The Jiu Nian Tribe’s chief, Xin Jun, hadn’t seen Jian Mo and Wu Jiong for a while and was delighted by their visit.
Noticing the gifts they brought, Xin Jun said with a smile, “Your visit alone is enough.”
Jian Mo responded, “It’s a token of our regard. We also brought some milkfruit from the Bai Zhi Tribe, who asked us to deliver it.”
Xin Jun remarked, “How considerate of them. We’ll have to visit their tribe soon to thank them.”
Jian Mo smiled and turned his gaze to the cotton laid out to dry in the clearing. “You’ve harvested so much cotton recently?”
Xin Jun replied, “It’s autumn—if we don’t harvest it, the cotton will either be carried off by animals or blown away by the wind. So, we gathered it all for processing. Speaking of which, we have to thank you for introducing our fabrics to other tribes. We’ve traded for a lot of good things recently.”
Jian Mo modestly declined credit. “It’s mainly because your fabric is excellent. Even with our introduction, people wouldn’t have come to trade if it weren’t so good.”
Xin Jun lifted his chin with pride. “That’s true. Our fabric is dense and durable—no other tribe can match our techniques.”
Taking advantage of this momentum, Jian Mo brought up his desire to trade for more fabric. “We’d like both tree cloth and cotton cloth. How much do you have available to trade?”
Xin Jun replied, “We have about 200 rolls of tree cloth and 300 rolls of cotton cloth. But we need the cotton cloth ourselves, so we can only trade 50 rolls with you.”
Jian Mo was surprised by the small amount and tried to persuade him. “You’ve got so much cotton drying outside. Isn’t it quick to turn it into fabric?”
Xin Jun shook his head. “Not at all. We don’t have many people in our tribe. Besides weaving, we also have to send people out to hunt and gather, so the work progresses slowly. And with the weather getting colder, we need to use the cotton cloth to make clothes.”
Jian Mo asked, “Don’t you wear fur cloaks in winter? Are you switching to cotton clothing now?”
Xin Jun explained, “We still use fur cloaks, but we also make undergarments out of cotton cloth. Fur cloaks can’t be washed often, but cotton clothes are easy to clean, breathable, and absorb sweat, making them much more comfortable.”
Hearing this, Jian Mo glanced at the cotton again, and an idea struck him. “If you can’t spare much cotton cloth, could you trade us some raw cotton instead?”
Xin Jun seemed puzzled. “Cotton? What would you do with it? Make your own fabric?”
Jian Mo replied, “I want to make thin cotton quilts.”
Winter here was quite cold, though Jian Mo and Wu Jiong rarely felt the chill. Once winter arrived, Wu Jiong would transform into his giant wolf form, and the two of them slept snugly together.
It was late autumn, however—cold but not freezing. Sleeping during this season wasn’t as comfortable. Fur bedding was thick and soft but didn’t breathe well, often making one sweaty and sticky. Over time, it hardened and developed an unpleasant odor.
A cotton quilt, on the other hand, would likely be much more comfortable than fur bedding. Ideally, Jian Mo also wanted to make a cotton mattress, creating a full bedding set.
After hearing Jian Mo’s idea, Xin Jun’s first reaction was concern. “Wouldn’t that require a lot of cotton?”
Jian Mo chuckled. “It would, but a good quilt can last for years. In the long run, it’s more cost-effective than clothes.”
Xin Jun relented. “Alright, if you need it, we can trade some cotton with you. But let me make this clear—it’s only because we’re friends. If another tribe asks, they won’t get any.”
Jian Mo smiled. “Understood!”
Xin Jun thought for a moment and added, “How will you make this quilt? Why don’t you do it here and teach us while you’re at it?”
Before Jian Mo could refuse, Xin Jun offered enthusiastically, “We’ll pay you in goods. You probably didn’t bring that many supplies, right? If you accept this arrangement, you won’t have to owe us anything.”
Jian Mo laughed. “Ah, so that’s what you’re after. Alright, but I’m not very skilled at this—we’ll have to figure it out as we go.”
Xin Jun’s interest was piqued. “That’s fine! Or you can just give us an idea, and we’ll work on it together.”
As night fell, Xin Jun invited them to stay for dinner, suggesting they discuss the details afterward.
Jian Mo and Wu Jiong accepted without hesitation.
The Jiu Nian Tribe members were fond of Chirpy and Ying Ao, even preparing special meals for the two winged beasts—carefully cooked dishes.
