Thanks to Seraphinareads for the kofis. Enjoy the bonus chapter!!

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Mang Jiu had grown accustomed to Zhang Shuguang’s frequent, rambling questions, so he wasn’t particularly surprised when Zhang suddenly brought up the Terror Bird. Zhang Shuguang said, “I just feel like something isn’t quite right about this world.”

“Hmm.” Mang Jiu nodded slightly, saying nothing more, just listening quietly.

Zhang Shuguang muttered, as if speaking to him or to himself, “I don’t see a problem with beastmen evolving—humans mutate, after all—but this creature, with all those traits combined, looks like nothing but a lab experiment.”

“It’s like Frankenstein—artificial humans, man-made things, and all that,” he said, then pursed his lips. “Never mind. There’s no use overthinking it. I’ll just live my life as it comes. I’ve realized I worry about too many things.”

“I’m getting old, so I’ve got to stay handsome and full of energy every day.” He patted his face and grinned at Mang Jiu. “Don’t go too far hunting tomorrow, okay? Come back early. I want to pick some sweet potato leaves before they get too old—we can pickle them for a side dish. And I need to plant all the amaranth I brought back in the field; I forgot to bring it down earlier.”

“I’ll bring them down to plant later. You go to sleep.”

Zhang Shuguang yawned. He hadn’t actually been that sleepy at first, but after listening to him talk on and on, drowsiness finally crept up on him.

“Just make sure to plant them deep enough when you do.” 

“Okay.”

“Don’t forget to water them. I see there isn’t much water left in the tub—fill it up some more.” 

“Okay.”

“And then… huff, huff, huff~~~~”

Mang Jiu chuckled softly. “And don’t forget those pottery pieces and jerky you burned—I remember every one of them.”

By the time Zhang Shuguang woke up, it was already getting dark outside. He rolled over and went back to sleep, thinking to himself that it wasn’t even dawn yet, so there was no rush to get up and cook. Wait a minute!

He sat up with a jolt.

The little ones were flung off him and let out a couple of dazed meows.

“Meow?”

“Woof?”

“Chuu?”

Zhang Shuguang chuckled and tapped Tangdou’s little head. “What’s ‘chuuu’?” 

“Chuuu!” Tangdou puffed out her chubby little chest, signaling Zhang Shuguang to scratch her.

Zhang Shuguang smiled and scratched her a few times, then ruffled the other two cubs’ heads. Looking down, he saw his hands covered in fur. “I’ll make you two combs in a bit.”

“Shuguang! You’re finally awake,” Li ran in from outside the cave, holding a piece of jerky. “Your pottery’s done firing. Want to take a look?”

Zhang Shuguang quickly got out of bed, slipped on his shoes, and ran outside, asking as he went, “They’re all fired? No breakage?”

“Some broke, and some aren’t glued together very well. You’ll see when you look.” Li rubbed his jaw and glanced at the half-piece of jerky left in his hand. “My mouth hurts.”

Zhang Shuguang turned to glance at him and chuckled, “How much did you eat? Something this hard must be hard on your teeth. You should eat less—be careful you don’t wake up tomorrow and can’t open your mouth.”

“It already feels like a struggle to open my mouth now. I’m exhausted,” Li rubbed his face with both hands. “It’s so good I can’t stop. I was sitting there watching the fire and didn’t even notice I’d eaten quite a few, one after another.”

Zhang Shuguang raised his hand and gave him a light pat on the back of the head. “You’ve eaten it all? Shouldn’t you save some to trade for things at the gathering?”

“Mang Er said to eat as much as I like. He’s going out with Mang Jiu tomorrow to hunt some game, so we’ll make plenty to store up then.” As soon as he said this, he blushed before Zhang Shuguang could even tease him.

Zhang Shuguang merely raised an eyebrow and said nothing.

Outside the cave, the brothers Mang Jiu and Mang Er weren’t idle either. One was clumsily weaving a bamboo basket, while the other was chopping wood with a bone knife.

Mang Jiu had chopped the wood into thin planks of varying sizes. When he saw Zhang Shuguang come out, he asked, “Is this how you make beehives with wood, like you told me last time?” He pointed to the wooden box sitting nearby.

