Chapter 52

In early summer, Zhuo Yan and his companions harvested potatos while the sub-beastmen of the tribe began to clear new land—vast stretches of land on either side of the river. Zhuo Yan had once wondered why they were plowing seven or eight meters away from the riverbank, but now, after the rainy season, he understood.

It was the instinct of the indigenous people, ingrained in their very beings, that kept them attuned to the weather and the land.

Just after the snow had melted, the riverbed had been wide and clear, with the snowmelt mixing with the river water, rushing with life. However, as summer set in, the heat narrowed the river’s flow.

Zhuo Yan had completely forgotten about that, his focus solely on the present.

Now, with the rainy season behind them, the river widened again. After flowing for a few days, the water had cleared up. Zhuo Yan joined everyone in turning the soil—he started with the plot they had planted a few weeks prior, ready to teach everyone how to cultivate sprouting potato seeds by hand. To his surprise, many potatos had naturally sprouted on their own.

Because the rainy season wasn’t as dry as summer, Ah Bai and a few others came to Zhuo Yan with their sprouted potatos, looking worried that they might spoil before they could cultivate seeds. Upon examining them, Zhuo Yan couldn’t help but exclaim, “What a natural paradise for potatos!”

Their tribe was a major potato-growing household!

After more than ten days of nourishing rain, even when the ground dried out after two or three days, digging beneath the dry surface revealed rich, black, moist soil. They had only turned it a little over half a month ago, and already wild grass was sprouting, a testament to the soil’s excellent quality.

It was time to plant!

For the past few days, Zhuo Yan had been working barefoot in the fields, getting a healthy tan. It wasn’t Ah Dark tan, more of a golden wheat hue—something that many people today would pay to achieve. His friends, Shi Tou and the others, praised him for looking more handsome than ever. Zhuo Yan simply shrugged, a bit embarrassed yet pleased, his eyes sparkling with life.

Because everyone praised Zhuo Yan for looking good, saying he now resembled a fully grown sub-beastman.

Curious, Zhuo Yan began to examine his body closely and was delighted to discover that he had grown taller—he was now a little bit taller than Xiao Xian!

“Wow!”

Zhuo Yan’s eyes sparkled with excitement; he remembered that Xiao Xian had been taller than him just after the snow season.

“Xiao Xian, come here! Let’s measure our heights. You turn your back to me, and Aman and Shi Tou, you two judge!” Zhuo Yan said, pulling Xiao Xian into a back-to-back stance, standing as straight as possible.

Xiao Xian was thrilled to stand close to Zhuo Yan. He leaned against his back and exclaimed, “Brother Zhuo Yan, your butt is so perky!”

Zhuo Yan: …

Is that a compliment? Well, maybe it is. Caught up in his excitement, Zhuo Yan didn’t pay much attention to the comment, focusing instead on standing tall and urging Xiao Xian to do the same. Xiao Xian complied, though he was puzzled as to why.

“Standing like this makes me look taller; I can’t let you win by cheating,” Zhuo Yan explained cheerfully. “If I’m really taller than you, you can’t slouch or bend your knees, or you’ll end up shorter!”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xian stood up even straighter, not daring to speak.

“Well, what do you think?” Zhuo Yan urged their ‘judges.’

Shi Tou and Aman inspected them closely, with Aman even adjusting Zhuo Yan’s hair for a better view. From a distance, Shi Tou declared, “Zhuo Yan is taller—by this much!” He held up his pinky to indicate a small difference.

Zhuo Yan felt as if he could fly with joy.

“Ha ha ha! I knew I’d grown taller!”

Xiao Xian was just as happy for Zhuo Yan, thinking that he, too, would grow taller in time.

Aman chimed in, “You look much sturdier now! Last year, you were skinny like a twig.”

Shi Tou nodded in agreement, clearly impressed.

