In summer, lip balm wasn’t very popular.
Aside from the Meng Shui Tribe, which traded a batch out of respect for Jian Mo, there wasn’t much demand for the balm.
Jian Mo didn’t mind. Lip balm was essential during autumn and winter, so he simply spread the word now, knowing it would be sought after later. Meanwhile, he arranged to trade for more insect wax from the Yang Yao Tribe, ensuring he had enough stock.
The ointment they got from the Meng Shui Tribe proved incredibly effective.
Lately, it had been raining on and off, with heavy downpours causing the river near the tribe to rise significantly. Even insects had started seeking shelter indoors. Thanks to the Meng Shui Tribe’s ointment, they avoided many bites.
That morning, Jian Mo woke to the sound of rain again.
Rainwater streamed through the half-open window, dampening the walls and floor. The glass panes were fogged over, making it impossible to see outside. He grabbed a cloth and wiped at the glass before opening the window to look out.
The forested mountains in the distance were lush and dark green, with mist drifting through the valleys.
Closer to home, several giant wolves and cats were busy around the tribe.
Wait—
Jian Mo squinted, recognizing Wu Jiong among them. On his massive back, he seemed to be carrying something.
Raindrops had soaked Wu Jiong’s fur, matting his beautiful medium-length coat into strands that looked a bit bedraggled.
The distance made it hard to make out the details.
Jian Mo hurriedly put on his shoes, grabbed his hat, and stepped outside to see if he could help.
When he reached the middle of the tribe, he realized they were carrying baskets of sand.
Some were dumping the sand onto the muddy paths and smoothing it out with large wooden boards.
Seeing Jian Mo approach, one of the workers straightened up and called out, “Jian Mo, what brings you here?”
It was Qing Kuo. “Are you spreading sand so early in the morning?” Jian Mo asked.
Qing Kuo wiped rainwater from his face. “The paths are too muddy. Several people slipped yesterday, so we thought we’d take advantage of some free time to spread sand.”
Jian Mo offered to help. “Why not wait until the rain stops?”
Qing Kuo replied, “It wasn’t raining this morning, but it started again just now. Since we’ve already begun, we might as well finish. You should head back—you’ll just get wet.”
“I’m fine; I’ve got a hat,” Jian Mo insisted.
Before Jian Mo could do much, the wolves returned with more sand.
Some taller sub-beastmen moved to unload the baskets. One of them noticed something unusual on Wu Jiong’s back and shouted, “Why are there two big fish in the basket?”
De Jiang, whose beast form resembled a maneless lion, commented from the side, “The chief caught them for Jian Mo when he saw him come out.”
The giant wolf said nothing but smiled with his eyes.
One of the sub-beastmen pulled out the fish and handed them to Jian Mo. “They’re still fresh. You should take them home and cook them.”
Jian Mo tipped his hat back and realized the sub-beastman was Min Dang.
Min Dang gently nudged Jian Mo. “Go on, take them.”
Instead, Jian Mo tied the fish to a tree trunk nearby. “It’s raining; the fish won’t spoil quickly. I’ll stay and help finish the work. The sooner we’re done, the sooner everyone can eat.”
Jian Mo’s determination left no room for argument, so they let him stay.
Together, they spread sand along the muddy paths and smoothed it out with wooden boards.
Although puddles still formed on the sand-covered paths, they no longer felt sticky or slippery underfoot, making walking much easier.
The tribe had cement, but producing it was labor-intensive, requiring charcoal and stone to be burned, crushed, and mixed. It was too much work to use cement for paths, and the tribe preferred to reserve it for building houses. Any surplus was better traded for goods with other tribes.
Qing Kuo suggested, “Since we have some free time, let’s finish all the paths in the tribe. Then we can plant some flower seeds along the edges to make them prettier.”
Jian Mo commented, “Don’t we already have flowering trees along the paths?”
The open spaces in the He’an Tribe were lined with various trees. Whether planted intentionally or growing wild, they bloomed with flowers resembling peach blossoms in spring, creating a lovely scene.
