Relying on his memory, Xue Yuan guided Wen Ze and the others through dense forests, open fields, and rivers, steadily making their way toward their destination.

Whenever he listened to the mountain winds, his thick white fox ears would tremble slightly. 

Seated on Zhuo Mu’s back, Wen Ze secretly watched Xue Yuan’s ears for a long time, wondering how soft they might feel.

Trying to imitate Xue Yuan, he focused on the echoes in the mountains and sniffed the scents carried by the wind. 

Unfortunately, there were too many unfamiliar smells, making it difficult for him to distinguish them in detail for the time being. 

That made him admire Xue Yuan even more for being able to do it so effortlessly. 

Most of the people in their group were not talkative, and after running for a while in silence, the atmosphere became slightly awkward. 

It was Ri Yan who broke the silence: “Wen Ze, the soap and sulfur soap that the leader traded from you earlier have already been exchanged with those in need within the tribe.” 

“Oh? How did they work?” 

“They work quite well. It keeps you clean when bathing and washing hands. Some of the little ones used the sulfur soap and got rid of their fleas.” 

Wen Ze nodded. “That’s great.” 

Bai Han, who had been silent until now, also spoke up. “Lately, none of the hunters have been stung by black bees in the mountains. And for other insect bites, washing with soapy water helps reduce swelling and detoxify much faster than before. Wen Ze, the soap you made is really useful.”  

Ri Yan laughed, “Yes! I originally planned to give a piece to my child, but he had already exchange one from you! Such a good thing, and he didn’t even tell us sooner. Wen Ze, when will you make more soap? We were just discussing placing another order with you.” 

Seeing an opportunity to earn more supplies, Wen Ze responded enthusiastically, “I still owe the Rainbow Sun Tribe a batch of food. I’ll be busy for two days after returning, but then I’ll have time to make more soap. Oh, and I also had some new soap molds made, so the next batch will look even better. I’ll use the new molds for your order—no extra charge!” 

The three from the Snow Sea Tribe were thrilled. “That’s great!” 

While leading the way, Xue Yuan asked, “What kind of food did the Rainbow Sun Tribe exchanged with you?” 

Wen Ze listed sausages, meatballs, and smoked meat. 

Hearing his lively description, Xue Yuan and the others couldn’t help but feel tempted. 

“We didn’t get to try the food that the leader brought back last time, but we heard it was delicious. Can you make more? Our families would like to exchange for some too,” Xue Yuan said. 

Wen Ze readily agreed, “Sure! No problem.” 

Bai Han pondered for a moment—sausages and meatballs were both convenient to eat, especially for someone like him, a single Beastman. As for starch, the half-beastmen in the tribe also felt they hadn’t exchanged enough last time. 

Bai Han said, “When we return to the tribe, let’s ask if anyone else wants to exchange meat sausages or starch with Wen Ze. If there are many people interested, we can exchange with Wen Ze on behalf of the tribe.” 

Xue Yuan and Ri Yan both agreed on this plan. 

“We’re here. This is the place,” Xue Yuan suddenly said. 

Ri Yan stopped. He lowered his massive tiger head, and Xue Yuan swiftly stepped onto it before leaping down from his back. 

Wen Ze immediately slid off Zhuo Mu’s back as well. 

They had arrived at a mountain hollow, where waist-high wild grass covered the ground, and small yellow-and-white flowers swayed in the mountain breeze. 

Further up the mountain, tall, sturdy broadleaf hardwood trees grew densely, creating a magnificent and picturesque landscape. 

Xue Yuan pushed aside the wild grass and led them forward a bit before pointing downward. “Let me start digging here.” 

Ri Yan, now in human form, walked over and stopped him from using his claws. Instead, he took out a stone hoe from his space and said, “Let me do it.” 

Xue Yuan smiled lightly and stepped back. 

Excited by the possibility of finding potatoes, Wen Ze watched Ri Yan’s movements closely, not blinking for a second.

Using the stone hoe, Ri Yan first loosened the soil before carefully digging down. 

He was cautious with his digging, making sure not to damage the plant’s roots. 

Before long, a 20-centimeter-long, reddish-brown root covered in black soil was unearthed and placed to the side. 

Xue Yuan crouched down and said, “We call this ‘dingtu root.’ They don’t grow very big, but there are plenty of them, and they thrive in firm soil.”

