Chapter 74: Making Ying a Stir-fried Pork Dish

The tribespeople nodded vigorously at her words. Nan Qinghuan handed this glorious yet arduous task to Ji Lei and Dashan; once they learned it, they would teach the other tribespeople, so she wouldn't be so exhausted.

On this day, the Ying Tribe came to possess a one-of-a-kind treasure—Salt. This made the tribespeople admire Nan Qinghuan with utter devotion.

The Ying Tribe finally ended its history of flavorless food. After all this was done, the sky had gradually darkened. A blood-red Red Moon made the tribespeople worried even amid their joy. Outside the Cave, everyone was praying for the blood moon to pass quickly, yet inside the Cave where Ying lived, it was warm and cozy.

Inside the Cave, Nan Qinghuan prepared Roasted Meat for Ying. To celebrate having Salt, she would make him a stir-fried dish tonight. Though conditions were poor, she could still satisfy her appetite within the limited means available.

Ying watched her blankly from the side. Seeing her handling the meat, he didn't understand but just watched her, quietly watching her like that.

Nan Qinghuan cut the wild venison Ying had brought back into thin strips. Then, beside the crude Clay Stove, she took thin red peppers, peppercorns, and wild ginger she had gathered and chopped them into small pieces. Once the pot heated up, she began pouring the meat in and stir-frying. Soon, the sizzling, savory aroma rose up.

"Huaner, what is this? It smells so good!"

Ying had never smelled anything so fragrant before. Nan Qinghuan smiled at his greedy look. "Don't rush, it'll be ready soon. This is called stir-fried pork. Eating Roasted Meat every day gets tiresome. Ying, now that we have Salt, next I think I can make some clothes for everyone."

"Clothes?"

Ying knew what she meant—the kind she wore on her body.

"Does Huaner know how to make them?"

"Of course I know. I already have enough hemp thread. I can start weaving cloth tomorrow."

She could take the loom out from her space. Having just produced Salt, her space was rewarded with an upgrade to level three, so she could take out the loom and start weaving. Then, everyone in the Ying Tribe would have a garment each, completely leaving behind the era of wearing Beast Skins.

"Weaving cloth?"

Ying couldn't understand, but Nan Qinghuan's dish was done stir-frying. She scooped it into a wooden bowl. "Here, have a taste?"

The shredded meat gave off a mouthwatering heat that made one's mouth water uncontrollably. Ying swallowed hard, reached out to grab a bite, and put it in his mouth. Suddenly, a flavor he had never experienced before made him instantly spring to his feet.

"Delicious."

He was a wild man, with no training, and couldn't organize much language. He only knew how to say "delicious." Seeing him say it was delicious, Nan Qinghuan quickly pulled out a pair of chopsticks from the side. "From now on, use these to pick up food. You can't grab with your hands anymore. Hands are dirty, you understand?"

"Chopsticks?"

Ying found it very troublesome—using hands was so much more convenient. He pushed them away, unwilling to hold the chopsticks. Nan Qinghuan, however, stood up with a whoosh. She pretended to be angry. "If you don't learn chopsticks, I won't eat. You eat by yourself."

She simply couldn't bear watching Ying reach out to grab food. That A San ate the same way—how disgusting? She wanted to change Ying's living habits, and thereby make the tribespeople change too.

Ying hadn't expected her to get angry. Seeing her anger, he finally picked up the chopsticks. "I'll learn. Huaner, teach me."

Seeing him give in, Nan Qinghuan was happy again. She quickly sat back down, ready to teach him to use chopsticks. "Look, first we hold them, like this, and then..."

"Something's wrong, Clan Leader!"

Dashan's voice came from outside. The wild wolf Mos bared its teeth and growled hoarsely at Dashan. Dashan ran inside. "Clan Leader, the Red Moon has descended. The High Priest has taken Shiva outside to set up an altar and pray for the Heavenly God's forgiveness. The tribespeople have all gone. The High Priest also said..."

He glanced worriedly at Nan Qinghuan. Ying dropped his chopsticks and stood up with a whoosh. "What else did she say?"

