Chapter Bonanza (3/10)

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Rushing back to Wolf Mountain under the stars and moonlight, they found the fire beneath the shelter had already gone out, and the scent of meat wafted from the cave entrance.

Most of the other teams had returned by then. The beastmen from Hunting Squad Three, whom they’d met halfway, were also ravenous by now. Hearing the commotion, Lang An emerged from the cave.

Looking at the pairs of gleaming wolves, he walked toward the hearth and said, “Lang Qiao, Jin, and the others came back first; they caught a Yoyo Beast too, so we went ahead and cooked it.”

He touched the clay cooking pot with his hand. “Bring a bowl—the soup in the pot is still hot.”

The beastmen’s legs were no longer weak, and they eagerly searched everywhere for their bowls. Some had left theirs by the stream, others in grassy nooks—it took quite a while to find them all. They had Lang An ladle out some meat soup, placed it on the low wall under the shed, and dove right in to eat voraciously.

Lang An noticed Lang Yan heading straight for the cave. Holding up his spoon, he called out, “King?” 

“You’re gone—aren’t you hungry yet?”

Lin Qiu was still clinging to his back, his arms wrapped tightly around him, his face buried in the fur, motionless as if asleep. Lang An grabbed their two bowls, filled them with soup, and followed him.

He’d thought Lin Qiu was asleep, but when he got closer, he saw that the boy’s eyes were half-open, and he looked listless.

“Qiu, are you sick?”

Lang Yan stopped by Lin Qiu’s grass nest. He slid down from Lang Yan’s back and leaned against the edge of the nest.

“I’m not sick. I’m just tired.”

Lin Qiu’s legs were a little sore now, and he occasionally got cramps.

He’d been clinging to Lang Yan for as long as the wolf had been running.

He’d planned to run part of the way on his own, but he couldn’t keep up. He’d actually intended to get down before they reached Wolf Mountain, but his legs gave out, and he ended up dropping to his knees.

That’s when Lang Yan had to carry him back.

Lang An handed him the bowl. “Then eat up quickly. Once you’ve eaten, go to sleep.” Lin Qiu took it, but his hand wobbled, and the meat broth nearly spilled.

The clay bowl was heavy; holding it weighed down his hands. Lang Yan took it and set it aside. “An, you go to sleep.”

Lang An nodded and went back to his den first.

Lang Yan set Lin Qiu’s backpack down beside the grass nest, added some firewood to the fire, and pulled over a bundle of grass, gesturing for Lin Qiu to sit down. Lin Qiu said, “I’ll rest for a bit. You eat first.”

Lang Yan didn’t rush him; he held a clay bowl and sipped the meat broth.

The beastmen used spoons to drink the soup—models they’d carved from wood themselves, inspired by Lin Qiu’s example—and these came in all shapes and sizes, each one different. They also used chopsticks made from two wooden sticks to eat the meat, a practice they’d learned from Lin Qiu as well.

Some beastmen were particular about them, carefully selecting good sticks and sanding them smooth to make them; others were less particular, discarding a pair after each use and breaking off fresh branches nearby for new ones every time.

Lang Yan had already become quite skilled at using chopsticks.

There was no table in the cave, so he held his bowl in one hand and sat upright.

Lin Qiu could barely hear him eating, but the beastman was clearly hungry as well; he ate in silence. The meat soup was gone in no time. 

Lin Qiu propped his chin in his hand, staring blankly at the back of the beastman’s head.

When Lang Yan was in his beast form, his fur was thick and fluffy, and he looked mighty and robust, but when held in one’s arms, he seemed to shrink by more than half. He didn’t have much meat on him; it was all supported by his skeleton.

His fur wasn’t particularly black or glossy—it was somewhat coarse—a sign he still wasn’t eating enough. Lang Yan finished his soup and gestured toward the untouched bowl beside him. “It’s getting cold.”

Lin Qiu pushed himself up from the grass nest, shuffled over to the basin, and washed his hands. He returned, polished off the meat soup in a few gulps, quickly washed up, and lay back down in the grass nest. There were still some medicinal herbs left in his back basket, and he hadn’t even mentioned the matter of finding hemp to the beastmen…

Lin Qiu’s thoughts wandered, and before long, he drifted off to sleep. When he awoke at daybreak, the cave was already empty of beastmen.

