I'm involved in poverty alleviation in a primitive tribe.

After Baiya finished eating, Jiang Ning took Baiya back to the cave.

In the cold winter, besides doing some daily chores, the most important thing for the returning hunting party is to collect firewood to ensure that there is enough firewood for heating in the winter.

Some are dead trees; wild animals often rampage through the forest, knocking down many trees. Others are still-living giant trees; after being exposed to the winter sun, they will eventually be usable.

They used stone axes and stone knives to cut down trees, which was not an easy task. Although the tribe's stone knives were sharp, they were still not very convenient for cutting down trees.

Most warriors would simply ram their powerful bodies into trees. Their muscles were strong, their stamina abundant, so such impacts were nothing to them.

When the trees fall, the other warriors rush forward. They bind the collected firewood together with vines, then share the weight and carry it back to the tribe.

While collecting firewood, they also had to be mindful of their surroundings and potential dangers. Therefore, this task was mostly done by the warriors of the hunting party.

Jiang Ning planned to make something for Bai Ya. There was a simple kitchen on the platform of her cave. The tribe members all ate together, but Jiang Ning only set up a small kitchen occasionally because she wanted to study food.

The kitchen was actually quite small, consisting of only a stone stove with a stone slab on top, which served as a makeshift pot. There were also some wooden or stone cooking utensils nearby.

To the left of the kitchen is the bathroom, and to the right, a larger space serves as the woodshed. There are no tools for chopping wood here; instead, many oddly shaped tree trunks are piled up, to be broken off when needed.

Jiang Ning found a section of the trunk of a polypore tree, about 20 centimeters in diameter and 30-40 centimeters in length, which was left over from making something before. Jiang Ning planned to cut it into two pieces, making a rice bowl for Bai Ya and a water bowl for him.

Compared to other trees, expansion wood has a looser texture, making it easier to process.

She found a stone knife and started cutting from the middle of the tree trunk. This was no easy task. She wondered how strong those warriors were, as they could easily break trees thicker than this one.

She used a stone knife to grind and chop around the tree trunk, then used the stone knife as a chisel and a stone as a hammer to chip away at it bit by bit. It didn't matter if it wasn't smooth; she was going to hollow it out anyway. Her palms turned bright red from the effort, and finally, she split the tree trunk in two.

At this moment, Jiang Ning couldn't help but feel fortunate that she had lived here for many years and that her palms had developed thick calluses; otherwise, her hands would have been worn raw by now.

After breaking through, Jiang Ning took the things and walked down the mountain, with Bai Ya following closely behind.

The tribe had already mastered the art of making fire by friction, but starting a fire was not easy. The tribe's kitchen had always kept a fire burning, and she was going to borrow one.

She walked along the edge of the square to the tribe's kitchen, where people were already busy at work.

After exchanging greetings, Jiang Ning placed the items on the ground, took two branches from the side, and placed a few burning charcoal pieces between the two sections of the tree trunk she had split open. She would occasionally stir the charcoal with the branches until a satisfactory groove was burned into the middle of the trunk. When she felt it was about right, she removed the burning charcoal and poured a basin of water over it.

Jiang Ning then used a stone knife to trim the edges, and carved a tooth-shaped pattern on one wooden bowl and two teeth on the other as a mark to distinguish between the rice bowl and the water bowl. This completed the task.

Jiang Ning picked up her things and stood up. She saw that Bai Ya was already playing with the tribe's wolf cubs. The chubby, round little balls were very cute. When the tribe dried food in the square, bold birds would often fly down to snatch it. These cubs were chasing and chasing them away.

Jiang Ning planned to take the things back to the cave herself, but before she had taken two steps, Bai Ya ran up and followed. Jiang Ning smiled; since signing the contract, they had developed a simple connection with each other.

Jiang Ning first took a few chili peppers that she had picked yesterday, then placed them on the cave platform. She filled a wooden bowl with two teeth carved into it with some water and placed it on the ground. Bai Ya ran over to drink the water. The bowl was still a bit too big for Bai Ya at the moment, but it didn't matter, Tianlang was growing very fast.

Looking around the cave, Jiang Ning decided to build Bai Ya a comfortable little nest. Many plants grew around the cave, and she began searching the hillside for vines that she could weave into a soft nest.

Jiang Ning searched carefully on the hillside, her gaze wandering among every branch and leaf. Finally, she found some thick vines that were twining around the branches, perfect for weaving.

She gathered some vines and then simply wove the base of a giant basket using the same method as weaving a backpack.

They also selected some soft leaves and branches, and laid them on the vines to create a comfortable and cozy little nest for Baiya.

Jiang Ning placed the little nest in a corner of the cave, then called Baiya over to take a look. Baiya walked over curiously, its tail wagging, seemingly very fond of the little nest.

Jiang Ning smiled gently, squatted down, and softly stroked Bai Ya's head. Bai Ya squinted its eyes, enjoying its master's caress, and its tail wagged happily.

