By the time the two of them returned to the Cliffside Tribe, the sun was already sinking toward the horizon, and the light had grown considerably dimmer.

Carried on Mang Jiu’s back, Zhang Shuguang glanced left and right at the vegetation flashing past. He marveled inwardly at Mang Jiu’s incredible speed.

Ding~

Xiao Cai: “Master, a patch of mature potatoes detected ahead.”

Zhang Shuguang startled at the sudden alert, his body instinctively tensing.

Mang Jiu continued running at a brisk pace, asking, “What’s wrong?”

“Cough, I think I spotted something edible earlier. Why don’t you set me down so I can look?” Zhang Shuguang was preoccupied with that unfinished task—after all, it directly affected his phone’s remaining battery life.

Mang Jiu halted, bending down to set him on the ground.

Zhang Shuguang planted his feet and stamped them lightly, glancing down at the sleeping kitten nestled in the net pouch.

“This little guy sure loves his sleep.”

“Yeah. Where’s this food you mentioned?” Mang Jiu stood beside him, glancing down at the kitten. “He’s filthy.”

Zhang Shuguang rolled his eyes and looked up at him. “Once we get back, I’ll boil some water and give him a bath. He’ll be clean then.” “ After speaking, he glanced around, then headed in the right direction indicated by Xiao Cai.

He hadn’t gone far when he spotted a patch of green on the ground. Zhang Shuguang bent down, plucked a leaf, and examined it, exclaiming with delight, ”It really is a potato!“

”What’s a potato?“ Mang Jiu stood beside him, plucking a leaf to look at it too. ”Is this a potato?”

Zhang Shuguang chuckled. “Does the Cliffside Tribe only eat meat? Don’t you eat wild vegetables or fruits?”

“Sub-beast eat more, but Beastmen do not eat much. Plus, the stuff they gather doesn’t taste very good.” Mang Jiu popped the leaf into his mouth, chewed it, then spat it out. “Not tasty.”

“…” Zhang Shuguang snorted. “You really are a simpleton. You eat the tuber buried underground directly; you can’t eat it raw. You have to boil or steam it. Anyway, there are many ways to cook potatoes. First, help me pull one out to see. I reckon it should be growing well.”

Mang Jiu grunted in acknowledgment. He grabbed a plant and tugged upward, only to find it rooted surprisingly deep. Borrowing Zhang Shuguang’s bone knife, he scraped at the soil before pulling harder.

A potato plant was wrenched free from the ground, its roots trailing a cluster of tubers large and small.

Zhang Shuguang exclaimed, “Wow, they’re huge! And there are so many!” He roughly counted them—fourteen potatoes as large as an adult man’s palm, with even the smallest one the size of a fist.

“There are plenty here,” Mang Jiu glanced around. “If you want some, feel free to pick a few to take back.”

Zhang Shuguang placed the potatoes into his mesh bag next to the kitten, brushing the dirt from his hands. “These have high satiety and store exceptionally well. Just keep them in a cool, ventilated spot, and they’ll last until this time next year.” He personally yanked up two potato vines, leaving red marks on his palms. “That’s enough. I’ll take these back for the chief and the shaman to taste. If they approve, I’d like to have the tribe come harvest in bulk and store them for winter.”

Mang Jiu stared at him blankly, his eyes filled with unmistakable shock.

Even though the beastmen in their tribe were skilled hunters, they couldn’t guarantee everyone would have enough to eat every day during winter. Many elderly beastmen and sub-beasts would still starve to death in the cold months due to food shortages.

If these potatoes could truly be stored through winter, no one in the tribe would go hungry this season.

“Are you telling the truth?”

Zhang Shuguang secretly stashed ten potatoes into his bag, placing the rest into a net pouch. He moved the kitten to rest atop the potatoes. Despite all the commotion, the little kitten didn’t open its eyes, clearly sleeping soundly.

“It’s true. There’s also Chinese yams, sweet potatoes, taro, radishes, and ginger. If you can find these, they all store well, too. Ginger can even treat colds, headaches, and dizziness. It’s an excellent ingredient for removing fishy or gamey odors from meat.” Realizing he’d said a bit too much, he gave an awkward tug at the corner of his mouth. “Just listen, that’s all.”

Mang Jiu nodded impassively, asking no further questions.

He remained deeply suspicious about the origin of this sub-beast he’d brought back. Though they’d spent less than a day together, the creature held far too many mysteries.

Mang Jiu turned his back, motioning for Zhang Shuguang to follow. “Let’s head back. It’s dangerous after dark.”

Zhang Shuguang silently cursed his own loquaciousness. If he kept this up, he’d be skinning himself alive.

