The whole batch of mochi was really hot. Wen Ze used a wooden spatula to neatly shape it into an oval and put it in the wooden bowl next to him. 

It was filled with the starch he had previously stir-fried. The mochi rolled around in it, and after being scooped out, it was placed on a stone slab, so it didn’t stick as much. 

He measured it roughly, then carefully took a bone knife and cut the mochi into small pieces, about a third of the size of his palm. 

Afterward, he grabbed some of the stir-fried starch and gently sprinkled it over the pieces. 

Originally, using bean flour would have been better, but he didn’t have any on hand. 

Fortunately, the batch of starch he made didn’t have any bitter or strange flavors. Instead, it even had a unique, fresh scent that made it taste quite special. 

“It’s ready! Come try it, everyone! Be careful, it’s hot!” 

Wen Ze picked up the stone slab and enthusiastically called everyone over. 

Jia Yi and the other little ones were the first to rush over. After cutely thanking Wen Ze, each of them eagerly grabbed a piece of mochi and quickly started nibbling on it. 

The beastmen and half-beastmen came forward as well. Seeing that Wen Ze hadn’t made much, they suggested that each adult should just get half a piece. 

But Wen Ze shakes his head. “Everyone gets a full piece, and there will still be some left. I’ve split it up carefully. I’ve just been so busy recently and didn’t have time to make more starch; otherwise, I could’ve made something else. Go ahead, everyone, don’t hold back.” 

When they had learned weaving from Wen Ze before, many of them had seen how complicated the process of making starch was. Now that he was serving them such good things like animal milk, starch, and honey, they were all deeply touched. 

“Thank you. These are such fresh items; I really should savor it,” one of them said sincerely, and they each took a piece. 

Once everyone had their share, Wen Ze handed a piece to Yin He and Zhuo Mu, and finally, he kept one for himself. 

He looked at the mochi in his hand for a bit, took a sniff of the sweet milky smell, and then put it in his mouth. 

The freshly made mochi was still steaming hot. After being stir-fried, its texture was surprisingly soft, chewy, and bouncy. 

Although there wasn’t much starch left, he added plenty of fresh milk and honey, so the more he chewed, the more fragrant it became. 

He savored each bite and couldn’t help but think of the mochi he’d had before, though those didn’t have the rich, creamy flavor of milk. 

Sugar can brighten one’s mood, and having a little dessert after a meal really removes the tiredness of the day, leaving one deeply satisfied. Wen Ze’s eyes even became a little dreamy. 

Looking around, whether it was the adults or the little ones, everyone was eating with wide eyes in amazement, completely focused, and no one said a word. 

Jia Yi was a bit impatient. Holding the mochi with his panda paws, he put it in his mouth, chewed a few times, and then, with a “gulp,” swallowed it down. 

He froze for a moment, his large, bright eyes looking towards Li Shui, and with a pitiful tone, said, “Father, it’s all gone.” 

Waaahhh…! He didn’t even get to taste it properly!  

Seeing this, Wen Ze was about to hand him another piece of the leftover mochi, but Li Shui had already passed him his piece. 

He had saved his portion. 

“Here, eat it, but this time take it slow,” the handsome young man said with a gentle smile. 

Jia Yi immediately stopped crying and smiled, standing on his tiptoes and using his two fluffy panda paws to take the mochi. 

“Thank you, Father!” 

Li Shui looked at him with a smile. Just then, a long, slender hand reached over, with the fingertips holding another piece of mochi. 

Jia Yi turned to see his partner, Qin Shan, offering him his share. 

He chuckled, “You should eat it yourself.” 

Qin Shan, the quiet, serious man, just said, “Here, eat this.” 

Li Shui refused a few times but eventually gave in. In the end, he smiled, took the piece of mochi, and put it into his mouth. 

Bai Ling had already finished eating. He clicked his tongue twice and started teasing them, “Having a partner is nice.” 

