Chapter 02: Fish Ball and Wild Vegetable Soup
Chen Rong had just returned to the East Continent, his mind still unsettled. Unexpectedly, he was stopped by a female.
He looked down at the female who only reached his chest.
Thin, with a yellowish complexion.
Her small face was dominated by a pair of vibrant eyes.
“My name is Changxia, from the He Luo tribe of the beastmen. Male, what's your name? Are you married? Do you want to marry me? Room and board included.”
“…” Chen Rong was silent. Had he been away from the Dusk Forest for too long? Were the females nowadays so bold and passionate? For a moment, Chen Rong couldn't react; he was stunned.
Seeing the male standing there, lost in thought,
Changxia waved her hand and said loudly, “Don't you want to?”
“Are you of age?” Chen Rong hesitated, couldn't help but laugh, and asked, “Are all beastmen females as direct as you? I remember birdmen are the ones who are this straightforward.”
“Who would come to the Normandy market if they weren't of age? Never mind whether I'm direct or not, will you marry me?” Changxia examined Chen Rong's thin and tall body, stepped forward, and patted him twice. “You're sickly, certainly no female would choose you. Don't worry, I can support you, so…do you want to come back to the He Luo tribe with me?”
Seeing this,
Chen Rong couldn't help but laugh again.
This vibrant female, he had never seen one like her before. He felt a rare surge of curiosity.
“I eat a lot, are you sure you can support me?”
Changxia looked seriously at Chen Rong's face; he was truly handsome. After thinking for a while, she took out a pottery pot from her backpack and took out two fish balls, each about the size of a baby's fist.
These were fish balls she had secretly made from fish caught in a fish trap.
That fish weighed about eight pounds.
Changxia didn't have ginger, scallions, or garlic as seasonings, so she simply made fish balls from the fish.
“What is this—?” Chen Rong curiously asked.
Changxia offered the fish balls, replying, “Fish balls, for you to eat.”
Chen Rong looked at Changxia, then at the fish balls in front of him. Perhaps living in the He Luo tribe would be a good choice. “My name is Chen Rong, from the Fighting Wolf tribe of the beastmen. I've recently wandered into the Dusk Forest.”
A short while later.
The two arrived before Gen, the chief of the He Luo tribe.
“Changxia, are you really sure?” Gen was somewhat dumbfounded. A few minutes ago, Changxia had led Chen Rong to the He Luo tribe's settlement, introduced Chen Rong to him, and told him that this was her chosen partner.
Immediately, everyone in the He Luo tribe was shocked.
Although the tribespeople weren't satisfied with Chen Rong, they ultimately chose to bless Changxia.
“Chief, I've made my decision,” Changxia nodded solemnly, saying, “Chen Rong may look weak, but he's still quite strong.”
Gen's face contorted, but he agreed.
After all, there was no other way; the other males all disliked Changxia.
Chen Rong was perhaps the only male in the Normandy market who didn't dislike Changxia. Changxia would still be living in the tribe; if it didn't work out, he and the tribespeople would just take care of them more.
Thus, when the market ended,
Chen Rong followed Changxia to the territory of the He Luo tribe.
Back at the tribe, Gen didn't delay, assigning Changxia the den she had previously chosen. Beastmen didn't have any marriage ceremony; as long as they liked each other, building a den and living together was considered marriage.
Changxia was in poor health and couldn't build a den herself.
This den was left behind by a previous tribesman, considered a special case.
They were essentially relying on the tribe.
The den was built on a flat hillside.
In the distance was a lake, connected to the Ba River that flowed through the He Luo tribe's territory.
Changxia chose this den because of the lake. Being near the lake meant a plentiful water source, convenient for planting and irrigation. At the same time, the lake had fish and shrimp, so they wouldn't worry about hunger even in winter.
Beastmen lived by hunting, supplemented by gathering.
However, beastmen lacked corresponding cooking methods, leading to simple and brutal food preparation techniques.
Beastmen rarely ate fish and shrimp.
Mainly because they lacked the means to remove the fishy smell, and also because fish had many bones, easily causing injury.
After simply tidying up the den, all the animal hide curtains were lifted for ventilation. This den hadn't been lived in for a long time and needed time and effort to clean.
The He Luo tribe lived by the river, with a suitable temperature.
Beastmen didn't understand sophisticated construction techniques, and their dens were mainly earth pits.
Simply put, an earth-pit den was a pit about three meters deep dug in the ground, reinforced with stones, wood, etc., as walls and foundations, and then a round or pointed roof was built with branches.
This kind of den was more stable than tents built on the ground, and provided better protection from the cold.
