Ji Nuan was perplexed: "Can Stinky Fruit harden?"
Ge Ye nodded: "Yes! After Stinky Fruit ripens, it quickly hardens. In the past, the little cubs would pick them up and take them back to the Tribe to play.
Then they peeled off the outer skin to find that the fruit flesh had become quite hard. When they broke it open with a stone, it turned into a fine substance similar to dirt. Besides, the awful smell was gone, and it even had a slight sweet scent.
I secretly tasted a bit before, it was like a sticky lump in my mouth, didn’t taste good at all. Moreover, I got a beating from my father when he found out!" Ge Ye grumbled, recalling the punishment.
Delicate like soil, sweet-smelling and sticky when eaten?
Why does the hardened stinky fruit sound so much like flour?
Ji Nuan became excited, her eyes shining brightly.
Ge Ye had a sudden bad hunch. She grabbed Ji Nuan’s arm immediately: "Shan Zaizai, you’re not planning on collecting Stinky Fruits to eat, are you?
Let me tell you, although Stinky Fruit is edible, it really doesn’t taste good. You should catch more Giggle Beasts instead for dinner, isn’t their meat more savory?"
It’s savory, indeed! But without salt, it can’t be preserved.
Ji Nuan gave Ge Ye’s chubby little arm a pat: "You best head back, I’m going to pick up a couple to take home. If they don’t taste good, I’ll discard them, no worries."
Faced with such stubbornness, Ge Ye could only compromise: "Make sure you hurry up with the food storage then, Stinky Fruit really doesn’t taste good."
It was only until Ji Nuan nodded seriously, indicating she had taken the advice to heart.
Ge Ye reluctantly went to join her mate and head back to the Tribe. Her mother will take her out for gathering in the afternoon.
Ji Nuan, thinking about the Stinky Fruit, headed for the Stinky Fruit Forest without delay. Unlike her previous visit, the durian smell—familiar to Ji Nuan—was no longer here. If not for this area of shrubland significantly taller than the rest, she wouldn’t even have found it.
Picking up a fallen Stinky Fruit, Ji Nuan tried to find a gap to open it up and inspect the fruit’s flesh, but she couldn’t find an opening.
She found a few more elsewhere, but they also had no gaps. Even the Stinky Fruits hanging on the trees seemed to have zipped up their coats for the winter, leaving no breaches.
That’s not right! She remembered clearly from her frightening experience last time. These Stinky Fruits all had gaps, why are there none now?
Picking up two and putting them into her basket, Ji Nuan planned to try them when she got back. If the hardened Stinky Fruit did resemble flour, then this would be a hit.
With two Stinky Fruits, which might substitute for staple food, on her back, Ji Nuan wasn’t inclined to linger in the grove anymore.
After considerable effort, she finally caught two Giggle Beasts. Surrounded by floating Giggle Beast feathers, Ji Nuan sighed.
The Giggle Beasts were not as naive as before due to the Tribe’s hunting; they became very alert instead.
They’d fly away fast as soon as they heard footsteps. Ji Nuan went from effortlessly catching five beasts to struggling to catch just two, she couldn’t feel more upset.
Looks like it will prove difficult for her to have Giggle Beasts for a meal hereafter.
Rolling up her sleeves, Ji Nuan thought, let’s not rush back yet. It’s still early anyway. She’d catch as many Giggle Beasts as possible. Whatever she can’t consume would go into the Food Storage Cave, serving as another source of food supply, meat at that!