Humans are inherently drawn to beauty, and even in the beastmen world, this instinct remains the same.
Despite the labor-intensive task of gathering dyes, everyone climbed hills and crossed valleys to bring back a decent haul of materials. They turned light-colored fabrics into shades of yellow-brown or blue.
During the dyeing process, Jian Mo observed that the indigo fabric’s color was incredibly consistent—each batch came out the same.
Yellow-brown, however, was a different story. Sometimes it leaned toward orange, other times toward yellow-brown, and on one occasion, it even came out pale yellow. The results were very unpredictable.
While Jian Mo wasn’t experienced with fabric dyeing, he had seen enough examples to make some educated guesses.
After several rounds of dyeing, he recalled the tie-dye techniques from Earth and began teaching the tribe how to create tie-dye patterns.
The process was simple: tie off or cover areas of fabric to resist the dye, leaving undyed areas that form patterns when the fabric is immersed.
Since Jian Mo couldn’t find substances like beeswax to block the dye, he experimented and discovered that root starch from the mao grass worked quite well. He used this to lead the tribe in creating tie-dye pieces.
When it came to artistic expression, Ye Luo and others quickly surpassed Jian Mo. Before long, they were leading the efforts, devising various intricate and beautiful designs.
Jian Mo learned a lot from them, and in the end, he left most of the tie-dyeing work to Ye Luo and the others.
With just two people in his household, Jian Mo didn’t have much fabric to dye. After participating in several dye-gathering expeditions, he switched to joining other foraging teams, where he could focus on food-related tasks—his primary interest.
That evening, after finishing his household chores and preparing ingredients for dinner, Jian Mo noticed that Wu Jiong’s hunting party still hadn’t returned. He decided to head to the stone pestle area to help pound the day’s dyes.
When Zhou Fu saw him approach, he straightened up and asked, “What brings you here today?”
“I finished everything at home, so I came to help,” Jian Mo replied.
“So quickly? Didn’t your team just get back? Don’t you need to cut grass for Chirpy today?”
Jian Mo shook his head. “Chirpy went out with Ban Ming and the others today. They’ll handle feeding it. We just need to give it an extra meal later.”
Zhou Fu chuckled. “That explains why you’re free. Don’t bother pounding the dyes, though. Help us sort through the leaves instead. Some of the ones we gathered today are old and don’t have much juice left—pick those out and set them aside.”
Jian Mo walked over to a large basket and grabbed a handful of dye leaves.
These leaves were indeed older, rough to the touch, and noticeably larger than the tender ones they’d first gathered. Back then, even a light squeeze would produce plenty of juice.
He sifted through the basket, separating out the leaves with prominent veins and setting them aside.
In no time, the sorting was complete.
Jian Mo looked at the pile of older leaves and asked, “What do we do with these?”
Zhou Fu glanced over and replied casually, “Just toss them back into the forest—they’re not useful.”
Jian Mo pinched a leaf between his fingers. We carried these all the way back. It feels like such a waste to just throw them out.
Looking at the intricate leaf veins, an idea suddenly struck him: These leaves are quite pretty. Could I use them to print patterns on fabric?
He turned to Zhou Fu. “Can I take these discarded leaves?”
Zhou Fu raised an eyebrow. “Of course. What do you want them for?”
“I want to try printing their patterns onto fabric,” Jian Mo explained.
Zhou Fu looked startled. “Printing them onto fabric? Isn’t that weird?”
Jian Mo chuckled. “Why would it be? Look at how beautiful these veins are.”
Back at home, Jian Mo carried half a basket of dye leaves to the second floor, where he found a roll of undyed linen fabric. He brought everything to the courtyard and began experimenting with his idea.
He spread the fabric flat on the ground and sandwiched the dye leaves between two layers of cloth. Beneath the fabric, he placed a smooth stone slab as support.
With everything in position, he picked up a smaller rock and gently pounded the fabric where the leaves were placed.
