“Good morning, Master. Since you didn’t request shutdown or hibernation last night, the app consumed 6% battery while in standby mode for seven hours.”

The moment Zhang Shuguang opened his eyes in the morning, before he could even rub them, Xiao Cai’s lifeless electronic voice jolted his groggy mind wide awake.

He had been so engrossed in reading three chapters of a novel before bed that he’d become overly tense, causing him to forget to remind Xiao Cai to shut down, resulting in the battery drain. Zhang Shuguang felt thoroughly frustrated.

He clasped his head in his hands, rubbing it and letting out a wail.

“Damn it, playing with me!”

Xiao Cai: “Master, you woke up an hour late today.”

Zhang Shuguang grunted, twisting his stiff neck.

His gaze fell on the stone pillow he’d meant to replace but always forgot amidst his busy schedule, making him even more irritated.

“My little one!” He pounced on Nai Dou, who was sleeping in a giant seashell, burying his face in the soft, long fur and whimpering, “Daddy’s so flustered!”

Nai Dou opened its furry mouth and yawned, wriggling its body before rolling onto its back. It offered its soft, fluffy belly to its cheap daddy—go ahead and bury your face in it!

Zhang Shuguang was utterly charmed, rubbing his face against the furry belly several times.

Half his earlier frustration dissipated as he sat up, cradling Nai Dou.

“Meow?” Nai Dou twitched his whiskers, his little ears perking up alertly.

He leapt from Zhang Shuguang’s arms to the ground and scampered toward the cave exit.

Zhang Shuguang raised an eyebrow, mentally inquiring: “Xiao Cai, how many chapters does this The Beast World Overlord’s Wild Wife novel have?”

Xiao Cai: “One thousand three hundred and thirty-three main chapters, plus one hundred and thirty-three expanded side stories.”

Zhang Shuguang’s heart skipped a beat. He pressed, “Those 133 extra chapters were posted on Qixing, right?”

Xiao Cai: “Yes, Master. The 133 extra chapters were posted on Qixing.”

Zhang Shuguang wiped his face. His colleague had pushed the expanded side stories off as the main story! He’d just have to swallow his pride.

“Meow~” Nai Dou dug a hole outside, then dashed back inside, leaping into his arms and waving its paws.

“What’s wrong?” Zhang Shuguang grasped the wet, sticky paw. “…”

“Did you pee on your paws?”

Nai Dou gave a soft meow and nuzzled his head into Zhang Shuguang’s chest.

Zhang Shuguang sighed, picking him up to wash his paws.

Xiao Cai: “Master, you really don’t need to worry too much about the original story’s plot.”

“Hmm.” Zhang Shuguang washed Nai Dou’s paws clean and dried them with a short-haired towel. “You mean I didn’t die, so the plot has changed?”

Xiao Cai: “Yes, Master. And now that you have me, you can absolutely do better than the protagonist!”

Zhang Shuguang pursed his lips, setting Nai Dou down to play on his own.

Last night, startled by the sudden revelation of the plot, he’d been so dazed he’d forgotten to scoop the hog beast fat out of the stone pot.

Fortunately, there was no wind that night, or much of the fat would have been wasted.

Now a layer of fat floated on top—he could simply scoop it out with the stone ladle.

Truthfully, using wood to store oil wasn’t ideal either. Wood absorbed oil; clay pots would be best. Unfortunately, he didn’t know how to make pottery—only that it involved shaping clay. The problem was that not all clay could withstand high temperatures.

Knowledge was scarce when needed most. He regretted not studying chemistry harder in school.

The wooden basin was too large. After filling half of it with oil from the stone pot, Zhang Shuguang carried the basin to the deepest part of the cave, where it was cooler for better preservation. He then took another wooden basin and inverted it over the first to serve as a lid.

This was only a temporary fix. He couldn’t keep lugging the basin back and forth every time he needed oil.

But there was no better solution now. Zhang Shuguang wiped his face with his hand, then turned and left the cave to prepare breakfast.

Some oil remained in the stone pot. With nothing but sun-dried salted fish for sustenance, Zhang Shuguang simply took two fish, fried them in the oil, then added water to simmer a broth.

He needed to head to the back mountain soon to plant seeds, then dig up some potatoes and bamboo shoots. Last night, he’d used all the potatoes to treat Mang Er and Ying Liu.

