The Plant Master Becomes A Mute Sub-Beast: Farming And Laying Eggs

Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Cold Watermelon Juice and Raspberry Ice Cream

After the beastman guards left, Kaelen placed Oliver on the bed and said to Ryder and Finnick:

"No more hot food now, Papa will make the two dishes you wanted for dinner, okay? You two watch over your younger brother, Papa is going to milk the goat and make you guys a cold treat."

The two children naturally knew their younger brother was uncomfortable and prioritized him above all else, so whatever their Papa made, they would eat it.

After giving the children his instructions, Kaelen grabbed a wooden bucket and went outside.

To make it convenient to raise the three children, the caravan brought along two female goats in their milking prime this time. Currently, the goats were tied near the riverbank, where there were lush grassy fields.

Seeing Kaelen approaching with a bucket, the two goats bleated and nuzzled their muzzles into his palm. Kaelen smiled and fed each of them a fruit candy. After finishing their candies, the two goats stood still for Kaelen to milk them.

After filling a bucket, Kaelen carried the milk back for processing. Several Sub-Beasts, who were pretending to focus on washing clothes by the river, only nudged each other and spoke in low voices after Kaelen had left:

"Why do they have to wear masks? It looks so weird."

"You don’t understand. When Sub-Beasts wear masks outside, it is for self-defense, and also to prevent their skin from getting tanned. As for beastmen, it is probably to boost morale. Anyway, just them wearing masks and standing still in one spot is enough to scare me to death."

"This is the first time I’ve known that goats can be raised. Look how obediently they stood still for him to take their milk."

"I heard their tribe even raises cattle to plow the land instead of beastmen, and to transport goods. They also raise chickens, ducks, pigs, rabbits... Even in winter, there is always fresh meat and eggs to eat."

"They even cook with ceramic pots and bowls, and drink water from ceramic cups. Their tribe must be very wealthy!"

A young Sub-Beast said softly with admiration:

"Not just that. The Sub-Beasts in their tribe are all fragrant and clean, wearing cloth garments, with their hair neat, smooth, and free of lice. I heard them tell stories that the younglings in their tribe even get to go to school. When will our tribe ever be like that?"

An older Sub-Beast, who was present at the root sorting area at noon, immediately answered him: "Soon. That captain and the Priest’s disciple said they would teach our tribe that precious knowledge. They are truly very kind."

All along both sides of the riverbank were joyful voices, while over at the tribe’s side, Kaelen had arrived with the milk. At this time, that Ice-attribute beastman also hurriedly ran over.

Panting heavily, he asked urgently: "Pr... Lord Cael, did you call for me for an emergency?"

Kaelen laughed: "No emergency, Taran, I want to make a delicious treat and need the assistance of your Divine Energy."

This beastman named Taran belonged to the White Bear clan and was one of the one hundred and seventy-two outcasts brought back by Draven and Walter that time. He had just run all the way here from the sugar beet cutting area, hastily preparing for combat thinking there was a major incident, but it turned out... just to make food?

But because the one giving the order was the High Priest whom he deeply revered, Taran quickly retracted his killing intent and obediently nodded: "Just give the order, how should I do it?"

Kaelen wasn’t in a hurry to make the ice cream right away. He placed the bucket of still-warm goat’s milk on the table, then walked to the corner of the tent where Oliver was lying flat on a rattan mat.

"Ryder, get Papa a watermelon from your dimension," Kaelen turned to tell the little mouse.

"Yes, Papa!" Ryder’s eyes lit up, his small hand waving. A dark green striped watermelon, as big and round as a person’s embrace, immediately fell onto the wooden table with a "thud".

Kaelen used a sharp bone knife to make a decisive slice. The sound of the melon rind cracking open resounded crisply, revealing the bright red, juicy flesh and jet-black seeds. The sweet, refreshing fragrance of a vine-ripened watermelon immediately wafted throughout the tent, dissipating a bit of the suffocating midday heat.

He quickly peeled off the green rind, dicing the melon flesh into small pieces. Taking out a hand press, he lined a piece of coarse cloth underneath, then placed the melon inside and squeezed the handle tightly. This wooden press was made by Cassian for Kaelen, based on the principle of the lemon squeezer he used in his previous life. The only difference was that it also combined the mechanism of an oil press, making it larger and able to extract water more thoroughly.

However, lacking a stainless steel mesh to separate the pulp, Kaelen could only line it with a layer of cloth to prevent the fruit pulp from mixing into the juice.

"Taran, press both of your hands against the outside of this ceramic bowl." After pressing the entire watermelon, Kaelen directed: "Transmit a very gentle and slow amount of cold aura. Remember, I do not need you to freeze it solid! Just make this bowl icy cold, so the melon juice inside becomes as refreshing as winter spring water."

Taran was dumbfounded for two seconds. His Ice-attribute Divine Energy had previously only been used to condense ice spears to kill enemies, freeze magical beasts, or at most, freeze hunted meat. Aaron also often told him to condense a bowl of ice to place in his room for cool air, but this was the first time someone told him to cool down fruit juice!

Does cooling down fruit juice make it taste better?

Although puzzled, Taran still pressed his hands against the ceramic bowl, carefully controlling his Divine Energy. In just a few blinks of an eye, a layer of misty white frost condensed on the outside of the bowl, and drops of cold water formed and trailed down. The bright red watermelon juice inside emitted an icy, refreshing coolness.

Kaelen scooped a small spoonful to test the temperature first; seeing that the coolness was just right and suitable for children to drink, he then scooped a small bowl of watermelon juice and brought it right to Oliver’s mouth: "Here, Oliver, be good, take a sip."

