The branches of the Red Sparrow Branch were slender, with almost no leaves. Tiny elongated red flowers, about the size of date pits, bloomed along every branch.
Jian Mo broke off a twig and held it under his nose. A faint fragrance wafted over, reminiscent of plum blossoms, though fresher and more invigorating.
Surprised by the pleasant scent, Jian Mo exclaimed, “This smells amazing.”
While deftly plucking the flower buds, Qing Kuo explained, “The scent is nice. Sometimes we pick them to put in vases at home. But they wilt quickly, and since they grow far from our tribe, we usually don’t make a special trip for them. If we’re passing by, we’ll grab some.”
Jian Mo squeezed one of the flower buds gently. It felt tender, crumbling easily into a paste, confirming how quickly it would wilt.
Indeed, nothing was perfect.
Qing Kuo and the other experienced sub-beastmen worked quickly, their hands alternating nimbly as they stripped one branch after another of flowers.
The light blossoms fell into their baskets, steadily filling them.
Jian Mo, working at a slower pace, still managed to collect a good haul thanks to the abundance of Red Sparrow Branches.
Once they finished gathering, they brought the flowers back home to begin the infusion process.
It was Jian Mo’s first time extracting essential oil, so he didn’t know the proper method. Opting for a simple approach, he placed the flowers in oil and gently heated it.
They kept the temperature low to avoid destroying the fragrance, simmering it over a slow fire.
Batch after batch of Red Sparrow flowers were added to the oil. The clay pot’s contents turned redder, and the aroma grew richer with each addition.
Red Sparrow Branches were non-toxic, so Chirpy waited nearby, happily munching on fried Red Sparrow flower fritters.
Seeing Chirpy’s enthusiasm, Jian Mo added some spice powder to the mixture, shaping it into balls for Chirpy to eat.
Zhou Fu, watching from the side, couldn’t resist asking for one. After tasting it, he said to Jian Mo, “It’s pretty good. There’s a slight bitterness, but the floral fragrance is strong.”
The younglings nearby couldn’t hold back any longer. “Brother Jian Mo, we want some too!”
He Feng gave Chirpy’s leg a playful slap and scolded, “Stupid Chirpy! How could you not tell us about something so tasty?”
Chirpy blinked innocently and chirped, “Chirp!”
Seeing them like this, Jian Mo relented and gave the filtered flower fritters to the little ones as well. “Don’t eat too much. I’ll fry some vegetable fritters for you later.”
The younglings cheered and even volunteered to help. “Brother Jian Mo, what do you need us to do?”
Jian Mo chuckled, “Take Chirpy outside to play and stop getting in the way.”
The adults laughed at this.
Qing Kuo teased, “I thought you didn’t mind the little ones chattering around you. Turns out they annoy you too.”
The fragrant flowers of the Red Sparrow Branch made for beautiful and aromatic soap and ointments.
The soap, in particular, looked exquisite when poured into patterned molds. Once unmolded, the final product was refined and elegant.
Jian Mo and the sub-beastmen from the tribe took their products to the Meng Shui Tribe to trade.
Their herbal soap was an instant hit, and they successfully exchanged it for berries, fabric, and other supplies.
However, when it came to their herbal ointment—
Yun Long remarked with a smile, “Your herbal ointment isn’t as good as ours. Ours not only soothes swelling and itching but also repels and drives away insects.”
As he spoke, Yun Long had someone bring out a clay jar of their ointment.
The Meng Shui Tribe’s ointment was pitch black, with a strong, peculiar scent—neither wholly fragrant nor unpleasant. When rubbed on the skin, it gave a cool sensation, followed by a lingering fragrance.
Jian Mo applied a little to a spot where he had been bitten by an insect, and sure enough, the pain and itchiness disappeared almost instantly.
It did seem more effective than the Spirit Cat Tail Grass ointment he had made.
Jian Mo sniffed the ointment, but the overwhelming scent stung his nose as if someone had punched his nasal membranes. He couldn’t discern its ingredients.
Yun Long said proudly, “This is our tribe’s special formula. Don’t apply it to sensitive areas.”
Jian Mo nodded in acknowledgment.
Curious, Qing Kuo asked, “You didn’t have this ointment before? Why haven’t you promoted it if it’s so good?”
Yun Long replied, “It’s new this year. We were planning to visit your tribe to see if you were interested, but you came here first. What do you think? Want to trade for some?”
Jian Mo considered. “Can we trade for the recipe?”
Yun Long smiled slyly. “Sure, if you trade us your soap recipe.”
Jian Mo weighed the offer. “Then never mind.”
Yun Long laughed, “How about we trade ointment for soap?”