Zhuo Yan felt confident that he had hit at least 1.8 meters (about 5’11”). He had developed a solid build—his abdomen flat and smooth. When he raised his arms to work, the muscles were clearly defined, not the pumped-up kind from the gym but rather a lean physique that looked good in clothes—though, truth be told, he had no clothes to wear right now, just a small leather skirt and a crop top.

His body fat was probably quite low—beastmen typically had lower fat percentages, with heavier muscles. In the whole tribe, there were no overweight individuals, as their diets were quite simple. They mainly consumed meat, while the sub-beastmen supplemented their meals with some vegetables, potatos, yams, and taro.

Once the potatos were planted, A Sen and Da Ya approached Zhuo Yan to discuss their second salt-gathering expedition.

“Wait, what?” Zhuo Yan asked, confused.

“Are you asking me again?”

He was momentarily dazed but quickly gathered his thoughts. “You’re right. The salt exchange team hasn’t returned yet, and we didn’t collect a lot of salt last time. We need enough for the autumn, especially since we’ll be curing and smoking meat. With the beastmen’s large appetites, we’ll definitely need more salt. Now that the potatos are in, we have some free time to boil more salt.”

“Let’s do it!”

Da Ya had a different motive—he wanted to show off how much salt they had when the tribe leader returned. He couldn’t resist. A Sen hadn’t gone with the last salt exchange team and wanted to join this time.

Regardless of their reasons, everyone agreed it was a good idea to gather salt again.

It was like discovering a gold mine just when they had been scraping by financially; why hold back when they could finally spend a little more?

Zhuo Yan could sense everyone’s excitement, and when it came time for the second salt gathering, even those who had not gone last time were eager to participate, including Dian and Ma Ha.

“Are you two sure you can handle it?” Zhuo Yan asked, noting their injuries—one had a front leg hurt, the other a back leg. “The mammoth’s territory isn’t going anywhere. You both need to rest and heal properly. If you run too far on injured legs, it could worsen your condition, and then how will you hunt for the rest of your lives? Who will take care of your partners?”

Dian glanced at Xiao Kui, silently agreeing to skip this trip.

Ma Ha didn’t have a partner—

“When you’re okay, you still don’t have a partner. If you end up limping, who’s going to spend their life with you?” Zhuo Yan pressed.

Ma Ha’s forehead bulged with veins, but he dropped his arms in defeat.

Zhuo Yan hit the nail on the head and struck a nerve.

“For this trip, A Sen, Huo Xia, and Da Ya will go, along with Ah Ri, Ah Hui, Duo Yu, Mu Tou. Ma Ha, Dian, A-Yin, and Ah Tou will stay back to guard the tribe.”

A-Yin listened to his brother and stood behind him.

Zhuo Yan instructed, “This trip is just to gather salt mud. We’re going quietly—not to hunt or prove our strength in the mammoth’s territory. Whoever safely brings back the most salt mud is the bravest and best beastman.”

“Awoo! Awoo!” A-Yin howled the loudest, cheering for his brother.

The sub-beastmen of the tribe all agreed, praising Zhuo Yan for his good planning.

“Tomorrow, the salt-gathering team will set out. Ma Ha and Dian will patrol the tribe. A-Yin and Ah Tou, you’re responsible for nearby hunting. Gather whatever you can; safety first. If you can’t handle it, just run. There’s no shame in that.” Zhuo Yan turned to Ma Ha and Dian, noting that Dian’s injury was less severe and he was almost healed. He felt confident they could manage hunting nearby while Ma Ha would guard the tribe.

“For the other sub-beastmen, spend the next four days preparing the filtration nets, cleaning the stone pots, and gathering firewood. When they return, we’ll need to boil salt, as the weather is cooling down.”

After contemplating, Zhuo Yan decided there was nothing more to address and declared the meeting adjourned. However, everyone remained standing still, and he chuckled, “What I meant was, you’re all free to go now; we have work to do tomorrow.”

“Okay!”

This time, everyone eagerly dispersed. On the way back with A-Yin, Zhuo Yan was flanked by Shi Tou and Aman, while Xiao Xian joyfully ran ahead, exclaiming, “Brother Zhuo Yan, you spoke so well just now!”