Li Shui glanced at him, his ears turning red from embarrassment. 

Qin Shan nodded seriously, but when Li Shui shot him a glance, he cleared his throat and looked away. 

Their little interaction made everyone, including Wen Ze, laugh. 

Jia Yi finished the piece of food that Li Shui had given him and wanted more, but there was none left. He could only lick his little bear mouth and look at Wen Ze with bright, admiring eyes. 

The other little cubs were the same; they liked Wen Ze even more. 

“Brother Wen Ze, this dessert is so delicious!” 

“The animal milk tastes so fragrant and sweet!” 

The adults also said, “This thing you made is really good, especially the texture. I’ve never had anything like it.” 

“It’s definitely something new. I’ve learned something today.” 

Jia Yi pouted and clung to his two fathers, “I want more! Can we make some when we get home?” 

The two of them exchanged a glance, smiling and shaking their heads. They both thought that for quite a while, the little cub would probably never forget the ‘dessert.’ 

“Starch and honey cubes are easy to find, but animal milk is harder to come by. Your father doesn’t hunt nursing female animals when he’s out,” Li Shui said gently. 

When the little one heard that, her lips curled into a pout, and her eyes filled with tears. 

Li Shui looked at Wen Ze for help. 

Wen Ze knew the kids had been tempted by him, feeling a bit embarrassed. He looked at Li Shui and said, “We’re raising cows now, and if all goes well, we’ll be milking them twice a day. If you want some, you can come and exchange with me. Just let me know ahead of time.” 

Li Shui’s eyes lit up. “That’s great!” 

When the other little ones heard this, they also started clamoring for milk, and the area was suddenly filled with their sweet, adorable voices. 

The parents, feeling both helpless and indulgent, calmed the kids down and promised to gather the supplies to bring back the milk for them. Only then did the little ones quiet down. 

In fact, many of the adults who had tried the milk mochi became quite fond of it. But they couldn’t exactly compete with the little ones for milk, so they couldn’t help but say: 

“If I could find another slow-moving beast, I’d love to raise a couple myself.” 

“I’ll pass. The animal milk is delicious, but I can’t even be bothered to cook my own meals, let alone have the patience to raise one.” 

“Besides, other than the slow-moving beast, there are also quite a few other animals that produce a lot of milk, like the mountain rock beast and the fluffy beast.” 

Wen Ze, sitting nearby, curiously asked Zhuo Mu beside him, “What’s the fluffy beast that they’re talking about?” 

Zhuo Mu replied, “It looks pretty similar to the mountain rock beast, but they have much more fur, which grows in thick clumps.” 

Wen Ze blinked. Why did it sound like he was describing sheep? 

Sang Hui added, “Yes, some people in the tribe shear the beast fur, process it, spin it into yarn, and weave it into fabric or something similar.” 

Yarn! Doesn’t that mean they could knit sweaters and blankets? Even if they didn’t make anything that large, scarves and socks would still be great! Wool socks would be especially warm in the winter! 

Wen Ze’s eyes lit up, and he looked eagerly at Zhuo Mu. “When are you planning to hunt the fluffy beasts?” 

“That’s hard to say. Why?” 

“If we manage to get some, I’d like to exchange some of the fur with the tribe.” 

“Alright, I’ll keep an eye out for it.” 

“Mm-hmm!” Wen Ze smiled brightly. 

Everyone was talking while digesting their food. It was unclear who started it, but before long, they were singing around the fire. 

The lively and carefree song quickly spread joy and excitement to others. The young beastmen stood up and began to dance, moving in time with the song. 

Most people here are generally attractive and well-built, and their dance moves are big and wild, giving off a strong and untamed beauty. 

Wen Ze clapped his hands, enjoying the moment. After a while, Bai Ling pulled him up to dance with everyone. 

He’d only watched for a bit, but the moves were simple enough, so he quickly picked them up. Laughing, he swung his arms to the beat. 

