Chapter 15

Not long after finishing the move, a fine drizzle began to fall outside. The area emptied completely, and getting wet in the rain was extremely dangerous for the younglings. Adult members of the Feather Clan could withstand a bit of illness and recover, but the young ones could not.

Originally, the little chirping birds outside the cave had been driven into a corner by Bai Shuo, chirping busily. Bai Shuo scattered some chopped weeds for them. Although these birds had only hatched a few days ago, they were surprisingly hearty eaters—almost growing a whole size each day. At just ten days old, they had already doubled in size since hatching.

After feeding the little birds, Bai Shuo took a pointed stick, intending to skewer the cured meat.

However, the pieces were a bit too large and needed to be cut smaller. Bai Shuo glanced at his own hands, then at his older brothers, feeling that neither of them was suited for this task. Bai Le was strong but only three years old, so cutting meat was still too difficult for him.

Looking down the mountain, Bai Shuo hoped to see if the gathering and hunting teams had returned. Soon, he spotted a figure approaching—Wuyan. His eyes lit up as he called out, “Wuyan, come warm yourself by the fire?”

Wuyan had been at the back mountain, too far to hear Caolin’s voice until the rain began to fall on him. He planned to return to the cave to sleep but, hearing Bai Shuo, looked up. Despite the distance, the Feather Clan’s exceptional eyesight allowed him to see the hopeful look in Bai Shuo’s eyes. After a moment's thought, he agreed: “Alright.”

Instead of going to his own cave, Wuyan headed up the mountain and just as he reached the entrance, Bai Shuo said, “Come, wash your hands first.”

Following the instruction, Wuyan washed and wiped his hands with animal hide. Before he could say anything, Bai Shuo handed him a stone knife.

Wuyan was momentarily stunned.

“Cut the meat into smaller pieces, do it by the fire so it’s warm,” Bai Shuo instructed, pushing forward a bowl filled with meat slices. After using the stone slab to grill meat, Bai Xun had prepared two smaller stone pieces for cutting—narrower than the slab but taller, ideal for chopping. One was placed near the cave entrance, close to the fire.

Wuyan was silent for a moment before picking up the meat slices and began cutting them into quarters as Bai Shuo had asked.

Bai Shuo and Bai Su were responsible for skewering the pieces, while Bai Le’s task was to gather the skewers together.

After skewering four sticks, Bai Shuo held two in one hand, placing them by the fire to roast. Finding his hand tired after a while, he set them down and fashioned a simple grilling rack from hemp rope, branches, and stones. This allowed him to place the skewers directly on the rack, turning them occasionally. This method could grill seven or eight skewers at once.

The flavor of grilled skewers differed from pan-fried meat, carrying a subtle charcoal aroma—not the harsh smoky, burnt taste from before, but a gentle woodsy fragrance and rich roasted meat scent that made mouths water. The only drawback was the lack of drink, leaving the mouth a bit dry. After tasting, the four younglings were left wanting more and quickly called for a second round.

When Bai Xun and Bai Yun returned, they found the younglings hiding in the cave, eating grilled meat.

Bai Xun immediately said, “I’ll go fetch the stone slab.” Since having pan-fried meat, their family hadn’t eaten grilled meat; this rain had made things difficult for the younglings.

Bai Shuo handed him two skewers of cooked meat. “Father, mother, try these first.”

Bai Xun took a bite and immediately decided they wouldn’t bring the stone slab tonight—this would be dinner.

He ate three skewers in quick succession and wanted more, but the rest weren’t cooked yet, so he waited patiently, occasionally asking if they were done. “Delicious, just too slow,” he sighed. Only a few skewers could be grilled at a time and were quickly eaten.

Bai Shuo said, “Next time we’ll grill down by the foot of the mountain—that’ll be faster.” Since the rain was falling and the fire was inside the cave, Bai Shuo was careful not to make the fire too large to avoid carbon monoxide buildup. Otherwise, he could have made more racks. Making charcoal was a bit troublesome, but everything was worth it for the food.

Just then, a voice came from below the mountain—Hua Yong called out, “Bai Xun, do you still want any little chirping birds?”

Hearing this, Bai Xun slapped his forehead. “How could I forget? Shuo, wait here. Father’s caught two nests of little chirping birds and will bring them up.”