As he was planning his tasks, he heard someone calling his name from behind.

“Shuguang!”

Zhang Shuguang turned to see Li following behind him, accompanied by two tall Beastmen carrying four pieces of wood.

“The meat you cooked yesterday was absolutely delicious! Could you teach me how to make it?” Li said to him, his face glowing. He pointed toward the cave entrance. “Just leave the wood over there. You two can go back now.”

”Li, aren’t you going fruit-picking today? I’ll carry you.“

”I can still protect you!”

The two Beastmen didn’t leave. They glanced casually at Zhang Shuguang before fixing their eyes on Li.

Zhang Shuguang raised an eyebrow slightly. Oh ho, were these Li’s two admirers?

But thinking about it, it made sense. Li clearly looked like an adult, at least eighteen or nineteen, yet he still lived with his mother and obviously didn’t have a Beastman partner.

“I’m not going today,” Li thought for a moment and asked Zhang Shuguang, “Don’t you need to go dig potatoes in the back mountain?”

Zhang Shuguang nodded. “I need to plant the potatoes first, then dig them up.”

“How do you plant them? I’ll help you.” Despite their brief time together, Li felt closer to Zhang Shuguang than to his own picking team mates.

Truth be told, Zhang Shuguang wasn’t very skilled at planting either—he’d never done it before.

He figured cutting the sprouted potatoes into pieces and burying them directly in the soil, then watering them, couldn’t be wrong. Plus, having someone help complete the task was welcome. So he didn’t refuse Li. “Alright, come plant with me. After we’re done, we’ll dig potatoes. I also want to dig up some bamboo shoots.”

“Is that the slightly crunchy wild vegetable you put in the meat yesterday?” In their eyes, there was no distinction between this vegetable or that vegetable; they all went by the name “wild vegetable.” Naming them and remembering them was too much trouble.

“Hmm, how did it taste?” Zhang Shuguang asked with a smile.

Li licked his lips, seemingly savoring the taste of last night’s meal. “Delicious! Really delicious! Mom said if Dad brings back a lot of meat, we can pickle it as you do. But our salt is almost gone, and who knows when the salt traders will return.“

”Li, I still have salt blocks. If you want some, I can get them for you.“

”I have some too! I’ll go get it for you right now!”

“Lang Ya, Lang Wei, I’ve told you countless times—I don’t want to have your cubs.” Li frowned, her voice sharp with irritation. “Can you two stop following me around? There are plenty of other Sub-Beastmen in the tribe without mates. Go find them.”

Lang Ya and Lang Wei were littermates from the gray wolf branch of the giant wolf clan, bearing a striking resemblance to each other.

Li had rejected them countless times, but they never took it seriously, letting it go in one ear and out the other. As long as Li hadn’t accepted another Beastman, they still had a chance.

Li couldn’t be bothered to argue with them much. Usually, as long as they didn’t annoy him too badly, he let them tag along—after all, they could serve as labor.

But today was different—he was accompanying Shuguang on an important mission!

If Zhang Shuguang knew Li considered farming a major undertaking, he’d probably laugh out loud.

Li paid little attention to the brothers, merely inwardly grumbling about the tribe’s abundance of terrible names before returning to his breakfast preparations.

“Hunting party, assemble!” Xiong Kui’s voice echoed from the valley below, his face stern and commanding without needing to raise his voice.

Lang Ya and Lang Wei exchanged puzzled glances, unsure what the chief wanted so early in the morning. Still, they obediently headed down the mountain, only turning back to say to Li as they left, “Wait for us to return. We’ll accompany you to the back mountain later.”

Li rolled her eyes in feigned annoyance. Who needs your company!

Zhang Shuguang guessed Xiong Kui was gathering the hunting party to boil salt at the shore—a task that couldn’t be delayed. Upon returning yesterday, Xiong Kui had already mentioned needing to find suitable Beastmen within the tribe to oversee this endeavor.

Hunters left and returned daily. At Xiong Kui’s call, all remaining hunters gathered on the central platform.

Zhang Shuguang walked to the cliff’s edge and looked down. The crowd was densely packed—at least two hundred souls, he estimated. Some Sub-Beastmen had joined the commotion, too.

