In this world, young beastlings are far more developed than human infants. On the second day after their birth, the two little beastlings, which looked similar to meerkats, could crawl around and even stand upright on their hind legs.
Jian Mo conducted a physical examination of the two little beastlings. Tentatively, the two reached out their paws to tug at his leg and sniffed at him with their small noses. “Yip yip yip.”
He gently picked up one of the little beastlings, placing it on his lap to check it over.
The little beastling tucked its tail tightly between its legs, covering its small belly, and stared at Jian Mo with large gray-blue eyes.
Wu Jiong picked up the other little beastling. It immediately grabbed onto his hand with its tiny mouth, gnawing at his fingers.
After examining the beastling in his hands, Jian Mo remarked, “This little one has no issues—everything looks great.”
Wu Jiong handed over the beastling he was holding. “It’s rare to see such lively little ones.”
Jian Mo glanced up and smiled. “Ban Jiu and the others aren’t much quieter than these two.”
Wu Jiong replied, “They were very quiet when they were just born.”
Speaking of which, the birthrate among the beastmen and sub-beastmen was notably low. Since Jian Mo’s arrival at the He’an Tribe, he had neither seen newborn beastlings nor pregnant sub-beastmen.
He wondered when the He’an Tribe would finally welcome younglings to play with. He would really love to see some feline or canine cubs.
Once the examination was done, Jian Mo told Ba Tong, who was waiting nearby, “Both little ones are developing very well. They look perfectly fine, so just feed them normally.”
As he spoke, Jian Mo tried to hand the little beastling in his arms back to Ba Tong.
The little beastling resisted, clutching his wrist with its paws. “Yip yip yip.”
Seeing its sibling do this, the other beastling also reached out its paws to grab Jian Mo’s pants, trying to climb into his arms.
The newborn beastlings, with their soft baby fur and squishy bodies, looked utterly adorable as they stretched their paws out to nuzzle against people.
Jian Mo’s heart melted, but he still handed the little ones over to Ba Tong. “You should take them back.”
Carefully cradling the two cubs, Ba Tong nodded gratefully. “Thank you, Doctor Jian Mo.”
Jian Mo smiled warmly. “Don’t mention it. Things seem fine here, so we plan to leave tomorrow morning. I’ve already discussed it with your chief.”
Ba Tong asked, “Leaving so soon? Won’t you stay a bit longer?”
Jian Mo shook his head. “No, we have matters to tend to at our tribe. If there’s anything urgent, you can always ride Dara to find us.”
Ba Tong nodded silently.
After Ba Tong left, Jian Mo packed up a few items and decided to explore the area with Wu Jiong.
It was Jian Mo’s first time at the Tian Ning Tribe, and many of the plants here were unfamiliar to him. He thought he might discover some interesting ones to take back.
Just as they stepped out and hadn’t gone far, they saw Ba Tong walking toward them with a basket strapped to his back.
Jian Mo was surprised. “Why are you here again?”
Ba Tong replied, “Thank you for helping with the delivery. I heard you charge a fee for consultations, but I wasn’t sure how much to give. Here are some metal chunks and pottery—see if it’s enough. If not, I’ll make it up.”
He set the basket down before Jian Mo. The weight left a clear impression on the muddy ground.
Jian Mo glanced inside and saw a basket filled halfway with metal chunks. On top of the metal were neatly stacked ceramic pots, bowls, and basins.
A cursory glance showed over a dozen finely crafted pieces of pottery, each with beautifully intricate patterns.
Jian Mo was stunned. “This is way too much. I don’t need so much. I’ll just take a few pieces of pottery and some metal. You can keep the rest.”
Ba Tong insisted, “It’s not too much. Without your help, the little ones wouldn’t have been born safely. You saved Shan Yan and the cubs’ lives—and our family’s as well.”
Jian Mo waved his hand. “No, no, what I did wasn’t extraordinary. It wasn’t that labor-intensive either, and I don’t need such a large reward. Besides, you’ll need resources to raise the cubs. I can’t accept this.”
