Chapter 95

“The tiger-people’s group was large, with nearly twenty beastmen. Each beastman carried a sub-beastman on their back, most of whom were their mates. Among them were Sanglong, Yiming, and Erhuang. Of the three, Sanglong carried his mate as well as a small tiger cub.

The cub was only two or three months old and had not yet transformed into human form.

The brothers Yiming and Erhuang carried their mother along with some supplies.

This year, they were heading to the leopard-people’s tribe. The chief had said they would collect salt mud and make it themselves back in the tribe. The leopard-people’s chief mentioned that they wouldn’t need to bring anything in exchange. Still, many of the tiger-people brought some items with them—each carrying their own, intending to trade with the leopard-people for other goods.

For instance, the brothers’ mother had been murmuring before departure: ‘…Even if we can’t trade for anything, just bring them along. These dried fruits are delicious; let’s give some to the leopard-people so they can try our tiger-people’s dried fruits.’

Since the leopard-people’s chief allowed them to collect salt mud without any exchange, the tiger-people felt even more warmly toward them, making their trading more relaxed and casual.”

In the past, going to the feathered-people’s market was a heavy burden—both physically and mentally. There was always the fear of not bringing enough or not having good enough items to trade for salt. They had to carry large and valuable goods. But now, with no worries about running out of salt, the tribe members only brought small items—food, tools, woven crafts, all sorts of things. Even if they didn’t manage to trade for anything, it didn’t matter.

There was a carefree feeling of ‘I’m just here to visit my good friends, and I don’t mind if I end up half-selling, half-giving, or just giving things away for free.’

After all, these things were abundant in the tiger-people’s tribe.

Previously, trips to the feathered-people’s market happened in the sweltering summer heat, but the journey to the leopard-people’s tribe was closer. They would arrive in early summer, collect the salt mud, and return just in time for the hottest days to dry the salt. The timing was perfect. After two or three years of doing this, the tiger-people had already become skilled at salt-making.

Everything was well-planned. This year’s trip to the leopard-people’s tribe felt more like a vacation, so many brought their whole families along.

As they neared their destination, the tiger-people ran into a group of werewolves. Upon seeing each other, both sides realized they had the same idea—bringing along many children and sub-beastmen, chatting and walking together along the way.”

“They were making a fuss about wanting Zhuo Yan to tell stories.”

“‘Something about the seaside’—I don’t even know what that is.”

“Yeah, last year, Zhuo Yan stayed in our tribe for three days, and the cubs really liked him.”

“I’m so jealous. I wish Zhuo Yan would visit our tiger-people tribe too.”

“Zhuo Yan likes red chili fruits. We dried some this year and brought them along. If the ones he took last year didn’t grow, we have half a basketful here.”

The tiger-people were curious about red chili fruits and laughed, saying, “Haha, we brought dried fruits. We picked them from the trees last year, shelled them, and dried them—they’re edible.”

“We also brought some herbs. If you eat the roots of this one, it warms your body. But you can’t eat too much—too much makes your nose bleed. A cub in our tribe once chewed half a root and nearly died.”

“And we have some dried black flower seeds too.”

…

As the two groups talked, they realized they both had a lot of food, which made them burst into laughter. In the past, they wouldn’t have dared to bring these things for trade—the feathered-people looked down on beastmen, thinking their food wasn’t worth anything. The feathered-people never lacked food and only wanted things like hides and bone knives.”

Sanglong said, “Up ahead, that looks like Alai from the lion-people tribe.”

“The lion-people travel a long way, so they always arrive early every year.”

“Come on, let’s go in quickly.”

The three groups met up—Alai from the lion-people tribe had just returned with a few beastmen from the leopard-people tribe after hunting some horned deer. With their numbers growing, the group marched grandly toward the leopard-people’s settlement.

As they passed through the forest, the werewolves and tiger-people greeted the leopard-people and went to settle in the rest area. But something was different this year—the forest floor, once covered in weeds, had been cleared. The ground was packed down and leveled, and in one area, there were even tables and stone slabs laid out.

“What’s this?”