Zhang Shuguang was surprised by Mang Jiu’s ability to grasp the concept. Although he had sketched a rough diagram on the ground when he’d mentioned the beehives earlier, it hadn’t been very detailed—yet Mang Jiu had actually managed to put one together.

He walked over to take a look and found that the planks were all nailed together with bamboo sticks, making them very sturdy.

“You’re amazing!” He gave a thumbs-up and closed the lid. “What are these for?”

“Make a few more,” Mang Jiu said, then picked up a narrow piece of wood from the side and handed it to him. “See if this is the comb you were talking about.”

Zhang Shuguang took it. Aside from the uneven spacing between the teeth, it really did look just like a wooden comb.

He lunged forward, wrapped his arms around Mang Jiu’s head, and planted a kiss on his cheek. “You’re a little DIY genius! You’re so awesome! Tomorrow I’ll chop down a tree, and we’ll make a handcart. That way, when the sub-beastmen goes out, it’ll be a lot easier for them.”

Mang Er and Li looked at the two of them with utter disgust, especially Zhang Shuguang, who was still wrapped around the other’s neck—no matter how they looked at it, it was just way too clingy.

“Since when have you two been so close?” Li was a straight shooter; he said whatever came to mind.

Zhang Shuguang chuckled, let go, and stood up straight. He called out into the cave, “Come on out, kids! Daddy’s going to groom you!”

The three cubs ran out and pounced on him. Zhang Shuguang crouched on a rock, pinned Naidou down first, and began grooming him. The teeth of the “Mang Jiu” comb were quite long, so even though Naidou and Maodou had thick fur, it could still comb through them thoroughly.

At first, it didn’t seem like a big deal. Naidou purred contentedly, closed his eyes, and even rolled over so Zhang Shuguang could scratch his belly.

Seeing how comfortable he looked, Maodou grew impatient. He let out a whine and lunged forward, “Woo-woo!!” Zhang Shuguang turned to ask Mang Jiu, “Did you only make one comb?”

“I made four,” Mang Jiu handed him the remaining three combs. “One for each of you.”

Zhang Shuguang smiled and thanked him, then noticed that besides the three wooden combs of the same size, there was also a very small one with relatively closer-set teeth.

He picked it up to examine it, then gently ran it through the feathers on Tangdou’s chest.

“Cheep cheep~~!” Tangdou fluttered its little chest twice and spread its wings.

Zhang Shuguang used the small comb to gently comb the feathers on its wings, being careful not to apply too much pressure. Tangdou chirped contentedly over and over.

Maodou was getting so anxious he started whimpering. Li reached over, grabbed a comb, and ran it through Maodou’s feathers. Maodou quickly rolled onto his side and let Li comb him.

“This actually works pretty well,” Li said to Zhang Shuguang as he combed the feathers. “It looks pretty easy to make. I’ll have to make one for myself too.”

Zhang Shuguang chuckled. “It is pretty easy to make, but if your hands aren’t steady while you’re making it, the teeth can easily break. The spacing can’t be too wide either,” he said, picking up the comb, which was covered in fur that had fallen off Naidou. “If the teeth are too far apart, they won’t be able to grip the fur, and it’ll just fall out.”

“Look how comfortable they are, and there’s really a lot of fur,” Li picked up the comb to examine it, then plucked the strands of fur hanging from it. “Where should I put this?”

“Put them in the basket,” Zhang Shuguang said with a smile. “Save up a bit—we might need them later.”

While the two of them were grooming the cubs, Mang Jiu quickly finished the second wooden crate, and Mang Er’s bamboo basket was only half-done—it looked loose and flimsy, clearly not up to standard.

He rubbed his hands together and said, sounding resigned, “I’m really not very good at this.”

“Leave that alone. Come over and groom Maodou—I’ll weave.” Li handed him the comb he was holding, stood up, and swapped places with him. Standing on the bamboo strips, he worked his hands swiftly back and forth. “I weave baskets pretty fast now, though I don’t have many patterns. I only know how to weave this one. Hua and my mom are the real experts—they can weave all sorts of designs.”

Zhang Shuguang handed the comb to Mang Jiu, then went over to the kiln and took out all the pottery inside. He set aside any broken pieces. After sorting through them, he found several intact bowls and plates, and the jar he’d made was also intact, with no cracks.

