The weaving frame certainly requires far less effort and time than weaving by hand, but Wen Ze, who had witnessed the efficiency of machines, found that weaving with a frame still felt like too much of a hassle. 

The red clay, however, is a rare and non-renewable resource of the tribe, so this exchange is not a loss. 

Therefore, their actions deeply moved Wen Ze. 

He is a man who has been living with crops all year round, has a simple social circle, and is just a genuinely good person. 

Moreover, as someone with social anxiety, he was particularly afraid of owing others. 

When others treat him well, he wants to return the favor. 

So he quickly made a decision and shook his head seriously. “No need, these are enough.” 

“After my parents passed away, it was the tribe that always helped me and my brother, giving us food and a place to live. If it weren’t for you, we would have died long ago.” 

He looked at Zhuo Mu with gratitude and also said, “This time, I was severely injured, and the cave I was staying in collapsed. It was Zhuo Mu who took us in.” 

“So now, I also want to contribute to the tribe.” 

The Southern Mountain Tribe is not wealthy. In the previous generation, during years of food shortages, some even starved to death. 

But no matter how difficult the situation was, the tribe would still find a way to share food with him and Yin He. 

Wen Ze has always kept this kindness in his heart. 

Besides that, he’s also concerned with the idea that “a common person isn’t guilty, but possessing something valuable may lead to trouble.” 

Even if the people in the tribe were kind and honest and were willing to sit down and make a deal with a weak half-beastman like him, what about the other tribes? 

What if they encounter an unreasonable person and attack him and Yin He? 

He didn’t want to create a deadly enemy because of greed. 

So he exchanged it with the tribe, both to repay the favor and to protect him and his brother. 

Moreover, he was confident in the knowledge in his head. He was able to figure out how to make thread using flame hemp, create a weaving frame, and successfully make fabric. So, he knows that there are other things he can do. 

Besides, he was an agricultural student and didn’t want to survive in this world by weaving. 

Seeing that Zhuo Mu had remained calm since earlier, he probably already sensed his intentions. 

Yi Yan and the others, however, were surprised by his words. 

After a long pause, Yi Yan stood up, walked to Wen Ze’s side, and patted his shoulder in approval. 

“You are a valuable young member of the tribe, of course, the tribe will take care of you! You’ve really grown up! Your parents, in the Beast God’s embrace, would be proud of you!” 

“I feel your intention to repay the tribe. The tribe will provide you with all the land and red clay you asked for! But these are really not enough. Since you want to build a house, you’ll probably need stones and other materials, right? The tribe will provide all of those.” 

Wen Ze was too embarrassed to ask for more and repeatedly waved his hands to refuse. “I only need stones when laying the foundation, but I don’t need a lot. I can collect the materials slowly by myself…” 

Yi Yan refused to listen. “No! You are not allowed to say no! Otherwise, other people who want to contribute to the tribe will be discouraged. Just do as I say!” 

Wen Ze couldn’t help but admire again how simple-hearted the Beastmen were and looked to Zhuo Mu for help. 

The other person understood his look and finally said, “Even if we don’t learn how we weave, the tribe will still help him if he can’t gather all the materials for his house. What’s more important is giving them food. If possible, give him some finished fabric too.” 

Wen Ze was speechless. I asked you to help me persuade the tribe leader, why did you try to get more for me? 

Sang Hui nodded in agreement. “That’s true. Wen Ze is still young and a half-beastman, so it’s tough for him to take care of his beastman brother. Why not have the tribe supply them with food until Yin He becomes an adult?” 

Wu Ye added, “As for the cloth, how much would be appropriate?” 

Wen Ze stood up suddenly and refused with a red face. “Really, it’s not necessary. My injury is almost healed, and I can soon join the tribe in gathering. As for the cloth, it’s all woven with hard work. Even one piece is a lot, I can’t accept any more.” 

The beastmen are so simple and honest. Wouldn’t he feel guilty if he took advantage of them? 

A strange scene suddenly appeared in the straw shelter. 

Everyone feels that the other party has suffered a loss and wants to give them more things. 

Finally, Wen Ze could only say firmly, “If you agree to my request, I’ll teach everyone how to weave. If not, I won’t.” 

Yi Yan paused for a moment, “…You stubborn kid.” 

Wu Ye and Sang Hui looked at him with a mix of helplessness and admiration. 

Zhuo Mu spoke at the right moment, “Let’s compromise. In addition to Wen Ze’s original arrangement, let’s give the two brothers a two-year supply of animal meat and two rolls of fabric.” 

Wen Ze calculated and felt it was acceptable. 

In two years, Yin He will be an adult, and the family will not be short of meat. Two rolls of fabric would also be enough for making clothes. 

So, he nodded and said, “I agree.” 

Wu Ye frowned, obviously disagreeing, but before he could say anything, Zhuo Mu said, “Wen Ze is from the Southern Mountain Tribe; there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.” 

That instantly made him realize. 

Right, since we owe him, they’d have more reason to look after Wen Ze later. No need to settle the details now and make things difficult for him. 

“Okay, then let’s do as Zhuo Mu said.” 

The other two naturally had no objections. After some discussion, they decided to select a group of people to learn weaving from Wen Ze the next day. 

