Favorite of the Beast-world: I Got Rich Through Farming-Chapter 25: The Food Is Clean, Not Dirty
Shana glared down at An Jin and snorted. "Everyone used to say you were a fool, and I believed them. Heh. I never thought you were hiding your true colors so well. How dare you overestimate yourself and try to seduce my Ling Hong!"
The large hand on her waist suddenly tightened, squeezing her uncomfortably. Shana immediately flew into a rage at the Wolf Beast. "What do you think you’re doing?! If you don’t want to hold me, then put me down! And don’t even think about seeing me again!"
Zuo Mi panicked and quickly apologized in a low voice, hiding the deep sense of injustice and frustration in his eyes, not daring to let her see.
Zuo Mi had always known Shana didn’t love him.
’But... why does my heart still sting with resentment every time I hear her mention that male who’s stronger than me?’
"Take this food. I’ll just get another portion." An Jin weighed her options. ’This situation is not good for me. It’s better to back down and compromise than to force a confrontation.’
’Otherwise, I might cause trouble for Ling Hong.’
’That’s the last thing I want.’
But An Jin didn’t realize that Shana was already seething with rage, treating her like the other woman and finding the very sight of her infuriating.
Shana immediately swung her arm, knocking the food to the ground.
"For me? What a joke! You think I need anything from you?! If you really wanted to give it to me, you would’ve done it sooner!"
Ever since she was a child, Shana had been doted on like a precious treasure by the tribe. The once cute and kind girl had become spoiled, gradually growing irritable, short-tempered, and completely out of control.
’Right now, her only regret was that her hand had hit the food and not the face of this shameless female!’
The precious food spilled onto the ground, getting covered in dirt.
The Old Beastman stumbled back a few steps. He was clearly angry, but he suppressed it, knowing better than to lash out.
A pained look flashed in Zuo Mi’s eyes, and his chest heaved.
’This... This precious food... It’s what we male Beastmen risk our lives for in the jungle, what we work day and night without sleep to bring back to the tribe for our families and mates...’
He shot a reproachful glance at Shana, but he was too afraid of her anger to say anything.
Zuo Mi had been pursuing Shana for so many years that he knew her personality like the back of his hand.
He was fairly certain Shana had started this whole scene and that the female before them had little to do with it. But he loved Shana too much; he had no choice but to take her side.
’The Shana of years past was so lively and cute. Every time I came back from a hunt, completely exhausted, she would always skip over and hand me a drink of clean water...’
"Shana, let’s go see the Witch Doctor first. We can deal with this afterward, okay?"
Zuo Mi’s voice was gentle as he tried to coax her, even giving her a way to back down gracefully. "Otherwise, if the wound gets worse, it might leave a scar."
But Shana didn’t appreciate his kind intentions. She snarled like a rabid dog, "What, are you disgusted with me now? Was everything you said about loving me a lie?!"
An Jin couldn’t stand to watch any longer. ’I wish I could just slap some sense into her.’
’A girl can be a little spoiled, that’s understandable. But to be this out of control... Even as another woman, I can’t stand it.’
"I already offered you the food. You’re the one who refused it and knocked it on the ground. You’re wasting the fruits of everyone’s labor! If I told the others about this, how do you think they’d look at you?!"
An Jin’s patience finally snapped. Suppressing her fury, she said, "As for the wound on your face, I can compensate you. But that is my final offer!"
The female was obviously frail and petite, but the sheer force of her aura in that instant made Shana flinch.
Shana was stunned for a moment before becoming even more furious. She yanked hard on Zuo Mi’s hair, her voice trembling despite its harshness. "Y-you’re just going to stand there and watch? After what she said to me, you’re not going to help? You’re useless! Do you really not want to be my mate anymore?!"
Several strands of his hair were torn out, but Zuo Mi remained as motionless as a stalwart warrior. A muscle in his cheek twitched, and he shot An Jin a deep, cold glance.
’This female... she’s different from before.’
’If this goes on, Shana will be the one to lose out. Wasting food is an act despised by the entire tribe.’
"Nana, your wound is what’s important..." Shana hammered on his muscular chest. Zuo Mi didn’t make a sound, his voice turning hoarse.
Only then did Shana remember she was injured. She hastily touched her face and felt the blood from the scrape. She let out a piercing shriek, "AHHH! I-I’m not going to be disfigured, am I? Zuo Mi, take me to the Witch Doctor! Hurry! Go now!!"
Her voice was thick with sobs. "SOB... If I’m really disfigured, I’ll never forgive Little Black Mud! If my face is ruined, how am I supposed to get Ling Hong..."
Zuo Mi’s body stiffened almost imperceptibly, but a Wolf Beast’s keen reflexes allowed him to recover so quickly that no one noticed.
"...I wouldn’t think any less of you," Zuo Mi said quietly.
"Think less of me? You have the nerve to think less of me?! You actually want my face to be ruined, don’t you?!"
Zuo Mi quickly lowered his head in apology.
He had thought his heartfelt words would make her happy, but he’d only earned himself a scolding.
Wolf Beasts were notoriously single-minded and not very good with sweet talk. Knowing he had misspoken, Zuo Mi clamped his mouth shut, not daring to make another sound.
Once Zuo Mi had carried Shana away, An Jin slowly retracted her gaze, her lips pressed into a thin line. ’So this is how low my status in the tribe is.’
’I’m a female who has done nothing wrong, yet not a single person was willing to stand up for me.’
’I can only rely on myself.’
An Jin crouched down, gathered the wild fruits and vegetable clumps that had rolled onto the ground, and wrapped them tightly in the animal hide once more.
Then, she picked up the fallen boar meat, ran outside, and carefully rinsed the dirt off in the river. She then placed it back in the hide and held the bundle to her chest.
The Old Beastman tried to stop her. "It’s dirty now. Females can’t eat soiled food. I’ll get you a new portion."
"It’s fine. It’s not dirty."
The young female smiled, revealing a row of small white teeth. "The dirt and river water here are unpolluted, they’re very clean. The fruit and meat will be fine after a quick wash."
The Old Beastman sighed. ’Such a good young female. What a pity she’s infertile...’
After she left, An Jin looked down at the food in her hands, and the smile she had put on earlier vanished, her expression growing cold.
Food was scarce in the Beast World.
In truth, food on 23rd-century Blue Star had been just as scarce.
The Beast World’s scarcity was due to a lack of technology; Blue Star’s was because of an overabundance of it.
The overdevelopment of technology had severely polluted the environment, driving many species to the brink of extinction. Purely natural, organic food that hadn’t been artificially cultivated had long since vanished from Blue Star in the 23rd century.
The world was on the verge of becoming a desert wasteland. That was why the people of her era had poured so much effort into developing space technology, desperately trying to find a new home for humanity.
