Chapter 12: Chapter 12: White Riverbank, Shrubland

“Forget it. This isn’t my place to say,” Nanfeng said, covering her mouth and shrugging. “Once Changxia’s kiln is done, I’ll check it out. If it’s really that comfortable, I’ll be the second to build one.”

Gen just smiled mysteriously and said nothing.

Chenrong finished chopping the fish and started slicing scallions to make scallion water and remove the fishy smell. Meanwhile, Changxia handed the scallions to Gen and Nanfeng, and also mentioned ginger and garlic.

Nan Feng tilted his head, deep in thought.

“I’ve seen the ginger and garlic you mentioned.”

“Nan Feng, where did you see ginger and garlic?”

“In the shrub forest south of the White River beach.”

Hearing this location, Chang Xia and Chen Rong exchanged glances.

Gen’s expression shifted slightly.

“Chang Xia, the White River beach isn’t far from the tribe. You’ve never been there before because you weren’t well,” Gen explained. “The tribe follows the White River upstream, and there’s a beach about the same size as the White Lake in front of your den. To the south, there’s a large area of shrubs. Usually, the tribe’s young ones go to the shrub forest to gather and collect things.”

“Chief, is the shrub forest the same as the white fruit grove?” Chang Xia asked excitedly.

“There are indeed many white fruit trees in that shrub forest,” Gen nodded, but corrected her, “But it’s not just a white fruit grove. Besides white fruit trees, there are also other trees—like thorn fruit, sour fruit, pines, and astringent persimmon trees.”

The shrub forest was the tribe’s most valued foraging ground.

It was also the territory closest to the tribe.

“Chief, can I go gather in the shrub forest?” Chang Xia quickly changed her wording, not caring whether to call it a white fruit grove or a shrub forest. Compared to Elephant Peak Mountain, the shrub forest was much closer and more convenient. Plus, since Nan Feng said she’d seen ginger and garlic there, Chang Xia was even more tempted.

“Why wouldn’t you be able to go?” Gen shot her a look.

Was this child being silly?

What kind of question was that?!

“Thorn fruit, sour fruit, and astringent persimmons only ripen in the warm and cold seasons. Right now, aside from white fruit, the shrub forest only has lots of wild greens. If you want to eat wild greens, you can go anytime. But if you’re just picking wild greens, the ones near White Lake are enough for you and Chen Rong—you don’t need to go all the way to the shrub forest,” Gen patiently explained.

At the root of it—

Gen just didn’t feel at ease letting Chang Xia wander outside the tribe.

He worried that she might get hurt or feel wronged somewhere out of his or the tribe’s sight.

“I want to pick some ginger and garlic, and maybe find something else while I’m at it,” Chang Xia said excitedly. If she could get ginger, scallions, and garlic, then chili, Sichuan pepper, dried orange peel, and star anise wouldn’t be far behind.

Though she said “gather,” what Chang Xia really wanted was to transplant them.

After all, what’s more convenient than growing them in your own garden?

“You wait here, I’ll go check out the shrub forest right now,” Nan Feng stood up, ready to head straight there.

Chang Xia reached out and grabbed her.

“Nan Feng, if you run into Mu Qin Amu, remember to invite her over for lunch. And if you find ginger, scallions, or garlic, dig them up with the roots and soil attached. I’ve cleared a plot of land next to my den to plant them.”

“Got it!” Nan Feng remembered Chang Xia’s instructions, left the den, and transformed into her beast form, heading straight for the shrub forest by the White River beach.

Today, Mu Qin was also out there gathering wild greens.

So besides picking ginger and garlic, Nan Feng could conveniently bring Mu Qin back for lunch at Chang Xia’s place.

Chang Xia started preparing lunch.

Gen and Chen Rong were outside the den, turning over white fruits.

The dazzling sunlight shone on the fruits, tinting their green skins with a silvery sheen, as if they were dusted with frost.

“Smells amazing!” Gen craned his neck to peek into the den.

At that moment,

Waves of delicious aromas wafted out from inside.

“Chang Xia’s cooking is great!” Chen Rong said. After finishing with the white fruits, he brought the leftover vines from yesterday to the front of the den, planning to weave a few more baskets while he had time. Of course, the main thing was the winnowing baskets and sieves Chang Xia had mentioned—those would make it easier to store extra things at home.

