There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

I thought about it and still felt something was off. My gamble was that their tribal elder was a seasoned veteran who was always prepared for the worst and had given full consideration to the risks of the wilderness.

But what if the tribal elder thinks it's all just a dream of the jay, or a lie she made up, and doesn't take it seriously?

Or perhaps, the people of their tribe collectively resisted the jay's words and spread them around as a joke?

Wouldn't that mean there's absolutely no chance of success?

"Hmm... I'm still worried. How about I go with you tomorrow to take a look? If we can go back together, I'll help you sort things out before I leave."

The jay was initially delighted, but then pouted and said, "Don't you trust me? I can handle this little thing perfectly well!"

"Haha, it's not that I don't trust you, I just hate taking risks."

"That means you don't trust me! Humph!"

"Don't be angry, we're almost at the ranch. If you stay angry, you won't be able to eat dinner tonight!"

When it came to food, the jay, which was on the verge of going berserk, was finally brought under control. It's surprising how strong this little girl's pride is; perhaps she's going through puberty and has a strong desire to prove that she can stand on her own.

"Well... I'll reluctantly forgive you... What should we eat tonight?"

Sure enough, her mind was still on food. She had completely forgotten what I mentioned earlier. I remember Jay had been really keen for me to go back to the tribe with her, how come she'd forgotten all about it so easily?

Oh well, at least the matter is resolved.

"Let's go back to the ranch and take a look."

After walking for a while, we returned to the still desolate outskirts of the ranch. Fortunately, thanks to my efforts (I guess I did?), the ranch has gradually come back to life.

The ranch is now surrounded by a row of neat wooden fences, enclosing a clearing in the middle. The gravel and weeds have been cleared away, and three white phantom areas have been marked out using the colonist system's blueprint function as future land for use.

However, a huge campfire still stands in the open space. It was the fire that the jays built that morning, but now only a pile of ashes remains. The towering wooden frame has also been dismantled and divided into several piles to prevent the embers from reigniting and causing a fire.

"No matter how many times I see this, it's infuriating!" Jay complained to me angrily. "As the keeper of the fire, I absolutely cannot tolerate anyone destroying it!"

I comforted him, "Don't be angry, Jay. It's just a regular fire. We can rebuild it. Look at Cybertron, their fire source was stolen and brought to Earth for so long, but they don't care. They still fight and have a lot of fun every day."

"So what is this Cybertron you're talking about?!"

"Don't worry about it, don't worry about it... When you're angry, look at green plants to calm yourself down. Look how nice the environment is over there, with lush green grass stretching to the horizon, and a horse running around... a horse?"

In a patch of overgrown weeds, a pony was frolicking and rolling around, occasionally chasing after grasshoppers that flew up from the blades of grass. Seeing us return, it immediately pricked up its ears and came running towards us joyfully.

(?'?`?)！

Okay, okay, I know you're happy, Little Pony!

This emoji feature is really convenient!

Why don't you teach me too?

I patted the head of the little pony that had come close to me, and was about to introduce her to Jay when I suddenly noticed that she was also staring at the little pony with a curious look on her face.

Do you two have something to discuss? I'll take my leave then.

After a long while, the jay finally spoke excitedly.

"Marcus! Did you raise this animal to eat?! Is it tasty?!"

"..."

…………

"Hahahaha, you mean this little girl has never seen a horse before and even bit one's ear?"

Sebala sat in his usual spot in the tavern, holding his wine glass and laughing heartily without a care in the world.

I looked at the old man with displeasure: "Why are you so happy? That horse is so scared that it's hiding in the stable and doesn't dare to go out."

"Don't take it to heart. When have I, old Sebala, ever kicked someone when they're down? It's you brat I'm really unhappy with."

"Me? Why?" My heart skipped a beat. Had it been discovered that I had guided his grandson, Gray, down the path of Batman? Or had it been discovered that we had misused the mithril materials he had collected?

"You took her to so many places, why didn't you come to the blacksmith's shop to find me? Do you look down on my skills?" Sebala roared in dissatisfaction. "You even went to that unscrupulous merchant Jeff's place, but you didn't come to mine!"

Oh, that's what happened. That's good, that was a close call...

“Sebala, you’re mistaken. The places I took her to were all places that would be directly useful to their tribe. The seeds and tools could be used for planting and production, which would greatly improve the tribe.”

"Are my tools, old Sebala's tools, useless?!"