Oliver obediently sat up, sluggishly opened his mouth, and slurped a mouthful of melon juice. The moment the sweet, shiver-inducing cold liquid washed over his tongue, slid down his throat, and spread into his stomach, the little Sub-Beast’s eyes instantly snapped wide open! The hot, stifling feeling in his chest from earlier was completely washed away, just like a summer downpour!

"So... so cold! It is so delicious, Papa!" Oliver suddenly had energy; he lifted the bone bowl with his own hands and gulped it all down. If it weren’t for Taran being here, he would definitely transform back into his half-snake form and repeatedly slap his tail on the bed.

Ryder and Finnick standing nearby also swallowed their saliva loudly. Kaelen burst out laughing, portioned a full bowl for each of them, and didn’t forget to hand Taran a large bowl:

"Try some, you can make it for yourself in the future."

Taran took a sip of the melon juice. The icy cold feeling immediately flooded his oral cavity, then slid down his throat. The sweltering summer heat was also somewhat alleviated.

Kaelen then drew small squares on the ground and said to Taran: "Try imagining square ice cubes like this, about the size of two fingers, and put them in the bowl of juice to try. Just make three or four cubes."

Taran looked at the drawing on the ground, then hovered his hand over the rim of the bowl, following Kaelen’s instructions.

Plink plonk~ Clink clank~

The sounds of ice cubes falling into the water and clinking against the sides of the bowl rang out one by one; four square ice cubes were sitting neatly in the bowl of watermelon juice. Without needing a reminder from Kaelen, Taran proactively picked up the watermelon juice and drank it. Instantly, his eyes lit up brightly:

"Even colder than just now!"

Kaelen nodded: "Exactly, because it was for the children to drink earlier, I only chilled it. When adults drink it, they can add ice, but one shouldn’t drink too much either, otherwise, they will get a sore throat."

He scooped two more bowls, asked Taran to add more ice, then personally carried them outside and handed them to the two beastman guards standing watch. The two guards were moved to tears, thinking the High Priest was truly generous; even when having delicious food, he didn’t forget them.

After delivering the juice, Kaelen went inside. He hadn’t forgotten his main purpose. Taking a basket full of raspberries that the Cinder tribe’s Sub-Beasts had left ready in the room, he squeezed the fruit juice into a ceramic pot.

The raspberries themselves were already sweet, so Kaelen didn’t add sugar. He just kept stirring gently until the raspberry juice thickened like jam. After finishing the jam, he poured it into a clean ceramic basin specifically used for cooking, and scooped a small portion into a bamboo cup to drizzle over the ice cream. Then, he poured the freshly milked goat’s milk into the pot, heating it up slowly.

While Kaelen was cooking the jam and milk, the four people in the room, including the three children and Taran, had finished their watermelon juice and still wanted to drink a little more. They borrowed Kaelen’s fruit press to squeeze a few more types of fruits that Ryder had hidden in his dimension.

Kaelen obliged them but still cautioned: "Drink less, or else you will not be able to eat the new treat later."

The four of them nodded repeatedly, genuinely only drinking another half bowl of cold fruit juice.

At this point, the milk in the pot had reached the necessary warmth. Kaelen added a bit of condensed butter and stirred until it completely dissolved. He turned off the stove and slowly poured the buttered milk into the ceramic basin containing the raspberry jam.

After mixing the mixture thoroughly, Kaelen took a larger basin, placed the basin of raspberry milk inside, and poured cool water into the large basin so the water level just touched the rim of the small basin.

"Taran, you have a job now. Please freeze the water in this large basin for me. Remember to only freeze the water in the large basin."

This was as easy as pie for Taran. He stood opposite Kaelen, squatted down so his face was level with the basin, then pressed his hands against the side of the basin. The water in the basin slowly precipitated, then froze into a layer of misty white ice.

At this moment, Kaelen immediately used his bamboo whisk and started stirring frantically, so fast it created afterimages.

Before the eyes of Taran and the children, which widened so much they almost fell out, the pinkish-purple liquid in the basin suddenly... puffed up, became fluffy, and then congealed into a thick, smooth, cloud-like mass, exactly like newly solidified lamb fat!

"Done!"

After a while, Kaelen flicked his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Proudly, he used a wooden spoon to scoop a deep circle. A round, glossy pinkish-purple scoop of ice cream, emitting a cold vapor, was carefully placed into Oliver’s most beloved glass bowl. After drizzling a bit of runny jam and sticking a small spoon into it, he handed it to Oliver.

Oliver couldn’t wait any longer and immediately pinched a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth. The moment the ice cream touched the tip of his tongue, the little Sub-Beast was so ecstatic his entire body gave a jump, and his eyes squinted into two thin lines!

"Mhm, so cold and soft, melting as soon as it enters my mouth~ And sweet and sour too~"

Finnick and Ryder couldn’t help but urge Kaelen. Kaelen brought out their two glass bowls and scooped a ball of ice cream for each of them.

"Delicious... so delicious my tail could fall off, Papa!!" Oliver, Ryder, and Finnick scooped continuously. Their chubby cheeks were smeared with pinkish-purple ice cream, and they smiled brightly with happiness.

Kaelen burst out laughing. He took the ceramic bowl that Taran had just used for the watermelon juice, scooped two balls of ice cream for him, drizzled jam on top, and handed him a spoon. He scooped two more bowls, and Taran immediately took the initiative to help him carry them outside.

Kaelen didn’t refuse; he himself also scooped two balls of ice cream and leisurely sat down on a chair to enjoy it.

As expected of a product made by his own hands; it was both smooth and fine, almost on par with modern ice cream!