Several people arranged to go to the back mountain together, and Zhang Shuguang left Nai Dou in the cave without bringing him along.

Each carried a leather bag as they descended along the winding path. Zhang Shuguang had never been to this area before and didn’t dare to chat and laugh like the others. He stared intently at the path beneath his feet, walking with unusual concentration.

This mountain was steep. One slip, and he could tumble straight down.

He really needed to make a pair of shoes. Walking barefoot on these muddy paths was far too dangerous.

“That clearing over there is perfect for growing the vegetables you mentioned,” Hua pointed out.

Zhang Shuguang followed her gesture and saw a patch of tall, lush grass. It was dry and yellow, just like the kind he’d used for kindling during his two attempts to start a fire.

“Doesn’t anyone in the tribe grow vegetables?” he asked casually.

Fei replied, “There’s plenty to eat in the woods outside. We just go gather it every day. Farming doesn’t produce food right away. We tried growing things before, but it wasn’t as good as what we gather from outside.”

Zhang Shuguang blinked in surprise. Cultivated crops weren’t as good as wild ones?

“How did you plant them?”

The others looked blank. How did they plant? They just dug holes, buried the seeds, and waited for the harvest.

Zhang Shuguang rubbed his forehead. They farmed less meticulously than his own mother—no, his mother was too meticulous, practically watering the plants eight times a day.

“Farming requires plowing the soil first. After planting seeds, you need to water and fertilize regularly, plus weed and control pests.”

The others looked even more bewildered, their expressions hinting at disbelief.

“Actually, if you put in the effort, homegrown vegetables taste better than wild ones.” Seeing their skepticism, Zhang Shuguang chuckled, “You’ll see for yourselves once you try them later.”

Though he’d never farmed himself, he’d watched his mother do it countless times. Plus, he had a vegetable-growing app—the method for planting cabbage was clearly outlined. He wasn’t worried about it failing.

Zhang Shuguang used a fishbone knife to cut all the dry grass on the ground and pile it aside. He then demonstrated fire-drilling on the spot. After digging a firebreak, he used the fire to burn all the short, dry grass on the surface of the soil.

“He can start a fire!” Fei tugged Hua’s hand excitedly.

Hua nodded. “The Shaman said everyone in the tribe can learn to start fires now. Shuguang mentioned something called fire drilling, right?”

“Fire drilling.” Zhang Shuguang turned to answer Hua’s question before shifting his gaze back to the dying embers. He walked over and tapped the flames with a stick. “Let’s go dig potatoes first. I’ll turn the soil when we get back.”

He still needed to make a hoe. If he could find suitable bamboo, crafting it would be much easier.

“Why burn the field?” Li approached curiously, having kept his distance when the fire was lit earlier.

As a sub-beastman with giant wolf blood, he instinctively feared such large-scale flames. He wasn’t alone—the others had also been startled.

Zhang Shuguang circled the firebreak to ensure no embers remained before explaining, “Burning the land kills insects and turns this grass ash into fertilizer. But freshly burned soil can’t be used—it needs two days to cool before tilling.”

The others listened with half-understanding, their minds still reeling from Hua’s earlier words.

After their initial fright, they were now filled with excitement. They had all witnessed the Shaman’s ability to start fires, and each time, the Shaman needed a long rest to recover. Having watched them grow up, the entire tribe held the Shaman in deep respect. That’s why they were always extra careful with fire, not wanting to burden the Shaman unnecessarily.

“Can we learn how to make fire from you?” Li tugged at Zhang Shuguang’s arm, her eyes sparkling. “Teach me!”

Zhang Shuguang chuckled. “Of course. I’ll teach you after dinner tonight.”

The group nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes! After dinner, we’ll learn!”

They had all forgotten that in the tribe, meals were irregular—there was no such thing as a set dinner time. But right now, no one was thinking about that. Zhang Shuguang, however, was a strict believer in three meals a day—not one could be skipped. When he wasn’t busy, he cooked for himself at home, and if he was in a good mood, he might even add a late-night snack.

Seeing Zhang Shuguang stuffing a bunch of the dried grass he’d just cut into his bag, Hua asked puzzledly, “What are you doing now? If you need firewood, there’s plenty on the front mountain.”

Zhang Shuguang waved his hand and chuckled, “I’m going back to try making some straw sandals. I’ll show you once I’ve made them. Come on, let’s go dig potatoes first.”

The potato field wasn’t far from where they stood. After about twenty minutes of walking, they spotted it. This patch of green potato plants wasn’t as lush as the one Zhang Shuguang had seen earlier. Digging up a potato vine revealed several large tubers beneath, each substantial in size.

“Wow, there are so many! Tomorrow, we’ll call the gathering team to come dig them all!”

Yu was stronger and faster than the others. Before long, the leather bag he’d brought was full.

Zhang Shuguang still had a few potatoes left from his previous trip to the cave, so he only dug up two potato plants as a token effort before stopping. Honestly, he couldn’t stand eating potatoes every single meal. And after hearing about the bamboo grove nearby, his mind was already racing with other ideas.