He turned to ask Li, who was stirring fish meat in a pot with a stone ladle, “Are there fewer Sub-Beastmen than Beastmen in the tribe?”

“Yeah, at least half as many.” Li pursed her lips, then snorted lightly as if thinking of something. “I’d never want to be like them, bearing so many beast cubs!”

Zhang Shuguang froze. “Bearing children with so many Beastmen?”

“Yeah. Some Sub-Beastmen are too lazy to join the gathering teams, so they find Beastmen as partners. Not all Beastmen are like Mang Jiu, who can bring back so much meat after a single trip. Only Mang Jiu’s hunting team consistently brings back large quantities of meat. Other teams rely on luck—two or three beasts barely feed the tribe.“

Li glanced enviously at Zhang Shuguang. ”You’re lucky to be with Mang Jiu.”

Zhang Shuguang couldn’t be bothered to correct Li about his relationship with Mang Jiu. He just smiled at him. “So you’re saying some Sub-Beastmen have multiple Beastmen partners to survive?”

“Yeah, wasn’t that how it was in your old tribe?” Li looked at him, puzzled.

Zhang Shuguang skimmed through Little Cannon Fodder’s memories and shook his head. “The Wanshan Tribe only had a handful of full-blooded Beastmen. Sub-Beastmen were more common.”

“Then it must be one Beastman with several Sub-Beastmen, just like my father.” Li’s expression twisted when he mentioned his father, Lang Qing. ”Anyway, I don’t want to be like them. If I ever find a mate, it’ll be only me—just one Sub-Beastman. I won’t share with anyone else.“

Zhang Shuguang chuckled. ”So you’re going through puberty?”

Li looked blank. What did that mean?

Zhang Shuguang chuckled softly, ladled fish soup into a seashell, and handed it to him. “Drink up. Once you’re done, come help me farm.”

Faced with such delicious food, Li completely forgot his earlier sulk. He blew on the seashell, sipping the soup in small mouthfuls.

“Your cooking is amazing. My mom says I should learn more from you.”

Zhang Shuguang picked out the fish meat, placed it in a large shell, blew on it to cool, and then called Nai Dou over to eat.

Nai Dou bounded down from the big tree and scampered to him, rubbing against his calf before approaching the large shell. He extended his little tongue to lick it—not hot—then lowered his head and began eating happily, making little “ow-ow” sounds.

On the large platform, Xiong Kui left ten strong Beastmen behind, instructing them to follow Xi San to the coast without specifying their task.

The others were puzzled but dared not ask questions.

Their leader rarely appeared so stern, and their tension grew in response.

Xiong Kui declared, “You’ll understand in time. Those heading to the coast—be vigilant. This is your chance to prove yourselves!”

His voice boomed loud enough for the spectating Sub-Beastmen on nearby hills to hear. Zhang Shuguang chuckled softly. What a smooth talker—boiling salt? What exactly was there to prove?

Zhang Shuguang finished the fish soup in his shell, then turned and went into the cave to pack his things.

“Xiao Cai, Xiao Cai.”

Xiao Cai: “Master, I’m here.”

Zhang Shuguang: “Take out all the seeds and put them in my bag. Don’t these seeds need to be soaked in water beforehand?” He recalled watching his mother soak seeds meticulously at home, though they never survived in the end.

Xiao Cai: “No need. The vegetable seeds distributed by the app can be planted directly. Soaking the seeds required for the mission would waste time.”

Zhang Shuguang was quite pleased; this saved him a lot of trouble.

“Alright then. Remember to keep track for me later. Once we’ve planted the required amount, put the seeds away.” His cleared plot was only so big. If he accidentally planted too many seeds, he’d have to clear another patch for future planting tasks. Right now, he doesn’t have the confidence to be a full-time farmer.

What if he inherited his mother’s knack for killing whatever she planted?

Xiao Cai: “Yes, Master. I’ll remind you.”

Zhang Shuguang said no more to Xiao Cai. After gathering the necessary tools, he stowed the fishbone knife in his bag and fastened the handmade hoe to his waist. Bending down, he ruffled Nai Dou’s furry head and picked him up. “Want to come play with Daddy for a bit?” The back mountain posed no danger—perfect for taking the little one out for a stroll. He was thinking of having the kid hunt for bird eggs!

