The enormous iron pot stood in front of the new temple. It was a symbol of abundance and strength.
The Spark Tribe was able to forge iron tools, a kind of metal harder than blackstone weapons and the copperware of the Western Continent. Its appearance represented a formidable power that absolutely made anyone who knew of it not dare to underestimate them.
The metal utensils Yang Yi had once brought, though more delicate, had a fatal flaw. They could not be reproduced.
Under the guidance of Hei Lie and Jiao, everyone was very clear about this point.
Moreover, no matter how urgent the tribe’s needs were, if they wanted to obtain more, they had to wait for the right moment. Each time, that moment grew longer and longer.
The items were extremely fragile, and compared to their powerful functions, it was truly inconsistent. This also made people believe even more that the items given by the god would ultimately be taken back.
The god did not like being endlessly demanded from.
What’s more, the iron tools forged by the Spark Tribe were even sturdier and more durable than those Yang Yi had brought. Just take the currently only iron pot, for example. The dishes stir-fried in it were clearly different from those cooked in Yang Yi’s iron pot!
“The Divine Envoy once said, We can create everything the god has bestowed upon us, and we’ve done it!”
“We will do even better. The god truly did not deceive us.”
“With iron, we can have even more weapons!”
“……”
The people of the Green Python Tribe soon heard the news. Xiang Zhang also quickly came to that iron pot, circling it again and again, marveling endlessly.
“You are always able to create miracles. You are very fortunate.”
Hei Lie lifted his chin slightly: “It is fortune, but even more so, strength.”
Xiang Zhang also tried to exchange for iron tools, but Hei Lie refused without hesitation.
Xiang Zhang had merely tried asking; he did not really expect to be agreed to, since he knew very well what iron tools meant.
In his heart, he felt much regret and even more strongly sensed how powerful this tribe would become in the future.
Yang Yi looked at that great iron pot with deep emotion: “From now on, aside from grand celebrations, this pot is basically just going to be a decoration.”
What a waste. Such a waste. For a cauldron like this, who knew how much iron ore had been used.
This enormous iron cauldron was not suitable for daily cooking. Besides, it was fixed in front of the new temple. That was not a cooking area.
“Don’t worry, we have plenty of iron.” Hei Lie saw that Yang Yi was still regretful. After thinking for a moment, he spoke again.
“The divine fire must not be extinguished. In the future, this cauldron will usually be used to boil water. That way, no matter when, the tribe will always have hot water.”
Yang Yi laughed: “Now that is a good idea.”
The fire before the temple must be kept burning. This was something absolutely not to be extinguished.
Rather than letting it burn for nothing, it would be better to let the great iron pot boil some hot water, making it convenient for everyone to use.
Although the people here were very strong, washing themselves with cold water in freezing weather was still a difficult matter.
Especially for those who were physically weak, it was something they could not do frequently.
Boiling water specifically for bathing was far too extravagant, especially since the tribe’s firewood had to be carried in from distant forests. No one would do such a thing.
Within the tribe, apart from Yang Yi, not even children had such a privilege.
“Actually, that iron pot today wasn’t the one I promised to give you. This is.” Hei Lie, as if performing a magic trick, took out from behind him a small iron pot with a diameter of only about thirty centimeters.
The small iron pot was very delicate, about the same size as the frying pans Yang Yi often used in his previous life.
The handle was made of golden nanmu wood, accompanied by a lid also crafted from golden nanmu.
Even though Yang Yi had already grown accustomed to seeing golden nanmu products everywhere, he still could not help but sigh at such a luxurious life.
Yang Yi found it hard to put into words the feelings in his heart. He had not expected that this tall, rugged-looking man would be so attentive and meticulous.
“Thank you.”
Other than this word, Yang Yi did not know how else to respond.
An unintentional remark, firmly remembered by another and carried out with seriousness. This feeling of being valued was always a pleasant one.
Although part of it came from the things he had brought, which made his status special, Yang Yi would not ignore the other party’s sincerity because of it.
He reached out to take the iron pot, and suddenly his hand sank. The pot dropped straight down.
Fortunately, Hei Lie’s quick eyes and hands caught it in time, preventing the pot from crashing onto the ground.
“Why is it so heavy!”
Yang Yi was stunned. The pot did indeed look sturdier than the ones he had before, but it shouldn’t have been this heavy!
He had not been mentally prepared at all, which resulted in that embarrassing scene just now.
“The iron we forge is heavier than the iron you brought. I forgot about that,” Hei Lie felt ashamed for his oversight.
Yang Yi had already accepted the fact that everything here was altered. He took it as though they merely shared the same name and looked somewhat alike, but in truth were not the same thing.
No wonder the iron tools here could be harder than those brought from the marketplace. They were, from the very start, not the same kind of material.
This time, he used his strength to lift the iron pot. After weighing its heaviness in his hands, he couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh.
“With such a heavy pot, just lifting it feels burdensome. Looks like I won’t be able to flip the wok anymore.”
“Flip the wok?”
Since they usually cooked in large pots, there was no such thing as flipping the wok, so Hei Lie didn’t understand what it meant.
