Chapter 09: Picking White Fruit
“Changxia, aren't you going to visit the witch on Mount Kana?” Chen Rong asked.
Changxia thought for a moment, shook her head, and rejected Chen Rong's suggestion, saying, “The witch will come to the tribe in a few days. We've just moved; let's stock up on some things. When the witch comes to the tribe, I want to invite her to our home.”
Changxia considered the witch as family.
Having just left the tribe to live alone, Changxia wanted to show the witch her best side.
Going to Mount Kana now wasn't suitable.
“Okay, I'll listen to you,” Chen Rong understood Changxia's meaning; he didn't want to meet the witch too early either.
Soon, the two left the salt lake.
In a short while, they arrived at the foot of Elephant Peak Mountain.
Elephant Peak Mountain, as its name suggests, resembled an elephant's peak, hence its name. White fruit trees grew at the foot of Elephant Peak Mountain.
Unlike the tall broad-leaved forests, white fruit trees were generally short, similar to bushes. The tallest white fruit trees were only a little over two meters tall. The shorter ones were about one meter tall.
This meant even children could pick white fruit.
“I knew coming to Elephant Peak Mountain was the right choice…”
Looking at the heavily laden white fruit trees, Changxia happily slid down from Chen Rong's back. She neatly put her backpack aside. Fist-sized white fruit hung from the branches, green and lush, extremely beautiful.
White fruit was called white fruit because
They turned white when dried.
The fruit powder, ground into powder, was also white.
“So many?” Chen Rong was slightly surprised, exclaiming, “Didn't the tribe come to Elephant Peak Mountain to pick them?” White fruit, unless picked, wouldn't fall even in winter. Besides beastmen picking and collecting them, only birds and some herbivores would eat white fruit.
“The tribe hasn't had many cubs born in recent years, and the white fruit near the tribe is enough to eat. You also know that not many adult beastmen like to eat fruit powder paste…” Changxia shrugged, explaining.
Fruit powder paste didn't taste that good.
Beastmen didn't have sugar or other seasonings.
Unless it was stored for winter, ordinary beastmen wouldn't deliberately pick white fruit.
Besides, as long as the white fruit wasn't picked, it wouldn't fall, so there was no waste.
“Fruit powder paste with honey tastes pretty good,” Chen Rong said.
Changxia pouted, looking longingly at Chen Rong, “Honey is difficult to collect; the tribe collects a little each year. Except for keeping a little, the rest is sent to Mount Kana. Sugar, unless someone knows how to make sugar…”
“Sugar, you mean cane sugar?” Chen Rong hesitated.
Honey was produced by the bear tribe among the beastmen. However, few bear beastmen were willing to trade it.
Changxia hadn't tasted other sugars. She didn't know what cane sugar was. As for Earth cane sugar, she did.
Cane sugar was divided into brown sugar and black sugar.
Black sugar had a complex brewing process and was darker than brown sugar. At the same time, black sugar had a caramel aroma, which brown sugar didn't have.
“What's cane sugar?” Changxia tilted her head, pretending not to understand, and asked Chen Rong.
“A kind of sugar made from plants,” Chen Rong awkwardly said. Cane sugar originated from the West Continent; the beastmen in the East Continent didn't seem to have mastered sugar-making technology yet. He had eaten it but didn't know how to make it; he couldn't even recognize the plant used to make it.
Changxia looked at Chen Rong wordlessly.
This look clearly showed that he knew nothing.
“Cane sugar, is it a kind of sugar made from a plant called cane?” Changxia pretended to guess; this cane sugar was probably coarse sugar made from sugarcane.
It was just that she didn't know if this cane sugar was brown sugar or black sugar.
Sugar, besides sugarcane,
Plants like sugar beets, maple trees, reed roots, etc.
These could all be made into sugar.
Unfortunately, Changxia hadn't found these plants yet.
“Mm!” Chen Rong nodded, thought for a moment, and said, “I think it's called sugarcane, but I'm not sure.”
“Where did you eat cane sugar?” Changxia curiously asked.
Chen Rong pinched the bridge of his nose and replied, “West Continent.”
Hearing this, Changxia gave up her thoughts.
West Continent—
She hadn't even left the Dusk Forest in the East Continent.
Too far.
Perhaps, one day, she would find sugarcane and sugar beets in the Dusk Forest.
Sugar was something she could look forward to. Now, picking white fruit was important; it was related to their future food.
The two chatted and worked, quickly filling the backpacks they had brought.
Changxia estimated the weight of the white fruit in the backpacks; after drying, it should weigh three or four hundred catties. Unlike fruit, white fruit, despite its size, didn't weigh much.
Considering the beastmen's bottomless stomachs, Changxia thought that several hundred catties was too little.
Besides, they hadn't even picked one percent of the white fruit forest at the foot of Elephant Peak Mountain.
“Is it enough?” Chen Rong asked.
Changxia looked at the white fruit forest and shook her head, “Not enough. Weave a few more baskets. These backpacks of white fruit will weigh several hundred catties after drying. If the white fruit is ground into powder to make noodles or flour, the amount will be reduced further. Since we've come all the way, let's pick some more and take them back to the den to dry.”
Actually, if possible,
Changxia would rather pick all the white fruit from the white fruit forest at the foot of Elephant Peak Mountain and take it back to the den.
After the white fruit on the white fruit trees was picked, they would continue to bloom and bear fruit.
This would continue.
After a period of time, they could continue to pick.
Changxia hadn't calculated the growth time of the white fruit.
However, she guessed that they could harvest three to four rounds. Otherwise, the Dusk Forest wouldn't be able to harvest white fruit throughout the year, even during the cold winter.
At the same time, the white fruit grew very densely.
If white fruit could be used as a staple food, it would be perfect.
If she hadn't wanted to build her own home, Changxia would rather spend her time studying white fruit and researching food.
After all, there were so many plants and animals she had never seen before in the Dusk Forest.
“Okay. I'll go cut some vines; don't wander around,” Chen Rong instructed, not daring to go too far; he cut a pile of vines nearby.
A moment later,
He had woven several baskets.
Backpacks weren't convenient to carry, so Chen Rong decided to weave baskets.
Changxia took the baskets and filled them with the picked white fruit. It didn't take much time before the newly woven baskets were full again.
Changxia wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked at the sun overhead; it was almost noon.
Just in time, she was also hungry.
“Chen Rong, come over and organize the backpacks and baskets. It's time to go home!” Changxia shouted loudly, calling Chen Rong back from picking white fruit, planning to organize their harvest and go home.
“Are the baskets all full?” Chen Rong carried the baskets over.
Changxia nodded and said, “They're all full. After drying them for a few days, we can grind them into powder. Then I'll make something delicious for you.” In a few more days, perhaps they would be able to eat noodles or flour. Thinking about it, Changxia was overjoyed.
Seeing Changxia's happy smile, Chen Rong smiled along.
It wasn't early anymore.
They didn't delay and decided to return to the tribe.
Chen Rong squatted down and transformed.
He used his wolf tail to help Changxia secure the baskets and backpacks. Finally, he encircled Changxia, and the two ran towards the tribe.
Although they hadn't gathered vegetables or collected other food this time,
Changxia wasn't worried at all; being near the lake, she never worried about hunger.
The two, with a full harvest, were in a great mood.
And they were already thinking about what to eat at noon. Fish balls or stewed meat? Or fried meat with stir-fried vegetables?
At this moment, Changxia and Chen Rong didn't know that someone was waiting for them at their den.
(End of Chapter)
«NEXT»
Comments
Post a Comment