In times of chaos and famine, I traded one pound of rice for two royal flushes.

If the prediction of an impending beast tide was made by someone else, Chu Wu would most likely just take it as a joke.

Even well-informed government officials cannot predict every beast tide.

Sometimes even the government is unaware that a beast tide has occurred!

Because these beasts are truly ruthless, as long as no one survives and no one goes out to report the crime, the government will not be able to know the news immediately.

When large-scale beast tides often occurred, the emperor would hold a grand sacrificial ceremony to repent for his sins.

Of course, this is just a show put on for the public.

The ones who can truly deal with the beast tide are the fully armored and organized soldiers; they can crush the entire beast tide.

Ultimately, even the most powerful beast tide is still just flesh and blood, unable to withstand weapons forged from steel.

But if a beast tide were to break out this year, Chu Wu dared not imagine what the consequences would be.

The Great Wei Dynasty was already teetering on the brink of collapse, with various forces stirring up trouble, and the beast tide was the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Then the world will be in chaos, and famine will be everywhere!

After thinking it over carefully, Chu Wu finally asked.

"Brother Qin, how confident are you about this?"

Qin Shaolang stroked his chin, deep in thought.

What he possessed was knowledge that people in this world did not have—a knowledge of global climate change and of nature that was extremely limited in the feudal era.

Early cold weather means that herbivores will have difficulty breeding in sufficient numbers and will not have time to store enough food for the winter.

When herbivores suffer a severe blow, the large carnivores in the area will try to expand their territory in order to obtain more food.

Wild animals, squeezed out by the entire ecosystem and destined to be eliminated, will then target the people in the village.

If the number of these animals becomes too large and they invade human territory in large numbers, it will naturally lead to a beast tide.

The only problem was that Qin Shaolang didn't know whether the wild animals in the mountains were able to eat their fill and have enough fat to survive the winter.

He lacked the ability to venture deep into the mountains and forests, so naturally he had no way of obtaining accurate information.

"Never mind all that, let's prepare a plan first. Didn't you tell me yesterday that the weather has been getting colder earlier and earlier these past few years?"

"Even if we don't prepare this year, we have to prepare next year. If we plan ahead, we won't suffer losses in a panic."

Chu Wu pondered for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes, Brother Qin makes a good point."

The two of them carefully planned the construction of the famous cave dwelling right in front of the stove fire.

During this time, someone came outside, carrying a pound of meat in one hand, and limped over to apologize.

He knelt outside the door for a long time until he received Su Jin's forgiveness. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief and walk back into the village with a limp and a pale face.

In the blink of an eye, half a day had passed.

The wind howled outside. Inside the house, Chu Wu threw firewood into the campfire and picked his teeth with his fingers.

"Brother Qin's pheasant is so delicious! It's even better than the best chicken I've ever eaten! Did you used to be a chef? Otherwise, how could you make it so good?"

Qin Shaolang simply smiled slightly.

"I've seen a lot, so I've learned a bit."

Although Chu Wu praised it to the skies, and Su Jin and Su Tang enjoyed the meal, Qin Shaolang was the only one who was not satisfied with his cooking.

What good food could they get in this era?

It's simply that expectations are too low; when they come across something that tastes good, they're blown away.

However, for Qin Shaolang, this beggar's chicken was a bit of a failure.

Because it was a wild pheasant, the meat was too firm, resulting in a lack of the smooth and tender texture of the beggar's chicken from before the time travel.

Even with the same preparation method, different ingredients can have a significant impact on the taste and texture.

In addition, the salt here had a slightly strange taste, which made his dining experience very unpleasant.

"This pheasant meat is very chewy. If you stir-fry it, it would make a great appetizer with drinks."

Qin Shaolang's mind started conjuring up ideas for the next meal.

Then I put the thought out of my mind.

"Chu Wu, it's settled then. Have your men come over tomorrow to start the work. I can guarantee their food. As for wages, we'll have to wait until we kill that white-browed tiger, or some other wild animal, and hand it over to the authorities before we can pay them."

Chu Wu laughed heartily.

"Brother Qin, what are you saying? They can rest peacefully while building this earthen kiln, especially since the land where the construction is taking place is on your land. They're just helping out, so it's already kind of us to let them stay here without asking them for money."

Since the decision was made to build an earthen kiln, the location naturally had to be chosen carefully.

Qin Shaolang found some relevant parts in his predecessor's memories and unexpectedly discovered a good place.

Because of his frail health, but being the only doctor in the village, the villagers used to take good care of him.

However, due to various reasons, it later turned into a joke.

There was a piece of land under the name of the predecessor, next to a mound. The whole mountain was not very high, only about 20 meters high from the foot to the top.

Apart from this mound, the surrounding area for at least several hundred meters is flat land.

The entire mound is not large, but it is extremely steep, with only one narrow path that can be climbed using both hands and feet.

The location is suitable, and most importantly, there is a spring at the foot of this mound.

It directly solved the major problem of water access.

In addition, once the earthen kiln is completed, Qin Shaolang plans to level the hilltop and build it directly into a fortress.

Then we'll hollow out the entire mountain to store enough food and weapons.

Once this fortress is completed, not only will those wild beasts be unable to take it down, but even government troops will be unable to do so without the use of large siege weapons.

Thinking of that piece of land gave Qin Shaolang a greater sense of confidence.

This can be considered one of the few benefits left by its predecessor.

"Let's start preparations tomorrow. If we dig the kiln together, it should be finished in three to five days. We can also take this opportunity to work things out and keep watch over the place in case Er Mazi causes trouble."

Chu Wu nodded vigorously.

"Okay, I'll follow Brother Qin's arrangements."

The two chatted idly until late at night.

In the still of the night, Er Mazi led ten exhausted hunters, supporting each other as they drove down the mountain.

Everyone had some kind of injury.

Seeing the village in front of him, Er Mazi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Damn it, that bastard is getting smarter and smarter."

Er Mazi never expected that the white-browed tiger would not attack when they gathered, but instead lay prostrate by the roadside on the way back to the village, waiting.

This road is a dangerous pass that restricts the white-browed tiger from entering the village.

But it is also the only road back to the village.