A moment passed.
Chang Xia rubbed her sore neck and looked up.
"Nuan Chun. What about the Nan Feng?"
Nuan Chun opened her sleepy eyes and replied, "She went to send the rice noodles and rolls to Chen Rong and the others. Are you done?"
Nan Feng left. Nuan Chun hugged her stomach and found a shady spot to nap.
She drifted off to sleep.
Chang Xia's voice woke her up. She yawned and stood up with the help of the table, walking towards Chang Xia. She hadn't approached her before, afraid of disturbing Chang Xia.
Actually, Nuan Chun had long been curious about the small wooden board in Chang Xia's hand.
Chang Xia looked at the planks stacked in front of her and smiled. "I drew a dozen. As for anything else… I'll do it when I remember."
"Wow! What's this one called? It looks weird."
"Is this a wild fruit?"
"Yes! This looks familiar."
Nuan Chun sat down beside Chang Xia and flipped through the small wooden boards. There were endless exclamations and curious looks from her.
Chang Xia shrugged and got up to get some water.
When she had first looked for ginger, onion, and garlic, apart from their appearance, she had relied more on their taste. This time, she had drawn some images because she wanted the hunting team to pick similar plants and bring them back to identify them.
After all, it was impossible for Chang Xia to run around the entire tribal territory in a short period of time.
Root and the tribe wouldn't trust Chang Xia out of the tribe at the moment, not until Chen Rong had neutralized his poison. Or until she was a little stronger.
Things would be much simpler and easier if the tribesmen helped. She and the tribe could benefit from this. It could be considered mutually beneficial.
"Chang Xia, so there are many types of chili!" Nuan Chun said in surprise.
The peppers that Kong Shan brought back to the tribe were lantern peppers that were round. In addition to the round ones, there were slender and pointed ones, and tiny ones that were colorful.
Nuan Chun shook his head. She didn't think she'd ever seen chili in the tribal territory.
Lantern peppers were found in Green Mountain Rock, and there must be more growing there. But would there be other peppers?
She tried spicy food once.
She would never forget it.
"Yes," Chang Xia said, nodding. "Different peppers. Tastes different, too. The smallest ones taste the hottest, and the slender, pointy ones called capsicums. They're also spicy."
Chaotian pepper, also known as tabasco pepper.
It was small and spicy.
After making it into a pickled pepper, it was spicy and crispy.
As she spoke, Chang Xia couldn't help but swallow.
Chili. How she longed for chili!
"Spicy, like chili?" Nan Feng could hear Chang Xia calling something spicy as she walked over.
"Yes!" Nuan Chun exclaimed. "What took you so long, Nan Feng?"
"Haha—"
Nan Feng set down her back basket and rattan basket, put her hands on her hips, and laughed.
Nuan Chun and Chang Xia looked at each other. She could not understand what Nan Feng was up to this time.
"I have good news for you," Nan Feng said. "In the afternoon, Kong Shan will bring He Sen, Luan Mu, and Feng Huo over to White Lake. I'll send them rice noodles and rice noodle rolls. Chen Rong is digging my house cave with his men."
Chen Rong and the rest decisively split up.
In the afternoon, it would be good to dig Nuan Chun and her houses. Tomorrow, in the morning, it would be good to dig Ya Dong's and start the boring, mudding and installing of the windows.
Perhaps it would not take more than two days.
The three of them could build them.
"So soon!" Chang Xia exclaimed in delight.
The appearance of Kong Shan and the others meant that most of the tribe members might want to build a house cave. Thinking about it, Chang Xia looked at Nan Feng strangely.
Could it be that Nan Feng and the others had said something to their clansmen every day when they returned to the tribe?
She didn't deny that the house cave was comfortable and safe, but the beast lair held the fruit of thousands of years of the beast race's wisdom. Chang Xia didn't think her people's attitude would change so quickly. There had to be something else going on behind the scenes.
"Fast is good," Nuan Chun said happily.
Suddenly, she remembered that Kong Shan had brought He Sen and the other two. Were there enough rice noodles and rice noodle rolls sent by Nan Feng? She had not prepared much to begin with. If she suddenly had three more mouths, there would probably be a battle over there.
"Nan Feng. Are there enough rice noodles and rice noodle rolls?"
"Not enough. Kong Shan and the others had a fight."
Nan Feng spoke very casually. It was normal for the beasts to exchange punches and kicks. Whoever had the strongest fist had the right to get the first share.
"Did Chen Rong participate?" Chang-Xia asked nervously.
Hearing this, the corners of Nuan Chun and Nan Feng's mouths twitched. Nuan Chun knew that Chen Rong could fight and had heard it from Shan Kun. Nan Feng knew that when she had sparred with Chen Rong, he had not lost or won.
Who would have thought that a poisoned male like Chen Rong would fight head-on with the powerful totem warriors of the tribe?
The tribe had agreed to let Chang Xia stay at White Lake. Apart from Chang Xia's firm attitude, Chen Rong played a decisive factor.
Even if he looked sickly.
Chen Rong was still very strong.
"He doesn't have to attend," Nan Feng replied, clearing his throat.
Nuan Chun smiled and said, "You made the rice noodles and rice noodle rolls. Who would dare to snatch them from Chen Rong?"
The words were half teasing and half explaining the situation.
"Chang Xia, Kong Shan asked me to give you a message. He said that some people in the hunting party want you to help cook some fried meat. They can exchange it with something," Nan Feng said.
Hunting teams were mostly adult and single males of the tribe.
Unmarried males basically ate roasted meat every meal. After eating fried meat, they felt that the taste of roasted meat suddenly became ordinary.
Therefore, he could not help but want to ask for help.
However, the females of the tribe had their own things to do every day. After thinking about it, they naturally thought of Chang Xia.
Coincidentally, Chen Rong was still poisoned and could not hunt for the time being.
Chang Xia was in poor health and could not participate in the hunt either.
At the same time, the fried meat was the first thing Chang Xia made.
"Sure." Without another word, Chang Xia nodded in agreement. "Tell them to send over the meat they're going to fry. I'll make it for them. Oh, and the clay pots have to come from them. I can provide the salt."
They had taken good care of Chang Xia in the past.
Now that she had a chance to help Kong Shan and the others, Chang Xia was more than willing to help.
"They'll come for you at the end of the evening. Talk to them then," Nan Feng said.
Sge knew Chang Xia would say yes.
Looks like she had to come over early tomorrow to help.
Nan Feng and Nuan Chun exchanged glances. They understood what the other was thinking, but they didn't say anything.
"Just in time for me to give them the boards," Chang Xia said cheerfully.
"The boards are finished? Let me see…" Nan Feng moved toward the long table, looking curiously at the boards. The more she looked, the happier she became.
If she could find these plants on the boards, it meant more good food.
How wonderful!
"Be quick. After you're done, we'll continue to make rice noodles. In the evening, you can all bring some back to the tribe. Hmm! We also have to make some yam and fruit flour pancakes. The raw rice flour powder has to be tanned and fermented for another night. We'll eat raw rice noodles tomorrow…"
Chang Xia rolled up her sleeves and kept making arrangements.
On the side, Nan Feng listened with a smile.
Nuan Chun felt that standing beside Chang Xia would reduce her fatigue by twofold.
It seemed that the baby in her stomach also liked Chang Xia very much.