New update schedule: Wednesday and Thursday

Amt of chapters to be published this week: Four

Thanks for your patience!

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We’re supposed to go to the Hot Rock Cave tomorrow, but there’s still some time before then.

Zhang Shuguang saw that A-Si was staring curiously at the large conch shell in his hand, so he handed it over to him and said to Xiong Kui, “Let’s have A-Si come along tomorrow; he’s tried making salt on his own before.”

He didn’t mention that A-Si knew how to boil salt, afraid Xiong Kui might read too much into it.

Xiong Kui nodded, glanced at A Si, and then asked, “What do you think, A-Si?”

A-Si shook his head, glanced at Zhang Shuguang with a slightly awkward expression, then turned his gaze back to Xiong Kui. After a moment’s thought, he said, “If we want to get a lot of salt from boiling, burning wood alone won’t be enough.”

Xiong Kui paused for a moment and asked him, “Do you know of anything else that can be used for fuel?”

A-Si replied, “I’ve heard the elders at home mention it—there’s a kind of stone that can maintain a high temperature and burn for a long time, but I’ve never seen it myself.”

Zhang Shuguang, however, knew exactly what A-Si was talking about—it must be coal. But finding a coal mine in this area would be nothing short of a stroke of luck. Unless an open-pit coal mine were discovered, it would all be for naught.

He spoke up, drawing Xiong Kui’s attention back, and said, “Chief, forget about boiling salt for now. First, let’s pick a spot for the salt fields. We need low-lying terrain—preferably flat ground—so it’s easy to flood during high tide. It should also be secluded, so other tribes won’t discover us easily. Plus, it needs to be large enough for several salt pans. We’ll have to filter the brine a few times to get a higher salt concentration.”

After he finished speaking, seeing that they all looked bewildered, he raised his hand to scratch his face. “Never mind. Just help me find a larger spot. As for how to proceed after that, I’ll explain it to you later.”

Xiong Kui nodded and turned to Xi San. “Did you find the spot I asked you to look for earlier?”

They had started searching for a suitable location as soon as they began boiling the salt, and Xi San was primarily in charge of this task.

“I found it. There’s an area near the coastal forest overgrown with ground vines. Once we clear the vines, it’ll be ready to use,” Xi San replied with a nod.

“Ground vines? Why do we have to clear them?” Zhang Shuguang actually had quite a fondness for those smooth, thick vines.

Xi San explained, “Ground vines grow incredibly fast and don’t freeze to death during the snow season. Wherever they grow, other plants wither and turn yellow.”

Zhang Shuguang blinked. Oh, so its extensive root system was siphoning nutrients from other vegetation—no wonder nothing else grew there except ground vines.

“Can I use the ground vines after they’re dug up? I’ll use them as rope.” Zhang Shuguang smiled at Xi San. “That spot is perfect—not far from the coast and in a low-lying area. Brother Xi San has good taste.”

Xi San chuckled. “Only you would find a use for those thick vines. We usually don’t bother with them; we only clear them out when there are too many. If you like them, take them all.”

“No, no, I don’t need that much—I wouldn’t have room to store it all. Just a little will do,” Zhang Shuguang waved his hand, then turned to Mang Jiu and raised an eyebrow. “Take some back and weave a soft bed out of the vines to hang in a tree. On nice days, I can lie on it and soak up the sun.”

“Alright.” Mang Jiu nodded.

Zhang Shuguang got up, went into the cave to fetch some bamboo strips, handed some to A-Si, then turned to Xiong Kui and Xi San and said, “Have Sister Hua and Sister Fei come learn how to weave bamboo baskets from me. I call these ‘back baskets.’ Once they’ve learned, they can teach the rest of the tribe how to weave them too.” He really wasn’t used to having so many people learn bamboo weaving from him all at once; it would be better to teach a few students who could then teach the rest.

Xiong Kui and Xi San certainly wouldn’t refuse; they each went back to the cave and called Hua and Fei out.

Fei came over happily and said to Zhang Shuguang, “I’ve noticed your bamboo baskets are really practical. I was planning to ask you when you weren’t busy if you could teach me. I won’t learn for free—I’ll have Xi San catch some fish for you.”

Xi San nodded from the side and said, “Alright, I’ll go catch some fish.”

