Chapter 224: Fragrant Roasted Wild Boar

Yao was dressed in a hemp robe, his hair tied up with a rope, his overall appearance greatly changed.

Nan Qinghuan quickly rose to greet him, placing her hand on her head and crouching slightly to perform a bobbing congratulatory gesture—this was a tribal custom she had learned from Axi.

"Yao, congratulations on your tribe completing the new Tulou. When are you moving?"

Yao returned the greeting, raising his hand high in a slight bow before letting out a hearty laugh. "Soon. When we move, I'll invite you all over for a drink. You must come—and Ashu too, all of you. It's best if everyone comes. I have fine wine, fruits, and meat—plenty for all."

Yao spoke with great pride. A few months ago, how could he have dared to boast like this? A few months ago, his tribe had nearly starved to death from lack of food. It was Nan Qinghuan's corn that had saved them.

Now, they not only grew corn, but Ashu had also sent people to teach them sweet potato cultivation. The Wolf Tribe now had corn and sweet potatoes, and in the future, they would have rice to eat.

He had witnessed the path to a tribe's prosperity, and all of it was because of Nan Qinghuan.

He knew that entrusting the Wolf Tribe to her was the right decision.

Though he had selfish motives—he wanted more opportunities to see her. As long as the bond of Wolf Tribe chief existed, he could see her for the rest of his life.

Ashu, now living in a house he had built, couldn't stop smiling. He had been with the tribe for a few months. At first, they were a bit unaccustomed, but now they had settled in. Not only that, but he had also gained quite a bit of weight.

All of this was because life in the tribe was good, allowing them to stay. Moreover, the tribe hadn't shunned them as outsiders; they quickly integrated.

They had truly become members of the Ying Tribe.

For this, he felt very happy.

"Haha, I, Ashu, will be the first to go. Thinking back on all those years I fought with your father, I've never once been to the Wolf Tribe."

"Then you must come and see it."

"Haha, definitely."

Everyone was in high spirits, and the tribespeople were also joyful. Seeing Ying silent, Yao quickly sat down, raised a cup of wine to toast him and Nan Qinghuan. "Ying, Spirit Woman, without you, there would be no Wolf Tribe today. I'm not good with words, so I'll use this wine to thank you for your help. I'll drink it all."

With that, Yao downed the wine in one gulp. Seeing his forthrightness, Ying also raised a cup. "Bottoms up."

Nan Qinghuan wanted to drink too. She had to admit, today was a good day to let loose. After months of hard work bearing fruit, she deserved a proper celebration.

She poured herself a bowl of wine and was about to drink it, but Ying reached out and snatched the earthen bowl from her hand, then downed it in one go.

He drank so fast that wine spilled all over his mouth.

"Hey, why did you steal my wine?"

Ying squinted slightly, his gaze deep as he looked at her. "You might be pregnant, so you can't drink. Have some fruit and meat instead."

Though he didn't understand women, A Mu had said women shouldn't drink, or else their children would smell of alcohol.

"Pregnant?"

Nan Qinghuan was speechless. Where did that come from? Hearing this, a flicker of pain passed through Yao's eyes as he looked at her flat stomach. "Spirit Woman, are you pregnant?"

"I'm not—"

"Soon. Yao, come sit with us and drink. Ashu, come."

Nan Qinghuan felt a bit helpless. This man wouldn't let her drink until she was pregnant. She touched her belly. Her period had only just ended a few days ago; she'd probably have to wait a while.

Still, she understood Ying. Several women in the tribe were pregnant. Even Axi said her period hadn't come for days. Nan Qinghuan had checked her but found nothing, so they could only wait. However, her own period was always late—would that affect conception? She didn't have any major issues, so why couldn't she get pregnant? Was it still not the right conditions? As she was lost in thought, Gegen approached slowly from a distance with Shangui. Gegen had come to report to Nan Qinghuan. Seeing Yao there, he was momentarily startled but quickly stepped forward to greet him.

"Chief."

"Gegen, what are you doing here?"

Seeing Gegen arrive, the atmosphere instantly froze. Yao stood up and glared coldly at him. "Didn't you flee with the Wolf Girl? How dare you show up here?"

Gegen suddenly knelt down. "Chief, please calm your anger. Gegen—"

"Hey, Yao, don't blame him. He has already submitted to me and is now my tribe's pig-raising expert."

"What? Spirit Woman, you say he's submitted to you? Impossible. He only serves the Wolf Girl."

