Chapter 28

The door to Qiao and Ada’s cave was finally complete. On the same day, the hunting party returned, and everyone in the tribe went to collect their share of meat. This time, the hunt was smaller, and Zhuo Yan and A-Yin only received about seven pounds of meat along with a single tusked boar bone.

There was at least some good news—Arei, the beastman who had been crushed under the feet of a mammoth, had survived. His beast-father managed to save his life, though he was too injured to hunt and had to rest in the cave.

The hunting party had caught tusked boars, and even before dawn, Zhuo Yan was already up. He rendered a piece of fatty meat into lard, storing it in a small jar covered with a wooden lid. It would come in handy later for cold dishes or making pancakes.

“Zhuo Yan!” Aman’s voice called from outside the cave.

“Just a second,” Zhuo Yan replied, placing the lard jar safely away. He strapped on his backpack, which was already packed. A-Yin rushed out to the cave entrance, howling excitedly, but quickly ran back inside to wait for his brother. Zhuo Yan patted A-Yin on the head, signaling they were ready, and after locking the door, they both set off together.

Today, they were heading into the mountains.

A-Yin took the lead, guiding the group. Along with Aman, Shi Tou, and Xiao Xian, even Sister Qiao had joined them. They exchanged greetings as they walked, chatting along the way. Qiao hadn’t seen Zhuo Yan in a few days and teased, “On the way here, Xiao Xian and Aman couldn’t stop talking about the ‘dudu fruit’ dishes you’ve been making.”

“Yeah, they mentioned your ‘dudu fruit pancakes’ and ‘dudu fruit powder’ a lot.”

Zhuo Yan laughed, “I made several pancakes this morning. We can share them for lunch.”

“I made some too!” Xiao Xian piped up, proud to have worked alongside Zhuo Yan.

Aman added, “I brought some meat.”

“Me too,” Shi Tou said.

It almost felt like a spring picnic outing. A-Yin dashed ahead, scouting the path but would often double back to wait for his brother. They crossed a lush, thriving potato field and followed the river upstream. Beyond that was the wild vegetable patch Zhuo Yan often harvested from, marking the start of their ascent into the mountains.

The mountain here was relatively low and easy to climb, unlike the towering peaks near the tribe’s dwellings.

The patrol team had worn a faint path through the underbrush, though it was mostly overgrown with weeds.

Zhuo Yan stared at the barely visible trail, bewildered. “Uh… this is supposed to be a path?”

The mountains here were nothing like modern hiking trails, but fortunately, the terrain wasn’t too steep, and with the strong genetics of the half-beasts, Zhuo Yan found the hike manageable, not overly tiring.

All was good.

Shi Tou led the way, aiming to find the spicy “garlic” Zhuo Yan had been talking about. After a bit of walking, they reached a sloping patch of ground. Even before Shi Tou pointed it out, Zhuo Yan had spotted what looked like garlic shoots, mixed with wild onions, grass, and flowers.

“That definitely looks like garlic!” Zhuo Yan’s eyes lit up as he hurried over. He crouched down and pulled one up. The base, buried in the soil, was the thickness of a thumb, with white skin tinged with a hint of purple, looking like fresh garlic.

Just as Zhuo Yan was about to bring it to his mouth, A-Yin suddenly darted over and, without hesitation, chomped down on a large part of the garlic, including the leaves.

Zhuo Yan froze. “A-Yin, what are you doing?! Doesn’t it taste spicy?”

Aman, watching, chuckled. “Looks like A-Yin’s trying it out for you, making sure you won’t get a stomachache.”

Shi Tou chimed in, “It’s fine, really. My sister ate this once—aside from crying from the spice, she was totally fine. Don’t worry, Zhuo Yan, A-Yin won’t get sick.”

“… You’re such a good brother.” Zhuo Yan sighed, grateful for Shi Tou’s reassurance. He ruffled A-Yin’s ears. “But you can’t just eat things randomly like that.”

A-Yin whined softly in acknowledgment, nodding his head obediently. He knew now, but still, his tongue lolled out, panting from the spice. Zhuo Yan couldn’t help but laugh at his silly expression, thinking how much A-Yin resembled a goofy husky.

“Zhuo Yan, is this really edible?” Xiao Xian, seeing A-Yin’s reaction, plucked a leaf and popped it into her mouth. A second later, she spat it out with a string of curses. “Ugh! It burns so bad!”