“Not bad,” he said, picking up a bowl and tapping it, then holding it up to inspect it. “It’s fine—that’ll do. How many times did you add wood?”

Li Dao replied, “Three times. I used only the thickest pieces of wood each time.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded. “Let’s go dig up some more clay tomorrow. This time, we won’t let it dry for so long—we’ll fire it after just two days. For a large pot like this, we’ll add a lid so it can hold things and double as a cooking pot.” He tapped his own pot with his hand and laughed. “I’ll use this to make soup for you all at dinner.”

“Can this actually be used as a pot?” Li asked curiously.

“It can, but you can’t wash it with cold water right after it’s been heated. If this pot goes from hot to cold too quickly, it’s prone to cracking.” Zhang Shuguang lifted the pot to show him the bottom. “I made the bottom a bit thicker on purpose.”

He took some freshly dug bamboo shoots to peel and wash, then grabbed the dried fish Li had roasted earlier, tearing them into pieces and placing them in the pot. He added some water, then set the pot on the small stove.

“I see you have so many different kinds of pots for cooking. Should I get a few more myself?” Li put down his comb, washed his hands, and walked over to peer into the pot. “If I had that many pots, would my cooking taste good too?”

“Whether your cooking is good or not has nothing to do with how many pots you have,” Mang Er chimed in from the side. “Just don’t put in so many ingredients.”

Li glared at him. “If you don’t like my cooking, don’t eat it!”

Mang Er shot him a glance. “Have you even counted how many meals you’ve cooked these past few days?”

Li, furious and humiliated, lunged at him and grabbed him by the throat, glaring at him menacingly. “Tell me, is my cooking good or not? Is it good or not!” Mang Jiu tilted his head, and Zhang Shuguang turned around; the two of them gave him a knowing look.

Even someone as straightforward as Mang Er could tell that now was not the time to tell the truth.

“Delicious, delicious. Your cooking is the best.”

Li snorted, glanced at the two of them and their current posture, then quickly pushed him away and stood up straight. “Liar!”

Mang Er sighed. “Look at this. If I say your cooking is good, you don’t like it; if I say it’s bad, you still don’t like it. So what am I supposed to say?”

Li glared at him angrily.

Zhang Shuguang raised his hand and motioned to Mang Jiu, “Help me peel the bamboo shoots.”

Mang Jiu nodded, picked up a stone, and sat down beside him. “What are you planning to teach them tomorrow?”

“First, I’ll teach them how to cure meat to make jerky, then how to till the soil and apply fertilizer.” Zhang Shuguang arranged the bamboo shoots one by one on a bamboo tray. “They already know how to sun-dry vegetables, but I’m not sure if they’ve started yet.”

Li heard him and said, “They haven’t started yet. They said the wild greens have just started sprouting and are still too small. They’re waiting for them to grow bigger before picking them to make dried vegetables. That said, quite a few people have gone out to dig for bamboo shoots and pick mushrooms.”

“Do they know how to tell the mushrooms apart?” Zhang Shuguang hadn’t seen many mushrooms on his way down the mountain earlier; presumably, someone in the tribe had picked them, but he wasn’t sure if they could tell the poisonous ones from the edible ones.

Li shook her head. “They take some dried mushrooms from Hua and use them as a guide. If they really don’t know if they’re poisonous, they just throw them away—there are so many mushrooms anyway.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded. Although this method was a bit wasteful, he had to admit it was quite safe—at least it was better than having someone bring back any old mushrooms and get poisoned.

With the bamboo shoots nearly peeled, Zhang Shuguang lifted the lid off the clay pot, added some shredded fresh bamboo shoots, and let them simmer. He then set aside a pot to steam potatoes and sweet potatoes, and began stewing some venison.

The fish soup simmered in the clay pot tasted even richer and more flavorful. Li particularly loved it; he drank three bowls in a row and still felt it wasn’t enough.

“I want to make a clay pot too, so I can cook like you do.” He bit into a piece of dried fish; the slightly chewy texture had him hooked. “It’s so good. None of the dried fish I’ve cooked before tasted this good.”