“Brother Xi San! No rush on the fish—we’ve had plenty lately and I’m getting a bit sick of them. Bring me some shellfish and crabs, and whatever else you find in the sea—I’ll take it all.”

Zhang Shuguang quickly stopped him. Dried shellfish doesn’t require much salt; just boil them briefly before sun-drying. dried clam meat keeps for a very long time, and other seafood can be sun-dried too. Anyway, we’re short on everything else right now, but we’ve got plenty of time—just let it dry.

Mang Jiu said, “I’m coming too.” He pulled out two back baskets, each containing a leather pouch. “Let’s go. We’ll be back before bedtime.”

Xi San grunted in agreement, though he had actually planned to go tomorrow during the day.

But Mang Jiu had already set off, moving quickly and seeming somewhat hurried?

Xi San was puzzled, but didn’t ask any questions; he simply followed.

Zhang Shuguang handed out bamboo strips and slats to them, then began teaching them how to lay the foundation.

For a semi-beginner like him, laying the base was no easy task, but as long as he moved slowly and steadily, it wasn’t particularly difficult.

When first learning, everyone tends to get flustered—unable to keep one foot steady while the other struggles to weave properly.

Fei was the clumsiest of the bunch; by the time the others had finished their basket bottoms, her few bamboo strips were still all crooked.

“This is so hard!” Fei frowned, looking at them enviously. “How am I supposed to do this?”

Zhang Shuguang helped her realign the bamboo strips, then pointed to a few on the ground. “You have to press them down firmly; otherwise, they’ll shift out of place.”

Fei nodded and pressed down hard, only to find that she’d applied too much force—the strips were too tightly packed to weave through.

Zhang Shuguang gave her a few more pointers, and Fei gradually got the hang of the pressure needed. She finally managed to finish the basket bottom, albeit with some stumbles and stutters. It wasn’t as neat as the others’, but she didn’t mind—she was actually quite pleased.

“Won’t it come apart if you weave upward?” A-Si held a bamboo strip in his hand and looked at it curiously. “I just feel like it will.”

“No, it won’t. You weave the bottom horizontally, and the sides vertically. How could it come apart? Just weave it tighter and make sure the gaps are packed down.” Zhang Shuguang held a bamboo strip and began weaving, pressing one strip against another. When he finished, he tapped the basket firmly, leaving no gaps.

A-Si nodded and watched his every move, learning with great concentration.

Hua remained silent the entire time, mimicking Zhang Shuguang’s every action. She worked quickly; clearly, weaving this bamboo basket posed no difficulty for her.

The four of them spread out to weave their baskets. Zhang Shuguang and Hua worked the fastest; in about two hours, their bamboo baskets were finished. A-Si was a bit slower, but his basket turned out quite well. Fei’s was a bit lacking—her basket wasn’t tight and was slightly crooked—but it could still hold things. At the very least, it was better than the one Zhang Shuguang had made at the beginning, which had a broken bottom.

“It’s actually pretty easy to weave.” Hua took two leather straps and slipped them through the back of the basket, adjusted the length, and tried it on her back. “It’s so light.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded with a smile. “If you make more of these, you can carry a lot of stuff.” He set the basket aside, picked up a few bamboo strips, and began twisting them together. After winding them back and forth, he formed a circle. “This is a bamboo tray. You can put things on it to dry in the sun. It’s breathable and clean—much better than drying things on grass or rocks.”

Hua nodded. “That’s a great idea. Tomorrow I’ll have them go cut some bamboo. When they come back, everyone can learn to weave together. Weaving more means we can save some to trade for other things.”

Zhang Shuguang interjected at the right moment, “A-Si and I are going with the chief and the others to the Hot Rock Cave tomorrow. We’ll probably be gone for a few days. Hua, could you help teach the people in the tribe who want to learn how to weave bamboo baskets? Once you get the hang of it, the rest is easy. Simple bamboo trays like this are woven the same way as baskets.”

Hua nodded. An idea had formed in her mind, so she asked Zhang Shuguang, “Do you have plenty of bamboo strips here? Give me some—I’ll take them back to try weaving. I’ll return them when you come back.”

“There’s no need to return them. There’s plenty of bamboo in the grove. If I need more when I get back, I’ll just go cut some more,” Zhang Shuguang said with a smile, waving his hand. He went into the cave, took all the bamboo strips off the rack, and handed them to her. “These are the ones left. Sister Hua, take some.” He turned to ask Fei, “Do you want any, Sister Fei?”

