Wen Ze’s mood suddenly brightened. 

Beans! 

They could be used to make bean paste, soybean oil, tofu, bean sprouts… so many things! 

The beans he had longed for! 

“Let’s go, let’s go!” He even hurried to the front of the group, showing just how eager he was. 

Along the way, other half-beastmen were chatting and singing, while Wen Ze was busy thinking about ‘a hundred ways to cook beans’. 

The late summer was full of vitality, with lush greenery everywhere, verdant trees, distant mountains, and the vast, beautiful sky. 

Walking through it, surrounded by the fresh and natural air, his body and mind felt brighter and more relaxed. 

Looking at the smiling faces around him, Wen Ze thought about his past life, and the memories felt strangely unfamiliar. 

In the past, school, work, and relationships were like towering mountains pressing down on him. The fast pace of life left him breathless. 

He had been busy, running around for things that seemed meaningless. Life felt heavy and numb, and he seldom felt true happiness. 

But now, all that pressure had disappeared. 

Here, each day, he only needed to focus on gathering, working, filling his stomach, and living well. 

Though his body was tired, his heart felt light. 

Every day was a new day, full of hope. 

Before he knew it, he had truly come to like this place. 

*** 

Sang Hui led the way, and before long, the group reached a lush field. 

The gentle young man turned around and said to everyone, “I saw beans around here last year. Everyone, clear the grass and look carefully.” 

“Alright, let’s split up and search!” 

“I’ll go over there!” 

The half-beastmen, with baskets on their backs and sticks in hand to clear the grass, quickly got to work. 

With so many people, the work went quickly, and soon Wen Ze heard someone shout from the right, “I found it!” 

His eyes brightened, and he quickly moved through the grass to the spot. 

The first thing he saw was a large patch of bean leaves. Long, green vines twisted around the stems of other wild plants. 

Clusters of bean pods, longer than his hand, hung down, each one swollen with beans. 

This wasn’t the soybeans he was familiar with, but… 

“Green beans?!” 

Saying this, Wen Ze plucked a bean pod, and with a gentle twist, it cracked open in his hand. 

The round, neatly arranged items inside were none other than mung beans! 

Sang Hui walked over and said to Wen Ze, “These beans are green even when they’re mature. It doesn’t look like the yellow beans you’re looking for.” 

Wen Ze wasn’t disappointed at all and happily replied, “Mung beans are fine too! You can sprout them, cook porridge, and drink mung bean soup in the summer to cool off!” 

Sang Hui smiled gently. “It seems like quite a good thing.” 

Wen Ze nodded. “Yes! I see there are quite a few mung beans here, and they’re almost ripe. Let’s all pick them and take them back.” 

Everyone believed Wen Ze when he said they were good, so they eagerly responded, “Alright!” 

Wen Ze stretched out his hand and began pulling off the bean pods and placed them into his back basket. He planned to peel the beans when they returned. 

After doing this for a while, he felt that the efficiency was too low. 

Since they had to process them later, why not cut the mung bean vines directly? 

Without hesitation, Wen Ze unsheathed the black silver knife from his waist and began to chop the vines. Soon, a large area was cleared. 

Satisfied with the result, he shared the idea with everyone. 

Others found it reasonable. “That works! We can tie them up and peel them slowly when we get back.” 

“Right, after drying them in the sun, the pods will be easier to peel.” 

“I tried using a shell knife. It’s not as fast as the black silver knife, but it can cut the vines too!” 

“A sharp bone knife works as well!” 

“Let’s split up and cut!” 

Wen Ze smiled, withdrew his gaze, and bent down to get back to work. 

Their group of half-beastmen searched the entire grassy field. In the end, everyone collected more than two large bundles of bean vines, which felt very heavy when lifted. 

The joy of the harvest showed on everyone’s faces. 

After finishing with the mung beans, Sang Hui noticed it was still early and suggested they leave the vines here and continue gathering in the nearby area. 

They had gathered a lot that day, including wild fruits, vegetables, and several roots. 

Their greatest luck was finding red beans in a small valley! 

The red beans in this world were larger than any Wen Ze had seen before. They rolled around in his palm, round and shiny, looking like red jewels. 