“That’s because this pot seals tightly. The steam circulates inside, creating a slow-simmering effect—it’s perfect for stewing soup.” Zhang Shuguang smiled as he served Li a piece of fish, then said, “If you’re free tomorrow, go dig up some clay. Make a larger pot with a thicker bottom—make sure there are no cracks.”

Li nodded in agreement. “Right, I’ll go dig up some mud tomorrow. I’ll have my mom help me make it—she’s good at making things, so she’ll definitely be able to make different shapes.”

Zhang Shuguang chuckled, “Why didn’t you inherit your mom’s skillful hands? If you really have to fend for yourself in the future, won’t you have to worry about everything?” Li gave a low chuckle and stole a glance at Mang Er.

Mang Jiu stood up, brushed the crumbs off his leather skirt, and said, “I’ll go find some suitable wood for the door. Let me know how you want it installed.”

Zhang Shuguang glanced at their cave. The entrance was quite large; using wood would likely require a lot of material. After thinking for a moment, he gestured, “You don’t need very thick wood. You can join a few pieces together, then connect them horizontally with planks. It’d be best to find a suitable frame to fit into the opening. That way, the door can swing open and shut,” he mimed a sliding motion, “like this.”

Mang Jiu watched his demonstration, remaining silent for quite a while.

Zhang Shuguang turned to look at him and asked, “Can you do it? If not, never mind.” In truth, he knew his request might be a bit too much to ask.

Mang Jiu ran his finger lightly along his chin and nodded slowly. “Everything else is easy enough, but that thing you mentioned that opens and closes—I’ll have to give it a try.”

Zhang Shuguang’s eyes lit up. He picked up a charred twig and sketched a hinge mechanism on the stone, explaining, “Hollow out a hole in the middle of a stone, then thread a thin stone rod or a piece of bamboo through it—that way it can move. Then, cut two slots into the wooden door so the rod can slide in and out.”

Mang Jiu stared at the sketch for a moment, then nodded. “Alright, I’ll do it that way.”

Zhang Shuguang had complete confidence in him. After explaining how to install the door, he left him to figure it out on his own. Mang Jiu took the stone knife that Mang Er had sharpened earlier and headed down the mountain to find suitable wood.

Mang Er looked around. Seeing there was nothing for him to do, he simply stood up and said, “I’m going back to sleep. Call me if you need anything.”

“Alright. I’m heading down to the fields to pick some sweet potato leaves. Should Li come with us or…” Zhang Shuguang glanced at Mang Er, his meaning clear. Li, his face flushed, shot Mang Er a sidelong glance before saying to Zhang Shuguang, “I’ll go with you to pick the leaves. I also want to go check on A-Si.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded. “Let’s go, then.”

The three little ones, having eaten their fill, scampered forward, running and jumping. Tangdou would flutter her little wings and take flight one moment, then run a few steps with her paws on the ground the next—he was quite busy.

The sweet potato leaves were growing well, forming a dense patch. Zhang Shuguang told Li to pick as many tender leaves as possible. The two split up to gather them, and in no time, they had filled two back baskets.

“Take some back for your mom. Tell her to stir-fry them.”

Li nodded, bending down to pick up the basket. “My mom really likes you. She praises you to me every day.” Zhang Shuguang chuckled and turned to look at him. “Are you jealous? Don’t you want your mom to praise me?”

“Of course I do. You’re my buddy—I’d love to hear her praise you,” Li said with a smile, nudging his shoulder playfully. “Tell me, do you think it’ll really work out between me and Mang Er? I’m always worried he’ll think I’m too dumb.”

“What’s so dumb about you?” Zhang Shuguang looked at him, a bit surprised. Actually, judging by Li’s current mood—he’d already started analyzing himself—it was obvious he really had feelings for Mang Er. He didn’t know how they’d been getting along these past few days, but from the looks of it now, things seemed to be going pretty well?

Was this what they called “accidentally hitting the mark”?

He hadn’t really expected sparks to fly between them, but it just so happened they hit it off.

There was no need to ask what Mang Er’s feelings were—if he didn’t have any interest, he wouldn’t be running around taking such good care of him.

“I’m no good at anything. Look, even my cooking isn’t any good,” Li pouted, walking back along the field ridge. “I’m afraid he’ll look down on me.”