“Just give me a few. I’ll weave one more—that should be enough,” Fei said. Working alone, it would likely take her some time to finish; taking too many would mean she couldn’t finish weaving them all.

Zhang Shuguang pulled out a few and handed them to her. “Don’t rush—take your time. Sister Fei, you weave really well. When I first tried, I wasn’t nearly as good as you.”

Fei smiled and thanked him.

Hua said, “I see you have a lot of things to dry. When you come back, I’ll weave two bamboo trays for you—the big kind.” She pointed to the small one Zhang Shuguang had just woven. “The kind that’s much bigger than this one.”

“Alright, but you’d better keep your word,” Zhang Shuguang replied with a smile.

A-Si stood nearby, holding the small bamboo tray that Zhang Shuguang had just woven. He lifted it up and examined it. “This is great for drying things, and it can also be used as a bamboo strainer.”

“Right. It’s much lighter than that wooden board I carved before, and the holes are fine. If I put small things, they won’t fall through.” Zhang Shuguang picked up a thick twig, tied it to the bamboo tray to secure it, and said, “Look, doesn’t it look pretty good?”

A-Si nodded. “It’s really quite nice.”

Hua took the bamboo strips and left, while A-Si stayed behind to help Zhang Shuguang continue butchering the dog.

With no one else around, A-Si asked, “Don’t you want to go back to your old tribe?”

Zhang Shuguang pursed his lips, thinking to himself: I died under mysterious circumstances; if I go back, I’ll likely get killed again. What’s the point of going back?

But he couldn’t say that out loud, so he replied, “I’m all alone. It’s the same wherever I go. Besides, I think the Cliff Shore Tribe is great—it’s much more free and easy here.”

A-Si had to admit he was right. Aside from those few who had targeted him, everyone else was friendly; at least they didn’t look down on him or bully him just because he was an outsider.

If it weren’t for his father waiting for him, A-Si would actually have wanted to stay.

“I’m actually quite relieved that my father has a long life ahead of him,” A-Si said with a bitter smile. “Mum, on the other hand, is another story. But among the Sub-Beastmen in our tribe, there are actually quite a few Beast Lords.”

“Does ‘Beast Lord’ mean a partner?” Zhang Shuguang heard the term for the first time.

A-Si nodded. “A Sub-Beastman’s partner is called a Beast Lord. There aren’t many Sub-Beastmen in our tribe, so basically every Sub-Beastman has three or four Beast Lords.”

“So your mom is one too?” Zhang Shuguang was a bit curious.

“Yeah, my mom lays the eggs, and my dad hatches them,” he chuckled. “Isn’t that kind of interesting? Usually, it’s the mom who hatches the eggs.”

“Your father is a good father; he must love you very much.” Zhang Shuguang thought of his own dad, a touch of longing in his smile. “Don’t worry. As long as I can find the right materials, I’ll definitely build you a boat. Then we can take it together to visit your home.”

A-Si nodded vigorously. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me,” Zhang Shuguang waved his hand and pointed at the dog, “You handle the meat; I’ll go peel the bark and hang it up to dry. It’s a great ingredient for stewing.”

“You really know more than I do. Was this tree cut down at the edge of the Black Forest? I’ve seen it before.” A-Si held a bone knife in his hand, cutting the meat.

Zhang Shuguang chuckled. “You really do go everywhere—aren’t you afraid of running into danger?”

“I’m on my own anyway. Wandering here and there—it’s not exactly boring.” A-Si shrugged, raised the bone knife in his hand to inspect it, and frowned. “This bone knife is cracked.”

Zhang Shuguang paused, turned to look, and said, “Wow, this fishbone is pretty durable. I’ll get you a new one later.” He went into the cave and fetched a larger fishbone knife. “Actually, I’ve been looking for some other hard material to sharpen a knife with. Do you have anything suitable?”

“No, besides stone knives, we only have bone knives. Usually, we use animal bones to sharpen them. This is the first time I’ve seen a fishbone knife like yours. And bone knives aren’t as durable as stone ones. Look, almost everyone in the tribe uses stone to sharpen their knives and axes; you’re the only one using bone—and this kind of thin fishbone at that.” A-Si took the fishbone knife and continued cutting the meat.