Nai Dou cooed sweetly, his tiny meow soft and delicate.

Li leaned in and poked Nai Dou’s fluffy little butt with his finger, earning a soft hiss from the soft kitten.

He chuckled, “What are you playing cute for? Yesterday in the big cave, you took on ten of them all by yourself. Pretty impressive!”

Zhang Shuguang looked down in surprise at Nai Dou’s big, wet eyes. “My Nai Dou took on ten?”

“You bet! When I got back, I heard them downstairs talking about how fierce your little kitten is. Together with the Yu family’s two bear cubs, they turned the big cave upside down.” Li poked Nai Dou’s bottom again.

Nai Dou bared his teeth and growled. When Li reached out again, he flashed his claws and swatted at the hand.

“See!” Li quickly pulled his hand back and nudged Zhang Shuguang with his chin. “He’s fierce.”

Zhang Shuguang didn’t see anything wrong with a bit of fierceness, but he couldn’t reconcile Nai Dou’s usual adorable, soft-and-cuddly demeanor with the image of him taking on ten opponents—and apparently winning.

He lowered his head, rubbing his chin against the furry head, smiling warmly. “Our Nai Dou is so amazing!”

Li’s mouth twitched, his expression one of utter disbelief.

He’d never seen a Sub-Beastman with a cub spoil their child this much. It wasn’t that he was against them fighting—but you should at least ask why they were fighting! And what if your cub had started it?!

Zhang Shuguang could guess his thoughts just by his expression. He shot him a sideways glance. “That look you’re giving me, like I’m a slave to my kid, is spot on.”

So what if he was a slave to his kid? So what if he doted on his little one? Was he eating your fish or drinking your soup?

His little kitten was so tiny—no way he’d provoke other kids! Those brats must’ve come running over and annoyed him. Otherwise, why would the Yu family’s two little bears be siding with him?

He had no idea the kids’ fight started because of the fish soup he made.

But even if he did know, he’d only be proud that his mediocre cooking skills could captivate the little ones.

Li didn’t argue with this brainless dad, but he did agree with the term “child slave.” Even though he didn’t fully understand it, just looking at Zhang Shuguang’s expression gave him a rough idea of its meaning.

He decided to skip the topic—after all, without kids of his own, he couldn’t truly relate.

Noticing Zhang Shuguang carrying a bulging backpack, he asked curiously, “What’s in there?”

“Sprouted potatoes. None of you dug them up earlier. Buried too long, they sprouted all over. These sprouts are inedible—gotta remove them.” Zhang Shuguang pulled out a potato to show him. The large tuber bore six sprout pits, each shoot already five centimeters long.

The others were a bit puzzled. When they had picked potatoes earlier, they hadn’t seen sprouts this long. Could they have grown in just one day?

But he didn’t dwell on it, thinking maybe he was just dizzy from exhaustion and misremembered.

Li nodded. “I remember everything you said earlier. I cut out the sprouts and peeled off the green parts. Are you planning to plant these in the field?”

“Yeah, just slice them along the sprout lines, bury them in the soil, and water them a bit. That should work.” Zhang Shuguang hoisted the Nai Dou onto his shoulder and bent down to tie the straps on his straw sandals. “Let’s go.”

“Just the two of us?” Li felt a little nervous. Even when going to the back mountain, he’d always gone with other kids. He’d never ventured out with just one other person before.

Zhang Shuguang looked at him, puzzled. Li wasn’t far away, and hadn’t he said the back mountain wasn’t dangerous? Why couldn’t just the two of them go?

“Um, maybe I should find someone else to come with us?” Li didn’t want to admit his own timidity. He remembered Shuguang mentioning digging bamboo shoots earlier, and the bamboo grove wasn’t exactly close to their mountain home.

Zhang Shuguang stared at him speechless. Li returned an innocent smile.

“Fine. What can I say? You’re younger than me!”

Li widened his eyes. “I’ve already lived through nineteen snow seasons!”

Zhang Shuguang mentally recalculated: Li was nineteen, five years younger than him. He really was a kid. No wonder his every move sometimes radiated such innate innocence and playfulness.

“I’ve lived through twenty-four snow seasons—doesn’t that make me older than you?” He grinned, lifting his chin. “Go find your little buddies. But make sure you tell them—we might not be back until dark.”