“You don’t mind him sleeping all day—what’s he going to have against you?” Zhang Shuguang glared at him. “I’m telling you, you’re overthinking it. If he really didn’t like you, he wouldn’t be cooking meat for you.”

Li pressed her lips together and chuckled, as if that made sense.

Zhang Shuguang and Li took a detour to A-Si’s cave first. As soon as they entered, they saw the green-haired turtle slowly shuffling across the ground, its hooked beak opening and closing as if it were eating something.

Hearing the sound, the green-haired A-Si turned his head and was delighted to see the two of them.

“Shuguang!”

“Li!”

“Did you come to bring me some food?”

Zhang Shuguang glanced down at the basket he was carrying and held it out. “I brought you some sweet potato leaves. They’re pretty tender.” 

“Quick, quick, quick! Feed me—I’m starving to death!” A-Si opened his mouth impatiently. “Pour it in.”

“……” Zhang Shuguang lifted the basket and poured the contents into his mouth, saying, “You’ve grown so fast—you’re a whole head taller than when I left.”

A-Si’s mouth moved as he chewed the sweet potato leaves, and he gave a soft “Mm” in response.

“The more you eat, the faster you grow,” he said, chewing with his eyes half-closed. “Xi San said that if I’d stayed over there a little longer, I’d have turned into a vine—barren as a wasteland.”

Zhang Shuguang and Li burst out laughing. Seeing how heartily he was eating, Li decided to give him the remaining basket of sweet potato leaves as well. “We’ll go pick some more later. I don’t think he’s had his fill.”

“With a build like his, it’s not easy for him to get full,” Zhang Shuguang had no objections and motioned for him to pour. “A-Si, you haven’t turned back into a human again, have you?”

A-Si chewed on the sweet potato leaves and shot him a glance.

Zhang Shuguang saw nothing but hurt in his eyes. Well, he’d guessed right.

“This won’t do. If you keep eating like this without turning back, you’ll just keep getting bigger. Sooner or later, you’ll get stuck in the hole and won’t be able to get out.”

A-Si sighed, crunching away at the leaves.

The three little ones hopped onto A-Si’s back and peered down from the uneven shell.

Naidou and Maodou were still visible—they’d grown quite a bit, and their forms could be made out among the long green fur. But Tangdou was perfectly hidden in the green cap; even though she was a little red bird, there was no sign of her.

Zhang Shuguang blinked, then suddenly felt an urge to do something.

“Lie down. I’ll climb up and braid your hair.”

A-Si obediently lay down on the ground. Zhang Shuguang stepped onto the shell and climbed up, reaching out, “Give me a hand.”

The two of them and the little one settled onto A-Si’s turtle shell. Zhang Shuguang grabbed the long, smooth green fur, weaving his fingers through it, and in no time, a green braid took shape.

Li copied his movements, braiding a few times, and found the technique surprisingly easy to master.

“I’ve got this.”

The two of them busied themselves on A-Si’s back for a while, transforming the originally flowing long fur into a series of stiff, twisted braids. A-Si, ever good-natured, let them do as they pleased.

“We’re heading to a gathering soon. Want to come along?” Zhang Shuguang jumped down from the turtle’s back and patted its rough neck. “I heard we’re going to the Lion-Tiger Tribe’s settlement in the Longleaf Forest. I mentioned it to the Shaman—he wants the tribe’s single young beastmen and sub-beastmen to come along so they can broaden their horizons and see the world.”

A-Si chuckled softly. “You talk as if you’ve seen it before.”

Zhang Shuguang chuckled, “I haven’t. Heh heh heh. That’s exactly why I’m going out to see them.” 

A-Si shook his head. “Alright, I’ll go. To see the world.”

The three of them burst into laughter.

They didn’t stay long at A-Si’s place. Zhang Shuguang and Li returned to the fields, picked another two baskets of sweet potato leaves, and then headed back to the cave.

Zhang Shuguang helped the three cubs wash up. After they’d eaten their fill and played to their hearts’ content, they jumped onto the stone bed, curled up together, licked each other’s fur, and fell asleep.