Ba Tong said, “I can go hunting again and gather more supplies soon.”
Jian Mo shook his head firmly. “That’s different. I really can’t take so much. Also, if I accept too many resources from you, it might set a bad example. Future patients might feel they can’t afford my help and avoid seeking treatment.”
Jian Mo’s refusal was resolute. After a few exchanges, Ba Tong had no choice but to take back the extra metals and pottery.
As Ba Tong was about to leave, Jian Mo asked, “Have you decided on names for the cubs?”
Ba Tong’s face lit up with a joyful smile. “We have. They’ll be called Shan Ning and Ba Wu. Shan Yan and I decided on these together.”
Jian Mo repeated the names, “Shan Ning and Ba Wu—what lovely names.”
Ba Tong smiled again, his happiness evident. “It’s all thanks to you.”
Jian Mo shared in his joy. “That’s wonderful. If you ever have time, you’re welcome to visit the He’an Tribe as our guests.”
This trip to the Tian Ning Tribe not only resulted in some pottery and metals as medical fees but also allowed them to trade for spices and white ceramic clay.
The ceramic clay produced by the Tian Ning Tribe was exceptionally white and fine, denser than most. It was no wonder their pottery was so outstanding—it excelled even at the raw material stage.
Their journey back wasn’t rushed. Chirpy flew slightly faster than usual, and they returned to the He’an Tribe by dusk.
The whole tribe was filled with the aroma of cooking. People brought out their meals to the open spaces, eating while chatting with others.
When they saw Chirpy flying in, someone shouted from a distance, “Brother Jian Mo, Chief, how did the delivery for their sub-beastman go at the Tian Ning Tribe?”
Jian Mo shouted back, “It went very well! Mother and sons are safe—and they’re twins!”
The news prompted cheers from the crowd, filled with envy and excitement.
In these times, it was hard enough to have younglings, let alone twins.
When they heard this, everyone exclaimed, their voices filled with envy.
Qing Kuo shouted from the crowd, “Since you just got back, don’t bother cooking. Come eat here instead—there’s plenty of roasted meat left over from my house.”
Min Dang chimed in, “We have extra roasted meat too. I can spare some.”
Qing Kuo added, “Let Ban Ming take Chirpy to feed it, and you two can just come out and have a quick bite.”
Ban Ming protested loudly to his father, “I want to hear about Jian Mo and the chief’s trip to the Tian Ning Tribe too!”
As Chirpy carried Jian Mo and the chief closer to their house, Jian Mo shouted back, “No need! You all wait—I’ll make some noodles real quick and join you soon!”
Jian Mo and the others returned home, set down their things, but hadn’t yet started a fire to cook. Qing Kuo arrived at their house, carrying roasted meat, and offered to help prepare dinner while chatting at the same time.
It worked out. Jian Mo shared everything that had happened at the Tian Ning Tribe.
When everyone heard about Shan Yan’s difficult delivery of twins, they collectively gasped.
Min Dang sighed, “There was a sub-beastman in the Meng Shui Tribe’s previous generation who also carried twins. He suffered the same fate of a difficult labor, but neither survived. After the cubs were cut out with claws, the sub-beastman couldn’t bear it and passed away shortly after, weakened from the ordeal.”
Zhou Fu added, “I heard about that. He was very young, had only just bonded with his partner, and quickly conceived. Everyone was envious back then.”
Min Dang nodded, “Yes. His partner didn’t stay in the Meng Shui Tribe for long after that. He left, saying he needed to travel to heal. He never returned.”
Another sub-beastman murmured, “If he had stayed in the Meng Shui Tribe, seeing all the familiar places and people would have kept reminding him of his loss.”
Jian Mo concluded softly, “The pain of memories.”
The group chatted for a while, praising Jian Mo’s impressive medical skills, before the conversation naturally veered off in other directions.
Seeing Wu Jiong kneading noodles, Qing Kuo suddenly remembered, “The Mien Grass you planted has turned yellow—it looks ready for harvest.”