Wooden buckets required timber, but all the wood the tribe had sent had been used to repair the den. To make more buckets, they’d have to cut more trees, so for now, that wasn’t possible.

“Chen Rong, what are you weaving?” Gen asked curiously.

“There’s nothing to store things in at the den, so Chang Xia asked me to weave some vine baskets and winnowing trays. Oh, she came up with those names. They’re just a bit shallower and smaller than regular baskets, for holding things,” Chen Rong said, gesturing at a few small vine baskets lined up against the wall.

The wild greens Gen had just washed were draining in one of the baskets.

Gen looked them over, full of admiration.

“Chang Xia is really clever!” Gen praised.

He wasn’t stupid—these little things might look simple and easy to make, but they were incredibly handy for organizing things.

Life among the beast tribe was rough.

Dens were usually cluttered with stuff.

At Gen’s home, Mu Qin liked to keep things tidy, so their den was already one of the neatest in the tribe. But compared to Chang Xia’s, it was still messy.

Gen could imagine how happy Mu Qin would be when she saw these things. She always complained that no matter how much she cleaned, the den never felt truly tidy.

Because of this,

Gen and Nan Feng had been scolded plenty.

Especially after coming back from hunting trips—the scoldings were even more frequent.

As they talked, Gen squatted down next to Chen Rong and started weaving, copying his movements with nimble fingers.

But the aroma from the den was just too tempting.

Both Gen and Chen Rong found themselves a bit distracted.

There were only two clay pots in the house. Chang Xia didn’t make the fish ball and wild greens soup first, but started by stir-frying some meat and wild greens. In the other pot, she put the meat in cold water and simmered it slowly, skimming off the scum as it cooked. The ginger and garlic Nan Feng was picking would have to wait until next time. Of course, she was even more eager to plant them in her own garden.

After stir-frying the meat and greens, she started shaping fish balls.

Since there were more people this time, Chang Xia made the fish balls twice as big—not lychee-sized, but as big as a baby’s fist, just like the ones she’d brought to the Normandy market.

The river shrimp and crabs were waiting in a vine basket, ready to be cooked once a pot was free.

Thinking about the ginger and garlic Nan Feng was bringing back, Chang Xia’s hands didn’t slow down at all. If she weren’t worried about the clay pots cracking from the heat, she’d want to make even more stir-fried dishes.

She sighed a little to herself, thinking—

Once she had time, she’d get Chen Rong to make a stone pot.

Or maybe a stone slab.

She felt bad using the clay pots for stir-frying. Just now, when she made the fried meat and greens, she’d used a lot of oil, worried the pot might crack.

Poor and powerless—can't afford to get hurt.

Two quarters of an hour later, Nan Feng returned from the thicket with Muqin on her back.

“Amu, hurry and get down.” As soon as Nan Feng stopped, she urged Muqin to climb off her beast form. The delicious smell of food wafting from the beast den made Nan Feng’s stomach rumble—she felt like she could eat an entire horned ox.

Muqin slid off Nan Feng’s back, her face dark.

Before she could scold Nan Feng, an enticing aroma drifted over from the distance.

“Amu, why are you just standing there? Come on, hurry up!”

Nan Feng grabbed her basket and called for Muqin to follow. From the smell, she knew Chang Xia had already finished preparing lunch. Instantly, her mouth watered and she felt even hungrier.

Muqin shot Nan Feng a glare, scolding, “What’s the rush?”

Despite herself, her pace quickened as they headed straight for the beast den.

At that moment, Chen Rong and Gen put down the vines in their hands and squeezed into the den, eyes glued to the bubbling food in the clay pot as they swallowed hard.

This scene happened to catch Muqin’s eye as she walked in.

“Gen, what are you up to?”

Hearing her voice, Gen turned around.

“Muqin, you’re here.” Gen gave an awkward grin. “I was just smelling the food, not doing anything. Oh, right—Nan Feng, fetch some water for your Amu to wash up. Chang Xia’s finished cooking, we can eat anytime.”

Nan Feng deftly tossed her basket into a corner of the den, fetched water, and washed her face—all in one smooth, practiced motion.

“Muqin Amu!” Chang Xia greeted her happily, carefully putting away the basket Nan Feng had tossed aside.