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In his eyes, Xu Shuangci was already his mate. So when his mate expressed his affection, as a dutiful beastman, he should reciprocate.

He said, “I like you too.”

Xu Shuangci grabbed his large paw pad and gave it a little shake.

“Thank you for liking me. Would you be willing to do me another favor?”

Qing nodded.

Xu Shuangci said, “Watch the fire for me. Keep it burning brightly—it mustn’t go out.”

Qing waited for Xu Shuangci to pull his hand back before lowering his paw pad. He obediently walked over to the pottery kiln and crouched down.

Xu Shuangci watched the gentle docility radiating from the big cat’s massive frame, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

Meeting this big cat was his good fortune.

Xu Shuangci believed this from the bottom of his heart.

Time flew by as Xu Shuangci and Qing took turns tending the pottery kiln.

By the time the second batch of pots came out, both of them had bloodshot eyes. Xu Shuangci and Qing ate and slept right there; aside from feeding the Redfeather Beast, they rarely returned to the cave.

After two days of hard work, they were covered in dust.

They couldn’t open the kiln yet, so they desperately needed to go back and catch up on sleep.

Qing walked over to Xu Shuangci’s side and crouched down.

Xu Shuangci slumped to the ground and said hoarsely, “I’m so tired… I can’t get up.”

Even though he used to be able to tough it out on his own, now that Qing was there with him, he didn’t want to put on a brave face at all. Qing hooked his tail around him and guided him to lie across his back.

“Hold on tight.”

Xu Shuangci lazily raised his hand, his eyes already too heavy to stay open. He mumbled, “I won’t let go of you.”

Qing: “Make it a habit.”

Feeling the tug on his neck, Qing stood up and slowly made his way toward the cave.

Xu Shuangci drifted off to sleep, but not before adding, “Next time we go hunting, remember to send a message to the Cat Clan.”

Qing: “Okay.”

With that, Xu Shuangci settled down and fell into a deep sleep on the thick, soft pads.

A path had already been worn between the cave and the riverbank by the two of them. Qing stepped on the newly sprouted weeds and carried him steadily back into the cave.

Knowing he was particular about cleanliness, he shifted back into human form, wrung out a handkerchief, and wiped him down.

As for the dust on his own fur…

Qing wiped it repeatedly with a piece of animal hide, letting it dry before crawling into the blankets.

Xu Shuangci did open his eyes a few times during the night, but when he saw the familiar, beautiful white-furred figure, he simply dismissed it as a sweet dream.

He tilted his head and fell into an even deeper sleep.

After resting for a day, Qing went out hunting.

Xu Shuangci placed the clay pot in the pottery kiln, waiting for the beastmen of the Cat Tribe to come and stamp it.

Although he didn’t quite understand why they would make the trip alone for a day or two just to add a few patterns to a potter pot, he respected the Cat Priest’s love.

After all, since it was for personal use, what mattered most was that he liked it. Qing returned from hunting, and after waiting two days, the Cat Priest arrived.

When Xu Shuangci saw the overlapping circles of plum blossom patterns on the pottery pot, forming a ring, he fell silent.

It actually has a certain artistic flair.

But it was probably just that he’d gotten addicted to pressing his paws down—besides the potter pot, the Cat Priest hadn’t left out even the two clay jars belonging to the two kittens. It took four days round trip, yet the actual task only took half an hour.

Once the clay pots had air-dried, Xu Shuangci immediately fired them in the kiln. But by the time he’d finished trading with the Cat Tribe, the second month of spring was already drawing to a close.

“Shuang! Qing!”

By the time the two kittens, A-Mao and A-Wu, called out, Xu Shuangci had already opened the door. This was thanks to his rapidly improving hearing.

Perhaps it was true that the land shapes the people—had his body improved in some way after acclimating?

Xu Shuangci wasn’t sure, but he could only assume so. How else could he explain it?

The Priest was still leading the group.

This time, a large group of cats followed behind the Priest.

The largest among them was actually a lynx!

They carried wicker frames on their backs, having come to haul wooden planks.