The young man brushed off the dirt on the root and handed it to Wen Ze. 

The color and shape… Why does this look just like a sweet potato? 

Wen Ze’s eyes lit up as he hurriedly brought it to his nose for a sniff. 

Hmm… the scent didn’t seem quite right. 

He then took out his black-silver knife, wiped the blade clean, and sliced off a piece of the root. 

The fibers were too dense, making it hard to cut. 

Looking at the inside, the color was completely different from sweet potatoes or regular potatoes. 

Unwilling to give up, he rubbed a bit of the flesh with his fingers and tasted it. 

Ugh, as expected, it was just bitter with no hint of sweetness. 

Zhuo Mu, noticing his shift from excitement to disappointment, softly asked, “Not it?” 

“No,” Wen Ze handed him the root. “Take a look, doesn’t it resemble the gray roots from our territory?” 

Zhuo Mu examined it for a moment before nodding. “It does.” 

Wen Ze sighed and told the members of the Snow Sea Tribe, “We have plenty of gray roots in our territory. It doesn’t taste great, so we won’t take this.” 

The Snow Sea Tribe members understood. 

Their first attempt hadn’t gone well, dampening the group’s mood slightly. 

As they moved on to the next location, Zhuo Mu spoke softly to comfort Wen Ze, “It’s okay, we’ll find it eventually.” 

Wen Ze wasn’t the type to be easily defeated by a little hardship. Still, hearing those words warmed his heart, and he smiled slightly. “Mm.” 

The plants Xue Yuan wanted to show them were scattered throughout the area. 

So instead of focusing on whether they were roots or grains, they checked whatever they came across along the way. 

Wen Ze confirmed that they had searched thoroughly. After all, in the process, he not only found roots resembling potatoes but also wild oats that looked like wheat and barnyard grass that resembled rice. 

At this time of year, the wild oats and barnyard grass had yet to fully mature, but their differences from wheat and rice were already distinguishable. 

As an agriculture student, Wen Ze had encountered barnyard grass countless times while studying hybrid rice. Back in the experimental fields, he had pulled out plenty of it. 

Now, the group of five stopped beside a patch of barnyard grass. Wen Ze bent down and fiddled with one of the stalks, which had already started filling with grain. 

“Zhuo Mu, we have a lot of wild oat grass in our territory, right?” Wen Ze turned to ask. 

The tall and handsome man nodded. “Yes. If injured, we can crush the leaves and apply them to stop bleeding. When food is scarce, we also grind the grains to eat. In late autumn, we harvest some and store it.” 

After a pause, he added, “It doesn’t taste great, though.” 

Wen Ze nodded. He had never eaten wild oats, but he could imagine it. Coarse grains wouldn’t have the same fragrance as rice or wheat flour. 

He then said, “We have plenty of food right now, but once we return, we can still harvest some to feed the cows. When the long-legged birds arrive, they can eat it too.” 

Standing nearby, Xue Yuan asked, “Feed the birds? Are you planning to raise them until winter and then butcher them?”

“We’ll see how it goes. We might keep them longer.” 

Xue Yuan was surprised. “Won’t they run away?” 

Wen Ze smiled. “We’ll figure something out. Either way, wild oat grass is great for feeding birds.” 

Bai Han and the others had spent almost the entire afternoon helping them search, but they hadn’t found anything particularly valuable, which made them feel a bit guilty. 

Ri Yan took the initiative and said, “We can help you harvest some wild oat grass and bring it over.” 

Wen Ze waved his hand and smiled. “No need. Our territory is full of it. But this grass…” 

He pointed at the barnyard grass before them. “What do you call it?” 

Xue Yuan replied, “It doesn’t have a name.” 

Wen Ze nodded. “I haven’t seen this grass in our territory. I’d like to take some back and try planting it.” 

Although barnyard grass had low yield and wasn’t particularly tasty, it was incredibly resilient. 

Many high-yield modern rice varieties were actually bred from barnyard grass hybrids. 

He wasn’t expecting to develop rice right away, but he knew barnyard grass could be used for brewing alcohol and making animal feed. 

Since it required little care, he figured he might as well plant some—who knew when it might come in handy? 

Xue Yuan immediately agreed. “Alright, since it hasn’t produced seeds yet, we’ll dig it up with the roots and bring it to you.” 