As he hammered, the juice from the dye leaves transferred to the cloth, forming vivid leaf patterns.
Though a little smudged, the designs were surprisingly striking.
When Wu Jiong returned, he saw Jian Mo working on the fabric in the courtyard and asked, “What are you doing?”
“I’m printing leaf patterns onto fabric. Come take a look,” Jian Mo replied.
Wu Jiong walked over and inspected the fabric. “It looks nice.”
Jian Mo admired the cloth, now covered in leaf designs, and smiled. “I think it turned out pretty well.”
Once the printed fabric dried, Jian Mo tried using a saltwater solution to set the colors.
After washing the fabric, he was delighted to find the leaf patterns still intact—they had successfully set into the cloth.
Pleased with the results, Jian Mo brought the fabric to Qing Kuo and asked him to make two sets of sleepwear.
Qing Kuo examined the fabric closely. “These patterns are so unique. You always come up with such creative ideas.”
Jian Mo laughed. “It’s not my idea. Back where I come from, people do this sort of thing. I just borrowed the concept. But something seems a bit off—the patterns look lighter than I expected. They should have been sharper and more vibrant.”
Qing Kuo tilted his head, unimpressed by the supposed flaw. “They already look amazing to me. This is something special.”
“Maybe,” Jian Mo said thoughtfully. “Can you make two sets of sleepwear for us? One for me and one for Wu Jiong. Do you need measurements?”
Qing Kuo waved him off. “I’ve seen enough of you two to know your sizes. No need.”
When the sleepwear was finished, its bold leaf patterns attracted a crowd of onlookers.
The designs added a distinctive charm to the garments—unlike anything the tribe had seen before.
Looking at the finished sleepwear, Jian Mo felt more satisfied. The muted patterns, which had seemed too faint on raw fabric, looked elegant and harmonious on the clothing.
Everyone praised the printed designs, noting how they offered a completely different aesthetic compared to tie-dye. Some brought their own fabric to Jian Mo, asking him to teach them the technique.
Since the process didn’t require much technical skill, Jian Mo gladly taught anyone interested.
However, as he watched others attempt leaf printing, he noticed the patterns often came out less distinct.
Seeing him frown in thought, Wu Jiong suggested, “Could it be because you didn’t boil the leaves first?”
Jian Mo instinctively retorted, “If we boil it, the patterns we just printed will definitely smudge…”
Halfway through his sentence, he paused. If boiling causes smudging, what about steaming instead?
With their sturdy iron pots—unlike the fragile ceramic pots that would crack under the heat—steaming might work perfectly.
The more he thought about it, the more feasible the idea seemed. Overcome with excitement, he wrapped an arm around Wu Jiong’s shoulder and kissed him. “You’re a genius! I’ll start preparing right away!”
Since steaming was the plan, Jian Mo began by soaking the fabric in water, wringing it out until it was damp but not dripping, and then using the dye leaves to print patterns.
This time, he left the dye leaves on the fabric, rolling the cloth up with the leaves still inside. He placed the roll in the iron pot over boiling water to steam.
After steaming for half the night, he retrieved the fabric and carefully unrolled it. The patterns that emerged were much sharper than before, with beautifully detailed leaf veins that stood out vividly.
Jian Mo excitedly showed the cloth to Wu Jiong. “Look at this! This is exactly the effect I was hoping for!”
Wu Jiong examined the brightly colored fabric with its crisp, intricate patterns and nodded in agreement. “It’s definitely more refined than before.”
“Yes! It has such an artistic feel!” Jian Mo exclaimed. “In a couple of days, I’ll go gather different types of leaves and flowers to print on more fabric.”
Using the dye leaves and dye fruits they’d harvested, Jian Mo experimented further. By extracting the juices and concentrating them, then soaking flowers or leaves in the dye before printing them onto fabric, he achieved stunning results.