“A marketplace. Our tribe is hosting a market this year,” said A-Tou, stopping to gesture toward the tables. “Once everyone arrives, we’ll open it.”

A-Hui said, “Everyone’s here today, so that means it’ll open tomorrow for sure. I’m pretty curious about it.”

“We didn’t bring any hides—”

“You can trade anything,” A-Hui replied.

“Even dried fruits and food?”

A-Tou said, “Of course! Zhuo Yan and the others even prepared some food.”

Hearing this, the werewolves, tiger-people, and sub-beastmen all let out a sigh of relief. That was great news.

A-Tou and A-Hui didn’t rush the two tribes. If they were tired, they could go rest at the same spot as last year. Those curious about the marketplace could stay and take a look. The two of them were happy to explain, but when the sub-beastmen from both tribes started asking for details, A-Tou and A-Hui scratched their heads.

“I don’t know.”

“Our tribe’s sub-beastmen set it up. I know about the soap and pottery, but I have no idea what the peacocks are selling.”

As they spoke, A-Yin ran over and said, “My brother said to set up a few more tables.”

“Is the firing done?”
“I’ll grab the tools. We’ll get it covered in a bit.”

A-Tou and A-Hui didn’t question why more tables were needed—whatever Zhuo Yan asked them to do, they just did. The harvest had come in recently, the weather wasn’t unbearably hot, and food was plentiful. With the three other tribes visiting, the place was lively and bustling. Doing work felt more like having fun.

The tiger-people and werewolves went to settle in, only to find their rest areas had been improved. More tables and water pools had been added, and most importantly, the rest platforms had been refurbished. The weeds had been cleared, just like at the market, and the ground was packed down. Some incense had also been lit, and a misty smoke curled through the air.

The early-arriving lion-people had told them that this kind of grass could repel mosquitoes. After burning, it made for a good night’s sleep and even had a faint, pleasant scent.

“Our rest area is still the same as before, but somehow it feels very different.”

“Yeah, it does.”

“I wonder what will be traded at the market tomorrow?”

“It seems even livelier than last year.”

Originally, the rest areas had been set up in a hurry, focusing on practicality—just like Zhuo Yan had said, handling the urgent matters first. But now, with improved material conditions, people naturally started paying attention to smaller details, like repelling insects and making it easier for sub-beastmen to fetch water and cook. Everything was becoming more comfortable and convenient.

“I want to go over there and take a look.”

A beastman glanced in that direction. “There’s nothing over there, just an empty space. Didn’t they say the market starts tomorrow?”

“I just want to see. Those tables look really nice.”

“I want to go too!”

The sub-beastmen from all three tribes were curious, and some of the little wolf cubs even tugged on their parents’ hands, wanting to go find Zhuo Yan to play. But their elders held them back, telling them not to run around. The little cubs pouted and whined, and in the end, they were allowed to go check out the market first.

“They were very close, and Zhuo Yan had said he would set up a few more tables—maybe Zhuo Yan would even come over. Around the market area, people from all three tribes had gathered, including beastmen and sub-beastmen.

A-Tou and A-Hui were digging the foundation, holding hoes and shovels. In no time, they leveled the ground and laid down a thin layer of shallow foundation. One beastman curiously asked what it was. The two misunderstood, thinking he was asking what they were doing. One of them replied, ‘We’re digging a shallow foundation. Here in winter, we get heavy snowfall. Zhuo Yan said it’s best to have a base when building things, though the tabLelegs don’t need to be dug too deep…’

After chatting a bit, they suddenly realized that wasn’t what the question was about.

A-Tou looked at everyone, handed over his hoe, and said, ‘You meant this, right?’

‘Yes.’

‘It works really well. In no time at all, the grass on the ground is uprooted completely.'”

“‘It’s a hoe,’ A-Tou said with a smile. He didn’t hold back and handed the hoe to the most curious beastman to try. As he did, he added, ‘Actually, this transparent stone was found near your werewolf tribe.’

‘Huh?’ The werewolves were completely baffled.

A-Tou continued, ‘Snow Deer Mountain—’

Some sub-beastmen quickly caught on and exclaimed in shock, ‘The stone from Stinky Bird Mountain?!’

