Chapter 22

The ice and snow melted quickly, causing the river to swell, making it much wider than before.

Zhuo Yan had been swamped with work lately. It wasn’t just him—the entire tribe had “come to life.” Many sub-beastmen arrived at the riverbank early in the morning, some washing, others drawing water, while patrol and hunting teams formed by the beastmen started taking turns in shifts.

“Look, it’s true, that sub-beastman is really raising a little white-furred cub.”

“His name is Zhuo Yan. Before the snow season, a sub-beastman kept trying to win over Chun’s beastman—”

“Oh, I remember now; so it was him. Didn’t you say that no beastman in the tribe would be interested in him?”

“That’s why Zhuo Yan picked up the unwanted, rejected little white-furred cub.”

The sub-beastmen washing by the river chatted loudly, and their conclusion was seemingly well-reasoned, which made everyone believe it. After all, in the tribe, even if a sub-beastman lived alone, no one would go out of their way to bring a beast back to their cave.

But Zhuo Yan did, which could only mean one thing: Zhuo Yan must be desperate. Or something along those lines.

“Hey, you’re talking too loudly! And he’s not called Little White Fur anymore; he’s now Zhuo Yan’s younger brother, named A-Yin,” Aman shouted as he reached the river first, carrying a bamboo basket on his back.

Zhuo Yan and Sister Qiao followed behind, having gone back briefly because they forgot to bring some soap leaves. Stone was carrying the stone pot for him, with the last of the soap leaves.

Today’s tasks were to wash that filthy hide at home and to tan a bear hide.

A-Yin had the bear hide on his back; it was thick and heavy. Zhuo Yan initially intended to carry it himself, but A-Yin rubbed against his leg, eagerly nudging the hide with his head, so they ended up switching roles.

Before they even reached the river, Zhuo Yan could already hear people chattering about him and A-Yin. He was used to it and didn’t bother to argue. Zhuo Yan stopped Aman, saying, “Let’s wash over here.”

“I want to argue with them,” Aman said.

Xiao Xian nodded in agreement.

The scene felt familiar, though previously it hadn’t been to defend him. Zhuo Yan smiled. “Arguing would just waste time we could use for work. Besides, even if you argue with them, they’ll still talk about me when they see me later.”

As they spoke, they unloaded their things by the river.

“So, you’re just going to let them talk? You could argue back too.”

Zhuo Yan thought for a moment. “You’re right.” He noticed that not only were Xiao Xian’s fluffy ears perked up—the kid got excited at the idea of a fight—but A-Yin also focused his gaze, adopting a battle-ready stance. He looked at Zhuo Yan as if to say, “Just give the word, big brother, and I’ll go over there and roar at them.”

Zhuo Yan: …

“We’ve been so busy lately. Let’s save it for another day.”

Xiao Xian’s ears drooped, and A-Yin relaxed his stance, obediently following his brother to find a spot to unload the hides and get to work, without a second thought about arguing.

“All right, Zhuo Yan’s right. Let’s get started,” Qiao called, signaling for everyone to pick a spot. “There are stones here; we can wash things and even cook.”

Since Zhuo Yan’s hide-cleaning technique last year had made his hides especially soft, Qiao and a few others had brought their hides along this time—those that needed cleaning and could be swapped out. So, by the river, they began scraping off the fat and soaking the hides, while Zhuo Yan prepared soap leaves and wood ash.

Everyone had watched how Zhuo Yan did things last year, so this time, the work went quickly.

While the hides were soaking, Zhuo Yan gathered some dry grass from the riverbank, which had died off over the winter yet hadn’t decayed, unlike the grass that had fallen and withered on the ground.

“Brother Zhuo Yan, what are you collecting this for?” Xiao Xian asked curiously.

“I want to make a broom to sweep up dirt. But—” Zhuo Yan picked up three yellowed stalks and casually twisted them, giving them a firm tug, only to find they didn’t break—they were quite strong.

“This grass would be great for weaving shoes or mats.”

The straw sandals on his feet barely qualified as “shoes.” They were simply some vines twisted together to form makeshift sandals. The good part was that the vine soles were tough and durable; the bad part was that they didn’t fit snugly and often rubbed against the tops of his feet uncomfortably.

“A broom? Sandals? Mats? I know about shoes, but if you make them with this grass, they won’t last long before breaking,” Aman warned.

Zhuo Yan said, “How about using vine for the sole and this grass for the upper part? I’ll give it a try.”

When it came to weaving, Xiao Xian and Sister Qiao were definitely the experts, so Zhuo Yan had to ask Xiao Xian for some guidance. Hearing this, Xiao Xian’s furry ears perked up excitedly. Zhuo Yan was about to reach out to pat him when he felt a furry presence by his leg—A-Yin was nudging against him, holding a bunch of grass stalks in his mouth to show him.

“A-Yin, you’re such a good boy.” Zhuo Yan lowered his hand to pet A-Yin.

Aman saw this and pouted.

By the river, they lit a fire to dry out the grass stalks.

Zhuo Yan proposed a new idea, even refining his original plan. “Sister Qiao, how about wrapping another layer of soft grass around the vine sole? That way, it’ll be easy to replace when it wears out, and with all this grass around, it’ll make the sole softer and prevent too much pressure on the feet.”

