Ru Da and his companion carefully examined Jian Mo’s drawing but eventually shook their heads, saying they had neither seen nor heard of a plant resembling scallions.
Unwilling to give up, Jian Mo asked, “Then is there anything used as a spice or seasoning?”
Scratching his head, Ru Da replied, “Our two tribes are so close. If there were such a great spice, your tribe would have probably heard of it too. As for spices, what we have, you have as well—nothing special.”
Jian Mo sighed with disappointment. “I see.”
Ru Da’s companion offered, “Doctor Jian Mo, why don’t you give us this wooden board? If we ever see or hear of it, we’ll let you know.”
Thanking them, Jian Mo handed over the board.
Although there was no news about scallions, the spring rains arrived.
Rain fell continuously, bringing fluctuating temperatures—cold enough at times to warrant a charcoal brazier, and at others, warm enough for just a short robe or apron.
The rains brought an abundance of plants to gather, especially mushrooms.
Jian Mo was surprised by the sheer variety of mushrooms: white, black, yellow, red, green, blue… They seemed to find new kinds every day.
Despite spending a good amount of time foraging with the tribe, Jian Mo couldn’t identify them all and occasionally stumbled across toxic ones.
This worried Qing Kuo and the others, who sternly warned Jian Mo to always have someone check his gathered mushrooms or show them to Wu Jiong before eating.
Seeing their serious expressions, Jian Mo solemnly agreed.
“I’m not reckless. I won’t mess around with this,” Jian Mo assured them.
“It’s not that we don’t trust you,” Qing Kuo explained. “It’s just that people get poisoned every year, so we have to be careful.”
Jian Mo asked, “How severe are the poisonings? Any fatalities?”
“Beastmen are tough to poison, and sub-beastmen are resilient too. Usually, it’s not too serious,” Qing Kuo said. “But for someone like you, it could be much worse. You’re not as sturdy as us—it could be very dangerous.”
“I won’t eat random mushrooms,” Jian Mo promised again.
“Just making sure,” Qing Kuo replied.
The tribe repeated this advice not only to Jian Mo but also to the children, firmly instructing them not to eat anything without permission.
The children obediently agreed, leaving Jian Mo impressed by how well they were educated in some areas.
With mushrooms being so plentiful, the tribe had been eating them frequently.
One day, Jian Mo emptied his basket of mushrooms to prepare a meal. Wu Jiong, helping nearby, stared at the mushrooms for a long time.
Jian Mo laughed. “Don’t bother staring—they’re not going to transform into different mushrooms.”
Wu Jiong shifted his gaze to Jian Mo’s face, silently asking why it was the same type of mushroom again.
Shrugging, Jian Mo said, “Can’t help it. This kind of mushroom is everywhere in the forest, and there’s no end to picking them.”
For some reason, the tastiest mushrooms were scarce, while the bland ones seemed to grow endlessly.
After days of stir-frying and stewing mushrooms, making them the main or side dish, everyone was growing a bit tired of them.
Jian Mo thought for a moment. “Let’s not use the usual recipes today. I’ll try something new.”
Wu Jiong asked, “Pan-fried mushrooms? Or stuffed mushrooms?”
Knowing Wu Jiong liked these two methods, Jian Mo replied, “Neither. I’m planning to fry them with butter, add some milk and pepper. But if you want the other two methods, I can switch.”
Wu Jiong chose, “Stick with the butter fry.”
Jian Mo nudged him. “Then help me tend the fire.”
With someone handling the stove, Jian Mo didn’t have to juggle cooking and stoking the flames.
Wu Jiong sat by the hearth and lit the dry grass with a firestarter. “Big fire or small fire?”
“Medium-high is fine. It doesn’t need to be especially large,” Jian Mo instructed.
Nodding, Wu Jiong built the fire until it blazed steadily.
Jian Mo placed a chunk of butter in the pan, sprinkled in some pepper, and stirred until fragrant before adding the mushrooms.
The metal pan heated quickly, causing the mushrooms to soften and release their juices almost immediately.
As Jian Mo stirred, the aroma of the mushrooms and pepper filled the air, becoming rich and tantalizing.
When the mushrooms were nearly done, Jian Mo poured in half a bowl of Tou Tou Beast milk and reduced the sauce over high heat.