After tidying up the cave and organizing the items outside, Zhang Shuguang added wood to the fire, then carried the clay jar into the cave and poured the honey from the wooden bucket into it until it was full.

He sealed the lid, placed the clay jar on the shelf, and stepped back out of the cave.

Mang Jiu hadn’t returned yet; he wondered where he went to get wood. He should have told him to wait until tomorrow morning to go—it’s pitch black out here, and it’s hard to see anything.

Sitting by the table, he picked up the bamboo basket that Mang Er hadn’t finished weaving earlier, pressed down on the loose spots with a wooden board, and continued weaving.

Night had fallen, and the tribe’s people had gradually returned to their caves to sleep. Yu lulled the bear cubs to sleep, and upon leaving the cave, he saw Zhang Shuguang still weaving the basket. He walked over and began by offering his thanks.

The Giant Eagle Clan had already told everyone that the hunting party’s rescue was entirely thanks to Zhang Shuguang.

“Brother Yu, no need to be so formal among friends,” Zhang Shuguang said, pouring him a cup of water. “I thought you weren’t here—I haven’t seen you all day.” 

“I was out playing with the two kids,” Yu said, sitting down beside him. “I heard they said you’re going to teach them how to farm tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I’ll teach them on the big platform after breakfast. We’re about to head to the gathering, aren’t we? I also thought we should have the tribe prepare more jerky to trade—we might get something useful in return.” Zhang Shuguang finished weaving and securing the opening of the bamboo basket. “The rattan backpack I made a while back works pretty well too. I’ll teach them how to make those tomorrow as well.”

Yu nodded. “That’s great, that’s great.”

Zhang Shuguang turned his head to look at him. Seeing that he was holding a cup of water but not drinking it, he asked curiously, “Brother Yu, did you call me here for a reason?” Yu rubbed the cup in his hands and nodded slightly. “It’s nothing major.”

Zhang Shuguang poured himself a cup of water, drank it, and set the bamboo basket aside. “Go ahead.”

“Xiong Hong probably won’t be able to go hunting for a while, and he needs to take good care of his health. The shaman told us to bring the cub back and raise it ourselves, so I was thinking…” Yu looked a bit awkward, as if struggling to find the right words. He rubbed his hands together and said, lowering his eyes, “I heard from Ying that you asked her to help look after the fields before.”

Zhang Shuguang realized what he meant. “Brother Yu, are you asking me to hire you to help tend the fields?” 

“Exactly,” Yu nodded firmly.

Zhang Shuguang rubbed his chin. Actually, when he left, the vegetables in the fields were just about to need weeding—though it wasn’t particularly difficult, it was still quite a hassle.

Besides, Yu was right—they didn’t have any beastmen to go hunting, and they had two growing kids to feed. Relying solely on the fruits and wild vegetables he gathered each day wouldn’t be enough.

Seeing that Zhang Shuguang hadn’t spoken again, Yu realized his request might have been a bit much. He stammered, “Actually, I was just saying that off the cuff. Don’t…”

“No,” Zhang Shuguang cut him off, “I was just thinking about what kind of work I could find for you.”

Yu’s eyes lit up. “I’m strong—I can do anything.”

Zhang Shuguang tapped his finger against his lip. “There’s really nothing here I can ask you to do, and the Chief wouldn’t let an injured person go hungry. You don’t need to worry about that.”

Yu waved his hand and sighed. “I can’t keep bothering the Chief. I’ve got two good hands and two good feet—I just want to do whatever I can. It’s not right to just eat for free all the time” He gave a wry smile. “It’s fine. I was just asking anyway.”

“Actually, if you start farming now, by the time we return from the gathering, the crops should be ready for harvest.” Zhang Shuguang thought of the chili plants already in bloom on his plot and considered his options. “There isn’t much work involved in helping me farm. Why don’t you farm your own plot instead? You can keep some for yourself, and trade the surplus with others.”

“Trade?” Yu asked, puzzled. “You mean we should plant different things?”

“Exactly. Your family grows potatoes, that family grows sweet potatoes, and others can grow loofahs or pumpkins—just don’t all grow the same thing. That way, whoever wants to eat something can trade for it, and we’ll have a wider variety.” As Zhang Shuguang spoke, he began to think the idea was actually quite good.