Zhang Shuguang pursed his lips, made several cuts on the tree bark with the fishbone knife, and then began peeling the bark. “Stone knives are too heavy. Bone knives feel more comfortable to use. Since I’m so frail, I might as well not make things harder on myself.” He placed the peeled bark into the basket by his side, ran his hand over the smooth tree trunk, “Let it dry a bit, and we can use it for a fire.”

A-Si was actually quite curious about his habit of using whatever he came across. What kind of experiences had led him to develop such a habit?

Could it be that life in his old tribe was particularly harsh?

Since there was no one else around, he asked.

Zhang Shuguang laughed out loud. “I’m doing this to live better. Do you think eating raw meat every day is comfortable? I certainly don’t want to eat raw meat and drink animal blood. That would mean I’d have to stockpile things in the cave to keep from starving to death.”

A-Si couldn’t stop laughing and nodded repeatedly. “You’re right. I can’t stand raw meat either. Next time you find something good, be sure to let me know. I’ll stock up on some too.”

“Stock up? Just wait until my plot turns out well. You can get a plot of your own then. I’ll give you some good seeds.” He knew the seeds he had were all improved varieties, far superior to anything available in this world. Thinking of the experimental field, he clapped his hands and said to A-Si, “Cut off a leg for me to take to Li. We’ll be away for a couple of days, so I’ll have him water the fields and pull weeds when he has nothing else to do.”

A-Si raised his knife and brought it down in a single swift motion, severing a leg. He tossed it to Zhang Shuguang and examined the bone knife in his hand. “I’ll be damned—it’s actually pretty handy. Sharp enough.”

“Your aim is spot-on. If it were me, it would’ve taken me a while to get it off.” Zhang Shuguang laughed as he saw how A-Si had sliced cleanly through the fascia between the bones with a single stroke. “A-Si, you’ve got a lot of secrets, don’t you?”

A+Si paused and glared at him. “We’re pretty much the same.”

Zhang Shuguang shrugged. “Who knows? You get back to work. I’m going to drop off the leg.”

He carried a dog’s leg toward the cave where they lived. When he reached the entrance, he stopped and called out, “Aunt Ying, it’s Shuguang. Can I come in?”

Ying: “Come on in.”

Zhang Shuguang entered the cave. A fire was burning inside, but the elderly Beastman he’d seen earlier wasn’t there, nor was Li.

He furrowed his brow slightly and asked, “Li hasn’t come back yet? It’s already dark.”

Ying noticed the beast leg he was carrying and smiled. “Li went out to play with a few of his close Sub-Beastman friends. Did you need something from him?”

“Yeah,” Zhang Shuguang handed her the leg, “Aunt Ying, please let Li know that A-Si and I are leaving tomorrow. We probably won’t be back for a while, so ask him to water the fields for me every day and pull out any weeds.”

“With those clumsy hands of his, he’ll probably uproot the vegetables you’ve planted. I’ll take care of it for you.” Ying took the leg with a smile, not refusing. “He’s told me about the plot of land you’re tending. Don’t worry—I’ll make sure it’s taken care of perfectly.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded and thanked her. “Aunt Ying, thank you for your hard work. I’ll be on my way now.”

Ying saw him out of the cave, her smile never fading.

At the seaside, the back baskets brought by Mang Jiu and Xi San were all full, and even the two leather bags were bulging.

“What on earth did you catch?” Xi San peered into the back baskets and spotted many creatures he’d never seen before.

“I don’t know. Shuguang said to take everything from the sea,” Mang Jiu hoisted the basket, water gushing out from the bottom. “Let’s head back.”

Xi San let out a snort and asked with a laugh, “When did you ever become so obedient, kid? Usually when you come to the beach, you have to take a dip. Why are you in such a hurry to go back today?”

“Dinner.” Mang Jiu knew Zhang Shuguang’s temperament well. Since that beast was a new catch, even if he’d already had a meal, he’d surely come back for another later. Shuguang wouldn’t skip a single meal out of his three daily meals.

With that, Mang Jiu turned and walked away.

Xi San followed, still smiling.

Mang Jiu was right. Zhang Shuguang had indeed lit a fire and was cutting up the meat to roast it over the flames.

“Are you planning to have another meal?” A-Si was peeling bamboo shoots nearby to lay them out to dry. Hearing him grunt in response, she said with a sigh, “You really do have a big appetite.”

