Testing all the tools one by one and feeling that there were a few areas needing improvement, he suggested some processing methods to Cassian. Next, he spoke with the Tribe Leader about assigning the weaving task to Walter of the Avian tribe.
[If they succeed, then the task of making wool from animal fur will be handed over to them. Have you found people to learn how to make food from the 'yellow tubers'?]
Kaelen was very exasperated with everyone in the tribe arbitrarily naming things; onions were called crying fruits, canna tubers were called yellow tubers, purple yams were called purple starch tubers, and even jute plants were called stinking plants...
However, since there was no way to correct them, he had to play along.
"I've found them." Jaxon replied while learning how to use the hoe: "They will arrive shortly, around the time the people sent to dig yellow tubers near the tribe also return with the goods."
Just as Jaxon finished speaking, a guard beastman ran over to report that the first gathering group had returned. He handed the stone hoe back to Cassian and went with Kaelen to the tribe's food storage cave. Kaelen hid behind a large tree, waiting for the group of tribesmen to put the items down in front of the cave and completely leave before he emerged, bending down to examine today's harvest.
Perhaps recognizing the importance of the canna tubers, the gathering group today put all their effort into digging up the tubers to bring back; looking at their vine baskets bulging and stuffed to the point of almost snapping made it obvious.
Some tribesmen were very smart; they knew to pick some unnamed plants or fruits to bring back, thinking there might be something edible among them. A bunch of random odds and ends also filled two baskets. Kaelen asked two guard beastmen to carry them and place them in front of his cave; tonight and tomorrow morning, he would take time to see if there was anything edible.
The group learning to make vermicelli also arrived. There were three sub-beasts and two males; among them was a young sub-beast, the child of one of the two middle-aged sub-beasts, who asked to join the vermicelli-making team with his Papa. Kaelen observed this sub-beast for a moment; although the other party wasn't warm towards him, he didn't show any disgust either, which saved Kaelen the trouble of having to avoid him.
The plot of land in front of the food storage cave was also very spacious, plus there were many tree shades, and the wind direction was harmonious. Kaelen then told the Tribe Leader to move all the vermicelli-making tools over here.
Mobilizing a few people for Kaelen to direct with full authority, the Tribe Leader didn't linger here any longer. He still had many tasks to arrange. Kaelen also didn't decline, enthusiastically ordering the group of beastmen around. First, he told them to go wash the canna tubers: put a moderate amount of tubers into a vine basket, drop it into the river, then use a stick tied with dry grass to vigorously scrub so all the mud clinging to the tuber skin would wash away.
The quantity of canna tubers brought back this batch was over a hundred kilograms. Working with this group of people, he figured they could finish grinding it before the moon rose.
The washed canna tubers were poured into a pile on the flat stone terrace. Then, two people used bone knives to chop them, and two people put the chopped tubers into the mortar to pound. Once pounded, they scraped it into a large wooden basin. Next, they carried that basin near the stone mill, poured water in, and used their hands to squeeze the canna tubers to mix them into the water. Finally, they scooped ladles of the water containing both starch and pulp into the large hole in the middle of the giant stone mill specifically designed for beastmen, while the beastman in charge of grinding pulled the rotary axis.
The chunky mixture flowed in, and after being crushed through the large stone axis, it became smoother and thicker, flowing with the water down into the collection basin below. At this point, another person was in charge of catching the starch water flowing out of the stone mill; once full, they swapped for another basin, then carried the full basin over to the person in charge of filtering.
The item used for filtering was a piece of fabric made from grass fibers, the only one in the tribe. It was painfully cut by the High Priest from the robe he brought from the Divine Temple, which he usually didn't even dare to wear.
Now, the fabric was tied securely to a cross-brace (two wooden bars tied diagonally into an X shape), then hung on an A-frame rack. After the basin of canna starch water was poured in, the person filtering would hold two corners of the cross-brace, shaking it in a circular clockwise motion; the milky-white water pooled in the middle and flowed down into the collection basin underneath. Once full, these basins were neatly stacked in an empty corner of the storage cave, left to settle overnight, and tomorrow they would harvest the canna starch.
Although he didn't have to lift a finger to do the manual labor, just running back and forth instructing this person and guiding that person made Kaelen's legs sore. Aside from being a bit clumsy at the beginning, the group got more accustomed to the work as they went on, their actions becoming incredibly swift.
They took a short break halfway to eat dinner, and by the time the crescent moon emerged from the clouds, the task of extracting the canna starch was complete. The whole group, even the most robust guard beastmen, had transformed into their beast forms, sprawling flat on the grass, tongues hanging out, panting heavily like dogs.
The sub-beast group was even more miserable. Mika, the young sub-beast, had already rolled over and was snoring loudly, while the two middle-aged sub-beasts were still trying to hold on. Kaelen was also unbearably exhausted, leaning against a tree trunk and nodding off. At this time, the person who went to report the situation returned, leading the Tribe Leader, a few warrior beastmen, and the family members of the sub-beasts.
The Tribe Leader issued some sort of command, but by this time, Kaelen couldn't hear clearly anymore. His head dropped, and his entire body tilted to one side. Before falling to the ground, Kaelen fell into a warm embrace. Smelling the familiar scent, Kaelen's whole body relaxed, and he sank into a deep sleep...
The next morning was a rare sleep-in for Kaelen; when he woke up, the sun was already high. Lifting the animal-skin curtain covering the bedroom, he heard a rather loud noise outside the cave entrance. Trying to drag his aching, muscle-strained body out to check the situation, he saw Sane holding a stone ax, laboriously chopping wood for him.
Hearing the very slight noise at the cave entrance, Sane turned his head and saw Kaelen holding onto the door. He quickly dropped the stone ax, hurried over to support Kaelen, and scolded with a frown:
"Why did you come out here? Your body is very weak, hurry back inside and rest."
Saying that, not waiting for Kaelen to answer, Sane familiarly scooped him up and placed him back on the bed.
Kaelen hurriedly grabbed Sane's arm, signaling: [I can't, I need to go to the storage cave, the things made yesterday must be processed immediately.]
The settled starch needed the water decanted and then dried when enough time had passed, otherwise it would ferment. Seeing Kaelen's determined gaze, Sane, although very displeased, finally compromised:
"Alright then. Eat breakfast first, then I'll take you over there."
Saying that, he turned into the kitchen, bringing out a bowl of minced meat porridge cooked with purple yams. These purple yams were brought by the Tribe Leader this morning. The finished products harvested during yesterday's gathering were distributed partly to the participating tribesmen, and the Tribe Leader had kept some for Kaelen.
Sane also didn't let Kaelen lift a finger, patiently using a spoon to feed him bite by bite. Kaelen's heart was very conflicted. Ignoring his rotten temper, this beastman could be considered a competent mate—of course, the prerequisite being that Sane had to be his mate first.
With a bowl of warm porridge in his stomach, Kaelen's limbs regained some strength. He looked at Sane sheepishly: [Is there any more? I'm still not full...]
Sane nodded and scooped out another bowl. Eating three consecutive bowls of meat porridge, Kaelen finally felt full, calmly accepting the cup of water to wash it down. Sane couldn't help but marvel:
"I didn't expect you to have such a big appetite; you're almost catching up to me. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were pregnant."
Kaelen guiltily lowered his head, focusing on drinking his water, while inwardly rolling his eyes.
*Bingo! Guessed right. But there's no prize, haha \(> ^ <)/*