Jian Mo carefully examined the fruit handed to him by the young sub-beastman.
The fruit was small, slightly smaller than a ping pong ball, with a cracked shell from which white, fluffy fibers emerged in stark contrast to the yellowish-brown husk.
Jian Mo pinched the shell and pulled out the white fluff inside.
The bundle of fluff was about the size of a longan, with seeds resembling orange seeds nestled within. He had to rub it with his fingers to remove the seeds, which left even less fluff.
Disappointment crept into Jian Mo’s heart.
Extracting such a small amount of fluff seemed excessively troublesome. If this material were to be turned into fabric, the process would undoubtedly be tedious.
Suppressing his disappointment, Jian Mo asked the boy, “What is this plant called?”
The boy shrugged. “I don’t think it has a name—it’s just a wild fruit. We usually pick it to make earrings or necklaces because the white fluff inside the cracked shell looks pretty, like exotic beads.”
Jian Mo examined the fruit again and agreed. “It is quite pretty.”
The boy added, “But it’s not very durable, so not many people bother collecting it. Doctor Jian Mo, is this the fruit you were looking for?”
Jian Mo smiled. “It might be. Thank you.”
The boy’s face lit up with excitement. “You’re welcome! You can have it.”
Jian Mo pocketed the two fruits. “Thank you. Where did you find them? I’d like to gather more tomorrow.”
The boy responded eagerly, “Up in the mountains. If you want, I can show you the way.”
Jian Mo nodded. “That would be great. Let me talk to Xin Jun first, and I’ll trouble you tomorrow.”
The boy waved dismissively. “No trouble at all!”
Jian Mo returned to his temporary lodging and showed the fruits to Wu Jiong.
Wu Jiong examined them and remarked, “The fluff is soft, but extracting it looks like a hassle.”
Jian Mo nodded. “For now, we’ll gather a batch, extract the fluff, and weave some fabric to see how it turns out. If the results aren’t good, we can drop the idea. If it’s promising, we’ll find a better way to process it.”
Wu Jiong agreed. “Let’s give it a try.”
Since they needed the boy to guide them to the cotton pods, Jian Mo informed Xin Jun of their plan.
Xin Jun didn’t mind but seemed puzzled. “You want to make fabric from these… what did you call them? Cotton pods? Isn’t the fiber from our plants good enough? These fruits are tiny and full of seeds. Making fabric sounds like a lot of work.”
Jian Mo explained, “We just want to experiment. I think the cotton fibers might be softer and finer, which could result in softer fabric.”
Xin Jun raised an eyebrow. “That won’t be ideal for summer, then.”
Jian Mo chuckled. “Summer’s almost over. If it’s not suitable now, we can use it for autumn and winter.”
After some thought, Xin Jun offered, “I’ll come with you tomorrow. I want to see what kind of fabric these cotton pods can make. I’ve never paid attention to this plant before.”
Since Xin Jun insisted, Jian Mo and Wu Jiong couldn’t refuse.
The next morning, they set out early, aiming to gather as many cotton pods as possible. The plan to visit the Cypress Branch Tribe for white milkfruit would have to wait.
The boy, whose name was Yi Chuan, eagerly led the way, bounding ahead with light, nimble steps.
The others weren’t as energetic.
The day was hot, and the mountain was overgrown with shrubs and weeds. As they climbed, they had to hack through vegetation, leaving everyone red-faced and sweating.
To make matters worse, the cotton pod trees weren’t clustered but scattered—one here, another over there. After picking pods from one tree, they had to search for the next one, which often took a while.
Bugs buzzed incessantly, swarming toward them.
Jian Mo quickly pulled out medicinal oil he had traded for in the Meng Shui Tribe and shared it with everyone, preventing mosquito bites.
Wiping sweat from his chin, Jian Mo sighed. “Gathering cotton pods is harder than I thought.”
Xin Jun agreed. “It’s exhausting. If you hadn’t mentioned weaving fabric, we wouldn’t bother with these pods even if we knew about them.”
Jian Mo laughed. “I’m grateful for your trust.”
Xin Jun smiled. “No, we should thank you for sharing your ideas. Let’s keep going—there should be a few more cotton pod trees up ahead. I remember picking some here when I was younger.”