‘…’ A-Tou: That snow deer sure smells bad, but how does it look anything like a bird?

The other two tribes turned to look at the werewolf tribe. So this material came from the werewolves’ territory… then why were they acting so curious, as if they’d never seen it before?”

“‘No, this stone is only transparent in the snow. And it’s not really a stone—it’s much lighter. When the snow melts and the weather gets hot, the stone turns gray…’ The werewolves hurriedly explained. They weren’t stupid!

Everyone looked back at the two tools. They were still transparent.

Wait… what was going on?

‘That’s true, but Zhuo Yan figured it out. And he found a way to fire it into tools like hoes, shovels, and sickles. We use them for harvesting, and they’re really handy—we finish in no time,’ A-Tou said.

It wasn’t just the werewolves who were curious; the other two tribes were too. They all started asking questions at once about how it was made. A-Hui and A-Tou didn’t know who to answer first.

Then someone suddenly shouted, ‘Zhuo Yan is here!’

The entire crowd fell silent. A-Hui and A-Tou let out a breath of relief.

‘You can ask Zhuo Yan,’ they said.”

There was no need for A-Tou and A-Hui to say anything—everyone had already turned their attention to Zhuo Yan.

Zhuo Yan walked in front, smiling as he greeted them. Behind him, A-Yin and a few beastmen carried transparent stone slabs—just like the other tables—along with some large gray mud blocks.

‘Start setting them up first,’ Zhuo Yan instructed A-Yin before turning to the crowd. He said, ‘I’m adding three more spots. The things brought by the Lion, Wolf, and Tiger tribes can also be displayed tomorrow so that everyone can trade together.’

The sub-beastmen from the three tribes were momentarily stunned before realizing what Zhuo Yan meant. Then, excitement quickly followed.

‘Really?’
‘That’s great!’
‘Our tribe gets a stall too?’
‘Does that mean anyone can come and trade?’
‘Amazing!’

Before, they always had to carry their baskets to the Avian stalls to trade. They never expected that, at the Leopard Tribe’s market, they would have their own booths.

Zhuo Yan nodded, then turned to the rest of the crowd. ‘You were asking about this transparent stone? It’s easy to make. Our kiln is still firing. If you come with me, I’ll teach you how to make it.’

With that, the crowd eagerly followed Zhuo Yan.

The harvest in the Leopard Tribe had already ended. Crop stalks were still piled on the ridges, the black soil had been turned over and loosened, and the neatly divided furrows stretched across the fields. Dayun led his younger siblings in picking peanuts from the fields—whoever found one would excitedly hold it up and run off. They were planning to roast peanuts by the river.

It wasn’t that the children lacked food—this was just a game for them!

Just look at the littLeleopard cub rolling around in the field, now completely covered in mud. Its front paws dug at the soil like a little dog, scratching at one spot, finding nothing, then turning to another, still finding nothing. But the moment Dayun shouted that he had found one, the littLeleopard panicked. With a powerful leap, it pounced over the field ridge—right onto a small silver wolf pup.

Then, the silver wolf pup grabbed the leopard cub and started gnawing on it.

Zhuo Yan: “…”

Yep, the leopard cub was his daughter. The wolf pup? His third child.

What started as peanut picking quickly turned into a playful scuffle.

Others noticed the scene too. “That little wolf pup?”

“My third kid, born just this spring,” Zhuo Yan replied, looking calm on the surface but inwardly a little embarrassed. “The leopard cub is mine too. The wolf pup’s name is Buhei, and the leopard cub is Lele.”

A member of the Tiger Tribe spotted a small tiger cub running in the distance and pointed excitedly. “That little tiger cub—”

“His name is Taige. He’s Daen and Aman’s cub,” someone answered.

The Tiger Tribe members were delighted. “So Daen has a cub now? That’s great!” “We have to tell Erhuang and Yiming—Daen already has a kid!” “Look at that sturdy little guy—he really takes after Daen!”

While the adults chatted, the cubs from all three tribes could barely hold themselves back. They wanted to play too.

“Is it okay?” the adults asked Zhuo Yan.

Zhuo Yan nodded. “They can, but make sure they stay safe. Don’t let them get too close to the river.”

