Chapter 35

That night, neither Zhuo Yan nor A-Yin got much sleep. They kept checking the charcoal kiln, making sure everything was going smoothly. Early the next morning, before the sun was even up, Aman and Shi Tou came running. They found Zhuo Yan still keeping watch as the makeshift kiln continued to emit smoke.

“You didn’t sleep at all?” Aman asked.

Zhuo Yan yawned, “I slept for a bit, then woke up to check on it.”

“Go back and get some rest. Shi Tou and I will take over.”

Feeling groggy, Zhuo Yan nodded and mumbled in agreement. A-Yin, who had been by his side the whole time, escorted him back to their cave. After making sure his brother was safely tucked in, A-Yin didn’t rest either. He sat by the entrance for a while, keeping an eye on things before heading back out.

When Zhuo Yan finally woke up, the sun was already streaming halfway into the cave. It was clearly near noon. A-Yin was nowhere to be seen. Getting up, Zhuo Yan noticed that the water buckets were full—A-Yin must have fetched them before heading out to patrol.

Yesterday, they had gotten some wild boar meat, and since the weather was hot, Zhuo Yan had stayed up late to render the fat into oil. Now only the lean meat was left. He glanced at the plate of boar meat, surprised that A-Yin hadn’t eaten any.

Pausing for a moment, Zhuo Yan brushed his teeth and washed his face. The cave was cool, a nice contrast to the rising midday heat outside. He decided to take a big piece of the boar meat down to share with his friends for lunch, leaving a portion behind for A-Yin.

On his way out, carrying the meat, A-Yin came running back. His mouth was full—he was carrying something.

“A-Yin!” Zhuo Yan called out.

A-Yin bounded over, wagging his tail excitedly, and dropped his catch in front of Zhuo Yan. It was half of a horned goat, still red with fresh blood.

Zhuo Yan couldn’t help but grin in surprise, “Did you go hunting with Xiao Xian’s second brother this morning?”

“Awooo~,” A-Yin replied, nudging the goat toward Zhuo Yan as if to say, “Eat, brother.”

Zhuo Yan laughed, “I already brought some boar meat. There’s plenty. You should eat this—it’s your catch.”

A-Yin pushed the goat insistently toward him. The meat was fresh and bloody, containing valuable salts and nutrients. Zhuo Yan didn’t fully understand why A-Yin was so adamant, but he appreciated the gesture. Deciding not to waste it, he thought he might as well combine both the boar and goat meat for their meal.

Back at the cave, Zhuo Yan sliced up the boar meat and the lean parts of the goat. Showing it to A-Yin, he indicated, “This is enough for me. You eat the rest. It’s hot out, and we can’t keep the meat for long. Make sure you eat well, A-Yin, don’t worry about me.”

He carefully skinned the goat and placed the meat in A-Yin’s large bowl.

Only then did A-Yin finally start eating, devouring the meal in huge mouthfuls. Within minutes, the half goat and large chunk of boar were gone, not a single scrap left. Zhuo Yan, lifting the skin, could tell from its weight that A-Yin had just eaten at least twenty pounds of meat. That would keep him full for the next three days.

By the time Zhuo Yan and A-Yin headed down to meet their friends, it was already afternoon. Jie-jie Qiao and Xiao Xian were already there, and they greeted each other as Zhuo Yan pulled out the meat he had brought.

“Aman, Shi Tou, take a break! It’s time to eat!” Zhuo Yan called out.

“Wow, where’d you get the horned goat?” Aman asked, eyeing the meat eagerly. They had already eaten some wild boar yesterday.

“A-Yin brought it back early this morning. He probably split it with Xiao Xian’s second brother, right?” Zhuo Yan guessed.

Xiao Xian ran over excitedly, “My second brother didn’t go on patrol today, he went hunting.”

Zhuo Yan: ???

“Then this half of the goat—”

“I know!” Jie-jie Qiao said with a grin. “A-Yin must’ve shared it with the patrol team. If he caught it on our territory, he has to give half to the team, but if he caught it outside, he doesn’t.”