Zhang Shuguang chuckled. “You can’t skip a single meal a day. It’s fine to eat late, but you can’t go without. Besides, if I don’t eat all this meat now, it’ll go bad. I’m roasting it while it’s still fresh for Mang Jiu and the kids.”

“Taking care of these three kids isn’t too bad right now, but once they grow up, they’ll all have huge appetites—one bigger than the next. You’re going to wear yourself out.”

Zhang Shuguang lightly scored the meat with his bone knife. “Those half-grown brats will eat me out of house and home—I know that. But it’s fine; they’ll grow into normal-sized adults. They won’t get so big I can’t afford to feed them.” He finished speaking and chuckled.

The cubs inside the cave had long since fallen asleep, but the scent of the food woke them one by one. Naidou led the way and Maodou brought up the rear, with Tangdou perched on Naidou’s head, they all ran out of the den.

Well-fed and well-rested, Maodou looked much more lively. He let out a howl and pounced onto Zhang Shuguang’s lap, wrapping his front paws around his calf and gazing up at him with his watery, mismatched eyes.

Zhang Shuguang shuddered slightly, bent down to pick him up and examine him, then nodded. “Not bad, not bad. A bit dirty, but he’s still quite handsome.”

“He is pretty cute,” A-Si leaned in for a look, then glanced at Naidou, who was meowing softly. He bent down and picked him up too. “He’s actually pretty heavy—this little guy’s got some meat on him.”

Held in his arms, Naidou sulkily reached out a paw to scratch Zhang Shuguang’s arm. “Meow meow meow!!” I want my dad!

Tangdou jumped from Naidou’s head onto Maodou’s head, then onto Zhang Shuguang’s shoulder. Tilting his little head back, he chirped “cheep cheep cheep,” looking quite smug.

The message was clear: I’m on Daddy’s shoulder—you’re all losers.

Naidou’s high-pitched meow suddenly changed; he let out a howl. It was sharper than a wolf cub’s howl, yet it didn’t sound like something a cat could produce.

Zhang Shuguang froze for a moment, and A-Si was startled as well.

As soon as he loosened his grip, Naidou pushed off with its hind legs and leaped directly from him toward Zhang Shuguang. 

Zhang Shuguang hurriedly reached out to catch him, hugging both little ones at once.

Maodou let out a whimper and bared his teeth at Naidou, who immediately swiped out with a paw and slapped Maodou right on the nose.

“Hey? You can’t hit your little brother,” Zhang Shuguang said as he sat down, cradling both of them in one arm while using his other hand to squeeze Naidou’s paw—it was so soft and squishy. “You know you’re not supposed to hit your little brother, right? He’s younger than you, so you have to protect him.”

Naidou couldn’t care less about that. If that dog tries to steal Dad from me, I’ll smack him silly!

Maodou curled up obediently on Zhang Shuguang’s lap and didn’t move.

A-Si smacked his lips and said, “This little guy sure knows how to put on a show.”

“Naidou.” Zhang Shuguang glared at him and squeezed his paw. “Good boy, Maodou is a wolf, not a dog. Besides, he’ll be very majestic when he grows up. Don’t you feel happy to have such a majestic little brother?”

Naidou looked aggrieved, his ears flattened back, his little nose wet, and he snorted softly.

“You’ve got quite the temper. Your little brother doesn’t have a mom or dad either—just like you, he was abandoned. Look how skinny he is; isn’t he pitiful?

Just like when Dad first found you, living out in the open. Look at you now—Dad feeds you every day and has made you plump and adorable. Let’s help your little brother get plump too. You’re my big sweetheart, the smartest one. Daddy loves you.” 

He bent down and planted a wet kiss on Naidou’s fuzzy head. The little red bird on his shoulder chirped nonstop, crawling closer to peck his face with its tiny beak.

Zhang Shuguang turned and kissed her too. Tangdou was satisfied and sat quietly on his shoulder.

Maodou watched longingly. Zhang Shuguang chuckled softly and kissed him as well.

The three little ones settled down—Daddy’s kisses are the sweetest!

A-Si couldn’t help but clap his hands and praise, “You’ve got this.”

Zhang Shuguang stuck out his lower lip at him. Truth be told, he wasn’t very good at soothing the little ones either. Luckily, they were fairly well-behaved; if they ever started fighting over attention or something, he wouldn’t know how to handle it.

