Transmigrated to the Beastman World as a Veterinarian – CH79

While there was no news about scallions, the Mien Fruit wine Jian Mo had been fermenting was finally ready.

That day, he opened the clay jar on a whim, only to be greeted by a strong alcoholic aroma. The Mien Fruit had fully fermented and floated to the top of the jar.

He scooped up a small amount with a spoon to taste. The alcohol content was strong—much stronger than fruit wine—but the brew still carried the heavy bitterness of Mien Fruit. The taste was awful and entirely unappealing.

Jian Mo barely managed a sip before rushing off to rinse his mouth with cool boiled water.

Wu Jiong, who was watching from the side, commented, “This wine is undrinkable.”

Jian Mo replied, “That’s fine. It’s not meant for drinking. We’re going to use it directly. Get ready—I’m going to clean out the Mein Fruit flavor and remains.”

“Clean it to make the alcohol you mentioned?” Wu Jiong asked.

Jian Mo nodded. “Yes, we’ll separate the alcohol from it. It can also be used for cooking. We’ll decide how to use it after it’s cleaned.”

The distillation process was straightforward, relying on the differing boiling points of alcohol and water.

Alcohol boils at just over 70°C under normal atmospheric pressure, much lower than water. With gentle heating, they could easily be separated.

Their household had a large iron pot, which Jian Mo cleaned thoroughly. He poured the wine into the pot, then slowly heated it, covering it with a lid. Using a clay pipe as a makeshift condenser, they could separate the alcohol from the water.

Jian Mo had been anticipating this batch of alcohol for a long time. Wasting no time, he informed the tribe and spent the entire day at home distilling the wine.

The two large jars of wine took them from morning until late at night to complete the first distillation.

The resulting alcohol still contained a fair amount of water and wasn’t very strong. Jian Mo sampled it, tasting its bitter alcoholic flavor with a faint hint of Mien Fruit. It was less unpleasant than before but still far from enjoyable.

Since coming to this world, Jian Mo hadn’t encountered high-proof liquor. After just one spoonful, his face turned completely red, and he felt a little dizzy.

Wu Jiong caught him and held him close. “Your tolerance is terrible.”

Jian Mo looked up and smiled. “I think it’s fine. I’m just the type to blush easily, but I’m still clear-headed.”

Wu Jiong pressed his forehead against Jian Mo’s. “Your forehead is burning. I’ll make you some honey water.”

Jian Mo grabbed his collar and leaned in with a playful smile. “Don’t bother. A nap will fix it.”

After drinking, Jian Mo became unusually affectionate. Despite his protests, Wu Jiong insisted on giving him the honey water before taking him upstairs to rest.

That night, they went to bed later than usual and naturally woke up late the next morning.

Jian Mo had initially planned to perform a second distillation early in the morning before everyone went out to hunt or gather. But waking up late left him no time, so he requested another day of independent work from the tribe.

Over the next few days, they distilled the wine three times in total, eventually yielding a small jar of nearly pure alcohol.

The distilled alcohol had lost the Mien Fruit’s distinctive taste and was reminiscent of the high-proof liquor Jian Mo had once had on Earth. However, it lacked the aromatic notes of traditional liquor, leaving only the sharpness of alcohol.

Jian Mo stored the jar carefully, keeping it far from any sources of fire.

Although they didn’t need the high-proof alcohol yet, it would be invaluable for performing surgeries or other tasks in the future.

After safely storing the alcohol, Wu Jiong remarked, “Next year, we should collect more Mien Fruit.”

Jian Mo replied, “Let’s not. Harvesting Mien Fruit in the water is too cold. Besides, Mien Fruit isn’t expensive—we can trade for it with other tribes later.”

With their abundant supplies this year, they were in a strong position. Even if they stopped hunting and gathering altogether, they could sustain themselves comfortably through trades.

Wu Jiong agreed, “That works. We’ll see when the time comes.”

Jian Mo mused, “If we spread the word early, plenty of tribes will want to trade Mien Fruit with us. And if patients come to me for treatment, I could ask for Mien Fruit as well.”

He was quite content with his current life. Their food was plentiful, their material wealth secure, and their relationships harmonious. Jian Mo felt there was little left to desire.

Having Wu Jiong as a partner and Chirpy as a pet made his life feel complete.

For days, Jian Mo was in exceptionally high spirits—until one morning, when he went to harvest some tendon grass to cook with some eggs.

Upon reaching his vegetable patch, he found that nearly all the crops had been eaten.

He had watered the patch just the afternoon before! How could everything be gone in just one day?

Fuming, Jian Mo began scouring the patch for evidence and soon found various footprints—some from birds and some from animals.