Since the tribe acquired baskets, the hunting team carried a few birds with them daily. Bai Xun handed any caught birds directly to the basket carriers but had forgotten about them during the meal.

After speaking, Bai Xun left the cave and soon returned carrying a basket. He showed it to Bai Shuo. “Shuo, look—do you like them?”

Since discovering that the young chirping birds Bai Shuo raised hadn’t starved, Bai Xun had been thinking about catching more. Although luck or location hadn’t favored him in recent days, today he finally caught two nests.

Bai Shuo looked inside the basket and saw over twenty little chirping birds huddled motionless at the bottom.

Noticing something was wrong, Bai Xun shook one bird gently but saw its legs hanging limp and frowned. “Starved to death? That can’t be—he caught them this morning.”

“No, they’re still breathing,” Bai Shuo quickly rescued the bird from his father’s hand. They were alive now, but that might not last long.

He moved the basket and birds to a corner, herding them into a large container, which he then placed inside the enclosure housing the domesticated chirping birds. This allowed the new birds and the familiar ones to get used to each other, separated by the container.

Mostly, the new birds were just scared. Usually, the presence of adult Feather Clan members frightened them so much they wouldn’t eat. Being carried around by the tribe all day, as today, only worsened this. Although the domesticated birds had grown accustomed to Bai Xun and Bai Yun’s voices, they still got scared when hearing them, proving how timid these little chirping birds truly were.

Once the tribe moved farther away, the new birds, though not as lively as the domesticated ones, stopped feigning death.

Bai Shuo poured some water for them and planned to integrate them with the others the next day. The new birds were about the same size as those already at home. Bai Shuo counted twenty-three, adding to the original seventeen, making forty in total.

Forty little chirping birds could no longer be housed casually near the cave entrance. A long-term breeding area was necessary.

...

After dinner, Bai Yun went down the mountain to collect plants brought back by the gathering team. This had become a daily task for Bai Shuo—examining the plants the gatherers brought back and deciding which to collect next time.

The rain during the growing season was gentle, even after a prolonged shower, only a soft drizzle, unlike the heavy downpours of the rainy season that could dizzy a person. Healthy adult Feather Clan members generally weren’t afraid to travel in such weather, but those incubating eggs avoided the rain to prevent water from sticking to the eggs.

Bai Yun had no such concerns and soon returned carrying two baskets filled with various plants—some were leaves, others whole plants.

Bai Shuo examined them.

From this nearby area at the foot of the mountain, Bai Shuo could see the tribe’s plant variety was quite rich. But unfortunately, the areas the younglings could safely explore were very limited. Farther regions were too dangerous for him to visit, so he had to rely on this method.

Previously, they wouldn’t bring back plants that tasted bad or were inedible, but now many were unfamiliar to Bai Shuo. Most were weeds—not edible for humans but suitable for feeding the little chirping birds.

Bai Shuo found some cogongrass and told Bai Yun, “Mother, the roots of this plant are sweet and edible.” The roots had a mildly sweet taste and could serve as a snack. More importantly, cogongrass roots were medicinal.

Besides cogongrass, Bai Shuo spotted cocklebur and wild patchouli. “Mother, next time if you find these two, be sure to dig them up.” Cocklebur was nearby but mostly picked over by the younglings; wild patchouli, also called ‘Blood Reliever,’ had excellent hemostatic properties.

The Feather Clan’s claws were sharp, useful for catching small prey, but hunting larger animals was dangerous. Large prey had tough hides and thick flesh, and claws alone couldn’t inflict fatal wounds. The hunter needed to fly close enough to precisely cut the prey’s throat, a risky gamble since the prey’s hooves and bite were dangerous.

Not only was capturing large prey perilous, but chasing it could cause injury too. The hunters often overlooked nearby branches or sharp stones in full pursuit, resulting in scratches.

Since useful medicinal herbs were around the tribe, Bai Shuo decided to collect some as a precaution.

He went through the plants, comparing them with his memory, and only stopped when night fell.

Due to the rain, the temperature had dropped slightly compared to previous days. It was colder near the cave entrance, but lighting a fire inside was dangerous. So after dark, everyone prepared to rest.

The steady drip of water outside made sleep sounder. When Bai Shuo opened his eyes, dawn had come and the rain had stopped. Having gone to bed early the night before, he woke earlier than usual. Outside, all was quiet.