Xu Shuangci helped them load the cart, making sure everything was secure, then padded it tightly with dry grass to prevent any bumps along the way. After repeatedly warning them that the items were fragile, Xu Shuangci tucked the seeds the Priest had given him into his bundle and retreated into the cave. Qingmu watched the cat tribe’s beastmen walk away.

Unnoticed by Xu Shuangci, the Cat Clan members were shivering.

“That tiger was so fierce!”

“Exactly. I really wanted to help Shuang, but I didn’t dare shift into human form.”

“Exactly! You didn’t see it, but my tail just accidentally brushed against Shuang’s leg, and that tiger looked like it was going to eat me.”

“I’m not coming next time.”

“Me neither.”

Priest: “Then we won’t need those clay bowls, basins, or jars.”

“We do!”

The beastmen all turned their gaze toward the massive water cistern.

The water cistern was about waist-high and could hold a lot. The Priest had said it was made of clay, but it didn’t feel like clay at all. It was hard, just like stone.

“Priest, next time we come, can we ask how Shuang made it?” 

“What do you think?”

“I think we can ask… Ouch!” The cat-kin who spoke winced and clutched his ear.

Priest: “Don’t ask what you shouldn’t ask.”

It’s been two months since spring began, and only now does Xu Shuangci finally feel the warmth of spring and the blooming of flowers. With that, the animal skins he’d been wearing all winter were ready to be replaced.

The soft, fluffy hides—like those of the Golden-Eyed Beast—could now only be used as blankets, while the coarser ones were uncomfortable to wear.

Every day, Xu Shuangci wore his pajamas underneath and threw on the set of spring animal-skin clothes she’d made earlier. He washed his pajamas every three or four days, and now they looked quite worn.

Outside the cave, Xu Shuangci let the Red-Feathered Beast—which had grown accustomed to being fed—roam free.

It immediately set off with the chicks, which had grown a bit, clucking as it scoured the woods in front of the cave for insects.

The chicks were now old enough to be fed vegetable leaves.

Xu Shuangci tossed some green-leafed greens in front of the cave; with just a call, they would come back.

Worried that the medicinal herb patch in front of the cave might get trampled, Xu Shuangci chopped some thin sticks and staked them in a circle around the patch to make a fence. In front of the cave was a flock of chickens and a patch of land, with animal hides drying outside.

Inside the cave lay a large cat fast asleep, and the aroma of cooking wafted out… It was starting to feel a bit like home.

But glancing down at the animal skin draped over her, Xu Shuangci tugged at the collar and took a slow breath.

Animal skins are fine—they can save your life in winter. But wearing them in spring is too stifling; it feels like you can’t breathe.

Besides, who wants to wear nothing but animal skins all day long?

Even his only proper outfit was a nightgown with the sleeves cut off.

Xu Shuangci decided to make some clothes.

But before he could even start, Qing told him they were moving.

Xu Shuangci had no choice but to put the idea on hold for now. He then asked about the most urgent matter—whether they had any salt—but Qing shook his head.

So Xu Shuangci began stockpiling salt.

The salt harvested from the salt fields on the mountain had been enough to last them, so Xu Shuangci hadn’t yet used the clay pots to boil salt. Since they wouldn’t be back until autumn, they needed to stockpile a considerable amount of salt.

He took out all the palm-sized clay pots and carried them up the mountain. He filled dozens of small pots with brine and placed them directly over the fire. Because the pots were small, the water evaporated quickly.

A single batch of boiled salt was enough to last several days. During the process, he repeatedly added water after skimming off the salt, working the salt field vigorously as well. Once he had stockpiled enough salt, Xu Shuangci began packing up his belongings.

“Will we be back before autumn?” Xu Shuangci glanced at the clay pots and jars in the cave; he couldn’t carry them all in a single trip. Qing: “We won’t be back. Leave whatever we can’t take with us in the cave.”

Xu Shuangci: “Then all my hard work won’t have been for nothing.”

