March 15th, the rain became more frequent, often lasting several days at a time, and the water levels in the creeks and rivers were rising rapidly.
"Huff, huff..."
Under the eaves of the bamboo hut, Jiang Xuan was diligently using the Bone Plow to dig drainage ditches, along with Chi Shao and others doing the same.
With the increase in rain, water could easily accumulate under the eaves, and without drainage ditches, their bamboo hut would be damp everywhere.
Fortunately, the top of the bamboo hut was covered with two thick layers of bark, and since it was newly built, there weren't many leaks.
After finishing the drainage ditches around the bamboo hut, the rainwater flowed back towards the creek along the ditches.
Due to the rain, muddy water from the mountain flowed into the creeks, making the creek water very turbid and increasing the flow rate.
Jiang Xuan wiped the rain off his face, washed the Bone Plow, and went back inside the bamboo hut.
"Everyone, have some ginger tea."
Because of digging drainage ditches in the rain, all five of them got wet. Even though they were now One-Color Warriors with stronger physiques, Jiang Xuan was still worried about catching a cold from the rain and had prepared ginger tea in advance using a Pottery Jar.
Jiang Xuan used thick bamboo husks to hold the hot Pottery Jar and poured a bowl of ginger tea for everyone.
The ginger was wild ginger, with a strong flavor and no sugar added, making the tea quite unpalatable.
However, the tribe's people were pretty adaptable, having eaten even worse things before, so drinking a bowl of ginger tea was nothing to them.
Soon, they all finished their bowls of ginger tea.
Another Pottery Jar contained bamboo shoots stewed with Big Horned Sheep meat, which had been stewing for a long time, and Jiang Xuan took some meat from the jar with chopsticks to eat.
As the weather warmed and with more rain, the bamboo shoots in the bamboo forest shot up crazily, and even inside the bamboo hut, bamboo shoots occasionally emerged from the ground.
These bamboo shoots naturally became food and were good for stewing with meat.
After drinking ginger tea, eating the meat, and warming up by the fire, their bodies quickly became warm, and the damp cold feeling from the rain was swept away, uplifting their spirits.
Gou Teng complained, "It's raining every day, and we can't go hunting. The creek water has risen so much that the fish traps we dug before are submerged and completely unusable."
Jiang Xuan looked up at the Big Horned Sheep meat being smoked over the fire pit and said, "It's okay, this meat is enough to last us for a while, plus we have plenty of fish, we won't go hungry."
The others nodded, and the meat hanging over the fire pit was their reassurance because the feeling of hunger was really awful.
"It's not that we can't go hunting at all."
Chi Shao suddenly looked outside the bamboo hut and said, "Rain has its advantages; some prey like to come out during rainy days."
Putting down his bowl, Chi Shao suddenly picked up a long spear and walked outside the bamboo hut.
"Ribbit..."
A loud frog croak suddenly sounded, echoing through the bamboo forest, loud and clear.
"Frog!"
Jiang Xuan's eyes lit up, and he immediately grabbed his spear and followed Chi Shao outside.
As the two ran out, Gou Teng, Shi Qiu, and Nan Xing also grabbed their spears and rushed out.
Outside the bamboo hut, on a newly cultivated field, there was a giant frog the size of a washbasin, squatting there, using its tongue to eat insects emerging from the ground.
This was a Rock Frog.
Its body was bluish-gray, looking like a rock from a distance, hence the name Rock Frog.
After days of rain, the soil was soaked, and the underground insects couldn't take it anymore, emerging to the surface, becoming a feast for the Rock Frog.
Jiang Xuan and the others also ate quite a few insects that emerged on rainy days.
Perhaps to avoid the rain, various insects, both large and small, fled towards the bamboo hut, some climbing the walls, and even some going inside.
For Jiang Xuan, there was no reason to reject these foods that came to him; as long as it was edible, they caught all of them and roasted them for food.
Similarly, on rainy days, for frogs not afraid of water, hunting insects became easier, making it a carnival day for them.
Of course, they didn't expect to become food themselves.
Chi Shao didn't rush at the Rock Frog but crouched down instead, waving a hand behind him to signal Jiang Xuan and the others to slow down.
Frogs were also part of the tribe's diet.
The process of hunting over long years allowed them to develop many strategies for dealing with various prey.
Frogs had very poor vision and could clearly perceive and avoid fast-moving objects.
The slower the movement, or an entirely still object, the harder it was for them to see clearly.
Thus, Chi Shao moved very slowly, inching closer to the Rock Frog.
When Chi Shao felt she was close enough to the Rock Frog to stab it with her spear, she made her move.
"Whoosh!"
Chi Shao suddenly accelerated, raising her spear and stabbing it towards the washbasin-sized Rock Frog.
At this moment, the Rock Frog wanted to turn and hop away but was too late. It could only jump sideways with all its might.
However, Chi Shao was quick, stabbing it in the back before it could leap, preventing the Rock Frog from jumping.
"Ribbit..."
The Rock Frog stretched its four legs, struggling desperately.
Chi Shao pulled out a Stone Knife from her waist and stabbed it in the back of the head, causing its limbs to stretch straight, clearly unable to survive.
"What a big frog!"
Jiang Xuan, who had caught up, exclaimed. In this world, whether insects or animals, everything was enormous.
Chi Shao grasped one of the Rock Frog's legs, hoisting it up and said, "This is considered small; I heard from older members of the Hunting Team that they once caught a Rock Frog with legs thicker than a human's leg."
How big would that be? Just imagining it left Jiang Xuan stunned.
The three young men were also filled with longing, wishing they could catch such a big Rock Frog themselves.
"Let's head back."
Chi Shao grabbed the washbasin-sized Rock Frog and walked back, with Jiang Xuan and the three young men following behind with excitement, not even caring about the rain.
After returning to the bamboo hut, Chi Shao exerted force with the Stone Knife to cut open the belly of the Rock Frog, removing the intestines and organs, which Jiang Xuan threw into the pond to feed the carnivorous fish.
Afterward, Chi Shao divided and skewered the frog's legs and body with sticks, setting them over the fire to roast.
Under the high heat, the frog meat turned from white to the color of roasted meat, with the fat sizzling and popping.
The Rock Frog's meat had a unique feature: it contained a special fat that, when roasted, smelled incredibly fragrant, making mouths water just smelling it.
"Smells amazing!"
Jiang Xuan couldn't resist tearing off a piece of meat from the roasted section and stuffing it into his mouth.
It was a texture entirely different from regular animal meat.
Roasted Rock Frog meat was exceptionally tender and had little fishy taste, so even without seasoning, one bite left a lasting impression.
"A worldly delicacy!"
Jiang Xuan marveled after swallowing the frog meat.
Chi Shao laughed, "If you find it tasty, eat more; that big one is enough for the five of us to have a hearty meal."
Once the Rock Frog was thoroughly roasted, the five of them dug in with gusto. Jiang Xuan especially chomped down on a huge frog leg, thoroughly enjoying himself.
With their great strength and large appetites, they devoured the Rock Frog, even the size of a millstone, leaving nothing. Eventually, they also ate some Big Horned Sheep meat before stopping.