Chapter 22: The Refined Seventh Master (Please Add to Your Favorites)

That was a photo of Xu Yi, even though the phone screen was severely cracked. However, they recognized it as a photo of Xu Yi at a single glance. Unfortunately, they could not send any comments at all. The restrictions in this livestream room were even more severe than those in Xu Yi’s. Perhaps it was because it had the most viewers and thus received the most scrutiny.

It was a feeling akin to wanting to announce a major event to the public, only to have one’s mouth covered. Frustrating—incredibly frustrating. Moreover, after returning to Xu Yi’s livestream, they found they could not discuss the photo there either; the chat was restricted and messages would not go through. Especially for the girls with a particularly strong spirit for gossip, it was infuriating.

Was there anything more aggravating than having hot gossip you couldn't share? Banning the livestream was one thing, but to ban it across the entire internet was just too much!

After putting away her phone, Lu Ning hoisted the satchel she had hung on a tree. She had woven this satchel herself the previous night using tree bark. She had found a type of bark with a very smooth surface, similar to birch. The middle layer of this bark was extremely tough and difficult to snap, making the resulting satchel very sturdy. She planned to collect more bark today to spin into thread, which could then be used for weaving or making bowstrings. She had been wanting to find wood suitable for crafting a hunting bow, but she had been too busy these past few days to venture further afield.

"Today, I plan to collect some bark so I can secure the thatch onto the roof. For breakfast, I’m going to make some fish soup."

As she spoke, Lu Ning took out a large wooden bowl. She had fashioned this bowl the previous night from a segment of log, hollowing it out using charcoal. It was quite deep and could hold a fair amount of water. In terms of tools, she had made a stone axe and collected several stone flakes, intending to craft tools like stone knives when she had the time.

After starting the fire, Lu Ning used a wooden basin to fetch some water. She had dug a small pit in her camp and placed a small basket inside to keep the fish alive. This morning, she was going to use those fish for soup; this way, she could have both the broth and the meat. The fish were very small, the largest no bigger than her pinky finger, so there was no need to gut them.

They had been kept in the basket for two days now, so their insides should be clean. In the fire, she was heating some stones. These were the stones Lu Ning used to boil water and cook the fish soup. After rinsing the fish, she returned to her camp. Her camp was very close to the small stream, taking less than ten minutes to go back and forth.

Upon returning, she used a long wooden stick to retrieve the stones from the fire and placed them into her wooden bowl. As soon as the stones were dropped in, the water began to boil. Lu Ning added all the stones to the bowl and then poured the fish in. The water continued to boil, cooking the fish thoroughly.

Lu Ning’s livestream audience always went wild whenever she prepared food, as she was quite particular about her methods. Once the water stopped boiling, Lu Ning began to pick out the fish to eat. This was her first time eating these specific fish.

"Hmm, the taste is excellent. The meat is very tender, similar to loach, but there is absolutely no earthy smell. It’s delicious. Also, this fish has a slight saltiness; it seems to have a high salt content. This is good news. Eating these fish can provide me with enough salt, which is something I hadn't anticipated at all."

After saying this, Lu Ning picked up the pace. After eating for a while, she felt the temperature of the soup had dropped enough, so she lifted the large wooden bowl and took a sip. "Not bad, it really is salty. It tastes great. I think these little fish should be named 'salt fish'."

...

While Lu Ning was enjoying her meal, Xu Yi was sharpening his spear with his axe, making it finer and sharper.

"You're awake?" Xu Yi greeted happily when he saw Su Keke stir.

"Mm, I didn't wake up too late, did I?" Su Keke stretched and stood up.

"Not at all. You’re still growing, so you need plenty of sleep." As he spoke, Xu Yi set down his spear and put on his carrying basket. He picked up his axe and began to chop at the trees. The tree grubs hadn't burrowed very deep, so they were easy to catch. Soon, Xu Yi had made a round and gathered all he could find.

Most of these grubs gathered near the base of the trees because they disliked the slight dampness higher up.

"Daddy, so many tree grubs! But Grandma said we can't eat too many at once, or we'll get a nosebleed." Su Keke was overjoyed to see over fifty grubs in Xu Yi's basket.

"That's true, so today we need to find some cooling herbal medicine to boil and drink."

"Okay!" Su Keke nodded, understanding Xu Yi's implication that they were going to eat all of these grubs. "Daddy, I have two here. I was supposed to let you have them, but I forgot."

After saying this, Su Keke looked at Xu Yi with a hint of embarrassment.

"From now on, just eat whatever Daddy gives you. Don't worry about saving any for me, alright?" Su Keke was at an age where she was growing rapidly and needed more nutrition. Xu Yi only needed to keep himself from starving; he didn't need to eat that much.

Su Keke nodded, though she didn't voice an agreement. Using a stone knife, Xu Yi began to roast the grubs. By then, it was already eight o'clock, but Xu Yi was in no rush. Neither of them finished all the grubs, each leaving six or seven behind. After tending to the campfire, the two packed their belongings and set off on today's exploration. Having a stone axe made their journey much easier.

After walking for an hour, Xu Yi made a discovery. "Keke, there's a bird's nest up there. I'm going to climb up and take a look."

Xu Yi pointed to a nest above them. It looked quite large, suggesting the bird that built it was also of a decent size. If there were bird eggs, and enough of them, they might solve their lunch problem.

"Daddy, be careful!"

"Don't worry, I'll use a vine to make a safety loop, it will be much safer that way."

The tree was quite large, but the trunk was clear of branches, making it relatively easy to climb. He fashioned a vine loop, secured himself and the tree within it, and began to ascend. The camera drone followed Xu Yi as he climbed higher, leaving the viewers in suspense as to whether or not there were eggs in the nest.