“Don’t worry, they know that.” “Even if they fall in, they’ll swim back up.”

Despite their reassurances, the adults still reminded the older, human-shaped children to keep an eye on their younger siblings. “Watch over them properly, and I’ll get you something fun later.” Then they turned to the fluffy cubs and tugged on their ears. “No playing too recklessly, no going to dangerous places, and stay with your older siblings. If you don’t listen, you won’t get to come next time.”

“…”

Zhuo Yan: Looks like parents are the same no matter the era.

Coercion, bribery, and a little intimidation.

The young ones from all three tribes—whether in human or beast form—ran off to play in the fields. They quickly got familiar with one another, and soon, the fields were full of fluffy little creatures rolling around in the dirt, all covered in mud. The older kids were picking peanuts because Dayun from the Leopard Tribe had said, “No one wants these anymore, so we can take them and roast them ourselves.”

“We’ll cook for ourselves! I even brought some meat.”

“Come on, I’ll show you where we play!”

“Lele, we’re done picking peanuts. Do you want to go play on the climbing frame?” Dayun called out.

But the littLeleopard cub, Zhuo Le, didn’t hear a word. She was too busy ramming her head into Taige and Fengling, knocking them both into the dirt before dashing off at full speed. Taige and Fengling immediately got up and chased after her, eager for revenge. As she ran, she let out excited “Awoo!” sounds.

Right behind them, the little pup Zhuo Buhei wagged his short legs and howled, “Wu wu! I wanna play too! I wanna play too!”

Zhuo Yan, witnessing everything: …His daughter truly never stopped initiating “battles.”

If this kept up, he and A-Yin were going to end up with a daughter built like a little powerhouse. Not bad. In this world, strength was key.

With that thought, Zhuo Yan glanced around and spotted the riverside play area—just as expected, Baoxue was carrying Kangkang.

His eyebrows furrowed slightly.

When it came to fighting, he didn’t have to worry about his second and third children. But his eldest—well, as long as they could grow up safe and healthy, that was enough. Even if they couldn’t hunt, they could still fill their stomach through farming. But if the eldest had been a beastman…

It seemed like developing animal husbandry was going to be necessary.

Lost in thought, Zhuo Yan led the group to the kiln factory. By now, all three tribes were familiar with the place. Under the shelter, piles of gray stone were stacked up. Zhuo Yan pointed and said, “This is it.”

The tigers and lions were about to comment that the stones were gray, but the wolves reacted first. Only then did the other two tribes remember—the wolves had said that when the weather got hot, the stones turned gray.

“First, grind these stones into powder,” Zhuo Yan instructed.

Their tribe didn’t have anything urgent to fire in the kiln right now, but for demonstration purposes, they could make some ladles and spoons. Small, easy-to-mold items that could later be placed on the market stall for trade.

Aman, Qiao, and Xiao Xian were all present. Without hesitation, they got to work.

“The transparent stone is quite brittle and easy to grind into powder,” Zhuo Yan said, picking up a piece and tossing it onto a larger rock. He smashed it with another stone, and soon enough, it crumbled. “This needs to be ground into fine powder.” He worked on it for a bit before Aman offered to take over.

The three tribes immediately chimed in:
“We can help too.”
“Yeah, I’m strong.”

“Of course,” Zhuo Yan said, handing over the task of grinding the stone into powder.

Meanwhile, Qiao and Xiao Xian were shaping molds. Zhuo Yan explained as he worked, “The stone powder will be mixed with yellow clay powder and water until it becomes a thick liquid. To get the right shapes, we’ll need molds. Unlike pottery, which can be heated continuously for cooking, this material will crack if exposed to direct flames. But aside from that, once fired, it’s just as sturdy as stone.”

Someone called out, “Zhuo Yan, can you make a hoe like the one A-Hui and the others use? I brought things to trade for it.”

“I want a hoe too!”

It seemed that everyone was quite practical. Zhuo Yan nodded and said, “Alright, this is easy to fire.”