Li nodded repeatedly, running down the mountain while glancing back at him. “Wait for me at the back mountain path. I’ll be there soon.”

Zhang Shuguang waved his hand. ”Be careful running down. Don’t tumble again.“

”I won’t!” Li giggled as he scampered down the slope, moving swiftly like a lively rabbit.

Zhang Shuguang couldn’t help but wonder what kind of Beastman would end up with Li in the future. Whatever else they needed, they’d have to know how to pamper him. Otherwise, with Li’s temperament, he’d probably rather stay single than find a partner.

Previously, when he encountered tribe members, they’d merely offer polite smiles and nods. But today, after he’d done this, those who’d previously ignored him actually approached him to strike up conversations.

Their questions were almost identical: What did he do last night to make it smell so delicious?

Zhang Shuguang found it amusing. He explained how he rendered the oil yesterday and what ingredients he added, telling them to stir-fry meat in oil before adding water to stew it. The crowd gathered around him listened attentively, clearly delighted.

“Are you heading out? The harvest team’s already left. Where are you going?”

“It’s not safe for you to go far alone. Why not find a Beastman to accompany you?”

“Are you crazy? He’s Mang Jiu’s Sub-Beastman. No other Beastman would dare go with you. When Mang Jiu gets angry, he’s terrifying.”

“I’m just going to the back mountain to plant some potatoes. Not going far. Thanks for your concern.” Whether it was genuine concern or not, Zhang Shuguang instinctively thanked them anyway. “I’m going with Li. If I find anything tasty, I’ll bring it back and let you know.”

Hearing this, the gathered crowd was even more pleased with his amiable nature. Seeing he had business to attend to, they all suggested meeting up for a chat once he was done.

Zhang Shuguang agreed to each invitation. He figured chatting with them might help him learn about the edible wild plants and fruits in this world, sparing him the battery drain of relying on Xiao Cai’s navigation every time.

Saving battery wasn’t easy, so conserving it was the safer bet.

The Cliff Shore Tribe’s settlement was formed by five rocky mountains of varying heights, with caves carved into their layers. The chief and the tribe’s strongest warriors resided in the highest cave of the tallest rock formation, while the rest lived scattered across the other hills.

Looking up from the front of the tribe, one could see all the caves arranged neatly, with fewer caves the higher up you went. Every cave entrance was the same size, creating a truly spectacular sight.

While Zhang Shuguang exchanged a few words with someone, Li dashed to the second rock formation on the left and shouted at the top of his lungs: “A-Si! A-Si! Are you there? A-Si! Come out now!”

After about ten seconds, a handsome young man appeared at the second-level cliff edge, looking down. Spotting Li calling him, he smiled and said, “Why don’t you come up?”

Li waved his hand. “Come down! I’ll take you somewhere fun!”

A-Si raised an eyebrow. “Where? I want to dig potatoes.”

Word had spread through the tribe over the past two days, and now groups of Sub-Beastmen were digging potatoes nearby. They’d seen plenty growing around the area before, but had dismissed them as inedible. Little did they know it wasn’t that they weren’t tasty—they just didn’t know how to prepare them.

Heaven only knew how much the tribe must have kicked themselves for missing out on such a delicious food.

Li Yue’s lips curled even higher. “Come on, come on! Grab your stuff and let’s dig together. Hurry down!”

A-Si sighed, returning to the cave to fetch his makeshift shovel—a peculiar tool fashioned from stone and wood—and slung a large leather bag over his shoulder.

Ever since they saw Zhang Shuguang’s double-shouldered leather bag, the tribe realized their own handheld leather bags were far less convenient than backpacks. Back home, they copied the idea, punching holes in their bags and sewing leather straps to turn them into backpacks.

Carrying them this way was incredibly convenient—one bag on each shoulder—and they could hold quite a lot.

Some regretted not thinking of this sooner. If they had, they could have brought back more from their foraging trips.

“You’re going to dig potatoes too?” A-Si stood beside him, sizing him up. “Didn’t you just bring back a bunch of stuff yesterday?”

“Shuguang’s going to plant vegetables, dig potatoes, and harvest bamboo shoots. He said he’d be back after sunset. Since you’re alone, I thought you might get bored, so I called you,” Li winked at him. “You know who Shuguang is, right?”

