Chapter 13

Although Ye Baizhi tried to control herself, most of the food in the house still ended up being eaten by her.

Initially, her mother had planned to preserve the hunted meat with salt for the winter. But now, it seemed that most of it was being consumed. Yet, both her mother and elder brother looked at her with joy as if her appetite was something to be celebrated. Indeed, Ye Lu believed that a good appetite meant her daughter was healthy.

Ye Chuan thought it was only right for his sister to eat more—she was far too thin.

Ye Baizhi had no experience and naturally didn’t understand why she had such an appetite. She was simply always hungry. Since the meals had been mostly the same these past few days, her brother had begun learning how to cook alongside her.

Now, Ye Chuan could handle making soups and stews all on his own, hardly needing Ye Baizhi’s help. However, when it came to seasoning, she insisted on doing it herself. Some foods tasted bland with only salt, so she secretly added a bit of seasoning from her space. After some thought, she realized she couldn’t just stay at home and eat all day.

Besides, nothing unusual had happened these past few days—Xue Youchen didn’t seem to have any intention of doing anything. It seemed that Xue Youchen had no intention of seeking revenge.

Ye Baizhi felt that it was time for her to go out again and find more food.

“By the way, Mother, Brother, I’ve been feeling a bit restless at home these past few days. Tomorrow, I’ll go with Brother into the forest again—maybe we’ll discover more food.”

Ye Lu, unwilling to let her daughter tire herself out, gently advised, “You don’t need to go out, sweetheart. I’ve been hunting plenty of food every day—it’s more than enough for you.”

Hearing this, Ye Baizhi couldn’t help but feel a little puzzled. Her mother had been incredibly lucky with hunting lately, always managing to bring back an ample supply of food. Before, catching even a single beast every two or three days was considered normal.

She thought, perhaps her mother’s determination had simply been stronger these past few days.

Smiling, Ye Baizhi reassured her, “It’s fine, Mother. I’ll stay close and go with Brother. I won’t wander off alone, and if there’s any danger, I’ll come right back.”

With that, Ye Lu reluctantly agreed.

The truth was that Ye Baizhi had been craving staple food. After eating meat for days on end, she found herself longing for the taste of rice and steamed buns. Some dishes were best enjoyed with rice, their flavors blending perfectly.

Over the past few days, she had also taught her aunt how to make fish meatballs.

Now, her aunt, Zhu Min, had mastered the technique. She had even learned to render fat and use it to fry fish meatballs, storing them in clay jars so they could be preserved for longer.

Fried foods can be stored for a longer time.

Ye Lu chuckled and said, “You really can’t sit still.”

“You’ve become the treasure of the tribe—everyone thinks you’re amazing. Not only did you find new sources of food, but you also taught everyone how to weave baskets and backpacks. Now, whenever people go out, they can carry supplies with them.”

“I feel the same way. Hunting used to be inconvenient because carrying extra things meant I couldn’t gather food properly. And if I carried food, hunting became more difficult.”

“But with a backpack, everything is so much easier. It doesn’t interfere with anything, and if I come across wild fruits along the way, I can just toss them into the backpack.”

“Even small animals can go straight into it—no need to carry them on my shoulder.”

“Even during a hunt, it doesn’t get in the way.”

“Everyone is truly grateful to you.”

“Because of that, people have also become much more respectful toward me.”

Ye Baizhi understood that her presence—along with the rumors surrounding her—had made some tribe members wary. There was concern that she might bring danger to the tribe. After all, she had offended the noble females of the imperial city. But her ability to provide fresh food changed everything—for the tribe, food was the most important thing. And because of that, their prejudice against her had disappeared. Now, they treated her warmly.

Ye Baizhi smiled. “Mother, I have many more skills. I’ll teach everyone slowly.”

“The more people learn, the better our tribe can grow.”

The next morning, after breakfast, Ye Baizhi and Ye Chuan prepared to head out again. Of course, they brought along their usual foraging companions.

Since Ye Chuan wasn’t very strong, Qiu Shi and the others—with their second and third-tier abilities—often looked out for him when they went out together. Over the past few days, whenever they gathered food, they would always bring some to share as a token of gratitude.

Naturally, Ye Baizhi didn’t accept their offerings—everyone was just barely getting by, sometimes going hungry. They were all honest and sincere people, so she was happy to help them discover new sources of food.

Lin Caocao and the others were thrilled to hear that Ye Baizhi would be joining them today.

“Ye Baizhi, you’re finally coming out!”

“Yeah, we’ve been gathering a lot of shepherd’s purse and mushrooms lately. There are so many in the mountains—everywhere you look! Even if our parents can’t hunt, we still have food, so we won’t go hungry.”

“And thank you for teaching us how to make shepherd’s purse and mushroom soup! It turns out this way of cooking makes it taste delicious—if we ate them raw, it would be hard to stomach.”

Everyone chattered excitedly, speaking all at once. They surrounded her, their eyes filled with admiration, practically sparkling with enthusiasm.

Amused by their warm reception, Ye Baizhi couldn’t help but smile.

Their thoughts were simple and sincere, making it easy to be around them.

Just like before, the six of them set out together. The group headed up the mountain together, following whichever direction Ye Baizhi suggested.

“This time, we won’t go forward. Let’s head north and explore that area instead.”

Ever since they discovered that mushrooms were edible, they realized that the mountains were full of them—wherever they looked, they found mushrooms.

Everyone wanted to squat down and start picking.

Ye Baizhi said, “Let’s not rush to gather mushrooms yet. First, let’s explore and see if we can find other types of food.”

“Alright, we’ll follow your lead.”

At this point, everyone trusted Ye Baizhi wholeheartedly. As they made their way north through the forest, they encountered some snakes and insects, as well as a few dangerous plants.

Everyone was cautious. Fortunately, the group had members with strength, and they could easily handle these threats.

Ye Baizhi also collected some wood ear mushrooms and explained the proper way to prepare them for consumption.

“Once you pick wood ear mushrooms, wash them thoroughly. Soak them in water and change the water periodically—repeat the process three times before drying them under the sun. Once they’re fully dried, store them. When you’re ready to eat, blanch them in boiling water first. After that, you can add them to soups—they’ll taste amazing.”

Everyone listened carefully, memorizing her words. Their eyes sparkled with admiration as they looked at her.

Everyone eagerly began gathering wood ear mushrooms.

Meanwhile, Ye Baizhi wandered around, scanning the surroundings. As she explored, she suddenly stumbled upon sweet potatoes.

Her eyes lit up. “With sweet potatoes, we can make flour and even extract starch.”

Thinking about all the possible ways to use them, she quickly started digging them up. She stored a large amount in her space before calling the others over.

Ye Baizhi also considered saving some as seeds—next spring, they could cultivate a field near the tribe for planting. But for now, the vast patch of sweet potatoes in the mountains was more than enough to feed everyone.

Hearing her call, the group rushed over. By this time, their baskets were already filled with wood ear mushrooms. When they saw the fresh, newly unearthed crop, they froze in surprise.

“Ye Baizhi, you’re amazing! You found another food source underground?”

“This looks about the same size as radishes, but it seems different. Can we eat it raw like radishes?”

Their eyes sparkled with eager anticipation. Watching Ye Baizhi confidently unearth them, they assumed they must be edible. If this was truly food, it would be remarkable.