“It’s not enough,” Qing Kuo replied. “We can plant more—maybe even some Red Sparrow Branches. They’d be useful too.”
After working all morning, they finished a long stretch of the path before heading home.
Back at his house, Jian Mo boiled water and dragged Wu Jiong to wash up.
Once cleaned and dressed in dry clothes, they started preparing breakfast.
Wu Jiong handled the fish while Jian Mo chopped vegetables.
When the fish was cleaned, Jian Mo heated animal fat in the pan, added a spoonful of salt, and seared the fish over high heat.
Thanks to their well-maintained metal pan, the fish didn’t stick. Jian Mo quickly seared the skin to a crispy golden brown before flipping the fish and adding various seasonings to the pan.
The fish also came with two large roe sacs, which Jian Mo cooked alongside the fish.
With just the two of them eating, the two fish were more than enough.
The fish turned out crispy and flavorful, seasoned with salt and spices that made it perfect with rice—if only they had any.
The roe, slightly grainy in texture, was rich and delicious.
Jian Mo sighed wistfully. “If only we had rice. Sweet, fluffy rice with this slightly salty fish would be perfect.”
Wu Jiong said, “Let’s visit Qing Kuo later and ask him to check again. Maybe he can find some leads.”
“I’ve already asked before, but everyone said there wasn’t any,” Jian Mo replied.
“Ask again. Didn’t he recently meet some new sub-beastmen from other tribes?” Wu Jiong suggested.
Jian Mo nodded. “Good point. Let’s go after breakfast.”
After eating, they washed their clothes, tidied up the house, and then headed to Qing Kuo’s place with their hats on to inquire about rice.
Qing Kuo admitted he’d forgotten to follow up but promised to ask the next time he met with sub-beastmen from other tribes.
After discussing rice, the two stayed to chat and took the opportunity to pet Ban Jiu, Qing Kuo’s son.
Ban Jiu, once a little kitten, had grown into a large gray cat nearly the size of a Samoyed.
It was getting harder for Jian Mo to carry Ban Jiu. Only someone as tall and strong as Wu Jiong could still manage to set the cat on his lap for petting.
The little one was growing so quickly that Jian Mo gave its paw a squeeze, realizing why it had been sleeping so much lately.
After two rounds of tea at Qing Kuo’s house, Jian Mo noticed it was nearing lunchtime. He grabbed Wu Jiong and bade their farewells.
With the rain lasting so long, everyone had been relying on dried vegetables and salted meat. Jian Mo felt it would be impolite to stay and share their meal.
The two walked home hand-in-hand.
As they walked along the sandy paths in the tribe, Jian Mo suddenly spotted a red-brown giant beast running toward them from across the river.
At first, he thought it was someone from the Red Jing Tribe. But after squinting for a while, he realized it was a massive creature resembling a red mammoth.
—It was a beastman from the Zheng Chi Tribe.
Jian Mo stopped with Wu Jiong and called out, “Do you need something?”
The Zheng Chi beastman ran a few more steps before realizing Jian Mo was speaking to them. They quickly responded, “Someone is sick—we’ve come for treatment.”
Jian Mo pointed to the small clinic nearby. “Head over to the little house across the river!”
The Zheng Chi beastmen acknowledged the directions and immediately turned to head there. Jian Mo and Wu Jiong followed them to the clinic.
Today, the patrolling beastmen, seeing the visitors were patients, had simply checked in before continuing their rounds.
Jian Mo recognized the Zheng Chi beastmen and sub-beastmen who arrived.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, he asked, “Who’s sick?”
The leading sub-beastman, Meng Shi, raised a hand. “Me. I’ve been caught in the rain and have been feeling dizzy, with headaches and a runny nose.”
His beastman partner, He Bin, added, “And he’s been coughing.”
After asking a few detailed questions, Jian Mo concluded it was likely a cold. “How about I do gua sha for you? It might help ease the symptoms.”
Having gained experience with gua sha, Jian Mo was confident it could help with common colds. He explained the process and benefits to Meng Shi.
