Chapter 16

Wild mushrooms come in many varieties, and Bai Shuo only recognized a few. The ones appearing behind the mountain happened to be familiar to him, so he dared to pick them. Looking around, he hesitated briefly between gathering materials on the spot or going back to get tools from home. In the end, he chose the former, weaving a small basket from riverside grass to carry the mushrooms.

Because he had picked mushrooms, Bai Shuo paid even more attention to the ground as he walked forward. Returning from behind the mountain to the cooking area, he managed to find two clusters totaling around two pounds. It wasn’t enough to feed the whole family fully, but it would be enough for a fresh taste.

Yesterday, the hunting team had caught three clucking birds, and some meat was left over. Bai Shuo took a piece, cut it into small chunks, blanched it, stir-fried it with oil, then added water to simmer it into soup. After about an hour, he added the cleaned mushrooms.

Actually, Bai Shuo preferred to stir-fry the mushrooms, but this time the quantity was too small; frying would mean only a few bites before they were gone.

When the clucking bird and mushroom stew was ready, Bai Shuo tasted it first and instantly felt as if his tongue was melting.

The mushrooms here were even fresher than those he had eaten in his past life. The umami of the mushrooms blended with the aroma of the clucking bird, elevating the flavor to another level. There was not a trace of greasiness, only pure, fragrant savoriness. During cooking, he had only added a pinch of salt; the flavor came purely from the ingredients themselves.

The mushrooms absorbed the broth, carrying both the taste of meat and a smoother, tender texture that made one want to keep eating. Bai Shuo decided to explore other places tomorrow in search of more mushrooms. Moreover, the mushroom patch needed protection, as the soil still contained mycelium. After the next rainfall, there was a high chance more mushrooms would sprout. Such a delicious food should not be consumed only once—it would be a pity.

After taking a few sips, a voice sounded from behind.

“Brother, what are you eating?”

Bai Shuo felt Bai Le possessed a magical superpower: no matter where he played, as soon as a meal was ready, Bai Le would appear within minutes, just like now.

“Did you wash your hands?” Bai Shuo asked.

Hearing this, Bai Le obediently went to wash up. When he returned, a bowl was shoved into his hands. Without even looking, he lifted it and began drinking, growing happier with each sip. He finished the entire bowl in one go, then set it down and looked at the stone pot.

He saw meat!

Bai Shuo served him a few pieces of meat and some mushroom slices.

In a flash, the bowl was empty again. Corresponding to the empty bowl were Bai Le’s shining eyes. “Brother, I want more!”

“Wait until Father and Mother come back to eat more,” Bai Shuo said, not agreeing. Even though Bai Le had a big appetite, he shouldn’t overeat. There was enough soup in the pot for the whole family, and other food as well.

“All right.” Bai Le looked disappointed but knew that his brother’s words wouldn’t change. He could only count on his fingers, waiting for the gathering and hunting teams to return.

Bai Shuo drank half a bowl and stopped. No matter how delicious something was, it couldn’t be eaten all at once.

Before the gathering team returned, the younglings who collected firewood came back. Seeing them, Bai Shuo scooped a bowl for Bai Su and sent other younglings to fetch bowls.

Hearing it was tasty, the younglings hurried back to their own caves. Every family had one or two wooden bowls, most handmade and varying in size. Bai Shuo measured out two spoonfuls per person, regardless of bowl size.

The younglings formed two lines. When one stepped forward, the next would follow. Having eaten with Bai Shuo before, they understood his rules well: no quarrels, no grabbing ahead. Anyone who cut in line or snatched food would be excluded from the meal.

The younglings didn’t mind the heat. As soon as the bowls reached their hands, they began drinking. The fresh, flavorful broth was irresistible. After a few sips, they still wanted more. It was the first time they found something tastier than meat.

“What is this, Bai Shuo?” The younglings had never tasted this food before and asked curiously.

“Mushrooms,” Bai Shuo replied. “You can’t pick them.” Compared to other foods, mushrooms came in many varieties, some highly toxic. Some were poisonous when raw but safe when cooked. Regardless, it was dangerous for the younglings to handle them carelessly. Even though no poisonous mushrooms had been found around the tribe yet, Bai Shuo was cautious.

“Why not?” The younglings didn’t understand. This was the first time Bai Shuo forbade them from gathering a certain food. Previously, they always brought back whatever they found.

Bai Shuo patiently explained, “Many mushrooms are poisonous. Just touching or eating them can cause poisoning and death. If anyone messes with the mushrooms outside, I won’t share any food I make with them.”

Hearing this, the younglings quickly shook their heads, promising not to touch the mushrooms recklessly. There were plenty of other delicious foods from Bai Shuo. Missing out on those would be a shame. Mushrooms were tasty, but it was Bai Shuo’s cooking that made them so good—they had never eaten them before.

It was a pity to see such delicious food and not be allowed to pick it.

Seeing the younglings all agreed, Bai Shuo felt relieved and added, “If you find mushrooms outside, call me to pick them. If they are edible, I’ll cook them for you.”

Upon hearing this, the younglings cheered, their earlier disappointment vanishing. Bai Shuo’s cooking was far better than their own.

Knowing that if they told Bai Shuo upon discovery, they’d get to eat the mushrooms, but if they picked them themselves, they’d never taste his cooking again, the younglings were not foolish. Comparing the two outcomes, they knew what to do.

Bai Shuo finished eating before the younglings returned and did not continue. Instead, he examined the branches they brought back, estimating they were insufficient. The pottery firing process required continuous fire for several hours. It was better to prepare more than less.

When Bai Yun returned to the tribe, she saw her younglings crouching before a pile of branches, looking troubled. She smiled and went over to ruffle their heads, but seeing their dirty hands, she withdrew her hand.