While searching for clues, he noticed that the seeds given to him by the beastman from the Hai Zuo Tribe had just sprouted.

The tender seedlings said to be exceptionally delicate and delicious, had been entirely devoured, leaving only bare stems.

Every patch along the riverbank had been raided to some extent. Some were lightly damaged, while others were utterly ravaged.

Jian Mo inspected each patch, his frustration growing with every step.

All his hard work—clearing the land, planting, watering, fertilizing—had been ruined!

Small-scale raids were one thing, but this was as if the animals had held a banquet in his garden.

After pacing back and forth, Jian Mo finally threw his basket down in the middle of the patch and stormed home.

A patrolling beastman passing by saw his furious expression and didn’t dare call out to him, watching silently as Jian Mo swept past like a storm.

When Jian Mo arrived home, Wu Jiong was out inspecting the tribe’s pottery kiln, and Chirpy was off playing with the children.

Unable to vent his frustration on Chirpy as usual, Jian Mo felt even more irritated.

His chest was tight with anger, and after stomping upstairs, he dug through his treasure chest for his anesthetic supplies, determined to deal with the crop thieves.

He still had half a box of anesthetic moss, so he grabbed two large handfuls.

Heading to the kitchen, Jian Mo steamed some stalks and meat, finely chopped the moss, and stuffed it into the food, rolling it into small balls.

After finishing the bait balls, Jian Mo returned to the vegetable patch and evenly placed them throughout the area.

He wasn’t worried about anyone in the tribe accidentally eating the bait. His patch was surrounded by fences and low walls, and people, even the children, knew better than to enter, as they might trample the crops.

Once the meatballs laced with anesthetic were laid out, Jian Mo surveyed the area. Satisfied that everything looked normal, he headed back.

He didn’t believe the animals raiding his garden, which were desperate enough to eat vegetables, would resist his meatballs.

Jian Mo’s expression was a peculiar mix of anger and smugness.

When Wu Jiong returned home, he immediately noticed Jian Mo’s odd demeanor. “What’s going on?” he asked.

Jian Mo avoided the question. “It’s a secret. You’ll see tomorrow.”

Wu Jiong’s curiosity deepened. “What’s so mysterious? Need help with anything?”

Jian Mo waved him off. “Not for now. Let’s wait until tomorrow to decide.”

That afternoon, Jian Mo deliberately avoided the vegetable patch to avoid startling the animals targeting it.

However, on his way back, he made sure to inform Shui Jin, one of the night patrol beastmen, “If you see any animals messing with my patch tonight, don’t interfere—I have other plans for them.”

Shui Jin, puzzled but obliging, agreed.

Carrying his secret, Jian Mo struggled to sleep that night, tossing and turning in bed.

Wu Jiong, stirred by Jian Mo’s restless movements, leaned over to kiss him. But before he could, Jian Mo placed a hand over his mouth and said, “Not tonight—I need to wake up early tomorrow.”

Wu Jiong frowned. “You really won’t tell me?”

In response, Jian Mo wrapped both arms and the blanket around Wu Jiong, pinning him back onto the bed. He leaned in and kissed Wu Jiong on the cheek. “Just half a night more. You’ll know everything tomorrow.”

Feeling a bit frustrated, Wu Jiong turned the tables, wrapping Jian Mo tightly in the blanket and pulling him close. “Fine, but let me hold you while we sleep.”

“Alright, alright,” Jian Mo conceded.

Though his mind was preoccupied with the vegetable patch, Jian Mo’s sleep quality was usually excellent. Once he found a comfortable position and felt secure in Wu Jiong’s embrace, he quickly fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, without an alarm, Jian Mo failed to wake up early as planned.

It wasn’t until Wu Jiong nudged him awake that he groggily came to his senses.

Blinking at the dim light outside the window, Jian Mo mumbled, “Why are you waking me up so early?”

Wu Jiong handed him his clothes. “Someone’s calling for us outside. Let’s go check.”

Suddenly remembering, Jian Mo exclaimed, “Oh! Let me see!”

He hastily wrapped himself in his clothes, jumped out of bed, and ran to the window to look outside.

Standing outside their courtyard was Shui Jin, who called up to him, “Jian Mo, your garden’s full of downed prey!”

“What?! Really?!” Jian Mo exclaimed.

Shui Jin nodded. “Yes! I just checked—they’re all alive. I came to get you quickly. Should I tie them up for you?”

“Yes, yes, yes! Please tie them up! We’ll be down soon—don’t let them escape!” Jian Mo shouted.

“No chance of that,” Shui Jin assured him. “I checked earlier—they’re all knocked out cold. No movement at all.”

Jian Mo replied, “Better safe than sorry!”