“Ha ha ha! And what about Ma Ha? He looked really angry. Weren’t you scared?” Aman teased.

Zhuo Yan replied, “I wasn’t afraid. He wouldn’t dare hit me.” After all, Uncle Da Ya wouldn’t just stand there either.

“You kind of sound like the tribe leader,” Shi Tou remarked.

Xiao Xian and Aman exchanged astonished glances, speechless for a moment—unsure how to respond. Was Shi Tou wrong? Xiao Xian nodded slightly, while Aman agreed, “Yeah, a bit.”

“I didn’t know how to put it earlier, but…”

“There has never been a sub-beastman as chieftain,” Stone interjected, picking up where Aman left off.

Zhuo Yan waved his hand dismissively and explained to his friends, “That’s because Aman’s father, my uncle, and Big Tooth—they don’t really want to be in charge.”

Otherwise, the chieftain wouldn’t have let Electric take the lead.

His uncle Asen was essentially coerced into his position; after all, both Huoxia and Big Tooth were even less inclined to manage things. The younger beastmen were too busy brawling among themselves to take an interest in tribal matters.

“It was a different time,” he continued. “If we were to compare the past to the present, I mean, Big Tooth is much more proactive now and seems a lot calmer. If Electric hadn’t gotten hurt in that fight with Ma Ha, perhaps today it would have been Big Tooth and Asen inviting Electric to oversee the salt collection.”

“Electric is injured, plus he previously managed the hunting team and took a few hits from Ma Ha. Some younger beastmen no longer respect him, nor do they respect Ma Ha. Also, the salt discovery was made by A-Yin—”

At this, A-Yin let out a triumphant howl. He was the first to find it!

Zhuo Yan had developed an unspoken understanding with A-Yin, ruffling his ears as he continued, “Last time, I organized the salt collection and the cooking after we got back. So, it makes sense for me to handle it again. It’ll save us some trouble.”

It was all about simplifying tasks.

Aman and Little Xian nodded in agreement. Stone glanced at Zhuo Yan, a hint of amusement in his eyes as he said, “I thought you were quite decisive just now.”

Zhuo Yan caught on; Stone was praising him for his straightforwardness. With a grin, he replied, “Is it because I didn’t ask for everyone’s opinions and just laid down the plan? It’s all about experience. Sometimes, when you have a decision in mind, you need to just say it. If you ask too many questions, people might think you’re uncertain and start arguing, which just slows things down.”

“Of course, it depends on the situation; some matters do require consultation.”

After he finished speaking, he noticed the three of them were momentarily speechless, all seemingly awestruck by his confidence.

Zhuo Yan struck a pose, hands on his hips, and declared, “Aren’t I handsome?”

“Absolutely,” he added, chuckling, “But that’s only until the chieftain returns. Once Sister Qiao is back, we can continue working and enjoying life.”

Little Xian, Stone, and Aman exchanged looks, their faces lighting up with smiles.

“I miss Qiao,” one of them said.

“Me too. I wonder what she’ll bring back.”

“What if Qiao finds out we have salt that’s whiter than what the feathered folks trade?”

The laughter that erupted among them was infectious.

“How curious!”

“Absolutely.”

“Do you think the salt the chieftain brings back this year will be enough? If not, we have plenty.”

---

The four fur tribes left for the Feathered People’s Market three days later than last year.

Several events had transpired: a conflict erupted between the tiger and eagle tribes, where a young tiger injured an eagle male. The eagle chieftain was furious, demanding retribution, while the tiger chieftain staunchly refused.

After all, why should a tiger’s life be forfeit just because one eagle got hurt?

In a fit of anger, the eagle chieftain declared, “A wingless male is as good as dead! Hand over that beastman, or we’ll withdraw our supply of salt from the Feathered Market!”

The other three tribes found themselves reluctantly entangled in the dispute.