Wen Ze nodded. “Mm, but just to be clear—this doesn’t count as a good crop I was looking for.” 

Xue Yuan smiled slightly and said, “Of course.”

Glancing at the sky, Wen Ze asked, “How much more do we need to check?” 

Xue Yuan replied, “Not much. We should be able to return to the tribe before dark.” 

“Alright, let’s go.” 

This time, as they set off again, the three members of the Snow Sea Tribe felt quite heavy-hearted. Even Ri Yan had little interest in making conversation. 

Sensing the somber mood, Wen Ze smiled and said, “Feeling down? How about we head back for today and start fresh early tomorrow?” 

Bai Han denied it. “No.” 

Xue Yuan glanced at him and explained to Wen Ze with a wry smile, “We’re just a bit disappointed. We originally thought that if we could find three crops that satisfied you, we could ask you to teach us how to weave. But now, let alone weaving, we might not even be able to exchange for a weaving frame.” 

After spending the entire afternoon together, Wen Ze was certain that they genuinely wanted to exchange with him. 

Seeing the tribe’s efforts to search for crops and their willingness to travel with him and Zhuo Mu for so long softened Wen Ze’s heart.

He smiled gently and said, “You can still exchange for a weaving frame. When I spoke with Leader Bai Han, I said it would be best to use seeds, but it wasn’t a requirement. I actually like the nuts from your tribe. The sweets I gave to the tiger cubs today had nuts in them—they were especially fragrant.” 

Upon hearing this, the members of the Snow Sea Tribe all brightened up. 

“You mean we can exchange nuts with you?” 

“That’s right. Your tribe’s pear fruit works too. But if you’re using nuts, you’ll need at least five large baskets for the first weaving frame. As for pear fruit, you’ll need even more.” 

Xue Yuan said happily, “That’s a lot, but as long as we can get a weaving frame, it’s worth it!” 

Ri Yan nodded repeatedly, “I’ll gather the nuts as soon as I get back and exchange for the first one!” 

Bai Han immediately looked up. “No, the first weaving frame should go to the tribe.” 

Ri Yang hesitated, then laughed awkwardly. “Haha, I understand. I got too excited just now.” 

Seeing his partner’s concern and eagerness, Xue Yuan couldn’t help but smile. 

With Wen Ze agreeing to the exchange, everyone finally felt at ease. They continued their journey while chatting along the way. 

As they grew closer, Wen Ze finally voiced the question that had been on his mind. “Now that both our tribe and the Rainbow Sun Tribe have learned how to weave, hasn’t the method spread to your tribe yet? Why are you so determined to learn from me?” 

The group was straightforward and answered honestly. “It has spread. They use something called a… backstrap loom? But we still think that since this method came from you, it’s better to learn directly from you.” 

Ri Yang nodded. “Since you were able to make a weaving frame, you might come up with an even better weaving method in the future. If we secretly learn it this time, what about the next? We don’t want to keep sneaking around.” 

Bai Han added seriously, “The people of the Snow Sea Tribe don’t do such things.” 

Wen Ze listened quietly, feeling somewhat moved. 

As the sun sank, the mountain winds picked up, and the temperature dropped. 

Fortunately, the two half-beastmen had strong bodies and didn’t need to add extra clothing just yet. 

“Wen Ze, look to the west.” Xue Yuan raised his hand and pointed. 

Across a vast grassland, Wen Ze looked westward and saw a dense grove of lush green trees. 

The trees were generally about the height of two people, with clusters of round, green fruits hanging from the branches. 

His heart stirred. “Could that be the pear fruit forest?” 

Xue Yuan nodded approvingly and said with some pride, “That’s right. Our pear fruits are very popular in the winter.” 

Wen Ze couldn’t help but feel a little envious. “With such a large forest, you can exchange for a lot of supplies.” 

Bai Han agreed, “Yes, everyone values this forest highly.” 

Ri Yang added, “When winter comes, you should exchange for some pear fruits and try them!” 

Wen Ze nodded. “Alright.” 

By this winter, his house would definitely be finished. The winters in the South Mountain Tribe lasted a full four months, and the temperatures were really low. He planned to build a fire pit. 

When the time came, he’d warm the kang until it was toasty, wear only light clothing, sit on top, and munch on some pear fruits from the Snow Sea Tribe… Just imagining it was delightful! 

As they talked, the group stopped at another patch of grass. 

