Chapter 96

Zhuo Yan and A-Yin went over, and the market was bustling with excitement. Nearly everyone from their tribe had gathered to join in the festivities, carrying rattan baskets filled with goods for trade—food, daily necessities, and even furs and bone knives as barter items.

The furs and bone knives came from the orc Ake and his mate. The two of them stood in front of Kong Xingxing’s stall. Of course, there were also beastmen and sub-beastmen from three other tribes at the stall. Everyone had formed a circle, and loud voices could be heard shouting from within.

“It wasn’t really an argument. Not to mention the beastmen’s naturally loud voices, even the sub-beastmen could be quite loud and full of energy when excited. Before Zhuo Yan and A-Yin even got close, they could already tell what was happening at Kong Xingxing’s stall just from the noise.

The small camisoles and large shorts made of summer cloth that Kong Que displayed were definitely in high demand.

‘Boss Kong, I’ll trade leather for them! And a bone knife too!’ Ake said.

The werewolf clan also wanted some, but the moment they saw the leather Ake had brought, they knew they had no chance. They couldn’t help feeling regretful—how could they have forgotten to bring leather?”

“‘Just tell me what you’re offering in exchange.’

It was Kong Xingxing’s voice.

The werewolf clan presented several large, fist-sized fruits. When they split them open, small red berries were revealed inside. ‘These are pebble fruits. They’re very sweet and can be stored for a while, but we’ve already brought them along for a few days, so it’s best to eat them now.’

The tiger clan said, ‘I have dried black flowers, dried fruits, and some roots that help the body relax when eaten.’

The lion clan didn’t bring much food since it would spoil during the long journey. Instead, they had some leather and finely woven bamboo crafts. The peacock clan had seen these things before, so their hearts sank—they knew they wouldn’t be able to trade.

But then—

‘Pebble fruits will do,’ Kong Xingxing nodded.

The big guys’ eyes lit up when they saw this—they had clearly never seen it before and were curious.

Zhuo Yan and the others had been to the werewolf clan before, but no one had carried the big guys over. Even if some beastmen had been willing to carry them… At this thought, Kong Xingxing felt a sour pang of jealousy and quickly stopped himself. He could trade summer cloth for some rare things the big guys had never seen before.”

“‘Pick one.’

‘Huh?!!!’ The werewolf gasped in astonishment, stammering, ‘R-Really? You’re really trading with me?’

Kong Xingxing’s temper had improved a lot. In the past, he would have given a cold and sarcastic remark, but now he simply said, ‘Hurry up and choose.’

The werewolf was overjoyed and didn’t mind Kong Xingxing’s tone at all. He truly hadn’t expected Kong Xingxing to ignore the leather and trade summer cloth for fruit instead—meanwhile, Ake, the leopard man next to him, was so furious that his face turned red.

Ake protested, ‘Why won’t you trade with me?!’

‘Because we already have leather and bone knives. But the big guys haven’t eaten pebble fruit before,’ Kong Xingxing replied.

Ake: …Well, he hadn’t eaten it before either.

‘Does it taste good?’ Ake’s mate asked the werewolf.

The werewolf’s sub-beastman companion smiled and handed some to Ake’s mate. After all, they had successfully traded for summer cloth! They were so happy—they even got to pick a style.

Ake’s mate tasted the pebble fruit and then stuffed a few into Ake’s mouth. ‘It’s sweet! Different from the mountain fruits we have, Ake. It’s really delicious.’”

“‘It is delicious.’

With that, Ake was no longer upset—because Kong Xingxing was right.

It seemed that leather wasn’t the ultimate, most valuable currency after all.

In the past, at the Feathered Clan’s market, there was a clear hierarchy of trade value. Seashells from the coast were the rarest, followed by leather and bone knives as the primary currency. The larger and better the leather, the more ‘valuable’ it was. But here, at the Leopard Clan’s market, Kong Xingxing had completely overturned that idea.

Bartering had returned to its most fundamental form—if both parties were satisfied and felt the trade was worth it, then it was worth it.

Seeing that the werewolf had traded just a fruit for summer cloth, the tiger clan’s eyes lit up with eagerness as they turned to look at Boss Kong expectantly.

‘Dried black flowers seem like wood ear mushrooms,’ Shitou commented. ‘Zhuo Yan mentioned them before.’

