The Survival of the Wild Tribe

Chapter 9

Lu Zhan returned almost in the evening, carrying wild fruits and animal skins in his arms. As he approached his tent, he noticed a pleasant smell emanating from a distance.

"What are you doing?" Lu Zhan asked curiously, observing the busy people squatting by the fire.

Luo Zhen raised his head and saw Lu Zhan. He wiped the sweat off his forehead, cracked a smile, and replied, "You're back? Just getting dinner ready. You can wait a moment."

Lu Zhan looked at the crude fire pit, which had completely changed since earlier. A relatively flat stone had been built up, with firewood burning underneath and pieces of meat and unidentified weeds placed on it. Luo Zhen was stirring the meat with two wooden sticks, producing the enticing smell.

Seeing Lu Zhan put the wild fruits aside, Luo Zhen noticed the green pear-like fruits he had eaten before. Knowing that Lu Zhan used these fruits as a water supplement, Luo Zhen proceeded to squeeze some juice from the fruit into the stir-fried meat.

Having already eaten half of the barbecue at noon, Luo Zhen chopped up all the remaining meat with a stone knife. He picked wild vegetables from the side, most of which he recognized. Initially hesitant due to safety concerns, he witnessed a hare eating these wild vegetables without harm and decided to stir-fry them with the meat.

Lu Zhan, curious about this new food preparation method, sat cross-legged across from Luo Zhen and watched him.

The slate wasn't big enough to cook all the meat and wild vegetables at once. Without oil, the fried vegetables ended up a bit dry, but to primitive people who had never experienced stir-frying, it was a novel dish.

Lu Zhan, enticed by the aroma, couldn't resist and indulged in the food. Initially finding the sour taste of the green pear juice mixed with the meat strange, he soon found it delicious.

Luo Zhen amusedly slapped Lu Zhan's hand with a wooden stick and transferred the stir-fried vegetables onto clean leaves. Handing Lu Zhan two wooden sticks as makeshift chopsticks, Luo Zhen said, "You take it and eat first."

Lu Zhan, unfamiliar with chopsticks, ate with his fingers, continuing to enjoy the meal.

"How does it taste?" Luo Zhen asked, having already tasted it.

However, Lu Zhan's mouth was full, preventing him from answering immediately. After swallowing, he exclaimed, "It's delicious! You should cook like this more often. I can help with the meat when I come back."

Luo Zhen looked at the wild vegetables left by Lu Zhan and couldn't help but smile. He hadn't expected such a simple meal to make such an impression.

"Could you fetch me some water?" Luo Zhen asked, while willing to offer advice in return.

Lu Zhan nodded, stood up, and left.

Luo Zhen wondered what Lu Zhan would use to carry the water. After eating the remaining meat and wild vegetables and two wild fruits, he felt full.

When Lu Zhan returned, Luo Zhen was pleased to see the clear water in the large wooden stake Lu Zhan had used. It wasn't enough for a bath, but it would suffice for cleaning himself.

Lu Zhan didn't mind how Luo Zhen used the water. He ate the fried meat left by Luo Zhen and went back to sleep in the tent, leaving behind some charcoal and weeds to repel mosquitoes.

The tent had been cleaned up, and Luo Zhen planned to bathe in the big river the next day. He slept on the animal skins, relieved that the weeds would keep mosquitoes away.

"Good morning," Luo Zhen greeted Lu Zhan the next morning.

"Yeah," Lu Zhan nodded, still adjusting to morning greetings.

For breakfast, they ate the wild fruits Lu Zhan had brought back. Luo Zhen washed them before wrapping them in leaves and handing them to Lu Zhan.

While eating, Luo Zhen asked, "Azhan, can you take me to the big river?"

"Is there not enough water?" Lu Zhan glanced at the wooden stake, noticing it was still more than half full.

"No, I just want to take a bath," Luo Zhen explained, eager for cleanliness after days without bathing.

Lu Zhan nodded, "Sure."

"Thank you."

After breakfast, they set off, taking their animal skins with them.

As they left the tribe's range, Luo Zhen noticed Lu Zhan's healed injuries and envied his powerful healing ability. They reached the big river after a two-hour journey, finding it deserted except for a few birds.

Lu Zhan led Luo Zhen to a shallow pool he often used for bathing, cautioning him about safety before leaving him to enjoy the water.

Luo Zhen happily bathed in the cool water, relieved to finally feel clean again.