The tiger chieftain shot back, “It’s just a sprained arm! It’ll heal; it’s not as if it’s gone for good—”

To which the eagle retorted, “Then let’s break that beastman’s legs! They’ll heal, right?”

The argument escalated to the point where the tigers even considered stealing the salt that the eagles had on display. If that happened, the Feathered Market would likely cease trading with the four fur tribes next year. The three tribes had no choice but to calm the situation down.

The eagles held all the cards; the other four tribes were forced to comply with their demands. A temporary halt in salt trading for one or two years posed no real risk to the five tribes—they had amassed enough pelts and bone knives over the years through market exchanges, which would last them for years to come.

However, a year without salt for the fur tribes was perilous with the snow season approaching. Without sufficient salt, how could they preserve their meat?

For sub-beastmen, extended periods without salt would deteriorate their health. Poor health would lead to fewer offspring, endangering the tribe’s population.

While the tiger tribe’s territory was abundant with game, it was also fraught with danger.

In the end, the four tribes convened, successfully pacifying the feathered tribes. After collecting their salt, they promptly departed the eagle territory.

---

The leopard tribe returned with lighter wicker baskets. Originally, they had filled sixteen baskets to the brim, but each one was only partially filled upon their return, some even completely empty.

On their journey home, every beastman hurried, the novelty of visiting the Feathered Market having faded, leaving only a yearning for their tribe. The sub-beastmen felt a sense of nostalgia.

During a night’s rest on the road, Qiao nestled in Ah Da’s arms, whispering, “Do you think they will demand more next year?” She closed her eyes, still haunted by the sound of that young tiger’s leg snapping.

Ah Da gently kissed her forehead, murmuring, “Don’t dwell on it. This year, we brought back plenty of salt. Even after giving some to the tigers, we still have a lot.”

Qiao acknowledged his words but remained contemplative about next year.

“I miss Zhuo Yan, Aman, Stone, and Little Xian. If only we didn’t need salt.”

Without salt, they wouldn’t have to bow to the eagles or hear what the feathered folks said; they could only take what was offered. The eagles could soar high above, beyond their reach. Yet, there were good eagles, like Zi Lan, who had helped her find bamboo seeds. Zhuo Yan would surely be thrilled.

Reflecting on this, Qiao felt her spirits lift slightly, determined to focus on the positive and avoid dwelling on the troubling events.

On the return journey, the group’s mood shifted dramatically. The excitement about the Feathered Market was replaced with an eagerness to return home, their pace quickening as they hoped to get there faster.

The chieftain sighed silently, thinking about the past few years. The pattern was always the same—leaving excited, anticipating how much salt they could bring back, but returning more solemnly after bartering and haggling. They often ended up trading more than expected. This year, they had even had to deal with the consequences of a young tiger losing both legs.

Their supply of salt had dwindled somewhat…

As the journey progressed swiftly, on the twenty-third day, the group entered familiar territory—often where the clan’s hunting parties ventured deep.

“Almost there! We’re close to the clan!” a beastman shouted excitedly.

The dusty faces of the sub-beastmen were lit up with joy. They hadn’t rested much during the night, and as they drew closer to the tribe—still with half a day’s journey ahead—the chief led the beastmen to catch two zebras along the way.

Meanwhile, Zhuo Yan was busy overseeing the final four pots of salt being boiled by the sub-beastmen. Just over half a month ago, they had begun their second salt extraction. Four days later, the sub-beastmen had gained experience and started filtering and boiling the salt in four large cauldrons.

The salt from this second batch was layered in finely woven baskets lined with animal hides, the tight mesh barely letting any salt escape. They filled two large baskets to the brim, and the beastmen were eager to set out for a third round.

Zhuo Yan was taken aback: “What? Suddenly becoming rich is too much!”

The third round was initiated when Ma Ha and Dian approached him, claiming they were feeling better and ready to gather salt. Ma Ha seemed sheepish, assuring Zhuo Yan they wouldn’t act recklessly. Zhuo Yan, sensing their eagerness, nodded. “Just don’t fight or cause trouble. If you want to go, go!”

