Su Qinglan leaned over to inspect the basket. She ran her fingers lightly over the weave, feeling the uneven pattern and loose knots. The girl’s eyes sparkled with pride as she held it out eagerly.
"It’s... really good for a first try," Su Qinglan said softly, giving an encouraging smile. But as she pressed down lightly on the base, the basket sagged under her touch. "But it’s not very durable yet. If you try to carry too many potatoes, it might break.
But yours is already so much better; you can use it to carry light items." Her words made the female brighten, and she smiled proudly, knowing that her basket was the best.
Su Qinglan looked at others’ "masterpieces" and raised an eyebrow.
Some baskets were crooked, some barely held together, and a few looked like they would collapse if even a leaf was placed inside.
A few of the females glanced at their own work, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. They were so embarrassed to even present their basket.
But Su Qinglan shook her head slightly and smiled faintly. "No. Not bad. Way better than my first try. A lot better."
"Don’t be disappointed; as time passes, you will master this."
The dull expression on the females’ faces lightened again as they got boosted and nodded. Yeah, even if their first time did not work, they could make another one.
Then her gaze fell on Bai Ling’s tiny basket. It was almost as big as two palm sizes, so small that it could barely hold potatoes, let alone anything else. Bai Ling’s eyes were brimming with tears.
Su Qinglan crouched down beside her and pulled a few bright, beautiful flowers from the clearing. She placed them carefully in the little basket. "Look. See? It’s pretty now. You can take it back to your cave and decorate it. Your cave will smell nice. Don’t cry."
Bai Ling sniffled, eyes wide as she stared at the small bouquet. A tiny smile appeared on her face.
Su Qinglan grinned, shaking her head. "Honestly... you made a basket so small, it’s more like a flower vase than a potato holder. But at least it’s cute."
Some of the other females looked at their own larger baskets and sighed. "Ah... maybe we shouldn’t have made it so big. Now it can’t even hold flowers, let alone potatoes... it’s ruined."
Su Qinglan looked at their faces and pinched the bridge of her nose lightly. Ahh! she thought. I can never console all of them. Why do all these females act like they are ready to fight over flower baskets?
Her eyes darted to the frail Bai Ling. And she didn’t think she would even be able to protect her basket if anyone tried...
Su Qinglan quickly clapped her hands to change the mood. "Alright! Everyone should be tired! Let’s move towards the river. I’ll teach you all how to cook these... potatoes."
At that, all the females’ eyes lit up again. Su Qinglan had simply called the tubers potatoes, as no one knew what to call them, and just hearing that they could eat them now made everyone excited.
She bent down and tried to lift the heavy vine basket filled with potatoes, but it was nearly impossible for her alone.
Before she could curse, a young male stepped forward shyly. His ears were pink from embarrassment. "I—I will do it. Females shouldn’t do such hard work."
Su Qinglan stared at him and raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
He didn’t answer, only nodded quickly. Carefully, he lifted the basket, but his face lit up in a way that made him almost float. His eyes shone as he touched her hand for balance, and he hurried away, trying not to stumble.
"Hey! Don’t run so fast!" Su Qinglan shouted, half-laughing and half-panicking. "If you fall, all my hard work will be wasted!"
The male didn’t hear her. He was too busy trying not to trip and also too distracted by his own racing heart.
Su Qinglan shook her head, muttering under her breath, "Why are all these beastmen so clumsy?"
By the time they reached the river, the sun was beginning to rise high in the sky, casting long streaks across the water.
Su Qinglan bent down at the riverbank and dipped her hands into the cool, clear water. She lifted a potato, running her fingers over its rough skin, and then scrubbed it clean. One by one, she washed the rest, placing them carefully on a nearby flat stone.
A few of the females gathered around her, eager to help. Some handed her more potatoes, while others used small leaves to rinse off the dirt. Su Qinglan nodded at them, her eyes bright with approval. "Good. Keep going. Don’t miss any spots; potatoes taste better when they’re clean."
Once all the potatoes were washed, Su Qinglan looked around. "We need fire. Who can help me?"
Several of the females stepped forward, carrying dry sticks, twigs, and small logs. Su Qinglan arranged the wood in a small pile and lit it with the flint. Flames flickered to life.
Before long, one of them ran back to their cave and returned carrying a huge, heavy stone bowl as per her instructions. It was worn smooth with age, but still strong.
Su Qinglan carefully placed it above the fire, balancing it on a few sturdy stones. Then she filled it with clean river water, watching as the ripples shimmered in the firelight.
She lifted the potatoes and dropped them gently into the boiling water. Steam curled up in delicate wisps, carrying the earthy scent of the tubers. A few females leaned closer, inhaling the aroma and smiling in anticipation.
Just as Su Qinglan was about to stir the water, a sharp voice rang from behind her. "You cannot eat this!"
She looked up to find several figures walking towards them, and the leading figure was the witch doctor of their tribe.
And when she looked closer, there were also Xu Meiyan and Bai Lianhua behind him with smug smiles.
Instantly she got a feeling that it must be these bitches that had done something.