In addition to the mushrooms, Jian Mo prepared meat patties, boiled beast meat, and a bone broth.
Three dishes and one soup—all but the mushrooms were dishes both he and Wu Jiong enjoyed.
Jian Mo set the table and called, “Come try the mushrooms first. Let’s see if you like this method.”
Wu Jiong picked a small piece and put it in his mouth.
“How is it?” Jian Mo asked, watching his expression.
Wu Jiong looked pleasantly surprised. “It’s pretty good.”
Jian Mo grinned. “I told you. This is a classic recipe where I’m from.”
He took a piece for himself.
The butter and milk eliminated the mushrooms’ faint bitterness, while the pepper and creamy sauce added a rich, layered flavor that perfectly complemented the mushrooms’ natural umami.
It was, without a doubt, an excellent mushroom dish.
After finishing their meal, they took some leftovers to Chirpy along with a large basket of grass.
Chirpy, smelling the aroma, hopped around excitedly.
Jian Mo lightly patted Chirpy’s neck. “Don’t rush. No one’s going to steal it from you.”
Chirpy nudged Jian Mo affectionately. “Chirp, chirp!”
With that, Chirpy glanced at the sky, seemingly deciding something.
Jian Mo didn’t notice this small detail.
The next day, after Jian Mo fed Chirpy, the winged beast suddenly grabbed his collar with its beak. “Chirp!”
“Chirpy, let go!” Jian Mo exclaimed, trying to free his collar. “Your drool—”
Not only did Chirpy refuse to let go, but it also tugged him toward the side.
Familiar with Chirpy’s behavior, Jian Mo quickly guessed, “Do you want to take me somewhere?”
“Chirp!” Chirpy chirped loudly.
“Wait a moment,” Jian Mo said. “Let me call Wu Jiong, and we’ll go together.”
Chirpy released his collar and nudged him with its big head. “Chirp.”
Jian Mo left Chirpy’s nest and called toward the house, “Wu Jiong—come quickly! Chirpy wants to take us somewhere.”
Wu Jiong stepped out. “Where to?”
Jian Mo chuckled. “I have no idea. We’ll find out when we follow it.”
Wu Jiong replied, “Let me inform the tribe first.”
After notifying the tribe, they climbed onto Chirpy’s back.
Chirpy took a few steps forward, flapped its wings, and soared into the sky.
They flew southwest, where the snow-capped mountains loomed. The mountains were high, and Jian Mo rarely ventured there to gather plants, though Wu Jiong and others often hunted in the area.
Chirpy carried them steadily, flying over the mountains before beginning to circle above.
Jian Mo held tightly to the reins fastened around Chirpy and leaned forward to look below. A stretch of alpine meadow spread out beneath them.
The meadow was vast, with fresh green grass sprouting across the landscape. It looked beautiful, but Jian Mo couldn’t figure out why Chirpy had brought them here.
After circling for a while, Chirpy seemed to find a spot it liked. With a sharp descent, it landed gracefully in the middle of the grass and settled down.
Jian Mo and Wu Jiong climbed off Chirpy’s back.
Jian Mo stretched his legs, which had gone numb from sitting cross-legged, and looked around.
The grass here was still short, barely covering their feet. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Jian Mo was puzzled about Chirpy’s intentions.
As he wondered, Wu Jiong pointed ahead. “Looks like there are mushrooms.”
Jian Mo’s eyes widened. “Where? I don’t see any.”
Before Wu Jiong could respond, Chirpy happily bounced forward, turned its head to look at them, and chirped, “Chirp!”
“You want us to follow you?” Jian Mo asked.
Chirpy chirped again, more excitedly this time. “Chirp!”
Walking about ten meters ahead, Chirpy used its large head to nudge aside some newly sprouted grass, revealing a mushroom that it promptly picked up with its beak and showed them. “Chirp!”
Only then did Jian Mo notice tiny white dots scattered among the grass. Clearing the grass further, he discovered a cluster of plump mushrooms.
Chirpy chirped joyfully again, chewing on the mushroom it had picked.
Jian Mo continued parting the grass and found mushrooms everywhere—this was practically a treasure trove of fungi.
Standing upright to survey the area, Jian Mo realized this was an untouched mushroom haven, a place they could call their own.
