Transmigrated to the Beastman World as a Veterinarian – CH11

The morning sun rose slowly, dispersing the mist that lingered in the forest.

Jian Mo sat under the sunlight, spinning thread with a spindle in hand, half-heartedly listening to the conversations around him. The group had gathered here to prepare for the day’s foraging expedition.

Just as he was starting to feel drowsy, he was jolted awake by Zhou Fu’s frustrated rant about shell knives: “This morning, I broke three shell knives. Every time I grabbed one, it snapped. I almost couldn’t make breakfast!”

“Why are they breaking so easily? Did you leave them too close to the fire pit?” someone asked.

“No, I kept them properly on the shelf. I didn’t even touch them recently, but when I tried to use them, they just shattered.”

Upon hearing this, several others chimed in, complaining that they too had broken multiple shell knives recently.

Jian Mo couldn’t help but nod in agreement. Over the past few days, he had also gone through several shell knives. Sometimes they would chip unexpectedly while cutting, and other times, they seemed fine after one use but were found cracked and broken the next.

Listening to the group’s complaints, Qing Kuo suggested, “It looks like we’ve almost used up the last batch of shells we collected. We should make time in the next couple of days to gather more.”

Zhou Fu gritted his teeth, determined, “This time, I’m definitely going to collect a lot more!”

Curious, Jian Mo asked, “Where do you gather the shells for making these knives? In the river?”

Zhou Fu shook his head repeatedly. “The shells from the river aren’t big or tough enough. We need the ones from the lake. You’ll understand once you see them.”

Jian Mo’s curiosity deepened, and Zhou Fu, noticing his interest, suggested, “How about we go tomorrow? Since Jian Mo hasn’t seen them before, let’s take him along.”

Qing Kuo turned to glance at Jian Mo and agreed, “Sure. I’ll inform the others later.”

With everyone gathered, the group set off to forage.

Today, they were heading out to collect a type of nut called “Hougou Fruit.” Jian Mo rummaged through his memories but couldn’t recall ever hearing of such a nut.

When they arrived at their destination, he discovered that Hougou Fruit resembled oversized peaches, except its flesh was inedible.

The trees were laden with Hougou Fruit, but since Jian Mo wasn’t great at climbing trees, he mainly gathered the ones that had already fallen.

The others kindly shook the trees for him, sending a shower of nuts to the ground. Even just picking up the fallen fruit, Jian Mo managed to collect quite a bit.

That evening, Jian Mo and Wu Jiong sat by the fire pit, using its light to peel the Hougou Fruits, removing the inedible flesh to get at the nuts inside.

These nuts could be dried in the sun and stored for years, making them a valuable winter food source.

Jian Mo mentioned the shell knife collection trip, “Qing Kuo said we’re heading out to gather shells tomorrow.”

Wu Jiong nodded. “He told me about it. We’ll leave early in the morning.”

Jian Mo replied, “In that case, I’ll marinate some meat tonight so that it’ll be ready to grill as soon as we wake up.”

Wu Jiong took over peeling the Hougou Fruits. “You should rest early. I’ll handle these.”

*

Everyone agreed to set out early the next day.

So, before dawn, most of the tribe was already awake.

Jian Mo yawned as he washed up, then made a simple breakfast by the fire pit. After eating, he joined Wu Jiong at the clearing where everyone was gathering.

Today was a rare occasion where beastmen and sub-beastmen would be working together. Jian Mo looked around and noticed that everyone else had come in pairs.

Qing Kuo and his partner, Di Ya; Zhou Fu and his partner, Jiu Yin; Xi Lu and his soon-to-be partner, Xuan Yin… Counting them all, it seemed like only Jian Mo and Wu Jiong were single.

Seeing all the couples, Jian Mo suddenly felt a bit out of place and almost wanted to turn back.

Zhou Fu was seated on the back of his partner, a massive red-brown fox, and cheerfully called out to Jian Mo, “Hey, Jian Mo! You’re early! Are you that excited to see the shell knives? Hahaha!”

Jian Mo nodded, “Yeah, I’m really curious.”

Zhou Fu grinned, “Then hurry over to where the chief is. We’re about to leave.”

Wu Jiong had already transformed into his giant wolf form and was silently waiting behind Jian Mo.

Without hesitation, Jian Mo climbed up Wu Jiong’s front leg and settled onto his back.

Today, there were a dozen teams in total.