Ultimately, Jian Mo’s group didn’t trade much of their own ointment but returned with some of the Meng Shui Tribe’s herbal ointment.
By this point in the summer, the heat was intense, and at dusk, swarms of flying insects hovered over their heads like clouds.
Although most of the insects didn’t bite, their constant buzzing and tendency to collide with people’s faces, eyes, and nostrils were highly irritating.
Applying the Meng Shui Tribe’s ointment changed everything. The insects, as if encountering a predator, kept their distance.
This effectiveness shocked Jian Mo and his group.
Qing Kuo stared at the dispersing insects. “Amazing! Where did they get this formula? The results are incredible.”
Ye Luo speculated, “I wonder if they developed it themselves or traded for it from another tribe.”
Qing Kuo mused, “It’s probably something they traded for. The Meng Shui Tribe has hosted many visitors recently. Still, whatever it is, the ingredients must be something local to their tribe.”
As he spoke, Qing Kuo sniffed the ointment again.
The scent was pungent and complex. After a few sniffs, Qing Kuo couldn’t identify any of the components and turned away to sneeze violently.
Ye Luo commented, “They likely had the same idea as us, adding a lot of fragrances to mask the active ingredients in the ointment.”
Qing Kuo rubbed his nose. “How devious.”
Jian Mo chuckled. “We’re just as crafty.”
Qing Kuo agreed, “You have to be. Otherwise, the Meng Shui Tribe would uncover all our secrets while we’d be left clueless about theirs.”
He muttered further, “Forget it. If we can’t figure out what’s in their ointment, they won’t be able to figure out how we make our soap or glass.”
Jian Mo nodded. “Our soap is relatively simple to make. Trading it isn’t a loss.”
Qing Kuo added, “Exactly. This winter, we should collect more lye. Last year, we didn’t gather enough, and now it’s almost gone.”
The group discussed their plans briefly.
Jian Mo then asked, “Should we trade for more of their ointment? It seems really effective and could be great for the little ones.”
Qing Kuo sighed. “Let’s trade. We can’t beat them on this one.”
Jian Mo laughed but didn’t dwell on it. Every tribe had its strengths, and it was natural for the Meng Shui Tribe to have a few tricks up their sleeve.
That evening, most of the tribe had returned from hunting or foraging, and the day’s harvest had already been distributed.
Qing Kuo and Ye Luo arrived back hurriedly.
Looking at the clearing, Qing Kuo noticed that Jian Mo wasn’t outside cooling off. Instead, Ban Ming and Ah Hu were playing in their beast forms.
The two large cats stood upright on their hind legs, swiping their front paws rapidly in a mock battle of “cat punches.”
They fought with loud yowls, fur flying everywhere.
The onlookers cheered enthusiastically, rooting for either side.
Seeing this, Qing Kuo immediately felt a headache coming on.
The big cat Ban Ming spotted his father approaching and instantly became nervous. Tucking his tail, he bolted, trying to escape.
Ah Hu, realizing it was just for fun, chased after him.
Qing Kuo drew a deep breath and shouted, “Why are you running? I saw everything!”
Ban Ming yowled and ran even faster.
Qing Kuo yelled after him, “Don’t just run! Stop by Jian Mo’s house and tell him to come over!”
Ban Ming skidded to a halt, quickly changed direction, and dashed toward Jian Mo’s house to deliver the message.
Jian Mo was preparing dinner when Ban Ming arrived. Hearing the message, he set down his knife. “What does your dad want me for?”
Ban Ming replied, “I don’t know. Brother Jian Mo, can you just go?”
“Alright,” Jian Mo said, figuring it wouldn’t take long.
After tidying the kitchen and removing his apron, Jian Mo headed to the clearing.
Qing Kuo and the others were still waiting. When he arrived, Qing Kuo grinned smugly and said, “I brought you something good. Guess what it is.”
Jian Mo tilted his head. “No idea. Berries?”
Lately, Jian Mo had been particularly fond of berries, so he often guessed along those lines.
Qing Kuo shook his head. “Not food.”
“Not food? Then what is it?” Jian Mo walked closer. “Wood? Insect nests? Just show me—I can’t guess.”
Qing Kuo pulled a piece of hard, yellow-brown material out of his basket.
Jian Mo looked closely. It resembled a block of salt, maybe sugar, or even some kind of mineral.
He took it in his hand. It was heavy and cool to the touch, with a texture somewhat like stone but not quite the same.
Curious, he moved it to his nose to sniff.
As he shifted it, small flakes broke off. He instinctively rubbed them between his fingers—
Wait!
The texture!