The only downside was that the red bean plants were sparse, and their yield wasn’t as high as the green beans. 

After a brief discussion, Sang Hui turned to Wen Ze and said, “We don’t really like beans, so we’ll leave the red beans to you.” 

Wen Ze didn’t refuse and smiled, “Sure! I was planning to keep these red beans for seeds to plant next year. In return, I’ll share the roots I gathered today.” 

“Actually, red beans are really tasty when prepared right. I’ll teach you all next time.” 

The half-beastmen eagerly responded, “Great!!” 

While tying the red bean vines together, Wen Ze couldn’t help but said to Sang Hui, “Today’s harvest has been really good.” 

Sang Hui nodded proudly. “It’s almost autumn, and many fruits, grains, and roots are about to ripen. By autumn, we’ll have even more.” 

Bai Ling happily chimed in, “Autumn is my favorite! There’s so much food. A diligent half-beastman can have a different meal every day!” 

Sang Hui smiled. “It’s not just the half-beastmen. In autumn, when food is abundant, the beastmen can also hunt plenty of well-fed prey.” 

Li Shui added, “I love autumn too. The scenery is beautiful, and the weather’s just right—not too hot or cold. It’s the most comfortable season of the year.” 

After hearing this, Wen Ze asked, “Our tribe’s winters are quite long. Should we start storing food for the winter?” 

Upon mentioning this, Sang Hui became more serious. “Yes. From now on, whatever extra food we gather, we should dry what can be dried and store the rest in cool places. If the beastmen hunt more than usual, we’ll make salted meat or jerky. These will be our winter food.” 

Later, some of the more experienced half-beastmen shared their methods for preserving food. 

Wen Ze and the other younger half-beastmen listened carefully, silently admiring the wisdom of the beastmen’s way of life. 

Time passed quickly as they worked and talked. 

Once he finished tying up the red bean seedlings and picked up the black silver knife to inspect it, he was shocked to find that the blade had bent! 

Sigh, this is the downside of aluminum knives—they aren’t hard enough and always get deformed after some use. 

He gently used his finger to straighten the bent blade, planning to wait until he got back to find a sharpening stone and fix it. 

His expression seemed to be quite obvious, so Sang Hui softly comforted him: “Metal knives are like this, they wear down easily, but they’re much better than shell knives.” 

Wen Ze looked up at him and asked, “Uncle, that reminds me, does our territory have any metal mines?” 

Sang Hui paused for a moment. “I don’t think so… I’ve lived here for decades and haven’t seen any.” 

The others, hearing this, chimed in: “We’ve never seen one either. It would be great if there were a metal mine. Who wouldn’t want metal tools?” 

Wen Ze asked again, “It doesn’t have to be a mine where you can clearly see the metal ore. Is there any land around here with unusual colors? Like deep red?” 

“Deep red…” Sang Hui murmured, “I think I’ve seen that before, but I can’t remember where.” 

The other half-beastmen also thought carefully. 

Suddenly, Bai Ling said, “There’s a patch of land like that nearby!” 

Wen Ze immediately asked, “Where?” 

Bai Ling pointed eastward. “There’s a piece of soil over there. It’s not used often because the pottery made from it is mediocre, but the ground right next to it has a very distinctive color!” 

As soon as he mentioned it, everyone remembered. 

“Right, right, when Wen Ze was making bricks, we also came over to dig up some soil.” 

“I remember now. The color of the soil there was grayish-white!” 

“But is that really ‘soil’?” 

Wen Ze had never been to that area since he came in the Beast World, and with everyone talking at once, he was getting a little confused. 

“Why don’t we just go check it out?” he suggested eagerly. 

Sang Hui agreed, “Sure, we’re on our way back to the tribe, so we’ll pass by that area anyway.” 

Li Shui called out to everyone, “Let’s lift the mung bean vines and head over to take a look!” 

“Alright!” 

The half-beastmen were quick on their feet. They turned around and returned to the grass field from earlier. Each person carried two large bundles of green bean vines on their shoulders and headed toward the east. 

The midday sun was intense, causing everyone to sweat heavily as they moved quickly. 

When they got closer, Wen Ze stood on tiptoe, shielding his eyes with his palm to block the sunlight for a clearer view. 