Qiao crouched down beside Zhuo Yan, watching him pick through the plants, offering to help while sA-Ying, “It won’t taste great like this, but Zhuo Yan knows how to make it delicious.”

“That’s true,” Xiao Xian agreed, spitting out the leaf she’d tried earlier, before joining in on the foraging.

Zhuo Yan patiently taught everyone how to tell the difference between wild onions and garlic shoots. Everything else was just weeds or wildflowers, but to Aman and Shi Tou, they all looked the same—just like how they called both potatoes and taro “mud beans.”

“Dig the garlic shoots a little deeper so we don’t damage the bulbs. We can try planting them back home,” Zhuo Yan said, thinking of the vast land outside his door. It was practically his territory, and he could plant anything, anywhere.

Initially, Zhuo Yan had considered raising animals, but with the tribe being so small and the land so expansive and abundant, he changed his mind. Some of the leopard people couldn’t even recognize edible plants, and beyond the forest lay a vast grassland full of wild creatures like tusked boars, white-horned cattle, antelope, baboons, and deer. In a way, it was the leopard people’s “livestock farm.”

Except these “farm animals” fought back.

…Maybe he’d stick to chickens, rabbits, and sheep.

After they gathered enough wild onions and garlic, Zhuo Yan decided to test a garlic shoot for himself. As soon as he bit into it, his face twisted in agony. “So spicy!” he gasped, regretting his earlier teasing of A-Yin.

He almost wanted to stick his tongue out to cool off.

Wild garlic really packed a punch.

A-Yin came over and started licking his brother’s face, as if to help. Zhuo Yan waved him off, “No, no, I’m fine. Let’s keep going.” He thought he heard Aman snickering and looked up to see both Aman and Xiao Xian stifling their laughter.

“What? I’m just laughing,” Aman said innocently.

“Yeah, yeah, Zhuo Yan,” Xiao Xian teased, still giggling.

Zhuo Yan huffed. He wasn’t going to argue with kids.

The mountain was overgrown with weeds, but the trees here weren’t as tall as the ones in the dense forest. Instead, they grew crooked and twisted. In the spring, the mountain was dotted with small wild fruits here and there.

Shi Tou casually grabbed a handful and tossed them into his mouth as they walked.

You people really will eat anything! Zhuo Yan thought, feeling out of place with his initial caution, but then he joined in, tossing a few sour-sweet berries into his mouth. He ate one and fed a few more to A-Yin.

As they ventured deeper into the mountain, the temperature cooled, and more insects appeared, though strangely, there were hardly any mosquitoes. Zhuo Yan, curious, asked about it.

Qiao explained, “We rub bubble leaves on our clothes and use them for bathing. Mosquitoes don’t like the smell.”

“Really? That’s clever!” Zhuo Yan exclaimed. “Sister Qiao, where can I find bubble leaves? Are they hard to locate?”

“You want to plant them like the potatoes back at the tribe?” Qiao immediately guessed his intention and replied, “Ada’s going hunting soon. I’ll ask him to bring back a whole plant for you. Do you want it dug up with the tree like the garlic shoots?”

Zhuo Yan asked, “Is the bubble leaf tree big?”

“No, it only grows to about waist height,” Aman chimed in, having seen it before.

Before Zhuo Yan could respond, Qiao had already made up her mind. “We’ll dig up the whole tree. If it survives, that’ll be great.”

It seemed that bubble leaf trees were common enough to find easily, so Zhuo Yan didn’t worry. He left it to Qiao and Ada to bring one back. As they continued chatting, Zhuo Yan spotted what looked like a walnut tree. The nuts wouldn’t be ready until fall, but the tree’s leaves were full and green.

Standing under the tree, Zhuo Yan studied the leaves and asked, “In autumn, have you seen this tree bear green fruit?”

“Yeah, they’re awful! My hands and teeth turned green after eating them,” Xiao Xian grimaced, remembering how his brother had laughed at him for days.

“My brother picked them, sA-Ying they were fruit. My mouth stayed green for days, and my father gave him a good beating for it.”

Zhuo Yan chuckled. “Those are walnuts.”

“The green part is just the skin. You have to peel it off—”

“I did! After peeling it, there was just a small nut inside, no fruit,” Xiao Xian interrupted, looking confused.

“Then you crack the nut open, and inside is the part you eat,” Zhuo Yan explained.

Everyone’s eyes widened in surprise, especially Xiao Xian, who scratched his head, wondering if he had misunderstood his brother. Zhuo Yan, seeing Xiao Xian’s thoughtful face, added, “Your brother didn’t tell you because he probably didn’t know either. He was just messing with you.”