Once again, Ri Yan used a stone hoe to dig up the roots while the others waited nearby. 

Before long, the roots emerged from the soil, but this time, digging them up wasn’t as easy as before. 

“This green roots sure grew big,” Ri Yang remarked casually. “Even after several swings of the hoe, I still haven’t reached the bottom.” 

Xue Yuan suggested, “If it’s too hard, just cut off a piece first and let Wen Ze take a look.” 

Ri Yan shook his head. “Let me dig a little more.” 

He worked around the roots, digging carefully. Before long, a straight, bright green stalk were all that remained in the hole. 

The moment Wen Ze saw the stalk, he froze. 

This shape… wasn’t it just a giant radish top?! 

His sense of smell kicked in a moment later, and he caught a faint spicy scent—just like radish! 

They might have actually found radishes! 

Realizing this made his heart race. 

But he didn’t want to get too excited in case it was a false alarm, so he tried to keep his expression neutral as he crouched down. 

“Let me help dig it up,” he said, rolling up his sleeves and reaching out to scoop away the soil around the stalk. 

Xue Yuan change his hands into fox claws. “I’ll help too.” 

The stalks were thick and deeply embedded in the rich black soil. The three of them worked together, using their claws and tools, and finally managed to dig it out. 

Wen Ze held up the stalks, which were longer than his forearm, his eyes practically glowing. 

The shape, the smell—he was already almost certain. 

He took out his black silver knife and sliced it open, revealing the tender green flesh inside. Then, he licked a small piece, tasting the mild spiciness and slight sweetness of radish. 

There was no doubt about it—this was a green radish! 

Radishes were amazing! They could be stewed, stir-fried, deep-fried, and even turned into pickles to go with rice! 

Hahaha! They actually found radishes! 

Wen Ze was so excited that he grabbed the radish and ran straight to Zhuo Mu. 

“Zhuo Mu! This tastes really good!” Worried that Zhuo Mu wouldn’t see clearly, he lifted the huge green radish and waved it around, showing it off from every angle. 

Zhuo Mu met his bright, sparkling black eyes, and his thin lips curved into a smile. 

“Looks like you finally found something satisfying?” he asked. 

“Satisfying? More than satisfying!” Wen Ze laughed. “I almost want to kiss it!” 

Zhuo Mu’s smile deepened, and he shook his head helplessly. 

The people from the Snow Sea Tribe were just as excited. 

“So that means… we can exchange this green radish for your weaving frame, right?” Xue Yuan asked. 

Wen Ze grinned. “Yep! Just one basket of green radish and a bag of autumn seeds!” 

Green radish wasn’t rare in the Snow Sea Tribe, so Bai Han immediately agreed with a smile. 

Ri Yan also laughed and promised, “Wen Ze, we didn’t exchange with pear fruits this time, but when winter comes, we’ll send you some pears! No need to give us anything in return!” 

Wen Ze was thrilled. “Sure! I’ll be looking forward to it!” 

“Wen Ze, there are still plenty of green radish in the soil. Do you want to dig some up?” Xue Yuan asked. 

“Dig, dig, dig! We’ll cook them for dinner tonight!” 

“Got it!” 

Everyone got to work, quickly digging up the radishes. 

However, perhaps due to the colder climate of the Snow Sea Tribe, these large green radishes hadn’t fully matured yet. 

Wen Ze said, “Let’s pick the ones that are as long as an arm and leave the rest in the soil to grow a bit more.”

Xue Yuan agreed. “Alright. You should change to your beast form’s claws—you’ll be able to dig faster.” 

Wen Ze grinned. “I was thinking the same thing!” 

However, his wolf claws weren’t as efficient at digging as Xue Yuan’s fox claws. 

As he kept digging, he felt an itch on top of his head. Following his instincts, he let his black wolf ears pop out. 

At that moment, it was as if some kind of seal had been lifted—he dug with even more enthusiasm. 

By the time they had turned over the entire patch of grassland, Wen Ze still seemed reluctant to stop. 

After sunset, darkness fell rapidly, and the bright moon had already risen in the eastern sky. 

The freshly dug radishes, each about the length of a forearm, were scattered in a messy pile. They were round, plump, and even the green leaves looked kind of cute. 

Wen Ze was feeling warm inside and out. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his forearm and said cheerfully, “It’s getting late. Let’s pack up the radishes and head back?” 

