Wen Ze smiled and said, “You’ll have to figure it out yourselves.” 

At this point, there was no reason to stay any longer. 

Wen Ze bid them farewell and, taking the lead, left with his group 

After walking some distance, Sang Hui said, “We’re able to make good pottery, glass, and smelt ores because of charcoal. We really can’t reveal the method.” 

Wu Ye nodded in agreement, “Yes. The Black Silver Tribe is much stronger than us. If they really learn it, what will be left for us?” 

Wen Ze didn’t fully agree but responded calmly, “The quality of pottery doesn’t rely only on temperature. Clay and craftsmanship matter just as much. As for glass, the key lies in the raw materials and how they’re combined. The Black Silver Tribe hasn’t mastered those yet. So even if they figure out how to make charcoal, it won’t affect us for now.” 

He paused, then added, “The Black Silver Tribe is strong, but they’ve never really focused on improving their pottery. I think what they’re truly interested in is metal forging. That’s probably why they rushed to the autumn harvest festival after hearing the news.” 

From the people of the Black Silver Tribe, Wen Ze saw a genuine “craftsman spirit.” 

They constantly pushed for progress and perfection in their work. It was admirable—something truly worth learning from. 

The others found his reasoning convincing and nodded in agreement. 

It made them feel even more confident. 

Wu Ye thought back to how Wen Ze had just handled the negotiation with Fen Yu and couldn’t help but feel impressed. 

When facing the leader of the Black Silver Tribe, Wen Ze hadn’t hesitated at all. He had even boldly suggested they join with the South Mountain Tribe. That took real courage. 

Without anyone realizing it, Wen Ze had become the backbone of their tribe. 

Even now, Sang Hui was still asking Wen Ze about the plans after the Autumn Harvest Festival. 

“I’ve made arrangements with Luan Xun and Chi Yu to exchange some pottery and glass,” Wen Ze replied. “Tomorrow, we’ll have people make charcoal and fire the pottery.” 

Zhuo Mu then asked, “Do you have anything you need to forge?” 

Wen Ze nodded, “Yes, I need to forge some iron tools. I’ll draw the designs on paper.” 

Wu Ye boldly added, “Great! We’ll help you forge them!” 

With a smile, Wen Ze said, “Thanks, everyone. Once my house is finished, I’ll treat you all to a meal!” 

Just from the Autumn Harvest Festival these past two days, he had already exchanged quite a bit of food. Once he gathered more after returning, he could definitely afford to treat them. 

Wen Ze quietly sighed. When he first came here, his pockets were as empty as his face, but now he was so “wealthy”—haha.

Wu Ye and the others knew that Wen Ze was skilled and could make all kinds of delicious dishes they had never even heard of, so they were really looking forward to it. 

After chatting a little longer, Wu Ye and Sang Hui said their goodbyes and left, leaving only Zhuo Mu by Wen Ze’s side. 

The two walked slowly across the grassland, soaking in the warm sunlight and the refreshing autumn breeze, feeling completely at ease. 

“Wen Ze.” Zhuo Mu turned his head to call him. 

“Hmm?” The sun was right behind him. Wen Ze looked over and squinted his eyes. 

It was strange. Zhuo Mu’s handsome face actually looked a little flustered, yet his tone was very serious. 

“I’ve gathered quite a few materials recently, and I want to lay a foundation next to the land where you’re building your new house.” 

Wen Ze widened his eyes in surprise and delight. “I was wondering why you kept disappearing, then came back to the cave all dirty. You’re building a house too?” 

Zhuo Mu nodded, “Yes.” 

“But you probably don’t even know what the house will look like… What if it’s not livable?” 

Zhuo Mu said seriously, “I don’t have high requirements for where I live. I just want to live closer to you.” 

Wen Ze’s smile grew wider, “My new house isn’t far from your cave.” 

Zhuo Mu stared at him intently, “Farther than it is now.” 

Under his gaze, Wen Ze felt a little embarrassed. He glanced away, but a soft smile still appeared at his lips. 

“If you want to build, then go ahead,” he mumbled. “I don’t mind having you as my neighbor.” 