Jian Mo rubbed the flakes again and then dug into the block with his fingernail. Sure enough, he pulled out larger flakes that easily stuck back together with the smaller ones.
Jian Mo’s eyes widened. “No way—is this the beeswax I mentioned before?”
Qing Kuo laughed. “You’re asking me? You’re the one looking for it.”
Jian Mo sniffed it again. There was no distinct scent. He rubbed it once more. “It really seems like it. I’ve never seen pure beeswax before, but this feels right. Hold on, I’ll melt it at home to test.”
The others crowded around, intrigued by Jian Mo’s excitement, and began to touch and poke at the block as well.
“What’s it for?” someone asked.
Jian Mo replied, “It has so many uses! Wait, let me check if it’s what I think it is first.”
Qing Kuo followed him. “Go ahead, but I’m pretty sure this is what you’re looking for. It’s a secretion from insects.”
Jian Mo nodded. “If that’s the case, it really might be.”
Back at home, Jian Mo grabbed a clean clay pot and set up a makeshift fire pit in the yard with stones. He placed the pot over the fire and cut a piece of the hard material with his knife.
The cutting was easy—just a gentle slice, and a piece came off.
This further convinced Jian Mo that the block was beeswax—no, insect wax!
In the clay pot, the wax quickly melted into a liquid. Jian Mo dipped a wooden stick into the liquid, which solidified again almost immediately.
It felt just like the candles he remembered from his childhood during power outages. The texture was unmistakable.
“It’s definitely wax,” Jian Mo said, letting out a sigh of relief. “Where did you find it?”
Qing Kuo replied, “It’s not from any of the nearby tribes.”
Jian Mo was puzzled. “Then how did you get it?”
Qing Kuo explained nonchalantly, “We asked some sub-beastmen we know in other tribes to help us search. They asked their connections in more distant tribes, and eventually, someone found it.”
Jian Mo asked, “So which tribe is it from?”
Qing Kuo answered, “It’s from a place near the Jin Tuo Tribe, at a neighboring Yang Yao Tribe. That area is mostly home to feline beastmen and sub-beastmen. They agreed to trade it when they heard we had feline beastmen and sub-beastmen here too.”
Jian Mo sighed. “That must’ve been quite an effort.”
Qing Kuo nodded. “It was. They said it was because of your reputation. Word is, you’re the most popular person among all the nearby tribes, so they decided to do us a favor.”
Jian Mo touched his face and grinned. “Worth it.”
With the rare insect wax finally in hand, Jian Mo was eager to put it to use.
“Let’s do it tonight,” Jian Mo said. “I’ll see if I can make lip balm!”
Qing Kuo asked, “Is this the lip balm you mentioned, made with animal fat and insect wax?”
Jian Mo nodded, adding, “We should also mix in some moisturizing herbal oil. We already have Red Sparrow Branch oil, so let’s use that.”
Lip balm production was one of the tribe’s confidential processes, so Jian Mo only invited Qing Kuo and a few others to participate.
They worked in the courtyard to make the lip balm. Thanks to the insect-repellent ointment from the Meng Shui Tribe, no bugs bothered them, and the breeze made the courtyard more comfortable.
Jian Mo melted the insect wax in an oil-free, water-free clay pot.
Wary of potential failure, he only melted a third of the wax for the first batch.
The melted wax had some impurities. Jian Mo initially tried filtering it, but after several attempts, he realized it wasn’t feasible. He resorted to using chopsticks to manually pick out the impurities bit by bit.
“Good enough,” he muttered.
Jian Mo experimented with small batches and found that the type of oil didn’t affect the success rate; only the wax-to-oil ratio mattered.
The ideal formula was one part wax to four parts oil, producing the most successful results.
They ended up with 52 jars of lip balm neatly lined up.
The pale red balm looked delightful, and a gentle sniff revealed a subtle fragrance.
With Jian Mo’s permission, Zhou Fu eagerly grabbed a jar, scooped a small amount, and applied it to his lips.
After spreading it, he smacked his lips in delight. “It smells great and feels so smooth!”
Everyone admired Zhou Fu’s slightly red, glossy lips, and Qing Kuo commented, “The red tint looks nice too.”
Zhou Fu suggested, “Could we add something like red clay to make it even redder?”
Jian Mo waved the idea off. “Not necessary. If you want redder lips, you could just apply red clay directly. But I don’t think red clay is very safe.”
Jian Mo wasn’t sure what red clay was made of, but he’d seen it used during the Beast Festival and guessed it was a type of mineral clay.
Since it was mineral-based, it might contain metals, and ingesting it could be harmful.
