Chapter 220: Bathing

The two of them couldn’t continue their conversation any further, as Tuge walked over from a distance, interrupting the tragic topic between her and Masa.

Because of this, Masa was still somewhat resentful, while Sha Yi felt nothing but relief.

However, Tuge missed the mark entirely. Initially, she had guessed he probably wanted to discuss Yelai with her, but the moment he arrived, he immediately pointed at the large basin of unmilled grain that hadn’t been covered in time and widened his eyes in shock.

Sha Yi thought Tuge must have recognized the grain, so she followed his gaze and asked, “Have you seen this before?”

“Isn’t this *she*?” Turning to look at her, Tuge wore an expression of astonishment. “How do you have this?”

“Last night, someone from our side went to gather information about Yeli’s group and picked some up along the way.” Shooting a glance at Masa, Sha Yi quickly responded.

“Picked it up?” Tuge was half-convinced. “What a coincidence! And so easily?”

“Just like you said, it seems like having this is a big deal.” Nodding, Sha Yi raised an eyebrow. “Since you recognize it, you must know its origin. Care to enlighten me?”

With an unhappy grunt, Tuge still looked skeptical, but his mouth betrayed his honesty: “This is *shemi*. It grows near where we used to live, but it’s rare there. Further north, it becomes much more abundant. These were probably dropped by Yeli’s people.”

“So the north produces a lot of this?”

“Likely. And there’s another type similar to this, but easier to cook and tastier.” Tuge nodded seriously.

“So you’re saying there are two varieties of this crop?” Sha Yi suddenly recalled modern rice and wheat. She had speculated about this before, but the cooked *shemi* resembled hulled rice grains while also looking somewhat like wheat. The better-cooked parts tasted almost exactly like rice, leaving her utterly confused.

Now, according to Tuge, even in ancient times, the earliest crops—wheat and rice—were still two distinct varieties, not the hybrid she had imagined.

Hearing her words, Tuge nodded firmly. “Besides *shemi*, there’s also *bimi*. *Bimi* is easier to cook and tastes better, but it’s not as hardy or adaptable as *shemi*, and its yield is much lower. In winter, they all die off, only regrowing in summer.”

Sha Yi nodded in understanding.

In short, *bimi* was probably the primitive ancestor of rice. Neither could withstand winter’s cold, surviving only in slightly warmer regions during that season. Moreover, *bimi* hadn’t fully evolved to adapt to this world’s natural rhythms, so it demanded high growing conditions while still yielding poorly.

In contrast, *shemi* was likely the ancestor of wheat, growing almost year-round—except during the rainy season.

In this world’s current era, aside from most trees and some aquatic plants, no crops could withstand the torrential rains of the wet season.

Seeing her nod silently, Tuge scanned the surroundings and was startled when he noticed the mostly dried-out, poorly cooked *shemi* in the basin. “Who… did this?”

“I… didn’t know how to cook it at first.” Hesitantly responding to Tuge, Masa looked embarrassed. “So I just…”

Almost instantly, Tuge slapped Masa cleanly across the face. “If you didn’t know how to cook it, why didn’t you ask? Look at how much you’ve wasted!”

“You weren’t around then, and no one else knew!” Rubbing the back of her head, Masa grumbled resentfully. “Besides, this isn’t the *bimi* you mentioned. *Shemi* isn’t that rare!”

“What do you know? That’s only in comparison to *bimi*. Do you think *shemi* grows as abundantly as prey in a hunt?” Tuge retorted irritably. “*Shemi* has to be cultivated—it doesn’t just grow wild. And removing its husk takes effort. Do you really think it’s easy?”

Masa was stunned into silence, not daring to argue further.

Sha Yi, however, just chuckled.

She understood perfectly well. The scarcity of these crops in ancient times stemmed from people’s limited knowledge and underdeveloped production methods. Both *shemi* and *bimi* could be stored for long periods, making them even more valuable than animal meat.

But this was also a good sign—civilization was bound to progress.

At this moment, having someone like Tuge, who was so knowledgeable about things they didn’t understand, made Sha Yi quite happy.

So, without overthinking it, she flashed Tuge a scheming smile. “Tuge, Masa’s never seen this before, so it’s understandable she didn’t know how to cook it. Since you’re so familiar with it, why don’t you take charge of this basin of *shemi*? Everyone will be eating at noon, so hurry up.”

