The other tribes could only watch enviously; there was nothing they could do, since they didn't have any animal hides.
Fortunately, I managed to buy some round-leaf grass and mugwort sachets from the Wood Tribe at the market today. I soaked them in water and poured the water over myself, so at least I won't be bitten by mosquitoes and can't sleep well anymore.
Needless to say, the four tribes living in wooden huts ate well and slept soundly. Thanks to the herbal medicine packs, the other tribes sleeping in the mountains also finally got a good night's sleep during the summer.
After Xiong Shi, the chief of the Stone Tribe, put all the stones he had brought from the tribe onto the stall, he propped his head up and smelled the aroma of cured meat wafting from the Wood Tribe's cured meat stall diagonally across the street.
He smelled it all day yesterday, and even while eating meat last night, the aroma kept nagging at him. Meat that he used to find delicious suddenly became unappetizing. He wondered how the Wood Tribe managed to make such amazing meat; it smelled incredible.
Xiong Shi was still engrossed in the aroma of the meat when the priest of the Stone Tribe, his expression excited and his voice trembling, called out, "Priest of the Wood Tribe!"
They are from nine border tribes, and it's unclear which tribe is still around. As long as the Wood Tribe priest stands in front of their stall, their tribe can trade for the best things from the Wood Tribe.
But yesterday, the priest of the Wood Tribe only glanced at their Stone Tribe's stall and did not stop.
As a tribal priest, Shishan naturally hoped that everything on his stall could be sold. However, he also knew that his items were just stones with nicer colors, nothing special.
He brought it with him because there was nothing else in the tribe. All the other tribes had brought their own, so he just brought the prettiest stone from his cave.
Shen Nong didn't know much about jade, and it was rarely seen in interstellar space. Even if it did exist, it was usually kept in the homes of some great collectors, and the actual pieces were rarely exhibited, but some pictures could still be seen.
So when he passed by the stone tribe's stall yesterday, he only glanced at it and didn't think much of it since it was just a pile of stones.
As he lay in bed that night, for some reason, the image of the stone stall he had glimpsed kept replaying in his mind. He felt that the faintly greenish stones were something special.
Some collectors who can't afford real jade choose to buy digital collectibles. Although they are digital collectibles, jade itself is rare, so they are still expensive and unaffordable for ordinary people.
Shen Nong had only seen the jade digital collection once at his master's place. It was the most precious jadeite, but it was not of high grade; it was the lowest grade of bean-type dry green jadeite.
After realizing that the pile of stones in the Stone Tribe might be jade, Shen Nong stayed awake almost until dawn. He came as soon as the market opened.
He didn't recognize the jade, so he could only spend his infrastructure points to let the system make a judgment.
It turned out that the pile of stones was all jadeite rough, with the lowest grade being glutinous jadeite and the highest grade being glassy jadeite, and there was even a piece of dragon jadeite.
The beastmen of the beast world did not know how precious these things were. Even the stone mountain was only considered to be more beautiful than stones, which is why it was placed in the cave.
Moreover, the Stone Tribe has plenty of these stones. He chose the most beautiful ones to bring.
Xiong Shi had long since stopped paying attention to the meat stall; he and his priest were both staring wide-eyed at the person standing in front of the stall.
"I'll take them all."
As soon as Shen Nong finished speaking, Xiong Shi jumped up and said to Shi Shan excitedly, "Priest, let's get some meat instead!"
The aroma of meat lingered all day, and Shishan was indeed very hungry for it. Especially after hearing the chiefs and priests of the other four tribes tell them what kind of meat they had eaten in the Mu tribe.
I'm even more hungry now.
Shen Nong traded these jadeite stones without following interstellar standards. If she had followed those standards, the entire Wood Tribe wouldn't have been able to exchange for a single piece of glutinous jadeite.
However, he didn't actually trade based on the standards of stones. But these things were indeed useless; in the Beast World, they were just nicer-looking stones.
In the end, Shen Nong traded fifteen whole animal hides and two baskets of cured meat for a pile of jade and gemstones.
He had just received the jade when the system asked, "Host, are you planning to sell these jade pieces?"
Shen Nong didn't rush to deny it, and calmly said, "Tell me more about it."
The system's tone carried an inexplicable hint of flattery, "All the glutinous rice varieties you have are 5,000 base points per kilogram, glutinous ice variety is 10,000 base points per kilogram, regular ice variety is 15,000 base points per kilogram, high ice variety is 20,000 base points per kilogram, glass variety is 30,000 base points per kilogram, and that dragon stone variety is 50,000 base points per kilogram."
Even Shen Nong couldn't help but gasp after hearing the system's quote. This was the first time the system had ever been so generous with infrastructure points.
The fact that the system is willing to spend such a large sum of money to buy these jadeite pieces suggests that there must be a greater profit motive for them.
Shen Nong tentatively asked, "Do you want so many raw stones to sell in the system's shop?"
