Chapter 365

Such houses will thereafter serve as the dormitory for the tribe's slaves, with several slaves sharing one room, or one slave family per room.

As for Changye and the others, if they continue to be diligent in their work, they could actually become ordinary members of the Snow Tiger Tribe.

And this method could later become a reward mechanism to encourage the slaves.

But this reward mechanism must absolutely not be easy; after following the beastman warriors through several dangers, Wu Yue clearly understands the rules of this world.

The stronger a person is, the higher their status; likewise, those who hold high status likewise bear great responsibility.

Because whenever the tribe faces a great crisis, it is always the tribe's beastman warriors and half-beast warriors who rush to the front.

Wu Yue gazed earnestly at Changye: "In my heart, you are no different from the tribe's people, but to them it is not so—you are ultimately slaves."

I can permit you to store food, but this will ultimately not be your own property, and even the houses you will live in later belong to the tribe.

Slaves have no right to own property; this is the same in any tribe.

So Changye, do not be content with your present life; contribute more to the tribe, and then I will have reason to make you ordinary tribe members.

Boom!

The already grateful Changye only felt a buzzing roar in his head.

He simply could not believe what he had just heard—Witch Elder Wu Yue said they could become ordinary tribe members.

From the day they become slaves, all slaves know they have forever lost freedom and the rights enjoyed by ordinary tribe members.

Slaves are the tribe's property, even less valuable than a beast pelt or hunted game.

Because they still have to eat the tribe's food, he never imagined he would ever have a day as an ordinary tribe member—unthinkable and not even dared to imagine.

A middle-aged male suddenly knelt with a thud before Wu Yue: "Witch Elder Wu Yue, your heart is as broad as the Beast God's!"

Suddenly receiving such a great salute, Wu Yue was startled and quickly turned to help him up: "Don't rush to thank me; I said before that you must make a great contribution before I grant you ordinary tribe status."

Alright, quickly arrange people to make bricks; we need to have all the tribe's houses built before the tribal gathering.

Having said that, she turned and left directly.

Seeing Wu Yue's figure go away, the slaves resting in the nearby tent then came in.

Seeing Changye's red-rimmed eyes, everyone felt a bit nervous.

"Changye, what just happened? Did Witch Elder Wu Yue blame us for not taking good care of the taro?"

"Yeah, we saw you kneel to Witch Elder Wu Yue."

Seeing their severe anxiety, Changye laughed out loud: "Witch Elder Wu Yue praised us; to reward us, she specially let me select some tribe members to make brick embryos, so we can build houses to live in."

The thatched shed instantly erupted in an uproar!

Seeing Changye's smile seemed genuine, the slaves for the first time undertook a very bold action, loudly cheering as they ran to the taro field to share this great news with kin and friends.

The Snow Tiger Tribe members in the distance heard the slaves' cheers and all scratched their heads in puzzlement.

Since Wu Yue wanted to take these slaves away, they have ceased to act like slaves; they work much more energetically and no longer look so timid and shrinking.

Now they even dare to shout loudly in the tribe—really…

Although they thought this in their hearts, the tribe members still went on with their own work, and no one went to blame those slaves.

In the afternoon, Wu Yue specially asked Yuan Lang to hunt a wild boar back; having moved into the new house today, a celebration is in order,

Moreover, while they were out, Teng Qian and Tengkun built her such a nice and comfortable courtyard, and they also wanted to prepare a delicious meal as thanks.

As the sisters were to host guests, their good partners Qingcao and Aya were naturally conscripted as laborers, but these two laborers were seized quite willingly.

A large wild boar was dressed by Yuan Lang; the kitchen stove can use two pots simultaneously for cooking, and Wu Yue strongly suspects this design was definitely intentional on the part of those two gluttons, Teng Qian and Teng Kun.

In the big stone pot, bone broth is simmering, while the pot obtained from the task is beginning to render oil.

The pig's leaf fat is washed clean, cut into small pieces, poured into the pot and stir-fried.

The fragrant aroma instantly spread through the kitchen; outside, Qingcao and Aya, washing wild vegetables, raised their arms to wipe drool, their eyes turning green.