When he took a closer look, he really did notice something different! 

The area next to the clay soil wasn’t “land” at all, but a stony beach! 

It was a stony beach made up of small, grayish-white stones, each about the size of a palm! 

This type of stone was very familiar to him. It was limestone! 

Limewater is corrosive and can kill bacteria, and just a few days ago, when he was in the Snow Sea Tribe, he even thought about using limewater to deal with the pest infestation. 

The method of making it was simple—heat the limestone at high temperatures to produce quicklime, then add water. 

Since it’s so easy to obtain, it’s truly a great material! 

Seeing how excited Wen Ze was, even more than when he found the beans, Sang Hui asked in confusion, “Could this really be a metal ore? But I’ve touched this stone, and it’s soft. It doesn’t feel like metal at all.” 

Other half-beastmen also spoke up, “Could it be? I’ve seen similar stone beaches in our tribe.” 

Wen Ze explained, “This is indeed not metal, it’s stone. But it’s a very useful kind of stone!” 

“Oh?” Everyone looked at him curiously. 

Wen Ze, carrying the mung bean vines, walked forward with large strides while briefly explaining the use of limewater for pest control. 

“…It’s not just for the pest infestations in the pearwood forests. If there are little bugs in your caves, sprinkling some limewater will help too. In addition, lime can be used for building houses, stopping bleeding, removing stains… In short, it has many uses!” 

Hearing this, everyone became excited. 

“Since it’s such a great material, let’s gather as much as we can and take it back!” 

Wen Ze replied, “If I remember correctly, making quicklime requires a very high temperature, and our pottery kiln probably can’t reach that heat.” 

“Ah…” With so many stones in sight, but unable to use them, everyone felt a bit disappointed. 

Wen Ze comforted them, “The firing process can be solved with some effort. Just finding so much limestone is already a good thing.” 

Sang Hui nodded, “That’s true. Now we have pottery kilns and charcoal. It’s possible to fire lime!” 

While they were talking, Wen Ze had already stepped onto the stone beach. 

The straw sandals he wore had thin soles, and the sharp-edged limestone was uncomfortable to step on. 

He took a few steps, trying to find a smoother spot. 

However, the bundle of beans on his back shifted, throwing his body off balance! 

At that moment, the hemp rope tying his sandals suddenly snapped. 

With his balance even more unsteady, he fell with a loud “thud,” crashing solidly onto the stony beach! 

As he fell, his instinct was to brace himself with his forearm. In that instant, a sharp pain shot up through his muscles, reaching the top of his head. 

“Ugh…” His brow furrowed tightly as he inhaled sharply in pain. 

He fell too quickly, and the others couldn’t reach him in time. After a brief moment of shock, they quickly rushed over to help him up and asked about his condition with concern. 

“Wen Ze, are you okay?” 

“Your clothes are torn!” 

“Your arm is bleeding!” 

“Quick, who has some hemostatic herbs? Let’s apply them to Wen Ze.” 

The bundle of beans on his back was knocked out of place by the fall, so Wen Ze simply drops it onto the ground. 

Seeing everyone surround him and feeling their concern for him, Wen Ze felt very moved. 

He smiled and said, “I’m fine,” then glanced at his left arm. 

His sleeve had been torn by the rocks, and his arm and palm were covered in several cuts. The deepest one had blood steadily dripping from it. 

Tsk, what’s this? Is this what they call “too much joy leads to sorrow”? 

Bai Ling took out a water pouch, carefully rolled up Wen Ze’s sleeve, and poured clean water over the wound. 

“Does it hurt?” he asked. 

It did hurt, but not to the point of being unbearable. 

Wen Ze replied softly, “It doesn’t hurt that much. It’s just a small injury; it’ll heal with some rest. I’m sorry for making everyone worry.” 

No one blamed him. Sang Hui shook his head and said, “Your sandals are really something, breaking at a time like this. Did you twist your ankle?” 

Wen Ze moved his foot and breathed a sigh of relief. “No.” 

Li Shui asked with concern, “Do you have another pair of sandals?” 

“Yes, I have some in my space. I’ll change into them later.” 

After cleaning the wound and applying hemostatic herbs, Wen Ze slowly crouched down. Using his uninjured hand, he picked up a stone and squeezed it. 