Zhuo Mu was caught off guard, but a bright smile spread across his face. His already handsome features seemed even more striking. 

Wen Ze secretly muttered, “Silly,” then added, “Are you really going to wait until I finish building before doing anything else? What if I end up doing all that work for nothing?” 

Zhuo Mu replied, “I do want to wait until you’re done. But not because I think the house will turn out badly.” 

Wen Ze raised an eyebrow. “Then why?” 

Zhuo Mu pressed his lips together, hesitating for a moment before revealing a plan he hadn’t meant to share with Wen Ze. 

“If you’re not satisfied and want to rebuild it, the materials I’ve gathered are just enough for you to use again.” 

Wen Ze froze. “What about you?” 

Zhuo Mu naturally replied, “I’ll just save up some more.” 

His thoughtfulness and care suddenly brought a warm feeling in Wen Ze’s heart. 

Fearing that Wen Ze might misunderstand, he chose this moment to seek his approval, not after the house was finished, showing that, to him, being close to Wen Ze was more important than anything else. 

After a few seconds of silence, Wen Ze smiled and raised a hand, giving Zhuo Mu’s strong arm a light tap. 

“Come on, have a little confidence in me! You should be saying something like, ‘Wen Ze, there’s no way the house you built could be bad. It’s going to be amazing!'” 

He really couldn’t bring himself to say anything sweet. 

Zhuo Mu chuckled and followed along, “Mm. Wen Ze is the most capable person in our tribe.” 

Wen Ze tilted his head, asking suspiciously, “Out of everyone? Even more capable than you?” 

Zhuo Mu’s gaze softened. “Of course.” 

Wen Ze was immediately thrilled by his words and smiled all day long. 

After a joyful day, the autumn harvest festival came to an end. 

The two brothers, Chen Meng and Xi Lie, were restless, flying here and there. They said they’d take a turn around the Eden grassland before heading to the South Mountain Tribe in a few days to retrieve their goods. 

The day after Wen Ze returned to the South Mountain Tribe, he woke up a bit late. After breakfast, Zhuo Mu went hunting, and Yin He accompanied him. 

Wen Ze was going to lead the tribe in making charcoal. 

Before leaving the cave, he checked on the yellow grains drying outside. It was half-dried. 

If the weather was good, it should be fully dried in two or three more days. 

However, it often rained in autumn. 

Grains was especially vulnerable to rain, so when Wen Ze encountered some patrolling Beastmen on his way, he asked them for help. 

“Could you keep an eye on it? If it rains, you’ll need to bring the grains inside the cave quickly.” 

The two Beastmen agreed, “Got it, don’t worry!” 

They then asked, “Are you heading to the pottery kiln? Do you need us to take you there?” 

Wen Ze waved his hand, showing them his basket. “No need. I want to gather along the way.” 

When he reached the bottom of Bao Fang Mountain, near the area where they had been making charcoal, Wen Ze set down his basket and worked with the others. 

By now, several tribe members had mastered the skill of making high-quality charcoal, so Wen Ze no longer needed to stay up at night to keep watch.

After working until evening, Zhuo Mu arrived to take Wen Ze back. 

The pure white giant python glided through the warm afterglow of the setting sun. Seated on its back, Wen Ze was covered in dust, but his eyes shone brightly. 

“We hunted a gluttonous beast today. I got half of it—including the head and tail,” Zhuo Mu said.

“A gluttonous beast?” Wen Ze shuddered. “Is that the one with black fur, a round nose, curved fangs at the corners of its mouth, and a long, curved tail?”

“That’s right. They rarely appear in our territory. This year, we’ve only seen them twice. Their meat is fatty and quite delicious.”

“Mmm!” Wen Ze swallowed, thinking to himself, That’s wild boar! Of course, it’s delicious!

It had been so long since he arrived in the Beast World, and yet he still hadn’t had any pork! 

“Since we exchanged a lot of beans during the autumn harvest festival, I dug out a small pot of them today. I’m planning to make soybean stew with pig trotters!” 

Zhuo Mu looked a bit surprised. “You can eat soybeans like that?” 