"She said only by irrigating the divine fox with Om's blood will the blood moon disappear."

Ying seemed to understand something upon hearing this. He glanced at Nan Qinghuan with concern. "Stay in the Cave. I'll have Mos and Axi stay with you. I'll go handle it."

Ying looked as though he were facing a formidable enemy, which made Nan Qinghuan feel this matter wouldn't be as easy to deal with as before. These ancients had always been deeply superstitious, believing that the gods bestowed everything, especially with this so-called descent of the blood moon. Add to that the fact that that woman and Shiva both disliked her and kept calling her the Plague God—they would definitely use this opportunity to go after her. But she wasn't afraid either.

"Ying, I'm going with you. Today I will expose the conspiracy of the High Priest and Shiva. This so-called descent of the blood moon is simply a natural phenomenon."

"Huaner, don't mess around. A Yu is the High Priest. She has divine power."

"I have divine power too. Ying, take me with you. Let me see what kind of trick this High Priest is trying to pull."

"Om, you can't go. Even though the tribespeople all believe you are the Goddess, they're still very afraid the blood moon will bring disaster. You'd better hide for now, alright?"

Dashan worried something might happen if she went. After all, the High Priest had divine power and shouldn't be underestimated. Nan Qinghuan thought it over—she still had one thing left to do. "Alright, you go. I'll stay in the Cave."

Seeing her yield, Ying lowered his head slightly and gave her a hug. "Be good and wait for me to come back."

After saying this, he turned and picked up his stone axe and the Scepter representing the Clan Leader's authority. Then, after he left with Dashan, Axi seemed to have been waiting outside. "Qinghuan..."

Axi, seeing her silence, thought she was afraid. "Don't be afraid. A Yu may be more formidable than A Yue, but Ying will protect you."

She glanced around and looked outside. "Axi, those women who brought misfortune—where are they locked up? The Treehouse?"

Hearing this, Axi frowned in confusion and looked at her. "Qinghuan, why are you asking about this?"

"Where are they?"

When Nan Qinghuan brought the wild wolf Mos and Axi to a place about a kilometer away from the Cave, she looked up and saw that high up in the Treehouse there were indeed quite a few women. The women all sat there, looking like a refugee camp, appearing very pitiful.

"Axi, how do we get them down?"

Axi was very startled upon hearing this. "No, we can't let them down. If Shiva finds out, she'll..."

"She'll deal with me? Hmph, that old hag dares?"

After saying this, she quickly stepped forward to climb the wooden ladder. The ones guarding the women were a few tribesmen. Seeing her arrive, they hurriedly bowed. "Om..."

"Let them all down. They don't need to be isolated anymore."

As soon as these words came out, the two men exchanged a glance. "Om, no. This was Shiva's order. Their period hasn't ended yet. They can't be let down. If they're let down, it will..."

"Will what? Can't you see they're all about to die? There's nothing up there. They'll starve to death. Are you going to let them down or not?"

"Qinghuan, we can't."

"Axi, shut up."

She put on the authority of the chief's woman. "I am Om. Who do you listen to—that Shiva, or me?"

"This..."

The two men exchanged a glance. "Om made Salt so we could eat and have strength. We..."

"Listen to Om."

Hearing this, Nan Qinghuan was very happy. "Then what are you waiting for? Let them all down."

Soon, those women were let down. Seeing that they had been left in the trees without food for days just because their periods came, Nan Qinghuan's heart broke.

It was so cruel. Feudal superstition truly killed people.

Those women wore very little, their hair disheveled, looking half-dead. When they saw Nan Qinghuan, they all knelt down. "Om, we can't leave here. We'll be beaten to death."

Seeing how pitiful these women were, Nan Qinghuan quickly had Axi distribute the meat she had brought for them to eat. "Eat something first. Don't be afraid. With me here, that old witch won't dare do anything to you."

The women were very grateful to her, wolfing down the food. One woman who was so starved her stomach was glued to her back kept pleading, "Om, save us. A Qing was starved to death alive."

"What, did a clan member starve to death?"

"??"