Sure enough, with some effort, it crushed into pieces. 

He threw the shards away and muttered, “I even fell for you, and now I’ve got this injury. If I can’t make use of it later, this pain will have been in vain.” 

Since the issue with the lime couldn’t be resolved for now, Wen Ze didn’t have them carry the limestone back. After checking everything, he walked back to the tribe with them. 

The others, mindful of his condition, took their time on the return journey. They even took turns carrying his two bundles of green bean vines, which made Wen Ze feel both touched and guilty. 

When they reached the altar square, they learned that the other gathering and hunting teams had already divided up their supplies and gone home. 

After a morning of intense sun, the dyed cloths were completely dry. 

The blue was deep, and the red was bright. Though the colors weren’t as intense as when they were freshly dyed, they were still stunningly beautiful. 

Everyone was filled with high expectations for this batch of cloth. They all gathered around to take a careful look and discussed what kinds of clothes they would make with the fabric. 

By the time they divided up today’s haul, the sun had already begun to set. 

Sang Hui, noticing that Wen Ze seemed troubled, softly asked, “Is it your wound hurting? Zhuo Mu should have better medicine. Let him apply some when we get back.” 

Wen Ze froze for a moment and answered, “Ah, no. It doesn’t hurt much now. I was thinking about something else.” 

“What is it?” 

Wen Ze explained, “I still owe the Rainbow Sun and Snow Sea Tribes some supplies. I had planned to make sausages and meatballs this afternoon.” 

He lifted his injured arm and said, “But now, with this…” 

Sang Hui understood and said, “That’s easy! We’ll go and help you!” 

Bai Ling also said, “Yes, with the experience from last time, we can do it quickly this time.” 

Sang Hui replied, “Exactly, you only need to handle the seasoning.” 

The problem was quickly resolved, and Wen Ze was very happy. 

“That’s great! Thank you so much, everyone!” 

When it comes to Wen Ze, the tribe’s always felt like it’s something they have to do. They even started bickering over who gets to help out. 

Wen Ze couldn’t help but smile and said, “Let those who want to exchange the weaving frame with me come this time. I’ll just ask for less supplies.” 

Everyone didn’t want to agree. 

Originally, Wen Ze only wanted half a piece of animal hide in exchange for the weaving frame. Asking for any less would be like giving it away for free. 

Wen Ze, however, insisted. If they didn’t agree, he would just delay it a few days and wait until his arm was completely healed before making sausages and meatballs. 

In the end, they had no choice but to listen to him. 

After settling everything, Wen Ze, along with a few half-beastmen, headed toward Zhuo Mu’s cave. 

From a distance, they could hear the sound of stones striking against each other: “Dang, dang, dang.” 

One of the half-beastmen curiously asked, “What’s that sound?” 

The sound was coming from downstream, but the woods blocked their view from where they stood. 

Wen Ze had a guess and said, “It’s nothing, probably just some work I asked Zhuo Mu to do.” 

Since Yin He wasn’t home, Wen Ze first checked the meat in the cave and the seasonings that would be needed. 

Then, he asked everyone to help move the meat to the open space, wash it, and chop it into pieces. 

They wouldn’t let him do any work. So Wen Ze pointed toward the direction of the forest and said, “I’ll go check it out, I’ll be back soon.” 

“Go ahead, go ahead. It’ll take a while to chop. No need to rush.” The half-beastmen winked at him and laughed teasingly. 

“…” So, he and Zhuo Mu couldn’t escape being teased. 

Not wanting to make things worse, Wen Ze didn’t say anything more. His ears turned a little red as he quickly turned and walked away. 

When he reached the downstream area, he saw Zhuo Mu, who was holding a stone and chiseling away the tree bark fragments in a stone mortar. 

It was hot, and since he was working, the tall and strong man had taken off his shirt, revealing a well-built chest. His six-pack abs were neatly arranged, and the v-shaped line of his muscles was stunning. 

Because his beast form was a pure white giant python, his skin was pale white. At this moment, glistening beads of sweat slid down his back and chest. 

Stunned by the sight, Wen Ze instantly forgot what he was going to say. His face turned red. 