"It's not that it's useless, it's just that the efficiency is low. Think about it, the core technology of the blacksmith's workshop is the forging of metal tools, right? Currently, only you can master the core technology, and maybe Gray as well. Would you rather go and provide support yourself or send Gray over?"

“Then… I can at least give her farm tools, right?” Sebala continued to argue stubbornly.

“Farm tools are bulky and heavy. How many can a child carry? And how many people can use the things she brings back? Production tools are only useful with a complete production system. At least we have to wait until their tribe’s technology upgrades to metal smelting.”

Sebala took a sip of his drink, looking dejected, and sighed, "I never imagined that what Gray told me was true. My ideas and methods are no longer relevant to this era..."

"When did Gray say that? I've wanted to say this for a long time!" Boss Dick chimed in, adding insult to injury.

"These past two days, Gray has been hiding in his room studying forging blueprints, going through all my notes. But when I went to explain them to him, he said my ideas were outdated... Waaah..."

Sebala was trying to elicit sympathy with a pained expression, but no one paid any attention to his antics. He was the one who would beat his grandson at the slightest provocation, so it was only natural for him to say a few words to him during his rebellious phase. They were lucky they hadn't been beaten to a pulp by this grumpy old man.

Only I knew what Gray meant, so I silently watched the scenery from the side, pretending I hadn't heard anything.

Let's go check on Gray's work another day and see to what extent his new ideas have been implemented.

Chapter 101 I Can Still Eat

“Sebala, if you’re really not feeling well, I’ll dismantle your blacksmith shop next time and donate it all to the Brown Pool tribe. What do you think?”

I squinted at Sebala, who was clowning around, and probed him.

Sure enough, as soon as Sebala heard that his beloved shop was going to be touched, he immediately returned to normal, shouting in a loud voice, "Hahaha, Marcus, what are you joking about? I have plenty of technology here, just ask me for it if you need it. But you absolutely cannot take the ore from the shop, that's my lifeline!"

"Is that so? Then I'll take your other lifeline and leave you the shop, which is your lifeline. How about that?"

"No! Are you a devil?!"

A burst of cheerful laughter erupted from the crowd, but the jay looked at me blankly and asked, "Marcus, what happened? Is there a problem with me biting that animal?"

"No...it's nothing. You did show me some unusual emojis."

At this moment, Mr. Dart, who had been busy inside the house for a long time, finally came out of the kitchen carrying several dishes that he had just prepared.

Without a doubt, as the control center of the tavern and the anchor of the stand-up comedy show, Boss Dart did not participate in this meaningless nonsense, but went to do other more important things.

“Marcus, although your crops are good, they can’t be really used without the right cooking methods. So I did some research and made these dishes. They are all easy to make and are nutritious and healthy. Look.”

As expected, Mr. Dart is the most reliable! He hit the nail on the head!

I just casually mentioned today's harvest to the boss, and he actually prepared all of these things for us!

We currently have seeds for radishes, potatoes, hay, cabbage, pineapple, green peppers, and strawberries. The hay isn't for human consumption, so there's no need to research recipes for it. If we were to be reduced to eating hay, why worry about cooking methods? Just eat it!

Strawberries and green peppers are not suitable for the climate, and there is no benefit in forcing them to grow; it would be a pure waste of labor. Therefore, I only plan to let the jays take two bags back to wait for an opportunity to act, and I don't need to worry about it too much.

The remaining vegetables are radishes, potatoes, cabbage, and pineapple—all of which are guaranteed in both quantity and quality. I wonder what vegetables the owner will bring out?

"First dish: Braised lamb chops with radish!"

Boss Dart proudly presented a fragrant stew. In the large pot, sweet radishes enhanced the savory flavor of the mutton. The radishes, nourished by the mutton fat, became sweet and flavorful. The mutton, slowly stewed in a large pot for an extended period, was tender yet not greasy, filling the room with the unique aroma of mutton fat.

“I heard that there are wild goats and antelopes in your area, and that there should be a supply of mutton, so I made this dish. To remove the gamey smell when cooking, you should first poke a few holes in a white radish, put it in cold water and cook it with the mutton. After it boils, take the mutton out and cook it separately to remove the gamey smell.”

"In autumn and winter, the weather is cold and dry, and people are prone to getting internal heat. This radish and mutton stew is very useful. Eating more radish is good for the stomach and won't cause internal heat, while mutton is warming and nourishing. The combination of the two can also relieve the stomach coldness caused by cravings in summer! This is my specialty dish!"