Qiao tried to keep up with Zhuo Yan’s explanation, making hand gestures as she thought it through. Once she understood, her eyes lit up. “Zhuo Yan, that could work. You’re really clever.”

“Haha, but you two are the ones who know how to weave. I’m just throwing out ideas.”

Xiao Xian leaned in to watch how Sister Qiao was weaving. He knew the old technique, but this new one was unfamiliar. Qiao was also experimenting, unraveling and redoing sections if they didn’t look right, occasionally asking Xiao Xian for input.

“Huh? Here, like this…” Xiao Xian, who used to just tag along with Qiao and the others when they went out to work and play, didn’t usually put much thought into things. His usual response was simply agreeing, “Yes, yes,” without much input of his own. But now, with Qiao asking him questions and everyone looking at him, he tried his best to think it through, working with Qiao on the grass sandals as Zhuo Yan had described.

Meanwhile, Stone and Aman went down to the riverbank to pick grass stalks, bringing them back to dry for Qiao and Xiao Xian to use.

Zhuo Yan, sitting by the river, didn’t stay idle either. He wasn’t very familiar with the technique for making sandals, but a broom was no problem; that was simple enough. The broom handle needed to be a bit sturdier and longer so he wouldn’t have to bend over too much. He placed a dry wooden stick in the center, wrapped it tightly with twisted grass stalks, and bound it securely.

Back near the grassy area—

Aman tugged on Stone, who looked puzzled. “Aren’t we going back?” They had already gathered a thick bundle of grass stalks.

“Look.” Aman pointed into the distance.

Stone asked, “What am I looking at? Everyone’s busy working.”

“Look at A-Yin over there. What’s so special about him anyway? Just now, Zhuo Yan was about to pat Xiao Xian’s ears, and A-Yin interrupted him.”

Stone looked at Aman, a bit puzzled. “Zhuo Yan and A-Yin are basically a pair now.”

“Zhuo Yan isn’t even an adult yet.”

“Just one more winter, and he’ll be an adult,” Stone said, giving Aman a serious look. “You used to really dislike Zhuo Yan; I know you’ve stopped calling him troublesome now, but if Zhuo Yan and A-Yin are happy together… Do you actually like Zhuo Yan?”

Stone, usually the quiet one, suddenly spoke earnestly. “You know that two sub-beastmen together can’t sustain themselves well. And Aman, Zhuo Yan already has A-Yin, so don’t do something that would make people dislike you.”

Aman: !!!

“What nonsense are you spouting? Me and Zhuo Yan? That would never happen.”

Aman fumed, but Stone couldn’t understand why, if Aman didn’t like Zhuo Yan, he had such a problem with A-Yin and couldn’t stand him. Aman, exasperated, put a hand on his hip and explained, “Zhuo Yan is smart, brave, generous, and treats his friends well.”

“But that white-furred brat—fine, fine, A-Yin—isn’t right for Zhuo Yan. When Zhuo Yan grows up and wants kids, how could A-Yin give him that?”

Stone fell into thought. Aman had a point, but ultimately, this was Zhuo Yan’s decision and his own private matter. As friends, they couldn’t interfere too much, or it might make Zhuo Yan unhappy.

“I should have acted sooner,” Aman muttered regretfully. “Before the last snow season, I’d noticed Zhuo Yan had changed for the better. You know my younger brother—I was even thinking of introducing him to Zhuo Yan.”

Stone was shocked. “Your brother just transformed not long ago!”

“So what? He’ll grow up. Just give it a few years—”

“He’d need at least four or five more snow seasons.”

Aman sighed. “Why is my brother still so young? At least he’s a real beastman and could keep Zhuo Yan well-fed.”

“Aman, maybe you should stop saying such things. Look,” Stone said, patting Aman’s shoulder and pointing towards the river.

Down by the riverbank, Zhuo Yan had put down his work, his face full of warmth as he petted A-Yin’s ears. A-Yin rolled onto his back, exposing his belly for Zhuo Yan to rub, looking entirely relaxed.

After watching for a moment, Aman concluded, “What kind of beastman lets a sub-beastman rub his belly? He’s got no sense of caution at all.”

“… They’re a couple. Doesn’t your mother ever touch your father?” Stone asked.

Aman replied, “I’ve never seen it.”

Stone found it hard to argue with Aman. Finally, while tying up the remaining grass rods, he said, “If Zhuo Yan is willing to accept your feelings, then that’s what matters. Aman, don’t do things that might annoy your friends, even if you think you’re doing it for Zhuo Yan’s sake.”

“You just said it yourself; Zhuo Yan is very smart.”

Aman sighed, clutching the leftover grass rods as he followed along. “I know what you’re saying, but… A-Yin is still small. If he keeps growing, he’ll need more food. You know that beasts eat a lot of meat.”

“Beastmen are better; they can hunt and take care of Zhuo Yan. Eating mud beans every day is hard.”

Stone stopped talking. He had said all that needed to be said. Aman chattered on alone until he finally decided to secretly ask Zhuo Yan directly. If Zhuo Yan was honest with him, he wouldn’t bring it up again.

