Very tactfully, she did not ask how Hayoon had processed the hemp fibers and instead changed the subject.
"Oh right, yesterday I tried cooking using the method you taught us, and it really tasted much better."
Hayoon smiled. "Really? That's great."
Sulyeon laughed. "And something interesting happened too. Now the entire tribe knows Tangroot stir-fried with Rockmon's meat is delicious. Beastmen, sub-beastmen, even the cubs have all gone out digging Tangroot across the mountains. It's hilarious."
Hayoon's eyes curved with amusement as well. "Then do you all have enough Tangroot? I still have a lot left here. Everyone helped me gather them on the day we reinforced the cave, so you can take some."
Sulyeon quickly waved her hands. "No need, no need. My family already gathered plenty. Besides, Tangroot grows quickly. In a couple of days, there'll be more than enough again."
Hayoon nodded. "Alright then. But if you ever need any, just come to me."
"Okay. Then I'll head back and make breakfast."
After Sulyeon left, the other sub-beastmen who had taken hemp fibers from Hayoon yesterday gradually arrived as well, each bringing back spun thread for her.
Everyone expressed amazement and admiration toward the thread.
Some beauty-loving sub-beastmen even offered to trade supplies for part of the hemp thread, but Hayoon refused.
"I need this batch of thread for now. Once I have more available later, we can trade."
The sub-beastman nodded eagerly. "Mm-hm! Then it's a promise!"
Just like Sulyeon, none of them asked about the method she used to process the hemp fibers.
After everyone left, Hayoon looked at the bundles upon bundles of thread and felt deeply touched.
She called out to Haeun and Minho, "Come over here. I'll explain how to use the backstrap loom."
Haeun had been waiting for exactly those words.
"Okay!!"
However, Minho did not move.
Instead, he looked at her and shook his head refused seriously.
"This weaving method is far too valuable. It should be enough to support you and your brother. You shouldn't teach it to me."
Hayoon: "..."
He had probably misunderstood it as some kind of secret technique.
Although, in this primitive beast world, she might actually be the only person who knew how to weave using a backstrap loom.
The cloth produced from it could undoubtedly be exchanged for large amounts of supplies.
But Hayoon had her own thoughts.
The efficiency of a backstrap loom was still far too low.
With only her and Haeun weaving, their production capacity would never be enough.
Besides, compared to more advanced looms, the backstrap loom would eventually become obsolete anyway.
And Minho had taken her and Haeun in, provided them with food and shelter, and had never once asked them to repay him with supplies.
Hayoon genuinely appreciated his kindness from the bottom of her heart.
So instead of insisting on teaching Minho how to weave, she looked directly into his red eyes and asked, "Then do you want cloth? Haeun and I alone can't possibly weave that much. If I provide the hemp thread, would you be willing to weave it yourself? As long as you don't spread the weaving method for now, that's enough."
Minho pressed his lips together silently. Beneath his silver-white eyelashes, his red eyes looked deep and unreadable.
Hayoon sighed softly and continued persuading him.
"You saved Haeun and me, and I don't really have any supplies to repay you with. I honestly feel very bad about it."
Unlike Haeun's beast form, Hayoon had inherited traits from her late mother and could transform wolf ears and a wolf tail.
Whenever she pleaded with someone, her eyes would unconsciously become slightly rounder. Her dark pupils widened while the corners of her eyes drooped slightly downward.
Faced with such gentle and harmless puppy-like eyes, Minho paused for a moment before finally saying quietly, "Thank you. I'll pay you with supplies."
Hayoon immediately smiled brightly. "We can talk about that later. Come on, come on. Time waits for no one."
Facts proved that Minho was extremely intelligent.
Even though he was a beastman more skilled at hunting, after Hayoon explained the principles of the backstrap loom once, he immediately understood it. Looking at the few simple wooden sticks on the ground, his eyes even brightened slightly.
He also learned weaving very quickly.
The cloth he produced had very few flaws and was more than good enough for everyday use.
Hayoon secretly muttered to herself: He does everything else so well, so why is his cooking so terrible?
Compared to Minho, Haeun struggled much more.
He worked carelessly and constantly made mistakes while weaving.
But he never backed down. Instead, he would blush, undo the cloth he had woven incorrectly, and start over again.
Hayoon could tell he was not particularly suited for this kind of work, so she suggested several times that he go out and play. Each time, he stubbornly shook his head and refused to leave.
"Sis, let me try a little more. I'm just not skilled enough yet."
His maturity made Hayoon's heart ache a little.
So, she gently said, "Alright. Then if something feels wrong, come ask me to take a look."
Fortunately, there were still small household chores like gathering firewood, fetching water, and washing dishes.
Hayoon assigned those tasks to Haeun instead.
Every time she did, Haeun would visibly relax and happily run off to do them.
Rain continued falling outside, leaving only Minho and Hayoon beneath the grass shelter once again.
The two of them quietly wove cloth side by side, barely speaking.
Over the next several days, whenever they had free time from morning until night, the two of them devoted themselves completely to the backstrap loom.
Including the pieces Haeun managed to weave, they eventually produced two large pieces and one smaller piece of hemp cloth, three pieces in total.
The hemp cloth carried a faint silver-white color.
It felt smooth and soft to the touch, carrying the coolness of a rainy summer day.
When smelled closely, it even carried a fresh scent of grass and plants.