RPS – Chapter 20 The Uses of River Mussels (1)

Ever since Li Feng arrived here, he hadn’t once fetched water himself. At first, after giving birth, Li would always bring water back in advance. Later on, Nuo also helped carry the water, so much so that he never even got the chance to go down to the river.

Eventually, Li thought Li Feng’s health had improved enough that he could touch water again and finally allowed him to fetch it himself. Li Feng had protested earlier—why was he allowed to cook and wash vegetables but not go to the river? Li’s response had been: “You just gave birth. The water by the river is too cold. You can’t go.” Li Feng was speechless—how could Li say “you just gave birth” so naturally? He had nearly forgotten that this body had actually given birth before.

That said, Li Feng himself felt this body was still weak. Even though there wasn’t really a concept of postpartum confinement here, and he was free to move around, going to the river was strictly off-limits. Li Feng didn’t mind too much. Not going was fine—he didn’t really want to carry water anyway. They needed so much water every day. If he had to do it himself, it would be exhausting. Since someone else was willing to do it, why should he complain?

Li Feng noticed that each time they only fetched two small ceramic pots of water to keep at home, and once it was used up, they’d go get more. He found that incredibly troublesome. So he asked one of the pottery-making women in the tribe to make a large, vat-sized ceramic container to place in the courtyard. That way, they could just pour the water directly into the vat, and it would last for a day or two. He even wove a lid out of rattan to keep bugs and dust from falling in.

As for pottery, the tribe had already mastered the craft before Li Feng arrived—he didn’t know how to make it himself anyway, which saved him a lot of trouble. The women’s pottery was sturdy, and since the clay here was abundant and of good quality, the pots turned out great. Now, everything Li Feng did had people watching and learning. After he finished building the house, large vats started popping up in other homes too. It really did make things more convenient—no more making multiple trips just for water.

At this point, Li Feng had long been able to go to the river, but he was just too lazy. So fetching water still fell to Li or Nuo, while he focused on cooking and laundry. After all, he did cook the best food!

One day, Nuo dragged Li Feng out to the river. This guy had become even more reclusive lately—he’d stay home if he could, cleaning the house, taking care of the baby, or tending to their little patch of land in the courtyard. Nuo couldn’t take it anymore. Feng was always cooped up at home and never interacted with the tribe. If people didn’t come looking for him, he wouldn’t go out. Wasn’t he bored?

Li Feng, amused and exasperated, let Nuo drag him along. Along the way, they ran into tribespeople who gave them friendly smiles. Ever since Li Feng had brought surprise after surprise to the tribe, they had long since accepted this physically weak man from another tribe.

It was actually Li Feng’s first time seeing the river they always used for water. The water was deep and a rich jade green—so clear you couldn’t see the bottom—but it sparkled beautifully. However, near the shore, the water was shallow. Li Feng understood that all living things, human or animal, depended on water to survive. That must’ve been why the tribal leader chose this place—this flowing river brought life, prey, and the very source of their survival.

While the river was deep in the middle, it was shallow at the edges. Nuo walked along the shallows, while Li Feng held the baby and sat by the bank, enjoying the breeze with his eyes closed in a nap. Suddenly, Nuo shouted, “Ah! Something cut my foot!”

Li Feng opened his eyes to see Nuo holding a black, murky object, ready to toss it into the river.

“Hey, Nuo! Wait! Don’t throw it!” It looked like a river mussel. Though it was caked in mud, it had the right shape.

“Feng, what do you want with this ugly, dirty thing? It cut my foot! Good thing I’m not bleeding, or I’d smash it with a rock!” Nuo fumed.

“Let me see it,” Li Feng took the object and rinsed it in the shallow water. Beneath the mud, it revealed a dark brown shell with faint patterns—it was indeed a river mussel.

Li Feng’s face lit up instantly—this trip wasn’t a waste after all! “Nuo, look around and see if there are more like this. If you find them, I’ll cook something delicious for you! Plus, their shells are super useful.”

The tribe hadn’t yet started eating any kind of aquatic food—especially not these muddy, rock-like mussels.

Nuo gave the mussel in Li Feng’s hand a skeptical look. Even cleaned, it still looked ugly and stone-like. Could that really be edible? But he didn’t argue. Li Feng had a knack for turning the ordinary into something magical. Plenty of things became unexpectedly useful in his hands. The river was full of stuff anyway. If it turned out to be edible, he’d just catch more for Li Feng—after all, he didn’t have to cook, just eat!