The others agreed. “Alright.” 

Everyone split up and managed to fill five large baskets with green radishes. 

The beastmen change into their beast forms again—Bai Han carried two baskets, Ri Yan carried two, and they left the last one for Zhuo Mu. 

Zhuo Mu said calmly, “I can carry more.” 

Ri Yan laughed. “We know you’re a warrior from the South Mountain tribe, but since you’re a guest in our tribe, we can’t let you carry more than us.” 

With that, he signaled for Xue Yuan to sit tight, then took off running. 

Bai Han and Zhuo Mu followed closely behind. 

Since Xue Yuan had mentioned there were only two more plants left to check out, they made a quick stop. 

But this time, they weren’t as lucky. None of them met Wen Ze’s standards. 

By the time the three beastmen and two half-beastmen arrived back at the tribe, the sky was completely dark. The clear night sky was dotted with countless twinkling stars. 

On their way, they ran into some people who greeted them. “Leader, you’re finally back! What’s in those baskets… green stalks?” 

Bai Han replied, “Yes.” 

“You dug up so many… you’re not planning to steam them for dinner, are you? They’re not exactly bad, but once you chew them, they’re all water—it feels like you haven’t eaten anything at all,” a beastman commented with a bit of disdain. 

Bai Han ignored the remark and turned to Wen Ze. “How do you want to cook them?” 

Wen Ze grinned. “Do we have any meat?” 

“The hunters should have already delivered some to my cave. Do you need anything else?” 

Wen Ze shook his head. “Meat is enough.” 

Xue Yuan was in a good mood and offered, “It’s getting late. I’m worried you two won’t have time to cook everything, so why don’t we make dinner together?” 

Wen Ze readily agreed. “Sounds good!”

Since Bai Han was a single beastman, he didn’t have many cooking utensils or seasonings. So, they took the meat and headed to Xue Yuan and Ri Yan’s cave instead. 

Like Zhuo Mu, they had built a stone stove, but they also had a pot on top and a clean, flat stone slab nearby. 

There was a water source nearby, so Wen Ze did a quick rinse and rolled up his sleeves, ready to get to work. 

Seeing him in action, Xue Yuan laughed and stepped aside, letting Wen Ze take over as the “head cook.” 

“What are you making? I’ll help.” 

Wen Ze quickly checked the ingredients and picked up a piece of meat. “You slice this into thin strips for me—we’ll make stir-fried radish with shredded meat! I’ll take another piece and mince it with the black silver knife for radish meatballs! And finally, we’ll make a spicy shredded radish salad!” 

Just thinking about it made their mouths water! 

Xue Yuan smiled and got to work, pulling Ri Yan along to help. 

Zhuo Mu naturally stayed by Wen Ze’s side, smoothly cooperating with him. 

Since Bai Han wasn’t good at cooking, he handled tasks like fetching water and tending the fire. 

“Dang dang dang” The sound of Wen Ze mincing meat soon echoed around the stove. 

By the time Xue Yuan finished slicing the meat, Wen Ze was nearly done mincing. 

“Zhuo Mu, can you finish mincing the rest? I’m going to marinate the meat.” 

Zhuo Mu nodded and took the black silver knife. Their fingers briefly touched before separating. 

“What about us?” Xue Yuan asked. 

“Help me peel and shred the radishes!” 

“Got it!” 

Wen Ze was worried that the Snow Sea Tribe might not have the seasonings he was used to, so he had brought starch, honey syrup, and thorny fruit with him. 

He grabbed a clean clay bowl, mixed starch with water, and kneaded the meat to make it more tender. 

Xue Yuan multitasked. While completing his assigned task, he kept observing and learning Wen Ze’s cooking techniques. 

By the time the meat was marinated, the shredded radishes were ready as well. 

Wen Ze heated the oil in the pot and began stir-frying the shredded meat and radish. 

“Sizzle—” 

Even before adding seasonings, the meat and radish released an irresistible fragrance as they sizzled in the oil, making the three Snow Sea Tribe members widen their eyes in surprise. 

Once Wen Ze added the seasonings, the flavors of saltiness, sweetness, spiciness, sourness, and umami blended together harmoniously while still remaining distinct. The rich aroma spread far and wide!

If aromas could talk, this one would definitely be saying, Step aside, little cubs! Come and taste my greatness! 

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