At the front was Qing Kuo’s partner, Di Ya, who was also a giant white wolf—Wu Jiong’s elder cousin.

However, compared to the cool and handsome Wu Jiong, Di Ya, with his constant grinning face, reminded Jian Mo more of a friendly Samoyed than a fearsome wolf, making him seem quite approachable.

The beastmen began to run with the wind, while the sub-beastmen clung tightly to their fur, leaning down on their backs.

The lake where the shell knives could be found was quite far from the village. They ran through narrow gorges, crossed mountain ridges, and traversed high plateaus, running for the entire morning before finally reaching the relatively flat alpine meadows.

The air here was much colder than in the lowlands, and Jian Mo wrapped himself tightly in his fur cloak as he glanced around.

This area appeared to have been heavily shaped by glacial erosion.

Aside from the narrow path they were on, both sides were covered with massive rocks the size of tables.

Between the rocks grew clusters of bare, crimson shrubs that looked like burning torches. Upon closer inspection, Jian Mo could see that these shrubs were covered in dense, thorny spines.

The beastmen moved with impressive agility—none of them stumbled over rocks or got snagged by the thorny bushes.

They ran like the wind, swiftly navigating through the rugged terrain.

As they drew closer to their destination, Jian Mo began to see a series of lakes, large and small, scattered across the landscape, likely formed by the accumulation of melted snow from the surrounding mountains.

The lakes were a striking blue-green hue, likely rich in copper ions.

Jian Mo surveyed the area, considering the possibility of nearby metal deposits. It might be worth exploring further when they had time.

The beastmen didn’t pause once during the journey. By the time the sun hung directly overhead, they had reached their destination — a vast, seemingly endless lake with brilliant blue waters.

Towering snow-capped mountains surrounded the lake, with dense coniferous forests extending from the base up to the mid-slopes, nearly reaching the peaks.

“We’re here,” announced Di Ya, who was leading the group. “Let’s start gathering shell knives.”

All the beastmen came to an abrupt halt.

The sub-beastmen slowly climbed down from their partners’ backs, and Jian Mo slid off Wu Jiong’s back as well.

It was only now that Jian Mo noticed something astonishing: despite running all morning, the beastmen, though steaming with heat, weren’t even winded. Not a single one was out of breath.

It was unbelievable.

These beastmen were enormous, yet their stamina was astounding — completely beyond his understanding.

This truly was a world unlike Earth.

The group split into pairs, each with a basket, and headed down to the lakeshore.

When Jian Mo reached the lakeside, he noticed that the mud along the shore was incredibly thick, encircling the entire lake.

Unlike the highland lakes he was familiar with, this one was filled with dark green aquatic plants.

These water plants were unusually thick and plump, resembling succulents rather than the typical slender waterweeds he knew.

No wonder so many shellfish thrived here.

With an abundance of food, it was no surprise that these mollusks could grow to such enormous sizes.

Jian Mo looked around, taking in the scene.

Wu Jiong took the basket from Jian Mo’s shoulder and said, “Let’s search over there for the knife clams.”

Following Wu Jiong’s pointing finger, Jian Mo squinted into the distance.

Wu Jiong noticed and said, “The sunlight is harsh. Keep your eyes on the ground.”

It was then that Jian Mo realized Wu Jiong’s pupils had narrowed. In fact, all the beastmen and sub-beastmen present had their pupils contracted to protect against the glare.

Clearly, the people who had lived in this environment for generations had evolved special adaptations.

The two of them waded into the lake.

The mud reached up to Jian Mo’s thighs, and though the water was cold, it was bearable under the warm sun.

He rolled up his trousers and slowly trudged through the mud, searching for clams.

The large shellfish were actually easy to find. In addition to their occasional exposed edges, there were also holes on top of the mud for the shellfish to breathe.

Wu Jiong quickly spotted a target. “Let’s dig this one.”

Jian Mo nodded eagerly. “Okay.”

Wu Jiong pulled out a stone hoe, standing in the thick mud, and with just a few swings, he cleared away the muck.

Soon, Jian Mo could see the shellfish underneath — it had a dark, greenish-black shell and was enormous, resembling an oversized freshwater clam.

Once disturbed, the knife clam tightly shut its shell.

Wu Jiong reached down and tried to pull it out.

But the suction from the mud was strong, and after several attempts, he couldn’t lift the clam. So, he began digging around it with the hoe, clearing away more of the mud.