After settling Baiya in, Jiang Ning went to process the yams that had been soaked the day before. She carefully held the leaves in her hands before picking up the yams.

The yam's slimy sap could make her hands itchy, so she tried to wrap the yam's skin with leaves to avoid direct contact. She carefully peeled the yam to avoid getting the slimy sap on herself due to rough handling.

After washing the yams, Jiang Ning sliced ​​them and chopped the chili peppers, preparing to stir-fry them. Suddenly remembering she hadn't started a fire, Jiang Ning sighed heavily and headed back down the mountain. Tribal life was truly inconvenient in many ways.

Jiang Ning then picked up the wooden basin full of yams, put the chili peppers on it, called Bai Ya, and went to the tribe's kitchen. Jiang Ning found a piece of meat with both fat and lean meat, first cut the fat meat into several pieces, then sliced ​​the lean meat, and cut some ginger shreds for later use.

Pick up a stone slab with a dent in the middle to use as a pot, wash it and place it on the stove. The way the tribe makes their stove is the same as Jiang Ning's.

Heat the stone pot. First, put the fatty pork in to render the fat. As the temperature rises, the fatty pork begins to sizzle and slowly turns golden brown.

Soon, an enticing aroma filled the air. Seeing that the fatty meat was almost cooked, ginger slices were added to the oil to sauté, then the lean meat was added and stir-fried with a wooden spatula. The meat slices quickly changed color in the hot pan, releasing a mouthwatering fragrance.

People gradually gathered around after smelling the aroma. Jiang Ning then threw the yam slices into the pot and stir-fried them with the meat for a few seconds. She added a little water to the pot. Some of the stones here were very hard and were often used to make various utensils, so Jiang Ning wasn't worried about the stone pot exploding when heated.

The food in the pot continued to boil over the fire, filling the air with aroma. When it was almost done, Jiang Ning threw in the chili peppers and stir-fried them. Since it wasn't stir-fried, it didn't have a particularly strong spicy flavor.

The red and green chilies in the pot are intertwined, creating a vibrant and appealing dish. The white yam and tender slices of meat complement each other perfectly, making one's mouth water.

Seeing that it was almost done, Jiang Ning sprinkled some more salt and then stir-fried it evenly. Jiang Ning picked up a pair of chopsticks, tasted the yam, and found it to be soft, glutinous, fragrant, and delicious. She felt it wasn't particularly spicy and thought the tribespeople should be able to accept it.

Jiang Ning first filled a bowl and set it aside, then invited the surrounding clansmen to try it together.

The surrounding clansmen had been itching to get started, but Jiang Ning had been holding back without saying a word. She picked up chopsticks from the side and started putting food into the pot; these chopsticks were also made by Jiang Ning.

The tribe's previous eating habits did not require chopsticks. Later, when Jiang Ning was researching stir-frying, she made chopsticks. When the tribespeople found it inconvenient to use their hands, they all learned how to use chopsticks.

"Delicious! I never knew wild fruits could be eaten like this!"

"Yes, the meat tastes different now. If I hadn't been watching Jiang Ning cook it, I would have thought the tribe had hunted a new wild animal!" The tribesmen praised it highly.

"She's good-looking too!"

"Jiang Ning, what did you put here? I feel like I'm getting hot." Some tribesmen who couldn't eat spicy food asked in confusion.

"These red and green ones are red finger fruits. I picked them yesterday. The white one is yam, the underground rhizome of the wild fruit we put in soup, but it's not easy to dig up. The sticky sap on the rhizome can make you itchy if it gets on your skin. I'm still thinking about what to do. I'm planning to call that fruit yam bean."

"What? Red finger fruit? Aren't those inedible? I tried eating them before and my mouth and stomach hurt!"

"You can eat it, like salt. Add some when you're eating grilled meat, or when you're cooking wild vegetable soup. It adds a unique flavor. In winter, adding more red finger fruit will warm you up. However, some people can't stand red finger fruit. Do you feel any discomfort? If you do, then don't eat it anymore."

"Aside from feeling a little hot, I don't seem to be feeling any discomfort?"

"That's good, that's normal."

"Then let's collect more next time, so this winter won't be so cold!"

"That's right. Red finger fruit can be dried and preserved for a long time. Dried red finger fruit can be used for stir-frying, making soup, etc., and it can also enhance the taste and aroma of dishes. It can also be ground into red finger fruit powder. Fresh red finger fruit can be used to make sauces, stir-fries, etc., and they are all delicious."

The tribespeople quickly devoured the food in the pot, some still wanting more. Others, however, groaned in despair as the food was gone before they could even squeeze in for a bite.

"It's alright, I still have some red finger fruit. I can teach everyone how to cook it today." Jiang Ning smiled and, seeing that the tribesmen were going to deliver food to the shaman, handed him the bowl of stir-fried yam that he had prepared earlier to take to the shaman so he could try it.