“Ugh! That’s so annoying!” Xiao Xian fumed. “My father wasn’t wrong to beat him, then!”

The group all turned to look up at the tree. They had all seen those green walnut-like fruits before but had no idea you could crack them open for food. Their curiosity was piqued.

“Zhuo Yan, what’s inside them?”

“How do you know all this, Zhuo Yan?”

“When winter came, there was nothing to eat, and I was so hungry I just bit into one,” Zhuo Yan lied smoothly, figuring it wouldn’t matter since they didn’t know him well back then.

Everyone’s faces filled with sympathy, picturing a younger, hungrier Zhuo Yan, forced to figure out survival tricks just to eat. No wonder he knew so much. If not for hunger, who would think to crack open such a hard shell, especially one with a dirty, green skin?

A-Yin believed it too, wagging his tail and rubbing up against his brother.

Seeing their pity, Zhuo Yan waved it off with a grin. “It’s all in the past. I’m fine now, and I’m doing well.” He then changed the subject. “When autumn comes, let’s come back and pick the walnuts. They store well. Just peel the green skin, dry the nuts, and crack them open when you’re ready to eat.”

“Sounds good, Zhuo Yan!” Xiao Xian agreed, thinking that Zhuo Yan’s skills in cooking must have come from his hard times. No wonder he was so good at making food.

Their trip to the mountains was fruitful. They gathered wild onions, garlic, and marked the walnut trees to return for in the fall. They also found some red berries. A-Yin, quick to climb, picked the ripest ones from the treetops and brought them down for his brother. Zhuo Yan wiped them clean before feeding them to A-Yin.

They also found plenty of wild vegetables—Chinese toon, water shield, and dandelions. There were so many dandelions, known for their cooling properties. While Zhuo Yan picked the vegetables, the others looked on, particularly wary of the toon and dandelions.

“This stuff smells terrible, Zhuo Yan,” Xiao Xian grimaced, trying to stay away.

Qiao agreed, “It does stink.”

“It does have a strong smell,” Zhuo Yan paused, then glanced at A-Yin. A-Yin, sensing his brother’s interest, barked happily, eager to like whatever Zhuo Yan liked.

“I’ll just pick a little bit and fry it later. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat it,” Zhuo Yan said, feeling nostalgic for the flavor. He decided to take just a small amount. “It’d be even better if we had some eggs.”

Oh, his beloved chickens…

“A-Yin, do you know where the chickens usually hang out?” Zhuo Yan asked as he picked a small handful. Even A-Yin didn’t seem to like the smell of it much.

A-Yin barked in a certain direction, and the group followed. Though they didn’t spot any chickens, they did notice trampled grass. Aman mentioned that the chickens might have been there earlier but had fled, while Shi Tou speculated it could have been another animal.

Zhuo Yan rummaged through his basket and pulled out a small pouch of leaves.

“What’s that?” the others asked, curious.

“Green mushroom powder,” Zhuo Yan explained, sprinkling the powder over the area where they saw the tracks. Once the powder was spread, he dusted off his hands. “Alright, let’s go have lunch somewhere a bit further away. We’ll check back later.”

The group marveled at his unusual approach, curious to see if the green mushroom powder would indeed attract the chickens.

As they made their way to a nearby creek to have lunch, Xiao Xian kept glancing back in anticipation. But soon, the sight of food and their makeshift stone stove distracted him from the mystery of the green powder.

Zhuo Yan pulled out some flatbread, and they all had some meat. He warmed the flatbread on the stone slab, releasing a mouthwatering aroma. Qiao sniffed the air and said, “So this is what flatbread smells like? It’s different from cooking with doodoo berries.”

“It is doodoo berry flatbread, but today it smells even better,” Xiao Xian chimed in, sniffing eagerly. “It really smells amazing!”

Zhuo Yan chuckled to himself. Xiao Xian’s nose for food was almost like a dog’s.

“Yesterday, I used some pork fat to make lard, and I brushed a little on the flatbread this morning. Give me a second.” Zhuo Yan grabbed some wild garlic, cleaned it in the creek, crushed the stalks, and sprinkled the garlic flower over the flatbread.

“Put your meat on top of the bread,” he said. “Start with the fatty pieces—don’t worry, just put them right on the garlic.”

Shi Tou followed Zhuo Yan’s instructions, placing a fatty slice of meat on the hot stone. As the heat rose, the fat sizzled and released its oils, soaking into the garlic. The air quickly filled with a delicious, unfamiliar scent.