That evening, around four o’clock, the sky was getting dark.

The group packed their things and returned home. Zhuo Yan carried a large broom on his shoulder. Since Aman had seen him finish the broom, he had been hesitant, his expression distracted. He would steal glances at Zhuo Yan one moment and look away the next.

“If you want this broom, I’ll give it to you for now. I’ll make another one tomorrow.”

Just a day late in cleaning the cave. Zhuo Yan handed the broom to Aman and told Stone he didn’t need to walk him home; he could carry the stone pot by himself. “It’s getting dark, you guys should head home.”

“Alright then.” Stone nodded.

Zhuo Yan held the stone pot and carried the rattan basket on his back, while A-Yin also had a heavy skin draped over him.

“We’re leaving now. A-Yin, let’s go home.”

The group parted ways, and Aman couldn’t find an opportunity to speak until they were almost gone. A-Yin was always sticking close to Zhuo Yan, leaving Aman no chance to talk to him. Zhuo Yan had originally intended to go relieve himself, and Aman was about to follow when A-Yin got there first.

Damn it, damn it.

“Aman, can I use your broom for a bit?” Xiao Xian asked curiously, even though he would make another one tomorrow.

Aman handed the broom to Xiao Xian. “Go ahead and play with it.” He was deep in thought when suddenly his eyes brightened, and he made a decision.

“I’ll bring my brother over tomorrow.”

Qiao asked, “What do you need to bring your brother for? Isn’t he learning to hunt with your father?”

“It’s still cold these days, and there isn’t much meat left in the cave. My father doesn’t have time to teach him; he needs to go hunting…”

Zhuo Yan draped the skin over a crooked tree and rubbed A-Yin’s back, as the skin was still half-wet, making A-Yin’s fur damp as well. They planned to go back, wipe off, and warm up by the fire.

After an entire winter of stewing potatoes, now Dudu fruit had become their staple food.

After dinner that night, Zhuo Yan and A-Yin didn’t play Go in the cave but instead ran back and forth at the door, exercising their bodies. They even went to the river to fetch water, washed up, and then went to bed.

At night, A-Yin curled up around Zhuo Yan as usual, his fluffy body keeping his brother warm.

Zhuo Yan said, “It seems like the temperature has risen a bit.” He felt warmer.

A-Yin looked at his brother, and when Zhuo Yan met his gaze, he simply couldn’t say, “Don’t hug me.” “It’s not that hot; it’s impossible for it to go from winter straight to summer. We have to have a few days of spring chill first…”

But there was no spring chill, and he imagined spring would be fleeting.

Zhuo Yan didn’t know this yet. When he woke up the next day, he felt the sun was stronger, and the light was great. After being cooped up in the cave all winter, Zhuo Yan now preferred to be outside, so he gathered his things and headed back to the river.

They brought Dudu fruit and fish along for lunch.

They cooked and ate by the river that noon.

As he and A-Yin arrived, Qiao and the others also came over, gathering at their usual spot. However, there was a little boy in the group, really a primary school student, around eleven or twelve years old, standing over a meter forty tall, with a head full of curly brown hair and fair skin. After a whole winter, everyone had gotten quite pale.

When he smiled, he had two cute dimples, double eyelids, and was dressed in a little leather skirt and a small vest, looking like a wild version of a little doll.

“Who is he?”

“Zhuo Yan, this is my younger brother,” Aman introduced.

Zhuo Yan replied with a nod, realizing it was Aman’s little brother, and he smiled warmly at the child, enthusiastically asking if he had eaten. A-Yin watched how nice Zhuo Yan was to that little beastman, sticking closely to his brother.

Seeing Zhuo Yan treat his brother well and warmly made Aman breathe a sigh of relief and feel a bit happy. He thought Zhuo Yan didn’t really like A-Yin that much. After breakfast that morning, while casually chatting and gathering grass rods, Aman finally had the chance to chat with Zhuo Yan.

“Zhuo Yan, how is my brother?”

“He’s quite well-behaved and sensible, not a brat.” That was the highest praise.

Aman smiled, “That’s good. You see, my brother looks quite nice. He’s a bit short now, but in four or five winters, he’ll grow up. You’ll see my brother then.”

“??? Huh? Why would I want to see your brother?”

“My brother listens to me very well. You’re smart and kind; you should spend time with my brother. I’ll make sure he learns to hunt properly, and I guarantee you won’t go hungry—”

Zhuo Yan: !!!!!

Big silly Aman, stop saying that!

He’s really not a big pervert!

… It would be better to spread rumors about him and A-Yin instead.

“Aman, stop talking,” Zhuo Yan said seriously, his expression turning solemn. “Don’t act like this. Your brother is not your toy; he’s still young. Don’t mess around, and… and I already have A-Yin.”

“I really like A-Yin! No matter what A-Yin is like, I will never partner with another beastman. No one, at all!!!”

Don’t make random arrangements for him.

Scared to tears.

A few meters away, in the grass, a silver tail happily swayed.

Brother said he likes him!

A-Yin’s eyes sparkled brightly.