A-Si nodded. Of course, he knew. These past few days, he’d heard the name Shuguang mentioned constantly. It seemed like only a moment ago, and already the whole tribe was buzzing about this Shuguang—how he’d done this, how he’d done that. The most talked-about detail was how Mang Jiu had kept him in the cave to live together.

A-Si watched Li’s unguarded expression with amusement and said, “I’m grateful Mang Jiu pulled me from the sea, but I truly have no other feelings for him.”

Li believed A-Si. He was the first Sub-Beastman Mang Jiu had ever rescued, and he’d spent five snow seasons in the tribe.

Back when he wasn’t close to A-Si, he thought this Sub-Beastman was quite solitary, always coming and going alone, much like Shuguang was now. He knew that if he hadn’t latched onto him, Shuguang would never have offered to take him along to plant vegetables and dig potatoes.

He pursed his lips and said to A-Si, “Shuguang is easy to get along with. He’s a bit like you.”

A-Si raised an eyebrow, neither confirming nor denying.

A Sub-Beastman from another tribe wanted to integrate into an unfamiliar community, but it wasn’t easy. Initially, he’d considered returning to his birth tribe, but it lay on another continent—too distant. Without crossing the sea, home remained unreachable.

So eventually, he settled down here. Fortunately, the Cliff Shore Tribe didn’t reject outsiders joining their ranks. As long as one had no ulterior motives and was diligent and honest, they were welcome.

Apart from the occasional idle chatter about how he’d been saved by Mang Jiu—even though it had been a long time ago, people still liked to bring it up.

Originally, over the past two years, with Mang Jiu repeatedly bringing back people, the talk about him had dwindled considerably. But suddenly, one day, Mang Jiu brought back a Sub-Beastman and let him stay.

A-Si followed Li’s footsteps toward the back mountains, his mind involuntarily drifting back to the scene he had witnessed that day.

A few days prior, as the sun was setting, Mang Jiu returned, cradling a frail, weak Sub-Beastman in his arms. Many in the tribe who saw him teased him, saying he’d gone scavenging for people again.

Mang Jiu merely gave a cold grunt in response before leading the person back to his cave.

A-Si witnessed this scene from his own cave entrance. Truthfully, he was stunned.

After he himself had been rescued, Mang Jiu had simply dumped him with the tribe’s herb-knowing Beastmen and never asked about him again. Their encounters were limited to exchanging a greeting before passing by.

Even when Tianlu was injured back then, Mang Jiu had brought him back only to dump him in Ying Cao’s cave. At most, he’d helped find a few life-saving herbs—that was the extent of it.

As for the other female Sub-Beastman named Ning, she was the youngest daughter of the Xiangya chieftain. She was usually pampered and spoiled within the tribe. Her rescue by Mang Jiu was purely accidental. Many speculated she’d deliberately waited for him to bathe in the sea before jumping in herself, hoping he’d save her—likely because she’d long desired to bear his offspring.

Alas, no matter what, Mang Jiu’s cave had never housed a second person. So when he brought someone back to the cave, the tribe was stunned.

Truly astonished.

That said, when A-Si had glimpsed Zhang Shuguang from afar that day, he hadn’t noticed anything unusual about him. Or rather, he hadn’t sensed anything special enough to warrant Mang Jiu keeping him in the cave.

So when he now saw the young Sub-Beastman standing not far away, a cub perched on his shoulder, he froze.

Somehow… he felt like something was off.

Zhang Shuguang turned at the sound, and the kitten on his shoulder mirrored his movement. Though one was human and the other a cat, they shared the same expression—both pairs of large eyes brimming with confusion.

Who was this?

The same height as Li, his features carried a cool, almost handsome elegance. His posture was straight and upright. As he walked, he would tilt his head slightly to glance at Li, who was chattering away beside him. Regardless of anything else, his looks and bearing were undeniably refined.

He appeared to be about the same age as Zhang Shuguang. As Zhang studied him, A-Si also turned his face to look at Zhang.

Their gazes met, and both offered polite smiles.

Four words flashed through Zhang Shuguang’s mind: kindred spirits.

Both wore smiles to disguise themselves as approachable and kind-hearted. Yet, two such people couldn’t possibly fail to see through each other.

This man was likely not a native of the Cliff Shore Tribe, but an outsider like himself.