“Wow, that smells incredible!” Aman exclaimed, while Xiao Xian nearly drooled as he stared at the sizzling meat.

Zhuo Yan flipped the flatbread and cut it into pieces with his stone knife. “It’s ready to eat.”

Each person got a piece, and Zhuo Yan placed another flatbread on the stone to catch the meat drippings. The bread, which had started out with a light, pleasant aroma, now absorbed the rich scent of the fat and meat, with a hint of garlic’s spicy kick.

“It’s so good!” Xiao Xian exclaimed, licking his fingers. “Zhuo Yan-ge, why was that garlic so spicy raw, but now it’s just a little bit hot?”

Zhuo Yan wrapped a piece of meat in the flatbread and held it up. “A-Yin, open wide.”

A-Yin eagerly opened his mouth, and Zhuo Yan fed him. Then he explained, “When you cook the garlic, the heat and the fat mellow out the spice. If you ever make soup or roast meat, try adding some green garlic or scallions to enhance the flavor.”

“Does it taste good, A-Yin?”

A-Yin, wagging his tail, nudged Zhuo Yan affectionately in response. He loved it.

“Alright, I’ll try a piece myself,” Zhuo Yan said, taking a bite. With the added pork fat, the flatbread was a whole new level of deliciousness. It was perfect.

Aman and Shi Tou, too, followed his lead, wrapping their meat in flatbread. As Aman pulled out a large chunk of meat from his basket, Qiao looked at him in surprise. “Why do you have so much meat?”

“I ran into Yu this morning while he was out hunting, and he gave me some.”

Zhuo Yan noticed Qiao’s expression shift slightly, so he teased, “Yu? Is he into Aman?”

“Stop it, that’s not true!” Aman blurted, flustered.

“Yu’s the younger brother of Aman’s sister’s mate,” Qiao clarified. “He’s younger than Aman and just became an adult this year.”

“Oh, I see,” Zhuo Yan replied, a bit confused by the family dynamics but finding it amusing. “Well, there’s nothing wrong with a younger guy. Little brothers can be pretty cute.”

Aman blushed furiously as Zhuo Yan teased him, remembering how Aman had tried to set him up with someone younger not long ago.

“It’s not like that! Stop making things up and eat your meat,” Aman muttered, busying himself with the grilling.

Meanwhile, A-Yin snuggled up to Zhuo Yan, his head tilted slightly. Did his big brother like younger guys? But Aman’s little brother was way too young for Zhuo Yan. Not like A-Yin—he was just the right age.

A-Yin glanced at his own furry paws and drooped his ears.

The barbecue lunch was amazing. Everyone was stuffed, and as the day began to wane, Shi Tou reminded them, “What about the green mushroom powder?”

“Oh right, I almost forgot in all the excitement!” Zhuo Yan said as they packed up and headed back to the spot where they had scattered the powder.

Xiao Xian and Shi Tou rushed ahead, with Qiao urging Aman to keep an eye on them. “There’s no way we’ll catch anything just from scattering some powder, though…”

“Hey, there’s something here!” Shi Tou suddenly shouted.

Aman had barely finished talking when he heard the shout. He sprinted over, faster than anyone, yelling, “Really? Is the green mushroom powder actually that powerful?”

“Zhuo Yan-ge, come quick!” Xiao Xian’s voice called from ahead.

Zhuo Yan, intrigued, patted A-Yin and sent him running ahead while he followed behind. When he caught up, the scene before him made his eyes widen in shock.

They’d hit the jackpot!

At the bottom of the slope, they had stumbled upon what seemed like an entire chicken nest! At least seven or eight chickens were there, with eggs scattered all over the place—some cracked, some rolling around. The chickens were flopping and flailing, as if in a daze. One particularly large rooster was thrashing in the grass like it had just ingested something crazy.

Zhuo Yan couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Wow!”

“So many chickens.”

“What happened to them?”

Aman said slowly, “This is probably how I looked after eating those green mushrooms…”

Zhuo Yan’s menu for tomorrow was already set: stir-fried eggs with toon leaves. Everything was falling into place. “What are you all standing around for? Go catch the chickens! Let’s divide them up later.”

The group snapped out of it. Shi Tou and Aman jumped down first, followed by A-Yin to help. A particularly feisty rooster flapped its wings and flew straight onto Xiao Xian’s head. Qiao quickly shielded Xiao Xian, and A-Yin pounced, pinning the rooster to the ground with one swipe of his paw.