“There are so many mushrooms here!” Jian Mo marveled. “And they’re the delicious white umbrella mushrooms! How did Chirpy manage to find so many?”
Wu Jiong suggested, “It’s probably Chirpy’s secret mushroom stash. Maybe it used to forage here when it lived in the wild.”
Jian Mo paused and turned to look at Chirpy.
Chirpy blinked its big eyes at him, flapped its wings proudly, and chirped, “Chirp!”
Jian Mo sniffed, moved by the gesture. “You’re sharing your secret mushroom spot with us already?”
In the wild, hunting grounds and foraging spots were valuable secrets, rarely shared. That Chirpy was willing to share this place spoke volumes about its affection.
Unable to resist, Jian Mo rushed over and hugged Chirpy. “Thank you, Chirpy.”
Chirpy seemed to understand, its eyes lighting up as it hopped in place, chirping, “Chirp, chirp!”
The mushrooms were scattered everywhere, forming rings and clusters, as if someone had deliberately planted them.
Jian Mo crouched down, carefully picking the mushrooms while gently patting their caps, hoping the spores would grow into new mushrooms for their next visit.
Chirpy kept them company, occasionally picking a mushroom to munch on.
Watching Chirpy, Jian Mo sniffed a mushroom under his nose. The faint sweet smell was tempting, but he didn’t dare eat it directly.
His stomach wasn’t as resilient as Chirpy’s—eating it raw might not poison him, but a stomachache or worse could ruin his day.
Jian Mo alternated between crouching and sitting as he picked mushrooms. His basket gradually filled, yet many mushrooms remained nearby.
“Such a shame so many mushrooms are rotting,” Jian Mo lamented.
Some were naturally decayed, while others had been eaten by birds or insects before rotting.
Wu Jiong reassured him, “Rotten ones will help new ones grow. We can come back in a few days to pick more.”
Jian Mo nodded. “True. The decayed mushrooms make good fertilizer for the others.”
The two of them collected two large baskets of mushrooms, leaving many unharvested.
After returning, they made two more trips and settled into a routine of harvesting every three days.
For nearly ten days, they gathered mushrooms until the alpine meadow’s season ended, and the supply dwindled. Only then did they stop visiting.
The mushrooms they collected during that period were so abundant that even with Chirpy helping, they couldn’t eat them all.
Jian Mo decided to sun-dry the surplus in the courtyard, turning them into dried mushrooms.
Once dried, the mushrooms’ aroma intensified, taking on a distinct, rich flavor.
After this stretch of good weather, the He’an Tribe returned to enduring persistent spring rains.
Tired from their recent efforts, everyone took the opportunity to rest.
Jian Mo, uninterested in gatherings, chatting, or singing, turned his attention to the abundant mushrooms at home.
With idle hands itching for activity, he soaked the dried mushrooms, diced them finely, and simmered them in a pot with minced lean meat. As they cooked, he added shellfish powder and pepper, creating a rich mushroom sauce.
The aroma of the mushroom sauce wafted through the entire tribe, drawing attention.
Zhou Fu and a few others came over to help and learn how to make the sauce.
Since it wasn’t a secret recipe, Jian Mo generously taught them. With extra hands helping, they managed to make a larger batch.
Tasting a spoonful of the fresh sauce, Zhou Fu exclaimed, “This mushroom sauce is delicious! How do we eat it? Do we use it as a dish on its own?”
Jian Mo replied, “You can eat it as a dish, or pair it with plain, bland-tasting stalks—take a bite of stalk and a bite of sauce, and it should taste great. But I was thinking of storing it in jars. When you’re out hunting or gathering and get hungry, you can use the sauce with freshly picked wild vegetables or fruits.”
Zhou Fu couldn’t help but comment, “If I take this out, I’d probably give in to my cravings before I even get hungry.”
Xi Lu, for once, agreed. “Me too. With such a rich aroma, I’d be thinking about it as soon as I leave the tribe and wouldn’t have the heart to hunt or gather.”
Jian Mo laughed. “Wu Jiong and I should have the self-control to manage.”
Zhou Fu asked, “How long can this sauce last?”