The patterns were vibrant and varied, and Jian Mo became deeply absorbed in the process, spending days experimenting.
Many in the tribe joined him in these trials, resulting in a large batch of fabric adorned with floral and leaf designs.
These fabrics boasted more vivid colors and sharper patterns, radiating a distinct artistic charm.
The tribe members were enamored with the textiles and wasted no time cutting them into various garments.
The understated patterns didn’t come across as flashy; instead, they added a subtle elegance to the clothes, making them unique without being overbearing.
Wearing their patterned garments on hunting and foraging trips, the He’an Tribe quickly became known among neighboring tribes for their beautiful fabrics. People from other tribes flocked to trade, bringing plain cloth in hopes of exchanging it for the dyed and patterned ones.
Jian Mo and Wu Jiong had just made a batch of clothes, depleting their fabric supply somewhat. But after this round of trades, their fabric stash was replenished, with their cabinets once again filled to the brim.
Though Jian Mo wasn’t one to hoard, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction seeing their storage full. At least for the rest of the year, they wouldn’t have to worry about fabric shortages.
As plants grew rapidly, the dye leaves and dye fruits were only available for about ten days. Once the fruits disappeared, the leaves remained usable but of significantly lower quality.
Reluctantly pausing his experiments, Jian Mo shifted his focus back to food gathering.
One afternoon, while resting, Ban Ming and a few others came over, asking, “Brother Jian Mo, do you want to join us tomorrow to collect bird eggs?”
Jian Mo looked puzzled. “Isn’t it forbidden to collect bird eggs in spring?”
Spring was nesting season, and harvesting eggs during this time would prevent the birds from reproducing. For a tribe that relied on gathering, a lack of young birds in spring meant fewer birds to hunt in summer and autumn—a significant loss.
“These birds are different,” Ban Ming said mysteriously.
“How so?” Jian Mo asked.
“Jian Mo, you know that birds lay eggs and wait to gather enough before they start incubating, right?”
Jian Mo nodded. As a trained veterinarian, he was well-versed in this process. Birds typically lay eggs that enter a dormant state, remaining fresh until the clutch is complete and incubation begins.
Ban Ming continued, “The birds we’re after always incubate exactly five eggs. If their nest doesn’t have five eggs, they’ll just keep laying until it does. So, we can take two eggs when there are three or four in the nest. The bird won’t notice and will lay more to make up for it.”
Jian Mo was amazed. “That’s incredible!”
Ban Ming grinned. “Of course! Taking a couple of eggs won’t affect them at all. But if you take too many, they’ll get agitated and stop laying. Worse, they’ll kick out all the eggs and smash them.”
Jian Mo chuckled. “Sounds like a temperamental bird.”
Ban Ming flashed a wide grin. “Exactly. That’s why it’s called the Stormbird. So, are you coming with us? Just don’t tell the chief.”
Jian Mo laughed. “How about I let him know but promise not to bring him along?”
Ban Ming agreed. “That works. The spot’s already picked out—it’s near White Sands Island. Let the chief know it’s a safe area without any dangerous creatures.”
That evening, Jian Mo told Wu Jiong about the plan.
“The Stormbird’s eggs are good,” Wu Jiong said. “They’re very fresh, but the birds themselves are aggressive and will peck at you.”
“It’ll be fine,” Jian Mo replied. “I’ll be with Ban Ming and the others, and Xi Lu will be there too. It shouldn’t be a problem. The Stormbird isn’t that big, right?”
“About the size of the purple birds we’ve eaten before,” Wu Jiong said.
“Like a duck, then,” Jian Mo mused. “No big deal. They’re much smaller than us—it’s not like they can do any serious harm.”
Wu Jiong nodded. “Alright, go ahead. I’ll let Ban Ming know.”
“Great,” Jian Mo said with a grin. “Let me get a few bird eggs tomorrow. I’ll fry them up for you.”
Thanks for the chapter! Welcome to the sixties? lol