“For the powder to be used, it needs to be ground to this consistency and then sifted through a woven grass sieve along with yellow clay powder. The ratio is one bowl of stone powder, one bowl of yellow clay powder, and two bowls of water. If you’re making larger or more items, just double it—two bowls of stone powder, two bowls of yellow clay powder, and four bowls of water.”

“You don’t have to use my specific bowl. Just use whatever measuring container your tribe normally uses, as long as the proportions stay the same.”

“The firing process takes only half a day. If you start in the morning when the sun rises, put out the fire before midday when it gets too hot.”

“When removing the mold, wait until it’s completely cooled, then wet it with water before peeling it off. You won’t need the clay mold anymore—only the finished piece inside.”

Everyone understood the proportions and firing process, but when it came to molding, their minds were still a bit foggy. The more quick-witted sub-beastmen from the three tribes were deep in thought, while others were eager to try it hands-on. Qiao and Aman took the lead in teaching them.

That afternoon, they managed to fire three hoes, over a dozen spoons of various sizes, and six sickles.

…

By evening, the sound of bang bang bang echoed through the tribe as the four clans gathered to divide the meat from the hippos they had hunted. The plaza was bustling with activity. With so many children around, the young ones who had tired themselves out were dozing off in their elders’ arms, while the more energetic ones chattered away non-stop.

“Grandma, the seesaw was so fun!”

“I’ve never seen a slide like that before—it was amazing!”

“I’ve had peanuts before, but the ones we roasted tasted even better!”

“Why does the Leopard Tribe have so many fun things? A-Fu, can we not go back? Can we stay and play in the Leopard Tribe?”

“And also, A-Fu, why are there wolf cubs in the Leopard Tribe?”

“There are also little tigers!”

“That’s because those cubs were born to Zhuo Yan and A-Yin of the Leopard Tribe.”

Sanglong knocked on his own cub’s head. “What little tiger? That’s the cub of Uncle Daen and his mate.”

Saying that, he picked up his cub and walked around the crowd. Sure enough, he spotted Daen chatting with Yiming and Erhuang.

Joining in, he asked, “What’s your little tiger’s name?”

“Taige!” Sanglong’s cub answered first—he had spent the whole afternoon playing with Taige.

Daen laughed heartily and said, “Let me see. Taige just ran off to grab some roasted meat.”

Sanglong set his cub down and let him go find Taige. The little ones weaved through the crowd and quickly found a group of cubs near the bonfire.

Among them was Zhuo Yan, whom everyone loved to talk about. The cub knew Zhuo Yan—he was a sub-beastman, and everyone praised him for being very smart.

The seesaw, slide, and climbing frame were all made by Zhuo Yan.

Zhuo Yan really was smart.

With a skewer in one hand, Zhuo Yan first fed a small bite to Kangkang in his arms, then gave a bite to Lele. On the side, their third cub, Buhei, whimpered. Zhuo Yan casually tore off a piece of meat and stuffed it into Buhei’s mouth, instantly silencing him. Buhei gulped down the meat with a muffled “awoo,” whiLele Le, having finished her bite, bumped her head against Zhuo Yan’s leg.

“Don’t bump into Daddy.” A-Yin smacked Lele lightly on the head, speaking seriously to their daughter.

Lele let out a series of “awoo awoo” sounds, and A-Yin shifted into his beast form, also letting out a deep “awoo.” Little beast Lele instinctively felt a bit intimidated by the large beast, but then A-Fu extended his big paws, gently cradling her in his palm, and let out a slow, soothing “awoo.”

Don’t bump into Daddy. It hurts.

Lele tilted her little head, half understanding, and nodded.

Zhuo Yan chuckled. Truthfully, his daughter’s little headbutts didn’t hurt at all. But A-Yin was right to teach her, and Zhuo Yan wanted to let A-Yin maintain his authority as “A-Fu”—the father. Since they were both called “A-Fu,” things sometimes got confusing, especially in urgent situations. So, Zhuo Yan had simply told the cubs to call him Daddy and A-Yin A-Fu.

At a glance, there was suddenly a little tiger next to them—this wasn’t Taige.

“Whose family are you from?” Aman also noticed and asked, glancing around. “Ah, you’re from Sanglong’s family.”