Jian Mo asked, “By the way, I noticed your beautiful accessories don’t seem to circulate much outside your tribe?”
Xin Jun sighed. “That’s because cloth and plant-based accessories are too fragile. Most people don’t want to trade for them. On the other hand, we’ve traded for accessories from the Dian Xin Tribe and even kept a few as treasures.”
Jian Mo grinned. “I have a floral headpiece from the Dian Xin Tribe too. Wu Jiong gave it to me.”
Xin Jun’s curiosity was piqued. “What does it look like?”
Jian Mo described it. “It’s a metal band with petals made of glass. Do you know what glass is?”
The nearby beastmen and sub-beastmen perked up their ears at the mention of glass.
One beastman couldn’t help but exclaim, “I’ve seen a beastman from the Meng Shui Tribe wear a necklace made of glass. He said it was a gift for his partner. Is it like that?”
Jian Mo nodded. “It might be something they traded from our tribe.”
The beastman gestured excitedly. “It looked like winter ice, but colorful. When sunlight hit it, a tiny point of light appeared in the shadows. It was gorgeous! But that guy wouldn’t let anyone look at it properly. He only gave us a quick peek.”
The beastman’s tone turned sour as he added, “He was so smug but so stingy!”
The others laughed but shared the same longing expressions.
Xin Jun said, “One day, we must visit your tribe.”
Jian Mo invited them. “You can come during the Harvest Festival. But if you want to trade for glass, winter is better—we haven’t made any recently.”
Glassmaking required alkali, and their supply had run low. They couldn’t produce more until they replenished it.
Instead, the He’an Tribe had been focusing on making metal tools, trading wood for charcoal and metals from other tribes. Many members now owned at least one metal tool, a luxury previously unheard of.
Xin Jun agreed readily, “If we have the chance, we’ll come cheer for you.”
Jian Mo replied with a grin, “You’re more than welcome. We can host you in our tribe. We’ve got plenty of empty houses now, and they all have windows made of glass. You can stay in one of those.”
Hearing this, Xin Jun and the others were visibly impressed. “You’re affluent enough to use glass for windows?”
Jian Mo shrugged. “Glass doesn’t spoil, and even if it breaks, it can be recycled. For now, we use it as windows, and if we need it for something else, we can just take it down. It’s not a big hassle.”
As they chatted, they continued picking cotton pods.
Some pods grew very high up on thin branches that couldn’t support anyone climbing.
The group had no choice but to jump to grab the branches and pull them down.
Jian Mo joined in the jumping, but after a few tries, Wu Jiong stepped in, wrapping an arm around Jian Mo’s waist and lifting him up entirely.
Jian Mo glanced back at Wu Jiong, his eyes curving in amusement.
The cotton pods weren’t heavy but took up a lot of space. After a full day of picking, they had managed to fill five large baskets.
When they returned to the tribe, Xin Jun suggested, “Everyone should take a bath first. It’s too hot today—we need to relax before we do any more work.”
Jian Mo brought out a new bar of soap, cutting it into smaller pieces to distribute among the group, and explained how to use it.
The group eagerly took the soap and went to bathe. Afterward, everyone felt incredibly clean and refreshed, their skin noticeably softer and smoother.
This newfound cleanliness led many to approach Jian Mo, asking to trade for more soap.
By now, between the ear-piercing services from the previous evening and the soap, quite a few members of the Jiu Nian Tribe owed Jian Mo fabric. The backlog was such that it would take ten days or more to repay in full.
To simplify matters, they proposed trading dried fruits and meat instead of more fabric. Whatever fabric they owed would be delivered later when they visited the He’an Tribe.
Jian Mo readily agreed.
Though the sun set late in summer, night hadn’t fully fallen even after everyone had bathed and eaten dinner.
The group lit bug-repelling herbs, applied mosquito repellent from the Meng Shui Tribe, and gathered in the open space to cool off and process the cotton pods.
Handling the cotton pods was no easy task. They used sticks to pry out the cotton fluff, pulled it into sheets, and carefully removed the seeds. This required multiple steps before the fluff was ready.
Pulling apart the fluff demanded considerable strength. After working for some time, everyone’s knuckles began to ache.