“To ensure that stir-fried food is evenly heated.”
Yang Yi actually didn’t have time to cook right now; he was quite happy eating the big communal meals.
But people are like that. When they can’t do something, they just can’t help but think about doing it.
Under Yang Yi’s explanation, Hei Lie quickly understood.
“Leave it to me. I can do it well.”
Yang Yi laughed: “With the hands you use to wield weapons, you still want to stir-fry?”
“Why not?” Hei Lie was puzzled; he didn’t see any conflict in that.
Here, there was no such thing as men not doing household chores. Everyone divided tasks according to what they were skilled at, with no fixed impressions.
Yang Yi didn’t want him to develop such a fixed impression either, so he laughed and said, “We’ll wait and see then. Let’s see if your talent for cooking is as great as your talent for battle.”
“No need to wait. Let’s try it right now.”
Yang Yi was both amused and helpless: “We just finished eating. My stomach is still full.”
Hei Lie didn’t act immediately. But after a while, feeling quite idle, he began to try stir-frying beside Yang Yi with his own hands.
In the tribe, everyone knew how to cook food. It was a survival skill.
However, most people only knew how to roast. As for stir-frying, this kind of “advanced” cooking method, they had never had the chance to try, because there had been no pots.
Now that there was black pottery, some people would cook something on their own, adding an extra meal outside of the regular meals.
As long as there was enough, the tribe was never stingy about extra meals.
The more they ate, the stronger their strength could possibly become.
Now the tribe had more warriors than before, and the appearance of those with talent was also much more frequent. This was closely related to being well-fed.
It had to be said, Hei Lie was very gifted in this regard.
For example, flipping the wok. He didn’t need to study at all; he learned immediately with just one demonstration. There was absolutely no issue of spilling food, which made Yang Yi very envious.
The tall and handsome Hei Lie crouched on the ground, seriously stir-frying, tossing the wok from time to time. His movements are smooth and fluid.
At this moment, he had none of his usual imposing and extraordinary aura; his whole being had become much gentler and more grounded.
“Even if you were no longer the bravest warrior, you would still be a very good chef.”
Yang Yi ate the dishes stir-fried by Hei Lie and sincerely praised him.
Mushrooms stir-fried with greens, chili stir-fried with meat, chili stir-fried with eggs. Although there were only three rather simple dishes, they still made Yang Yi unable to stop eating, even having an extra bowl of rice.
No matter how well the big communal pot meals were made, they could not match the precision and delicacy of small-pot cooking.
What’s more, he had even brought out condiments like soy sauce, making the flavor richer than the tribe’s big-pot meals. Yang Yi ate with great satisfaction.
“I’ll cook for you from now on.” Seeing Yang Yi like this, the corners of Hei Lie’s lips couldn’t help but curl upward.
Yang Yi’s heart gave a jolt. After a long while, he finally smiled and shook his head: “There’s no need to trouble yourself like that. The tribe’s food is already very good.”
“It doesn’t take much time.” Hei Lie dismissed it casually and, in a very domineering way, settled the matter. “It’s just that I won’t be able to cook for you every single day.”
Sometimes, when Hei Lie went out hunting or led training, he would only return the next day, or even later.
Although he had delegated the authority of hunting and guarding, that didn’t mean he no longer participated.
For more important hunting activities, he would always take part.
And since he was currently training the warriors, he would also use hunting as practice to improve everyone’s combat ability.
Hei Lie was a man who did what he said. As long as he could make it back in time, he would take charge of the Divine Envoy’s dinner.
The staple food was taken directly from the tribe’s stores, but the dishes were all stir-fried by him.
His speed was astonishing. When chopping vegetables, it was practically machine-like. Yang Yi could only see an afterimage, and evenly cut strips or slices would already appear.
Because of this, dinner time also turned into meals shared by just the two of them.
In the tribe, aside from Yang Yi, no one else dared to eat the food personally cooked by Hei Lie.
From the start, Yang Yi felt it was strange. But gradually he came to accept it. After all…
Hei Lie’s cooking skills were truly excellent!
And they kept improving. Starting from simple dishes, he gradually began to make more complex ones.
No matter what kind they were, they always made Yang Yi eat with great satisfaction. Even his appetite grew larger.
After coming here, Yang Yi’s appetite had already increased noticeably compared to before. He thought that was his limit, but now, he realized it wasn’t.
The meals Hei Lie cooked seemed to have a kind of magic, allowing him to eat even more, yet without ever feeling stuffed.
When his pants started to feel a little short, Yang Yi was astonished to discover that he had actually grown taller!
Measuring with a ruler, he found he was five centimeters taller than before!
His height, which hadn’t budged at all since he entered university, had suddenly increased so much in such a short time. This filled Yang Yi with immense joy.
He had always wanted to be a bit taller, and after coming here, that desire became even stronger.
What had originally been a fairly decent height on Earth had turned into being short here. Within a crowd, he was like a dip in the surface, which was unbearably frustrating.
This world, while being influenced by the things brought from Earth, was at the same time influencing him as well.
Yang Yi was overwhelmed with excitement. Didn’t this mean he might also be able to grow stronger in the future?!