The cubs were now eating three meals a day, and each time they were full, their cries grew stronger.

Inside the cave, they let out high-pitched, whiny howls; when they got really worked up, they’d let out a sharp “woof” that sounded just like a puppy. As Lin Qiu walked through the cave, he carefully steered clear of the black-and-white soup scattered beneath the shelter.

Lang Xue looked up, but tilted his head back so far that he toppled over with a thud. It was Lin Qiu; he immediately scrambled on his four short legs to follow him.

Lin Qiu walked a short distance, then heard footsteps behind him. He turned around to see a line of wolf cubs following him.

Lang Guo was waiting under the shed in front of the hearth, sitting cross-legged on the low wall, clutching a fist-sized ball of wolf fur in his hand.

When the cub approached, he tossed the ball into the distance, and the wolf cubs immediately gave chase, howling “woof-woof.” As they ran, their legs gave out, and they stumbled and wobbled before tumbling into a heap.

Lang Guo smiled at Lin Qiu. “You’re awake. Time to eat.” 

Lin Qiu: “Have you all eaten already?”

Lang Guo clapped his hands and stood up. “Not yet. The hunting party left early, so Lang An ate with them first. Lang Mo and the others just woke up too; they’ve gone to the stream to wash their faces.”

No sooner had he said “Lang Mo” than the beastman returned, bowl in hand.

“Qiu! We’re firing up the kiln again—you’ll go in a bit.”

Lin Qiu nodded.

The meat broth was all in the pot, and the beastmen served themselves. Lin Qiu helped Lang Guo bring over a dozen bowls and ladled out the soup.

The cubs were given the broth from the bottom of the pot—the meat was softer and more tender, and the broth was slightly thicker.

Once everything was served, Lang Guo called on Lang Mo and Lang Xi to help carry the bowls.

He laid a few large leaves on the ground under the shelter, then arranged the bowls in a row. Lang Guo: “Mmm, mmm, mmm…”

Lin Qiu froze.

From the corridor, the pups swarmed in. Running so fast, a few of them bumped their heads, rolled over, shook their heads, and continued running around like fools. Their eyes remained fixed on the bowls in the corner.

Wasn’t something a little off here?

Lang Mo chuckled softly, crouching behind the cub to help reposition the one that wasn’t eating. Feeling the surprisingly substantial weight in his hands, Lang Mo exclaimed in surprise, “You’ve grown!”

Lang Guo looked smug as he leisurely took a sip of soup from his own bowl. “It’s not like anyone else raised them.”

Lin Qiu held Lang Mo’s hand, anxiously fiddling with the four-legged cub, and silently went over to the clay cooking pot to serve himself some soup. The adult beastman placed his bowl on the low wall, which was just the right height to serve as a table.

The adults ate while the cubs scrambled for scraps to go with their meal.

In most tribes, cubs were raised together in a communal setting to save labor and allow more beastmen to go foraging. 

The beastmen treated the cubs with extreme caution, usually handling them with great care, but at times they could be a bit rough. It’s like feeding a dog…

Lin Qiu remained silent.

Never mind, he’ll pretend he didn’t notice.

Beastmen’s guiding principle for raising the young was to ensure they were well-fed, well-rested, and healthy—and so far, they hadn’t strayed from that. At least they’d thoughtfully laid down large leaves for them.

After finishing his own meal, Lin Qiu grabbed a backpack from the cave and headed straight for the priest’s cave.

He’d gathered quite a few medicinal herbs yesterday; now that he was with the priest, he’d ask him to process them right away—putting his knowledge to practical use.

Lin Qiu held up a piece of dangshen root as thick as two fingers and said, “Priest, why don’t the beastmen add some of this to their soups?” The old priest furrowed his brow, then relaxed it.

“That’s fine.”

The old beastman went to call Lang Bing over to the wooden shelf to fetch some other items, telling him to take them down to Lang An later. After Lin Qiu finished preparing the herbs, he went downstairs. The old priest said to the teenager standing beside him, “Why didn’t we think of this?” Those herbs were mild and best suited for daily use to nourish the body.