Bai Shuo sensed a shadow nearby and looked up in surprise. “Mother! You’re back?”

Bai Yun nodded and asked, “What were you thinking about just now?”

“Not enough branches,” Bai Shuo said, momentarily gloomy but quickly perking up. It was just branches. If they weren’t enough now, they could wait a few more days and burn them together with the naturally dried batch.

“Branches? There are plenty in the forest. How many do you need?” Bai Yun had been worried, but hearing Bai Shuo’s reason for unhappiness was a lack of branches, she laughed wryly. Other things might be scarce, but branches were abundant in their tribe.

“I need about twice this much.” Bai Shuo looked at the pile, which had been collected over three days. That meant they needed about six more days’ worth.

“I’ll send someone to get more,” Bai Yun said, standing up and calling a few people to gather branches from the opposite mountain.

The Feather Tribe’s branches were usually collected by the younglings, whose activity range was limited around this area. Other places, where younglings couldn’t go, had even more branches, but since the gathering team often returned late, they rarely came to collect branches there unless there was an urgent shortage.

Since Bai Shuo needed them, Bai Yun naturally helped by sending others. The other gathering team members followed without hesitation to assist.

Adult Feathers were several times, even over ten times stronger than younglings, able to haul large bundles of branches at once. Bai Shuo watched as the firewood pile on the clearing grew steadily.

“Is that enough?” After three trips back and forth, Bai Yun asked.

Bai Shuo nodded eagerly, then suddenly remembered Bai Yun hadn’t eaten yet. “Mother, I cooked mushroom soup. Try the taste.” The clucking bird mushroom stew was the best dish he’d made in days.

“What’s a mushroom?” Bai Yun, like the younglings, was curious. It was her first time hearing of this food.

Bai Shuo had saved two mushrooms before cooking, just to show Bai Yun. Upon hearing her question, he took them out. “This is it.”

Bai Yun frowned. “You can eat this?” She had seen mushrooms before, but they were usually trampled or decayed, never something she considered edible.

“You can eat them, but some look very similar and are poisonous. So it’s best to pick them while shielding with leaves, keep them separate after picking, and bring them back for me to check.” The gathering team visited many places, changing locations daily. They couldn’t always tell him after finding mushrooms whether to pick them. Hence, Bai Shuo adopted this method.

Bai Yun agreed and took a sip of the soup Bai Shuo served. She was amazed, drinking two bowls in a row and deciding to watch the ground carefully when outside and bring back any mushrooms she found.

When the hunting team returned, Bai Xun drank even more than Bai Yun. With mushroom soup, the rest of the food tasted better that night.

After the meal, the family sat together. More than half the tribe was busy weaving baskets and wicker containers from willow branches. Though backpacks could carry more, baskets and containers were most convenient for everyday use when not traveling far—easy to carry or hold.

Bai Yun was about to fetch willow branches when Bai Shuo suddenly said their parents needed help.

Before Bai Xun even heard what help was needed, he agreed. The feather tribe was particularly agreeable right after a meal.

Unlike his partner, Bai Yun asked first, “What do you want to do, Shuo?”

Bai Shuo pointed toward the back of the mountain. “I want to build an earth kiln, similar to the mud kiln we made for charcoal a few days ago, but bigger. It will be used to fire the items we made earlier.”

Bai Xun, who had agreed earlier, was speechless. The youngling’s request was odd—building a special place just to fire mud—but since he had agreed, there was no choice but to comply.

So the two adults began mixing mud. Following Bai Shuo’s instructions, they first dug a pit, then used bamboo strips and branches for support on one side. They formed the kiln bottom where the pottery would rest with mud, built a surrounding wall with an opening for placing pottery, and left a smoke vent at the top.

While Bai Xun and Bai Yun built the kiln, Bai Shuo worked on another task. With the pottery firing area and fuel ready, one step remained.

Glazing.

Unglazed pottery might leak water, so this step was essential.

As for materials, Bai Shuo gathered soil from the surroundings for glazes. Unsure which soil would work best, he tried them all, intending to see which combination yielded the finest finished product.

After glazing, the pottery was left to dry in the cave overnight, air-dried before being moved behind the mountain.

They first lit the bamboo and branches used for support to dry them out and ensure the kiln was stable. Then they arranged the pottery inside neatly—large pieces in front, smaller ones toward the back. They started a fire underneath, initially with only a few branches, allowing the temperature to rise gradually to evaporate moisture from the pottery. Then they sealed the kiln’s side opening.

After these steps, the remaining work was to add branches. Without temperature-measuring tools, Bai Shuo stoked the fire as high as he could.

Bai Su stayed by his side, helping add fuel while Bai Shuo took meals.

They burned wood from morning till evening. When the sun set and half the branches were consumed, Bai Shuo finally stopped adding fuel, sealed the smoke vent and base, and waited for the kiln to cool naturally.

The kiln’s insulation was good, so it wouldn’t cool to room temperature quickly. They would have to wait until the next day. Bai Shuo went back to rest and eat.

At dawn the next day, before the hunting and gathering teams had set out, Bai Shuo was woken by noise.

The adult Feathers didn’t care what he was doing. Even Bai Xun and Bai Yun, who had helped build the kiln, treated it as a game of a youngling. But the younglings were different.

A few days ago, Bai Shuo had said they would also fire the pieces the younglings had made. He had even had them dry their creations the day before firing. Now a group of younglings eagerly awaited to see how their work had turned out.

Even if no one had awakened him, Bai Shuo would have soon woken himself, eager to see if the firing succeeded.

Descending to the kiln at the foot of the mountain, he first tested its exterior temperature. It was warm but not hot to the touch. Taking a deep breath, he slowly removed the dried mud patch sealing the side opening.

The moment to inspect his first pottery firing had arrived.