I thrived in the primitive tribe

When she returned to the cave, she found the high priest and several orcs sitting around a roaring fire.

They seemed to be talking in hushed tones, and the atmosphere appeared fairly harmonious.

Lu Yao gently placed the basket full of food aside, her smile and clear, melodious voice breaking the whispers within the cave:

"Everyone must be hungry. You've been busy for so long without eating. Let's eat quickly."

Good food is the best comfort. We'll continue our chat later. Come and try today's food!

As she spoke, Lu Yao's nimble fingers began to untie the ropes on the basket and lift the animal hide on top.

Wisps of heat, accompanied by an enticing aroma, instantly filled every corner of the cave.

The group of people who had been whispering just moments before immediately fell silent, their faces showing anticipation.

They all got up and came over to help take the food out of the baskets and place it on the makeshift table made of large stones.

In the midst of her busy work, Lu Yao inadvertently looked up and met the siren's longing blue eyes.

Those eyes seemed to speak, telling of its longing for delicious food.

Lu Yao's heart softened, and she smiled gently, "Would you like to try some too?"

As she spoke, she carefully took a ceramic bowl from the basket, handed it to the siren, and also provided a pair of chopsticks.

Considering that the siren might not be used to using it, Lu Yao took out a spoon and handed it to it.

The siren took the bowls and chopsticks, holding them tightly in her hands. She stared at these unfamiliar utensils, unsure how to use them.

So the siren began to carefully observe how the others used their tools.

Following their example, the siren carefully manipulated the rather clumsy tool in her hand—a pair of chopsticks.

Pick a piece of meat for yourself from the steaming, tempting grill plate.

The roasted meat had a slightly charred exterior, was juicy inside, and emitted a mouthwatering aroma.

The moment the roasted meat touched its lips and teeth, its eyes lit up; it was a taste it had never experienced before.

It chewed slowly, savoring this delicious flavor it had never tasted before.

Every bite is an ultimate tease to the taste buds, causing a mixture of satisfaction and curiosity to unconsciously appear on its face.

Lu Yao quietly observed the siren's reaction; from its appearance alone, she could tell...

This must be the first time in its life that it has tasted such carefully prepared food; it probably has never even eaten cooked food before.

Recalling the cave where the food had been stored, the carelessly discarded pieces of salted meat, each only lightly bitten,

It's not hard to deduce that the uncooked salted meat was so unpalatable to the siren that it was discarded after being tasted.

"What are these? Why do they taste so good?" The siren finally couldn't contain her curiosity and asked.

However, the others, who were engrossed in their culinary adventures, seemed oblivious to the siren's question.

They were all focused on the delicious food in front of them, so Lu Yao had to take on the role of commentator again.

He patiently introduced each dish on the table: "This dish is made by first blanching salted pork to remove the fishy smell, then stir-frying it quickly with tender dried bamboo shoots."

It retains the rich flavor of meat while incorporating the delicate aroma of dried bamboo shoots; and this one, well…”

Despite Lu Yao's detailed and vivid explanation, the siren's face was still filled with confusion and bewilderment.

Clearly, this knowledge about cooking and ingredients was too unfamiliar and complex for it.

Seeing that it seemed to have more questions to ask, Lu Yao gently interrupted it before it could speak:

"Eat quickly, or there won't be any left."

Upon hearing this, the siren paused for a moment, then turned to look at the food on the table, only to find that, without her noticing, more than half of the delicacies on the plate had been reduced.

It immediately realized the urgency of time, so it stopped talking and began to focus more intently on eating.

Lu Yao was worried that the siren might find it inconvenient since it had never used chopsticks before, so she specially prepared a spoon for it.

However, the siren's learning ability was beyond imagination. It not only quickly mastered how to use chopsticks, but also demonstrated amazing hands-on skills.

Aside from being a little clumsy at first, it quickly became proficient at using chopsticks.

It was so fast that you could almost see the afterimage of the chopsticks moving, while the spoon was completely ignored and left unattended.

The group finished their meal amidst their playful scrambling, and afterwards, they sat down, thoroughly enjoying the taste of the food.

"It's so delicious!"