The jay's eyes lit up at the smell, and its little hands clenched unconsciously, its entire attention drawn to the delicious stew.

She took the bowl, gently scooped in a large spoonful of soup, took a sip of the hot soup, and then collapsed in her seat as if she had melted, unwilling to move even a little.

"Boss! There's really no gamey smell! This dish is amazing! How can it be so delicious!"

Seeing the little girl's happy expression, Boss Dart smiled and said modestly, "Haha, this is just an ordinary dish. You can't get full just by drinking soup. Next, you'll have to see my main course!"

The second dish the owner served was a plate of perfectly round, roasted potatoes that smelled delicious.

The roasted potatoes are pleasing to the eye, with a crispy skin and a small crack revealing the soft, powdery potato flesh. Peel off the skin, sprinkle some salt and pepper powder prepared by the owner, and you'll get the pure aroma of potatoes, with a hint of fennel. It's a taste of pure, natural fruits and vegetables.

The jay held the scalding hot potato in its palm, peeled off the skin bit by bit, and then carefully took a bite. It was immediately attracted by the crispy skin and soft, sticky inside of the potato, and began to nibble on it like a squirrel, quickly moving on to the second one.

"The second dish is roasted potatoes! There are many ways to cook potatoes, but you don't have enough tools there, so I used the most primitive but most delicious method. Just make sure the fire is burning hot, heat the stones or sand until they are very hot, then bury the potatoes in the ashes. Take them out after about thirty minutes, and they're ready to eat."

"This dish is easy to cook, easy to store, and tastes great. I'm not exaggerating, this dish has so many benefits. Not only does it have high nutritional and medicinal value, but it also contains protein, minerals such as phosphorus and calcium, vitamins, and other components. Its nutritional structure is also quite reasonable, hence the name 'underground apple'."

"Depending on your preference, if you get tired of the taste, you can add fennel, cumin, or other seasonings you have on hand and bake them together for a more unique flavor."

After finishing the plate of roasted potatoes, Jay immediately looked on expectantly, eagerly anticipating the next dish to be served. I feel like Boss Dart's favorability rating has increased even more than mine this time. Indeed, a man who can cook is remarkable.

Mr. Dart stood there talking eloquently, “Cabbage is a bit more complicated. Although it can be eaten raw, it's a bit lacking without cooking, so it can only be eaten as a salad. After careful consideration, I created this dish!”

The first dish the owner brought out was a vibrant green of vegetables. The cabbage was finely shredded, blanched in hot water, and then tossed with seasonings. A large bowl of fresh, spicy, and refreshing cold cabbage salad was ready! The texture was just as good as stir-fried cabbage, incredibly smooth and delicious. One slurp, and the aroma was irresistible. It was perfect with rice or potatoes, making it a truly satisfying meal.

The jay was already immersed in the sea of ​​delicious food, carefully picking up a small piece and slowly savoring it. In an instant, a satisfied expression appeared on its face.

Little girl, you're too easy to fool. It's just a cold dish... that's all... (chewing)...

How can it taste so good!

Boss Dart's explanation came late: "Coffee salad refers to a dish made by directly mixing cabbage with various ingredients and sauces. Considering the difficulty of cooking, I used the simplest method of blanching and mixing. The key points are: first, chop it finely; second, drain the water thoroughly! If once isn't enough, do it twice. This will bring about a qualitative change in the taste!"

"Ah! I'm so full! I can't eat anymore!"

We finished all three dishes and were so full we could barely move. We sat there, trying to clear our minds, when the owner brought out a plate from the kitchen, filled with sliced ​​pineapple.

The sliced ​​pineapple flesh is yellow to deep yellow, crisp and tender, high in sugar, juicy and sweet, with a rich aroma, making it very suitable for eating as a fruit.

Jay and I rubbed our bellies and looked at each other.

"...I think I can still eat."

Chapter 102 Drinking Contest

"Ah...I'm so full...This place is so much fun, I wish I could stay a couple more days..."

The jay sat in the chair with its eyes vacant, and said to me with a sly smile.

That's it, this kid's ruined.

It's only been two days, and it's already practically been turned into a nationally protected waste. In another two days, it'll probably forget how to start a fire and just go around begging for food and drinks...

Wait a minute, what's with this familiar feeling? Isn't that me, the one who usually freeloads on food and drinks in town?