Aman fed the cub from Sanglong’s family a bite of roasted meat. The little tiger ate it happily, then pounced on Taige. Caught off guard, Taige was knocked to the ground but quickly got up and pounced back. The two tigers kept tackling each other, playing around.

It was pretty adorable.

That night, the clan leader announced that the market would be held the next day. The crowd cheered in agreement. In reality, the three tribes had already been discussing things all day, especially with the lion tribe, who had arrived early. But even the lion tribe didn’t seem to know much.

“The leopard people said they would explain how to make the transparent stones once everyone arrived,” said a lion beastman.

The tiger and wolf people: Oh, so that’s how it is. Then they hadn’t missed anything.

“Did you see what Zhuo Yan was wearing?”

“I know, it’s made of ramie summer cloth.”

“It looks lighter than leather. When Zhuo Yan walks, the skirt even flutters.”

“That’s not a skirt—it’s pants.”

The lion people had arrived early, so they knew about this and said, “It was made by the peacock tribe. That ramie was also harvested from seeds brought back from near the feathered people.”

The tiger people were aware of this.

“Can we trade for it tomorrow?”

“The peacock tribe has a stall too. I heard they’ll be selling summer cloth, but there’s very little of it. Apparently, in early spring, the peacock tribe exchanged summer cloth with the leopard people, and they only made a limited amount—only ten burrows’ worth of people have clothes made from it.”

“Does that mean we won’t get any?”

“There’s still some left. Not long ago, they had another harvest. I went to the… weaving house—yes, the leopard people call it a weaving house. I went there and saw the peacocks making clothes.”

“Is it that huge cave inside the riverside kiln?” the wolfman asked.

The tiger man shook his head. “It doesn’t look like a cave.”

“Right, they say it’s a built house, and it even has windows—bright and shiny.” The lion man sighed as he said this.

The tiger and wolf people couldn’t help but ask why he sighed.

The lion man said, “We might be able to learn how to make transparent stones, but weaving and making summer cloth? I’ve watched for three days, and I still can’t figure it out. Zhuo Yan and the peacock tribe leader told me the same thing—whoever asks gets the same answer: it’s just incredibly difficult. Even in our tribe, Xia Shu hasn’t managed to learn it.”

Everyone knew Xia Shu—he was quite smart.

“Huh? Is it really that hard?”

“Yeah, and that wooden… chicken thing? We can’t figure that out either.”

Hearing his name, Xia Shu came over and nodded. “It’s called a loom. Zhuo Yan explained it to me, but I don’t understand it. Plus, making summer cloth is really slow.”

“Right, right, it’s woven one thread at a time.”

“No wonder only ten burrows in the leopard tribe have it,” the wolf and tiger people remarked, growing even more curious about the summer cloth. They started talking among themselves:

“It’s only been a year, and the leopard tribe has come up with so many amazing things.”
“Yeah.”
“I wish Zhuo Yan were in our tribe.”
“He’s really smart.”
“Do you think we’ll be able to trade for summer cloth if we come next year?”

Someone suddenly said, “But I remember seeing a sign hanging on the market tree—it listed summer cloth.”

“Eh?!!!”

Everyone grew even more excited for tomorrow.

After eating and drinking their fill, they each went their separate ways. As they waded through the river, they took the opportunity to bathe. The leopard tribe had even prepared bubble tree leaves for them, making it easier to clean themselves. The cubs were still chattering about how much fun the slides and climbing frames were.

The air carried a faint, pleasant scent of wood, and there wasn’t a single mosquito around. The beastmen slept on the outer edges while the sub-beastmen cradled their cubs, all getting a good night’s rest.

The next morning, the early sunlight filtered through the dappled tree canopy.

The entire leopard tribe settlement was peaceful, with only the occasional chirping of birds. In the areas where the three tribes were staying, some people were waking up. Cubs were calling out, and as their caretakers groggily held them, they suddenly remembered—today was market day!

The clan leaders began making arrangements.

“I heard our three tribes have tables now. Let’s sort out the things we brought and get ready to set them up.”

The sub-beastmen busied themselves organizing their goods, while the cubs were handed off to their partners to be taken to the river for cleaning.