While applying a bit of red clay to one’s face during festivals was fine, it wasn’t suitable for daily use in lip balm—especially for the little ones. Adding it could negatively impact their growth and development.
After Jian Mo explained, everyone nodded in understanding.
They each took a jar of lip balm to try and were very satisfied with the results.
However, when they turned back, they saw Jian Mo frowning.
Qing Kuo asked, “What’s wrong? Don’t you like this lip balm? Is the wax the problem?”
Jian Mo shook his head. “I think it’s the oil. Don’t you feel it’s too greasy? It feels sticky on the lips.”
The group exchanged glances and collectively shook their heads. Clearly, they didn’t share his concern.
Jian Mo, however, remained dissatisfied. He remembered using excellent lip balm before—ones that were moisturizing yet light, adhered well to the lips, and had a pleasant texture and scent.
He wiped the balm off his lips and sniffed it again.
The newly made lip balm carried a heavy animal fat smell, which felt overpowering.
On Earth, lip balms were often made with plant-based oils like shea butter, giving them a lighter, more appealing aroma and texture.
Qing Kuo patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t be too picky. This lip balm is already great.”
Jian Mo replied, “It’s fine, but if we trade this with the Meng Shui Tribe, they’ll probably replicate it quickly.”
Qing Kuo scowled. “Tsk.”
Jian Mo laughed. “I just thought of the Clear Red Fruit in the mountains. Its seeds are pretty oily—we could try using its oil to make the balm.”
Clear Red Fruit was a small shrub fruit containing seeds slightly larger than sesame seeds. The seeds were so oily that a light squeeze could extract oil.
However, since each fruit only had five or six seeds, and they were edible, most people didn’t bother collecting them.
Qing Kuo noted, “It’s the season for Clear Red Fruit to ripen.”
Jian Mo agreed, “Exactly. I’ll gather some in a few days and see if the oil works for lip balm.”
Min Dang chimed in, “I’m free these next few days and don’t have to join the tribe for foraging. I’ll help you collect them.”
Zhou Fu jumped in eagerly. “Me too, and Xi Lu can help as well.”
Xi Lu nodded in agreement.
Ye Luo laughed. “Let’s all go. I know where the best Clear Red Fruit grows. Qing Kuo, you coming?”
Qing Kuo snorted. “If all of you are going, I have to come too.”
And so, they planned a trip to gather Clear Red Fruit.
Wu Jiong, busy hunting with the tribe, couldn’t join them, so the group of sub-beastmen went alone.
Early the next morning, Jian Mo and the others set off, led by Ye Luo toward the mountain where Clear Red Fruit grew.
The shrubs were indeed abundant, their ripe fruits densely packed. Many had split open, scattering some seeds while leaving others clinging to the branches, waiting for birds to eat them.
The scattered seeds couldn’t be collected, so they focused on the fruits still on the branches, knocking them off into their baskets and prying out the seeds.
The seeds were so small that collecting them was tedious. They worked from morning to noon, and everyone’s hands were cramping.
At midday, they sat in the shade to drink water and share the food they’d brought.
Qing Kuo remarked, “This isn’t working. We should just take the fruits back, dry them, and use a grinder to crush and sift out the seeds.”
Jian Mo, exhausted, felt guilty. “Sorry for putting you all through this.”
Ye Luo patted Jian Mo’s shoulder. “What are you saying? We’ll all use the lip balm anyway. Why should you do all the work?”
Qing Kuo added, “I’ve got two little ones at home who’ll need this lip balm.”
Jian Mo chuckled. “Ban Ming doesn’t count as a little one anymore.”
Qing Kuo snorted. “He’s exactly the kind of rascal you’d call a little brat.”
Everyone burst into laughter.
After a short break, they resumed their work.
In the afternoon, the group started harvesting the entire fruits along with the seeds, which made the work much easier. Before long, everyone had filled two baskets each.
Carrying one basket in the front and another on their backs, they descended the mountain slowly and returned to the tribe.
The young beastmen who had returned early came out to help them carry the load.
Once the fruits were brought back to the tribe, processing became a breeze.
Whether it was drying or crushing and sifting, plenty of hands were available to help.
Within four or five days, two large baskets of shiny, black seeds were neatly prepared and placed before Jian Mo.
Qing Kuo asked, “What’s the next step?”
Jian Mo replied, “Let’s press the oil first.”
The tribe typically used animal fat for cooking and had no experience pressing plant oils.
Jian Mo asked Wu Jiong to fetch the hardwood they had stored in the cave. They carved grooves into the middle of the planks and arranged them in a cross-shaped frame.
Others curiously asked:
“What’s next? How do we do it?”
“I’ve found some dried tree leaves. Here’s the rope.”