"I know. He also serves the Wolf Token. Ying and I spared his life, and now he's grateful and helping out here. I let him stay to help me domesticate these wild boars and other wild animals. Yao, he's done a great job. Every household now knows how to raise pigs. I was planning to tell you when you came—your tribe should do the same. Gegen is a technical talent and shouldn't be killed. He has repented, so let him off."

Nan Qinghuan spoke up for Gegen, but Yao was still skeptical. His sharp eyes swept over Gegen, the cinnabar mole at the corner of his eye making his gaze even more piercing.

"Gegen, have you truly submitted to the Spirit Woman?"

"Reporting to the Chief, the Gegen lineage has served the Wolf Girl for generations, but we serve the Wolf Token even more. Nan Qinghuan holds the Wolf Token, so she is my master."

Hearing this, Yao took a deep breath and was about to speak when Axi rushed over. "Yao, it's true. Gegen has helped us with so many things. Look, the wild boar at my place—he helped raise it. Really."

Axi had once been against raising wild boars, but now her boar was very well-behaved. Once it grew up, they could eat its meat.

"Yeah, Yao, the boar at my place was also his doing. This kid looks fierce, but he's hardworking and diligent—gathering pigweed, taming beasts. Don't doubt him anymore."

Ashu also stepped forward to plead for Gegen, who remained kneeling with his head bowed, silent.

"Yao, what they say is true. Trust Qinghuan—she doesn't misjudge people. Our tribe now has animal husbandry. In the future, we won't have to exhaust ourselves hunting to have meat. Domesticating wild beasts is a good method."

Ying spoke, and only then did Yao dispel his last doubts.

"Yes, Yao. I was planning to have him go back with you to the Wolf Tribe to help with pig domestication. The Wolf Tribe should also start raising animals at home. That way, you'll never have to worry about a meat shortage in winter. In winter, you can still slaughter chickens and sheep for meat."

After saying this, Nan Qinghuan quickly bent down to help Gegen up. She had to admit, this man looked fierce and tough, but he was actually a warm-hearted guy.

They had gotten along well these past few months.

"Get up. Yao won't kill you. You've helped us so much here, and Ying and I are very grateful."

Hearing this, Gegen was deeply moved. Tears glistened in his eyes. So he had already been forgiven. All this time, he had feared Nan Qinghuan would still hold a grudge, so he worked himself to the bone. He never expected... "Spirit Woman, I—"

"Alright, since the Spirit Woman says so, I won't touch you. Get up."

Gegen was overjoyed. "Thank you, Chief."

"Everyone, come eat some meat! Try this roasted wild boar. Come—"

A Mu personally roasted the meat for them to taste. She had learned to cook from Nan Qinghuan, including how to roast meat, and it tasted great.

It was topped with chili powder and wild Sichuan pepper. One bite—crispy, fragrant, spicy, and numbing—utterly irresistible.

After eating, Nan Qinghuan gathered Yao and the others for a meeting about the rice.

That night, the Ying Tribe celebrated with wild abandon.

The tribe's transformation showed everyone that life would only get better, and it filled Yao and Ashu with even more anticipation for their tribe's future.

The revelry continued late into the night. Everyone was drunk. Ashu and Ying, both having had too much, were still drinking. Nan Qinghuan had no choice but to have Dashan help them back to rest.

After Ying and Ashu were sent off, only Youchao Xuan and Yao remained. Yao hadn't drunk much tonight, having filled himself up on that pork instead.

After the revelry came quiet. The air in the forest was excellent, and the ancient sky was filled with stars, brilliant as diamonds.

All around was silent. Nan Qinghuan lit some Mugwort to repel mosquitoes. Though a Bonfire blazed in the woods, the mountain mosquitoes were still numerous, buzzing right at their faces.

After doing all this, she handed them some Flower Dew Water for repelling mosquitoes. "Come, try it. Apply it on your body. With two methods working together, these mountain mosquitoes won't dare come near."

Na Yao had long heard she had good ways to drive off mosquitoes. He looked at the bottle, then took it with a smile. "The Spirit Woman is becoming more and more like a female of the Tribe."

"Is that so?"

She quickly walked over and sat down beside him, casually picking up a fruit and taking a bite. Everything in the ancient times was wild, and the fruit was fresh, sweet, and crisp.

With a single crunch, her mouth was filled with the fragrance of the fruit.

"Yao, in a few days, take some kudzu root back to domesticate the wild boars. The rice here is ready to harvest. After the harvest, take some Grain Seed back. I'll send someone to go with you to the Wolf Clan, so the Wolf Clan's people can also try farming. What do you think?"