In the morning, after breakfast, Jian Mo took out a hoe, intending to plant the Wooden Root behind the house.
Wu Jiong came over to help.
He regularly cleared the weeds behind the house, so the area was already quite tidy.
Jian Mo walked to the end closest to the mountain’s base and suggested, “Let’s plant the Wooden Root here, shall we?”
Wu Jiong nodded in agreement.
Jian Mo lifted the hoe. “I’ll start by digging a hole.”
But Wu Jiong took the hoe from his hands. “Let me dig. How deep should it be?”
Jian Mo thought for a moment. “It probably doesn’t need to be too deep. On the mountain, it grows just fine without anyone digging a pit for it. Just a shallow hole to cover the seeds should be enough.”
Wu Jiong nodded, lightly digging a hole about six or seven centimeters deep. “Like this?”
Jian Mo tossed a Wooden Root seed into the hole and added a handful of ash from burnt plants. “Yes, that’s perfect. Now just cover it with soil.”
Wu Jiong filled in the hole with the soil he had just dug out, patting it down quickly.
Jian Mo instructed, “Now dig the next hole at about an arm’s length away.”
Since the Wooden Root could grow as thick as a person’s thigh, they decided to space the rows a bit wider to give them enough room to expand.
Without any complaints, Wu Jiong dug the holes as Jian Mo directed.
One person dug while the other planted seeds; they made quick progress working in tandem.
As they continued planting, Wu Jiong looked up and asked, “How many seeds do we have in total?”
Jian Mo glanced down at the basket. “Two hundred and seventy-seven.”
Wu Jiong was surprised. “That’s more than I expected. After we plant them, what else do we need to do?”
“Not much, I think,” Jian Mo admitted, not being particularly experienced with farming. “I’ve seen them growing well in the wild, so they probably don’t need much attention. At most, we might need to water them if there’s a drought and maybe add some fertilizer once they start bearing fruit.”
Wu Jiong glanced at the freshly planted seeds.
Even if these plants didn’t grow perfectly, they would still yield a significant harvest once matured.
Bowing his head, Wu Jiong continued to dig. “If I see any Wooden Root fruits when I go up the mountain, I’ll bring them back.”
Jian Mo was pleasantly surprised at how quickly Wu Jiong understood the value of planting and gave him a grateful smile. “That would be great.”
After they finished planting the Wooden Root, Jian Mo also planted the medicinal herbs they had gathered nearby.
This way, they could easily access the herbs whenever needed, without having to search the mountains in times of urgency.
They had woken up quite early that day, so by the time they finished planting all the Wooden Root and herbs, and watering them, most of the households in the tribe were still preparing breakfast.
Wisps of smoke curled into the sky, carrying the fragrant scents of various foods.
The children who could already transform ran around the tribe with the younger ones who couldn’t, their laughter echoing far into the distance.
Watching this peaceful scene, Jian Mo began to feel a fondness for this world.
Living such a simple, quiet life wasn’t so bad.
As the sun climbed higher, most of the adults in the tribe went out to hunt or gather.
Having walked a long distance yesterday and dug for Wooden Root for hours, Jian Mo’s entire body was sore, so he decided to rest in the village.
The pace of life in their tribe was quite relaxed. People didn’t hunt or gather every day; they took turns resting.
Jian Mo started spinning yarn at home but soon felt a bit cold. So, he took his materials outside to spin in the open area.
Outside, there was sunlight, stones to sit on, and a beautiful view of the snow-capped mountains, river, and forest. It was far more comfortable than staying indoors.
He brought a small basket filled with animal fur and his homemade spindle, heading to the open space.
There, children and cubs were playing. As soon as they saw him, they rushed over out of curiosity to watch him spin yarn.
Gradually, a few adults also gathered around to watch.
An elderly sub-beastman came over, observing how he spun the yarn and examining his small spindle. With a cheerful smile, the elder said, “This little tool you made is quite clever. We usually twist ropes and threads directly by hand.”
Jian Mo responded, “Having a tool makes it easier.”
His spindle was simply a stone that used gravity to twist the fur into a thread when spun.
Since the yarn was for his own use, he wasn’t too concerned about perfection, as long as it was relatively uniform in thickness.
After watching him for a while, the sub-beastmen also found some stones and joined in to help spin yarn.
Jian Mo had been planning to share a few tips on spinning, but to his surprise, the sub-beastmen picked it up quickly. With just a bit of fiddling, they figured it out and even spun threads that were more even than his own.
Seeing his astonished expression, Ye Luo, who was more familiar with him, said, “We’ve made so many ropes in the tribe, twisting yarn is basically the same thing. It’s not hard.”
Jian Mo praised them, “It’s only easy for you because you know how to do it. I spent all of last night figuring out how to spin yarn.”
Ye Luo asked, “What are you planning to use this yarn for? Are you making ropes?”
