Chapter 346: Chapter 346

The Wood-based Ability slowly seeped into the land. She could almost hear the joyous cheers of the plants! As her Wood-based Ability infused the land, the cotton plants seemed to awaken. They sprouted, shot up, and grew wildly, transforming into sturdy little trees. Then, one by one, the cotton bolls burst open. The sight was exceptionally spectacular! All the males witnessing this were dumbfounded. In a single day, they had seen the entire process: loosening the soil, sowing seeds, the plants growing, and then maturing. It felt like a dream. This Wood-based Ability is too powerful!

Si Yan smiled and said, "Everyone, please help pick the cotton balls."

"Alright!" the males exclaimed, spirits high, and together they began to pick the cotton balls.

After a large pile of cotton balls was placed inside the tavern, the males began to pull and fluff them according to Si Yan’s instructions. Truth be told, the process of pulling and fluffing the cotton balls was quite enjoyable. Tufts of white cotton flew into the air, and the cubs suddenly grew excited. They pulled at the cotton while leaping about, trying to catch the drifting fibers, playing joyfully.

Si Yan drew a diagram aside and had Wang make several spindles. The Beastmen looked on curiously. Si Yan recalled the spinning lessons from her childhood handicraft classes. She wound the fluffed cotton around a slender wooden rod, removed it once wrapped, then picked up a spindle and more cotton. Her nimble hands began to move.

The males gathered closer to watch her spin. Si Yan explained as she worked, "Spinning requires a bit of patience. First, we need to fluff the cotton balls. Then, spread the fluff into small, thin sheets, wrap them around a wooden rod, and remove them. This makes the actual spinning a little easier. When spinning, it’s ," she demonstrated, "you use the spindle to draw out the thread. If it breaks, just reconnect it like so, twist it together, and continue spinning."

"Once we’ve spun a full spindle of cotton thread, we take it off and place it in this basket here. Then, we’ll wash the cotton thread to remove any dust. Later, I’ll make a loom. When we have enough thread, we’ll weave it into fabric. Cotton fabric is soft and comfortable. We can also stuff a lot of cotton into linings to make thick quilts and clothes, so we’ll have warm bedding and garments when deep winter arrives."

With cotton clothes and quilts, we should be able to stay much warmer during the deep winter,

She directly copied the loom’s breakdown diagram. After the snake Beastmen memorized it, they headed to the forest to cut wood and build one.

The other Beastmen followed Si Yan’s example, sitting on the tavern floor to spin thread. However, this was a challenge for the stronger Beastmen. They could chop down trees, haul massive logs, hunt, process hides, and carry enormous prey back home, but such delicate work as spinning thread was incredibly strenuous for them. For them, tackling spinning was like going into battle. Jin Tong bit into a small section of successfully spun cotton thread and yanked it haphazardly. Veins bulged on Tai Seng’s forehead as he struggled fruitlessly with his spindle. The three Jin brothers and Gao Gui looked utterly defeated, clutching their spindles as if they were wrestling ferocious beasts!

Seeing the males in utter agony as they battled the spinning thread, Si Yan suggested with a smile, "Perhaps we should hire some weaker Beastmen to help with spinning and weaving?"

Several Beastmen, entangled in cotton and struggling with their spindles, immediately leaped up. A defeated Jin Tong exclaimed, "Yes, yes! Let’s hurry and find some weaker Beastmen who can spin!"

Wang then took the wood and carefully shaped the pieces according to the diagram Si Yan had provided. While Si Yan studied the plans nearby, Wang assembled the loom.

After Jin Tong and the others hurried out, they soon returned with a large group of more than a dozen weaker Beastmen. Si Yan was astounded. "Where did you find so many weaker Beastmen?"

Jin Tong sniffled. "Never mind that! Just get them spinning!"

As the weaker Beastmen learned to spin and weave, one remarked, "The Golden Dragon Clan is truly generous! A Green Crystal for just one day’s work! Where else could you find such a good job?"

"Work hard and learn well. You must earn the wages you receive, understand?" another encouraged.

The weaker Beastmen had joyful expressions. Their fingers were nimble, and they picked up spinning quickly. They were also very patient, and each thread they spun was even and soft.

"I’ll take these to wash," Tai Seng offered. He then washed the spun thread and hung it up to dry, waiting for it to be ready for weaving.

While the Delusional Tavern was bustling with activity, Grey Parrot and Bai Feng arrived together. One was a sage from Myriad Beasts City, and the other was High Priest Bai Feng; both were individuals of high status. Their arrival immediately sent a wave of excitement and joy through the Beastmen in the tavern.

"Oh my! The Delusional Tavern is truly worth visiting! I actually got to see Sage Grey Parrot and High Priest Bai Feng!"

"I never thought the High Priest would come too! Is he here for a drink?"

The moment Grey Parrot reached Si Yan, he was full of enthusiasm. "Sage Si Yan," he asked curiously, "what is all this you have here?"

Si Yan explained everything item by item. "This is cotton. After fluffing it, we use a spindle to spin it into cotton thread. Wang has already built a simple wooden spinning machine over there. Later, once the machine is threaded, we can weave the thread into cloth. Cotton fabric is very comfortable. In winter, it can be made into warm cotton clothing, and in summer, into light, breathable shirts that absorb sweat."

Grey Parrot’s eyes lit up. "Wonderful! This is truly wonderful! Can we learn how to do this?"

Si Yan smiled. "Of course, you can."

Grey Parrot exclaimed, "That’s fantastic! I want to help too. This old man can pick it up while working, right?"

Si Yan chuckled. "No problem at all. Go ahead. If you get tired, I have wine and meat here for you."

After settling Grey Parrot in, Si Yan went aside to sort out the cotton seeds that had fallen from the processed cotton.

However, just then, the Delusional Tavern welcomed two uninvited guests.

"If you hadn’t insisted I come, I wouldn’t have set foot in this place," a female Golden Dragon’s voice sneered from the tavern entrance. "Look at this! A wooden house? Truly the work of a country bumpkin—not even a speck of gold used. And this color is hideous!" Beside her stood a formidable, powerfully built middle-aged male Golden Dragon.

The male Golden Dragon said, his voice firm, "Regardless, Si Yan is our young female, a member of the Golden Dragon Clan. It’s unseemly for a Golden Dragon Clan female to be stranded out here. Whether she wants to return or not, we must take her back."

"And to think she actually bullied Jin Yao!" the female Golden Dragon added. "It’s outrageous!"