Jian Mo originally planned to let Ying Ao hunt for its food, but the tribe’s thoughtful preparations saved them the trouble.
Chirpy, delighted by the attention, was full of affection for anyone who fed it. It chirped energetically and rubbed its large head against the tribe members, hopping joyfully around them.
The Jiu Nian Tribe members, delighted by Chirpy’s antics, began feeding it even faster.
Jian Mo patted Chirpy’s wings and finally understood why it was becoming plumper by the day. With begging skills like these, how could it not be the chubbiest of birds?
Even while eating, Chirpy turned to nuzzle Jian Mo affectionately, chirping, “Chirp, chirp!” as if delivering emotional value alongside its appetite.
Jian Mo couldn’t resist stroking it and ended up joining the feeding frenzy.
After dinner, everyone sat together and chatted, listening to Jian Mo explain his concept for making quilts.
Jian Mo began, “Making a quilt is somewhat like weaving cloth. You arrange the cotton into a net or lay it on a piece of fabric, then beat it with sticks to make it fluffier—”
A tribe member interrupted, “Why do you beat it?”
Jian Mo explained, “That way, it traps more air inside, keeping the warmth in and the cold out.”
The Jiu Nian Tribe members still didn’t quite understand and looked ready to ask more questions.
Jian Mo quickly raised his hands to stop them. “I don’t know all the details either. This is just how it’s done, and it results in a warmer quilt. No more questions.”
The tribe members relented. “Alright. What’s next after fluffing it up?”
“You place another layer of fabric on top and wrap the cotton completely. To keep the cotton from shifting around, you need to sew large grid patterns on the fabric to hold everything in place,” Jian Mo said.
This step was straightforward enough, so everyone nodded in understanding.
Xin Jun suggested, “Since you’re pressed for time, why don’t we start making the quilt tomorrow? Once it’s done, you can take it back with you.”
Jian Mo responded, “That would be perfect.”
Excited, Xin Jun added, “It’ll be interesting to see how quilts compare to fur bedding.”
Jian Mo noted, “If the quilt turns out well, I bet other tribes will come to trade for them.”
Xin Jun laughed. “Our lives are already good enough. Whether others come or not doesn’t really matter.”
Jian Mo could feel their simple happiness. “That’s great.”
Xin Jun smiled and said, “Get some rest tonight. Tomorrow we’ll try to finish the quilt early.”
Jian Mo agreed and walked hand-in-hand with Wu Jiong back to their temporary quarters.
After a long day of travel, the two grabbed their bathing supplies and headed out to find a river to wash up.
Having stayed at the Jiu Nian Tribe before, they were familiar with the area. It didn’t take long to find a good spot—a stretch of river with a wide surface and a bed of smooth pebbles instead of mud, ensuring they wouldn’t get dirtier while washing.
Jian Mo busily scrubbed the giant white wolf’s fur. “Looks like it’s autumn again—you’re starting to shed.”
The wolf turned its head and nudged Jian Mo’s cheek with its snout. “You could collect the fur and make a fur quilt.”
Jian Mo held up a wolf hair. “I don’t think that’ll work—it’s too coarse.”
The wolf peered at the hair. “Is it really that coarse?”
Jian Mo sprawled over the wolf’s back and pulled a strand of his own hair for comparison. “Look here—your fur is way thicker than my hair. It would poke and scratch.”
The wolf replied, “Last year, we used wolf fur to weave cloth.”
“That’s because we didn’t have better materials back then. Now we do,” Jian Mo countered.
Noticing the wolf looking a little crestfallen, Jian Mo grabbed its snout and kissed its nose. “Wolf fur isn’t suitable for clothing or bedding—it’s too prickly. But it might be great for making brushes. We can try that when we get back.”
The wolf perked up. “Brushes?”
Jian Mo mimed writing. “A brush for dipping in ink to write. We have a type of brush called ‘wolf hair brush,’ and it’s considered quite valuable. Of course, the wolf hair we use isn’t as fine as yours.”
He left out the detail that earthly wolf hair brushes weren’t actually made from wolf hair—it didn’t seem necessary to explain.
The wolf tilted its head. “You have wolves where you’re from?”
Jian Mo nodded. “Yes, lots of them. But no wolf compares to you.”
Pleased, the wolf puffed out its chest slightly.
When in beast form, the wolf’s emotions were more openly displayed. Jian Mo gave it another kiss. “Let’s hurry up and finish washing. If we stay out too long, the Jiu Nian Tribe might think we’re up to something.”
