Chapter 159 – The Wolf King’s Naughty Little Wife – I’m a Vegetarian, You Know (05)
Beastmen were indeed efficient. In just half a day, they had already piled up a small mountain of timber.
While Bai Tang was pulling vines to weave baskets, he accidentally unearthed a string of round, chubby things.
“Sweet potatoes?!” Bai Tang asked in confusion. “Are sweet potatoes usually this big?”
Have you ever seen a sweet potato the size of a watermelon?
The system scanned it and replied, “It is a sweet potato! Things in the beastmen world are generally larger than in the modern world, so it’s not that surprising~”
When Kyle saw Bai Tang holding a dusty, unfamiliar object, he said, “Tang Tang, you must be hungry. I’ll go hunt something right away.”
Bai Tang smiled sweetly and tugged at Kyle’s arm. “Today, I’ll cook something delicious for you.”
Besides meat, Bai Tang loved fruits, melons, and tubers, and he knew many ways to prepare them. As always, given their limited resources, he brought Kyle to a clearing, built a small fire, and buried the sweet potatoes in it.
“Let me tell you, roasted sweet potatoes are super tasty—super sweet too. Eating sweet potatoes is good for you, not only do they fill you up, but they’re great for your digestion, and they store really well! Once the house is built, we should dig a cellar just for storing sweet potatoes. That way, we can still eat warm, delicious ones in the winter…”
As Bai Tang flipped the roasting sweet potatoes, he took the chance to educate Kyle a little.
The beastman world was so backward. There were so many delicious things in nature, and yet all they ate was meat. And even then, they only seemed to know one method—grilling. There was no variety at all.
Kyle listened carefully to Bai Tang’s explanations, and when he heard that the sweet potatoes could be stored through the winter, his eyes lit up with surprise and hope.
Winters were long and harsh. Due to the snow, animals rarely came out, making hunting nearly impossible. Fruits and other foods also spoiled quickly. Many females and young ones starved or froze to death in winter.
Kyle’s female father had died during an especially brutal winter years ago. The next day, his male father was attacked and killed by a beast in the forest. Kyle had been just a child back then, not yet able to hunt, and only survived thanks to the help of other beastmen in the tribe.
“Tang Tang, do you know more foods that can last through winter?” Kyle asked.
Bai Tang puffed out his chest and proudly said, “Of course! I’m a vegetarian, you know.”
Kyle glanced at the woven basket beside Bai Tang, filled with freshly dug sweet potatoes—it was really handy.
“They’re ready! But be careful, they’re hot,” Bai Tang exclaimed as he moved to dig them up.
“I’ll do it.” The soil around the fire was hot, and Kyle didn’t want Bai Tang to burn himself. He volunteered to dig them out.
But Kyle’s wolf claws, sharpened from his beast form, were too sharp. With just a little pressure, he accidentally sliced a sweet potato clean in half. The golden flesh inside gave off a sweet, mouthwatering aroma.
“Look at what you’ve done!” Bai Tang scolded. “You ruined the sweet potato—it got dirty and now it can’t be eaten.”
Feeling sorry for the wasted potato, Bai Tang took over the task himself and even showed Kyle how to peel the skin properly.
“Like this, gently peel it off—see?”
Bai Tang held the roasted sweet potato in his hands and took a big bite, his mouth stuffed full and his expression utterly satisfied.
After eating one, Kyle, having learned the technique of roasting sweet potatoes, started practicing on his own.
“Qiu’er, Kyle looks kind of down, doesn’t he?” Bai Tang asked while cradling another sweet potato, noticing Kyle’s distracted demeanor.
“Does he?” The system glanced at Kyle, who didn’t seem that different, and flipped through the original plot. “He’s probably torn about whether or not he should ask you which foods can be preserved for winter—and how to preserve them…”
In the original plot, the chief of the Winged Wolf Tribe passed the leadership position to Kyle Murphy.
