The little one had eaten a few full meals, becoming more energetic and stronger.

As the small dragon cubs squirmed around, Long Yao nudged at Hu Jiao Jiao, causing her to drop the animal skin she was holding with a “thud.” She had no choice but to let go and embrace Long Yao, using one hand to keep his mouth at bay.

“Haha… Alright, alright, Yao’er, stop it…”

Today, she wouldn’t need to wash her face—Long Yao had already licked it clean.

“Mother, we thought you didn’t want us anymore…” Long Ling’er pouted, her face full of grievance as she looked at Hu Jiao Jiao.

Hearing her words, Hu Jiao Jiao finally understood what was going on.

So the little cubs thought she had abandoned them.

“Silly cubs, how could Mother ever leave you!” She smiled warmly, holding Long Yao close, ruffling Long Ling’er’s hair, and taking her hand to lead her inside.

As her cold little hand was suddenly wrapped in a warm, large hand, Long Ling’er stiffened.

This was the second time the Vicious female had held her hand…

It turns out these hands could be so soft when they weren’t used for hitting…

“Mother made some delicious food, waiting for you to come back. Come, let’s wash our hands and eat,” Hu Jiao Jiao said, leading her to the water jar. She scooped out some water into a basin and carefully washed Long Ling’er’s hands.

The little hands were grimy, black as coal. Hu Jiao Jiao scrubbed them thoroughly before the original color finally emerged, turning the clean water cloudy.

“I-I’ll do it myself…” Long Ling’er quickly withdrew her hands, hiding them behind her back, her ears turning red with embarrassment.

Her hands were so dirty—surely the Vicious female was disgusted with her…

Despite how poorly Hu Jiao Jiao had treated Long Ling’er in the past, the little girl still secretly hoped to win her affection. After all, what child wants to be disliked by their mother?

But instead of showing disgust, Hu Jiao Jiao gently pulled her hands back, wiping them dry with a towel. “No need to be shy with Mother,” she said with a teasing smile.

“I-I’m not shy! Stop saying that!” Long Ling’er’s face turned bright red, and she awkwardly pulled her hands away, lowering her head in embarrassment.

The little girl had thin skin, so Hu Jiao Jiao stopped teasing her. She replaced the dirty water and wiped Long Yao’s drool-covered face before turning to the other three cubs. “You all, come and wash your hands too.”

The cubs glanced down at their equally filthy paws, their faces heating up with embarrassment.

Long Zhong: This Vicious female is doing it on purpose—she’s laughing at us!

Long Yu: Next time, I’ll make sure to wash my hands before coming back.

Long Xiu: I can’t see anyway…

Knowing that the second child, Long Xiu, was blind, Hu Jiao Jiao walked over to take his hand and help him wash up.

“I can do it myself…” Long Xiu said awkwardly, trying to refuse.

But Hu Jiao Jiao held his hand firmly. “Mother will help you,” she said, her movements gentle and kind, showing no hint of prejudice despite Long Xiu’s knowledge of her true identity.

Long Xiu looked toward the direction of her face with his empty eyes. Though he still saw nothing but darkness, he somehow no longer feared it.

She… was much better than the Vicious female.

If she stayed this kind, maybe he wouldn’t need to expose her…

Once Hu Jiao Jiao finished cleaning his hands, she turned to the last two cubs.

“I can do it myself.”

“I don’t need your fake kindness!”

The two spoke in unison, then went to the water jar to scoop out water and wash their hands.

The six-year-old cubs, undernourished and just barely taller than the jar, struggled to scoop the water.

Hu Jiao Jiao smiled, not stopping them but gently reminding, “Make sure to wash thoroughly, or no dinner tonight.”

Both cubs paused mid-scoop.

Long Yu regretted it—he should’ve let the malicious female help him wash.

Long Zhong gritted his teeth. This Vicious female was plotting against him again—how despicable!

Once their hands were washed, the five cubs sat in a row.

Hu Jiao Jiao had made steaks for dinner. Freshly cooked beef, sizzling and tender, filled the air with a mouth-watering aroma.

The cubs couldn’t help but gulp at the rich, meaty smell.

Today’s meal smelled amazing—it was the pure scent of meat!

Considering that the cubs couldn’t cut steak themselves, Hu Jiao Jiao sliced it for them, serving it in bowls drizzled with delicious sauce, complete with forks.

Even in the Beast World, the quality of life had to be maintained.

The cubs immediately dug into their bowls, eating with great enthusiasm. Long Yao, unable to grip the fork, simply buried his face in the bowl and devoured the food.

Seeing the cubs enjoy their meal so much, Hu Jiao Jiao felt deeply satisfied.

After dinner, Hu Jiao Jiao went to the river to wash the dishes and hang the cleaned animal hides to dry. When she returned, the cubs were laying out hay in the wooden house.

Long Yao was happily rolling around in the hay, unaffected by the worried expressions of his older siblings.

“Big brother, we took Xiong Hua’s prey—she’s sure to come after us. What if she tries to steal our food again?” Long Ling’er asked, her face full of concern.

Xiong Hua’s family lived close by and had often sent Xiong Qiu to steal their food before.

“We’ll just eat it all quickly so there’s nothing left for her to take,” Long Zhong suggested.

“There’s so much food, how will you not get stuffed to death?” Long Xiu interrupted dryly.

“So what’s your plan, then?” Long Zhong asked in frustration, standing up.

Long Yu patted him on the shoulder. “The Vicious female said she has a way to deal with Xiong Hua. Let’s wait and see what she does.”

“What good plan could she possibly have? Trusting her is like trusting Little Five will transform tomorrow!” Long Zhong scoffed, clearly dissatisfied.

“Arf?”

Long Yao, still rolling around, lifted his little head, blinking his red eyes.

Did someone call him?

“This doesn’t concern you—keep playing,” Long Zhong muttered, pushing Long Yao’s head away.

When Hu Jiao Jiao entered the room, she saw the cubs huddled together, whispering.

The room went silent as soon as she appeared.

Amused, Hu Jiao Jiao thought to herself—don’t they know beast people have sharp hearing? She had heard every word from outside.

“Cubs, Mother has something to discuss with you,” she said, drawing their attention.

The cubs all turned to look at her.

“Xiong Hua destroyed our house. Do you want to get revenge?” Hu Jiao Jiao asked, her eyes narrowing with a playful smile.

As soon as the cubs heard the word “revenge,” their ears perked up.

Long Ling’er was the first to nod eagerly, answering in her clear voice, “Yes! But Mother, how can we get revenge?”

They were no match for Xiong Hua’s family. The Vicious female was so thin and weak—she could scare them with a knife, but in a real fight, she’d be beaten in one punch.

“Simple. We’ll give them a taste of their own medicine!”

Hi readers! Let me know what you think of my translation—whether you like it or think it needs improvement. Your feedback means a lot, so please comment!