Chapter 200: Chapter 200: Extra Chapter for Sha’s Reward

“Kudzu root!” Changxia said.

Nan Feng didn’t find it strange that Changxia called the yellow root “kudzu.” In the tribe, roots were usually named by color. For example, yams used to be called “yellow roots” too, but after Changxia started calling them yams, the tribe naturally adopted the new name.

Now, with Changxia calling the yellow root “kudzu,” Nan Feng quickly followed suit. She nodded, “Kudzu is delicious when cooked. Every time I eat it, I can eat a few more pieces of roast meat.”

Kudzu root quenches thirst and aids digestion, but it shouldn’t be eaten in excess.

“Kudzu starch mixed with hot water and sugar tastes great too,” Changxia added.

Talking about kudzu reminded Changxia of bracken root. Unlike kudzu, bracken root starch can be used as a staple food. Whether pan-fried or made into bracken root cakes and stir-fried with cured meat, it’s all delicious.

“Changxia—” Nan Feng waved her hand in front of Changxia’s face.

Lost in conversation, Changxia had suddenly zoned out, which made Nan Feng a bit speechless. If this happened in the wild or forest, it could be dangerous.

“Yeah!” Changxia replied. “I was just thinking about bracken root. Kudzu and kudzu starch shouldn’t be eaten too much, but bracken root is different. Bracken root starch is great pan-fried or made into cakes and stir-fried.”

“What does bracken root look like?” Nan Feng asked excitedly.

She thought it was a great idea to bring Changxia out to the forest more often. Look, they’d just arrived at Wei Mountain and already discovered new uses for mugwort, plus kudzu starch and bracken root.

Nan Feng figured that if Changxia explored the whole tribe’s territory, the Heluo tribe’s cave would be overflowing with all sorts of resources!

The thought made her even more excited.

“I can’t really describe it. I’ll show you tomorrow when we see it. Bracken—some types are edible, either fresh or dried after picking. Bracken root is the rhizome of the bracken, and it looks a bit like the roots of thatch grass…”

As Changxia spoke, she recalled the taste of fresh bracken—smooth and a bit like okra.

Right now was the perfect time to pick fresh bracken, but the best season to dig bracken root for starch was in the cold season. That’s when the roots have stored up enough starch, and after repeated pounding, filtering, and settling, you get bracken root starch.

“Can we dig bracken root for starch now?” Nan Feng asked quickly.

Changxia shook her head. “The best time to dig bracken root is the cold season. For now, we can just harvest and eat the bracken.”

“What a pity.” Nan Feng said it was a pity, but she quickly made a mental note to collect bracken root in the coming cold season.

Anything related to food was a big deal.

“What’s a pity—?”

The two of them were chatting at the entrance to the stone beast den, so absorbed that they didn’t notice Chen Rong returning. When he spoke, both Changxia and Nan Feng snapped out of it.

“Changxia said bracken root can be made into starch, which is delicious whether pan-fried or made into cakes. I was just sighing that the best time to harvest it is in the cold season. This winter, besides digging thatch grass roots, we’ll have another job: digging bracken root.”

Nan Feng explained, mainly because she saw Elder Pukang and her own father behind Chen Rong. This way, Changxia wouldn’t have to explain it again.

Sure enough, the tribe members were all smiles when they heard this.

As soon as Nan Feng finished, she noticed her father’s basket and added, “Father, Changxia says kudzu root can be made into starch, and the starch can be mixed with sugar and hot water to drink—but it shouldn’t be drunk too much.”

“Really?” Gen was overjoyed.

He’d been worried about storing all the kudzu root, but if it could be made into starch, that changed everything. Kudzu starch would definitely keep much longer than fresh root.

"Certainly! Here’s your Chinese text translated into fluent, natural English:

“This yellow root is actually kudzu root?” Elder Pukang picked up a piece of kudzu root as thick as his arm, tore off the skin, and stuffed it straight into his mouth.

Kudzu root can be eaten raw or cooked.

Of course, if you don’t mind, you can even bury it in the stove and roast it before eating.

“Hee-hee-hee—”

As he ate, Elder Pukang burst out laughing.

Clearly, he was very pleased with the taste of the kudzu root. Eating happily, he naturally started to laugh.

Meanwhile, Changxia asked Nan Feng to explain about bracken roots and ferns, then walked over to Shen Rong.

“How did your harvest go, Shen Rong?”

Shen Rong was carrying a new wooden bucket, inside which were several black fish. All the fish in the Wei River were pitch black, regardless of species. So, the beastfolk simply called all fish from the Wei River “black fish,” not even bothering to give them separate names.

After all, if they call all tubers “yellow root,” can you really expect them to give different names to fish?

“These fish are much smaller than the ones from Bai Lake or Bai River!” Changxia exclaimed in surprise.

Shen Rong replied, “You’re mistaken. These small ones are for the cubs. The ones for us are over by Feng Huo.” As he spoke, Shen Rong turned and pointed behind him, where Feng Huo was carrying a black fish over two meters long.

By now, the black fish had already been cleaned.

There were three such large black fish in total.

Tonight’s main dish would definitely be black fish, since they were all ready to cook.

Changxia stepped aside as Feng Huo and the others carried the fish into the house. Soon, Ge Lei, Yun Dong, and the rest returned to the stone beast den. Their luck hadn’t been great—they’d only caught a few wild rabbits and hadn’t even managed to catch a single pheasant.

Fortunately, Elder Pukang and Shen Rong’s group had a good haul.

Otherwise, with just the black-horned ox and a few rabbits, there probably wouldn’t be enough to go around tonight.

“The outskirts of Wei Mountain are normal—nothing unusual spotted,” Ge Lei reported.

Yun Dong’s group had the same result.

That was good news.

At least, no wanderers had been seen near the outskirts of Wei Mountain. The severed arm found by the river on the grasslands was probably just carried there by the current.

After feeding the young snake beastfolk, Changxia looked at the three two-meter-long black fish.

“Chief, how should we cook these black fish?”

Gen hesitated, glancing at Elder Pukang. “Elder Pukang, do you have any suggestions?”

This was his first time tasting black fish from the Wei River. In the past, the black fish they caught were only ten or twenty jin (about 5–10 kg), and they never ate them themselves—they saved them for the cubs like Changxia.

Come to think of it, the last time he ate black fish…

He was just a beast cub back then.

Changxia’s question left Gen a bit at a loss.

“Roast it, boil it, whatever you like,” Pukang said. He was used to eating, not cooking, so asking him for recipes was a lost cause.

In the end, everyone looked to Changxia.

“…How about we stew one and see how it tastes?” Changxia suggested hesitantly. When the black fish was cut open, even the flesh was black. Changxia couldn’t imagine what it would taste like—it felt as extreme as the giant anaconda meat from last time.

Still, Elder Pukang and the others swore by the Wei River black fish.

So, it probably wouldn’t taste bad.

Shen Rong got up and chopped one of the black fish into pieces. It wouldn’t all fit in one pot, so they had to stew it in batches. Changxia asked Shen Rong to marinate the rest and try roasting some to see how it would turn out.

Just like with the anaconda meat last time, Changxia had Shen Rong simply rub the fish with salt, so they could taste the pure flavor of the fish.

Looking at the black flesh, to be honest, Changxia was a little nervous.

She even hesitated to try it.

Soon, a strange aroma wafted out from the stone beast den. It was different from the anaconda meat—this was a light, salty fragrance, with a hint of moisture that made you feel as if you were underwater, the scent of water lingering in the air.

Gurgle—

Suddenly, someone’s stomach rumbled, snapping everyone out of the trance the savory aroma had put them in.