Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Making Tables and Chairs

The next morning, at dawn.

Before Chang Xia even opened her eyes, a flurry of noise reached her ears.

Voices mingled with the chirping of birds, forcing her to wake up and sit up in bed.

“Is Chang Xia awake yet?”

A face peeked in at the entrance of the beast den, waving at her.

“Yadong, what are you doing here?” Chang Xia rubbed her eyes, sitting cross-legged and yawning.

“He’s on duty today, so I asked him to help move wood and stone,” Nan Feng explained.

Gen and Muqin had gone back to the tribe to teach everyone how to make fish balls and fried meat. Last night, the whole tribe was filled with delicious aromas.

Nan Feng hadn’t slept well all night, so she caught Yadong wandering around this morning.

“Come on, get up! Chen Rong’s already made breakfast.”

“Chang Xia, time to get up!”

Early in the morning, a lot of people from the tribe had come over.

Besides bringing resin, they’d also brought wood and stone.

Of course, there was also plenty of meat and wild vegetables. Roughly estimating, it was enough to feed Chang Xia and Chen Rong for a month, maybe even with some left over.

“In such a hurry?” Chang Xia muttered as she got up and went outside to wash up. Sure enough, she saw piles of supplies stacked near the beast den. Her eyes widened in surprise. “Whoa! What happened here?”

Chen Rong smiled and replied, “The tribe brought these over this morning to thank you for the fish balls and fried meat.”

He had guessed that the tribe might come by today.

At dawn, he’d gone to White Lake to collect the fish traps. Since they were starting to build the kiln today, he figured some tribe members would show up, so he set up a stove outside the beast den and started making breakfast. As expected, as soon as the sun rose, people began arriving with gifts.

“This is way too much!” Chang Xia exclaimed.

Never mind the resin—the meat and all kinds of wild vegetables and roots were piled up like a small mountain.

Stirring the stew with a wooden spoon, Chen Rong pointed toward White Lake at the foot of the hill and said, “Besides the wood and stone Nan Feng brought, the tribe sent a lot more.”

“They were worried you wouldn’t have enough. All the families who aren’t planning any weddings soon chipped in,” Nan Feng explained. Actually, she’d tried to refuse, but the tribe scolded her for it.

Yadong and another male, Shankun, squatted by the stove, staring intently at the clay pot in front of Chen Rong. They swallowed hungrily from time to time. If Chen Rong hadn’t stopped them, they’d probably have stuck their faces right into the pot.

Compared to the stew the tribe made last night, Chen Rong’s was clearly more fragrant.

Just the smell made their mouths water.

Previously, when they learned Chang Xia had chosen a mate with a weak body, Yadong and Shankun had secretly planned to “train” Chen Rong. They’d always treated Chang Xia like a little sister, and because of her race and health, they’d even considered taking care of her for life.

Who would have thought that at a big market in Normandy, their precious little sister would find herself a mate?

If Chen Rong had been strong, they wouldn’t have minded. But he looked like someone who wouldn’t live long…

At that moment, they finally understood how Gen must have felt when he was frustrated with them.

“With all this, we could even build a courtyard wall,” Chang Xia said, accepting the tribe’s generosity without hesitation. She glanced at Yadong and Shankun squatting by the stove and said helplessly, “Chen Rong, stop teasing them. Their drool is about to drip into the pot—so unhygienic.”

She hadn’t realized before that Chen Rong had such a mischievous side!

Or had something happened between them in private?

As she thought about it, Chang Xia gave the group a subtle, curious look.

Nan Feng just shrugged, pretending she hadn’t seen anything.

“Chang Xia, can we eat now?” Shankun asked excitedly.

Yadong quickly set out bowls and chopsticks on a wooden table nearby. The long table was something Chen Rong had made that morning, following Chang Xia’s design, while the chairs were made by Yadong and the others.

As soon as they were finished, everyone praised them.

“Wow! Who made the table and chairs?” Chang Xia asked in amazement after washing her face, staring at the neatly arranged long table and the six wooden chairs beside it.

The natural wood color of the table and chairs glowed in the morning light—they looked beautiful.