Wen Ze grinned. “There are so many ways to eat soybeans! If we weren’t going to be busy these next few days, I’d grind some into soy milk and even make tofu! Now that we have chili peppers, we could cook Mapo tofu too! The taste would be so amazing, it’d leave anyone dizzy with how good it is!'” 

Zhuo Mu didn’t say anything because he wasn’t used to eating chili peppers. 

Wen Ze patted his chest and said, “It’s getting colder. I could also make some soybeans paste and see if I can brew some soy sauce! I’m not bragging, though I’m not great at pottery or glass making or needlework, I’m still quite skilled at cooking!” 

Zhuo Mu smiled and said, “Then in a few days, we’ll make the soy sauce and tofu you mentioned.” 

Wen Ze shouted, “Alright!!” 

Time passed quickly while they were talking. 

When they arrived at the cave, Yin He was already boiling water. 

Wen Ze walked over and asked, “How did it go today? Didn’t get hurt, right?” 

Yin He smiled and replied, “No, Brother Zhuo Mu and the others protected me very well and taught me a lot of hunting skills. Brother, what are we having for dinner tonight?” 

The sudden change in topic made Wen Ze laugh. 

“Meat!” 

“Great! I love meat the most!” 

Wen Ze thought to himself, greedy cat—no, not cat, a greedy giant panda! 

He turned around and checked the half wild boar that Zhuo Mu had brought back; it was very fresh. 

Unfortunately, to preserve it, the blood was drained out in the wild, or else a dish of steamed pig’s blood would have been really delicious. 

“Zhuo Mu, did you see any gluttonous beast cubs while hunting?” 

“No, it’s not the breeding season now. Do you want their cubs?” 

Wen Ze nodded. “Yes.” 

“Then we’ll probably have to wait until next spring. I’ll keep an eye out for you.” 

Really dependable. Wen Ze smiled, his eyes curving gently. 

“That reminds me, Brother,” Yin He suddenly remembered something and asked, “Didn’t you say you were going to catch the long-legged chicks last time?” 

Wen Ze replied, “Yes, looking at the days, it’s about time.” 

He pulled out the knife from his waist, swung it, and chopped off two big pig legs. He turned to ask Zhuo Mu, “After we’re done with the next few busy days, should we go catch the chicks?” 

Zhuo Mu had no objections. 

In the evening, Wen Ze placed the chopped pig legs and trotters into cold water, added scallions and garlic, and blanched them thoroughly.

Next, he took the yellow fruit that had hardened into sugar lumps along with a small piece of honeycomb, put them into the pot, and gently heated them.

As the sugar melted, changed color, and began to bubble slightly, he added the drained meat and stir-fried it until it was evenly coated.

Then, he added seasoning, stirred everything together, poured in water, and left it to simmer.

Although he had no soy sauce or wine, he used some newly acquired spices and a few chili peppers to enhance the flavor. It would likely turn out just as delicious.

Since the pig was quite large, he worried the meat might not turn out tender or flavorful enough, so he let it simmer for about an hour before adding the soaked soybeans. He then continued stewing it over low heat for another hour.

When it was almost ready, he suddenly craved bird eggs, so he boiled about ten eggs, peeled them, and added them into the large stone pot to stew for another twenty minutes. 

The fragrance was constantly wafting out during this long cooking time. Not only Yin He, but Wen Ze himself was getting hungry. 

Making an excuse to check the saltiness, he used his chopsticks to poke at two pig trotters and took a bite.

Just then, he felt a gaze on his back. Turning around, he found Yin He staring at him, eyes filled with longing.

With his lips glistening from the oil, Wen Ze smiled. “Haha, here, have a taste of this too.” 

Yin He finally broke into a smile and called out, “Coming, coming!” 

Not wanting to leave anyone out, Wen Ze glanced at Zhuo Mu. “Do you want to try some?” 

Zhuo Mu smiled lightly and shook his head. “I’ll eat later.” 

Finally, when they sat down to eat, a large bowl of soybean stew with pig’s trotters was placed in the middle of the stone table. 

