Night had fully descended. Earlier, Zhang Shuguang had asked Xiao Cai to record the sunset time here, noting it occurred around 7:50 PM.

“The sun sets so late in spring,” he murmured to himself.

Xiao Cai, already powered down, wouldn’t respond, so Zhang Shuguang was merely talking to himself.

Stepping out of the cave, a chilly evening breeze made Zhang Shuguang shiver. He pulled his fur cloak tighter and shifted the kitten closer to his chest. “Hurry up, hurry up. I’m freezing.”

Even with the fur wrapped around him, his legs were bare. His bare feet pressed into the muddy ground, making him feel even more uncomfortable.

He sighed. First, he needed to solve the problem of food and warmth. Then, he had to repair the road!

But right now, he was so sleepy.

Yawns came one after another. Zhang Shuguang stood at the entrance of Mang Jiu’s cave, looking into the pitch-black interior, feeling a bit reluctant to go in.

It was freezing in there—no fire lit, just damp and bitterly cold.

“I’ll fetch fire from the chieftain,” Mang Jiu suddenly spoke up from beside him.

Zhang Shuguang paused, surprised by the other’s thoughtfulness.

Mang Jiu soon returned holding a burning torch. By then, Zhang Shuguang had gathered some dry branches and built a fire inside the cave.

Once the fire was lit, Zhang Shuguang could finally see the cave clearly. When he left that morning, he hadn’t fully explored it. Only now realizing that the stone slab where he had slept was near the cave entrance. Further back lay a larger slab—likely Mang Jiu’s sleeping spot.

Zhang Shuguang placed the kitten on the slab, then walked to the pile of hides stacked against the wall. Turning to Mang Jiu, he asked, “May I use these hides?”

Mang Jiu nodded. He wasn’t inside the cave but outside, processing the deer beast.

Left for a day, the deer beast had begun to emit a faint, putrid stench. Zhang Shuguang picked up several hides from the wall, shook them out, and found them remarkably intact. Though dusty, they carried no foul odor. He selected two long-haired hides and spread them over the stone slab.

Sleeping directly on the stone slab on such a cold night would be worse than a knife to the throat. But sleeping on two layers of fur was different. He then took another pelt to use as a blanket.

After finishing his preparations, he realized he still needed a pillow.

For him, sleeping without a pillow was simply unthinkable.

“Mang Jiu, do you have any flatter stones?” He stepped outside the cave and saw that Mang Jiu had already stripped the deer hide. Impressed by his speed, he remarked, “What if the meat spoils?”

“Wash it, and it’ll be fine.” Mang Jiu saw no issue with the meat; washing it clean tomorrow morning would suffice.

Zhang Shuguang frowned but didn’t speak up to dissuade him.

He knew full well that even though Mang Jiu was a skilled hunter, wasting food was unacceptable.

Besides, the meat had only been out a day. Even if it wasn’t fresh, it wasn’t inedible. A thorough wash tomorrow should fix it.

“There are rocks over there. Look for some,” Mang Jiu said, cutting the deer meat into large chunks and placing them on the ground. He pointed to a nearby spot. “Don’t drop it.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded, walked to the pile of rocks, and cautiously peered down. He could see the glow of a campfire burning in the lower cave. Some people must still be afraid of the cold and know how to light fires for warmth, he thought.

After rummaging for a while, he finally found a flat stone that wasn’t too high. He smiled with satisfaction.

“Are you going out hunting tomorrow?” he turned to ask Mang Jiu, who had finished cutting the meat.

“Mhm.” Mang Jiu nodded, glancing at the stone in Shuguang’s hand with a hint of confusion. “What do you need a rock for?”

“As a pillow, for sleeping.” Zhang Shuguang held up the stone to demonstrate. “It’s just too hard. I’ll make do with it tonight and see if I can find something else to replace it tomorrow.”

Mang Jiu found some of his ideas truly novel, yet somehow plausible coming from him.

That night, Zhang Shuguang dreamt of his parents, brother, and sister-in-law. When he woke, tear stains still dampened his cheeks, leaving a heavy ache in his chest.

“Awake?” Mang Jiu entered from outside the cave, a piece of meat in hand.

Seeing him wanting to eat raw meat so early in the morning, Zhang Shuguang’s stomach churned. He quickly said, “I’m not eating it. You eat it yourself.”

Mang Jiu didn’t insist he eat it. Hearing this, he only glanced at him before devouring the meat in a few bites.

Zhang Shuguang pursed his lips. That was seriously heavy-handed.

“Meow~” A soft, delicate meow came from beside him. Zhang Shuguang turned his head to see that the kitten had also woken up, lying on its back and stretching its limbs.

He reached out and gently rubbed the kitten’s soft, fluffy belly. The satisfying feel made him smile involuntarily.

“Where can I get water? I want to wash up.” As a modern person, he could tolerate skipping brushing his teeth or washing his face once or twice, but going without washing for extended periods felt like torture. Not to mention, the aroma wafting from his open mouth was enough to stun him.

Mang Jiu picked up a fish bone lying nearby and began grinding it with a stone. Hearing the question, he pointed outside. “Each level has several large stone vats. You can scoop water with a stone bowl. When it runs out, just add more.”

Zhang Shuguang thanked him, went out to fetch water for washing his face and rinsing his mouth. He planned to find some sturdy trees later and carve a large basin directly from the wood. But considering his own craftsmanship, he felt a bit unconfident. After all, there were no iron tools here, and carving wood would still require a stone.

