, and it began to rain. The entire wilderness was covered in a white mist. 

Zhuo Mu finished the chores at home early in the morning and then went outside. 

Such weather wasn’t suitable for gathering, so Wen Ze decided to take half a day off for himself and calmly deal with the mung beans in the straw shelter. 

While he was repeatedly scrubbing and peeling the beans, he heard Qin Shu’s voice calling out, “Yin He, we’ve come to play with you!” 

Wen Ze looked up and saw a group of bear cubs in different shades of fur, carrying either smaller bear cubs or little half-beastmen on their backs as they ran towards the cave. 

The little half-beastmen were wearing straw raincoats made by their parents. 

“Brother Wen Ze!” When their gazes met, the little ones all greeted him politely. 

Wen Ze smiled and said, “Yin He went to fetch water from the river. He’ll be back soon. You can wait in the straw shelter for a while.” 

“Okay~” they all responded together. 

The little half-beastmen took off their straw raincoats and entered first, while the little beastmen shook off the water droplets from their fur outside before turning into their human forms and gathered around Wen Ze. 

Jia Yi, who couldn’t transform, curled up into a ball and pushed his way toward Wen Ze. 

“Brother Wen Ze, what are you going to do with the beans?” the little ones asked curiously. 

Wen Ze smiled and replied, “I’m making some mung bean cakes.” 

Noticing that the rain outside was getting heavier, Wen Ze suggested, “Since you’re here, why not stay a while and help me out?” 

“Yes! Yes! Tell us what to do, Brother Wen Ze!” 

“We’re super good at helping!” 

Wen Ze didn’t want to dampen everyone’s enthusiasm. 

He asked the little ones to help him rub and wash the mung beans. Afterward, he placed the cleaned beans into a stone pot to steam. 

There were quite a few beans, so they needed to steam for at least forty minutes. 

During the wait, he pulled the half-dry giant panda, Jia Yi, close to him, and gently combed through his soft fur. Jia Yi closed his eyes and purred contentedly as Wen Ze stroked him. 

Firewood crackled in the stove, the stone pot bubbled as it steamed the mung beans, and outside the straw shelter, the rain pattered softly. 

He hugged the giant panda, whose fur felt incredibly soft, and smiled warmly as he told stories to everyone sitting around him. 

His voice was gentle and clear, calm and unhurried. 

The little ones looked up at him, listening attentively. 

After days of tension from working with glass, he unknowingly began to relax. 

Time flew by, and soon, the mung beans were ready. 

Wen Ze’s eyes sparkled as he thought of a fun new way to play with them. 

---

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