After a fierce war with the Snake Tribe, and thanks to the female lead’s discovery of new foods and the beastmen’s tireless efforts, the Winged Wolf Tribe eventually grew into the most advanced tribe in the beastman world.
Later on, they even took in many smaller tribes that had suffered from natural disasters. The Winged Wolf Tribe ended up saving countless small beastman clans, and Kyle Murphy earned the title “King of the Beastmen.”
Bai Tang felt a strange sense of belonging in the beastman world. In his view, beastmen who could transform were all part of the same family. Even though their species were different, their origins as animals made them kin. So, when he learned that many young ones wouldn’t survive the winter, he felt truly saddened.
“We can teach the beastmen how to find food,” the system suggested, “and also how to build warm houses and make clothes. The female lead was going to teach them anyway, so instead of letting her benefit from it, why not let you teach them? That way, she won’t be able to rely on her so-called golden finger of modern knowledge to manipulate the beastmen.”
The system grew more excited as it spoke. What did the female lead’s modern knowledge amount to anyway? The system had access to ancient, modern, futuristic, and even interstellar knowledge. Its storage space was packed with resources—pulling out just one thing would be enough to amaze the beastmen.
“Sounds great!” Bai Tang’s eyes curved with a smile. He had actually been worried he wouldn’t be allowed to teach them, but if the system said it was okay, then there shouldn’t be any problem.
“Kyle, later on let’s go back and dig up some more sweet potatoes,” Bai Tang said, smiling at Kyle. “Let’s bring some back for the tribe chief to try.”
Kyle froze, a hint of delight flashing in his eyes. He gently stroked the sub-beastman’s long hair. “Tang Tang, are you saying…”
“Ask the tribe chief to spread the word about the sweet potatoes,” Bai Tang replied. “The more food we have, the fewer young ones will die in winter.”
Although the beastman world didn’t have a concept of intellectual property, it was generally understood that if someone discovered something, it belonged to the discoverer. That’s why, in the original plot, the beastmen never forced Ran Xiayue to share her food preservation methods.
“I know tons of things,” Bai Tang continued proudly. “Like rice, red beans, mung beans, potatoes… We can also make preserved meats, cured meats… Those can last an entire winter. Oh—and you can even build a heated bed under the floor! Once it’s warm, lying on it is so comfortable, you won’t even want to get up.”
Modern things couldn’t be made under current conditions, but anything that didn’t require intelligent systems was still relatively easy to create.
Bai Tang counted on his fingers as he listed off many strange and novel items all in one breath. To Kyle, it was like discovering a brand new world.
And not just to him—even Brown, who happened to see them walking by the river and came over to greet them, overheard their conversation. He immediately jumped out and said, “Is what you said true?”
“Wow, that smells amazing! What are you eating?” Brown caught the scent of the roasted sweet potatoes, took a deep breath, and looked longingly at them.
Kyle tossed him a freshly roasted sweet potato. Brown caught it and started tossing it between his hands. “Hot! Hot!”
He plopped down beside Bai Tang. As a “taken” sub-beastman, Bai Tang subtly scooted closer to Kyle.
“This is delicious—so delicious! How did you find this? And what was that Bai Tang was saying about not having to suffer through cold and hunger in the winter…?” Brown’s mouth was still full of sweet potato, so his words came out a bit muffled.
Influenced by the residual memories of the original host, Bai Tang wasn’t very good at dealing with the other beastmen in the tribe. He looked to Kyle, who gave his hand an encouraging pat.
“Well, it’s like this…” Bai Tang repeated everything he had said earlier.
“That’s amazing,” Brown murmured, considering the truth in Bai Tang’s words. Thinking about how this delicate-looking sub-beastman had managed to survive alone in the back mountain for three years—and even made it through those harsh winters unharmed—he figured most of it had to be true.
Putting away his usual carefree demeanor, Brown stood up and sincerely thanked Bai Tang. “Bai Tang, thank you.”