“Why isn’t there a stone pot in your cave? I want to boil some water for drinking, carve a few wooden bowls and basins—where can I find suitable timber? I also want to grow some vegetables—is there anywhere suitable for planting?” Zhang Shuguang shook his hands. He had many ideas, but for now, his top priority was securing that stone pot. Without it, he wouldn’t even be able to eat warm meals.

Mang Jiu replied indifferently, “I live alone and haven’t paid much attention to these things. How big a stone pot do you need? I’ll carve one for you. Any uninhabited area down the mountain is suitable for planting. As for wood, you’ll have to look in the forest.”

Zhang Shuguang felt a bit embarrassed—after all, he was the one disturbing the other. Yet hearing this response, he couldn’t help but feel pleased.

“If it’s not too much trouble, make it a bit larger. Find a stone that won’t crack when heated over fire.” He spread his hands wide to indicate the size. “Then we can build a stone stove and cook all sorts of delicious things.”

Mang Jiu nodded and headed out.

Seizing the moment, Zhang Shuguang turned on his phone and asked Xiao Cai for the current time.

Xiao Cai: “Beijing time, 7:33 AM. Good morning, Master.”

Zhang Shuguang: “Good morning. Open the memo app. Record: Build a stone fire pit. Also need to dig some mud to plaster the hearth. Find sturdy trees to carve bowls and basins. Need chopsticks too. Gather some dried grass to make a softer pillow. Use vines and branches to weave baskets.”

Xiao Cai: “Understood, Master. Recorded.”

Zhang Shuguang: “Thanks. Hide the phone.”

The phone screen vanished before him. Zhang Shuguang stroked the kitten’s fur, noticing the little creature had rolled in dirt all night and was now somewhat cleaner. He gently tapped its tiny nose. “I’ll give you a bath at noon. You’re just too dirty.”

The kitten licked its own nose, then licked its finger.

Zhang Shuguang carried the kitten out of the cave and set it on the ground. “If you need to go to the bathroom, dig a hole outside. Not in the cave, understand?”

The kitten meowed twice, then found an open spot outside the cave and began digging a hole to relieve itself.

Zhang Shuguang raised an eyebrow. Pretty smart.

He turned back into the cave and hauled all the hides from the corner outside. It took three trips to move them all, leaving him exhausted. He stood outside with his hands on his hips, panting heavily.

Ding~

Xiao Cai: “Master, I need to remind you that you haven’t eaten breakfast yet.”

Zhang Shuguang: “I know. I’m already hungry. I’ll just make some roasted potatoes to tide me over.”

He entered the cave and stoked the fire. The kitten rubbed against his legs several times. He looked down and said, “I’ll make you something to eat later. Go play by yourself. Don’t wander off.”

The kitten didn’t understand, just circling him and meowing incessantly.

Zhang Shuguang thought: This little one must be hungry.

He hastened to roughly clean the cave, moving all sorts of bones outside. He also found several palm-sized, creamy-yellow crystalline chunks with a granular surface texture.

He picked one up, examined it, and gave it a sniff. It had no distinct smell, but the texture…

He rubbed a bit of the granules off with his finger and licked them. Salty.

It was indeed crystallized salt, though it looked heavily impure.

Placing the salt on the hide, Zhang Shuguang found several stone bowls. Calling them bowls was a stretch—their depth made them more like plates.

He sighed and jotted down a note in his memo: “Full set of eating utensils.”

Since the cave had been emptied, the entrance was piled high with all sorts of clutter. He wasn’t sure what Mang Jiu didn’t need, but in his view, aside from the hide and salt, the rest was largely unnecessary.

When Mang Jiu returned, Zhang Shuguang was roasting potatoes. He’d brought back quite a few, enough for two more meals with leftovers.

“Is this okay?” Mang Jiu held up the stone pot for his inspection.

Zhang Shuguang was astonished that someone could carve stone so smoothly. The surface wasn’t rough at all—it felt surprisingly slippery to the touch.

“Can this stone withstand fire?”

“Yeah, the tribe uses this kind of stone for all their pots.” Mang Jiu set the stone pot aside and said, ”I’m going hunting with the hunting party.“

Zhang Shuguang: ”What about the meat after you leave?“

Mang Jiu: ”You handle it.“

Zhang Shuguang: ”Can I use the things in the cave?“

Mang Jiu: ”Everything.”

Zhang Shuguang: “When will you be back?”

Mang Jiu: “I don’t know.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded, then pulled several roasted potatoes from the fire. He placed them on a piece of leather, folded the corners over, tied them up, and handed them to him. “Here. You can eat these cold. Don’t just eat raw meat all the time—it’s not good for your health.”

He didn’t know if eating so much raw meat might lead to parasites in their bodies. All he knew was that beastmen were still human. Even if they could transform into beasts, humans couldn’t survive on raw food alone. They needed to consume nutrients from various fruits and vegetables, too.

Mang Jiu took the potatoes, raised a hand, and patted his head. “Wait for me to return.”

Zhang Shuguang cleared his throat. “Got it. Stay safe.”

Mang Jiu gave him a brief smile before turning away.

Zhang Shuguang touched his face, feeling a slight flush. He fanned himself. Why was he suddenly feeling a bit shy?