Chapter 65
“If you’re looking for a mate, can you… consider me?”
Even if he had misheard, it wouldn’t have been so outrageous. Hua Shi’an’s steps came to a sudden halt. He looked up in astonishment, his golden, rippling eyes filled with confusion and deep disbelief.
Unlike the beastmen with obvious masculine features like Hong Yong and Mo Huaishan, Yan Qiuyu had a delicate appearance, fair skin, and was tall but not burly, with a lean build.
His build and appearance, combined with his boisterous personality, made him seem less like a beastman or a man and more like a half-grown boy, a sunny and cheerful little dog. In modern society, he would be a typical high school boy.
When Hong Yong had suddenly given him a sheepskin shirt, Hua Shi’an had felt a little awkward. But Yan Qiuyu’s shocking words, after the initial surprise, made Hua Shi’an burst out laughing without any mercy. “Hahaha, Yan Qiuyu, you… hahaha!”
“No, what are you doing, Lord Priest!”
He had finally mustered the courage, only to be met with a burst of laughter. Yan Qiuyu pouted and glared at Hua Shi’an. “I’m serious! You’re not allowed to laugh. Answer me!”
I can’t, I can’t. He almost laughed himself out of breath. Hua Shi’an patted his chest a few times.
He couldn’t laugh anymore. If he continued, it would be mistaken for mockery.
Hua Shi’an clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms, and suppressed his laughter. He then looked up and met the beastman’s gaze, saying earnestly, “Qiuyu, being an adult just means you’ve grown up and are of an age where you can find a mate. But it doesn’t mean you have to find a mate immediately after you become an adult. Don’t look for a mate just for the sake of finding one.”
In the pause, Yan Qiuyu seized the opportunity to retort, “What do you mean, I have to find a mate as soon as I become an adult? I’m not even an adult yet. I just want, want to be the Lord Priest’s mate.”
The child was a little too direct. Hua Shi’an helplessly rubbed his temples. “You’re even younger than me. I’ve always thought of you as a friend, a younger brother. I have no other thoughts. I’m sure you’re not saying this for any other reason than that we often work together and spend a lot of time with each other.”
“No, it’s not,” Yan Qiuyu looked at Hua Shi’an with unconcealed admiration and pouted. “Lord Priest, you’re very outstanding. You’re good-looking, have a good temper and personality, and you’re smart. Which beastman wouldn’t want to be your mate?”
He was quite a flatterer. Hua Shi’an chuckled. “Then do you like me?”
“Like… what’s that?” Yan Qiuyu tilted his head, a trace of confusion in his eyes.
Looking at the beastman’s bewildered eyes, Hua Shi’an’s suspended heart settled back down. He started walking forward again and said as he walked, “Liking is a feeling. If you really like someone, you will unconsciously pay attention to them, get close to them, be nervous and worried for them, and think of them frequently. In short, you don’t like me. At most, you just admire me.”
“Is it that complicated? I’ve never heard of it,” Yan Qiuyu was stunned. He scratched the back of his head. “Don’t people just find a mate because they’re willing and think they’re suitable?”
Hua Shi’an: “Everyone has different ideas. I will find someone I like.”
“Then what kind of person do you like, Lord Priest?” Yan Qiuyu quickly asked.
Hua Shi’an glanced at Yan Qiuyu. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he deliberately said some things that he didn’t have. “He must be tall, well-built, preferably with muscles, not too thin. And his looks should be more rugged, with a more beastman-like demeanor. And oh, I prefer quiet people, so I hope he talks less.”
The last sentence was too targeted. Yan Qiuyu was slightly taken aback. It felt like a sharp thorn had pierced through his heart, a fine, stinging pain from his chest to his throat.
He stopped talking and lowered his eyes, his mind wandering.
They walked and stopped, rummaged and searched. After about an hour and a half, they had followed the river downstream to its end. A clear and calm lake, blending in with the weeds and trees, a verdant lake came into view.