“Chen Rong made them, just like you described,” Nan Feng replied, helping Chen Rong bring the roasted meat to the table. She clicked her tongue in admiration. “I have to say, these are really nice. And they’re so practical! I always felt awkward squatting or kneeling to eat. Now with tables and chairs, it’s so much more comfortable.”

When Chen Rong was making tables and chairs, he didn’t avoid being seen.

She believed it wouldn’t be long before this trend caught on in the tribe.

At the same time, the clanspeople would probably bring even more things over.

“I want to make a set for my home too,” Yadong chimed in.

Shankun was the most straightforward. He looked at Changxia and asked, “Changxia, is there anything you still need? Just tell me and I’ll bring it over. As for the tables and chairs… my family wants a set too. Nuanchun is pregnant, and kneeling or sitting on the ground is uncomfortable for her.”

Nuanchun was Shankun’s mate; they’d gotten married the year before last.

“Alright, if I need anything, I won’t be polite with you. If you’re making a set of tables and chairs for Nuanchun, don’t use wood—try weaving them from vines instead. Vines make for more comfortable chairs than wood, and if you add a layer of soft animal hide, it’ll be even better.”

Changxia picked up the wooden chair and examined it. It was just like the baskets and packs Chen Rong wove—every edge and corner was sanded smooth, and it felt wonderful to the touch.

These tables and chairs were made from air-dried wood, and they looked even better than the wooden buckets and basins.

Just looking at them made you feel comfortable.

No wonder Nan Feng and the others were so excited.

With Changxia’s approval, everyone was even happier.

Once the food was served, everyone took their seats.

Changxia took the bowl of meat soup Chen Rong handed her, blew on it gently, and said, “Nan Feng, I’d like some rosewood. Does the tribe have any?”

“Rosewood? You mean blackwood?” Nan Feng tilted her head, thought for a moment, and replied, “Blackwood… I remember Yadong has a few pieces stored away. What do you want blackwood for?”

When building dens, the beastfolk preferred sturdy materials.

Compared to blackwood, they liked ironwood better. All the wood Nan Feng had stockpiled was ironwood. Ironwood over a hundred years old was even suitable for making blades.

The knives Changxia used, aside from the bone knife given to her by the shaman, were made from ironwood. Even though they were called wooden knives, they were just as sharp as ordinary bone knives.

“I want Chen Rong to make a set of rosewood tables and chairs for the shaman. The place on Mount Kana is so empty—tables, chairs, beds, cabinets, it’d be best to have them all,” Changxia said, rubbing her chin and tilting her head, thinking about what furniture she should prepare for the shaman.

She hadn’t had the energy before, but now, with her health improved, she was eager to make up for the emptiness of the past few years.

As soon as Changxia said she wanted to make tables and chairs for the shaman, Yadong immediately said, “I’ll bring the blackwood over in a bit. Chen Rong, let me know how much you need. If it’s not enough, I’ll find more.”

Anything for the shaman had to be the best.

“Changxia, can’t you use ironwood?” Nan Feng asked.

She didn’t really understand Changxia’s thinking—just like Chen Rong. After spending enough time with Changxia, both Nan Feng and the other clanspeople had gotten used to ignoring her odd words and ideas.

“Nan Feng, rosewood furniture looks much better than ironwood. When my cave house is finished, I want Chen Rong to make a whole set of rosewood furniture for me,” Changxia hummed.

Ever since she learned Yadong had a few pieces of rosewood, she’d been thinking about it.

The clanspeople liked ironwood, but Changxia didn’t—she preferred rosewood. Besides rosewood, huanghuali, suanzhi, and jichimu were all rare and hard to come by. With the Twilight Forest full of trees, how could Changxia pass up the chance?

If she was going to choose, she’d pick her favorites.

Of course, for things like doors and windows, ironwood was best.

Ironwood, which the beastfolk also called iron trees, grew in areas of the Twilight Forest where even fierce beasts wouldn’t settle. The beastfolk used ironwood for dens not just because it was strong, but also because it naturally gave off a scent that wild animals disliked.

The leaves of the iron tree were often made into sachets to carry around.

They could also be used to repel beasts, insects, and poisonous snakes.