"I don't know what delicious food Elder Yue is making, but it smells wonderful."

The rendered pork oil was ladled spoonful by spoonful into the prepared jars and sealed, leaving only a little in the bowl for later stir-frying.

The pork was cut into chunks and stir-fried with dried sweet potato, then some exchanged seasoning wild fruits from the tribe were added; when poured into the nearby stone pot with extra chili, the flavor could make a neighboring child cry from hunger.

"Qingcao, take the stone pot to the small stove outside to simmer."

Since the home stove is limited, for foods needing simmering, Wu Yue prepares them in the kitchen and then has the two little helpers carry them out to the makeshift small stove to simmer.

Fresh wild vegetables mixed with the eggs picked up by the slave children are simmered into a smooth, fragrant egg custard that slides down the throat without chewing.

The staple is a pastry stuffed with pork filling; one bite and it sizzles with oil, so fragrant it's indescribable.

The remaining half of the pig was made into barbecue by Yuan Lang, brushed with barbecue sauce obtained by exchanging a few points from Tongzi.

Then a pan of bright yellow scrambled eggs was fried; each tribe member returning from brick‑firing would linger outside the courtyard, continually sniffing, as if this could draw the fragrant food into their mouths.

Looking at wave after wave of tribe members outside the door, Wu Yue felt the ground before her door was about to be soaked with saliva.

The shaman came first, relying on his status to snag a bowl of meat from Wu Yue under the pretense of tasting; he sat in the pavilion in the courtyard and ate it with relish, making Qingcao and Aya drool.

When the barbecue was served, the stewed meat, sliced fried meat, bone soup, egg custard, and scrambled eggs were already neatly arranged on the table.

Having just finished a large bowl of stewed meat, the shaman said he could still eat half of the food on the table.

But facts prove that one cannot defy old age; the shaman, with big eyes and a small belly, finally gnawed only two fragrant barbecue ribs before feeling his stomach already somewhat full.

Lastly he ate another bowl of egg custard, slurped some bone soup, snatched half a bowl of scrambled eggs to stuff the gaps, and his fighting strength was completely exhausted.

As for Teng Qian and Teng Kun, whether due to long hours beside the brick kiln, their whole complexion took on a reddish hue, appearing to develop toward the image of Lord Guan.

Watching the chieftain and the shaman eat with such gusto as if they wanted to swallow the pots, the two felt somewhat smug.

They used to follow the general and had often enjoyed imperial feasts; these simple dishes, back then, they wouldn't even have glanced at.

But facts prove that being humble is better; the two, with calm faces, tore off a barbecue rib and stuffed it into their mouths, and the next second their eyes widened round.

What kind of divine delicacy is this!

At that moment they tossed aside their earlier pride, rolled up their sleeves, and began to gorge themselves.

Wu Yue, standing nearby, looked at the food in her bowl and felt she truly had foresight, having deliberately served herself some.

Otherwise, looking back and forth at the table, all one could see were fleeting afterimages…

At this speed, she could absolutely not outrun them.

Having eaten and drunk their fill, several Beastman Warriors leaned back, sticking out their round bellies, and with a clink-clank-clink they revealed their sharp claws…

Start picking teeth!

Wu Yue stared wide-eyed; even Teng Qian and Teng Kun were skillfully picking meat fibers from between their teeth.

Qingcao and Aya happily packed up the leftover food from the pot and took it home to share with their families.

With everyone present, Wu Yue brought up the idea of building a paid residential area and a trading zone.

This idea instantly gained the shaman's and chieftain's approval.

"Since it's been entrusted to you to arrange, you can do it however you say; besides, this method is indeed quite good."

"Once our houses are built, those who want to live there can do so; those who don't can go to the free residential area and set up tents."

The shaman waved his hand and said generously.

But thinking of how the other three tribes and the forest-outside tribes would stare with shocked, envious eyes upon seeing the Snow Tiger Tribe's grand houses, the shaman couldn't help laughing out loud.

Being envied makes one's steps feel light and happy.

Seeing the smug smile on their own shaman's face, the two half-beast warriors who had cared for his daily needs for years instantly guessed what he was thinking, more or less.