Bai Tang quickly waved it off. “No need to thank me, really.”
Brown turned to Kyle and said, “Everyone used to say you had bad taste for picking a ‘disabled’ sub-beastman. Turns out, you’ve got the best taste of all.”
“That’s why he’s mine,” Kyle said, pulling Bai Tang into his arms possessively.
“You two are building a house, right? Keep at it. I’ll take these sweet potatoes back to the tribe chief.” Brown lifted the basket and added with a grin, “Hey, this thing’s really convenient.”
Beastmen were simple and kind by nature, and since Bai Tang wasn’t very fond of socializing anyway, having someone else take care of the delivery was ideal.
“Bye-bye!” Bai Tang waved at Brown.
“What does ‘bye-bye’ mean?” Brown shifted into his beast form and sprinted through the forest, the new phrase echoing in his head.
“I’ll go move the lumber. We should be able to finish the foundation today,” Kyle said.
Kyle wrapped the remaining sweet potatoes in beast hide and first escorted Bai Tang back to the back mountain. Then, he returned to the forest to move the rest of the lumber.
Bai Tang didn’t sit idle either. Under the system’s guidance, he used a wooden stick to draw out the layout for the house. Once Kyle brought all the materials back, they could start building. This must be what people mean by “a well-matched couple makes light work.”
At that moment, the tribe chief was in discussion with the priest about how to survive the coming winter. Although there were still six months to go, planning ahead was crucial—especially to reduce casualties, particularly among the young. The cubs were the future of the tribe.
“We’re facing two major problems,” said Priest Mana. “Food and cold. Many beastmen go out in blizzards to find food because they have no reserves and never return.”
“The biggest issue is that food doesn’t keep well,” the chief said, deeply troubled.
“Ch-Chief!” Brown burst in like a whirlwind, still holding the basket in his hand.
“What is it?” The chief frowned, thinking something serious had happened.
“What smells so good?” asked Priest Mana.
“It’s—it’s this,” Brown stammered as he handed the sweet potatoes to the chief and the priest. He stumbled through an explanation of Bai Tang’s new discovery.
“Is what you said really true?” the chief asked. But as soon as the words left his mouth, he realized how foolish they sounded—they were already eating it.
These sweet potatoes were great: big, filling, and satisfying. Eating just two was enough to stave off hunger. While they might not be enough for complete satiety, they could at least prevent starvation.
“This is wonderful. And you said they’re building windproof, waterproof houses?” Priest Mana asked.
“Kyle’s cutting wood in the forest right now,” Brown replied.
Priest Mana couldn’t sit still. “I have to go cast a divination right now.” He wanted to see if this was a blessing from the Beast God upon the Winged Wolf Tribe.
“Quick, take me to find Kyle,” the chief said, unable to remain calm. He urged Brown to lead the way himself—he had to speak to Kyle personally. This had to be the Beast God’s good fortune shining upon them.
The chief and Brown made a trip to the forest but couldn’t find Kyle. The supposed mountain of lumber Brown had mentioned was nowhere in sight. If not for the snapped trees all around, the chief would’ve thought Brown was pulling a prank.
“You know how capable Kyle is. He probably already brought it all back to the back mountain,” Brown said nervously under the chief’s intense glare.
“Why didn’t you say that earlier!” the chief scolded, rushing off toward the back mountain.
“Well, you didn’t ask…” Brown mumbled as he followed behind.
“And you still have the nerve to talk back?”
“I was just telling the truth! I won’t argue anymore—bye!”
“You brat! What does ‘bye’ even mean?!”
Author’s Note:
Bai Tang: I’m a vegetarian—I know everything about plant-based food.
Kyle: Tang Tang is the best.
Tribe Chief: Yes, Bai Tang is the best. (Anyone who contributes to the tribe is the best.)
Brown: Chief, give me back my sweet potatoes!
Priest: This is the will of the Beast God! The Beast God has finally bestowed good fortune on the Winged Wolf Tribe…