By the time they were done, everyone was drenched in sweat but in high spirits.

Zhuo Yan twisted together some grass ropes and handed them out to the group, binding the chickens’ wings. “If you plan to eat them, it doesn’t matter, but if you want to keep them, you’ll need to trim a bit off their wings. Also, don’t forget to divide up the eggs.”

“Zhuo Yan, you caught the—”

“Nonsense! We all caught them together, and besides, the green mushrooms were Aman’s contribution.” Zhuo Yan grinned widely, knowing what Xiao Xian was about to say. “We’re all partners, no need for formalities.”

The haul was fantastic. Zhuo Yan’s face was practically splitting from smiling.

Nobody held back, and soon everyone had their share. Zhuo Yan took two chickens—one rooster and one hen—considering A-Yin’s help. The magnificent rooster was now in his hands, and of the eggs, only five survived. Since most had been crushed, Qiao and the others let him keep them.

“Tomorrow I’ll make stir-fried eggs with toon leaves. Come to my place for dinner,” Zhuo Yan offered.

Xiao Xian wrinkled his nose. “You mean that stinky wild vegetable?”

“Just wait till you taste it—you’ll see how delicious it is,” Zhuo Yan was itching to get started, already excited for tomorrow’s feast.

After thinking it over, Xiao Xian, trusting Zhuo Yan’s cooking skills, agreed with a nod.

As they descended the mountain, night had already fallen. They parted ways, and Zhuo Yan, with a chicken in each hand and a pack full of goodies on his back, hummed a cheerful tune. A-Yin trotted behind him, nudging his basket with his head.

“No need for that, A-Yin. I’ve got plenty of strength left!”

Once home, Zhuo Yan didn’t rest. Using some leftover wood, he began planning to build a chicken coop. Realizing it was a bit beyond him, he decided to wait for his friends to help the next day and build it outside, near the crooked tree by the mountain.

For now, he kept the chickens’ wings bound tightly with grass ropes. These chickens were huge, with wings that could spread like those of large birds. Zhuo Yan took his stone knife and trimmed half their wings off.

When it came time to trim the mighty rooster’s wings, it suddenly woke up, struggling fiercely. Its sharp beak nearly caught Zhuo Yan’s hand, and when he let go, the rooster fell to the ground and tried to flap away.

“Hey!”

A-Yin pounced again, pressing the rooster’s head down with a massive paw. The once fierce rooster was now dazed and powerless, knocked out once more by A-Yin.

Zhuo Yan finally managed to finish trimming the wings.

After thinking it over, he realized there was no chance of relaxing tonight. He quickly threw together a makeshift coop using wooden slats inside the cave and placed the two chickens there. As for the eggs, Zhuo Yan decided to keep them outside the coop.

He had learned his lesson from a previous encounter with a wild boar mother fiercely protecting her piglets—animals in this world had a terrifying ferocity. If these chickens woke up, they might go berserk and cause a “chickens flying, eggs smashed” situation, leaving him with nothing.

In fact, this cautious move turned out to be the right call—he had just saved the eggs.

By the time he was done, Zhuo Yan was covered in sweat. He decided to head to the river to wash up. “A-Yin, come with me.” To be honest, going to the river alone at night still unnerved him, even though the tribe was relatively safe.

A-Yin perked up immediately, wagging his tail excitedly and grabbing some bubble leaves in his mouth, urging his brother to hurry along.

“…You really like bathing, huh?” Zhuo Yan mused. Most cats and dogs hated water, but maybe leopards were different. He hadn’t raised one before, so it seemed normal enough.

After a refreshing wash, they returned to the cave, thankful for having closed the door. The two chickens, especially the rooster, had woken up. The grass ropes binding their wings were in tatters, and the rooster had caused chaos—feathers were stuck to the firewood and cooking pots everywhere.

“Good thing I put the lard jar somewhere safe.”

A-Yin, seeing the mess his brother had worked so hard to clean, lowered himself, growling at the rooster. The once-aggressive bird immediately shrank back, defeated, limping off to a corner.

The hen, meanwhile, had long since huddled in the corner, not daring to move.

Zhuo Yan realized taming these animals wasn’t going to be easy. The beastfolk were too intimidating, likely to scare the chickens to death. But if he didn’t keep a close watch, the chickens’ only thought was to escape.

Still, today marked a small step for the first “farm” in this primitive beastman world, tucked inside his and A-Yin’s cave.