Kong Xingxing’s gaze shifted away from the dried black flowers.

The tiger clan: …Huh? There’s dried black flowers here too?

‘But ours aren’t as big as the ones the tiger clan brought,’ Shitou added.

Kong Xingxing’s gaze immediately shifted back.

The tiger clan: …Why don’t you just let Shitou handle the trade instead?!”

The tiger clan ended up trading a small amount of dried black flowers, dried fruits, and two roots said to provide warmth when eaten for two pieces of summer cloth. They could pick any style they wanted—though since the werewolves had traded first, they had priority in choosing. They even got some accessories thrown in as a bonus.

The werewolves were absolutely thrilled. If this were modern times, they would feel like they had snagged a luxury item at a bargain price—like getting something expensive for just a few cents. Back at the Feathered Clan’s market, peacock-made necklaces had to be traded for with leather. But now? They got one for free! For free!!!

‘I still have some more pebble fruits. I’ll bring them all to you,’ the werewolf brother said earnestly. He felt like just a few fruits weren’t enough, so after clutching his summer cloth and jewelry with excitement, he rushed back to get more.

As soon as the werewolf left, the tiger clan was still busy choosing. In the end, they picked two pairs of large shorts—these were in high demand. Right now, everyone still wore leather skirts, and this was the first time they had seen shorts. Especially after the tiger sub-beastmen saw Zhuo Yan wearing them and looking good, they were convinced. Sure, they were a bit short, but they were still pants, plus they were cool and breathable. And they even got necklaces for free!

They had never imagined that dried goods and roots could be exchanged for such great items. Though, to be fair, those roots were hard to find in snowy weather, but it was so worth it! Totally worth it!

Happily, they left with their trades.

Meanwhile, Ake looked on with envy, staring at the leather and bone knife in his hands.

‘Let’s go,’ he said urgently. ‘Let’s check out the werewolf stall and see if there are any more pebble fruits left. We’ll trade these for some!’”

‘Alright!’ Ake’s mate agreed readily. She was starting to feel that unfamiliar fruits seemed even more valuable now.

The lion clan: staring longingly—but they didn’t seem to have anything worthy of trading.

And yet, they really wanted summer cloth.

‘I’m not interested in what you brought,’ Kong Xingxing said.

The lion clan: …Knew it!

‘However, I can give you the summer cloth first and let you pick two pieces, on the condition that you bring me something next year when you come to the market,’ Kong Xingxing added.

The lion clan’s previously dejected expressions instantly brightened, their eyes sparkling with excitement. ‘Deal!’ They didn’t even ask what they needed to bring.

‘There’s a certain type of tree that grows on the Feathered Clan’s mountains. Its leaves look like this.’

Kong Xingxing took out one of his ‘needles.’ They had brought some before, but now most of them were used up, and they needed to restock. Since they couldn’t go to the Feathered Clan’s mountains themselves, they could only rely on the nearby lion clan.

‘Can you do that?’ he asked.

The lion beastman nodded readily. ‘Of course.’

It was just some trees—he could take his brothers and sneak up to the Feathered Clan’s mountains to pull them up. They didn’t rely on the Feathered Clan for salt anymore, so even if they got caught, what could those birds do? There was no way they could beat him in a fight.

‘If you don’t know where to find them, you can ask the Golden Head Clan,’ Kong Xingxing said.

The Golden Head Clan was timid. If the lion beastmen went to ask them, they would definitely spill everything without hesitation. And afterward? They wouldn’t dare report anything to the eagles or hawks—better to avoid trouble than invite it, and better to act like nothing ever happened in the first place.

‘Got it. Don’t worry,’ the lion beastman replied confidently.

Kong Xingxing nodded and gestured for them to pick.

The lion clan was overjoyed. They turned to their mates excitedly—Hurry up and choose! Who would’ve thought we could get summer cloth too?

They eagerly picked out shorts from the stall. Meanwhile, the sub-beastman’s gaze shifted toward the thin-strapped top…

Shitou was very observant. Noticing that the sub-beastman was eyeing the top, he picked it up and held it against Xingxing for comparison. ‘Look, this is how you’d wear it. You and Xingxing are about the same slim build—your neck will be exposed, and if you wear a necklace with it, it’ll definitely look beautiful.’