The atmosphere was so lively that no one cared if they danced well or badly – as long as they were having fun. 

As he danced, Wen Ze thought to himself that it would be perfect if they had some alcohol right now. 

Once he found some grains, he was definitely going to try brewing some wine. 

Everyone played and joked until the moon was high in the sky. Then, they gathered their things, put out the fire on the open ground, and headed back to their caves. 

With the worries about clearing the land settled, Wen Ze had a peaceful sleep. When he woke up the next morning, he didn’t feel like getting up from the animal hides. 

But remembering that Zhuo Mu had planned to take him to find some sulfur ore, he didn’t stay in bed for long. Stretching lazily, he got up and left the cave. 

It was early in the summer, and the mist in the mountains hadn’t cleared yet, though the sky was already tinged with the first light of dawn. 

Before long, Zhuo Mu came out as well. 

“Good morning,” Wen Ze greeted with a smile. 

Zhuo Mu’s red eyes lit up, and with a slight smile, he said, “Good morning.” 

After washing up, they started preparing breakfast. 

The weather was nice today. In the morning, one of them planned to go hunting, and the other would gather some supplies. They agreed to meet in the afternoon to look for sulfur ore near the hot springs. 

However, things didn’t go as planned. 

Just after breakfast, the patrollers from the tribe arrived, saying that the tribe leader of the Rainbow Sun Tribe had come again, and they needed to go to Yi Yan’s place. 

Wen Ze and Zhuo Mu exchanged a glance, both of them having a guess in mind. 

Only Yin He, who was confused, asked, “Huh? Didn’t they just exchange cloth with us yesterday? Why are they here again?” 

The two didn’t answer. They just told Yin He to keep watch over the house before following the patrollers. 

When they reached the familiar cave, Wu Ye and Sang Hui were already there, standing next to Yi Yan. 

A red-haired, strikingly handsome man, Chi Yu, turned around and greeted them with a smile. 

“Everyone’s here. Let’s go inside,” Yi Yan said, first inviting Chi Yu in. 

Chi Yu nodded. After entering the cave, he said seriously, “After we returned yesterday, we discussed it thoroughly and decided to agree to your conditions. We will exchange the method of building the kiln for your weaving method.” 

Yi Yan had anticipated this and smiled. “Tribe Leader Chi Yu is a straightforward person. We’re happy to make this exchange with you.” 

Chi Yu’s expression turned serious. “But we have one condition. You can’t share the kiln-building method with other tribes. The fewer people in the South Mountain Tribe who know about it, the better.” 

Yi Yan nodded. “We understand. And the weaving method, you’d better not share that with others either.” 

Chi Yu smiled wryly. “I’m afraid it won’t be hidden for long.” 

Everyone needs to learn how to weave, and he couldn’t control so many mouths. This was also their biggest concern. 

But Chi Yu still decided to go through with the exchange, not for anything else, but because of the promise Wen Ze made about “after-sales service.” 

He looked at Wen Ze intently, with a strong sense that this half-beastman might bring about great changes to this land. 

Yi Yan understood his meaning and said, “I understand.” 

Now that they’d agreed to the exchange, the rest of the process became much easier. 

The two tribes sat together, discussing for half the morning, and finally agreed to have Yi Yan choose a few trusted individuals to go to the Rainbow Sun Tribe first to visit and learn about their pottery kilns. 

Wen Ze was among them. 

Wen Ze knew that the pottery kiln would surely be a secret of the South Mountain Tribe. He was surprised and asked, “Really? You want me to come?” 

Everyone looked at him with trust, and Sang Hui gently said, “The weaving method is something you taught everyone, of course, you should go. Also, we’d like to ask you to teach the people of the Rainbow Sun Tribe how to weave.” 

Wu Ye nodded in agreement. “Right, didn’t Leader Chi Yu say their kiln-building method is very special? You’re smart and learn fast, so you’re just the right person to take a close look.” 

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