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

Back at the tribe, Jiang Ning felt utterly exhausted. Although Bai Ya's back was very flexible, after sitting on it for two days, she felt pain all over her body. All she wanted was to find a place to rest and relieve the pain.

Even the shaman came out. Although he always seemed confident, this was, after all, the first time the hunting team had gone out specifically to hunt ferocious beasts, and this anxious old man was still worried. "You've done a great job. The number of ferocious beasts you've caught has far exceeded my expectations."

"We didn't expect to get six; we were just lucky," Hongyue replied respectfully.

"This isn't something that can be achieved simply by luck." Wu shook his head and didn't say anything more. After seeing that Jiang Ning had treated everyone's injuries, he returned.

Jiang Ning walked back to her cave, washed up quickly, and went to sleep. She had been saving water these past few days, let alone washing up. Now she was too tired to wash properly.

Lying on the stone bed, Jiang Ning felt her body slowly relax. She had been under high tension in the wild and dared not relax for even a moment.

She recalled the events of the past few days and felt a sense of disbelief. She had never imagined that she would be riding on the back of a wolf through a primeval forest, and that she would even personally kill a skeletal beast.

In her past life, she had never even killed a chicken. In this world, she has done far more than she ever dared to dream of before.

Early in the morning, when Zhi saw Jiang Ning appear in the square, he began to greet her warmly from afar.

"Jiang Wu, you're here! Huo Yun went to the Tianlang River early this morning and caught a few big black fish. He's keeping them in the lotus pond, and they're still lively!" Jiang Ning got up late today, and it's almost noon now.

The pheasant smiled broadly as it spoke, gesturing as it described how it caught the fish.

Jiang Ning then remembered the Sichuan peppercorns. She had brought the things back yesterday, and the clansmen who stayed behind had taken care of sorting them, so she hadn't bothered with it.

"Zhi, where did I put the Sichuan peppercorns and star anise I brought back yesterday?"

"You mean that? Huoyun said it was for cooking fish, and he's already put it in the big cave."

“Yes, let’s try this today!” Jiang Ning said as she walked towards the cave to get Sichuan peppercorns and star anise.

Zhi followed her, "Jiang Wu, do you need my help?"

"Great! I was just worried about being too busy! Do you have any fresh wild vegetables lately?" Jiang Ning asked.

Pheasant nodded. "Yes, the weather has warmed up recently, and some wild vegetables have started to grow. The gathering team has picked quite a lot; they're very tender!" Wild vegetables are everywhere in spring, and the gathering team has had a good harvest.

Jiang Ning was delighted to hear this, "That's wonderful! With fresh wild vegetables, it'll taste even better when added to the fish!"

Jiang Ning was about to go and retrieve the fish when Huo Yun, who was busy dissecting the beast's meat, saw her heading out. He dropped what he was holding and rushed over, "Jiang Wu! You're up! Are you going to retrieve the fish? Let's make that boiled fish!"

“Yes, I’m going to catch fish now,” Jiang Ning replied with a smile.

"This is such a small matter, you don't need to lift a finger! I'll go get it! I'm going right now!" With that, he ran out of the tribe. Huoyun ran very fast, as if afraid someone was chasing him.

Jiang Ning couldn't stop her in time, exchanged a glance with Zhi, and burst out laughing.

The pheasant laughed and said, "No one in this tribe loves to eat more than him!"

Jiang Ning shook his head and looked at where Huo Yun had just been. Hong Yue was jumping up and down and cursing angrily, completely different from his usual composed demeanor.

Jiang Ning walked over there, while Hong Yue and the others dismantled the ferocious beasts they had brought back yesterday.

They're currently dismantling a spiny lizard. First, they bleed it to collect the blood, then skin it and cut the meat into pieces. This spiny lizard doesn't need to be pickled or dried; they'll eat it today.

Yesterday, the first hunting team returned, while the second team was still out. This morning, while Jiang Ning was still dreaming, the third team had already set off.

There are still more than two hundred people in the tribe. This thorny lizard looks big, but after removing the inedible parts, it can only feed these people for one day.

Primitive humans were strong and robust; ordinary people could easily lift heavy objects, let alone warriors. This resulted in them consuming a great deal of food.

This is why the tribe, despite having so many hunting teams, still suffers from a persistent food shortage.

Each member of the tribe needs a lot of food to maintain their physical strength and energy.

The physical exertion was especially great for the warriors who were responsible for hunting and defending the tribe.

Therefore, hunting and gathering teams needed to constantly go out hunting to find enough food to meet the needs of the tribe members.

Offal and other offal won't be wasted either; they'll be boiled or grilled, and all edible parts will be eaten cleanly. Jiang Ning had tried making sausages before, but unfortunately, she failed and wasted a lot of meat. Now that she has the system, she can try again.

Jiang Ning asked Hongyue for a large piece of fatty meat. Now that the weather was hot, animal fat was difficult to preserve. Fortunately, she had obtained a lot of Sichuan peppercorns, which were a good seasoning and also had some preservative properties. She decided to try using Sichuan peppercorns to preserve animal fat.

Jiang Ning washed the peppercorns and placed them in a winnowing basket specifically for drying things. Primitive people are actually quite clever; they're just limited by their knowledge and experience, so they can't think of things at the moment. Once something is taught to them, they can quickly figure out many more variations.

Jiang Ning cut the fatty meat into small pieces. The meat of the thorny lizard was very tender, and each piece was like a crystal agate, radiating an enticing luster.

She skillfully lit the fire and heated the pot; the flames at the bottom of the pot leaped like joyful sprites, heralding the start of the upcoming cooking ceremony.

Pheasant diligently watched the fire for Jiang Ning. Making oil required patience and care; controlling the heat was key. Jiang Ning instructed Pheasant to keep the heat low while making the oil, as this would result in a richer, more mellow flavor.

The pheasant nodded to show it understood, and stared intently at the flames in the pot, ready to adjust the fire at any moment.

After the pot was heated, Jiang Ning poured all the chopped meat pieces into it.

Immediately, the pot crackled and popped, a symphony of fat and hot pan, announcing the birth of a delicious dish.

Holding a spatula, Jiang Ning skillfully flipped the meat pieces, ensuring they were heated evenly and gradually turned golden brown and crispy.

As time goes by, the fat from the meat slowly releases, creating a beautiful scene with the flames in the pot.

The aroma began to spread, an indescribable temptation that made one involuntarily swallow.

Jiang Ning had found a clean stone jar early on; its thick texture was better suited for preserving animal oil.

She carefully scooped the oil from the pot and poured it into a stone jar. During this process, she didn't let a single drop spill; every drop seemed so precious.

After pouring in the oil, Jiang Ning sprinkled in some dried Sichuan peppercorns, then carefully sealed the lid of the stone jar to prevent air from entering. This way, the animal oil could be preserved for a longer period in a relatively sealed environment.

Animal fat has strong solidification properties, while Sichuan peppercorns are effective at repelling insects, preventing mold, and fighting bacteria. Thus, over time, the animal fat will gradually solidify, and the aroma of the Sichuan peppercorns will permeate it.

This method allows animal fat to be preserved for a long time, even in hot weather. Furthermore, the aroma of Sichuan peppercorns enhances the flavor of the animal fat.

Now that the tribe's diet is becoming more and more diverse, Jiang Ning plans to use this method to make more animal fat and preserve it for future use.