This time, Zhuo Yan sent A-Yin, Da Ya, and Huo Xia along, excluding other young beastmen. The tribe was already boiling salt, and when the chief returned, they would have enough to last them through the snow season. His uncle stayed behind to watch over the tribe, knowing Da Ya and Huo Xia would keep Ma Ha in line if he tried anything foolish.

Before they left, Zhuo Yan leaned in and whispered to A-Yin, “If Da Ya and Huo Xia decide to beat up Ma Ha, just stand back and enjoy the show. If you feel like cheering, go ahead!”

A-Yin barked in response, excited by the idea.

As the third team set off, the other young beastmen looked on enviously. Zhuo Yan couldn’t understand why—they had all been on similar trips before, and he had let everyone share in the spoils. But then he thought about how exciting it would be to dig for gold—imagine finding a fortune and still sharing it with friends!

It clicked: they had been poor for too long.

Now, they were boiling the third batch of salt. While the beastmen were off hunting, the patrol team of three kept their distance. Ma Ha and Dian still had their little rivalry, but they continued to work together.

Zhuo Yan listened to A-Yin’s enthusiastic yips, with Ah Tou translating nearby.

This time, Ma Ha indeed faced a beating, courtesy of Huo Xia. When Ma Ha spotted a newborn mammoth calf in the distance, his eyes lit up, but before he could act, Huo Xia’s paw connected with the back of his head.

A-Yin cheered him on with playful paw gestures.

Ma Ha was momentarily stunned, confused about A-Yin’s antics. Finally, he grumbled, “I was just looking! I didn’t mean to scare it away.” He couldn’t understand why A-Yin was hitting his paw on the ground like that.

Hearing A-Yin’s excited howls, Zhuo Yan burst into laughter.

“This is too good!”

As noon approached and the sun remained mild, the sub-beastmen chose not to rest. They were eager to finish the last batch of salt, while the hunting team, led by Huo Xia, took some of the younger beastmen for a quick hunt to relieve their boredom.

Huo Xia also brought along his mischievous little brother, Aman.

So Da Ya decided to join, perhaps looking for an opportunity to ‘challenge’ the young ones.

Zhuo Yan couldn’t help but think this seemed more like an extracurricular lesson, with the two leading teachers being fierce and strict.

Ah Bai and his friends had woven new baskets, asking, “Zhuo Yan, is this enough for the salt?”

“Definitely!” Zhuo Yan replied. “Once we finish with the salt, I’ll set up a kiln. We need to make some containers; using baskets isn’t the best idea. If it rains or snows, they could fall apart.”

“Not much rain is expected after this,” Xiao Xian reminded him.

Aman chimed in, “Containers are a good idea; we might as well make some while we’re at it.”

Shi Tou nodded, “We still have a while before the autumn harvest.”

Xiao Xian agreed, “I’ll come to help with the containers. Other sub-beastmen want to pitch in, too. They all want salt jars!”

“I never thought about needing jars for salt!” Ah Bai exclaimed, astonished. “We never had that much salt back in my cave.”

Before, they just used an animal hide to wrap it up, especially when stockpiling for autumn meat curing. Who would’ve thought they’d have enough salt to fill two large pottery bowls and a cup?

“Me too! When the salt team first returned, we just wrapped it up, and it was fine for a while. But soon, we ran out. Zhuo Yan, let’s make the salt jars a bit bigger this time!”

“Sure thing! I’ll even add lids for them, with wider bases and smaller openings to keep moisture out. Salt clumping isn’t great, but it won’t stop us from eating!”

“Whatever you say!”

Then, there was a stir near the forest by the riverbank, and at first, the sub-beastmen thought it was the patrol team returning. But then, one of them gasped, “It looks like the salt team is back!”

“The chief and the others are back!”

Everyone stood up, and Zhuo Yan exchanged excited glances with Aman and the others. “Qiao is back!” “Finally, Qiao has returned!”

In unison, they all turned to look at the distance.