Bamboo grove, huh? Who knows what else might be there, but bamboo shoots? Definitely! And now that the snow season had just ended, it was spring—spring bamboo shoots were incredibly delicious!

The more he thought about it, the harder it was to control his drool. Zhang Shuguang swallowed hard, wiped his mouth, and asked, “I don’t have much water left. Is there anywhere around here to get water?” He’d filled a water pouch before leaving, but it wasn’t large—probably made from some animal’s stomach by Mang Jiu, and rather ugly in shape.

“There’s water up ahead, not far from here,” Li said, unhooking the pouch from his waist and waving it at Zhang Shuguang. “I’ll take you there. Yu, do you two want to get water too?”

The others handed their empty water pouches to the two men, then found a shady spot to sit and rest. The temperature was rising, and bending over to dig potatoes all day was exhausting.

Zhang Shuguang and Li continued walking forward. As they passed through a patch of low shrubs, Xiao Cai suddenly came online.

Ding~

Xiao Cai: “Master, the tall grass patch ahead is lemongrass.”

Zhang Shuguang halted, a hint of surprise in his eyes. This unremarkable patch of tall grass was lemongrass?

Xiao Cai: “Master, you can gather plenty to take back. Lemongrass isn’t just for flavoring; it can also treat and alleviate many symptoms.”

After Xiao Cai finished speaking, an explanation about lemongrass appeared before Zhang Shuguang’s eyes, so detailed that it made him wonder if Xiao Cai had secretly gone online to look it up on Baidu.

After a quick scan, he pointed to the tall grass at Li, who had also stopped walking. “I’m going to pick some of this grass. It smells good—I really like it. We can use it for grilling meat.”

Li stared at him in astonishment, incredulous. “Grass can be used for grilling meat?”

Zhang Shuguang offered no further explanation. He bent down and swiftly cut the grass with his fishbone knife. “Yeah, I can’t quite describe the specific flavor. You’ll understand once I cook it and you taste it.”

Li nodded slowly and helped cut some too. But he didn’t carry the long grass himself—if he dared bring back that much to eat, his father would surely beat him.

Zhang Shuguang gathered a large bundle of lemongrass by the roadside. The tasks he’d completed were already logged in the app; he planned to return for these later.

They continued walking. After about five minutes, Zhang Shuguang heard the gentle murmur of flowing water. He quickened his pace, following the sound until he found a small, not-too-wide stream. The water was crystal clear, its bottom visible.

“This water is so clear,” he murmured, crouching by the stream. He cupped his hands to splash water on his face. When the water touched his lips, he licked it, and his eyes lit up. “Sweet!”

Li, positioned upstream, was filling his water bag. Seeing Zhang’s astonishment, he chuckled. “Follow the stream upstream, and you’ll find a pool. The water there isn’t deep either. We usually go there to bathe. The bamboo you want also grows near that pool.”

Zhang Shuguang instantly thought of his lotus seeds. If the water really wasn’t deep, he could plant his lotus there!

Ding~

Xiao Cai: “Master, a local edible fruit detected ahead.”

Zhang Shuguang looked up, instinctively scanning straight ahead. His gaze landed on two small shrubs over a meter tall, their branches laden with small, greenish-blue fruits. From a distance, they resembled unripe green dates.

He asked Xiao Cai, “These aren’t ripe, right?”

Xiao Cai: “Scan indicates they are mature.”

Zhang Shuguang stared at them for a moment. He’d never encountered a ripe green fruit that tasted good—except for grapes.

“Water’s ready. Let’s head back!” Li’s voice snapped his gaze back.

Zhang Shuguang pointed across the way. “Can you eat those?”

Li followed his gaze, then shook his head vigorously. “No way, no way. They’re awful. I picked one to try before—it made my eyes water. Really disgusting.”

Zhang Shuguang’s curiosity piqued by the description, he pressed further. “That bad?”

Li nodded emphatically. Yes, it was awful!

Zhang Shuguang took a long stride, easily crossing the narrow stream. He ran a few steps to the two small trees, plucked a green fruit, and examined it. Its skin had fine bumps, not smooth. He bent down to sniff it, but no scent emerged. Tentatively, he took a tiny bite, tasting nothing.

Narrowing his eyes at the fruit now missing a small piece of skin, he opened his mouth and took another bite—this time larger and with more force.

Then, in an instant, a wave of sourness flooded his entire tongue, contorting Zhang Shuguang’s features.

This was sourer than vinegar concentrate!

After about ten seconds, when the brain-rattling sourness finally subsided, Zhang Shuguang discovered a faint, lingering sweetness in his mouth.

He looked down at the green fruit in his hand, now marked with teeth, wondering if the intense sourness had damaged his taste buds.

Refusing to believe it, he leaned in and gently sucked on the spot where his teeth had bitten.

Once again, the sourness made him flinch.

Why on earth did I subject myself to this second round of torture? My brain must be clouded by acid!

In that moment, he doubted himself.