Zhang Shuguang’s eyes darted, and his smile deepened.

He ventured another bold guess: this man must be one of the Sub-Beastmen rescued by Mang Jiu.

“Shuguang, this is A-Si,” Li ran up to Zhang Shuguang, a broad smile lighting up his face. “A-Si, this is Shuguang. What a coincidence—both of you were brought back by Mang Jiu.”

A-Si spoke first. “Li said you were going to dig potatoes, so I followed along.”

Zhang Shuguang smiled warmly. “Did Li tell you all? We’re going to plant crops first, then dig for potatoes and bamboo shoots. If time allows, I also plan to fish at the shallow pond. We’ll probably be back around sunset.”

A-Si pointed at Li. “This guy chattered nonstop all the way here. I live alone, so it doesn’t matter when I get back.” His words were blunt, yet Zhang Shuguang detected a hint of loneliness in them.

He clicked his tongue. This was a Sub-Beastman with a story.

But they weren’t close enough yet to hear it.

Zhang Shuguang hadn’t brought down yesterday’s basin of offal. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to—he simply couldn’t lift it. It was too heavy. He planned to try again tonight, offering five fish as payment for help. Ideally, he’d enlist the same brothers from before to carry the basin and split bamboo for him.

That’s right—he planned to watch videos and learn how to weave bamboo baskets. This leather pouch held little and was still warm, making it uncomfortable pressed against his back.

The three headed to the plot they’d burned before. Zhang Shuguang called this the experimental field.

A field to test whether they could actually grow vegetables.

Zhang Shuguang bent down to touch the soil, then mentally asked Xiao Cai, “Can you check the soil temperature and such? Is it suitable for planting?”

Xiao Cai: “Master, the land is suitable for planting.”

Satisfied, Zhang Shuguang turned to the others. “From now on, this spot is called the experimental field!”

“Experimental field?” Li Jian watched as he pulled out the tools he’d made that day and began squatting down to dig into the soil. Puzzled, he edged closer, hands braced on his knees, eyes fixed intently on the earth. “Is there something edible underground?”

Zhang Shuguang chuckled. “You saw me burning weeds, didn’t you? There’s nothing edible here. I’m just loosening the soil.”

“Then what can I do to help?” Li glanced at A Si, who was holding a stone hoe, and said enviously, “You two are both tilling the soil. I can’t just stand here watching, can I?”

“Here,” Zhang Shuguang opened his leather bag and handed him a fishbone knife. “You know how to cut potatoes, right? Cut them along the sprouting spots, but don’t make the pieces too small.”

Then, surprised by A Si’s deftness with the shovel, he asked, “Have you farmed before?”

Without looking up, A-Si grunted in acknowledgment and replied casually, “My father liked radishes. We ate all the ones near the tribe and were too lazy to go far for more, so I just grew some myself.”

“Radishes?” Zhang Shuguang’s eyes widened in surprise. “What kind of radishes?”

Asked directly, A-Si frowned. What kind of radishes?

“White? Yellow? Red? Green? Or maybe green skin with purple flesh inside?” Zhang pressed.

A-Si gaped. “Well, white ones. Are there that many kinds of radishes?”

Seeing his bewildered expression, Zhang Shuguang realized his mistake.

People here hadn’t developed such detailed color classifications yet. They could only distinguish red, yellow, white, and green—other colors weren’t well understood.

Still, discovering white radishes was a good start. “Are there white radishes near the Cliff Shore Tribe?”

A-Si shook his head. “No, I’ve looked.” When he first settled here, he’d been quite unaccustomed to eating meat every day with the tribe. After all, though he’d eaten meat before, it hadn’t been a daily staple. Their diet had primarily consisted of wild vegetables and fruits.

Zhang Shuguang let out a disappointed “Oh.” Fine, he’d just grow his own later.

“Shuguang, is this how I should cut it?” Li cut a large potato and showed it to Zhang Shuguang. Seeing the two of them tilling the soil so quickly made his hands itch. “Let me try tilling for a bit.”

Zhang Shuguang smiled wryly at him, handing over the hoe. “Try to keep it in a straight line while you’re at it.”

Li responded cheerfully, “No problem! I’m smart—turning soil is a piece of cake.”