Once the sugar was caramelized, the dish looked bright and appetizing. The soybeans and bird eggs were round and plump, soaking in the soup. 

The three of them sniffed the rich aroma of the meat, their eyes gleaming, and all picked up their chopsticks at the same time. 

Mmm! Not only the meat, but even the tendons are stewed soft, full of collagen. One bite, and it sticks to their mouth. It’s so fragrant that it’s almost irresistible. 

The soybeans are even more flavorful than the bird eggs. The aroma of the beans and meat blend in perfect harmony; it’s simply a perfect match. 

Breaking open a bird egg and dipping it in the soup—it’s divine! 

It’s so delicious that Wen Ze feels that using chopsticks isn’t enough to satisfy him, so he just tosses them aside and eats with his hands. 

On the cool autumn night, happily biting on the tender meat that melts in your mouth, the soft, sticky, and falling-off-the-bone pig’s trotters—it truly is an incomparable happiness! 

Wen Ze was so moved by this dish that he nearly shed a tear. 

The other two also loved this dish immensely. Zhuo Mu had also gotten used to the slight spiciness of the pig’s trotters and bite the bones clean. 

Yin He exclaimed with delight, “So tasty, just as good as the boiled meat slices!” 

Wen Ze smiled. “Both of these dishes go perfectly with rice. If we had a bowl of rice and some soup, it would be amazing!” 

Yin He eagerly asked, “When can we have rice?” 

Zhuo Mu chimed in, “Yellow grain is a kind of rice, right?” 

Wen Ze nodded. “Yes! Once it’s dried, we’ll have rice!” 

Yin He’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Then when I’m not hunting with Brother Zhuo Mu, I’ll stay home and thresh the grains to make it dry faster!” 

“Alright, work hard, and when the time comes, I’ll reward you with extra bowls!” 

Laughter filled the air as they enjoyed the delicious food, bringing a taste of happiness and satisfaction.” 

***

The next day, the charcoal was ready, and it was time to start firing the kiln. 

There was a lot of work, and since they had enough meat for the time being, Zhuo Mu didn’t go hunting. 

The two of them arrived at Bao Fang Mountain and each went off to do their tasks. 

The half-beastmen sat in the open space, chatting while shaping the clay into pottery pieces, but Wen Ze couldn’t help but occasionally glance up at the mountain, lost in thought. 

Sang Hui asked him, “After we fire the pottery pieces in the evening, should we make some more charcoal for the future iron smelting?” 

Before Wen Ze could answer, Bai Ling mumbled, “It’d be great if we could fire the pottery and smelt the iron at the same time, we’d save a lot of charcoal.” 

Someone laughed, “They’re not the same thing, how can we do them together?” 

Wen Ze’s hand froze, and the already ugly pottery piece he was working on suddenly had its neck bent by him. 

“Right! Since we’re using charcoal for both, why can’t we do them together?” He suddenly stood up, walked around with the crooked pottery piece, and paced back and forth. 

Sang Hui looked at him in confusion. “But we fire pottery by filling the horizontal cave with firewood, and for smelting iron, we’ve dug a vertical cave. How can we combine them?” 

Wen Ze lightly struck his palm with a mud-covered fist: “Why not just modify the pottery kiln?” 

The more he spoke, the more his thoughts flowed smoothly. 

“Yes, that’s it! I kept thinking there was something strange about our pottery kiln before.” 

Sang Hui and the others were still confused. “How do we modify the pottery kiln? Wen Ze, can you explain it a bit more?” 

Wen Ze’s eyes sparkle, and he gestures with his hands in midair. 

“We’ve all fired pottery before, right? Back then, we burned firewood beneath the pottery, with the flames rising directly under it. The same principle applies to the kiln! So why are we stacking the wood horizontally? Why not dig deeper into the cave and burn the fire directly beneath the kiln? That way, the flames will be stronger, and the temperature will be higher!”

Everyone suddenly understood and became excited. 

Sang Hui also stood up, excitedly saying, “Yes! This way we could save half of the charcoal! Why didn’t anyone think of this before?!” 

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