"Yue, I heard from Grandma Hua Shu that you’re going to build those stone houses that only the largest tribes have. Is that true?"

’But I’ve been watching for a few days, and it looks like you’ve just been playing with mud!’

But she would never say something like that out loud...

Wu Yue answered without turning around, still sorting the wild vegetables in her hands. "It’s true, but the stone houses we’re building are different from the ones in those tribes."

Qingcao glanced at her cautiously. "Everyone in the tribe is saying you’re just playing with mud."

Of course, Wu Yue had heard such talk, but she understood. After all, the people here had no idea that things like bricks and tiles even existed. From their perspective, the process of making the unfired bricks and tiles really did look like playing with mud.

But...

She looked at Qingcao confidently. "Don’t worry. The houses we build will be far stronger and more beautiful than the ones in the largest tribes."

Seeing her friend’s confident expression, Qingcao nodded emphatically. "Uh-huh, I believe you! If it’s something Yue wants to do, then there’s nothing you can’t accomplish."

Wu Yue: "..."

She shot Qingcao a suspicious look. ’You probably think we’re just playing with mud, too.’

’Don’t pretend. I can see right through you.’

The fragrant noodles were ready. After noisily slurping down two huge bowls, Qingcao—the one who claimed to have missed Wu Yue so much—left without a single glance back.

Watching her leave without the slightest hesitation, Wu Yue felt dejected. "..."

’So, did you actually miss *me*, or did you just miss my noodles!!!’

The next day, Yuan Lang, Teng Qian, Teng Kun, and Wu Yue, along with the slaves, all gathered in front of the brick kiln.

Even some of the tribe members who weren’t out hunting or gathering came over to watch when they saw the commotion.

Teng Qian and Teng Kun gulped. "Should we go in?"

Wu Yue clenched her fists and nodded. "Go."

The trio’s tension seemed to affect Yuan Lang, who was standing nearby. The Beastman lowered his head and asked softly, "Will it work?"

Wu Yue’s lips trembled for a moment before she steeled herself. "It’d be best if it works, but if it fails, we can always try a few more times. It’s no big deal."

Hearing her say that, Yuan Lang also breathed a sigh of relief.

’She’s right. We’re just firing bricks and tiles. If this batch fails, we can just do it again.’

In the crowd not far away, Aya and Qingcao watched Yuan Lang and Wu Yue whispering to each other. They exchanged a look, and both broke into mischievous grins.

"Tsk, tsk. See? Yuan Lang really does like Yue."

"I never would have guessed. The mighty Yuanlang Warrior actually likes a scrawny bean sprout like Yue!"

’Scrawny bean sprout?’

Aya looked at her friend in confusion. "What’s a ’scrawny bean sprout’?"

Qingcao scratched her head. "I don’t know either. Yue just said it once when we were talking."

Aya silently repeated the phrase, committing it to memory. ’Yue isn’t as close to me as she is to Qingcao,’ she thought. ’Maybe if I call her a scrawny bean sprout, she’ll start to like me more.’

Soon, a cry of surprise from Teng Qian echoed from the top of the kiln. Wu Yue’s heart clenched. ’What’s going on?’

Teng Qian seemed to be carefully handing something to Teng Kun, but since their backs were to the crowd, Wu Yue couldn’t see the state of the bricks and tiles.

It wasn’t until Teng Kun turned around, his face beaming with joy, that the whole bricks and tiles in his arms were revealed to everyone.

Perhaps due to the local clay, the bricks were surprisingly smooth and had a very pleasing shape.

Many of the young women watching from the sidelines instantly let out cries of delight.

Wu Yue and Yuan Lang stepped forward to take the bricks and tiles from Teng Kun’s arms. They were still faintly warm to the touch. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Yuan Lang took a brick in both hands and tried to snap it. The brick remained perfectly intact. His eyes lit up, and he applied more force.

Wu Yue noticed his actions, her own eyes filling with anticipation.

Only when he felt he was using eighty to ninety percent of his strength did the brick finally snap in two.

A clear smile spread across Yuan Lang’s lips. "This brick is incredibly hard."

Wu Yue nodded, an unstoppable smile spreading across her face as well.

’Of course it is,’ she thought. ’Any other brick she’d ever seen would have snapped on the first try against Yuan Lang’s strength.’

After all the bricks and tiles they had put in the day before were taken out, only two or three pieces had been ruined in the firing.

Everyone burst into cheers at such a high success rate.

"Yue, can you give these two broken pieces of pretty stone to me and Qingcao?"

Aya ran over, her face flushed and her eyes full of hope.