At the same time, it also ensured ventilation.
Compared to living in caves, dens were more convenient.
“The animal hide on the roof and the wood on the walls need to be replaced,” Chen Rong brushed off the dirt from his hands, surveying the den. The ground had been eroded by rain and needed to be refilled and compacted. Besides, the drainage ditches outside also needed to be re-dug.
Changxia circled the den, a thought forming in her mind.
When she was in the tribe, she had thought about building a house. Unfortunately, she was too weak at the time, always sick. In addition, she wasn't of age, and the tribespeople weren't comfortable with her leaving the tribe to live alone, so she couldn't put her ideas into action.
Now,
Having married, Changxia had time to build a den unique to her—a cave dwelling.
“Let's live here first, until we're settled. I want to build a new den, completely different from the dens the tribespeople live in.”
Changxia said, pointing to the hillside west of the den.
Her dark eyes shone with a dazzling light, making Chen Rong feel a sense of being burned.
“I believe in you,” Chen Rong didn't think much of it and nodded.
When the tribespeople brought them here, they also brought Changxia's belongings.
Four backpacks, containing all of Changxia's belongings.
Chen Rong only brought himself.
Fortunately, the long winter had passed, and the He Luo tribe had entered the warm spring. Unlike Earth, the seasons in the Dusk Forest weren't clearly defined. Spring and summer were one season, and autumn and winter were one season, with distinct warm and cold periods.
Despite the distinct warm and cold seasons, it didn't affect the abundance of species in the Dusk Forest.
Hearing Chen Rong's words, Changxia was overjoyed.
Because of her health, Changxia had been scolded a lot by the tribespeople, and although it was all well-intentioned, listening to it for a long time inevitably made her feel uncomfortable and uneasy.
Chen Rong's trust made Changxia even more satisfied with bringing him back to the tribe.
“Let's tidy up the den first. Later, I'll go to the lake to retrieve the fish traps. At noon, I'll make fish balls for you to eat.” Changxia's steps were light and quick as she prepared to move the wood to repair the den. The tribespeople had provided enough wood to repair the den, because in their eyes, Changxia and Chen Rong were weak and sickly. If they didn't help a little, they might simply die.
After a while,
A clean and tidy den emerged.
A change from its previous dilapidated state.
The tribespeople had provided plenty of wood, and Changxia asked Chen Rong to help organize the wood into blocks, which they then fitted together to make a floor.
In the midst of the busy work, noon approached.
In the backpacks were about ten pounds of meat sent by the tribespeople, half a basket of wild vegetables and fruit. The fruit was slightly wilted, probably stored from last year.
“I'm going to the lake to collect the fish traps, do you want to come? If you do, bring the vegetables to wash them. At noon, we'll eat fish ball and vegetable soup.”
“I'll come.”
Carrying half a basket of wild vegetables, he walked down the hillside towards Ba Lake.
Two-thirds of the Ba River flowed through the He Luo tribe's territory. The lake in front of Changxia's den was connected to the Ba River, and the lake was full of fish and shrimp.
Changxia led Chen Rong to a reed thicket by the lake, bent down, and pulled out the fish traps from the lake.
They were heavy.
It seemed like the harvest was quite good.
This fish trap was woven by Changxia using green vines.
For the sake of food, she had worked hard. At the same time, she also had to hide from the tribespeople to avoid being told she was “not doing her job properly.”
However, Changxia planned to collect some food and invite the tribespeople to eat once the den was cleaned up. She would teach the tribespeople how to make fish balls.
Compared to hunting, fishing was much safer.
“This is…” Chen Rong stepped forward and took the fish trap from Changxia's hands, examining it. The fish trap was long, flat, and the green vines were rough and unprocessed.
“A fish trap,” Changxia said, “My body is weak and I can't go out to gather, let alone hunt. When I have nothing to do in the tribe, I like to tinker.”
She gestured, explaining the principle of making fish traps to Chen Rong.
This body was weak and had little strength.
The woven fish trap would be ruined after two uses, so telling Chen Rong clearly meant she hoped he could make a few. In this way, they wouldn't have to worry about not having fish and shrimp to eat in the future.
“Changxia, you're amazing!” Chen Rong exclaimed.
The fish trap was simple to make, and even beastmen children could make it.
The winter in the Dusk Forest was extremely cold, and even the strongest beastmen found it difficult to hunt. But fish could fill their stomachs.
The fish trap undoubtedly gave the beastmen a new way of life.
“Pour out the vegetables and wash them, then put the fish in. Today's harvest is just okay; it's best to collect the fish traps early in the morning.”