The wolf responded calmly, “We’re mates. If we were, it would be normal.”
Jian Mo chuckled. “The problem is that we’re not. That feels like a waste.”
The wolf’s eyes gleamed, and its voice dropped to a deeper, more sensual tone. “Want to change that?”
Jian Mo quickly shook his head. “No, no, not out here. I’d rather not catch a cold.”
The wolf sighed in disappointment but didn’t press further.
After finishing their bath, they returned to the Jiu Nian Tribe.
Their movements woke Chirpy and Ying Ao, who had been sleeping near their quarters. Chirpy blinked sleepily and made a small, questioning sound: “Goo?”
It seemed to have picked up this odd noise from some other creature.
Jian Mo patted Chirpy’s backside. “Go back to sleep—it’s nothing.”
The Jiu Nian Tribe took the quilt project seriously. By the next morning, they had gathered various materials and set up an open space to start making it.
When Jian Mo and Wu Jiong arrived, the tribe members waved them over. “Doctor Jian Mo, Chief Wu Jiong—come look! Is this much cotton enough?”
Jian Mo pulled Wu Jiong along to inspect the pile, which was about four fingers thick. “That’s plenty. A little more or less won’t make much difference; it’ll still be warm.”
One tribe member remarked, “Comfort is key. So, what’s next? Do we just start beating it with sticks?”
Jian Mo replied, “Yes, but use smaller sticks. Big ones might mash the cotton into a dense lump, and that wouldn’t be warm at all.”
Having worked with fabric for years, the tribe members quickly understood. “Got it. We’ll find thinner branches.”
They went to the riverbank and cut willow-like twigs, bringing them back to use for fluffing the cotton.
Jian Mo’s eyes lit up. Though he’d never fluffed cotton before, the sound and technique the tribe members used felt exactly right.
The Jiu Nian Tribe members asked, “How much do we need to fluff it?”
Jian Mo replied, “Double its volume? Let’s test it first and see how much it can fluff up. If, during the process, the cotton starts to collapse instead of fluffing, that means it’s reached its limit and shouldn’t be beaten further.”
Hearing this, the tribe members nodded in agreement. “That makes sense. Let’s do it this way.”
Jian Mo quickly added, “Wait! Put on masks first. Cotton fibers are tiny, and it’s not good to inhale them into your lungs.”
On his previous visit, Jian Mo had suggested they wear masks while working, though the tribe members only did so when they felt uncomfortable. Now, with Jian Mo’s reminder, they went home to retrieve the masks they’d made before and put them on. “Alright, let’s start.”
The beastmen and sub-beastmen present worked diligently. Using the thin branches, they beat the cotton, quickly breaking it into finer fibers that floated everywhere.
By the time they were done, everyone’s eyebrows and hair were dusted white, and a thin layer of cotton had collected on their masks.
Fortunately, they had listened to Jian Mo about wearing masks; otherwise, all that cotton dust might have ended up in their lungs.
The beating process was effective. After working for half the morning, the cotton was sufficiently fluffed.
Jian Mo and Wu Jiong joined the tribe members in placing a fresh cotton cloth over the fluffed cotton. Then they sewed tightly spaced grid patterns onto the fabric to keep the cotton from shifting.
When the final stitch was done, everyone held the quilt and spread it out.
The quilt was indeed soft and fluffy, much lighter than fur bedding. It felt incredibly comfortable to the touch and carried a faint, pleasant cotton scent.
Jian Mo was thrilled as he ran his hands over the quilt. “This is exactly the kind of quilt I wanted! When using it, you can add a cover. If you wash and change the cover regularly, the quilt will stay clean and comfortable.”
Xin Jun also felt the quilt and remarked, “It’s definitely more comfortable than fur or animal hair bedding.”
Animal hair bedding was heavy when overfilled and prone to poking through the fabric, scratching the skin.
Jian Mo said, “Right? You should make a few more. Especially for young ones who aren’t very strong, a lightweight quilt like this will be more comfortable and less stifling.”
Xin Jun nodded repeatedly. “You’re right. For the little ones, these quilts are much better than heavy bedding.”
Seeing Xin Jun’s fascination with the quilt, Jian Mo asked, “Can we order two more? For spares. I’ll pay in full for the materials.”
If someone else had made such a request, Xin Jun might have refused. But since it was Jian Mo, he thought for a moment and agreed. “Take them back and keep them for your own use. Try not to let others know about them.”
Jian Mo readily promised, “No problem at all!”