Jian Mo stretched his fingers, noting the effort everyone was putting in, and mentally recorded the favor owed.
When the cotton was finally ready, Xin Jun piled it into a basket and said, “Next, we’ll need to spin it into thread.”
Jian Mo looked at the basket of pristine white cotton, a sense of accomplishment swelling within him. “Spinning thread should be relatively simple.”
Xin Jun nodded. “It is. We’re already skilled at spinning and weaving. Leave this part to us, and we’ll aim to have the fabric ready by tomorrow evening.”
Jian Mo smiled. “I won’t argue with that. Your weaving skills are far superior to ours.”
Xin Jun, slightly prideful, replied, “Our tribe has been weaving for hundreds of years. It’s only natural we’ve mastered the craft.”
Jian Mo made a request, “When you’re spinning the thread, could you make it finer? Finer threads should result in softer fabric.”
Xin Jun agreed readily. “How fine do you want it?”
Jian Mo thought for a moment. “I’ll leave that to your judgment. I’m not experienced with this, but I’d like the fabric to be soft while still durable. It shouldn’t tear easily or be too thin to use.”
Xin Jun nodded after some thought. “Leave it to us.”
Jian Mo said, “We’ll go back to the mountains tomorrow to gather more cotton pods.”
Xin Jun offered, “I’ll arrange for some people to accompany you.”
Jian Mo quickly waved him off. “That’s too much trouble. If you don’t mind, Wu Jiong and I can go alone.”
The Jiu Nian Tribe still had a considerable stockpile of plant fibers for weaving, and in this heat, most would likely prefer to stay in the tribe and focus on weaving. Jian Mo didn’t want to impose.
Seeing Jian Mo’s insistence, Xin Jun relented.
The next morning, Jian Mo and Wu Jiong rose early, ate breakfast with the Jiu Nian Tribe, and headed into the mountains.
The morning air was cool, and the breeze made their journey more comfortable.
Riding Chirpy and Ying Ao, they flew further into the mountains than the previous day.
While the winged beasts flew quickly, they weren’t suited for areas dense with shrubs and underbrush.
These creatures were accustomed to tall trees with wide gaps between them, but this terrain risked injuring their wings.
Once they reached a suitable spot, Jian Mo slid off Chirpy’s back and patted its side. “Chirpy, you can go play. Maybe take a dip in the stream. We’ll be nearby picking cotton pods. I’ll call you when we’re ready to leave.”
Whether Chirpy understood or not, it chirped enthusiastically, “Chirp—”
Ying Ao, however, seemed to understand perfectly. It placed a wing over Chirpy’s back and let out a steady “Chirp!”
Jian Mo laughed and shooed them off. “Alright, go have fun.”
The two of them headed deeper into the forest.
The area was a dense, untouched jungle with towering plants and tightly packed greenery. Once inside, even the sky was barely visible through the leaves.
The forest offered plenty of treasures. Before they even found more cotton pods, they had already collected a variety of berries, nuts, spices, insects, and small game.
Jian Mo picked berries and ate as he worked, staining his lips a deep purplish-black.
Wu Jiong found the sight adorable and couldn’t resist leaning down to steal a kiss.
The two of them had been camping out, making intimate moments rare over the past few days.
The kiss quickly grew heated, and Jian Mo’s hands wandered to Wu Jiong’s abs, tracing the firm lines before moving lower.
Suddenly, a loud “Chirp!” interrupted them.
Jian Mo’s beast ears twitched involuntarily, standing slightly upright.
In the distance, Chirpy’s calls continued.
The chirps were drawn out, then clipped, resembling the rhythm of cicada cries. They didn’t sound distressed but rather excited, indicating no immediate danger.
Jian Mo sighed in frustration and gave Wu Jiong one last kiss. “What’s Chirpy up to now?”
Continuing was out of the question. If Chirpy caught them, it would be unbearably awkward.
Wu Jiong listened for a moment. “Not all the calls are from Chirpy.”
Jian Mo tilted his head, listening carefully. “Hmm, it doesn’t sound like Ying Ao either. Could there be other winged beasts around here?”
Before they could investigate, a familiar voice called out, growing closer. “Brother Jian Mo—we’ve come to find you!”