Zhuo Yan remembered how A-Yin had once failed to catch a wild boar, only for the patrol team to finish the job and claim half. He figured this horned goat must have wandered into their territory and gotten caught.

Little did he know, A-Yin had actually gone straight to the same spot where Xiao Xian’s second brother had taken him to stake out horned goats last time. As for the half goat? A-Yin had quietly dropped it off near the entrance of another beastman’s cave about ten meters away.

It was A-Lei’s father’s cave.

“The white-furred kid dropped off half a goat.”

A-Lei’s father had seen it all: the unshaped young beast carrying the goat, silently leaving half and running off with the rest.

“Maybe it’s his way of thanking you for telling him where to find the mammoth herd yesterday.”

A-Lei’s father remained silent, while his other beastman partner just sighed. Ever since A-Lei had died, his mate had grown more stubborn and cold. He didn’t know how to comfort him. That white-furred kid seemed like a good one, though.

He just hoped the kid wouldn’t be foolish enough to actually go near the mammoth herd.

---

At the riverside, Zhuo Yan and his friends were roasting meat, while A-Yin wandered off again. Zhuo Yan didn’t mind; he assumed A-Yin was off playing. After all, beastmen needed a lot of exercise, and Zhuo Yan was using modern advice for raising large dogs as a guide for raising A-Yin.

Besides, sitting around watching charcoal burn wasn’t exactly thrilling.

While the charcoal smoldered, Shi Tou was busy sharpening bone knives. Zhuo Yan and Jie-jie Qiao, on the other hand, had started making soap. With the surplus fat he had from rendering the boar, Zhuo Yan had hauled down his big stone pot and gathered some ashes. The soap tree had shed a bunch of leaves, which he had collected into a small basket.

Now, he was working on the molds while Xiao Xian watched. Some were square, while others were shaped like flowers.

Once Jie-jie Qiao had prepared all the ingredients, she called Zhuo Yan over to start the soap-making process. Water, oil, ashes, and soap leaves—all mixed together. Technically, the leaves weren’t necessary, but Zhuo Yan thought their natural fragrance might help improve the soap’s cleaning power.

They started making their first batch.

“Later, I’ll head into the mountains to gather some berries and wildflowers,” Zhuo Yan mused. “Maybe we can try making a few different types of soap with new scents.”

Xiao Xian’s eyes sparkled, “Zhuo Yan-ge, can you really make berry-scented soap?”

“Sure, it’s possible,” Zhuo Yan said casually.

Xiao Xian didn’t really understand the word “possible,” but he understood enough to get excited. “That means I could wash with berry-scented soap in the future!” he exclaimed.

Even Jie-jie Qiao seemed intrigued, though she couldn’t quite picture what that would be like.

Zhuo Yan decided to use this first batch of soap-making as practice. Though he had made soap in the past and even filmed a few tutorials, it had been a while, and he wasn’t sure about the proportions anymore. He also added bubble leaves to the mixture, which he hadn’t tried before, so he figured this batch would be for his friends to use.

He started by boiling water mixed with ashes in a stone pot, then pouring the mixture into a wooden bucket to let it settle. Without any fabric to filter it, they had to rely on the slow and simple method of letting the impurities sink to the bottom. While waiting, Zhuo Yan continued carving the soap molds.

As the water settled, Qiao and the others began to understand the process. Xiao Xian commented, “So we don’t need the top layer of water, right? Just what’s settled at the bottom?”

Zhuo Yan corrected him, “Actually, it’s the opposite this time. We want the clear water on top, not the ash at the bottom. If we keep the ash, it’ll mix with the soap and look awful.” Without looking up from his work, he explained, “The water boiled from ashes contains lye, which is essential for soap. Some things that settle are useful, and some are just waste.”

Xiao Xian nodded, wide-eyed. “I get it now, Zhuo Yan-ge! Making stuff is hard!”

While carving, Zhuo Yan thanked Shi Tou for handing him a freshly sharpened bone knife. The blade was long, light, and beautifully crafted, its handle wrapped tightly with thin vines. Zhuo Yan marveled at the craftsmanship as he carefully tested it. “Wow, Shi Tou! This is incredible—thank you so much!”