‘Alright, thank you! I’ll take the camisole,’ the sub-beastman quickly decided. It really did look nice.

Kong Xingxing’s face remained sour. Only after they left did he huff, ‘What do you mean, “about the same slim”?’

He was annoyed, but in Shitou’s ears, it just sounded like Xingxing was being cute—adorably sulking. Unable to resist, Shitou wrapped his thick arms around Xingxing and chuckled warmly. ‘You look amazing, Xingxing!’

‘…Well, that’s true. I do look better.’ Kong Xingxing was pleased, then quickly corrected himself. ‘No—I am the best looking!’

“That’s right! You’ve always been the most beautiful, the most stunning!”

If Kong Xingxing were in his peacock form right now, his tail would definitely be fanned out in full display.

Nearby, Baoxue had been bored, but when he caught sight of Uncle Zhuo Yan in the distance, his eyes lit up. “Dad, Father, I’m going to find Kangbao!”

Kong Xingxing was too busy snuggling up to his big guy to even hear his son speak. Shitou, however, responded casually, “Alright.” It didn’t really matter where the kid went—he was safe in the tribe.

The peacock stall had kicked off with a lively and successful start. At first, the three beastmen tribes had been worried, thinking they had no “valuable” pelts or bone knives to trade. But to their surprise, the peacock stall didn’t care about those at all!

Realizing this, the tribesmen eagerly wandered the marketplace, bartering with whatever they had.

The leopard tribe, for instance, had a ton of treasures. Take the wind chimes—large and small. In the past, the feathered folks demanded three whole pelts for just one, which was way, way too expensive. No one could bear to trade for it.

But now, these wind chimes, made from melted transparent stones and strung together with vines, shimmered beautifully under the sunlight. When the wind blew, they jingled with a crisp, pleasant sound. Some were intricate, some were simple, each one uniquely crafted.

Many people loved the wind chimes, and even a small one could be traded for just a single large fruit.

“!!! So beautiful!” Someone regretted not bringing more food this year. Seeing all the amazing things at the leopard tribe’s stall, they wanted to trade for everything—but they simply didn’t have enough goods to offer.

There were also clay pots, farming tools, and spoons made from transparent stone. These items were traded in greater quantities, with things like dried fruits, grass roots, and woven grass goods being exchanged in bulk to secure them.

Zhuo Yan urged, “Hurry, hurry, don’t let the three tribes trade everything away before we get a chance!” He needed to trade too.

Baoxue, holding Kangbao in his arms, followed Uncle Zhuo Yan to join the lively market scene.

Zhuo Yan ignored his own tribe’s stall and went straight for the three tribes’ booths—after all, his family already had everything their own tribe was selling. If they got there too late, the good stuff at the three tribes’ stalls might be gone.

Fortunately, he had arrived in time.

Zhuo Yan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the tiger tribe’s stall still had goods left. The tiger beastmen running the stall recognized him, and they exchanged greetings. Zhuo Yan knew this stall owner was the mother of the brothers Yiming and Erhuang. Then, he turned his attention to the goods displayed on the table.

“That’s not considered a lot.

‘…If you want more, there are still some in the resting area. I didn’t bring everything over,’ the brothers’ mother had just finished speaking when a tiger beastman beside her hurriedly said, ‘Auntie, they’re all gone, all gone! Yiming, Erhuang, and Sanglong borrowed some dried fruits to trade for other things.’

The mother: !!! How infuriating! She had packed plenty before setting out, but her two sons complained she was bringing too much, saying they weren’t even trading for salt, so why bring so much food…

‘Don’t be mad, Auntie. Let me take a look,’ Zhuo Yan said with a smile.

‘Here, take a look. These are dried black flowers.’

Hmm, dried wood ear mushrooms, though the tiger tribe’s wood ears looked better than the ones from their area.

‘And these are dried fruits, picked from the trees.’ Erhuang’s mother casually cracked one open, revealing the flesh inside, and handed it to Zhuo Yan to try.

Zhuo Yan was surprised for a moment. The fist-sized dried fruit looked like a walnut, but it was larger than the walnuts from their trees, and the shell was thinner. He took a bite—the flavor was richer and more fragrant, just sun-dried without any additional processing, yet already so aromatic.”