Once these people have learned it, they will teach it to the rest of the tribe. 

Wen Ze agreed and felt grateful for their consideration. 

When they left in the evening, Wen Ze accompanied them at the entrance of the cave. 

Yi Yan patted his shoulder and said with a grateful smile, “Wen Ze, the Southern Mountain Tribe will always remember your contribution to the tribe today.” 

The conversation ended with everyone in high spirits. 

Having resolved a major concern, Wen Ze felt completely at ease and smiled at Zhuo Mu. 

The tall, cold man paused for a second, then also gave him a small smile. 

When Yin He, who had been playing outside all day, came back hungry, this was the scene he walked in on. 

“Brother! Brother Zhuo Mu! Why are you smiling? Are we having something delicious tonight?” 

Wen Ze withdrew his gaze and turned to him. “All you think about is food… It’s not ready yet.” 

Yin He was a bit disappointed. “Oh…” 

Wen Ze said, “I’ll cook now. That reminds me, I need your help with something.” 

Yin He quickly became alert and said, “What is it? Just leave it to me!” 

The paste Wen Ze had prepared earlier was still stored in his space. 

After taking it out, he explained to Zhuo Mu, “I noticed the two baskets of gray roots were about to go bad, so I processed them. Is that okay?” 

“It’s fine,” Zhuo Mu replied. “You’re in charge of the food in the cave.” 

His intense eyes swept over the gray paste, and he asked curiously, “What kind of processing is this?” 

Yin He also walked over. “The roots we couldn’t finish before were sliced and dried, but I’ve never seen them ground into a paste.” 

Wen Ze simply explained, “The gray roots contain something called starch. If you rub it out and dry it, it can be stored for a long time.” 

Yin He made a rubbing gesture with his hands. “So, I just rub it with my hands?” 

Wen Ze laughed, “It’s not that simple.” 

He explained the process of washing the paste. Now that they had cloth bags, they could pour the paste into them and rinse it with water while stirring, until the water running out was clear. 

This was a meticulous task that required patience, and it kept Yin He occupied until Wen Ze finished cooking. 

Yin He had never done this kind of job before and it was very new to him. After agreeing to do it, he started to work actively. 

And since Zhuo Mu was keeping an eye on things, Wen Ze wasn’t worried about anything going wrong. 

As expected, after Wen Ze finished cooking, Yin He’s initial curiosity faded, and his eyes went blank while working. 

After the meal, Wen Ze joined the paste-washing task. 

By the time it was completely dark, the washing was finally done, and it was time to start bleaching the paste. 

Wen Ze didn’t know since when, but at some point, Zhuo Mu’s rest time became the same as theirs. 

He asked Wen Ze, “Do I need to stir after pouring the water in?” 

Wen Ze shook his head. “No, this step is to remove impurities and sand from the water. We’ll let it settle for two days, then change the water every now and then.” 

After finishing the work at the cave, the three of them finally went to sleep. 

The next morning, Wen Ze was still in bed when he heard voices outside. 

The sound wasn’t loud, but his hearing was sharp enough to catch it. 

Are these the people who came to learn weaving? 

He sat up from the animal skin he was sleeping in, quickly ran his hands through his hair, and rushed outside. 

“Sorry, did I get up late?” Wen Ze said apologetically, only to realize it was still early. 

It had rained lightly the previous night, and the entrance was covered in fog. 

Outside Zhuo Mu’s cave, there were seven or eight young half-beastmen standing. Each of them was well-dressed and full of energy, like male models walking down the street. The impact they brought was quite big. 

The first to speak was the blushing Bai Ling, “No, no, we came early. I couldn’t sleep just thinking about learning how to weave.” 

The other half-beastmen awkwardly added, “I thought I was the only one who didn’t sleep all night…” 

“So everyone felt the same?” 

Bai Ling asked, “How about you go back and sleep a bit more? We’ll wait here.” 

Wen Ze smiled. “No need. You came here so early, so you haven’t had breakfast yet, right?” 

“We ate before coming.” 

“Then just wait a moment, I’ll wash my face and have breakfast.” 

“No rush, no rush, just take your time.” 

With so many people waiting, Wen Ze couldn’t take his time. Luckily, Zhuo Mu had heard the noise and got up too. They cooked together. 

As for Yin He, he didn’t have such worries and was still sleeping soundly in the cave. 

After breakfast, Zhuo Mu went hunting, and Wen Ze stayed in the straw shelter, explaining the method and use of the weaving frame to the half-beastmen who had come. 

Knowing their thread had run out, they had brought their own. 

As they watched Wen Ze set up the thread and weave, they all exclaimed in amazement, “Beast God, is there anything you can’t do?” 

“With just a few sticks, you can weave fabric!” 

“This is so much faster than braiding, and the fabric that comes out is so smooth!” 

“Imagine how beautiful the clothes made from this fabric will be!” 

“Wen Ze, you’re really smart!” 

Wen Ze didn’t dare take credit, “I learned this from someone else, and I only learned the basics. All I can weave are plain fabrics, without any patterns at all.” 

One of the half-beastmen exclaimed in surprise, “Is it possible to weave patterns as well?” 

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