Jian Mo shook his head, “No, I want to weave it into a fabric and then make clothes. But I haven’t figured out a way to weave it yet. I’m still experimenting.”
Ye Luo raised an eyebrow. “Qing Kuo knows how to weave. He even showed us some fabric he made.”
Another sub-beastman chimed in, “I’ll go call Qing Kuo. He’s resting today.”
Before Jian Mo could stop him, the sub-beastman had already dashed off.
Soon, Qing Kuo arrived—a tall, long-legged man who looked cooler than a model. He carried a small piece of woven fabric in his hand. “What kind of fabric do you need? This is the only type I know how to make.”
Jian Mo quickly moved aside to make space for him. “Let me take a look.”
Without hesitation, Qing Kuo sat down where Jian Mo had made room and said, “Take it. It’s yours.”
Jian Mo gratefully thanked him and examined the fabric closely.
The fabric was woven very evenly, with fine stitches, and even had a diamond pattern that was exceptionally exquisite.
The pattern wasn’t dyed on; it was part of the weave itself.
Jian Mo felt the texture. Initially, he had only planned to use a simple warp-and-weft method to create basic fabric. He never imagined that Qing Kuo could already weave patterns like this.
He was truly skilled!
Noticing Jian Mo’s expression, Qing Kuo looked a bit smug. “How is it?”
Jian Mo exclaimed without hesitation, “You’re amazing! This fabric is incredible!”
Qing Kuo was satisfied. “Is this the kind of fabric you want?”
“Yes, yes, this will do perfectly,” Jian Mo said eagerly, pulling out the yarn he had spun and showing it to Qing Kuo. “Could you take a look at this yarn? Can I use it to weave fabric?”
Qing Kuo took the yarn from him and inspected it carefully. “You’ll need it to be a bit thinner. Finer yarn makes for a smoother, softer fabric. With yarn this thick, the fabric would have bumps and wouldn’t be comfortable to wear.”
Jian Mo asked, “How thin should it be?”
Qing Kuo glanced at his spindle, then took a clump of fur, quickly spinning it into a thread barely thicker than a strand of hair. “At most, this thin. Just use less fur at a time.”
Jian Mo compared the thread Qing Kuo had spun with the yarn he had made earlier and realized just how big the difference was. “I’ll give it another try.”
Jian Mo wasn’t particularly skilled, so it took him quite a while to spin yarn of the right thickness.
Meanwhile, Qing Kuo, spinning beside him, produced yarn that was not only fine and sturdy but had a slight sheen, making it look like a piece of art.
Even the other sub-beastmen, though not as skilled as Qing Kuo, produced better yarn than Jian Mo.
As they worked, they chatted.
Qing Kuo casually asked Jian Mo, “Are you planning to make something specific? If you need hides to make clothes, I have some extras at home.”
Jian Mo quickly clarified again, “Wu Jiong has already let me use the hides from his house. I’m mainly spinning yarn because I want to weave socks, underwear, and other close-fitting clothes. Animal hides aren’t very breathable; they can feel quite stifling.”
Everyone turned to look at his feet in unison, and Qing Kuo asked, “What are socks?”
Jian Mo had no choice but to take off the socks he had just put on that morning to show them. “They look like this. They absorb sweat and prevent chafing, making them more comfortable to wear.”
No one seemed to mind that they were used socks. After passing them around, Qing Kuo commented, “Your tribe’s craftsmanship is impressive.”
Embarrassed, Jian Mo quickly put his socks back on. “They’re alright.”
Qing Kuo continued to eye his feet. “If it’s socks you want to make, I can weave them. But I don’t know how to make that stretchy fabric for the part around the tail.”
Jian Mo quickly responded, “That’s fine. For the part around the tail, we can just weave it into a strap and tie it to adjust.”
With this topic opened, everyone began discussing how long the socks should be and how to tie the straps so they wouldn’t slip off.
True to their nature, Qing Kuo and the others got right to work. They broke a few branches and, using the freshly spun yarn, immediately started knitting socks.
Jian Mo hadn’t expected everyone to be so efficient. They spun yarn and knitted from morning until afternoon, and each person managed to knit a small piece of fabric.
While knitting, they frequently compared the fit against Jian Mo’s foot, adjusting as needed.
At this pace, it seemed likely they would finish by tonight.
As the day wore on, the hunters and gatherers returned, bringing back an abundance of game.
The people who had been working on knitting took a break to collect their food portions, agreeing to return after dinner to finish the socks.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Jian Mo pulled Wu Jiong aside to discuss an idea. Once Wu Jiong agreed, Jian Mo called out to Qing Kuo and the others, “How about everyone comes over to our place for dinner tonight? I’ll cook some stewed meat for everyone.”
Seeing Jian Mo’s slightly nervous expression, Qing Kuo smiled and agreed, “Sure, that would be great. Thank you for your hard work.”