A-Si chuckled, raised a hand, and tapped him. “How are you supposed to grill meat while holding them? Give me the knife—I’ll do it.”

Zhang Shuguang handed him the bone knife, set the little ones down on the ground, and patted each one on the bottom. “Go play. Come back when Daddy’s done grilling.”

Naidou looked at Mao Dou, and Mao Dou looked back at him. Then one bared its teeth and the other bristled, and they immediately started fighting.

“Woof! Meow! Cheep, cheep, cheep!” For a moment, it was a chaotic scene of cats scratching, wolves leaping, and birds flying—quite the commotion.

Zhang Shuguang said, “Don’t roll into the fire. Go play over there.”

He took some cinnamon bark and placed it in a stone bowl, then found a rock and pounded it vigorously. After crushing it into small pieces, he added some Sichuan peppercorns and continued pounding. Once finished, he added lemongrass, and eventually ended up with a bowl of dark green paste.

He poured the paste into a thick bamboo tube, added water and stirred it, then used the bamboo strainer he’d just made to filter out the liquid, discarding the pulp.

“What are you up to?” A-Si reached out to take the bamboo tube and sniffed it. The smell was strange, but not unpleasant—it was actually a bit pungent.

Zhang Shuguang took out the brush made from prickly grass and began poking, poking, poking at the meat. Then he added some salt to the prepared marinade. “It tastes better when you rub it on; just grilling it alone isn’t very good,” he said. 

With that, he took a clean, long bristle from a hog beast and used it as a brush, dipping it in the marinade and coating the meat evenly. “Flip it over.”

A-Si turned the wooden skewer, flipping the meat over.

The two worked in perfect harmony—one turning the skewer, the other brushing on the marinade. Before long, the distinctive aroma of grilled meat wafted through the air.

A-Si sniffed the air and said, “It smells so good—it’s a different kind of aroma from before.”

“Hmm, that tree bark is a spice, or maybe a medicinal herb. I don’t know what its medicinal properties are, but I remember it can be used in medicine.” Zhang Shuguang sniffed the air too; it really did smell good. “If Mang Jiu comes back and likes it, he’ll probably go chop down a couple more trees.”

A-Si smiled and nodded.

The two chatted as they grilled the meat. Just as it was nearly done, Mang Jiu and Xi San returned.

“Shuguang, what have you made? It smells amazing!” Xi San set down the basket he was carrying and leaned in to take a deep sniff.

“I’m grilling some meat. Brother Xi San, just sit tight for a moment—it’ll be ready soon.” Zhang Shuguang brushed on one last coat of marinade, set down the empty bamboo tube, and peered into the basket Xi San had brought back. The basket was brimming with large sea shrimp, leaving him staring in awe.

Mang Jiu walked over and set down both his bag and the basket. Zhang Shuguang didn’t even have time to tend to the meat; he crouched down beside them, opened the bag, and found two large squid inside, along with a pile of shrimp and shellfish—all of them quite sizable.

“Did you catch these in the sea?” he asked, looking up at Mang Jiu with delight.

Mang Jiu nodded. “Whatever you asked for, I caught it all. I’ve eaten this kind of sea creature before—it’s pretty tasty.” He held a white sea shrimp in his hand that was nearly two palms long; it bounced back and forth in his hand, still quite lively.

Zhang Shuguang almost lunged forward to hug Mang Jiu and give him a couple of kisses—this guy was truly amazing!

“Quick, go find me some twigs. I’ll grill some shrimp and squid for you guys—it’ll smell amazing!” As he spoke, he grabbed a dozen or so large sea shrimp and tossed them into a basin, then threw the big squid in as well. He dumped the rest into his backpack, planning to clean them later and let them air-dry overnight so they could take them with them when they left tomorrow.

His sudden stingy demeanor made Mang Jiu chuckle softly. “If you like them, I’ll go catch some more,” he said calmly.

“Mm,” Zhang Shuguang replied, his eyes crinkling with a smile as he nodded at him. “I’ll go catch some more when we get back. I’ll wash these first.”

Mang Jiu and Xi San went to wash their hands and sat down at the table. A-Si also washed his hands, then used a bone knife to slice the roasted leg of game, placing the meat in a large shell on the table. “Shuguang added some tree bark as a seasoning. Give it a try.”