Teng Qian and Tengkun's eyes lit up instantly upon hearing that they would build an inn and shops.

After discussing the matters that needed to be handled recently, everyone then left for home.

The next day, the chieftain again selected some strong females to make brick and tile embryos.

But these brick and tile embryos were not for them to use in building houses; instead, after being fired, they were all transported to an open space some distance from the tribal center.

There, males were already waiting, beginning to build simple houses one after another.

Each house had only a kang, a window and a door, with nothing else.

Afterward, the females who didn't need to go out gathering were assigned the task of weaving grass mats; each mat they wove could be exchanged at a specialized beastman collector for a piece of meat.

The pure-human females all sprang into action.

Even some of the slaves would use their rest time to cut grass for weaving; after a trembling slave female successfully exchanged her mat for a piece of meat, the slaves' rest time was shortened again.

What surprised Wu Yue was that the sturdy-looking Qing Hua was actually a craftsman; she picked up the discarded waste bricks and tiles from the beastfolk and polished them into various attractive shapes.

Some resembled leaves, some resembled flowers, and they were very lovely.

Many females, upon seeing them, liked them greatly and came to exchange household items for them.

Qingcao also brought over a piece of ground pottery that closely resembled their own Tongzi; although somewhat abstract, it already had a rough shape.

Wu Yue happily accepted it, but the plump Tongzi was very displeased, wondering just what this lopsided, one-eye-big-one-eye-small weird thing resembled.

The Snow Tiger Tribe's basic construction was slowly proceeding, with one lovely little courtyard after another gradually becoming common throughout the tribe.

Everyone modeled their courtyards after the chieftain's and Wu Yue's, yet each courtyard ended up different.

Tribe members who liked flowers plucked many and placed them in their own courtyards; they looked fine the first day, but by the second day they all drooped and wilted.

Some tribe members deliberately went to the riverbank to select stones they liked and laid them in their own courtyards.

Although everyone's courtyard layout was the same, due to differing preferences each also had its own distinctive character.

What made the tribe members most proud was the altar designed and built together by Wu Yue and Yuan Lang, located at the tribal center.

The great altar at the center stood as tall as three houses, with a long brick-paved staircase leading straight to the top, a place only the shaman could ascend.

Each level below had many pillars as tall as a beastman's leg; the top was where the fire seed was placed, and during rituals lighting the fire seed made the scene even more grand and awe-inspiring.

Opposite the altar, far away, was the tribe's main gate.

Of course, there is still nothing there at present.

On the third day after the altar's completion, another event that shocked the entire tribe occurred: Wu Yue's planted taro had matured.

The slaves went as usual in the morning to take turns tending the taro field, but one of them cried out in fright: 'The… the ground has split open!'

Hearing this, the slaves' bodies jolted; they hastily dropped the weeds in their hands and ran toward the shouting slave.

All they saw was him standing there with a deathly pale face, pointing ahead at a large crack that had split the ground.

Changye was startled, but he too had no idea what caused this situation.

In the end, they could only go find Wu Yue.

Has the taro field cracked open?

Wu Yue really hadn't heard of such a thing before; she hurriedly followed Changye out to the field.

But upon seeing the familiar thing in the crack, Wu Yue's heart filled with excitement.

"Changye, quickly dig open the place you've split."

Seeing that the shaman did not blame them, the slaves' hearts were half relieved; they then followed Changye's lead, with a few slaves standing nearby rushing up and quickly digging open the crack.

As the soil was dug away, the taro below was revealed; the huge tuber was actually as long as a female's arm.

"So big!"

Wu Yue was shocked! The surrounding slaves were also shocked!

Before, when these taro were planted, the largest was only the size of a male's palm; but the one they dug out…

"This is a good thing; the taro has matured and can be dug up."

The news of the taro's maturity instantly spread throughout the tribe, and tribe members flocked to help dig.

Seeing the large taro in their hands, as long as their own arms, the females' smiles never faded; Wu Yue said the taro could be planted again, and this time they wanted to plant it too.

With these taro, who would still worry about going hungry in winter?