Ding~

Xiao Cai: “Potato Harvesting task completed. Gained 5% battery power. Current battery: 47%. Gained 5 points. Current points: 15. Gained 100 experience points. Current experience: 200/300. Current APP Level 1. Cabbage seeds unlocked. Daily settlement consumes 8% battery. Remaining phone battery: 39%. Master, keep up the good work.”

Zhang Shuguang listened to its chatter in his mind, and when he finally heard that 39% battery figure, he felt a bit sick to his stomach.

After a full day of hustling, the battery level hadn’t budged an inch.

But he bounced back quickly. At least the day hadn’t been wasted—he’d found plenty of potatoes and even scored a large fish bone, enough to make many bone knives.

Zhang Shuguang: “Doesn’t it tally battery consumption before 24 hours?”

Xiao Cai: “Yes, Master. Here, battery consumption is settled at 7 PM daily. You completed all three tasks today, unlocking additional seeds—lotus seeds.”

Zhang Shuguang: “Lotus? Oh, okay. I’ll save those for now. Do I need to find a muddy pond?”

Xiao Cai: “Lotus requires shallow, muddy ponds. If you can’t find one, I suggest planting them in the shallow part of that waterhole instead.”

Zhang Shuguang recalled the pond’s depth and declined.

“Once the lotus matures, you can harvest lotus roots to eat. But if the water’s too deep, how would you get down to dig them? Let’s wait until we find a suitable spot before planting. Are the tasks posted daily?”

Xiao Cai: “Yes. The number of daily tasks varies, with a minimum of three and no upper limit. Completing all tasks in a single day earns extra rewards. I only learned about these bonuses recently. Master, if you complete tasks daily, you’ll reach 100 points quickly.”

Of today’s three tasks, only the fire-starting one was completed independently. The potato-gathering task—had Mang Jiu not carried him back to the tribe—would have taken until tomorrow or the day after to finish if he’d walked back alone.

Thinking this over, Zhang Shuguang sighed softly. “Alright, I’ll try my best. You can power down and rest now. Wake me up at seven tomorrow morning. If I’m still asleep, just rouse me.”

Xiao Cai: “No problem, Master. Sweet dreams.”

After finishing the mental conversation with Xiao Cai, Zhang Shuguang yawned and asked, “How much longer until we reach the tribe?” “

Even while sprinting, Mang Jiu’s breathing remained steady. He replied, ”Soon. Are you going to see the shaman and the chief?“

Zhang Shuguang hummed. ”Will they believe me?”

After all, he was an outsider. If he ran over and told the tribal chief and shaman he had food that could last through winter, they probably wouldn’t believe him, right?

“How long until the next snowfall?” The local temperatures made it impossible for him to gauge the season. Mornings and evenings were crisp but not cold, while midday sun was intense yet not unbearably hot. He guessed this must be spring, but the vast fields of mature potatoes made him uncertain.

Mang Jiu calculated for a moment, then shook his head. “A long time. The last snow season just ended.”

Zhang Shuguang furrowed his brow slightly. Could this land support year-round cultivation?

But that didn’t make sense. How could these plants survive after winter snowfall?

Adhering to the principle of asking when unsure, he inquired again: “During snowfall, can you still gather wild vegetables and fruits?”

“Yes, but very little.” Mang Jiu answered every question, proving exceptionally cooperative.

Zhang Shuguang pressed further: “Don’t the trees turn yellow and wither?”

“They do. They wither before the snow falls. Didn’t the plants near your old tribe wither, too?”

“Yes, but I don’t know why the potatoes here ripen so early.” Zhang Shuguang browsed through Little Cannon Fodder’s memories and discovered that the boy’s usual range was confined to the tribe’s surroundings. The only time he ventured farther was when he saved the protagonist and got knocked off a cliff by a giant beast’s swipe.

“Are there any green plants left after the snow falls, like those potatoes earlier?”

Mang Jiu fell silent for a moment, seemingly recalling plants he’d seen before. “Yes. They’re awful.”

Zhang Shuguang chuckled softly. “Why do you always think about eating? What do you eat during winter?”

“When it’s not snowing, we hunt and store as much meat as possible. We freeze the game in the snow, but it’s never enough to feed the entire tribe. Winter is long, and the elderly among us often starve to death.” Mang Jiu slowed his pace. Zhang Shuguang looked up and could already see the towering mountain peaks.

Seen from this angle, the neatly arranged tiers of caves on the mountain peak were quite spectacular.

“Take me to see the shaman and the chief.” He knew death was common in this era, but he didn’t want to witness it. If there was a chance to help someone live, he would lend a hand.

Mang Jiu hummed in acknowledgment, carrying him directly to the cave belonging to the chief.