“‘Delicious!’

Erhuang’s mother beamed with joy upon hearing that. She loved eating this too, even though her two sons didn’t like it—what did they know anyway? ‘And there’s also this! When the snow gets thick in winter, you have to dig for it in the mountains. I can’t do it, only beastmen with good noses can find them—’

Zhuo Yan’s gaze fell on the third item. At first glance, it looked like a large white radish, but after listening to Erhuang’s mother explain its effects in detail, he couldn’t help but think, ‘!!!!’ No way—could this be ginseng?!

It wasn’t surprising that he didn’t recognize it at first glance. The plants in this world resembled those in modern times but also had differences, almost as if they had undergone some kind of super-evolution. This ginseng looked like a radish—thick as a forearm, grayish-white in color, with some fine root hairs at the end.

‘In winter, we like to boil it in water and drink it, but not too much—if you drink too much, you’ll get a nosebleed. For beastmen and sub-beastmen with partners, it’s fine, but for those without… well, it’s a problem.’

So it really was ginseng.

‘After drinking it, your body feels warm all over. But you shouldn’t drink it every day—once every three to five days is enough.’

Zhuo Yan was delighted, nodding repeatedly. He turned to look at the eldest, who was nestled in Baoxue’s arms. ‘Auntie, I’ll trade for all of it. Tell me what you want.’

Upon hearing this, A-Yin immediately took off her vine basket and started pulling things out for Auntie to choose from.”

Erhuang’s mother: !!!

‘Then… then I’ll choose this—the hoe.’

Zhuo Yan nodded twice. ‘Anything else?’ A-Yin also didn’t take back the vine basket, and the couple continued watching the auntie across from them.

Erhuang’s mother was slow to react, but when she finally understood, her eyes widened in surprise. ‘I-I can choose more?’

‘Of course. We took three items from you, so you can pick three in return,’ Zhuo Yan explained.

Erhuang’s mother hesitated. ‘But the transparent stone hoe is very, very—well, it can be traded for a lot of things…’

She wanted to say it was precious. The goods she brought, aside from the grass roots buried in the snow, only required some effort—picking the biggest and best ones, drying them carefully, and making sure no bugs got to them before she could bring them for trade.

Zhuo Yan understood. He didn’t want to disrupt the ‘market’ too much—just keep things fair. Smiling, he said, ‘I also have salt-baked peanuts and mung bean cakes. Both are food—peanuts can be stored, but the mung bean cakes should be eaten now since they don’t last long. Your grass roots take a lot of effort to collect, so I’ll trade the transparent hoe for them. The other two food items, we’ll exchange for food.’

It was a fair trade.

Erhuang’s mother thought about it and realized it made sense. It wasn’t like this when dealing with the feathered people before. In the end, she just went along with Zhuo Yan’s suggestion, and both sides were satisfied with the trade.

Zhuo Yan only picked one ginseng-like grass root, and Auntie chose a big one for him.

‘Zhuo Yan, is this grass root really that good?’ A leopard sub-beastman, curious about the trade, came over to ask.

‘I’m just going by what Auntie said. The tiger tribe has to dig it out from the snowy mountains—it’s good for nourishing the body. If someone is weak, they can steep it in hot water during the harsh winter. Just slice a thin piece, don’t use too much, and drink it every few days,’ Zhuo Yan explained.

Hearing this, the sub-beastmen in the tribe immediately thought of Zhuo Yan and A-Yin’s eldest child, the silver leopard cub named Kangkang, who had always been weak. It was clear that Zhuo Yan had traded for the grass root to help Kangkang’s health.

Curious about the root’s effects, more people gathered around the tiger tribe’s stall, eager to trade for some themselves. Ake also arrived, holding his animal hides and bone knife. Thank the heavens—he finally managed to trade his hides!

A joyous occasion!

Trading animal hides for nothing? That would be unthinkable at the feathered people’s market—hides were considered the hardest currency there. But at the leopard people’s market, hides didn’t seem to be in such high demand.