Jian Mo helped out from the side.

Working together, they finally managed to pry the clam free and set it on the mud.

The clam they had unearthed was even larger than a millstone, with its sides bulging out, looking plump and heavy.

Jian Mo tapped on the shell lightly. It was incredibly tough, and even before being processed, its edges were already sharp.

Wu Jiong pulled a shell knife from the basket and began prying it open on the spot.

The clam was clamped shut tightly, making it hard to open, but that didn’t pose much of a challenge for the strong and skillful Wu Jiong.

In no time, he managed to pry it open.

Inside, the flesh was tinged with a light orange hue, looking plump and succulent.

While Jian Mo’s mouth watered at the sight, Wu Jiong swiftly scooped out the clam meat, tossing it onto the mud, and stacked the two halves of the shell into the large basket.

His actions were so quick that Jian Mo was left stunned. By the time he realized what was happening, the meat had already been discarded. He quickly grabbed Wu Jiong’s wrist in shock. “We’re just throwing the meat away?!”

Wu Jiong rarely saw Jian Mo so agitated. “It’s not good to eat, and it’s heavy,” he explained.

Jian Mo stared at the clam meat. “It looks so plump and juicy, though.”

Wu Jiong reminded him, “It’s tough and has a strong fishy taste.”

Jian Mo was speechless.

He didn’t seem convinced, his eyes still glued to the clam meat, clearly hesitant.

Seeing this, Wu Jiong relented. “If you really want it, take a couple back to try.”

Jian Mo thought for a moment, unable to bear wasting such a seemingly delicious ingredient. “How about I remove the guts and keep just the meat? That way, it won’t be as heavy. Even if we can’t eat it, Chirpy could have it. Since we’re not hunting or foraging today, there’s not much to feed it.”

Wu Jiong glanced at the meat. “Alright.”

The knife clam was huge, and there was plenty of meat.

Jian Mo quickly separated the edible portions and tossed them into the basket.

He wasn’t sure about the taste yet, but the meat looked incredibly tempting, especially the two palm-sized adductor muscles — the very parts used to make dried scallops.

In his previous world, dried scallops of that size would have been unheard of.

As they continued digging and cleaning the clams, the others soon noticed Jian Mo keeping the clam meat, and they also started handing over the meat they had discarded.

Even though they didn’t understand why he wanted it, they were more than happy to help him out.

Before long, Jian Mo’s basket was nearly full. When Zhou Fu brought over yet another half-basket of clam meat, Jian Mo politely declined, “No need, you all should keep some for yourselves.”

Zhou Fu waved him off. “No thanks. I can’t stand this tough, fishy stuff—it’s impossible to chew.”

Jian Mo assured him, “If you prepare it properly, it won’t be tough.”

“Impossible! Unless you eat it raw,” Zhou Fu teased, eyeing Jian Mo with concern. “You’re not seriously planning to eat it raw, are you? The meat’s full of parasites. You can’t eat it like that.”

Jian Mo was surprised. He hadn’t expected them to be aware of the risk of parasites.

Seeing his reaction, Zhou Fu quickly added, “I’m serious. There are definitely parasites in there. Just take a closer look, and you’ll spot them in some of the pieces.”

Jian Mo assured him, “I know, I won’t eat it raw.”

Zhou Fu glanced at him skeptically and muttered, “Good, I’ll let the chief know just in case.”

The area around the lake was teeming with knife clams. Even though Wu Jiong and the others focused on harvesting only the larger ones, they quickly collected dozens.

They only kept the meat and shells, filling their baskets to the brim.

As the sun gradually sank toward the western horizon, the wind shifted, and a cold breeze swept through, causing Jian Mo’s head to throb. Combined with the chilly mud soaking his legs, he started to feel increasingly uncomfortable.

Seeing they had gathered enough, Wu Jiong said, “Let’s head back. This should be plenty.”

Jian Mo eagerly agreed, “Yes, let’s go!”

He trudged out of the mud with difficulty, finally reaching the shore where the warm sunlight immediately brought some relief.

Everyone washed their hands and feet clean and waited for the group to assemble. Once everyone was ready, the beastmen transformed back into their animal forms, carrying their partners and full baskets as they sprinted back to the village.

The shell lake was quite far, and by the time they made it back to the village, night had already fallen.

They split the harvest, leaving half of the knife clams for the village to distribute, while keeping the other half for themselves.