The beastmen’s diet—sometimes going hungry, sometimes eating their fill—was actually a bit hard on their bodies. Lang Bing said, “We didn’t have a pot.”

The old priest nodded in agreement. “You’re right.”

There were clearly more beastmen staying at Wolf Mountain today; as far as the eye could see, most were teenagers.

Having just finished breakfast, their stomachs were full, and they were all full of energy now. Lin Qiu passed by four wolves roughhousing with each other and glanced at the tufts of fur flying from their bites. The wolf fur was scattered everywhere, like dandelion seeds blown by the wind.

Lin Qiu found Lang An, who was splitting firewood under a shed, and handed him the packet of herbs the priest had given him. The scent of the sun-dried herbs was too strong for the wolf beastmen; they didn’t like it.

“What’s this for?”

Lin Qiu: “The priest says to add a little to your soup—it’s good for your health. Don’t add too much, though; it’ll make it bitter.” 

“We’re not sick,” Lang An said sternly.

It was a common belief among the beastmen that only the sick would eat this disgusting herbal concoction; they were eating well and sleeping soundly now—what more could they ask for? Lin Qiu thought for a moment and said, “It’s delicious.”

Lang An immediately took it and laughed, “Then I’ll give it a try.”

Even though it smells bad, if Qiu says it’s good, then it must be good.

Take, for example, the two types of pungent herbs they’d eaten before—the ones called wild onions and wild chives—and the ginger and garlic they got from the priest; weren’t they all delicious?

Qiu wouldn’t lie to beastmen.

Lin Qiu’s backpack also contained some hemp; he’d originally intended to give it to the foraging team to help them stay alert, but since they weren’t there, he could only set it aside for now.

The sound of wolves fighting drifted in from the distance again. Lin Qiu watched the wolves gathering excitedly and the pups scrambling to keep up at his feet. He pulled his pant legs tight.

Lang An: “The wolves are still growing and need rest, so they didn’t go today.” Compared to adult beastmen, these wolves seemed full of energy.

They couldn’t even lie still; they had to reach out with their paws to provoke other wolves. When the two sides started fighting, after getting a mouthful of fur and realizing they couldn’t win, they could only run away with a pitiful “howl”.

Lin Qiu gently pushed the cub aside, picked a few ginseng roots, and headed into the woods. The cub tried to follow, but Lang Guo blocked its path with a long stick.

As soon as he tossed the fur ball again, the cub chased after it. Unable to outrun its companion, it resorted to biting—scrambling and fighting over it, just like any other adult wolf. Once inside the woods, there were quite a few wolves there.

They emerged one by one, covered in dirt and dust, only to immediately resume digging their holes.

Lin Qiu pointed to the yams they had dug up earlier and reminded them, “Those are for seed.” 

Lang Kim: “……”

He looked up, stuck out his chin, and said very loudly, “We’re leaving!” With a wave of his hand, the wolf followed him away to find another spot.

Lin Qiu arrived, and Lang Bing came as well.

The three wolves linked arms, while Lang Rong, standing nearby, lost his footing and fell, dragging the other two with him—and they landed right in the pit that had just been dug.

Lin Qiu raised his eyebrows, staring at the pit, which had appeared without a sound.

Feeling embarrassed?

After planting the medicinal herbs, he gave the wolves some face and returned to Wolf Mountain first.

Lang Kim immediately crawled over, tugging at the grim-faced Lang Bing and the sheepishly smiling Lang Rong. The three beastmen ran toward the spot where Lin Qiu had just been and examined it closely.

Lang Kim crouched down and tugged at the vine that had just been planted. “Why did he plant that?” Lang Bing stared at the purple-berried vine, lost in thought.

Lang Kim stood up, staring at Lin Qiu’s retreating figure, and declared with certainty, “He was definitely mocking us just now!” 

Lang Bing: “You’re overthinking it.”

Lang Rong tugged at Lang Kim, who looked ready to pick a fight. “Are we going to keep digging or not?” 

Lang Kim: “Of course we’re going to dig!”