He carefully cradled the bundle of damp fibers in his palms and picked the black fungus and two plump spring bamboo shoots he had discovered earlier.
Like a hunter returning with a full load, he made his way back to the temporary campsite in the center of the bamboo forest.
At this point, the sunset's afterglow was slowly fading away, and the light among the bamboo was beginning to dim.
Lin Yu'an immediately began preparing for the night, first reigniting the slow-burning charcoal pile to light a bright bonfire, dispelling the night's chill and darkness.
He found several flat stones and built a small stonetop about half a meter above the flames. Though the stonetop could not be directly burned, it could steadily receive the intense heat of the fire.
Then he spread the damp nettle fibers evenly on the warm stonetop, sitting beside it like a patient baker overseeing his dough.
