HCB Chapter 30 Clan Support
Chapter 30 Clan Support
After finishing his meal, Leyou smacked his lips, still savoring the taste of the food he had just eaten, his belly round and full. The meat patties were crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside, and the taste of the roasted meat had completely changed his previous understanding of roasted meat. Even the fried pork cracklings, though just a byproduct of Lezhi's oil rendering process, were incredibly delicious. The meatball soup at the end was also sweet and delicious. After eating such greasy roasted meat, a bowl of soup was simply a supreme enjoyment. He even ate all the leafy green vegetables that he didn't like.
"Ah, after eating this meal, I feel like none of the meals I ate before were real meals."
Lying on the grass by the door, rubbing his belly, Leyou couldn't help but sigh. Beside him was Maoqiu, who had been working exceptionally well because someone had stolen its food. With its small body, it had eaten several times its own weight in food, yet its round belly remained perfectly intact. Now, it too was lying on the grass, enjoying the sunshine.
Lezhi, who also ate a lot, was much more restrained than the two who were sprawled out over there. He cleaned the kitchen and then looked at the used dishes in the sink with a worried expression. "Leyou, do you have any dishwashing supplies at home? Something like cleaning products that can remove grease and dirt."
"Yes, wait a minute. Phew, you're in charge of cooking, how can I let you clean up? Let me do it..."
Hearing that Lezhi was going to wash the dishes, Leyou quickly got up from the grass. The fire in the hearth next to him had gone out a while ago, so just to be on the safe side, Leyou poured some water into the hearth before trudging into the house.
He went straight to the kitchen sink, took something out of the cupboard that looked very familiar to Lezhi, and showed it to him.
"Here, this is a foam sponge. It produces lots of cleaning bubbles when it gets wet, making it perfect for washing dishes."
As she spoke, Leyou began to quickly clean up the dishes in the sink. Lezhi watched curiously as Leyou held the familiar-looking sponge in her hand. She saw that after wetting the foam sponge with water, a little rubbing or kneading produced a lot of foam. Lezhi couldn't help but exclaim "Wow!" in her heart. This does look quite convenient.
Is this also a plant?
"Yes, the fruit of this plant is called bubble fruit, which is used for bathing. At first, some people didn't know how to use it and even ate it. Later, after drinking the water, they started burping and producing a string of bubbles. That's when we learned the correct way to use it."
Amused by Leyou's vivid description, Lezhi giggled. Hearing Lezhi's laughter, Maoqiu, who was sunbathing outside and digesting its food, flapped its wings and flew into the house, jumping into Lezhi's arms and chirping curiously, as if asking Lezhi what was making her so happy.
Stroking the warm, sun-kissed fur of the fluffy ball, Lezhi chatted with Leyou and helped him wash the dishes before asking, "By the way, Leyou, how are the kitchen utensils made? I'd like to make a set too."
"Oh, this? Well, don't worry, each of us in the tribe has a fixed quota every year. The chief should arrange for your share to be sent over to you soon."
After tidying up the kitchen, Leyou went inside to tidy up a bit, then came out carrying a wicker basket. "Let's go, I'll take you back. The people the clan chief arranged should be arriving soon."
"Okay." Following behind Leyou, Lezhi casually asked about the fixed quota in Leyou's clan.
"Well, as you know, our tree spirit clan has to support both the young and the old tree spirits who are no longer able to hunt. So, once they enter their pre-adolescent stage, they have to hand over a portion of their daily harvest to the clan. Each young tree spirit is provided with a set of fixed supplies. Look, that's how I got the utensils at home. The bowls and chopsticks in our tribe are very sturdy and rarely wear out, so they are very durable."
"If you want more later, you'll have to find a way yourself. There are people in the tribe who specialize in handicrafts. If you need them, I can take you to them. As for other supplies, most of them can be found in the forest, which is very convenient."
Listening to Leyou's lighthearted explanation, Lezhi pondered. It seemed the tree spirits didn't face much pressure in their lives. From Leyou's words, Lezhi noticed a key point: he hadn't heard anything about the value of currency, which meant they were still in a barter system.
Indeed, if people can easily obtain enough resources for survival and live in peace and contentment, bartering is sufficient to meet the needs of society.
"Hey, Le Jing, what are you doing here?"
Pulled back to reality by Leyou's shout, Lezhi looked at the young man called Lejing in front of her. He was standing outside Lezhi's new home, smiling at them.
“I brought supplies to the cub, but the door didn’t open when I called. I guessed you took the cub away. I was just about to go look for you.”
"Oh, that's perfect! Lezhi, this is Lejing, the leader of our clan's gathering team. Lejing, this is Lezhi."
Led by Leyou, Lezhi quickly walked up to Lejing. Following Leyou's cheerful introduction, Lezhi looked at Lejing curiously and greeted her softly, "Hello."
"Hello, my little darling." Hearing Lezhi's greeting, Lejing's smile deepened. Her yellow and white hair, tied back, reflected the sunlight, softening her originally aloof temperament.
As the host, Lezhi naturally couldn't keep the guests waiting at the door. Holding the fur ball, Lezhi quickly stepped forward, opened the door, and invited Lejing and Leyou inside. Like Leyou, Lejing's eyes flashed with undisguised surprise and admiration upon seeing the house layout, which was completely different from the family's home. However, he was very tactful and only moved around in the living room, roughly looking at the exterior, without requesting a tour of the entire house.
It's clear that Le Jing is a very decisive person; she got straight to the point shortly after sitting down inside.
"My dear child, Leyou should have already told you. Come on, take a look. Here are the supplies the clan has allocated to you. Please check them."
As soon as she finished speaking, Yue Jing placed a bunch of things on the open space in the middle of the living room.
"Here are some fabrics and furs that can be used to make bedding or clothes. Here is a set of kitchen utensils, and these are some daily cleaning supplies. This is your food ration for today; we will bring you new rations every day from now on."
As Le Jing explained, Le Zhi's eyes swept over the supplies one by one. Although there weren't many supplies, they were enough to ensure that he would have no problems with his basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter. It seemed that the tree spirits were really experienced in raising cubs.
"Okay... okay, thank you, Lejing."
He stammered his thanks, his cheeks flushed with shyness, but he still accepted the tribe's kindness. Logically speaking, although he looked like a cub to the tree spirits, accepting their offerings was perfectly reasonable.
However, having lived as an adult in his previous life, he still felt a little embarrassed about being given this gift for no reason. Well, he'd just consider it a social benefit; at worst, he could quickly learn to hunt and contribute more to the tribe's harvest as compensation.
Having made up her mind, Yuezhi overcame her shame and spoke with Yuejing with a normal expression.
"No need to thank me, this is all from the clan. It is the responsibility of every tree spirit to support the young. Don't be shy, my dear. If you encounter any problems, you can ask any member of the clan for help at any time. You are back in the clan now, so we are here for you no matter what. Remember, we are your blood relatives."
Le You, who was helping to count the supplies, twitched his ears slightly when he heard Le Jing's words, blinked, and seemed to realize that something was wrong.
“Yes, Lezhi, don’t always be so polite. Here, this is a welcome gift for you, to welcome you back to your tribe.” Leyou handed the basket to Lezhi, smiled broadly, patted him on the shoulder, and gestured for him to accept it quickly.
Unable to refuse, and not wanting to refuse either, Lezhi accepted it without hesitation. The furry ball yawned widely in Lezhi's arms; it had carried Lezhi for a day and a night, and now, having eaten and drunk its fill, it was inevitably a little tired.
Seeing this, Le Jing and Le You didn't linger and got up to say goodbye and leave.