In the entire He’an Tribe, only Jian Mo’s household had planted Mien Grass. Everyone else grew various tuber crops, as did the tribe’s communal fields, which weren’t ready for harvest yet.
Jian Mo was surprised. “Isn’t Mien Grass supposed to turn yellow in autumn? We’ll check it out tomorrow.”
Qing Kuo replied, “I’m not sure. No one else has grown it before. Maybe it’s because you planted it early. I remember you sowed the seeds when it was still very cold and used that sprouting technique of yours. Your Mien Grass sprouted much earlier than the wild grass.”
Jian Mo nodded thoughtfully. “That’s possible. If it’s really mature, we should harvest it right away.”
Though their trip had been productive, it had also been exhausting.
After a quick dinner and feeding Chirpy, Jian Mo pulled Wu Jiong along for a bath before heading straight to bed.
The next morning, Jian Mo was planning to check the fish traps but remembered the Mien Grass and decided to swing by the fields instead. Sure enough, the patch of Mien Grass was entirely yellow, standing out starkly against the vibrant green wild grass surrounding it.
He crossed the river to get a closer look at the field.
The grass heads were heavy and drooping, appearing slightly larger than the ones he’d harvested in the wild the previous year.
Perhaps it was because the grass hadn’t withered yet and retained more moisture, or maybe it was due to the ample fertilizer they had used. Either way, the heads were noticeably bigger this year.
Jian Mo plucked a single stalk, biting into the head.
It was firm and had the texture of raw grains, indicating that the grass was truly mature and not just yellowing prematurely.
He harvested a small bundle of the heads and, carrying them in one hand and the fish in the other, strolled back home.
Wu Jiong had just finished feeding the Tou Tou Beasts and returned from the backyard when he saw the bundle of grass heads in Jian Mo’s hand. “The heads seem pretty good.”
Jian Mo agreed. “I think so too. Look—so heavy.”
Wu Jiong took one and examined it. “They’re heavier than last year’s.”
Jian Mo nodded. “True. It might be because they’re fresh and still contain a lot of water. But even so, it shows our efforts this year weren’t wasted.”
Wu Jiong commented, “We didn’t put in that much effort.”
Jian Mo countered, “Still, we did some work—getting the little ones to chase away insects and birds, using Thunder Eggs as a pesticide, and channeling water and fertilizer for them…”
Counting on his fingers, Jian Mo looked at the hard-earned heads and sighed sentimentally, “Who knows how much toil goes into each grain of food.”
The two of them headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Wu Jiong asked, “What are you planning to do with these heads?”
Jian Mo’s eyes lit up. “Popcorn! Just wait—I’ll show you how to make it.”
Wu Jiong looked puzzled.
Without much explanation, Jian Mo retrieved the charcoal brazier they used in winter for making coal, cleaned it thoroughly with water, and scrubbed it down with some weeds from the stove. Then, he placed the grass heads into the brazier.
Wu Jiong asked, “And now?”
Jian Mo replied, “We’ll make breakfast first. Once it’s ready, I’ll save some embers to use.”
They washed and chopped ingredients together, and Jian Mo quickly prepared a three-dish, one-soup breakfast.
After they finished cooking, Jian Mo used a large spatula to scoop out some embers with glowing sparks from the stove, dumping them directly into the brazier with the grass heads.
Next, he grabbed a large basket and inverted it over the brazier, leaving only his hand inside to rotate the stalks gently.
Wu Jiong crouched nearby, watching as Jian Mo operated the brazier with a mysterious smile on his face.
For a long while, there was no movement inside the basket.
Jian Mo began to suspect that something was wrong—maybe the wrong type of grass head, too much moisture, or simply an unsuitable variety for making popcorn.
By all logic, plants like wheat and rice should work for popcorn, and while Mien Grass seeds were smaller, they shouldn’t fail entirely.
Just as Jian Mo was about to investigate, a sudden pop echoed from inside the basket, followed by a rapid succession of pop-pop-pop sounds.
Wu Jiong immediately tensed, shielding Jian Mo instinctively.
Jian Mo was startled too, reflexively letting go and dropping the basket fully over the brazier with a loud clang.