Seeing Ake’s situation, the other three tribes started thinking—next year, they should bring more of their tribe’s unique goods. If the leopards hadn’t seen them before, they might be able to trade for things commonly found here, like summer cloth, transparent stone tools, pottery, or even soap…

Mmm, this salt-baked peanut from Zhuo Yan was truly delicious. Erhuang’s mother chewed on one, savoring its salty, fragrant taste. Her eyes lit up—it was so good! And since it could be stored for a while, she didn’t want to finish it all at once. She’d take it back to her tribe and let her friends have a taste too.

The leopard people’s market was far, far better than the feathered people’s market.

She was definitely coming back next year, and she’d bring even more goods. Hmm, no more hides, but she could bring more earth dragon beast teeth. She noticed that leopard sub-beastmen used them for sewing hides, while the werewolves and lion people didn’t have them…

The first day of trading was lively and full of excitement. As the sun set, the market wrapped up, but there was still plenty to trade the next day. However, the best goods—like the peacock summer cloth stall—had already been cleared out.

They could trade for an entire day because everyone enjoyed chatting while bartering. Conversations drifted from one tribe’s affairs to another, onlookers gathered to join the excitement, asked questions, and the stall owners would explain everything again. Then, newcomers would ask once more, and the cycle continued—creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

Everyone was in high spirits.

As the three tribes packed up and took stock of their goods, they continued chatting about the items they had traded for.

“Hehe, Ake couldn’t even trade his hides for summer cloth, but I got some using just small stones and fruit!”

“The summer cloth shorts are so loose and airy! They’re really cool and breathable!”

“Zhuo Yan said that this way, when you squat down to work, no one can see inside.”

“Aya, do you want to try them?”

“Wait for me, I’ll go clean up first—”

“I have soap! I didn’t expect to trade my dried goods for a bar of soap. Wait for me, I’ll go to the river with you.”

“Sounds good!”

“The leopard people’s market has so many things! I want to trade for everything, but unfortunately, I didn’t bring enough dried goods this year.”

“The most important thing is that we can trade food, dried goods, and even bamboo cups for things! It wasn’t like this before—those feathered people used to look down on our stuff.”

“Well, the feathered people have bamboo too.”

“Zhuo Yan and his group are also growing bamboo. Next year, we should bring fewer bamboo tubes.”

“Maybe we should stop bringing bamboo altogether and focus on food instead. I noticed that the tiger people traded the most. An older sub-beastman brought a lot of dried fruits and grass roots, and the leopard people seemed to love the grass roots.”

“That’s probably because Zhuo Yan traded for them. Since he did, the leopard people must have thought they were valuable.”

“Then they must be good stuff! I want to trade for some too.” Ugh, if only I had brought more food.

“It’s better to bring things the other three tribes don’t have.”

“Exactly! Hides and bone knives are useless—every tribe hunts, so who’s lacking in hides? We should bring more food and useful herbs.”

“Oh? Then next year, I’ll bring those herbs that make your throat feel cool after drinking them. When it got hot this year, I picked a bunch and dried them—I’ll bring them next time.”

“Good idea! I’ll go with you.”

People from different tribes chatted away—even though this year’s market hadn’t ended yet, they were already thinking about what to bring next year. The leopard people were especially happy; they had traded for many fruits they had never seen or tasted before. Xiao Xian and Qiao had sold almost everything on their stall. After packing up, they went to find Shitou. Aman also came over to join the lively atmosphere, casually asking how things had gone this year.

“Here, eat this.” Xiao Xian handed Aman half of a large walnut. “It’s different from the walnuts in our mountains. The tiger people’s walnuts taste better.”

Aman took the walnut kernel and chewed on it.

“Wolf people’s little pebble fruit.” Shitou offered Aman a small piece. “Zhuo Yan said it’s kind of like a pomegranate, but with bigger seeds and a smaller core. The wolf people call it ‘little pebble fruit,’ so it’s probably similar.”

Aman tasted the little pebble fruit—sweet!

“Delicious! Next year, I should prepare something too.”

“Sounds good.”

Aman glanced at Zhuo Yan. Perched on Zhuo Yan’s head was a little black creature, nibbling on a walnut, its crumbs falling all over Zhuo Yan’s hair. Aman couldn’t help but comment, “Zhuo Yan sure has a good temper. You said you wanted to beat up those three before—were you just joking with us?”

“Of course,” Qiao said.

Zhuo Yan: “……”

“I really don’t have a habit of beating up little kids!!!” he frantically explained. Was he insane? Beating up his own fluffy, milk-scented cubs that were only half a month old?