The bone knife was so much sharper and easier to use than his stone one. It allowed him to carve intricate designs with ease, speeding up his work. After completing a simple flower mold, he even started on a cloud design. He considered making a star, but realized the sharp angles would make it less cute for soap, opting for more rounded designs instead.

After some time had passed, the ash-water mixture was ready. Using a ladle, Zhuo Yan scooped the clear liquid into the stone pot and simmered it over a low flame. As the water evaporated, it left behind a fine, grayish-white powder—lye. Zhuo Yan scraped every bit out of the pot, ensuring nothing went to waste. Meanwhile, Shi Tou and Aman went to check on the charcoal burn, leaving Xiao Xian watching with curious but impatient eyes.

When the bubble leaves had boiled down, Xiao Xian complained to Aman and Shi Tou, “Wow, making soap is so much harder than I thought! Zhuo Yan-ge makes it look easy, but I would never have figured it out.”

Aman and Shi Tou nodded in agreement, both much preferring the physical work of sharpening knives and making tools to the delicate process of soap-making. Aman remarked, “Bubble leaves alone clean just fine for me. I don’t need all that extra work!”

Meanwhile, Zhuo Yan and Qiao continued making the soap. Though the process was simple in theory, it was time-consuming due to the primitive tools they had. Zhuo Yan explained that in modern times, it would be much quicker with gas stoves and proper equipment. Here, they had to make do with a single stone pot, working one step at a time, heating oil over wood fire and cleaning up between each stage.

Qiao offered to lend him another stone pot next time to speed things up, to which Zhuo Yan gratefully accepted, “Thank you, Qiao-jie! That’ll help a lot.”

After hours of hard work, the mixture finally came together. Xiao Xian excitedly ran over to help again, and with great care, they mixed the lye into the heated oil and bubble leaf water. As they stirred, the liquid gradually turned a greenish color, with hints of gray from the ash. It wasn’t a bright, vibrant green, but it had a natural, earthy quality to it.

Once the mixture was ready, Zhuo Yan poured it into the molds. They’d have to wait for it to cool and harden, but the process was nearly complete. As the sun set, casting a golden-red glow over the river, Zhuo Yan finally finished cleaning up their tools. He kept the leftover bubble leaf pulp for a bath later, knowing it would still make a good lather.

As they waited for the soap to solidify, Xiao Xian eagerly checked on the molds. “Zhuo Yan-ge, is it ready yet?”

Zhuo Yan touched the surface of the soap, which had hardened just enough. “It’s ready! Let’s take it out of the molds.”

With anticipation building, they flipped the molds over onto a stone slab, gently tapping the backs. A soft “pop” was heard as the soap released from the molds, revealing several smooth, pale green bars. The flower and cloud shapes turned out especially cute, while the simple rectangular bars were more traditional.

Xiao Xian’s eyes lit up, and the whole group marveled at their handiwork. “Wow, Zhuo Yan-ge, these look amazing!”

“Wow!” Xiao Xian exclaimed, admiring the round soap. “It’s so pretty.”

Even the usually tough Shi Tou and Aman, who earlier insisted that using bubble leaves was just as good, had to admit that this soap looked much nicer.

“Qiao-jie gets to choose first. Everyone else, one bar each,” Zhuo Yan announced.

He had only carved one flower mold and one cloud mold, with three remaining rectangular bars. They were all palm-sized, not too small.

Seeing how much Xiao Xian’s eyes lingered on the cloud-shaped soap, Qiao smiled. “I won’t be polite then. I’ll take the flower.” She had always liked flowers—her own house door was decorated with floral patterns.

“Then the cloud is for Xiao Xian, and we’ll take the rectangular ones,” Zhuo Yan decided.

Shi Tou waved his hand, originally declining, while Aman seemed a bit more interested. Zhuo Yan pushed the soap into their hands anyway. “Don’t overthink it. If we’re talking about effort, you guys helped just as much. Without you, I wouldn’t even have a bone knife, so take it.”