“I’ve already pounded the Clear Red Fruit seeds. Some oil came out while pounding—will that affect anything?”
Jian Mo answered each question patiently, “Roast the seeds in the kitchen to bring out their aroma. Keep the leaves and rope ready. The oil lost during pounding shouldn’t matter; it’s not much.”
Seeing Jian Mo’s clear plan, everyone followed him to the kitchen.
Jian Mo roasted the seeds from the two baskets, enhancing their fragrance, and then had everyone use large tree leaves to pack the seeds into round, flat cakes, similar to tea bricks.
Once the cakes were ready, Jian Mo instructed them to bring the wooden frame to the courtyard and fit the seed cakes into the grooves.
“And then?” someone asked.
Jian Mo tried to set the wooden frame up somewhere suitable. After surveying the barren courtyard, he slapped his forehead. “We’ll take it to the big stone mortar and use it to press the oil out.”
Everyone understood and hurried to move the equipment to the large stone mortar.
They positioned the wooden frame on the stone mortar so that the grooves would channel the pressed oil directly into the stone basin below.
Wiping sweat from his forehead, Jian Mo said, “It’s ready to press. We just need two heavy people to step on either end of the plank.”
Ban Ming raised his hand eagerly. “Brother Jian Mo, can we press it in beast form instead?”
It took Jian Mo a moment to process the suggestion before he remembered they were beastmen. Delighted, he exclaimed, “Of course! Find two large beastmen to stand on the ends.”
Ban Ming replied, “Leave it to us feline beastmen.”
He and his friend Ah Hu transformed in sync, becoming a gray cat and an orange tabby. The two large cats jumped onto the ends of the wooden plank, pressing down with their weight.
As their massive bodies bore down, the hardwood groaned and bent slightly. The seed cakes in the grooves were successfully compressed, and clear oil began to drip into the stone basin, releasing a rich, plant-based aroma.
“It’s working! Well done!” Jian Mo cheered.
Ban Ming flicked his tail proudly and said, “We feline beastmen are the most agile, right, Ah Hu?”
The orange tabby cat nodded seriously. “Yes.”
Everyone watched the process closely. After two presses, when no more oil dripped out, Qing Kuo instructed, “Replace the leaf bundles with fresh ones.”
The two large cats jumped down obediently.
The waiting beastmen removed the top plank and added two new seed cakes into the grooves.
Once everything was set, the gray and orange cats jumped back onto the plank and resumed pressing.
The process was quite entertaining to watch.
After two rounds, a canine beastman couldn’t resist joining in. “Ban Ming, Ah Hu, let us try!”
The two cats waved their paws dismissively, shooing the canine beastman away. “No way! You clumsy canines will fall off this narrow plank and make a mess. Stay back!”
Despite the friendly bickering, the oil extraction went smoothly, and the yield was surprisingly good.
Jian Mo ended up with half a bucket of fragrant plant oil. Everyone gathered around to smell it, agreeing that it was quite pleasant.
Animal fat and plant oil each have their unique qualities, making them suitable for different uses.
After the cleanup, Jian Mo returned to the courtyard with some helpers to continue making lip balm.
Using the same ratio—four parts oil to one part wax—the new batch of lip balm turned out even smoother, more fragrant, and visually appealing.
Plant oil, it seemed, blended better with the Red Sparrow Branch flowers’ fragrance and color.
When the updated lip balm was ready, even Qing Kuo couldn’t help but admit, “Sometimes, taking shortcuts really isn’t worth it.”
Jian Mo looked at the remaining oil. “Let’s store the rest for future use. Lip balm doesn’t use much oil, so this effort was definitely worth it.”
He handed the oil to Qing Kuo, intending to contribute it to the tribe.
But Qing Kuo waved him off. “This was a private trip to gather seeds and press the oil. Keep it. Just give us a share of the lip balm.”
Ye Luo and the others agreed.
Ye Luo said, “We learned something new today. This oil isn’t even enough to repay your efforts, so take it.”
Jian Mo smiled. “Alright, I won’t hold back. I’ll experiment more with this plant oil.”
Qing Kuo laughed heartily. “Go for it. If you come up with something good, just share it with us.”
Jian Mo replied, “Of course.”
He went on to create a plant-oil-based ointment and even experimented with a lubricant.
The ointment turned out fine, but the lubricant seemed unnecessary.
Clear Red Fruit oil was effective enough on its own. Adding insect wax didn’t improve the experience and even introduced a risk of allergic reactions.
“Practical knowledge really comes through trial and error,” Jian Mo thought lazily, reflecting on the lessons learned, as he lounged in bed after a productive day.