Jian Mo looked ahead and saw a group of plump bird beastmen fluttering toward him, their wings flapping wildly. The leading one kept bumping into branches, scattering leaves everywhere.
His tone was not particularly enthusiastic. “Why are you here?”
The bird beastmen chattered:
“Yesterday, Chirpy didn’t come to play with us, so we thought we’d come to check in and see what was going on. We also brought the white milkfruit the Jiu Nian Tribe wanted.”
“We just arrived at the Jiu Nian Tribe, and they said you went into the mountains looking for something called cotton pods. So, we came to help.”
“Brother Jian Mo, show us the cotton pods! We’re great at finding things. A quick flight, and we’ll spot everything in the area.”
Listening to their excited chatter, Jian Mo pulled out a cotton pod and held it up. “This is what we’re looking for.”
The bird beastmen crowded around, their eyes nearly crossing as they examined the pod. “No problem, leave it to us!”
The group swiftly split into teams, flying off in different directions—north, south, east, and west.
Jian Mo looked up, already seeing the bird beastmen disappearing into the distance.
“They’re… surprisingly eager,” he murmured.
Before he could finish his thought, one of the bird beastmen called out, “Chirp—Brother Jian Mo, over here!”
The air filled with the sound of flapping wings as the other bird beastmen converged on the one that had called out.
Wu Jiong tugged on Jian Mo’s hand. “Let’s go too.”
Before long, they arrived at a cotton tree, with the bird beastmen eagerly beckoning them over. Some were already plucking cotton pods with their claws and tossing them into Jian Mo’s basket from a distance.
Jian Mo couldn’t tell which Fei Chirp was which in their beast forms, so he simply nodded in thanks. “Thank you.”
The bird beastmen responded cheerfully, “No need to be polite, chirp!”
Jian Mo chuckled. “Your calls didn’t have ‘chirp’ before, did they? Are you imitating Chirpy?”
The bird beastmen replied enthusiastically, “That’s right, Brother Jian Mo! Don’t you think Chirpy’s voice is especially cute?”
From somewhere in the distance, Chirpy seemed to hear its name and responded with a long, drawn-out call: “Chirp—chirp—chirp!”
Everyone burst out laughing.
Jian Mo grinned. “It really is adorable.”
The bird beastmen busily helped pick cotton pods, all the while chattering away.
Distracted by their lively banter, Jian Mo worked without realizing it, and soon the cotton pods on the tree were all picked.
The bird beastmen took to the skies again, searching for more cotton pods.
Their advantage in finding things quickly became apparent.
While Jian Mo and Wu Jiong had their vision obstructed by branches and foliage, the bird beastmen could fly above and locate the trees at a glance. Their nimble beast forms allowed them to dart through the trees effortlessly.
With their help, the day’s harvest greatly exceeded expectations.
By the afternoon, Jian Mo saw that their three baskets were nearly full. He called the bird beastmen to join them by the river for a bath, pulling out dried meat from the He’an Tribe and washing freshly picked berries to share.
The bird beastmen returned to human form, slipping on beast-hide skirts before crowding around. They were slender, delicate-looking youths, chattering excitedly as they shared gossip and recent events. Having traveled extensively, they had plenty of entertaining stories to tell.
Chirpy and Ying Ao also wandered over, their large eyes filled with curiosity as they observed the group. Chirpy, in particular, chirped along enthusiastically, whether or not it understood the conversation.
The boys from the Bai Zhi Tribe leaned against Chirpy or climbed onto its back, continuing their animated chatter.
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, the group reluctantly prepared to leave, promising to return and help again the next day.
Jian Mo thanked them with a smile. “We might head back tomorrow, so there won’t be any more cotton pod gathering.”
The boys looked disappointed.
Jian Mo extended an invitation. “We’re hosting the Summer Harvest Festival soon. If you’re interested, you can come by and take a look. It’s not far by air, and we’ll treat you to some good food.”
The boys brightened up and eagerly agreed. “Sure! When is it?”
Wu Jiong answered, “On the next full moon.”
In the beastmen world, full moon days held special significance. Perhaps due to the lack of modern conveniences and the pervasive darkness of night, these luminous nights had a unique charm.
Even if a full moon day wasn’t a formal holiday, tribes often held feasts, drank together, and sang and danced around bonfires.