He explained how to use the soap: “When you’re showering or washing your face, just wet your body and hair, rub the soap around, and then massage your hair to create foam.” The bubble leaves had been great for foaming on their own, so now that they were made into soap, he was confident it would work even better.

“Thanks,” they said.

“Hey, no need to thank me!”

As night fell, the group dispersed, and Zhuo Yan was about to head home with his basket when he noticed A-Yin running back from outside the village. Leaping over the narrowest part of the stream, A-Yin quickly ran towards him. Zhuo Yan waited patiently.

A-Yin’s fur was a dirty mess.

“Were you fighting with someone?” Zhuo Yan asked, a bit worried as he noticed some tangles in A-Yin’s fur, much like when people tear at each other’s clothes and hair during a fight. “Let me check if you’re hurt.”

A-Yin leapt onto him, letting out relaxed howls, indicating he wasn’t injured.

Zhuo Yan checked him thoroughly, and apart from the matted fur, there were no wounds. It seemed A-Yin had just been play-fighting with someone. After all, he’d heard that young beastmen often roughhouse like that.

“Good, as long as you’re okay. Let’s head home.”

A-Yin grabbed the wooden bucket in his mouth, and Zhuo Yan didn’t stop him. Ever since learning that beastmen could carry over 300 pounds with ease, Zhuo Yan reminded himself not to compare A-Yin to modern pet dogs. Still, sometimes, A-Yin did seem like a giant, lovable dog.

Like now, as A-Yin trotted along with the bucket, glancing back at him, tilting his head in an adorable way. Zhuo Yan laughed, “I’m coming, I’m coming!” His voice lifted with amusement.

---

Xiao Xian and Aman parted ways, their homes close to each other.

“Mom, look! Zhuo Yan-ge made this soap for me!” Xiao Xian bragged before even stepping into the cave.

His older brother, Ah Ri, was inside and quickly snatched the soap from his hand, examining it closely. “What’s this? It smells familiar.”

“It’s soap,” Xiao Xian said, unfazed. Proudly, he added, “Zhuo Yan-ge made it with bubble leaves.”

Upon heAh Ring that, Ah Ri tossed the soap back to him. “Just bubble leaves.”

“Mom! Did you see what Ah Ri did?” Xiao Xian hurried to tuck the soap away safely.

Before their mother could respond, Ah Ri smirked, “Alright, alright, tell me what this ‘brilliant’ beastman Zhuo Yan-ge made this time.”

“It’s soap! You can use it to wash your body, face, and hair.”

Ah Ri laughed, “I thought it was something special. Isn’t that just bubble leaves?”

Xiao Xian fumed, unable to come up with a response.

Their father and second brother were out hunting, so it was just their mother in the cave, preparing dinner. She was used to their bickering and rarely intervened, but seeing how upset Xiao Xian was, she gently asked, “Let me see this soap.”

“It’s soap,” Xiao Xian repeated, handing it over eagerly and explaining how it was made. “Zhuo Yan-ge plans to trade it for salt.”

“Trade this for salt?” Their mother looked serious. “That might not work. You should tell Zhuo Yan that the market already has bubble leaves. No one would trade salt for this.”

“Mom, it’s not the same! Look how nice it is,” Xiao Xian protested.

Ah Ri chimed in, “Little brother, no matter how pretty it is, it’s still just bubble leaves. Salt is rare, and everyone can use bubble leaves to clean. Would you trade salt for this?”

Xiao Xian hesitated. Of course he wouldn’t. But still, he felt Zhuo Yan’s soap was special. He had worked so hard on it, and Xiao Xian desperately hoped Zhuo Yan could trade it for salt. The thought of all the effort they had put in that afternoon, only for it to fail, made his eyes well up with tears.

“If Zhuo Yan-ge can’t trade for salt, how will he and A-Yin survive the snow season?” Xiao Xian mumbled, voice quivering.

Seeing her son’s distress, their mother patted his head gently.