The system didn't hide anything, "Yes, the items in the system shop are all collected from various galaxies and universes."
Shen Nong understood; presumably, the prices in the system shop would be different for each host. He didn't refuse the system's suggestion, but he didn't sell any of the glass-type jadeite; he kept one piece of each of the others for his own system warehouse. The rest were sold to the system in a package.
Once everything is in his cave, the system will automatically store it.
The raw stones from the Stone Tribe aren't very large. They only have a thin outer layer of stone coating, meaning the size of the stone is roughly equivalent to the size of a piece of jade. The system doesn't lose money at all; by reselling them, it makes even more profit.
Anyway, every time Shen Nong contacted the system in the following days, it was gulping down the ridiculously expensive nutrient solution. The main system probably gave it a significant share of the profits.
On the Stone Tribe's side, Shen Nong added three times the amount of animal hides and cured meat. This startled the Stone Tribe's priest and chieftain, who stood frozen in place, their hearts churning with turmoil. Priest Shi Shan even volunteered, saying, "Our tribe has many more beautiful stones like these, and even more beautiful ones that gleam in the sunlight. If you want them, we can go back and bring them over now."
Listening to Shi Shan's description, Shen Nong felt that it was gold ore.
He glanced at the two of them without making a sound. This Stone Tribe was really rich; it not only had jade but also suspected gold mines.
The Wood Tribe was originally going to trade with four other tribes on the outskirts, so one more wouldn't make a difference. They agreed to trade jade with the Stone Tribe in the future. As for the pretty gold stone, they'd have Shen San go and check if it was gold ore.
[Host, we also accept gold.]
Shen Nong raised an eyebrow. "Alright, I'll send Shen San over to take a look once he finishes the drawing."
Because he sold jadeite to the system, Shen Nong earned over a million infrastructure points. Although the raw stones weren't very big, the quantity was plentiful. He had only 10,000 infrastructure points left, and now that he suddenly had so many, he didn't know what to do with them.
I spent half a day browsing the system's store and only bought some candy.
The Zehe tribe members all love to eat it.
Shen Nong made a considerable profit from the jade transaction and exchanged it for a lot of candy. They were all the largest size, each weighing about 20 grams—visibly large enough to be held in your hand. Every member of the Mu tribe received five different flavored fruit candies.
Even the Mountain Tribe, which had just officially become a subordinate tribe of the Wood Tribe, had one in every household.
When the food production team delivered meat to the workers' dormitory at night, they didn't hide it from anyone. They directly had the members of the mountain tribe stand up and, in front of all the beastmen, gave each of them a piece of candy.
The other orcs didn't understand why only the Mountain Tribe had it, but the orc from the food-making team explained directly: "The Mountain Tribe's priest has formed a pact with our priest, and from now on, the Mountain Tribe will be loyal to the Wood Tribe. The priest said that the Mountain Tribe will be our little brother from now on, and as the elder brother, he must share some good food with his little brother."
When the orcs from the food-making team spoke, they stood tall with their chests puffed out. Their smiles never faded; they knew that only very large tribes had subordinate smaller tribes.
Their Mu tribe already has it, how could they not be happy?
The orcs couldn't understand the terms "big brother" and "little brother" used to describe their work, but they knew what a priest's pact meant.
Catgrass was entrusted with an important task: to deliver candy to the mountain tribe. He was eager to get back to Tiger Mountain to check on the ballista training, so he immediately transformed into human form, grabbed the bamboo basket containing the candy and his fish-skin underwear, and ran all the way to the mountain tribe.
Fortunately, the two tribes were not far apart. He transformed back into human form at the entrance of the mountain tribe, put on his underwear, and carried a small bamboo basket filled with candy as he approached the mountain tribe.
When the orcs of the Nashan tribe saw the totem on Catgrass's face, they didn't ask a single question and let him in directly.
Their priests had already told them that the Mountain Tribe would be a subordinate tribe of the Wood Tribe, and they would never stop the Wood Tribe's orcs.
After learning the catnip's purpose, Shanfeng felt a huge weight lifted from his heart. Looking at the colorful, round things in the bamboo basket, which he called candy, Shanfeng couldn't suppress the smile on his face.
Catgrass was in a hurry to get back. He told Mountain Wind that he had five fruit candies, and each of the other tribesmen would get one. After putting down the bamboo basket, he disappeared like a gust of wind.
Shanfeng took out five different colored fruit candies from the bamboo basket, randomly picked a purple one, and licked it.
The strange, sweet and sour taste exploded on his taste buds. After taking a lick, Shanfeng couldn't stop and eventually put it directly in his mouth. The irresistible sweet and sour taste melted in his mouth, and Shanfeng, enveloped in the candy, had a bright, shining gaze.
