The aroma of milk mixed with the scent of tea leaves continuously wafted from the pot in front of Li Yi. Holding a wooden spoon, he occasionally stirred the mixture. He had decided to make milk tea using Iron Goddess tea leaves, though he wasn't sure how it would turn out. After all, tea leaves were tea leaves, and even if there were slight differences, they probably wouldn't affect the taste much. Unfortunately, he didn't have any tapioca pearls; otherwise, he would have made bubble tea.
Shi Hao crouched nearby, eagerly inhaling the fragrant air. The smell was not only of milk but also of sweetness. Li Yi had added plenty of sugar to the milk tea, knowing that sugar could bring happiness. Shi Hao, already holding a small bowl, kept his eyes fixed on the pot, not taking them off the milk tea. He was used to drinking milk, but this was the first time he was drinking milk brewed with leaves. Curious, he had secretly tasted a leaf earlier and found it bitter and unpleasant.
After a while, Li Yi poured the tea into a bowl and handed it to Shi Hao. Although it wasn't quite the same as true milk tea, the taste was still delightful. Shi Hao didn't mind how hot it was and quickly drank it all, savoring the sweetness. His eyes squinted with pleasure, and a smile spread across his face, making him look adorable with his dimples.
Stone Yunfeng, who was nearby, was also attracted by the smell. As he approached, he noticed a large bag of tea leaves next to the milk pot. He crouched down slowly and asked, "Is this tea?" He was familiar with the concept of tea from his travels, though in Stone Village, tea was a luxury item only the clan leader or elders could afford on rare occasions. Stone Yunfeng had heard of tea but had never seen it before.
Li Yi explained, "This is tea, what's wrong?" He then poured a bowl of milk tea for Stone Yunfeng, who was initially hesitant but slowly took the bowl in his hands, carefully sipping the warm beverage. It was sweeter than he expected, and the milkiness made it quite pleasant. This wasn’t the tea he had heard of, which was usually bitter at first and then became sweet.
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"It's good, isn't it?" Li Yi asked as he poured the remaining tea from the pot. Stone Yunfeng felt a pang of regret at seeing the remaining tea leaves being discarded but didn’t voice it. After all, it was Li Yi's to do with as he pleased.
"It's really good. I can't accept this, though. Tea is a luxury here," Stone Yunfeng replied, though he was clearly impressed.
Li Yi understood his reluctance. Stone Yunfeng, like the rest of Stone Village, had a strong sense of dignity and would never accept something so valuable without paying it back in some form. "If you want more tea, just come and get it," Li Yi said, shrugging. He knew that no amount of persuasion would change the man's principles.
Shi Hao, curious about the tea leaves, reached for them to try making the same delicious drink. However, noticing Stone Yunfeng’s gaze, he reluctantly put the tea leaves back into the bag.
Li Yi stepped outside to find the village filled with the smell of meat. From this day forward, the entire Stone Village would eat meat three times a day—stewed meat for breakfast, roasted meat for lunch, and stewed meat again for dinner. With so much meat available, the villagers had little reason to go hungry. The hunting team was sharpening their weapons, eager to go out again.
The hunts had become much easier now, thanks to the traps and the mixed herbal concoctions that attracted the beasts. The villagers had learned to be cautious with the ingredients to avoid triggering a beast tide. But as long as they were careful with the proportions, hunting could be as easy as setting a few traps and waiting for the beasts to come.
Li Yi ate a large bowl of meat, knowing that with his increasing strength, he would need more food. After finishing his meal, he found a quiet spot to begin practicing the cultivation technique he had learned.