Aman: “Got it, got it. As if you’d ever hit your own cubs.”

Then, Heihei’s walnut shell fell right in front of Zhuo Yan’s eyes. Zhuo Yan: Hold it in, hold it in. You just said you don’t hit children.

A-Yin saw this, reached over to scoop up Heihei, and also grabbed Lele, who was wrapped around his older brother’s shoulder. With one arm holding both cubs, Lele started whining, insisting on staying on his dad’s shoulders. A-Yin whined back, then casually cracked a walnut and fed it into Lele’s mouth.

Lele: Mouth shut, might as well eat first.

“I traded for the tiger people’s grass root,” Zhuo Yan finally answered the earlier question. “Actually, this grass root is also called ginseng. It’s rare and hard to find.” He gave a brief explanation.

Shitou brightened up. “We traded for two roots too! When winter comes, we can brew it into tea for Xingxing and the other five. That way, they’ll stay warm.”

Zhuo Yan still gave a reminder, “Shitou, don’t cut too much of it. This stuff is really potent.”

“Got it, I know.”

But Zhuo Yan knew Shitou too well. Without hesitation, he grabbed his bone knife, took the ginseng, and sliced off a thin piece to show him. “About this much,” he said, then added, “Boil a whole pot of water with it for everyone to drink, not one slice per person.”

“!!!!” Shitou’s eyes widened. This little? Is that even enough?

As expected. Zhuo Yan thought. Shitou’s idea of “a small amount” was completely different from his. If he didn’t warn him, the peacock tribe might end up overdosing on the tonic all winter, with constant nosebleeds every day.

“I’m already worried this might be too much. I don’t even know how strong the tiger tribe’s ginseng is,” Zhuo Yan continued. “Shitou, make sure to adjust the amount as needed—”

Seeing Aman, Qiao, and Xiao Xian watching curiously, Zhuo Yan noticed that Qiao and Xiao Xian had also traded for some. He casually sliced off a piece for Aman and handed it over. “Here, boil it into tea.”

Aman: Hehehehe, got it!

“I’m definitely joining you guys next year!”

“Sounds good! Next year, I’ll bring more food to trade,” Qiao said. She liked how wind chimes looked, but she wanted to change things up.

Yesterday’s barbecue party left the beastmen not too hungry today. Each tribe cooked their own meals in the rest area, especially the three tribes, who had traded for plenty of food. For example, Yiming and Erhuang were currently eating green bean cakes.

“Not bad,” Yiming and Erhuang commented, finding them decent.

Their mothers took a piece and gave it to the little tiger cub from Sanglong’s family. The cub happily gnawed on it, finishing every crumb while wagging its tail in delight. Erhuang’s mother smiled warmly, clearly pleased. “If we added some honey or dipped it in honey, it’d be even better.”

Tigers loved sweet things. Green beans had a slight sweetness, but it wasn’t strong.

At that thought, Erhuang’s mother got even more excited. “You two, be extra careful during patrols this year. If you spot a beehive, make sure to collect some—I’m bringing honey to trade at the market next year!”

“…Mom, bees sting. My face swelled up last time.”

“My nose got all puffy, and everyone laughed at me.”

Yiming and Erhuang were scared just thinking about it. But their mother didn’t care. “Why aren’t you talking now that you’re eating? I can trade this for something else!”

The two brothers hunched over and reluctantly gnawed on their mung bean cakes, unable to argue. Their mother had already made up her mind. They couldn’t help but think that she was right—if the cakes were dipped in honey, they would definitely taste even better!

That evening, all four clans were eating things they had never had before, and almost no one was cooking.

At the riverside, Zhuo Yan was cleaning the three young cubs. His daughter had already jumped in with a splash. Buhei, seeing his sister dive in, followed suit, aiming to land right on Lele’s head—both cubs ended up choking and gulping down water.

A-Yin shifted into his beast form and entered the water. His large beastly frame stood in the river, supporting the second and third cubs, letting them play and swim on his back so they wouldn’t choke.

It was the first time the cubs had bathed since birth. The tribe members always said that summer-born cubs could be bathed after three months, but those born in spring had to wait—cold water could make them sick or even kill them.

Just like kittens, they shouldn’t be bathed too often.

