Chapter – 30
I’m Really Not Here to Dig Up Potatoes
Lu Liufeng looked toward two little green snakes that were only as thick as his finger.
“…”
Yifu gave an awkward laugh.
“I’ve tried correcting them several times, but they just can’t get it right. It’ll be better when they’re older and understand things more.”
Jiang Xi refused Yifu but accepted the two little green snakes.
“Let these two little ones accompany me.”
She refused Yifu purely because he was married, he was a beast with a mate; she wanted to avoid any rumors spreading that could harm Yifu’s reputation.
As for the two little green snakes, she wasn’t afraid of them anymore.
“By the way, what are their names?”
Yifu picked up the two little green snakes and introduced them separately.
“This is the older brother, Dana. His snake pupils are a bit more yellowish.”
“This is the younger brother, Dale. His snake pupils are a bit more grayish.”
Dana: “Dale!”
Dale: “Dana!”
Jiang Xi looked left and right but didn’t see much difference. Still, she nodded to show she understood.
Before entering the forest, Jiang Xi noticed Lu Liufeng’s intense gaze. She turned back and spoke to him.
“If the Chief Female’s group needs you to transport food back first, then you go back first. No need to wait for me. You can come pick me up tomorrow.”
She wasn’t sure how long she would need to search in the forest.
If she took too long, it might delay Lu Liufeng’s proper tasks.
Anyway, Warm River Valley had food, drink, a place to sleep, and it was warm. Probably more comfortable than staying in the tribe at night.
Lu Liufeng looked at her, his amber eyes filled with a smile and completely focused on her.
“Liufeng understands. Female Master, please go ahead without worry.”
Jiang Xi couldn’help but smile too, her dark eyes sparkling brightly.
The feeling of someone caring for her felt pretty good.
It made her gradually develop a sense of belonging in this world.
She turned and entered the forest with the two little green snakes.
The little green snakes slithered and hissed at her feet, occasionally calling out in milky, childish voices, “Female Master smells good,” which was oddly somewhat cute.
Jiang Xi wandered in the forest for a while. She didn’t find what she was looking for, but instead saw a scene of mess and potholes everywhere.
In the forest, the ground was dug up everywhere with earth and stones. If one wasn’t careful, they might step into a hole.
Jiang Xi squatted down and asked the two little green snakes.
“When you usually play in the forest, have you ever seen green fruits about the size of my finger?”
As she spoke, she raised her hand, indicating a size about one knuckle long.
Other things were hard to say, but she felt that in this warm, humid environment, she might be able to find olives to extract olive oil.
The two little green snakes blinked their big eyes and shook their heads in unison.
Jiang Xi had no choice but to continue searching.
But this time, it wasn’t as smooth as last time.
The forest had already been swept through like a plague of locusts.
Occasionally, she encountered Snake Tribe beastmen carrying beast skin bags. Those beastmen, upon seeing her, immediately detoured away.
Jiang Xi looked in the direction the beastman left, thinking he was probably one of the snake beast husbands or sons-in-law of those greedy females.
She sighed.
She felt she had brought trouble to the snake beastmen of Warm River Valley.
If they continued plundering like this, it might affect the prey in the forest. It was possible the prey would all run away or hide.
By then, the Snake Tribe beastmen of Warm River Valley would probably find it hard to hunt prey.
With so many Snake Tribe beastmen, they couldn’t possibly rely on vegetarian food from the forest forever.
If she had to eat vegetarian every day, she couldn’t stand it either.
Jiang Xi rested for a moment. Just as she stood up, she noticed movement in a thicket not far away.
She frowned slightly and called out towards the thicket.
“Who’s there?”
“Come out!”
There was no movement from the thicket.
Just as she thought it might be her imagination, a sudden “Ouch!” came from behind the thicket.
A middle-aged female jumped out, cursing as she ran.
“Damn snake brats! Who told you to slither here! You scared me to death!”
Jiang Xi looked at her and recognized her as one of the females sitting by the potato pile in the river valley earlier. She didn’t remember her name.
“Why are you following me?”
Muli tossed her hair, rolled her eyes, and said.
“Who’s following you? Is Warm River Valley your home? Any female can enter the forest of Warm River Valley to gather.”
Jiang Xi looked her up and down, forming an idea in her mind.
She asked.
“Have you dug up the potatoes and taro by the Snowy Stream Pond? If you have, then I won’t go over there.”
The Snowy Stream Pond was almost at the very edge of Warm River Valley. Beyond it was the snowy mountain forest. A round trip would take nearly half a day.
A flash of greed passed through Muli’s eyes.
“Dug them up, dug them up! This Warm River Valley doesn’t have much food at all, making us work so hard for nothing.”
After saying that, she quickly turned and went down the mountain to find her companions and the snake beastmen.
The nearby area had been completely dug up by them.
So, the moment she saw Jiang Xi, she immediately started following her, thinking Jiang Xi must have information she hadn’t told them.
And sure enough, she had caught her!
The beast husbands from the tribe were also on their way. After digging up the Snowy Stream Pond area, they could transport it back first thing tomorrow morning.
Jiang Xi watched the female’s disappearing figure, a slight smile curling her lips.
By the time they returned from the Snowy Stream, the food on the riverbank would probably be completely looted.
She believed the Chief Female would use her methods.
After all, the survival of the entire tribe was more important than that of three or four families.
Just then, a familiar, cold voice sounded from behind.
“There are no potatoes or taro at the Snowy Stream Pond.”
Jiang Xi turned around and saw Duan Si, shirtless, his tail coiled, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed.
She didn’t know if it was her imagination, but she felt the aura emanating from Duan Si had become even colder and more sinister.
Just by appearing, he seemed to drop the temperature in the forest by several degrees.
The two little green snakes slithered over, calling “Female Master, Female Master.”
“Female Master, scared.”
“Female Master, scared.”
Jiang Xi squatted down and patted the two little ones’ heads.
“It’s alright, don’t be afraid.”
She stretched out her arm, letting them coil around it.
The two little green snakes were overjoyed and eagerly wrapped around her arm. Their father had said the Female Master was scared and they weren’t allowed to coil around her, so they had been obediently slithering on the ground.
Seeing the Female Master invite them, they were extremely happy, hissing incessantly with their forked tongues.
Jiang Xi stood up and casually replied to Duan Si.
“I was tricking them.”
Duan Si’s vertical red pupils flickered, a trace of interest passing deep in his eyes.
He turned and signaled for Jiang Xi to follow him.
Jiang Xi was puzzled for a couple of seconds, then followed him, asking as she walked.
“What is it?”
Duan Si: “You’ll know when you follow.”
Jiang Xi had no choice but to follow.
She followed Duan Si to a concealed small earthen mound.
Duan Si gestured with his chin towards the mound, a hint of unnaturalness appearing on his handsome, wild face.
“The food you left the day before yesterday, I ate it.”
It was delicious, unprecedentedly tasty.
“I hunted a deer. I didn’t know when you would come, so I’ve already finished it.”
He gestured towards the small mound again.
“Do you want to dig it up now?”
Jiang Xi was completely confused.
She walked a few steps closer to the small earthen mound and then saw the potato leaves hidden beneath it.
This was clearly an undiscovered patch of potatoes.
Jiang Xi was silent for two seconds. Although grateful, she still explained.
“Thank you for saving these potatoes for me.”
“But I didn’t come here today to dig up potatoes.”