When he realized what had happened, Jian Mo couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s what I was telling you about—popcorn.”
Wu Jiong commented, “It’s really loud.”
Jian Mo nodded, “Exactly why I grabbed the basket. Hold on—I’ll check how it turned out.”
Carefully, Jian Mo lifted the basket slightly and saw small, pale yellow popcorn scattered along the edges.
Excited, he grabbed a handful of the still-hot popcorn. “Look! It worked!”
The popcorn was slightly browned on the edges and emitted a delightful, grainy aroma—tempting and fragrant.
Wu Jiong picked one from Jian Mo’s palm. “You eat this directly?”
Jian Mo tossed one into his mouth. “Yep, just eat it.”
As he chewed, the unique grainy fragrance of the popcorn intensified. Even without syrup, the starchy sweetness was evident. The popcorn was aromatic, sweet, and slightly crunchy, with an excellent texture.
Jian Mo closed his eyes in satisfaction, a nostalgic look on his face. “I had this when I was little, but my grandparents never let me make it—they were afraid it’d hit me in the eye.”
Wu Jiong asked, “A childhood snack of yours?”
Jian Mo nodded. “Yep. Back then, we didn’t have much to eat, so we wanted to try everything we could get our hands on.”
Wu Jiong smiled. “It’d be fun for the little ones to snack on.”
Jian Mo shook his head. “Better not teach them. Let’s keep it for the adults. If they get hit in the eye, it’ll be a problem.”
The Mien Grass seeds inside the brazier continued popping vigorously. Once the sound started to die down, Jian Mo carefully lifted the basket a little more, rotating the stalks to ensure all the seeds made contact with the embers.
After waiting for a while and hearing no more popping sounds, Jian Mo finally removed the basket. He grabbed a piece of firewood and used it to rake through the ashes, pushing the popped popcorn to the edges.
Jian Mo remarked, “Some of these got a little burnt, but they should still taste good.”
Wu Jiong suggested, “Save some for Chirpy to try.”
Jian Mo agreed with a chuckle, “Sure.”
Before he even finished speaking, Jian Mo laughed again. “But these Mien Grass popcorn pieces are so tiny. I’m not sure they’d even fill the gaps in Chirpy’s teeth. It might not taste anything at all.”
Wu Jiong added, “Then it’ll just have to enjoy the aroma.”
Jian Mo burst out laughing once more.
After breakfast, they grabbed sickles and headed out to harvest the Mien Grass.
The timing for the harvest was perfect. The grass heads had a grainy fragrance and were mature enough that the seeds didn’t fall off with a bit of shaking.
Both men were skilled workers, cutting down large swaths of the field in no time.
They piled the harvested Mien Grass into heaps, tied them into bundles, and transported them across the river for drying.
The seeds they had started with were limited, so the area of Mien Grass they planted wasn’t particularly large—just one big field.
Even so, the amount they harvested exceeded their expectations. Bundle after bundle, when laid out for drying, it was far more than the wild vegetables they had collected over half a month.
Some idle tribe members came to help and couldn’t help but marvel at the sight. “This Mien Grass you planted is truly worth it.”
Jian Mo, rubbing his aching back, also looked at the harvested grass and agreed, “It’s definitely worth it. The seeds are big too. Once we figure things out, if we can plant again in the latter half of the year, we’ll grow another crop.”
Flour was incredibly precious, and with another crop, they wouldn’t run short of flour during the New Year celebrations.
The only real limitation was the scarcity of seeds. If there had been more, Jian Mo would’ve planted the entire riverbank.
There was plenty of land by the river, and many people to help. If they had enough seeds, they could plant a large area. By the time the harvest came in, they’d likely have enough flour to eat noodles and other wheat-based food all year, without needing to rely on tubers.
Though some tubers tasted fine, many were downright awful.
Not only were they unpleasant to eat, but they were also hard to digest. Eating too many caused stomach discomfort and acid reflux. Given a choice, Jian Mo didn’t want to eat them any more than necessary.