Zhuo Mu noticed him coming over. His hand didn’t stop, but he turned his head to look at him. He had originally wanted to ask if the bark fragments had been processed enough. 

However, as he sniffed the air, he caught the scent of blood! 

His handsome face suddenly darkened. He put the stone down and walked toward Wen Ze. 

His red eyes locked onto him, asking, “Are you injured?” 

Wen Ze tried not to look at him and nodded, “I accidentally fell today. It’s not serious, I’ve already applied some medicine. Ah, it’s just that my clothes got torn. I’ll have to patch them later.” 

Zhuo Mu pressed his lips together: “…” So your clothes are more important than your body, huh? 

“Wait for me to wash my hands.” With that, Zhuo Mu quickly squatted by the creek to wash his hands, then walked over to Wen Ze. 

He gestured for Wen Ze to sit on the stone next to him, then knelt down on one knee, gently squeezing his arm to examine it. 

“Did you fall on the stone?” 

“Mm.” Wen Ze noticed how serious he looked, and an odd emotion rose in his chest. He pretended to be casual and told him about the green beans, red beans, and limestone they found today. 

Zhuo Mu’s expression didn’t soften much. He looked up at Wen Ze and said quietly, “It’s good that it’s just a skin injury and didn’t hurt the bones. Let’s head back now, and I’ll change your bandages. For the next couple of days, don’t touch water, and don’t do heavy work. I’ll take care of cooking.” 

Wen Ze, still held by the wrist, couldn’t help but laugh. “I only hurt my left arm and left hand; my right hand is fine. There’s no problem with cooking. If you’re really worried, just help me chop some vegetables and carry the pot.” 

Zhuo Mu quietly looked at him for a moment, then lowered his eyes to the wound on his arm, murmuring a soft “Mm.” 

“It’s really fine, we’re tough, a little injury like this is nothing. A good night’s sleep and it’ll be fine. Don’t be upset, alright?” Wen Ze tilted his head and smiled at him. 

Zhuo Mu met his gaze, his eyes softening, and the corner of his mouth curving up slightly. 

“I came over to let you know I’m back, and to check how you’re doing with the paper pulp.” 

Zhuo Mu stood up, gently holding his wrist, and led him toward the stone mortar. 

Wen Ze glanced at their hands, which were still “linked,” and his gaze shifted slightly. 

When they reached the stone mortar, he casually pulled his hand back. 

After checking, he smiled and said, “It looks good! Just crush it to the same consistency, and after dinner, we can start making paper!” 

Zhuo Mu nodded. “Alright, I’ll change the medicine for you first.” 

Wen Ze grinned, “Let’s go~” 

Under the burning gaze of the other half-beastmen, the two of them walked into the straw shelter outside the cave. 

Zhuo Mu carefully changed the medicine for Wen Ze. 

After Wen Ze saw him leave, he turned to meet the eyes of the half-beastmen, clearly seeing the mischievous glint in their eyes: they knew something had happened. 

He sighed, glanced at his new bandage, and couldn’t help but chuckle. 

Wen Ze, along with a few half-beastmen, worked until the sun set, finally preparing the food for themselves and for the Rainbow Sun and Snow Sea tribes. 

During this time, Yin He returned, and Wen Ze asked him to organize the materials he gathered today. 

Yin He also asked, “Brother, do we need to pick the green and red beans?” 

“Not yet, let them dry first, and I’ll make a threshing tool.” 

“Got it!” Then, he asked the question he was most concerned about, “How are you planning to cook these beans?” 

Wen Ze smiled, “There aren’t many red beans, so we’ll save them for planting. As for the green beans… I’ll make some sweet cakes!” 

Yin He’s eyes lit up. “That sounds great!” 

He loved his brother’s sweets—they were always delicious! 

The others were also curious about the cakes Wen Ze was going to make and asked what kind they would be. 

Thinking of the mung bean cake, Wen Ze felt his right hand, mixing the meat filling, had a little more strength to it. 

Their cloth is almost dyed, the paper is almost done, and the bricks are about to be fired. 

A wonderful life is waving at him. Isn’t it just the right time to celebrate with some sweet treats? 

It’s definitely not because he’s craving them, haha! 

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