Like a green gem forgotten by the world, the crystal-clear lake surface shimmered. The outlines of the clouds and branches were reflected on the water, and the swimming, silver-scaled small fish were clearly visible.
The boundary of the lake was blurred, and water-loving plants had taken root in the water.
The lake water spread out. In the moss-covered wetland, reeds swayed in the wind, and dodder climbed over the bushes, growing wildly. In the muddy water, which had been dyed golden by the sun, the just-emerging lotus leaves were particularly conspicuous.
It was as beautiful as a fairy tale world. Hua Shi’an was mesmerized and had unknowingly walked into the wetland. Fortunately, Yan Qiuyu called out to him in time. Only then did he stop and immediately take out a hoe from his back basket.
The beautiful scenery was captivating, and the lotus leaves growing in the wetland were even more tempting. But this wetland around the lake, with its water and mud, was treacherous. If you accidentally stepped into a bog accumulated with peat, you would be skinned alive if not dead.
He took off his coir shoes and threw them into his back basket. Hua Shi’an was barefoot, using a hoe to probe the path, and led Yan Qiuyu deeper into the wetland. As he passed by the curled lotus leaves, Hua Shi’an couldn’t help but take a few more glances, but he did not stop, walking straight towards the dense reed bed.
The lotus leaves had just emerged. There might not be any lotus roots under the mud. He would let them grow. It wouldn’t be too late to come back when the lotus flowers had bloomed and produced lotus pods. The most important thing now was the soil. It was highly likely that there was sedimentary clay near the reed bed.
The reed bed was very large, with no end in sight. As they entered the reed bed, their walking speed slowed down a lot. The long, thin leaves of the reeds were as sharp as knives. If his arm accidentally brushed against them, it would immediately leave a bloody gash.
In the spring, when all things were reviving, the relatively slow-growing reeds were still sprouting. The long, thin, and emerald green reed shoots broke through the earth, densely packed everywhere, exuding a charming fresh fragrance.
As if his ankles were being pulled, Hua Shi’an suddenly couldn’t move. He completely forgot his purpose in coming here. He endured and endured, then squatted down and started to break off the reed shoots.
“Crack crack—”
One crisp sound, one reed shoot. It was very stress-relieving. And the reed shoots were crisp and tender, just right for eating. They would be delicious stir-fried with meat.
“Lord Priest, what’s this? Is it edible?”
He had been walking and then suddenly squatted down. Yan Qiuyu was bewildered. But seeing how interesting it was to break them, Yan Qiuyu also squatted down and broke off a reed shoot to examine it carefully. “It looks a bit like that water bamboo shoot, but there are no bamboos around. What is it?”
“It’s edible. It does look very similar to a water bamboo shoot, and the taste is also very similar.”
Hua Shi’an lifted his hand and pointed to the reeds beside him, introducing them to him. “This is called a reed shoot, also known as a reed bamboo shoot. It’s the tender shoot of this kind of reed. The bamboo shoots from last time were too few, and everyone didn’t have enough to eat. Let’s break off some more and take them back to cook.”
Yan Qiuyu: “What about the clay? Are we not looking for it anymore? Why don’t we look for it first and then come back to break them?”
He had almost forgotten. Hua Shi’an nodded thoughtfully and stood up with a handful of reed shoots. “That makes sense. Come on, let’s try digging a few times on the ground.”
“Alright.” Yan Qiuyu swung his hoe.
Hard work paid off. After a few digs here and there, Hua Shi’an and Yan Qiuyu found suitable yellow clay for making pottery on a high ridge at the junction of two reed beds.
Yellow clay was also a type of pottery clay, a variegated clay that was mainly yellowish-brown and gray. Although the pottery fired from it was not as good-looking as that fired from red clay, its texture was fine and its plasticity was strong, making it most suitable for making large pots and jars.
Unlike plants, once they found clay, there was a large patch of it, more than they could use. There was no need to look for more. Hua Shi’an and Yan Qiuyu immediately swung their hoes, dug the semi-dry yellow clay from the slope, and packed the large pieces into their back baskets.