A grand procession appeared—mainly due to the massive beastmen carrying numerous goods, their return was a spectacular sight. The salt workers rushed to the riverbank, waving and calling out to their friends.

“Qiao—”

“Zhuo Yan! Shi Tou! Aman! Xiao Xian—”

“Xiao Feng! Xiao Feng—”

“Lin Rong, I’m back! Did you give birth?”

“Yes, I had two cubs!”

Xiao Feng and Lin Rong were close companions, and as the rest of the group shouted names back and forth, Zhuo Yan found himself smiling. He had once laughed at other beastmen for wanting to surprise the salt exchange team, but now he was also caught up in the excitement. Even if the feathered people at the market were as stingy and picky as ever, they wouldn’t need to worry anymore—his Leopard Clan had salt!

As the two groups finally drew closer, the beastmen waded through the river and stumbled into a potato field. This time, everyone was too thrilled to care about the potatos, bumping into each other with grinning faces, all searching for their partners, chattering excitedly. “I’ll speak first!” “No, I will!” Nobody really understood what anyone else was saying amidst the cheerful chaos.

Zhuo Yan and his companions managed to reach Qiao, who jumped down from Ah Da’s back. They embraced in a bundle of joy, each excitedly sharing their news.

“Qiao, we found salt!”
“We traded for quite a bit, and Zhuo Yan’s soap gold clan loved it. I even met Zi Lan; she’s a female from the gold-headed clan, and she’s really nice!”
“Qiao, Zhuo Yan says it’s true—there’s salt near the mammoth territory!”
“You won’t believe what I discovered, Zhuo Yan! I brought back bamboo seeds!”
“We cooked so much salt; it’s enough for the whole tribe!”
“Exactly!”

Their overlapping excitement made it hard to catch all the key words, but the important ones—“salt,” “bamboo”—were clear enough. Suddenly, a loud roar from a leopard silenced the chatter.

Everyone paused to see what was happening. It was the chief’s roar. Afterward, he transformed into his human form and scanned the crowd with piercing eyes, quickly locking onto Zhuo Yan.

“Zhuo Yan, did you find the salt?” the chief asked.

The other remaining beastmen were about to speak, but the chief cut them off. “Zhuo Yan, you tell us.”

Qiao’s eyes widened in disbelief. Did Zhuo Yan really find salt? Where? The returning beastmen and sub-beastmen behind the chief stood frozen, some even shifting into their human forms without bothering to wrap themselves in hides.

Had they heard correctly? Salt?

Zhuo Yan—the one who had been making pottery—had found salt? But wasn’t salt only available at the feathered people’s market? Only near the sea?

Did sub-beastmen make it to the sea? No, that didn’t seem right. They’d heard from the feathered people that only those with wings could fly far enough, and even the peacock tribe struggled to make that journey.

Zhuo Yan met the chief’s gaze, nodding firmly. The chief’s eyes flashed with surprise and confusion. Zhuo Yan declared loudly, “The tribe captured a mammoth before, and we haven’t had salt in ages. When I tasted the mammoth meat, it was salty, which made me suspect that there must be salt near its territory, and A-Yin heard me say that.”

“Really? That’s all?”
“Mammoth meat is salty?”
“I don’t remember; I didn’t notice.”

The beastmen behind the chief murmured in confusion.

Zhuo Yan continued, sensing their disbelief. “We’re cooking salt right now, this is our third batch, and it’s all happening near the kiln. You can all come see.”

The chief wasn’t disbelieving; he just couldn’t fathom the idea of salt existing so close by. He glanced at the other sub-beastmen, who all chimed in, “Zhuo Yan is telling the truth.” “We’ve cooked three batches, chief; we’ve already got two big baskets, and the third is just coming out.” “And we distributed a lot in the caves!”

The salt exchange team: “Huh????”
“Wait, what?”

Two baskets? No, three baskets. And they shared even more?

What… salt? Was it really the salt they ate, not some other substance merely called salt?