The post-rain air was refreshingly cool. Stepping out, Bai Shuo stretched, planning to build a chicken coop beside the cave before the other younglings woke.

During the growing season, rain came every few days, so they couldn’t keep bringing the birds back into the cave each time.

The coop didn’t need to be large, as soon he would move the little chirping birds down the mountain for better rearing. Bai Shuo first found sturdy branches and tied them with hemp rope to form a frame. Four branches formed the roof, and others formed the resting platform for the birds. Finally, he tightly secured leaves to cover the roof and sides.

This simple coop would shelter the birds from rain and provide shade on sunny days.

By the time the coop was finished, the other younglings had woken and, accustomed to Bai Shuo’s morning assignments, began urging him down the mountain.

“Bai Shuo, what are we doing today?”

“Bai Shuo, why aren’t you coming down?”

“Bai Shuo, Bai Shuo, hurry down!”

They urged him as they started climbing up, ready to find him if he didn’t come.

Bai Shuo promised and, descending the mountain, decided to plant the first batch of red currant seedlings while the soil was still moist.

The transplanted red currant cuttings had mostly had their side branches and buds pinched off for propagation. These branches had grown into new seedlings, beginning to sprout side branches. The original planting area had grown crowded, so they needed to be moved to the planting site.

When planning the planting, Bai Shuo had made an overall layout. The tribe’s mountain was the center; the innermost circle was the living area, just beyond was the grassland used for seedlings, and farther out was where the younglings usually played—the main large-scale planting zone.

The first batch of seedlings would be planted close to the living area for easy observation and management. Bai Shuo planned to plant them next to the wheat.

Several days had passed, and the wheat seedlings had grown quite tall. Thanks to careful planting, there were almost no gaps. The green expanse was thriving.

The wheat field was Bai Shuo’s carefully chosen spot. The adjacent land was also good—fewer trees than other places. Useful herbaceous plants had been transplanted away, and useless ones cut by the younglings for feeding the little chirping birds. Only newly sprouted weeds remained, easily pulled out.

There were over three hundred rooted red currant seedlings. Bai Shuo had the younglings dig trenches for planting with small hoes while he planted.

Since it had just rained, the soil was moist and digging and planting were easy. Before long, the trenches were finished. Bai Su led the younglings to collect branches, but some playful younglings weren’t done yet. Instead of gathering branches, they dug up weeds nearby, clearing quite a bit.

Bai Shuo quietly helped while they played—no complaints, since those areas would be planted soon anyway, so turning the soil was beneficial. The result was that by the time Bai Shuo finished planting, several younglings were covered in mud.

Compared to the others, Bai Shuo was a bit cleaner, but only from the waist up; below that, his legs were coated in mud.

Bai Shuo sighed silently.

Not wanting his parents to return and see a muddy child, Bai Shuo joined the others to bathe by the river. Midday temperatures were just right, and the water wasn’t too cold. A shallow part of the river was perfect for daily washing.

Once in the water, the younglings became playful, splashing and punching each other.

Bai Shuo stayed out of the water fight, quickly washing off the mud and donning animal hide. Walking along the riverbank, he scouted for a spot to build a pottery kiln. He planned to build it near the river for easy water access—important for safety and daily use.

Because the tribe often cleaned food and butchered prey by the river, the banks were clear of weeds. Building a kiln there would disturb everyone, so Bai Shuo headed further back, remembering the less inhabited area behind the mountain.

He finally chose a suitable spot beyond where he had fallen that day.

Though the weeds were thick, that was a minor issue easily solved. This spot was elevated three or four meters above the ground, where the mountain curved outward, forming a natural shelter from rain. Building the kiln here meant rain wouldn’t interfere, even during storms. There was also plenty of space nearby for stacking firewood.

Another advantage: the back of the mountain had no inhabited caves, so smoke from firing pottery wouldn’t bother others. The only inconvenience was carrying branches a longer distance.

Carefully, Bai Shuo walked outward, mindful of sharp branches or stones on the ground.

As he walked, he suddenly spotted an uncommon food—mushrooms.

Not having eaten mushrooms for a long time, Bai Shuo crouched down, carefully examining them. They were a type he had seen in his previous life and were non-toxic. His heart swelled with excitement.

Mushrooms—edible mushrooms.

Since arriving in this world, he had never eaten mushrooms again.