Xiao Xian, clutching the soap with teary eyes, retreated to the stone bed, turning his back to them. His mind replayed his brother’s and mother’s words, and the more he thought about it, the more scared he became. He could already imagine the harsh winter ahead, with no salt to preserve meat. What would Zhuo Yan do if the fish ran out? And A-Yin was eating so much these days…

“Hey, are you crying?” Ah Ri approached him.

Xiao Xian ignored him.

“Can I try your soap?” Ah Ri asked, trying to change the subject.

Still no response.

“Maybe it really is different from bubble leaves—”

Xiao Xian suddenly sat up. “Yes! It is different! Let’s go to the river, and I’ll wash your hair with it!”

Ah Ri wasn’t particularly eager to have his hair washed, but seeing his little brother so upset and with their mother watching, he reluctantly agreed.

“Fine, but you have to carry me!” Xiao Xian insisted.

“Just this once,” Ah Ri sighed in defeat.

With Xiao Xian on his back, the leopard carried his little brother to the nearest stream, grumbling along the way, “I should’ve joined the hunting team instead…”

By the river, the young leopard soaked his fur while Xiao Xian carefully followed Zhuo Yan’s advice. He applied the soap slowly, rubbing it into the fur until bubbles began to form, spreading a sweet fragrance. Xiao Xian couldn’t resist, dabbing a little on himself too.

Meanwhile, back in the caves…

Shi Tou’s little sister had somehow managed to take a bite of the soap. When Shi Tou caught her, he quickly pried the bar out of her mouth. The little girl spat repeatedly, trying to rid herself of the awful taste, gulping down water to wash it away. But every time she spat, bubbles came out with the water!

A tiny flower leopard cub anxiously hopped around in search of its brother, while Shi Tou could only instruct, “Just drink more water!”

The cub guzzled so much that its belly bloated, making it flop onto the stone bed, only to start whining as its stomach ached.

---

That night, Zhuo Yan slept soundly. A silver blur, A-Yin, had gone to check on the pigsty kiln. Zhuo Yan, in their silent understanding, didn’t worry. When he woke, A-Yin was gone, so he simply waited until A-Yin returned, playfully rubbing A-Yin’s ears, muttering sleepily, “It’s all fine… I feel great.”

And with that, they drifted back into slumber, A-Yin tucked beside him.

At the break of dawn, A-Yin dashed off with a wooden bucket, ready for the day’s work. He returned moments later to help Zhuo Yan lift a heavy stone pot. Zhuo Yan insisted he could manage, and soon after, Xiao Xian arrived, beaming with a head of fluffy, freshly-washed hair.

“Zhuo Yan-ge! The soap is amazing!” Xiao Xian shouted excitedly.

Behind him was Aman, who had jogged to catch up.

“My mom loves it!” Aman chimed in. “She said her hands have never felt this clean, and they still smell so nice!”

Zhuo Yan nodded as they shared their stories. Apparently, while bubble leaves worked fine for washing the body and hair, they weren’t as effective with grease. Aman’s mom had struggled with cleaning up after cooking pork until Aman handed her the soap. In no time, her hands were free of the sticky residue.

“My big brother said it was no different from bubble leaves, but last night after using the soap, his fur turned sleek and shiny! He spent all morning strutting around, asking if we thought he was glowing in the sunlight,” Xiao Xian added with a triumphant smile.

But most importantly, Xiao Xian exclaimed, “I’m sure we can trade the soap for salt, Zhuo Yan-ge!”

Soon after, Qiao showed up, also full of praise. “The feathered folk love their beautiful feathers. If they see how this soap makes them glisten, they’ll definitely trade it for salt!”

Zhuo Yan felt his confidence growing with the support of his friends. Even if they didn’t secure a lot of salt, he thought, just enough for cooking and daily life would be plenty.

The group spent the day making more soap, but when noon came and Shi Tou was still nowhere to be seen, Zhuo Yan started to worry. He asked Qiao if she knew anything, but she had moved further away since she started living with Ada.

It was well into the afternoon when Shi Tou finally showed up.

“Zhuo Yan, my sister… she ate the soap yesterday—”

“What?! Is she okay?”