Thinking of this, Jian Mo suddenly felt a pang of homesickness.
Summer was the perfect time for brewing wine, and the He’an Tribe had been collecting berries to ferment with leftover mash in clay jars.
Every brewing session was a communal effort, with the entire tribe gathering to work, chat, and laugh, making the labor light.
The Jiu Nian Tribe had a similar atmosphere during work, but no matter how friendly they were, it couldn’t compare to the comfort of being with one’s own tribe.
Jian Mo turned to Wu Jiong. “Let’s try to head back tomorrow. If not, we should definitely leave the day after. I want to see how the tribe’s preparations are coming along. I’m also curious if Ban Ming’s training has had any effect.”
Wu Jiong nodded. “Then let’s aim to leave tomorrow evening. The moonlight these past nights has been nice—we can make good progress while it’s cool.”
Jian Mo’s eyes lit up. “Flying on Chirpy and Ying Ao under the moonlight sounds wonderful.”
Chatting as they went, they flew back to the Jiu Nian Tribe.
The aroma of food filled the air as the tribe prepared dinner.
But Xin Jun and the others weren’t in the mood to eat. The moment they saw Jian Mo and Wu Jiong, they rushed over excitedly.
“Jian Mo, the fabric’s finished! Come take a look!”
“This cloth is so soft—soft and comfortable! It doesn’t itch at all. Only beast wool cloth is this soft!”
“Beast wool is much harder to collect. Our cotton fabric is definitely better.”
Surrounding Jian Mo, they pressed a piece of fabric into his hands.
The fabric, about the size of a bath towel, was incredibly soft. Jian Mo found it even softer than the cotton fabric from his previous life. It had a plush, slightly fuzzy texture—soft but not slippery—with a satisfying heft.
Feeling the fabric, Jian Mo immediately knew it would be perfect for making undergarments, socks, bath towels, and similar items.
“You’ve done an excellent job! Is this the only piece so far?”
Xin Jun shook his head. “The others are still on the loom. We wanted to show you this piece first. After dinner, we’ll continue weaving.”
Jian Mo said eagerly, “I’ll join you. This fabric is amazing—I want to bring as much as I can back to the tribe.”
Xin Jun smiled. “Take half of what we make. The other half, we’ll keep for ourselves.”
Jian Mo nodded. “Alright, let’s settle it through trade. We’ll exchange for the fabric with supplies.”
Even though the Jiu Nian Tribe was like a sibling tribe, Jian Mo wouldn’t take advantage of them. While he and Wu Jiong had helped pick cotton pods, it was the Jiu Nian Tribe members who spun the threads and wove the fabric.
If he wanted to take the fabric back, he had to provide appropriate compensation.
The supplies exchanged for the fabric were separate from the materials the Jiu Nian Tribe owed them from their personal trades; the two were distinct matters.
Xin Jun readily agreed. “No problem. Let’s calculate it the same way we do when trading fabric made from cloth threads.”
Jian Mo chuckled. “Cotton fabric is so much harder to produce. Aren’t you losing out a bit?”
Xin Jun smiled. “If you hadn’t come, we wouldn’t even know cotton pods could be used to make fabric. We’re not losing out. Once we’ve woven more cotton cloth in the future, we’ll continue trading it this way.”
“Thank you for that,” Jian Mo said sincerely.
Having settled the fabric trade, Jian Mo suggested, “This cotton fabric is a bit too soft. When you start weaving tomorrow, we could try adjusting the thickness of the threads.”
Xin Jun agreed. “I was thinking the same thing. Tonight, we’ll finish spinning the cotton threads, and tomorrow we’ll adjust the weave as we start making the cloth.”
Jian Mo added, “Thanks for your hard work. We’re planning to head back tomorrow night after exchanging supplies. Traveling at night will be cooler.”
Xin Jun looked reluctant to see them go. “Will it be safe?”
Jian Mo reassured him, “No worries. We’ll be riding the flying beasts, so we’ll be safe in the air.”
Xin Jun relented. “Alright then. We’ll speed up the work and prioritize weaving the fabric you’ll be taking.”
“That’s perfect. Wu Jiong and I will help collect the cotton fibers,” Jian Mo said with a smile.
