Only then did Long Mo step back, finally releasing the pair. The two were sprawled on the ground, breathing sighs of relief when they saw Long Mo suddenly turn back toward them. Instinctively, they curled up, clutching their heads.

Long Mo’s cold gaze swept over them. “Don’t tell anyone I was here, or…”

His knuckles cracked ominously.

The two nodded wildly, stammering in unison, “We won’t, even if it kills us, we won’t!”

Satisfied, Long Mo cast a last look at them before walking away.

Inside the wooden hut, Lu Li crouched in the corner, hugging his knees and trembling from the sounds outside.

He was too afraid to go out.

Spoiled from a young age by his parents, Lu Li had grown up hefty and pampered, bullying others with his parents’ support. In truth, he was more cowardly than any female beastman. The moment Long Mo left, he flinched and felt a wet warmth spread beneath him. A puddle of foul-smelling yellow liquid pooled around him.

He’d wet himself in fear.

From that day on, Lu Li was left with a deep shadow in his heart, and he would be scared to death every time he saw Long Mo.

---

Hu Jiao Jiao was unaware of the events unfolding in Lu Li’s home. She was busy at her own house, butchering and skinning the cow they’d received.

The hide could be eaten, but she planned to tan it and save it for shoe soles. With winter coming, warm shoes were a necessity. She set aside a portion of the beef for dinner and planned to preserve the rest as smoked meat, she also plans to make some beef sauce.

In autumn, beastmen have big appetites because they need to store fat for the winter, so a family of seven could easily eat half of this 300-400-pound cow in just a single meal. The other half she hung on the smoking rack, knowing that to avoid hunger in winter, she’d need to store thousands of pounds of food.

Just as she finished hanging the smoked meat, she turned to find Long Zhong standing silently behind her.

“Zhong’er? Is something wrong?” she asked, surprised. Her third cub was usually the one least likely to seek her out voluntarily.

With half his face hidden behind his hair, Long Zhong kept his head low, avoiding her gaze. He clutched at his trousers awkwardly.

“Can I… Can I have some of the cowhide?” he asked, his voice muffled as his cheeks flushed beneath his hair. He knew he’d often been rude to Hu Jiao Jiao, so he was worried she wouldn’t agree.

“Of course!” Hu Jiao Jiao nodded without hesitation. “How much do you need?”

Long Zhong hadn’t expected her to agree so easily. He blurted a quick, “About this much,” drawing a rectangle in the air.

Hu Jiao Jiao cut a piece double the size he indicated. “Here you go. It’s still fresh, you’ll need to let it dry in a cool place first.”

Long Zhong grabbed it, muttering a quick, “Thank you,” before dashing off faster than a rabbit.

With a smile, Hu Jiao Jiao went back to her work, taking out a large hunk of beef for the beef sauce. She cut the leg into chunks, boiled them, then fried the pieces with fragrant herbs until crispy. The rich aroma filled the air, mouth-watering even without seasoning.

As she pulled the cooked meat from the pot, a small shadow came skittering over. Long Yao’s eyes sparkled as he stared at the bowl of beef, his tail wagging in excitement.

“Slurp…” he drooled, his little pink tongue sticking out like a hungry puppy.

“You little glutton,” Hu Jiao Jiao chuckled, setting aside a small bowl of beef chunks on the table for him.

Long Yao’s tail nearly blurred from wagging so fast. He flew to the table, eyes bright with excitement.

“Just a little, okay? Save room for dinner,” Hu Jiao Jiao reminded him, knowing he’d devour it all if given the chance.

With her permission, Long Yao eagerly buried his face in the bowl, making contented snuffling sounds as he devoured his treat.

Hu Jiao Jiao returned to her work, finely chopping green onions, garlic, and chili peppers from her hidden stash. She mixed these into the oil, savoring the mouth-watering aroma that filled the air as she stirred the sauce. It brought back familiar taste and memory.

“This smells amazing,” she sighed, pleased.

She opened her eyes to see Long Yao hovering nearby, still staring hungrily at the pot.

“Slurp… just looking…” he assured her, though his mouth was already watering again.

Finally, she added a few jars of sauce into the pot along with the fried beef pieces, stirring until the ingredients blended into a rich, savory beef sauce. She tasted it, and her eyes sparkled with nostalgia.

“It’s perfect! Just like the taste from my childhood!”

Long Yao, practically drooling a river, stared at her with wide, hungry eyes. Hu Jiao Jiao couldn’t help laughing as she handed him a piece of beef.

Long Yao bit down eagerly, chomping down so hard he nearly broke the chopsticks.

But suddenly, his little face scrunched up in shock. His tiny dragon claws clenched into fists, and his tail stiffened as though shocked by electricity. Then he began spinning in circles, tongue out and panting wildly.

“Ow, ow, ow! This meat bites back!”

To him, the spicy beef felt like it was “eating” his tongue.