The Female Supporting Character Refuses to Be Human Again - Chapter 210.1

Meng Changjin instructed everyone to save the yam seeds for her while she took several pieces of yam to roast on her own.

She wasn’t entirely sure how roasted yams would taste since she had only ever eaten them steamed, fried, or boiled. The taste of those was quite good, with a crisp texture she particularly liked. She had heard that different varieties of yam had different flavors, so this was an experiment.

Roasting the yams was a simple process; she just threw them into the fire and let time do its work. Although the tribe still found it odd that something that made their skin itch on contact could be edible, they had come to accept that Meng Changjin was no ordinary person.

“A gift from the heavens!” they thought. What an incredible honor!

Because of this belief, the people of the Yan Tribe now held Meng Changjin in high regard, second only to the Wu, even more so than the three Chieftains.

The Chieftains didn’t mind this at all. Their role wasn’t about status or power; it was about making sure the tribe had enough to eat and didn’t freeze in the cold. The position of Chieftain was less about prestige and more about responsibility. If someone could improve the tribe’s situation, they were all for it.

To the Chieftains, if someone was making the tribe better, they deserved to be respected. And Meng Changjin, with her abilities, had certainly earned that respect.

While waiting for the yams to roast, Meng Changjin collected the yam seeds. These seeds were actually small oval bumps on the back of the yam leaves. She didn’t know much about the soil conditions needed for planting yams, so she decided to use her spiritual energy to enhance the seeds, making them more resilient and easier to grow.

Farming wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed. It wasn’t just a matter of throwing seeds into the soil; factors like seed quality, soil moisture, and fertilizers played a crucial role in determining success.

However, Meng Changjin wasn’t an expert in agriculture. The best she could do was to infuse the seeds with spiritual energy and plant them, hoping they would thrive. If they didn’t, well, she could always look for something else in the forest.

After all, there were many hidden treasures in the wilderness that the tribe hadn’t discovered because they were too cautious to try anything new. Just like the first person who ever dared to eat a crab—if no one had tried, who would have known crabs were edible?

Meng Changjin’s goal was to show the tribe that they could rely on more than just hunting for food.

After she finished energizing the seeds, making sure they were fully charged with spiritual energy, she noticed a pleasant aroma drifting through the air. It was the smell of the roasted yams!

She quickly fetched a stick, poked the yams out of the fire, brushed off the ashes, and peeled away the charred skin. The delicious smell of roasted yam filled the air.

There were quite a few people working on the field, but not enough yams, so each person received only a small piece. Meng Changjin also got just a tiny bit of the roasted yam herself.

The flavor of the small piece wasn’t enough for her to form a solid opinion, but the tribe members were all in favor of her idea to plant more yams. They decided to plant them exactly where they had found them since that soil had already proven to be suitable.

Breaking the ground and planting the seeds required a lot of effort, but strength was something the tribe members had in abundance. After five days of hard work, the rice Meng Changjin had brought back and the yams they had discovered were all planted.

Both crops were excellent sources of long-lasting food. If they survived and grew well, the tribe wouldn’t have to worry as much about food shortages during the long winter months.

After the five days of planting, the tribe finally had some free time, or at least, as much free time as a tribe could have. With the fields taken care of, it was time to focus on hunting again.

Hunting was still the tribe’s primary means of obtaining food. The hunting team had to prepare their stone tools before setting off, which took another five days.

When the second hunting team finally set off into the forest, it was smaller than the first. The initial spring hunt was always the most dangerous, so it required the largest group. Regular hunts, however, needed fewer people.

This time, the team consisted of those who hadn’t gone out in the first hunt. The ones who did the first hunt were staying back, with the exception of Meng Changjin.

Many people in the tribe didn’t agree with Meng Changjin going out to hunt again. Her status had risen to just below that of the Wu. If the Wu herself went hunting, the tribe would have objected as well. But since Meng Changjin wasn’t the Wu, and the Wu approved of her participation, they couldn’t say much except to worry and remind the other hunters to protect Meng Changjin at all costs.

The hunters who had gone out with Meng Changjin on the first hunt didn’t say much in protest. They simply patted their friends on the back, giving them meaningful looks as they advised them to protect Meng Changjin. The new hunters would understand the significance of those looks after experiencing a hunt with her.

In the Yan Tribe, every time the hunting team left for the forest, they held a ceremony where they danced to spread the sacred fire. Meng Changjin already knew the importance of this ceremony, and despite her reluctance, she joined in the dance.

After the ritual dance, the sacred fire spread, and the second hunting team set out in high spirits.

The day after Meng Changjin and the team left for the hunt, the remaining hunters in the tribe split into smaller groups. Some of them took the extra game from the previous hunt to the Jing Tribe to trade for salt.

The first hunting team had been incredibly successful this year, bringing back a large haul of game. Everyone in the tribe got more than enough food to last a while, and they realized it would spoil if left too long.

So, they decided to use the extra to trade for salt, which would help preserve the meat for longer periods. The Jing Tribe, although not great at hunting, had plenty of salt to trade, making it a valuable resource for the Yan Tribe and other tribes in need.

🎭 Kliraz’s Side Note Shenanigans: Yam-azing Discoveries and Dance Moves (≧▽≦)

Wow, Meng Changjin roasting yams like a pro while leading the Yan Tribe in a game-changing planting spree—talk about skills! It’s funny how the tribe thought yams were poisonous just because they made their skin itchy. This misunderstanding isn’t unique, though. In many cultures, including Native American traditions, people initially avoided certain plants because they didn’t know how to handle them safely (Anderson, M. K. (2005). Tending the Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California’s Natural Resources. University of California Press, p. 145-147).

Now, let’s talk about that dance they did before the hunt—did you know ritual dances before a big event are a thing worldwide? In Africa’s Maasai culture, warriors perform the “Adamu” or jumping dance before they embark on significant tasks or hunting expeditions. It’s meant to boost morale and show off their strength (Spear, T. (1993). Being Maasai: Ethnicity and Identity in East Africa. James Currey Publishers, p. 88-89). Just like the Yan Tribe’s dance ritual, these traditions help bind the group together with shared purpose and energy! (^_^)

And the salt trade? That’s some historical ingenuity right there! Salt has been a crucial trading good across civilizations for centuries. So, the Yan Tribe swapping game for salt with the Jing Tribe? A classic move that even the ancients would approve of! (￣ω￣)

Meng Changjin might be new to the tribe, but she’s already turning everything she touches into gold—or in this case, into yams and sacred fire dances! (≧◡≦)