"Yes, I think it's delicious too. Today's food tastes even better than before!"

……

Seeing everyone's satisfied expressions, Lu Yao was also very happy.

"You think today's food tastes especially good, it's probably because you're so hungry!"

After finishing speaking, he put the empty earthenware pot and other items back into the basket, intending to take them with him when he left.

After everyone had rested enough, Lu Yao and the Great Witch sat down opposite the Siren.

The siren looked completely satisfied, and communication became much smoother.

"My name is Lu Yao, what's your name?"

"My name is Hai Jinggui,"

"Sea Rose, a unique and beautiful gem in the sea, did your parents give you this name?"

"No, I came up with this name myself. Isn't it great?"

“Indeed, by the way, how did you end up in this river? Shouldn’t you be living in the vast ocean?” Lu Yao asked, her face full of confusion.

"Well," the siren hesitated, unsure whether to speak.

Lu Yao noticed Hai Jinggui's predicament: "It's okay, if you don't want to say, you don't have to. I was just asking casually, you don't have to answer."

"May I call you A-Jing?"

"Sure, there's nothing I can't say. I was just swept into this river by chance."

Then I saw that the scenery here was pretty good, so I thought I'd stay and look around until I'd had enough fun before going back.

"Oh, I see. Aren't your parents and relatives worried about you?"

“My parents and relatives are all gone,” A-Jing said, her face full of sorrow.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought up your sad story," Lu Yao said with a face full of guilt.

"So what are your plans next?" the high priest, who had been sitting silently to the side, interjected.

"Well," Ah Jing sighed softly, gazing into the distance.

Its voice was soft and slightly hesitant as it continued.

"Actually, I don't have a particularly specific plan."

Originally, I just wanted to travel around and see the different scenery of the world, but I never expected to be trapped here.

Now that I'm here, I think I might as well stay here for a while.

Learning about the people of this continent and their lives would make the trip worthwhile.

Lu Yao smiled gently upon hearing this:

“Ah Jing, if you don’t mind, you can stay with us for the time being.”

Although our tribe is small, everyone is very warm and friendly, and perhaps we can help you find a way back to the ocean.

After all, more people mean more strength.

"Thank you so much, you are truly the best people I have ever met..."

……

They talked for a long time, watching the sky outside gradually darken.

After Lu Yao and the Great Witch bid farewell to A Jing, they left the cave, letting everyone else go about their business.

Lu Yao asked:

“Great Shaman, what do you think of A-Jing? I always feel like it’s hiding something from us. But I can’t figure out why it doesn’t tell the truth.”

The high shaman turned to look at Lu Yao, who was completely baffled, and shook his head helplessly:

"Do you remember what we were talking to it about?"

"To get more information about the siren, ah!"

But it seems we don't know any more now than before; it's as if it's been avoiding the important issues.

No useful information has been revealed, it seems...

The high shaman looked at Lu Yao encouragingly, anticipating her further insights, and then listened as Lu Yao continued...

"It seems that A-Jing is indeed holding back."

Although she mentioned being swept into the river and losing loved ones,

But these explanations are more about why she's here, rather than the real reason why things are in this state.

She avoided discussing her origins, abilities, or why she had left the ocean for land, which made me curious and somewhat uneasy.

The great shaman gently patted Lu Yao's shoulder.

"You're right, so we must always be vigilant about it. The siren is not as simple as it seems."

Their world is full of unknowns and mysteries to us, and the unknown is often accompanied by potential risks.

However, vigilance does not equate to rejection or hostility; we should explore cautiously while maintaining respect.

"A-Jing's appearance has undoubtedly opened a door for us to an unknown world," the high shaman continued.

"What she is hiding may be the key that can unlock more secrets."

But the way to obtain this key is by no means coercion or deception, but rather sincere communication based on mutual trust and understanding.

“We can observe her behavior patterns through daily interactions to understand her personality and habits, and look for clues from them,”

The shaman suggested, "At the same time, we can also share our tribe's stories and history to let her feel our sincerity and friendliness."

Sometimes, the barriers between people stem from a lack of understanding and empathy.

Lu Yao nodded seriously.