Zhuo Yan led the way, and the chief, along with the other beastmen, rushed back, disregarding their fatigue from the journey, even tossing aside the zebra they had captured. They hurried to see if the salt was real. How was it cooked?

How could there possibly be salt?

Soon, they arrived at the sight of four large stone pots over a fire, surrounded by woven mats, water buckets, and clay pots, with some mud piles nearby. The makeshift shelter for pottery appeared to be covered in hides, with some white substance on top.

“Where’s the salt?”

Aman held out a handful of salt. “It’s this! Salt!”

“That’s not how salt looks,” someone shouted from behind, disappointment seeping into their voice. They had hoped Zhuo Yan had really found salt.

“Of course, it looks like this! The salt we’ve cooked is better than what you find at the feathered people’s market. It’s white and has no small stones that will grind your teeth—our salt is the best!”

The returning beastmen were skeptical, but the remaining sub-beastmen nodded resolutely, confirming, “This is indeed salt—better salt.”

The chief reached out, pinching the salt from Aman’s hand and tasting it. After a long pause, his weathered face broke into tears, glistening at the corners of his eyes. He looked at Zhuo Yan, about to speak, but only managed to utter a single syllable before waving his hand dismissively.

Zhuo Yan understood instantly. “Everyone can try it; it really is salt! The water in the stone pots is boiling saltwater.” The chief’s voice had faltered, as if he had been on the brink of tears. Zhuo Yan quickly turned away, focusing on explaining to the crowd.

“A-Yin followed the hunting team to the mammoth territory, but he wasn’t there to hunt; he was looking for salt. He remembered what I said. Today’s salt is what A-Yin and Da Ya brought back—it’s salt mud, rich in salt that needs to be filtered, boiled, or dried to produce salt.”

The sub-beastmen shouted, “Yes!” “Zhuo Yan led us to do it.” “It was indeed A-Yin and Da Ya who brought it back. We didn’t believe it at first, but Zhuo Yan worked all day to produce the salt.” “You’ll see for yourself; we’re not lying.”

Aman and Shi Tou held out salt for everyone to taste.

Qiao believed in Zhuo Yan and his companions, but she never expected that there would be salt so close to their tribe. They had so much salt now! In the past, at the feathered people’s market, she watched as tribe members argued with the eagle and hawk people over salt, whispering that three hides weren’t enough; they needed four to get any salt. Zhuo Yan’s pottery was so good, and the feathered people clearly loved it, but they still haggled over prices, pressing the salt. The chief and Zhuo Yan’s uncle praised the quality of the pottery, hoping to trade for as much as possible, all while Tiger Man had broken both his legs…

Tears welled up in Qiao’s eyes as everything unfolded around her.

“Qiao, why are you crying?” someone asked.

All her words were stuck in her throat; she couldn’t say a thing, only allowing the tears to flow. They were tears of shock and joy, mixed with the frustration she felt for her tribe. Meanwhile, the orcs who had tasted the salt were in Ah Daze, some choking back tears, others wiping their eyes, and some cursing the eagle people.

Emotions spilled out in abundance, followed by a serene joy — they dared not raise their voices, as if afraid to shatter this moment, as if it were a dream.

Salt. It was really salt.

So much salt.

Aman wrapped his arms around Qiao, and Little Salty Stone joined them. Seeing Qiao in this state, Zhuo Yan understood that her trip to the feather people’s market must have been filled with grievances. Though the exchange was supposed to be equal, one side had acted with arrogance, clutching the orcs’ “lifeline,” making it inevitable that this trade would feel like the leopard tribe was begging for salt.

Zhuo Yan held the salt out in front of Qiao, smiling. “I saved a lot for you. After we finish boiling the salt today, we’ll make a special salt jar, just for you. I’ll carve a little flower on it, so it will be the Qiao family’s salt jar.”

With red-rimmed eyes, Qiao smiled and promised, “Let’s make it together!”

When the patrol team and the students out on their “field practice” returned, they discovered that the salt exchange team had made it back to the tribe. The whole place buzzed with life again as orcs gathered in clusters, chatting animatedly about salt.