Shi Tou grinned widely, “She’s fine! Actually, she transformed into her human form! She’s still stumbling around the cave, not quite used to walking yet.”

“Whoa! Zhuo Yan-ge, the soap can turn beasts into humans!” Xiao Xian exclaimed, wide-eyed.

Zhuo Yan chuckled, shaking his head. “No, no, it was just a coincidence. The soap can only clean, not transform anyone!”

Everyone laughed, but Shi Tou had to leave quickly, as his mother was struggling to keep his newly transformed sister from crawling all over the place.

After he left, other young beastmen came by, curious about Zhuo Yan’s soap. But despite their interest, many were skeptical about its value in trade. After all, bubble leaves were still a common cleaning method, and no one believed that soap, however pretty, could be worth much salt.

“It’s a shame… Zhuo Yan’s worked so hard, and all for nothing.”

“Yeah, especially since his partner can’t hunt. Poor Zhuo Yan’s got to do everything.”

“At least he’s smart. Maybe those feathered folk will give him something for it.”

That day, Zhuo Yan crafted five more bars of soap. He decided to take a break from soap-making the following day since he was running out of fat for the mix. Instead, he planned to gather wildflowers and berries from the mountains, hoping to make the soap even prettier for trade. After all, there was still a month before the salt trade caravan arrived.

---

By evening, A-Yin returned once again, covered in dust and bits of grass. Zhuo Yan noticed a tuft of fur missing from A-Yin’s tail and figured his companion had been roughhousing with newfound friends from the hunting team.

As A-Yin happily wagged his tail, Zhuo Yan gently checked for injuries, finding nothing major. He smiled, knowing A-Yin was simply having a good time.

“You didn’t get hurt? That’s all that matters.”

A-Yin barked cheerfully, tail swishing as he told Zhuo Yan about his day. He had ventured out to the plains, where he got into a scuffle with a pack of hyenas. Proudly, A-Yin boasted about taking down one of the beasts, though the hyenas were too dirty to bring back for dinner.

Zhuo Yan chuckled as A-Yin puffed out his chest, ready to protect him from anything—even dreaming of one day taking on mammoths so they’d never run out of salt.

The next morning, the hunting team returned with a fresh haul of meat. The entire tribe was awakened by the familiar clang of the drums signaling a successful hunt. Zhuo Yan groggily grabbed his basket, and with A-Yin at his side, headed to collect their share.

As they left the meat distribution area, they passed by Xiao Xian’s cave, where a flower leopard cub was waiting at the entrance, meowing. A-Yin paused, looking at the cub with curiosity.

“Second brother, what are you doing?” Xiao Xian asked from inside.

The leopard leaped down gracefully and approached A-Yin, letting out a series of soft growls, “Awoo, awoo, awoo.”

A-Yin turned to his brother, nuzzling him gently with his head.

“Alright, you two can go out,” Zhuo Yan said, slicing off a large piece of lean meat for A-Yin. “Here, you eat this.” He wasn’t hungry anymore.

A-Yin had planned to go hunting for himself, but since his brother insisted he not waste the meat, he grabbed it in his jaws and followed the leopard outside.

As they left, Xiao Xian’s mother emerged from the cave. “Your second brother’s run off again?”

“Yes, Mama,” Xiao Xian replied obediently.

“That silly boy. Came back last night and didn’t even seem tired. Oh well, let him be.”

“Mama, I’m going out to play too!” Xiao Xian quickly said, catching up to Zhuo Yan.

As they walked a little further, Zhuo Yan casually remarked, “Your older brother’s name is Ah Ri, and your second brother is called—”

“Ato! My mama just said it!” Xiao Xian chirped.

Zhuo Yan’s face flickered with surprise for a moment. He paused, puzzled. “Why would your parents name your second brother something like Ato?”

“My mama said when my older brother and second brother were born, the sun was shining really bright,” Xiao Xian explained without hesitation.

Ah Ri and Ato were from the same litter, after all.

Zhuo Yan blinked. “Well… I guess that kind of makes sense…?”