The clay was dead heavy. A full back basket was too much for Hua Shi’an to carry. In the end, he only dared to pack half a back basket for him. But the other half of the back basket couldn’t be left empty. So Hua Shi’an and Yan Qiuyu went in and out of the reed bed and broke off another half a back basket of crisp reed shoots.
As they walked back with their back baskets, the sun had already begun to set. The tribe was far away, and the two of them did not rest for a moment, hurrying on their way. But by the time they returned to the tribe, the sky had already darkened.
The gathering team had returned a step earlier. A few sub-beastmen and the elderly were gathered around a fire, cooking dinner. And the main group was sitting in the open space, cleaning a variety of wild vegetables.
Chief Mu’s stamina was not good, but his eyesight was quite good. Just as Hua Shi’an and Yan Qiuyu had put down their back baskets, he threw away the wild vegetables in his hand and hurried over. “What have you two been up to? Why are you back so late?”
Before Hua Shi’an could answer, Chief Mu glanced at the reed shoots in the back basket and quickly picked one up. “Yo, water bamboo shoots! This stuff is delicious. Where did you find so many? Huh, why is Qiuyu’s back basket filled with mud? What are you bringing mud back for?”
There were too many questions. Hua Shi’an let out a hot breath and answered them one by one, “They’re not water bamboo shoots. You’re mistaken, Chief. These are reed shoots, the tender shoots of reeds, which are a bit similar to water bamboo shoots. We found a new plant downstream today.”
“The clay is of course not ordinary clay. This is called yellow clay, also called pottery clay. You can feel it, Chief. This kind of clay is very fine. We specially found it to make pottery.”
“Reed shoots, reeds? Yellow clay, pottery clay, pottery?” Chief Mu raised an eyebrow at Hua Shi’an and showed an indescribable expression. “I haven’t seen you for just one day, and your mouth is already spouting so many things I’ve never heard of. What is all this?”
He had forgotten to tell the chief. Hua Shi’an smiled and explained, “It’s like this. A couple of days ago, I wasn’t taking Huaishan and Qiuyu to dig a kiln by the river. That kiln…”
The use of the kiln, the use of the clay. Hua Shi’an repeated what he had said to Yan Qiuyu in the afternoon, explaining it to Chief Mu as simply and colloquially as possible.
Chief Mu was quick to understand. He understood at once and at the same time, asked a similar question to Yan Qiuyu’s, “Really? I believe you when you say a pot made of clay is thin and cooks fast. But you say it’s sturdy and durable. Is clay even remotely related to sturdiness?”
“The kiln, the key is the kiln.” Hua Shi’an was so thirsty from talking that he really didn’t want to explain anymore. He waved his hand. “Trust me, it’s always right. You’ll know when we fire it in a while.”
Chief Mu laughed heartily and patted Hua Shi’an’s shoulder. “I trust you, I trust you. Who wouldn’t trust you! Alright, then I’ll be looking forward to it. Remember to show it to me as soon as it’s fired.”
Hua Shi’an grunted in acknowledgment.
Looking around and not seeing any trace of the beastmen, Hua Shi’an called out to the departing Chief Mu and asked, “Chief, Chief, where’s the hunting team? Why isn’t anyone here?”
“Sigh!” Chief Mu sighed. “Don’t mention it. They’re not back yet. I was just worrying about it. It’s almost dark. I don’t know where they’ve run off to—”
“The hunting team, the hunting team is back! Come and see, they’ve caught some prey!”
A loud shout exploded. Hua Shi’an, Chief Mu, and Yan Qiuyu looked at each other and all started running, rushing to the grass like a gust of wind.
The night was thick. A large group of beastmen was particularly conspicuous in the darkness. They came down from upstream, treading on the night as they walked on the ridges. The strangely shaped prey, carried by four people, gradually became clear as the distance shortened.
The blackish-brown feathers shimmered faintly, the sharp and ferocious claws, the coral-like caruncles on the neck, that was… Hua Shi’an’s pupils contracted sharply. A turkey! A turkey almost as big as an ostrich.