“I’m not—” Reflexively trying to refuse, Tuge stopped mid-sentence and resigned himself, plopping onto the ground to tend to the fire, occasionally adding water.

Sha Yi was satisfied and cheerfully urged Masa to go inspect the progress of the trench-digging.

Masa obeyed readily. As they left, Tuge grumbled, “Next time, can’t you pick up some *bimi* instead? *Shemi* is such a pain to cook!”

Sha Yi smiled but didn’t respond, though her mind raced with thoughts.

Kasan hadn’t given them *bimi*, only *shemi*. If he had fully trusted them, then Yeli’s side must also have very little *shemi*, given how hard it was to grow. But if Kasan had ulterior motives, that was another story.

Still, she preferred to believe the former.

After all, Manlun was on their side. If Tuge knew about this, Manlun certainly did too. She doubted Manlun would be so calculating as to withhold *bimi* deliberately.

Not far from the house, the newly dug trench was nearing completion. This time, the group that had rested at night was doing the digging, so a small number of people were taking breaks outside.

Xi Yi was among them.

Sha Yi spotted him from a distance.

Exhausted, he was fast asleep, having even removed his usual animal hide clothing and set it aside. He lay bare-chested on the dry dirt, no different from the others.

Sha Yi’s heart ached.

The temperature was below ten degrees, and the house was only a few steps away. Yet he lay there so carelessly, unconcerned about catching a cold.

Muttering complaints in her heart, she quickened her pace toward him.

As she reached Xi Yi’s side, Xi Gu also approached. Having slept at night, she was now digging the trench with the second group.

Before Sha Yi could speak, Xi Gu said, “Sha Yi, wake Xi Yi up and take him back inside to sleep. He’s exhausted—after the first shift ended, he kept digging with us for a long time. He only just fell asleep.”

As Xi Gu spoke, Sha Yi noticed the sweat still glistening on Xi Yi’s chest, making her even more reluctant to disturb him. Gently, she brushed the disheveled hair from his forehead.

Gazing at his peaceful face, she hesitated, unsure whether to wake him so soon after he’d fallen asleep.

After a moment’s indecision, Xi Yi stirred awake on his own.

Perhaps sensing her fingers on his forehead, he opened his eyes and immediately grasped her hand tightly, his warm brown eyes filled with tenderness as he stared at her.

Sha Yi gazed at him for a long moment before whispering, “Why didn’t you just go back to the brick house to sleep? In this weather, sleeping outside will make you sick.”

Xi Yi grinned. “You’ve been sleeping restlessly lately and haven’t been eating well. I didn’t want to disturb you, so I stayed out here. It’s fine—everyone does this. We’ve always slept like this before. Don’t worry.”

Sha Yi nearly teared up but held back, not wanting to worry him. Instead, she tugged his hand to help him up.

Xi Yi sprang to his feet effortlessly, not relying on her strength at all, as if afraid of hurting her.

In the end, Sha Yi could only sigh and let it go.

However, Xi Yi didn’t head toward their house. Instead, he led her past the trench, toward the small hot spring behind the stone cave.

He probably wanted to bathe.

Compared to the shallows, the hot spring’s temperature was far more suitable—just a bit farther away.

Indeed, from last night until now, he’d sweated profusely and was covered in dirt from digging. If he didn’t wash up now, Sha Yi feared her white fur bedding would turn black by the time he woke up.

The thought made her stifle a laugh.

Hearing her soft chuckle, Xi Yi turned to look at her. She met his gaze, her eyes crinkling with amusement.

Xi Yi didn’t know why she was laughing, but her happiness was contagious. His own beautiful eyes curved into crescents, and though he briefly considered embracing her, he restrained himself, settling instead for a loud, smacking kiss on her soft lips. Afterward, he even licked his lips contentedly.

Sha Yi didn’t dare cling to him as usual.

Now that she was pregnant, she had to be more careful. Once the baby was born, they’d have plenty of time for affection. For now, recklessness was out of the question.

In the sparse grove, the shallow hot spring still steamed gently. Sha Yi tested the water—despite the season, its temperature remained unchanged, just as warm as before.

In no time, Xi Yi stripped off his animal hide clothes and stepped in.

Sha Yi watched, tempted.

Truthfully, she hadn’t bathed in days. Seeing the inviting hot spring so close, her innate preference for cleanliness sparked an urge to join him. But she hesitated, afraid that catching a chill might harm the pregnancy.