Changxia pointed at the broken fish trap, looking regretful.
Four six or seven-pound green fish, several pounds of river shrimp, and a river crab. Unfortunately, they arrived late; if they had come earlier, the harvest would have been greater.
The He Luo tribe rarely ate fish.
There were many fish and shrimp in the Ba River and the lake; six or seven-pound fish were considered small fish. Big fish were generally ten pounds or more, and some fish weighed tens or even hundreds of pounds.
Don't ask Changxia how she knew; she had secretly made a fishing rod before, wanting to make a big haul. The harvest aside, she almost got dragged into the Ba River and fed to the fish.
After that, she gave up the idea of fishing.
At least, until she improved her physical fitness, she wouldn't dare think about fishing again.
Green fish had few bones and tender meat.
They were quite similar to the sea bass she knew.
They were perfect for making fish balls.
The river shrimp, even without seasoning, simply blanched, were incredibly delicious. Changxia didn't even waste the shrimp shells; she kept them, planning to dry and grind them into powder as seasoning.
Carrying the fish and shrimp, and the washed vegetables and fruit.
Changxia and Chen Rong returned to the den.
Near the door of the den, a stone stove was built, and a slender pottery pot hung above it.
Beastmen usually roasted meat and stewed food outdoors, but this den had a stove.
It was clear that it belonged to someone particular.
Fortunately, Changxia wasn't used to cooking outdoors.
The den was four or five meters high, and the staggered roof structure ensured adequate ventilation.
Chen Rong started the fire. The fish and shrimp had already been cleaned by the lake. Changxia held a bone knife, skinned and deboned the green fish, then cut the fish into small pieces. Without a food processor, Changxia could only manually chop the fish into paste, which was very strenuous, but for food, Changxia didn't find it hard.
“Chen Rong, get a bird egg from the second backpack against the wall.”
Beastmen called eggs, duck eggs, and bird eggs all “bird eggs.” Changxia couldn't distinguish the types of eggs, so she simply called them bird eggs.
Taking the egg, Changxia broke it, separating the yolk and adding the egg white to the fish paste. She added salt, a little fruit powder, and began to stir. Fruit powder was a starch-like powder made from a fruit called the white fruit, dried and ground.
When tribe children were born, the tribespeople would cook fruit powder with water into a paste to feed them.
However, Changxia felt that fruit powder had other uses. When she had time, she would think about it again, maybe she could eat rice noodles or noodles.
Ginger, Changxia hadn't found any yet.
Scallions, she had found many, and many onions remained in the backpack. She planned to choose a place to plant them next to the den, so that in the future they would not lack onions for cooking.
The chopped scallions were added to water and soaked.
Then, the scallion water was slowly poured into the chopped fish paste, adding water while continuously kneading and pounding, repeating this several times.
After it was done, it was put into cold water to chill for a moment.
Chen Rong quietly watched Changxia busy herself. Beastmen didn't care much about food, as long as it could fill their stomachs. Looking at Changxia's meticulous movements, he seemed to understand why Changxia was so weak.
“Are you hungry? If you're hungry, eat some fruit first, I'll be done soon.” Changxia said.
Then, she added water to the pottery pot and heated it over a low fire.
She started to squeeze out the fish balls, her movements swift and decisive. The snow-white fish paste looked very appetizing.
In the meantime, one by one, lychee-sized fish balls floated up and down in the pottery pot, looking beautiful.
At the same time, a unique fresh aroma wafted from the den.
Seeing that the fish balls were almost cooked, Changxia added the vegetables, salt, and a small pinch of shrimp powder for seasoning.
Finally, even the separated egg yolks were not wasted; she poured them in as well.
Grrr!
Chen Rong rubbed his stomach, slightly embarrassed, and took the fish ball and vegetable soup Changxia served him.
“So fresh, it's so delicious,” Chen Rong exclaimed.
He had never imagined that fish could taste so delicious.
Changxia took small bites of the fish balls. Without ginger or cooking wine, there was still a slight fishy smell. However, it tasted much better than the half-cooked roast meat and the mixed stew.
Sure enough, marriage was the right choice.
Not only did he have a soft and gentle female partner, but he could also eat hot and delicious fish balls.
Thinking about this, Chen Rong lowered his head.
His eyes fell on the necklace around his neck, a spider silk string with a strange snowflake-like pendant/ornament.
He had worn it since childhood.
Yuan Hou said it was Chen Rong's mother's relic, called Miracle.
Chen Rong pondered and put down his bowl and chopsticks.
by
He reached out to untie Miracle, called Changxia over, and said softly, “Changxia, I want to give you something—”
(End of chapter)
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