Meng Shi, feeling miserable, quickly agreed.
Jian Mo fetched his ceramic gua sha tool and some animal oil, preparing to get started.
Meng Shi obediently turned around, lay down on the clinic’s small bed, and pulled up his shirt, ready for treatment.
Jian Mo asked the others to wait outside under the eaves to give Meng Shi some privacy.
When Jian Mo turned back, his eyes immediately landed on Meng Shi’s back, which was covered in deep red bruises.
The bruises were so dense they connected into large patches.
Jian Mo’s expression shifted dramatically, his mind racing through possibilities like internal bleeding, purpura, or clotting disorders—all conditions he couldn’t treat.
Even on Earth, such issues required comprehensive tests and specific treatments based on guidelines. Here, with limited medical resources, he had no idea how to handle it.
Noticing Jian Mo’s visible concern, Meng Shi became anxious. “What’s wrong? Is this untreatable?”
Jian Mo steadied himself. “Don’t panic. Let me think.”
Meng Shi nervously asked, “What is it? Isn’t it just a cold?”
Jian Mo replied, “The cold is likely due to being exposed to the rain, but these bruises aren’t related. When did they first appear?”
Meng Shi thought for a moment. “The day before yesterday.”
That seemed oddly late. Jian Mo gestured for him to continue.
Meng Shi explained, “The day before yesterday, my partner sucked on my back. Then he did it again the next day. Yesterday, he wasn’t planning to, but I was feeling sick, so he thought warming me up might help—and he did it again…”
Jian Mo blinked. “Wait! Are you saying these bruises all over your back are from your partner sucking on you?”
Meng Shi nodded. “Yes. He likes to kiss my back. Is that bad? Could it really cause a problem? It did hurt when he was doing it…”
Jian Mo was speechless.
Meng Shi grew more flustered and muttered angrily at his partner, “I told him not to do it, but he insisted, and now look what’s happened!”
Meng Shi panicked further. “What should I do? I’m still young—I don’t want to die.”
Jian Mo, trying not to laugh, said weakly, “You’re not going to die. The bruises should fade in a couple of days.”
Meng Shi exhaled in relief. “Oh?”
Jian Mo inspected Meng Shi’s back again and pulled down his shirt. “It’s fine. With this much bruising, gua sha isn’t suitable. I’ll prepare some herbal tea to help clear heat and detoxify.”
After a pause, Jian Mo couldn’t resist adding, “You two might want to exercise some restraint. Too many hickeys can cause issues.”
Meng Shi quickly promised, “I’ll tell him to stop.”
Jian Mo clarified, “Not entirely—just don’t overdo it. If the marks overlap too much, there could be complications.”
Meng Shi explained sheepishly, “We don’t usually do this much. It’s just that the rain has kept us stuck inside with nothing to do… And honestly, after too much, my backside hurts. It’s good, but it hurts…”
Jian Mo couldn’t handle much more. “Alright, I get it. I’ll go prepare your herbal tea. You two rest here.”
And with that, Jian Mo hurried out, feeling a bit like he was fleeing.
Why didn’t I wear a mask today? Keeping a straight face is so hard.
Wu Jiong was waiting outside and gave him a questioning look.
Jian Mo waved him off. “Let’s go home and make the tea.”
He turned to the Zheng Chi beastmen and said, “Please rest here for now. I’ll bring the tea over when it’s ready.”
The Zheng Chi visitors thanked him profusely, even seeing them off a few steps, their politeness evident.
Back home, Jian Mo immediately began preparing the herbal tea.
Wu Jiong asked, “What happened?”
Jian Mo waved dismissively. “Patient confidentiality. I can’t say.”
After a moment, he added with a wry smile, “You know, in some ways, life here is pretty great—free and unrestrained.”
Wu Jiong shot him another puzzled look.
Jian Mo gave a weak laugh.
Being a vet is tough, but treating beastmen and sub-beastmen is even tougher.
Who would’ve thought that such severe-looking bruises would turn out to be hickeys?