Right now, this home was Li Feng’s domain. He handled everything inside and out, kept the house spotless, and was always thinking of ways to make tasty food or store supplies for winter.

Li Feng watched Nuo tossing more river mussels onto the shore. There were quite a few buried in the mud, and Nuo was digging them up one after another. Li Feng began to wonder—should he try catching fish too? Fish were highly nutritious, and the baby still didn’t have many suitable foods to eat. The problem was that the water was too deep—no way to catch fish by hand. He didn’t even have fishing tools. Maybe he could make a fishing rod later? Or even better, a fishing net—if he could find the right materials to weave one.

For now, mussels would do. The meat was edible, and the shells were sharp—perfect for making knives, much sharper than stone ones. Those dull stone knives weren’t for cutting—they were more like grinding meat apart.

Nuo collected a whole bunch of mussels, and Li Feng figured it was enough. They could always come back for more later. Besides, they already had quite a pile on the shore. These mussels were big—just a few would be enough to fill their bellies.

Li Feng and Nuo brought the haul home. Li and Bu hadn’t returned yet. Li Feng handed the baby to Nuo. Once the baby fell asleep, they put him on the bed. Meanwhile, Li Feng started preparing the mussels. By the time he finished, Li and Bu would probably be back.

Li Feng had mixed feelings about Li. The man was too dominant—he always overwhelmed Li Feng without trying. And when Li took liberties with him, Li Feng had no idea how to resist. Even when he did protest, it never worked. So he’d always end up both awkward and… kind of enjoying it? Even though it was all done with just hands, Li Feng still felt like he had completely fallen. What kind of society was this—getting jerked off by a man and actually liking it? Truly, a creature ruled by desire.

When Li and Bu returned and pushed open the fence gate, they saw Li Feng and Nuo squatting outside the kitchen, struggling with something. They looked like they were having a hard time.

The two men came closer and couldn’t help but laugh—turns out they were trying to pry open the black shells of the mussels, both of them with their butts sticking out.

“You’re back,” Li Feng looked up and greeted Li, then immediately regretted it. Why did it sound like a wife welcoming her husband home? Was he asking for trouble? He quickly lowered his head and got back to work.

Li smiled at the natural greeting and placed the meat he’d brought into the kitchen.

“Bu, you’re back! Come help me open these things!” Nuo called out in frustration. These mussels were tough to crack—he’d only managed to open a few, and there were still so many left. It was hard work!

“What are you guys doing?” Bu asked as he took a mussel from Nuo and started prying it open with a stone knife, following Nuo’s instructions.

“Oh, Feng said these are good stuff. They’re edible and also make great tools. Very sharp—sharper than stone knives. Look at my finger!” Nuo held up his hand. His left index finger had a deep cut. “That thing sliced me right open!”

Li Feng handed his mussels to Li and went to bandage Nuo’s hand. “Bandage” was a generous term—he just chewed up the leaf of a hemostatic herb and wrapped it with more leaves. He’d found this herb himself—there was plenty around. As a kid, he’d often seen it used to stop bleeding from scrapes. He still recognized a lot of these plants.

By the time he got back, Li and Bu had pried open most of the mussels. Only a few were left, and with their strength, they’d finish soon. Li Feng had already let the mussels soak in clean water for nearly a day, so most of the dirt inside had been purged. It was time to cook.

He planned to make stir-fried mussels and mussel soup with salted meat. They had plenty of that!

As Li Feng worked in the kitchen, Li slipped in behind him, claiming to help—when really, he was just taking the opportunity to grope Li Feng. No matter how many times Li Feng tried to kick him out, he wouldn’t leave. His butt had probably been pinched so many times it felt like a squishy steamed bun. Li Feng was at his wit’s end and finally played his trump card: “Get out! If you don’t, I won’t cook. You do it—I’ll take care of the baby.”

That did the trick—Li was finally kicked out. Meanwhile, Nuo and Bu had already run off somewhere to whisper sweet nothings to each other. But of course, Li didn’t leave empty-handed. He managed to sneak in a few more gropes—Li Feng’s “little brother” had been squeezed more than once. Just as Li Feng was about to throw a pot at him, Li made a quick escape, leaving Li Feng fuming and ready to chuck the stone pot for real.