A mother from the tiger tribe, directing her two sons, Yiming and Erhuang, bustled around anxiously. “…If I had known earlier, I would’ve brought more!”

“Ma, bring more next year.”

“Alright, alright.”

“Hurry up, let’s go!”

When they arrived at the market, there were already people there—the leopard tribe. It wasn’t just the three tribes who were eager and curious about the market; the sub-beastmen of the leopard tribe had been busy preparing the market setup since early spring. After waiting excitedly for three to four months, the day had finally come. How could they not be thrilled? Of course, they arrived early.

A Bai, He Chun, and A Hua shared a table as a group.

Qiao and Xiao Xian paired up.

Aman didn’t do anything—he was too lazy to participate in this market.

Lin Rong, his friends, and Cong Lü had fired some pottery…

Before long, the market “stall owners” from each family arrived, carrying baskets on their backs. They began setting up their stalls and unloading goods. The sub-beastmen from the three tribes curiously observed how the leopard tribe arranged their stalls and quickly followed suit, easily catching on.

“We’re also setting up for the first time—we’re just randomly placing things,” A Bai said, feeling a bit awkward under the curious gazes of the sub-beastmen from the three tribes, unsure where to put his hands and feet.

The three tribespeople laughed.
“Then I’ll just place things randomly too.”
“No, no, we should still keep it organized.”
“Wow, Qiao, what are you setting up?”

“It looks like something I saw at the feathered people’s market.”

“It’s a wind chime! But instead of shells, it’s made of transparent stone.”

“So pretty!”

The tiger brothers’ mother hurried her sons along, worried they’d mess things up. Since her fellow sub-beastmen were here to help, she stretched her neck to peek at the other stalls. “I’m going to take a look around.”

I want to go too… but never mind, I’ll listen to Auntie and help set things up first. Can we even trade these dried goods and fruits for anything?

Kong Xingxing, Shitou, and Baoxue arrived, along with Kong Yue. Since it was the first day, he came early just to join in the excitement, while the other four would take over in the afternoon.

The three of them carried woven baskets on their backs. Shitou wiped the table clean with a piece of leather and started laying out clothes.

“It’s summer cloth!”

Everyone gathered around.

Kong Xingxing had promised to make clothes for every member of the Leopard Clan. The newly harvested ramie silk was still being woven, so the summer cloth they were selling at the market this time was leftover fabric from early spring. Not wanting to waste it, they patched it together and sewed skirts, shorts, camisoles, and vests—Zhuo Yan also contributed his input.

There were about a dozen pieces in total. The Peacocks, who had a keen sense of aesthetics, thought the camisoles and vests looked too bare around the neck, so they paired them with necklaces.

Not the kind of necklaces that came with the tops Shitou had bought before, but simple designs.

…

Zhuo Yan wasn’t participating in this market stall since he hadn’t prepared any goods—he was always busy but never seemed to know exactly what he was busy with. Not that it mattered. However, he had fired a batch of transparent stone utensils yesterday and received a few pieces himself, so he brought them along.

“Let’s bring some food too—salt-baked peanuts, mung bean cakes—that should be enough.”

Zhuo Yan packed up his basket, and A-Yin took it from him to carry on his back. Zhuo Yan then picked up Kangbao from the stone bed with one arm outstretched. Lele and Buhei, both nimble, climbed up along his arm—Lele settled on his shoulder first, while Buhei scrambled to claim the other side.

“…Stop scrambling all over me, or you’ll all fall off in a moment.”

It was useless.

But since the spot on his shoulder was already taken by his older sister, Buhei stepped on Lele to climb higher, trying to find a new perch. Zhuo Yan: …If A-Yin doesn’t lick him bald first, Lao San is definitely going to claw all his hair off sooner or later.

Oh well, oh well. The cub phase only lasts four months—once they shift into human form, they won’t be able to sit on his head even if they want to. With this bit of self-consolation, Zhuo Yan felt completely at peace. Smiling, he petted Kangbao in his arms and looked up at Lao Er and Lao San.

“Hold on tight, you two—we’re heading out~”

Time to explore the market.