After finishing a candy, Shanfeng couldn't help but smack his lips and stroke the small bamboo basket. He smiled and called over the orc guarding outside, asking him to gather all the tribesmen together, "The priest of the Wood Tribe gave us candies that taste even better than honey, quickly call everyone to come and get them."
When the mountain tribe orcs heard that the wood tribe priest had brought them something even more delicious than honey, none of them believed it.
How could there be anything in this world that tastes better than honey?
However, the tension in their hearts eased slightly. Knowing that the priest had formed a pact with the Wood Tribe, they were still quite afraid.
Even without forming a pact, the Salt Tribe and the Cannibals could be used as human shields, while the Wood Tribe could wipe out both the Salt Tribe and the Cannibals. If the Mountain Tribe and the Wood Tribe formed a pact, they would probably be even less effective as human shields.
As they gathered at the entrance to the priest's cave, they watched as their priest carried a strange object. Then the priest pulled a round object from that strange object and distributed them one by one.
The person who posted it earlier smelled the sweet and tempting aroma and couldn't help but stick out their tongue to lick it. And with that lick, even their eyes widened considerably.
It tastes even better than honey!!
The other orcs followed suit, and once they tasted it, they couldn't stop eating it. Although some were slightly different in color, they were all equally delicious—something they had never tasted before. Some of these orcs had never eaten honey before and had no idea what sweetness was, but they had at least heard other orcs describe it. They felt that after eating this thing called candy, it would be worth it to never eat honey again in their lives.
For a moment, the only sounds coming from the cave entrance were the sounds of licking candy and swallowing saliva.
Because of a piece of candy, the mountain tribe orcs had dispelled most of their worries. What tribe would give such delicious food to their meat shields?
Even the dumbest orc wouldn't do that.
...
Shen Nong did not force the workers to live in the dormitories; he only required the orcs to be punctual for work. As a result, within just one night, all the tribes knew that the Mountain Tribe had become a subordinate tribe of the Wood Tribe.
Moreover, judging from the descriptions of the candy's taste given by the workers, it seems that the Wood Tribe treats the Mountain Tribe quite well.
After all, honey is such a wonderful thing that they sometimes wouldn't even share it with their own tribe members. Let alone anything that smells and tastes even better than honey.
These tribes assumed that only the mountain tribe beastmen who worked for the wood tribe had that rare treat called candy.
The next day, some tribal gathering teams encountered a mountain tribe gathering team. They noticed that the mountain tribe's orcs were holding something in their hands and licking it frequently. Taking advantage of their engrossed licking, some of the orcs curiously approached to take a closer look. They discovered that the orcs were holding round objects of different colors that smelled delicious, with a fruity aroma.
When the orcs from other gathering teams returned to their respective tribes and mentioned it, they immediately connected it to the candy being eaten by the orcs from the mountain tribe living in the workers' quarters. Well, it turns out the entire mountain tribe had candy to eat!
What does this candy taste like? It sounds delicious. The beastmen from other tribes smacked their lips, imagining what the candy would taste like.
They had never seen or tasted it, so they couldn't imagine it at all. After thinking it over, they came to only one certain thought: it tasted better than honey.
The three-day market passed quickly, and the Stone Tribe spent a day and a night in a wooden hut, having spent money on animal hides. After the market closed, the orcs from the outskirts of the tribe set off to return home with the goods they had traded.
Nearly ten days later, the sky, which had been overcast for a long time, seemed to have finally accumulated enough rainwater and began to pour down.
Chapter 84
rain
I don't know if it's because I've been feeling depressed for too long, but this rain has been falling for two days in a row.
Except for the food-making team, all other teams have stopped working. The workers' dormitories are also empty; all the orcs have returned to their respective tribes and will come back after the rain stops.
The animals in the pasture area are eating the hay that was previously stored in the warehouse, and they have become somewhat restless due to the continuous rain over the past two days.
To prevent the animals from becoming agitated, Shen Nong shrunk Da Hei, and Da Hei lived with Tuanzi in a wooden house in the livestock area, watching over the animals.
After two days of rain, puddles of all sizes have appeared on the uneven ground. Even on flat areas, there is a very shallow layer of water.
Shen Nong's cave is located on relatively high ground, and a simple drainage channel has been dug around it. The earthen houses in the tribe were intentionally built with raised bases and thresholds at the doors, so water cannot enter the houses for the time being.
The orcs of the tribe were used to this kind of continuous rain for several days. It happened every summer, and it would usually start to get lighter from the third day and stop completely on the fifth day.
Shen Nong felt uneasy and inexplicably anxious.
Taking advantage of the rain, Shen Nong soaked half of the soybeans he had acquired in the trade, preparing to make tofu. While the soybeans were soaking, he asked Shen San to make a simple stone mill to grind the tofu.
There was no coarse cloth for filtering, but fortunately Shen Nong had plenty of infrastructure points, so he was too lazy to bother with finding a substitute and simply opened the system shop to buy some.