The main reason was that he didn’t have many seeds to begin with; it wouldn’t be practical to give them all away. For now, they could plant the crops they’d found here. Once the vegetables in his field went to seed, he could share them with everyone to plant.

“Alright, then I’ll go till the soil tomorrow!” Yu said.

Zhang Shuguang smiled reassuringly. “Don’t rush, Brother Yu. Tomorrow I’ll teach you how to make jerky. We’ll make a batch before we head to the gathering so we can take it with us and trade it for fresh meat when we get there.”

“Alright! I’ll head to the big platform after I feed the kids tomorrow.” Yu took a sip of water and stood up. “Thanks, Shuguang. I was really freaking out.”

“Brother Hong is fine. He’ll be back in a little while. His injuries aren’t too serious, so don’t worry too much.” Zhang Shuguang stood up and patted him on the shoulder. “By the time I got back, he was already able to walk.”

“As long as he’s okay, that’s all that matters,” Yu raised his hand and rubbed his face vigorously. “I’ll take your word for it. They said no one died, but my heart’s been in my throat the whole time.”

“He’s really fine. No missing limbs. Aside from Lang Zou having half his tail missing, the rest of them are all right.” 

And if there were any injuries, he’d have healed them. Zhang Shuguang added silently to himself.

Yu thanked him again before walking away with a spring in his step.

Zhang Shuguang leaned against the table, gazing down in thought. Hearing footsteps, he turned his head and saw Mang Jiu coming up the mountain path, carrying a very thick log on his shoulder.

Startled, he hurried over to meet him. “Where did you go to chop down a tree? Are there trees this thick near the tribe?”

Mang Jiu set the massive log—thick enough for four people to encircle—on the ground. He had already cut off the crown, bringing back only the trunk, which was still over ten meters long.

Zhang Shuguang stood there, marveling, “You really do never cease to amaze me.”

Not only was the tree thick, but remarkably, its core wasn’t hollow; you could clearly see the concentric rings of growth. It was clearly an ancient tree, and it had met its doom only because Mang Jiu had set his sights on it.

“I left the root intact; it’ll sprout new shoots in a few years,” Mang Jiu said calmly.

Zhang Shuguang thought to himself, “Leaving just the root won’t be enough—it won’t survive without the branches,” but then he heard Mang Jiu say, “I’ve stuck all the branches I didn’t bring back into the ground.” 

“You’re amazing!” Zhang Shuguang raised his hand and gave him a thumbs-up. “Don’t bother with it anymore. Go wash up and get some sleep.”

Mang Jiu grunted in response, unfastening the short-haired brownish-black animal pelt wrapped around his waist and tossing it to the ground.

Zhang Shuguang froze. His attention had been completely absorbed by the wood; it wasn’t until Mang Jiu tossed the hide aside that he realized it was likely a deer hide. He blinked, asking uncertainly, “You went out to chop down a tree and even had a meal?”

Mang Jiu raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, I wasn’t full. I’ll eat it tomorrow.” He turned to wash his hands.

Zhang Shuguang’s mouth twitched. If he remembered correctly, on their way back, Mang Jiu had run off to devour a male Giant Boar Beast and only shifted back into human form right at the entrance to the tribe. How long has it been? Was he hungry again already?

No, no—he must have never really been full.

“Mang Jiu,” Zhang Shuguang said with a serious expression, asking earnestly, “If you really let yourself eat, how much could you eat? I mean, until you feel stuffed.”

Mang Jiu straightened his back and shook the water off his hands. “Never tried it. Why?”

“Then don’t you feel hungry eating just a little every day?” Zhang Shuguang poured him a cup of water and wiped the dust off his body with a piece of leather. “I feel like if you were to eat your fill, you might have to shed your skin again.”

Mang Jiu hummed in response. “I’ll hunt some game for you tomorrow, then I’ll go eat. I think it’s time for me to shed my skin.”

“Bring the skin back with you. Don’t just leave it lying around.” Zhang Shuguang no longer felt any fear toward giant pythons—though, of course, he’d only built up an immunity to Mang Jiu’s serpent form; he still didn’t want to face the serpent forms of other members of the Giant Python Clan.

