Chapter 34: Another Wave of Gains!

"Of course, no problem!" Lu Chuan smiled.

"In that case, I'll head back and get to work!"

"You all go home and discuss it properly, then just have the village chief give me a definite answer," Lu Chuan said with a nod. He then exchanged a greeting with Sun Zhi and took his leave.

As Sun Zhi watched Lu Chuan depart, he tapped the table. "Everyone, please calm down!"

"Going up the mountain isn't as simple as you think. Even the people from Zhao Family Village suffer casualties when they enter the mountains. Moreover, without someone capable leading the way, you might not even be able to find your path," Sun Zhi paused, adding, "I still feel that giving up a portion of the profit is worthwhile. With Lu Chuan leading, everyone will at least get to share in the spoils."

"Besides, you’ve all seen his skills for yourselves!"

"Even the hunters from Zhao Family Village are no match for him!"

At that moment, a voice emerged from the crowd.

"Maybe it was just luck. He’s never hunted before! How could he just walk into the mountain and bag such a large wild boar?"

"Exactly!"

"Village Chief, we know you’ve always had a soft spot for this kid, but you’re making him sound far too miraculous!"

As she spoke, the woman continued, "He’s just a wet-behind-the-ears brat who got lucky and hit a wild boar!"

"We didn't know hunting was this easy before!"

"If we’d known sooner, it wouldn't have been his turn to take all the credit!"

"That's right..."

The group went back and forth, leaving Sun Zhi in a difficult spot. Finally, he could only offer a bitter smile. "Suit yourselves! Go back and talk it over with your families! I’m done trying to persuade you."

Sun Zhi realized that no matter what he said, these people were unwilling to believe him. He simply gave a nod of resignation. He had done what he could; as for the choices they made, that was their own business.

Returning home, Lu Chuan went to check on the brick kiln. The structure was built from a mixture of stone slabs, mud bricks, and yellow clay, though it still needed to be fired dry. Fortunately, there was no shortage of wood in the mountains. He gathered some, placed it in the kiln, and ignited it.

"If only I had some sweet potatoes, peanuts, or carrots..." Lu Chuan muttered, a sense of longing in his voice.

Sweet potatoes originated in the tropical regions of Mexico and Colombia. In his previous world, they hadn't been introduced to China until the late 16th century. In this world, Lu Chuan had carefully studied the geography and found that the layout was largely similar.

Therefore, crops like sweet potatoes, carrots, and peanuts were likely still hidden away in some corner of the world. Even if he could find them now, he couldn't use them immediately; they would likely require breeding or cultivation. Unfortunately, that was a skill Lu Chuan didn't possess!

He sighed. It seemed that if the opportunity arose in the future, he would have to go out and search for these things. As for many spices, Lu Chuan could try to find substitutes in the vicinity or even use medicinal herbs; he could barely scrape together alternatives from the apothecary. Otherwise, the meat he stewed lacked any real fragrance.

Lu Chuan stayed by the kiln, constantly adding firewood. The fire couldn't be too large, nor the temperature too high, or the kiln would easily crack. This type of kiln required the temperature to be raised gradually, with periods of cooling along the way. It was like life—you couldn't just charge forward blindly. You had to be steady, step-by-step, gradually building the heat toward the peak.

While managing the temperature, Lu Chuan checked the kiln for cracks. It seemed his craftsmanship was quite good, though this basic kiln could only fire simple bricks.

It had been several days; he should check to see if the affinity levels of Su Ruan and Bai Siyu had improved. Yes, he would take a good look tonight!

With that thought, Lu Chuan brushed off his seat and stood up. Just as he was about to head toward the courtyard, he heard a resonant wolf howl. He turned back and saw a wolf standing on the distant mountain, looking majestic. It seemed to have recovered well, as its injuries no longer appeared critical. Seeing Lu Chuan look its way, it howled again.

Lu Chuan turned toward the courtyard and shouted, "Brainless, Unhappy... come out for a second!"

The two wolf cubs scampered out of the courtyard joyfully. In the distance, the gaze of the grey wolf seemed to soften, a touch of tenderness appearing as it looked at the cubs. Then, it turned and vanished into the distance.

Lu Chuan watched the direction in which the wolf had disappeared and rubbed his nose, feeling a bit speechless. *This beast, why didn't it bring anything this time?*

He crouched down, pulled "Brainless" and "Unhappy" into his arms, and gave them a playful pat. "Next time your dad comes by, remind him to bring something! You’re all at an age where you need to grow!" he said with a laugh, then carried them back into the courtyard.

He stared at Bai Siyu for a moment, then summoned the panel in his mind.

Name: Bai Siyu
Age: 16
Beauty: 91
Affinity: 69
Available upon adoption: Basic Hunting Skills (Obtained); Basic Beast Taming Skills (Obtained); Basic Culinary Skills (Obtained); Intermediate Planting Skills (Obtained [Cannot be equipped yet]); Intermediate Beast Taming Skills (Obtained); Intermediate Forging Skills!

Seeing this, Lu Chuan was stunned for a moment, then felt a bit speechless. He realized he hadn't yet obtained Basic Planting Skills, so even though he had Intermediate Planting Skills, he couldn't equip them. It made him feel a bit frustrated. However, it was only planting skills, so he didn't dwell on it too much; he had been wondering why he didn't have much insight into growing things. Now he knew.

Lu Chuan then turned his attention to Su Ruan. Her affinity toward him had never been particularly high, but surely it would be a bit better this time?

Name: Su Ruan
Age: 17
Beauty: 89
Affinity: 69
Available upon adoption: Portable Space: 3 cubic meters (Obtained); Basic Kiln Firing Skills (Obtained); Basic Night Vision (Obtained); Space Expansion 3 cubic meters (Obtained); Intermediate Culinary Skills; Space Expansion 3 cubic meters!

*What?* Lu Chuan’s eyes widened. *How did Su Ruan’s affinity rise so quickly?*