Chapter 41: Chapter 41: We Want to Build a Kiln

Dusk was falling.

Birds returned to their nests as the sky was painted with orange sunset clouds.

Countless figures darted across Baihu Lake, heading toward the distant forest.

The orange glow reflected off the clear lake, outlining a breathtaking twilight scene. The sky, lake, earthen kilns, and forest—all four colors blended together, weaving the sky above the Heluo tribe into a paradise.

“Changxia, did you fry some yam cakes? It smells amazing!”

From afar, Yadong’s cheerful shout rang out.

Soon after, the familiar voices and laughter of Kongshan’s group followed.

“Changxia, is there any cold rice noodles or steamed rolls left?”

“I want steamed rolls! Yadong ate them all this afternoon—I didn’t even get a taste.”

“I think the toppings are the best. Changxia, can I have a little extra?”

One question after another drifted closer.

Before long, Chenrong led Yadong and the others to the beast den. They fetched water to wash their faces and hands, their eyes glued to the bowls and plates on the long table. For a moment, the sound of people swallowing filled the air.

“What are you waiting for? Eat!” Changxia laughed, pulling out a wooden chair and inviting everyone to sit. “Stay for dinner tonight before you go. Nanfeng, Nuanchun, and I spent all afternoon making this spread.”

Knowing Kongshan and the others were coming, Changxia had planned a full table.

Actually, she’d hoped some of the tribe’s females would come too.

That way, when they held a hotpot feast in the kiln in a few days, the women could help out.

The Heluo tribe was the strongest beastfolk tribe in the Twilight Forest, with a population of over a thousand. Don’t underestimate a thousand—beastfolk were robust and could transform. At the top of the food chain, they consumed a staggering amount of food every day.

If the tribe wanted to grow, numbers were key.

Changxia wanted to change the beastfolk way of life by growing more crops to meet their basic needs.

With enough food, the tribe could raise more children.

And support more people.

“It smells so good!”

In the end, all their words boiled down to those three simple ones.

Without further ado, Chenrong took the lead and sat down.

The others didn’t hesitate and quickly joined him.

“Don’t rush for the roasted meat—start with the soup. This bone broth has been simmering all afternoon, right down to the marrow. Sprinkle some scallions on top—it’s delicious.”

Changxia ladled out soup for everyone, insisting they drink the soup before eating anything else.

Tonight’s main dishes weren’t roasted meat, but cold rice noodles, yam cakes, and steamed rolls. The yam cakes were for dessert. The steamed rolls had just come out of the steamer, and with sauce poured over them, they were at their best.

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“Bones can be used to make soup too?”

“This soup is so delicious—it's even better than any meat broth I've ever had.”

“Changxia, you’re amazing!”

The few people from Kongshan took turns praising Changxia, to the point that even she felt a bit embarrassed listening to some of their compliments. Yet their faces were full of sincerity, without a hint of pretense.

“Chenrong, how’s it going over there?” Changxia asked softly.

Chenrong took the bowl of soup Changxia handed him and sipped it, feeling the warmth of the bone broth slide down his throat. “With the help of the four from Kongshan, we finished digging the cave dwellings for Nuan Chun and Nan Feng’s families this afternoon. Tomorrow, we’ll smooth out the caves, plaster the walls, and install doors and windows.”

He didn’t mention Yadong, but Yadong’s family’s cave dwelling would also be finished tomorrow.

If it weren’t for the time needed for the walls to dry, they could have finished all three cave dwellings tomorrow instead of the day after. There’s truth to the saying, “many hands make light work.”

“So fast!” Changxia was shocked.

Should she say the beastfolk are just that strong?!

Or should she say… the beastfolk are just that strong?!

She’d originally estimated it would take months to build a cave dwelling, but who would have thought it would only take a few days once they got started? Clearly, she’d underestimated the beastfolk’s abilities.

“Hee hee!” Nan Feng couldn’t hide her joy, grinning from ear to ear.

Very soon, she’d be able to live in a spacious, bright cave dwelling just like Changxia. No more worrying about getting soaked in the rainy season, or freezing during the cold season.

The Kongshan group ate and drank, glancing at Changxia as if they wanted to say something but kept hesitating.

“Kongshan, if you have something to say, just say it,” Changxia said.

She wasn’t blind—she could easily see how nervous and conflicted they looked.

Kongshan scratched his head and said in a low voice, “Changxia, can we build cave dwellings too?”

As soon as he asked, the others—Hesen and the rest—looked even more anxious.

“Of course you can. Anyone who wants to build a cave dwelling can do so anytime. But the rainy season isn’t ideal for building, so if you want to build one, you’d better get started soon,” Changxia replied seriously.

Clap clap—

The Kongshan group clapped their hands in excitement.

“Can we build our cave dwellings here at White Lake too?” Luanmu squeezed past Kongshan, crowding up to Changxia, looking at her with excitement.

Chenrong reached out and pushed Luanmu away, saying coldly, “Sit properly.”

Changxia: (*^▽^*)

“White Lake belongs to the tribe. If you want to build here, you’ll have to talk to the chief. Why are you asking me?” Changxia rolled her eyes, exasperated.

Still, she fully supported the idea of more tribe members building cave dwellings by White Lake. It was convenient for water and fishing, and there was plenty of space for new homes, which would also free up room in the main settlement for renovations.

The Heluo tribe had been here for hundreds, even thousands of years, and most of the available space inside the settlement was already used up.

To build new cave dwellings, they’d have to tear down most of the old beast dens.

For the beastfolk, who were sentimental about their old homes, that would be tough.

But if they expanded toward White Lake, it would solve a lot of problems.

“When we get back to the tribe, I’ll go see the chief.”

“Me too!”

“Me, me, me!”

In an instant, the four from Kongshan were all fired up.

With cave dwellings, they could finally find mates. And not just within the tribe—they could even attract females from other beastfolk tribes.

After all, compared to the Heluo tribe, the other beastfolk tribes didn’t know how to build cave dwellings and still lived in beast dens.

A sense of pride welled up in everyone’s hearts.

Beastfolk like Nan Feng, who weren’t interested in finding a mate, were rare. Most beastfolk dreamed of finding a mate, raising a litter of cubs, and living a simple, busy life—day after day, year after year.

The Kongshan group was so preoccupied with thoughts of building their own cave dwellings that they even lost some of their appetite. After chatting with Changxia about fried meat, they hurriedly said their goodbyes and rushed back to the tribe.

Likewise, Nan Feng and Nuan Chun helped tidy up and then returned to the tribe as well.

After a day of bustle, the beast den gradually quieted down.

“Changxia, want to take a bath?” Chenrong asked.

Changxia waved her hand. “I’ll wait a bit. I need to finish fermenting the rice dough first. Nan Feng’s looking forward to having fresh-pressed rice noodles tomorrow, and with Kongshan and the others going back tonight, there might be more tribe members coming over tomorrow. I need to ferment more dough. Chenrong, can you help me steam some more fruit flour, and also mix up some batter to drain and make into dough?”

“Sure, what should I do?”

“Wash the stone pot and the bone pot, steam the fruit flour, and I’ll use it with the batter to make the dough for fermenting.”

Under the quiet night sky,

the campfire illuminated their faces.

Their occasional conversation made the night feel even more peaceful and serene.