Chapter 13: Lighting a Fire

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“According to research, a one-month-old tiger cub needs to eat at least about 50 grams of meat daily. Three tiger cubs combined would require roughly 150 grams.”
“And moreover…”
At this moment, everyone understood that the energy a living creature needs increases gradually as it grows.
These cubs might only require 150 grams of meat now, but as they grow, their needs will rise.
“If Nianqing wants to continue surviving, my suggestion is to give up on these three tiger cubs. They could even be considered emergency food reserves…”
The survival expert’s words were cruel, causing the directors and investors nearby to furrow their brows involuntarily.
These three tiger cubs looked incredibly adorable; humans always have a soft spot for cute things to some degree.
Especially just now, many had grown fond of these fluffy creatures.
The survival expert’s blunt suggestion to treat the cubs as food reserves stirred a pang of sympathy in them.
But the expert acted as if he saw nothing; even knowing they felt uneasy, he paid no mind.
At his level, he no longer needed to consider others’ feelings.
Besides, he was merely stating a rational and correct judgment.
…
Nianqing was unaware of what had happened outside. After a full night’s rest, her once-weary body gradually filled with energy.
The tiger cubs beside her had long since woken and sat quietly by her side, looking exceptionally well-behaved.
Perhaps because of their presence, she wasn’t troubled by mosquitoes during the night.
As the sun rose faintly, Nianqing opened her eyes to a new day.
She instructed the cubs to rest around the camp while she took a stone axe and ventured into the jungle.
She wanted to check the original spot and see if she could find any food along the way.
After an entire night, the wolf pack should have long since left.
Throughout the journey, she kept her species-identification skill active and found several edible plants.
She even discovered wild taro in a corner, but now wasn’t the right time to dig them up, so she simply marked the growing area.
While marking, she explained to the livestream audience,
“This area has wild taro, which can supplement basic carbohydrates and serve as backup food. But I want to check the original spot first to see if there’s any other food.”
Soon, she arrived at the place where the tigress had died. Only a few bones remained; everything else was gone.
Nianqing sighed and did not proceed further.
The law of the jungle: the strong prey on the weak.
The tigress lost to the wolf pack and became food.

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Soon she reached a stream. Along the way, Nianqing paid close attention but found no large freshwater sources nearby.
Drinking water would still require a trip here, which was somewhat distant.
She also spotted the fishing traps she had set. A large cluster of small fish had gathered around the net, though many were already dead.
Nianqing didn’t mind; she used several leaves to gather the small fish together.
She also collected some vines and carried them on her back.
Then she chopped down a palm tree with her axe and prepared its heart.
She ate while heading back.
Along the way, she saw many mushrooms, and after using species-identification…
“Oh my!
Red umbrella, white stalk, eating it will send you to the grave!”
Nianqing controlled the livestream robot and pointed the camera at these poisonous mushrooms.
“Everyone, if you get the chance, please do not eat wild mushrooms, especially when you don’t recognize them.”
These toxic mushrooms were very beautiful, with vibrant colors on their caps, making them highly eye-catching.
[Why can’t we eat them? They look so pretty; they must taste good.]
[Yeah, this is definitely better than nutrient fluids. Food is so scarce in the wild; why not eat them?]
[Is there some danger?]
[I looked it up. In ancient Earth, certain provinces had many mushrooms. It’s said some people who ate them had hallucinations and saw strange things.]
[Really? What did they see? I kind of want to try it.]
…
Nianqing was unaware that the viewers in the livestream were eager to try. She gave a sly smile to the audience.
“These mushrooms can be eaten, but it depends on the species. Some are harmless, but others you can only eat once in your lifetime.”
She continued, “There’s an old Earth rhyme: ‘Red umbrella, white stalk, eat it once and you’re laid to rest…’”
The livestream audience was startled.
[So this thing can’t be eaten? It’s poisonous?]
[Does medical technology in the interstellar era not have a cure? I really want to try it.]
[Do these ancient Earth mushrooms exist on other planets? I’m so curious.]
[Hey, don’t be too curious.]
…

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Nianqing returned to the shelter with her gathered items. The cubs immediately ran over, nudging her feet affectionately.
She took several small fish from the leaves and placed them before the cubs.
The three tiger cubs looked at her with puzzled eyes—they were still nursing and had never eaten meat before.
Yet, as they smelled the fish, their instincts began to awaken.
They gently bit the small fish on the ground with their tiny milk teeth.
Once they tasted it, they started tearing and chewing vigorously.
Their strength was still weak, so eating the small fish took a long time.
Nianqing organized the things she brought back and spread the tinder she collected yesterday under the sun to dry.
The humidity by the sea was too high, making fire-starting very difficult.
Even with lots of tinder collected, the moisture was still a challenge.
Nianqing searched nearby for tools to start a fire by friction.
Soon, she found handy tools near the bamboo grove. The cubs finished eating the small fish, licking their lips in satisfaction.
They resumed playing around the shelter.
The cubs pounced on each other, seemingly practicing hunting skills.
Nianqing placed the fire-starting tools under the sun to dry and headed back into the jungle to search for more food.
A few days ago, she had seen many rabbits in the jungle and noticed several rabbit holes on the way.
She planned to set some simple traps there.
She soon found frequented rabbit paths and used vines to make several basic hunting traps.
On the way back, she dug up some wild taro.
By the time she finished, the heat of the day was at its peak.
Back at the shelter, the tools on the stone slab had dried considerably.
Using hemp rope and two sticks, Nianqing made a simple rotary fire-starting tool and began working on the fire.
No one knew how long it took; the livestream viewers grew increasingly impatient watching the spinning motion.
Just then, Nianqing stopped and carefully transferred the sparks onto her prepared tinder.
Faint orange flames slowly rose, astonishing everyone watching the livestream.
Fire—the source of human life—had appeared!