Back home, Jian Mo started a fire. Seeing that Wu Jiong was about to help him with the preparations, he firmly pushed him toward the fire pit. “Go warm yourself and rest. I’ll handle dinner.”

Wu Jiong insisted, “I can help.”

But Jian Mo pressed on his shoulder. “No need, I can manage on my own. You just sit down and relax.”

Only then did Wu Jiong relent.

After running all day, they were both thoroughly exhausted.

Jian Mo washed some tuber roots and tossed them into a pot to cook. He then diced some meat, planning to make Wu Jiong’s favorite meat patties.

Once the tubers were cooked, he mashed them, added oil and spices, mixed them thoroughly, and pan-fried them on a hot stone slab until both sides were crispy.

The meat patties, with an even mix of fat and lean meat, were also grilled on the slab. Though they didn’t form a crispy crust as easily, they remained juicy and flavorful once cooked.

Jian Mo was quick and efficient.

As the tubers and meat patties sizzled, he also set out cleaned shell fragments on the hot stone slab, placing the clam adductor muscles on top. He sprinkled crushed spice nuts, chopped wild celery leaves, a pinch of coarse salt, and a small chunk of animal fat over each one.

Catching Wu Jiong’s curious gaze, Jian Mo explained, “We’ll give it a try. If it’s no good, we can always feed it to Chirpy.”

Wu Jiong nodded, his eyes locked on the sizzling clam meat.

The tubers and meat patties cooked quickly.

With the weather turning cold, they ate each batch as soon as it was ready, savoring the hot, delicious food that quickly drove away the day’s fatigue.

By the time they finished the tubers and meat patties, the clams on the shells had also cooked through, their juices bubbling up.

Even though Jian Mo hadn’t added any water, the shells were now brimming with savory broth.

The combination of spice nuts, wild celery leaves, and animal fat had effectively eliminated any fishy odor, leaving behind a unique and tantalizing aroma.

Jian Mo swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

The scent was reminiscent of grilled seafood he used to enjoy at roadside stalls back on Earth.

Though it lacked the familiar garlic flavor, the aroma was still wonderfully fragrant and didn’t fall short of his cravings.

Wu Jiong also picked up on the enticing scent and stared intently at the clam meat. “Is it ready to eat?”

“Yes, it’s ready,” Jian Mo replied, carefully using chopsticks to lift a shell and hand it to Wu Jiong. He took one for himself as well. “Be careful, it’s hot.”

Despite the warning, Jian Mo couldn’t wait. He brought the shell close, blew on it a few times, and cautiously sipped the broth.

A burst of umami flavor exploded in his mouth, almost knocking him off his feet. The freshness hit him like a wave, followed by the complex aroma of the spice nuts and wild celery, along with a hint of heat from the animal fat.

Delicious! 

Jian Mo closed his eyes in bliss, savoring the taste. He blew on the clam meat a few times before taking a big bite. The flesh was plump, juicy, and so flavorful that it made him break out in a sweat.

No wonder oysters reigned supreme at barbecue stands for so many years.

This flavor was utterly intoxicating!

Jian Mo slowly savored the entire piece of clam meat before snapping out of his trance and turning to see Wu Jiong’s reaction.

Without waiting for Jian Mo to ask, Wu Jiong nodded approvingly. “Better than I expected. Not fishy at all, and surprisingly tender.”

Jian Mo beamed. “See? The adductor muscle is the best part of any clam. It would’ve been a waste to leave it behind.”

Wu Jiong said thoughtfully, “You have a real talent. Most people wouldn’t be able to make this taste good.”

Jian Mo puffed up proudly. “Of course! When it comes to food, I’m standing on the shoulders of culinary gods. Where I come from, the variety of dishes is endless. This is nothing compared to what’s out there.”

Wu Jiong looked intrigued. “It’s hard to imagine. You’re already the best cook I’ve ever seen or heard of.”

Jian Mo made a modest gesture. “Compared to the truly skilled chefs back home, my abilities are like the difference between the cooking here in the tribe and my own — they’re on a whole other level in terms of technique and knowledge.”

Seeing Wu Jiong’s expression of disbelief, Jian Mo added, “If we ever get the chance, I’ll take you to try some of it.”

Wu Jiong nodded seriously, “I’d like that.”

Translator Notes:

Jian Mo: Talking about the explosion of taste from the grilled clams

Me: Checking for grilled clams on delivery apps  T_T