Mang Jiu nodded and picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks.

The cinnamon bark had a fragrant aroma, and the roasted meat was cooked to perfection. With one bite, the juices and aroma filled his mouth. Xi San burned his tongue and sucked in air with a “sizzle, sizzle.”

“Shuguang, you’re a real master in the kitchen—this grilled meat tastes absolutely amazing.” Xi San gave Zhang Shuguang a thumbs-up.

Zhang Shuguang flipped the grilled squid over. The tentacles curled up, releasing a fresh, savory aroma completely different from the meat, making him swallow involuntarily.

The tentacles of the large squid were as thick as a finger; curled up one by one, they resembled the petals of a blooming chrysanthemum, their deep red color particularly alluring.

“Mang Jiu, catch some more squid when we get back. I want to make dried squid,” he called out excitedly to Mang Jiu over his shoulder.

Mang Jiu nodded. He had actually eaten fish and shrimp from the sea before, but only raw—never cooked. So, smelling this fresh, savory aroma, he found it quite appealing too.

Xi San had eaten grilled crabs and shellfish before, so he was somewhat immune to this particular aroma.

The adults didn’t react much, but the three little ones couldn’t resist. They stopped eating the grilled meat altogether and clung to Zhang Shuguang’s legs, howling for food.

“Meow, meow~~!!!”

“Woof, woof-woof~~!!”

“Cheep!! Cheep!!”

Zhang Shuguang was both amused and exasperated. He quickly cut three strips from the grilled squid tentacles, chopped them into small pieces, placed them in stone bowls, and handed one to each of the three little ones.

The three little ones huddled over their bowls, looking so eager that anyone watching might think they hadn’t eaten a single bite of the meal just now.

Zhang Shuguang gave each of the three a jumbo shrimp, then placed the rest on a large seashell and set it on the table.

“Try this,” he said, picking up a jumbo shrimp himself and biting straight into the head—it cracked crisply.

“So fresh.” He licked his lips, peeled the shell, and stuffed the shrimp meat into his mouth in one bite, looking thoroughly delighted.

Mang Jiu took a large shrimp, peeled it, and handed the meat to him. “Here.”

“Aren’t you going to eat one?” Zhang Shuguang opened his mouth and took a big bite. “It’s really delicious. Live shrimp just taste so fresh, and the meat is firm and chewy.”

He peeled another shrimp and stuffed it into Mang Jiu’s mouth. “Try it.”

Mang Jiu chewed it, swallowed, and nodded. “Delicious.”

“Tasty, isn’t it? Once we get back, we’ll catch some more shrimp. We’ll dry them and store them up—then we can grab some whenever we want.” Zhang Shuguang’s eyes crinkled with a smile; he’d already made plans for drying the seafood later.

After finishing their late-night snack, A-Si and Xi San helped clean up, then each returned to their cave.

Zhang Shuguang threaded the remaining seafood onto thin vines and hung them up.

“We’ll take them with us when we leave tomorrow. They’ll help satisfy our cravings along the way.” He turned to ask Mang Jiu, “Can we bring the cubs along?”

The three well-fed cubs heard him speak and all looked up.

Mang Jiu glanced down. Zhang Shuguang pointed at the wolf cub and said, “I’ve given him a name: Maodou.” He tapped the kitten on the head. “Naidou.” Then he pointed at the little red bird. “Tangdou.”

Mang Jiu nodded. “Easy to remember.”

Zhang Shuguang looked a little smug. “Yeah, anyone who hears them will know they’re a family.”

“Can I take them?” He looked at Mang Jiu with wide eyes, his expression just like the three little ones who’d been begging him for food moments ago—full of anticipation and obedience, with a touch of pitifulness.

Mang Jiu was momentarily taken aback; he knew he couldn’t bring himself to say no, so he nodded. “Take them.”

Zhang Shuguang smiled, squinting his eyes. “You’re so kind.”

Mang Jiu cleared his throat uncomfortably and said, “Go to bed early. We’ll pack what we need to bring tomorrow morning.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded and took the three pups to wash up. Especially the wolf pup Maodou—covered in dust, looking exactly like Naidou had when he first arrived. He was clearly a white wolf, but he’d managed to get so dirty he looked like a gray wolf.