“Alright,” Mang Jiu raised his hand and pinched Zhang Shuguang’s cheek, then leaned down to give him a kiss. “I saw Yu come looking for you earlier. Is something up?”

Zhang Shuguang felt a bit embarrassed by the kiss and cleared his throat. “Brother Yu is worried he can’t support Brother Hong and the two kids on his own. He wanted to ask me for help.”

“Hong’s injuries aren’t serious, and the Chief won’t let them go hungry. He’s overthinking it.” Mang Jiu wrapped an arm around his shoulder and led him into the cave, saying, “It’s no use him coming to you anyway.”

Zhang Shuguang patted him. “You can’t say that. I understand that Brother Yu doesn’t want to be a burden.” 

“What did you tell him?” Mang Jiu squeezed his hand. “Did you take the job?”

Zhang Shuguang glared at him. “Speak properly. I’ve realized I really shouldn’t let you watch so many videos—how did you pick up all this stuff?” 

“Hmm, so you want to help him?”

“There’s not much I can do to help. I just told him to farm in a different spot from the others and make more jerky, so when we leave, we can trade fresh meat for his jerky.”

Zhang Shuguang sat on Mang Jiu’s stone bed, looking up at him. “Will that work?”

“It’ll work. We can hunt wild beasts along the way. It’s good to bring plenty of jerky too—we can trade it for all sorts of things.” Mang Jiu sat beside him and bent down to untie the strap around his ankle.

Zhang Shuguang glanced at his empty stone bed, then at the stone slab where Mang Jiu was sitting… “Mang Jiu?”

“Huh?” Mang Jiu lifted his leg and took off his shoe.

“I think I have my own stone bed… Don’t move my leg!” Zhang Shuguang struggled a bit. “I can sleep on my own.”

Mang Jiu withdrew his hand and looked at him. “You used to sleep with me.”

“But that was a special circumstance!” Zhang Shuguang patted the stone slab. “Besides, this slab isn’t wide enough for both of us. If I roll over in the middle of the night, I’ll fall right onto the floor.”

Mang Jiu pressed his lips together, his brow furrowed.

Seeing the displeasure on his face, Zhang Shuguang felt a twinge of reluctance.

After thinking for a moment, he scratched his face, lowered his eyes to avoid looking at him, and mumbled, “How about you push the two stone slabs together tomorrow?”

No sooner had he spoken than Mang Jiu picked him up and carried him over to the stone slab bed where the three kids were sleeping. Then, with swift movements, he moved Zhang Shuguang’s slab and placed it directly on the ground. He quickly arranged the stones to form a frame, and soon, the two slabs were joined together.

A single bed became a double bed.

Zhang Shuguang let out a soft “Ah.” He knew that Mang Jiu was a man of action—a very efficient one at that.

“Is this okay?” Mang Jiu hadn’t just joined the stone slabs together; he’d even laid down two layers of clean animal hides. Zhang Shuguang nodded. “It’s fine.”

Mang Jiu placed two bamboo-woven pillows on the animal skins and asked, “Did Hua weave one for me too?”

“I think so. I saw two when I got back.” Zhang Shuguang shifted slightly and lay on his side. “Time to sleep.”

Mang Jiu shifted his body to lean against him. After a moment’s thought, he reached his arm under Zhang Shuguang’s neck and moved his pillow aside. Zhang Shuguang jerked his head up and turned to look at him. “You… isn’t your arm going numb?”

“Nope, this feels good.” He reached out and pulled him tightly into his embrace, closing his eyes. “Let’s sleep.”

Zhang Shuguang exhaled slowly. I… I’m about to catch fire!

Lying out in the open under the stars didn’t feel like anything, but now, sleeping in the same bed and being held like this! Waaah, I’m a normal, adult man who’s seen all kinds of—harmonious and not-so-harmonious—scenes!

He sniffed and, looking thoroughly aggrieved, pulled his legs tighter.

“Can’t sleep?” A cool breath brushed against the back of his neck, and Zhang Shuguang shuddered. “You,” he swallowed hard, “move a little further away from me.”

“Mm.” Mang Jiu shifted back a bit. Zhang Shuguang exhaled and closed his eyes. “What’s wrong with you?”

Zhang Shuguang: Σ( ° △°！！！！！！