Wu Jiong, listening to the conversation, finally pieced things together.

Jian Mo didn’t give him time to ask, hastily slipping on his leather shoes, grabbing Wu Jiong’s wrist, and pulling him downstairs. “Let’s go check the garden!”

“Do we need a basket?” Wu Jiong asked.

Jian Mo paused. “Oh, good point! No baskets—bring bags and some rope!”

The two jogged to the riverbank, their home being nearby, and reached the patch without even breaking a sweat.

Shui Jin was waiting for them in the garden. With his hands on his hips, he pointed and said, “There’s the prey—all sprawled out on the ground. Just pick them up.”

Jian Mo eagerly ran over. “What kind of animals are there?”

Shui Jin listed, “Purple Birds, Long-Headed Beasts, Long-Eared Beasts, Short-Tailed Beasts… Mostly smaller prey, but nothing tiny.”

Examining the catch, Jian Mo found a variety of small animals. The smallest, a Purple Bird, was as big as a duck, while the largest, a Long-Headed Beast, was about the size of a medium-sized dog.

All the animals looked plump and healthy, though Jian Mo couldn’t help but wonder how much of his crops they had eaten to get so fat.

Shui Jin added, “I gathered the ones I saw into one spot, but it’s still dark out. There might be more. You should look around.”

“Got it. Thanks a lot,” Jian Mo replied.

Shui Jin waved off his thanks. “Don’t mention it. Even if I hadn’t called you, you’d have come once the sun was up.”

Smiling, Jian Mo handed him a Long-Headed Beast. “Take this one back and enjoy it.”

Shui Jin hesitated. “That’s not necessary.”

“Take it,” Jian Mo insisted. “We’ve got over ten animals here—there’s no way we can finish them all ourselves.”

Wu Jiong chimed in, “Take it home for a treat.”

Though Long-Headed Beasts weren’t rare for hunters, most of the prey they brought back was already dead and had to be soaked or scalded to remove congealed blood, which diminished the flavor. These fresh, live animals were a rare delicacy.

Relenting, Shui Jin happily took the Long-Headed Beast. He planned to bring it home for a meal after finishing his patrol shift.

Once Shui Jin left, Wu Jiong turned to Jian Mo. “So this is what you kept secret all night?”

“Exactly!” Jian Mo said with a grin. “I wasn’t sure if any animals would take the bait or if the anesthetic would even work. If I’d told you and it failed, I’d have been so embarrassed!”

Wu Jiong looked at him, puzzled. “Why would you be embarrassed around me?”

Jian Mo smiled brightly. “Because I want you to always see me as smart, capable, brave, and wise.”

Wu Jiong smiled. “You already are.”

Jian Mo shook his head. “Still, I feel like I have to prove it. That said, I can understand how flying animals like Purple Birds managed to get in, but how could small ground animals also invade? It seems our fences aren’t doing much.”

After inspecting the area, Wu Jiong explained, “Some jumped over the fence, while others dug underneath it to crawl in. Different animals have different ways of getting in.”

Jian Mo stared at the fences in exasperation. “Then what’s the point of all the hard work we put into building these fences?”

Wu Jiong shrugged. “Maybe just to tell others that this is where we’re planting crops?”

Sighing, Jian Mo said, “Forget it. I guess we’ll have to increase patrols from now on.”

“I’ll bring some seeds this afternoon to replant the patch. The crops should sprout again soon,” Wu Jiong offered.

Jian Mo nodded. “The problem is we don’t have many seeds left. We need to trade for more quickly, or we might not have enough.”

Having never farmed before, Jian Mo had found his initial success behind the house to be relatively easy. He hadn’t expected the need to replant, but this experience had taught them a valuable lesson.

The two of them packed the captured prey into bags.

Since these animals were caught in their own garden, they didn’t need to be shared with the tribe and were entirely theirs.

After tallying up the haul, Jian Mo was satisfied. The losses to their crops were offset by the value of the captured prey, leaving them slightly ahead.

“Not bad,” Jian Mo remarked. “Trading crops for prey turned out to be a decent deal.”

All the captured animals were still alive, merely deeply asleep from the anesthetic. Jian Mo decided to tie them up and keep them in the backyard, planning to eat them gradually.

Fresh prey was far tastier than dried or preserved meat.

To safeguard the animals, Jian Mo specifically instructed Chirpy to keep an eye on them. “If any of these animals try to escape, come back and alert me immediately.”

Chirpy tilted its head as if listening but didn’t seem to fully grasp the task.

Jian Mo gave it a little nudge. “Remember, some of this is your food too. Don’t let your meals escape.”

This time, Chirpy seemed to understand, chirping enthusiastically, “Chirp!”