Zhang Shuguang went back to cutting potatoes. Every five he sliced, he’d bury them in the soil—tilling in front, planting behind. After Li finished his section, he came back to help cover the potatoes.

The potatoes were planted quickly, and the task completion notification for the Xiao Cai patch chimed.

“What’s this stuff?” Li asked curiously as he watched Zhang Shuguang grab a handful of seeds from his bag.

Zhang Shuguang explained, “These are cabbage seeds and chili seeds—they got mixed together.”

“Cabbage and chili? Where’d you find these?” Li pinched a few to examine them closely, having never seen such seeds before.

Zhang Shuguang replied, “I found them with Mang Jiu when we went to the beach the other day.” Since Mang Jiu wasn’t around, it didn’t matter if he made something up.

Li nodded without giving it much thought, but A-Si glanced at Zhang Shuguang, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

He’d been missing his tribe terribly lately, often wandering to the shore. He was certain the wild greens growing there didn’t produce seeds like these.

Zhang Shuguang gave him a fake smile. Friend, you see through it but don’t call me out.

A-Si raised an eyebrow. Not one to pry into others’ business, he shrugged it off. If that’s what he said, then so be it.

After working up a sweat, the three finally finished planting all the seeds. Zhang Shuguang heard Xiao Cai’s notification that the task was complete and felt thoroughly satisfied.

“It’s so hot,” Li wiped the sweat from his face and patted his aching waist. “I’m exhausted. Everything hurts.” This was more exhausting than his usual fruit-gathering.

Zhang Shuguang pulled out his leather water bag for a drink and chuckled, “Farming is like this. Once we get back, we’ll still need to haul water down to irrigate the fields.”

“Haul water?” Li grimaced. “That’ll be brutal, and the water source isn’t exactly close by.”

Zhang Shuguang knew the spot wasn’t ideal, but he had no choice. He needed to check daily on the crops’ growth; any further away and he’d struggle to tend to them properly.

“No worries. I’ll just carve a wooden bucket to fetch water. Come on, let’s dig up some potatoes.”

“I know a water source nearby. It’s not far,” A-Si chimed in.

Both turned to look at him. Li exclaimed in surprise, “How come I never knew?”

“You don’t come to the back mountain often, so you wouldn’t know,” A-Si shot him a resigned glance. Among the tribe, Li belonged to the carefree, always-happy type of Sub-Beastmen. With both his father and mother by his side, he never worried about food or drink. Aside from regularly joining the gathering team to pick fruit, he had nothing to do most days.

Li glared at him. “There’s nothing fun on the back mountain anyway. Hardly any big beasts. I’d never want to come here.”

A-Si shrugged and pointed. “Over there. Past the big pit the tribe uses, there’s a water channel.”

Zhang Shuguang blinked rapidly. He wasn’t concerned about how far the ditch was—his focus was entirely on that pit. The pit symbolizing the cycle of the five grains… and now he knew its location!

Thanks, A-Si. You’re a good guy!

A-Si, met with Zhang Shuguang’s intense gaze, nervously rubbed his face. “What’s up?” He hadn’t said anything, had he? Why was Zhang suddenly so worked up?

Zhang Shuguang grabbed A-Si’s hand, squeezed it hard, and gave it a shake. My savior! Save my guts!

A-Si was baffled.

“Come on, let’s go check it out. Our tribe’s Beastmen probably fetch water from there.” Li, oblivious to the strange tension between them, chuckled as he strode forward. “Hurry up, don’t dawdle.”

Zhang Shuguang released his grip and patted A Si’s shoulder. “If you ever need anything, you must tell me. I’ll definitely help you.”

A-Si: “Huh?”

Why the sudden warmth?

Zhang Shuguang wiped his face and started sprinting like mad.

He called Nai Dou back.

“Come on, let’s go splash around with Daddy!”

He actually wanted to take a bath—he hadn’t washed in days and was starting to smell.

Though the leather kept him warm, it wasn’t breathable. Wearing it morning and night was comfortable enough, but by noon, it became torture, trapping him in a stinky sweat.

“Shuguang, A-Si, pick up the pace.”

“Coming!”

Ding~

Xiao Cai: “Master, edible plants detected 500 meters ahead.”

Zhang Shuguang’s eyes lit up. Ha! He could develop a new dish.