Jian Mo thought for a moment. “In this fully dehydrated state, it should last at least a month. After packing it in clay jars, I’ll steam them to kill off any microorganisms and store them in a cool place.”
Zhou Fu tilted his head in confusion. “What does that even mean?”
“It kills off any microbes inside to extend the shelf life,” Jian Mo explained.
No one understood, their faces blank as they looked at Jian Mo.
He didn’t bother to elaborate. “If you want to make sauce, just follow these steps. It’s that simple.”
Zhou Fu quickly chimed in, “But my sauce won’t taste as good as yours. Even if I make it, it’d just waste ingredients. Can I bring you the materials to trade for your sauce instead?”
Since they were from the same tribe, Jian Mo nodded. “Sure, bring the ingredients, and I’ll trade you half the equivalent amount of sauce.”
Zhou Fu’s face lit up. “Wait right here, I’ll go get them!”
Xi Lu and the others jumped in. “Brother Jian Mo, we want some too!”
Jian Mo waved them off. “Go get your materials, and we’ll make another batch when you return.”
Every household in the tribe had an abundance of ingredients like beast meat, shellfish, and mushrooms. Those who didn’t want to cook themselves simply brought their supplies to trade for mushroom sauce.
Jian Mo didn’t mind. With the materials ready, making the sauce was straightforward. On rainy days with little else to do, it was a great way to stock up on food.
Both Wu Jiong and Chirpy were big eaters, so preparing extra was always a good idea—especially for Chirpy.
As an omnivore, the winged beast could eat almost anything. While the tribe supplied half of Chirpy’s food, it was mostly grass, wild vegetables, and tough stalks—not the better cuts of meat.
In the wild, winged beasts fared even worse. Compared to their natural diet, the tribe’s offerings were generous.
But Chirpy had a penchant for human-cooked food, which put extra pressure on Jian Mo and Wu Jiong to provide more.
By feeding Chirpy well, they had raised it to be sleek and healthy, its coat shining with vitality.
Jian Mo hadn’t seen wild-winged beasts for comparison, but he had seen the ones raised by the Tian Ning Tribe. Those were only half Chirpy’s size, far less robust, and lacked Chirpy’s lively charm.
Even so, people thought the Tian Ning Tribe’s winged beasts were well-kept, highlighting just how difficult it was to raise one in this era.
On rainy days, going out was unpleasant and unsafe, so Jian Mo and Wu Jiong mostly stayed indoors.
However, many others didn’t mind the rain and ventured out. Visitors from other tribes often came to the He’an Tribe to trade for pottery.
People found the He’an Tribe’s pottery beautiful and functional, and trading for it was much more efficient than making their own. Many tribes struggled with low success rates in firing pottery, resulting in high costs from cracked or broken pieces.
The He’an Tribe welcomed such exchanges. Collecting wood and clay was labor-intensive, and since supplies dwindled with use, having other tribes bring materials was a relief.
Overall, everyone seemed satisfied with the trade.
As more visitors came, some discovered that trading with Jian Mo for food was worthwhile.
His mushroom sauce, fried fish bites, and fried meat chunks were particularly aromatic and delicious—far superior to regular food.
Jian Mo’s terms were simple: one portion of ingredients could be traded for about one-third of the equivalent amount of finished food.
Since the cooking process reduced the volume by at least half, and inexperienced cooks risked ruining their ingredients, the trade was highly advantageous.
Jian Mo enjoyed these exchanges. If the visitors brought special news along with their trades, it was even better.
One day, members of the Hong Zhen Tribe came to trade and brought up the topic of scallions:
“Doctor Jian Mo, are you really looking for those scallions?”
“Can we help search for them?”
“Yes, we could ask around. If we find them, can we trade them with you?”
Jian Mo welcomed their offer with a smile. “Of course. What would you like in return?”
“Knives!” the Hong Zhen Tribe members said without hesitation. “Metal knives!”
They added, “If we find scallions, can we trade them for knives?”
Jian Mo laughed. “That depends on how many scallions you bring. A handful wouldn’t be enough, but a basket or two would definitely work.”
The Hong Zhen Tribe members became even more enthusiastic. “We’ve already started asking around. If we find them, we’ll bring them to you immediately!”
“Great,” Jian Mo said. “If we can trade, I’ll make sure you’re well compensated.”