“Where’s that kid A-Yin?” an experienced orc shouted.

A-Yin stood amidst the crowd, and all eyes turned toward him. The orcs chimed in, “A-Yin, you’re amazing!” “You actually went to the mammoth territory; that’s impressive!” “How did you manage to find salt there?”

A-Yin had never been surrounded by so many orcs, all looking at him with admiration. At that moment, he felt like the most popular orc in the tribe.

“Awrooo, awrooo, awrooo!” he answered with a playful howl.

No one mocked him for his howling; it was a light-hearted laugh of camaraderie. “You heard what your brother said and dared to go to the mammoth territory; you’ve got guts!” “Did Big Tooth go with you? Ha ha, did he beat you up?”

“Aw!” A-Yin replied, “No.” He thought for a moment before letting out another howl.

The crowd erupted into laughter, but this time, it was at Big Tooth’s expense.

“He ate your bitter tree sap dumplings?” “Hahaha, that must have been so bitter that he couldn’t handle it!”

Big Tooth shot an annoyed glance at the other orcs laughing at him, then turned to A-Yin and said, “When that kid arrived, I told him it was all mud, stones, and grass. Where’s the salt?! I didn’t believe it! You’ll never guess what happened next!”

Everyone leaned in, eager to hear, even the chieftain listened intently.

“Heh, heh, he nearly tried to chew on mammoth dung!”

A-Yin exclaimed, “Awrooo! No, no, he didn’t!” He anxiously glanced at his brother, relieved that he seemed unaware of this little anecdote.

Laughter bubbled up, but it quickly subsided as everyone recalled that if it weren’t for A-Yin, there wouldn’t be so much salt in the tribe now. They wouldn’t have to endure the eagle people’s arrogance in the feather market any longer.

“He really didn’t chew on dung; he ended up munching on a lot of mud. I asked him if he’d gone mad, thinking mud could be salt! He insisted I try it, or he wouldn’t go back. When I took a bite, I discovered that the mud was actually salty…” Big Tooth spoke earnestly.

“If it weren’t for A-Yin, I would have turned back several times! It was scorching over there, and the mammoths were by the lake during the day; we couldn’t get close. We could only search for salt at night, when the mammoths had moved away.”

The orcs listened attentively, absorbing every word.

The returning sub-orcs were tightly clustered around Zhuo Yan, eager to learn how to cook salt, fearful of missing out. They had no idea how to make salt.

Zhuo Yan briefly explained, reassuring them not to worry, promising to include everyone in the next salt cooking session.

Chun stood in the corner, watching everyone surround Zhuo Yan. He seemed different from her memories; everyone was gathered around him, hanging onto his every word, and he had even found salt. Would he refuse to share it with her?

After all, she had bullied him once. Chun bit her lip, feeling a bit anxious.

Despite receiving pottery from him last time, salt was different.

Perhaps she should apologize to Zhuo Yan, but in truth, she didn’t think she was wrong. Still, it was unfair to let Ah Shu punish a sub-orc. Zhuo Yan had even hurt his head back then… She just couldn’t understand why Qiao wanted to be friends with him. She didn’t mean to be so heartless; she was simply frustrated.

Chun felt torn.

Yet, no one noticed that the smile on the chieftain’s face never faded. The lines at the corners of his eyes deepened as he asked Zhuo Yan about the progress of the salt boiling. Zhuo Yan assured him that it would be ready by evening. Thus, the chieftain decided to reserve the zebra meat for dinner, and everyone agreed with enthusiasm.

Uncle stayed behind to watch over the salt cooking, while the orcs and sub-orcs were reluctant to leave. They all remained there, faces lit up with joy and relaxation as they watched the four large stone pots bubbling away. After trekking for half a month, they had come back expecting to collapse into their beds, but now no one wanted to leave. Staying there to watch the salt boil felt like the best way to unwind.

They… the leopard tribe, now had their own salt.