They’re practically like nomads now, having to move around with all their belongings. But others have cars; Xu Shuangci only has Big Cat. Big Cat isn’t made of steel, so he can handle whatever they throw at him.

Qing: “We’ll use it when we get back.”

With a few days left before departure, Xu Shuangci packed his things at a leisurely pace. He asked, “Can’t we just settle down here?”

Qing paused for a moment before replying, “Not right now.”

Settling down isn’t easy for beastmen; usually, only large tribes can do so.

Or, perhaps, tribes that have easy access to food. For instance, the neighboring Cat Tribe feeds on the birds and small game found everywhere in the woods, so they rarely move.

But he was just a wandering beastman; when he went out hunting alone, there was no one left to guard the cave. If they ventured any further, the safety of the sub-beastman could not be guaranteed.

Considering all factors, moving closer to where prey roamed was the best choice.

That’s how Qing usually did things.

And before this, Qing had never considered settling down.

But now that Xu Shuangci had brought it up, he should take it into consideration.

A partner’s wishes must be respected. His father had taught him that.

On their last hunt before leaving, Xu Shuangci went out with Qing.

They went to the Cat Tribe first.

As friendly neighbors, Xu Shuangci felt it was important to maintain their relationship.

After making their rounds, they went hunting in 

the western area.

Qing’s territory resembled a half-gourd lying on its side. It was long from north to south and narrow from east to west. Because the territory spanned such a wide area, the game found in different regions varied. There was little game in the north, but plenty in the south.

They spend the winter living with their backs to the eastern mountains.

The caves here are far from the border; in winter, they survive on stored game, and being farther from other tribes keeps them safer.

To the west, there are a few scattered herds of game that migrate over every spring, mostly spotted beasts. Qing hunts the game, while Xu Shuangci gathers edible plants.

Since they were moving with their belongings, they had to travel slowly. Qing estimated it might take three to five days to reach their destination.

No one knew what they might encounter along the way, so Xu Shuangci gathered as much as he could and dug up quite a few medicinal herbs. Once back at the cave, the two went about their respective tasks.

Xu Shuangci dried the plants they couldn’t eat right away, while Qing prepared the game. After another rain shower cleared, they set off on their journey.

Traveling from the northeast to the south-central region, they remained within Qing’s territory.

While packing, Xu Shuangci weighed his options carefully. Of the larger items, he took only the precious Golden-Eyed Beast hide, a water cistern, and a pot. He also brought along the herd of livestock they had raised, which hadn’t yet reached maturity.

The rest was up to Qing to decide.

After sorting through everything, they still ended up with a pile of large and small bundles. What they didn’t take, Qing sealed inside the cave with large stones. The spring was bright and clear, with grass growing and birds singing.

They followed the small stream as it cut through the woods, and as night fell, they stopped to rest at the confluence of the small stream and the main river.

Qing found a tree hollow.

After clearing it out and lining it with dry grass, he told Xu Shuangci to go inside to shelter from the wind.

The tree was over a hundred years old and hollow inside, but its bark was still connected to the roots, and its crown remained lush and leafy.

As usual, Xu Shuangci crushed the insect-repelling herbs and scattered them around, then tossed some vegetable leaves to the red-feathered beast.

They built a hearth and lit a fire to cook.

That evening, they made do with what was at hand, using a large, plump fish from the river to cook a pot of sour cabbage fish. The sourness came from the sour vine fruit, and the “cabbage” was fresh wild greens picked by the riverbank. They looked like wild celery—very tender, snapping cleanly with a single pinch.

Although this sour fish dish wasn’t exactly authentic, it was a novel flavor she’d come up with on the spot. It wasn’t at all greasy.

After eating and washing up, Xu Shuangci curled up in Qing’s fur.

He rested his head on Qing’s paw.

He gazed at the star-filled sky outside the tree hollow, sparkling with brilliance.

It was beautiful, all right.

But this constant moving around, this feeling of being rootless and adrift, is really awful.

He hadn’t expected that even after moving to a new place, he’d have to go through this all over again.

Xu Shuangci held Qing close.

At least he has someone by his side now.