Jian Mo nodded quickly, “It’s the least I can do.”
Since he had offered to treat everyone to dinner, Jian Mo immediately began preparing.
With so many people to feed, aside from the main dish of Wooden Root stewed with meat, he also needed to make several side dishes.
He decided to prepare his specialty pan-fried meat patties, mixed wild greens, and a hearty soup…
As Jian Mo mentally calculated what was needed, Wu Jiong came over to help.
Seeing this, Jian Mo quickly said, “You’ve been working hard all day. Take a rest, I can handle it.”
Wu Jiong shook his head. “I’m not tired. How do you want the meat cut?”
Jian Mo observed his expression and, seeing that he looked fine, replied, “Cut it into chunks. Let me show you the size I need.”
Wu Jiong handed him the shell knife.
Jian Mo took a piece of meat and cut it into chunks the size of mahjong tiles. “I need them about this size.”
Wu Jiong nodded to show he understood. “I’ll call you over once I’m done.”
While they were busy preparing food, the sub-beastmen who had finished their household chores started arriving, watching Jian Mo cook.
Jian Mo took a deep breath, straightened his back, and began demonstrating the steps: marinating the meat, frying the spices to release their fragrance, searing the meat, and adding boiling water to stew it.
As everyone watched each step, they finally understood why his dishes always turned out so delicious.
When the meal was ready, everyone gathered around the fire pit to eat, showering Jian Mo with enthusiastic compliments.
Embarrassed by the praise, Jian Mo kept his head down and focused on eating.
After dinner, they resumed spinning yarn and knitting socks with renewed energy.
Except for Qing Kuo, who could knit the socks seamlessly, the others had to first knit several pieces of fabric and then sew them together.
The socks they made had long threads left at the back. Once finished, the socks had short toes and long heels. By pulling up the heel part and wrapping the extra thread around the ankle twice, they could tie it securely.
After trying on his new socks, everyone asked Jian Mo, “How do they feel?”
Jian Mo stood up and walked around.
The softness of the animal fur made the socks warm and comfortable.
What was best was their thickness, providing a snug fit and good support. Walking in these socks was incredibly comfortable.
He couldn’t help but pace back and forth, praising, “These are fantastic! They’re even better than my old socks.”
Qing Kuo raised his chin proudly, “Well, of course. We spent the whole day making these socks.”
Jian Mo laughed and gave him a thumbs-up.
Everyone burst into laughter.
Jian Mo held up the other sock he hadn’t worn yet and offered, “Would anyone like to try?”
The sub-beastmen exchanged glances, a bit shy.
Qing Kuo reached out for the sock. “I’ll give it a go.”
Everyone watched as Qing Kuo put on the sock and took a few steps.
Ye Luo stared at him. “How does it feel?”
Qing Kuo looked surprised. “I’ve never worn anything like this before, so it feels a bit strange, but it’s really warm and comfortable.”
After a pause, he looked down at the sock on his foot. “Wearing these in winter would definitely be warm and cozy, and with socks on, my fur boots wouldn’t get dirty as quickly.”
Jian Mo couldn’t help but be impressed by his quick thinking. “That’s exactly one of the benefits of socks—they absorb sweat and keep your feet warm and dry. Wearing them under boots makes them much more comfortable.”
Qing Kuo took off the sock. “This is truly a great invention.”
Jian Mo suggested, “We should make more pairs.”
The technique for knitting socks wasn’t too difficult. After a full day of practice, everyone had gotten the hang of it.
Encouraged by Jian Mo’s words, they all agreed to continue knitting the next day.
Sure enough, when Jian Mo went out gathering the next morning, he found that everyone had brought their spindles and animal fur with them.
However, the fur they were using came in various colors and textures, entirely different from one another.
Looking at the assortment of fur, Jian Mo couldn’t help but ask, “Where did all this fur come from? I thought you usually didn’t collect animal fur?”
In the tribe, hides were typically used in place of fabric, with the entire hide being used intact rather than shearing off the fur separately.
Jian Mo had even seen a pond in the forest dedicated to tanning hides, filled with tree bark and sap for soaking them. Both hides and fur were processed together.
Curious, Jian Mo wondered where all this loose fur had come from, especially given its high quality.
When he asked, everyone burst into laughter, and several people had slightly embarrassed expressions.
Qing Kuo held up a bundle of fur. “The beastmen shed their fur twice a year, in spring and autumn. This came from my kid’s fur.”
Jian Mo looked at the pile of soft, gray-white fur and remembered the little cat he had seen when he first arrived in this world. Suddenly, it all made sense, and he nodded in realization.
He then looked at the slightly bashful sub-beastmen.
It seemed that the fur they were using came from their partners’ seasonal shedding.
Only in a world of beastmen could things be so unique!