He didn’t dare wash Maodou’s fur directly with cold water, so he took a short-haired pelt, dampened it, and gave him a vigorous scrub. Then he gave Naidou and Tangdou a quick scrub as well. “You three are absolutely filthy.”

Naidou meowed and whined as he scrubbed him.

“What’s all the fuss about? All you do is run around all day. Look at your fur—your white fur has turned gray,” Zhang Shuguang went on and on. “Lift your paws up. Get them clean before you go to bed.”

Then he grabbed the little one’s paws and washed them clean.

He was so obsessed that he even washed Tangdou’s little claws, making Tangdou squeak nonstop.

Mang Jiu sighed softly, already envisioning the chaos that would soon fill the cave.

But deep down, he was actually looking forward to that chaos.

He slept soundly through the night, waking the next morning to the licking of the cubs. Zhang Shuguang scooped the furry cub into his arms and rubbed against it vigorously, nearly making Naidou and Maodou roll their eyes.

Mang Jiu came in from outside the cave and, seeing him lingering in bed, asked, “Sleeping in a bit longer?”

“No more sleeping,” Zhang Shuguang mumbled with a thick nasal tone, still heavily drowsy from waking up. “I need to pack up our things. How many days are we staying over there?”

Mang Jiu had now fully grasped his way of speaking and replied, “At least three days.”

“Three days isn’t enough. If the stones there are usable, we’ll have to start digging. I heard the Hot Rock Cave is very close to the Wild Plains. Could we go take a look around and bring back some crops we can eat or use?” Zhang Shuguang was thinking about his experimental plot and wanted to diversify it by planting more varieties.

Mang Jiu nodded. “I’ll go with you when the time comes.”

Zhang Shuguang smiled, pressing his lips together, and poked his cheek. “It’s so soft. Why don’t you ever smile? It’s such a waste of such a handsome face.”

Mang Jiu felt his cheek being poked and heard his words; the corners of his mouth twitched, and a faint smile appeared.

Zhang Shuguang stared in surprise, sniffed, and muttered, “You really are handsome.”

Mang Jiu raised an eyebrow, lifted his hand, and pinched his chin. “You’re handsome too.”

Zhang Shuguang snorted. “Of course. I’m the school heartthrob, after all. Pack all three backpacks. Bring the seafood I hung out to dry yesterday, and don’t forget the pot you made for me. Oh, and that bamboo tube of animal fat—and that jar of gelatin too. I was so busy I almost forgot it. If we don’t eat it soon, it’ll go bad. I’ll make some fresh ones to send to the Shaman when we get back. And the meatballs—pack those too.”

With every word, Mang Jiu turned to grab an item, filling two leather bags to the brim. “What else do we need to bring?”

“Take those bamboo bowls, and put the three little ones in the back basket—I’ll carry it.” As he spoke, he placed the children in the basket and gave each of them a gentle pat on the head. “Be good and don’t make a fuss. I’m taking you out to see the world.”

The two of them headed down the mountain with the children and their belongings. A-Si, Xiong Kui, and the others were waiting by the tribe’s perimeter wall.

When Xiong Kui saw them coming down, he laughed. “You’re finally here. Why bring the kids along? Wouldn’t it be better to send them to the Big Cave?”

Zhang Shuguang smiled sheepishly. “I thought I’d take them out while they’re still young so they can see more of the world. I won’t let them cause any trouble.” He knew his decision was a bit reckless, but he didn’t feel comfortable leaving the three kids behind in the Big Cave.

“I’ll keep an eye on them and make sure they don’t wander off. Let’s go. I’ll look for something edible along the way and collect some seeds.”

Xiong Kui nodded and said to him, “Stay safe. Xi San has gone to the coast to boil salt, so he won’t be joining you. I’ll have some other Beastmen from the tribe accompany you.” He turned to the five Beastmen standing nearby and said, “You lot—whatever you do on this trip, you’ll listen to Shuguang and Mang Jiu. Got it?”

The men nodded. “We know, Chief. You’ve told us this many times. We definitely won’t cause any trouble.” 

Xiong Bai grinned and nudged Mang Jiu with his shoulder. “If there’s anything good to eat, give me a bite, okay?”

Zhang Shuguang chuckled at his words and nodded. “I’ll definitely make sure you’re well-fed.”

The Beastmen beamed with delight, but Mang Jiu’s expression darkened.