Lately, the weather had been hot, and the two cubs had been especially energetic and playful. With guests visiting the tribe, they had been running wild, digging into the ground nonstop. Lele’s fur was covered in dirt.

“You play with them first, I’ll wipe Kangkang down,” Zhuo Yan said, not daring to let the eldest go into the water. Instead, he carefully wiped Kangbao clean, making sure his fur didn’t get too wet.

Kangkang was a very well-behaved and quiet baby. He was small and slender, with a tiny head and a petite body—Lele and Buhei were already sturdy, looking like they were four months old, but Kangkang was barely the size of a one-month-old cub.

Zhuo Yan gently cleaned Kangkang’s fur, then broke off a piece of bubble tree leaf. “Chew on this.”

Kangkang let out a soft “ah-wu” and slowly chewed on the leaf with a delicate, refined manner.

Zhuo Yan was very patient. Once he was almost done, he held out a cup of water for his son. “Don’t swallow it, just gargle and spit it out.”

“Gudu, gudu, dudu~”

So cute. Zhuo Yan was completely charmed. Even though his eldest wasn’t in the best health, he was very smart—he understood what to do right away, just from a simple instruction.

Zhuo Yan patted Kangkang’s head. “Alright, all clean. Now you’re a fresh and fragrant little Kangbao.” He gently placed Kangkang into a rattan basket and covered him with a clean fur pelt to keep him warm and prevent him from getting cold.

Then, he turned to look at the river—

His daughter and Buhei were going wild. She was jumping non-stop, her limbs splashing as she floated and bounced on A-Yin’s back, leaping from his head to his tail. She gulped down a few mouthfuls of water, spat it out, and, unwilling to admit defeat, kept jumping.

Buhei followed right behind his sister, opening his mouth wide with an ah-wu, trying to bite her tail just for fun.

Zhuo Yan: …Patience.

The usually gentle and patient father completely dropped his soft approach with these two. It wasn’t favoritism toward his eldest—it was just that if he didn’t take a firm hand with Lele and Buhei, they would still be getting washed by tomorrow morning.

Zhuo Yan patted Kangkang’s head. “Alright, you’re all clean now, my fragrant little Kangbao.” He picked Kangkang up and placed him in a rattan basket, then covered him with a clean hide to keep him warm and prevent him from getting cold.

Looking back at the river—

His daughter and Buhei had gone wild playing. His daughter was bouncing around, floating up and down, hopping on A-Yin’s back from head to tail. She took a couple of gulps of water, spat it out, and, unwilling to admit defeat, continued jumping.

Buhei was following right behind his sister’s tail, opening his mouth wide as if to bite it for fun.

Zhuo Yan: …Patience.

The usually gentle and meticulous father showed a completely different side when dealing with these two. It wasn’t that he favored the eldest—it was just that if he wasn’t firm while washing Lele and Buhei, they’d still be at it until morning.

“It’s just a bath, not playtime!”

On the seventh time Lele tried to run off again, Zhuo Yan swiftly and decisively grabbed her. “Come here, you.”

Catching his daughter, he quickly wet the soap and scrubbed her head a couple of times. Holding her by the scruff of her neck with one hand, he vigorously lathered her up with the other. Lele kicked her legs excitedly, thinking her dad was playing with her.

Zhuo Yan sighed, “Alright, alright, almost done.” He started rinsing her off and cleaning her teeth. Meanwhile, the troublemaker Zhuo Buhei was causing mischief nearby—fortunately, A-Yin had him pinned down.

Once Lele was clean, she rinsed her mouth, gurgled a bit, and then swallowed, looking up at her dad expectantly. It tasted good—she wanted more.

Zhuo Yan: …

Forget it. It’s all-natural herbal ingredients anyway. Swallowing it won’t hurt.

“There’s no more. I’ll clean your teeth again next time.” Zhuo Yan hadn’t expected her to treat it like a drink. He placed her into the rattan basket and warned sternly, “No stepping on your brother’s head, no jumping inside the basket. If you fall out, you’ll have to be washed again!”

Lele’s fur was still damp, making her eyes look especially big and dewy. She lay in the rattan basket, peeking at her dad through the gaps.

Zhuo Yan: Damn it, his heart softened completely.

“Alright, alright, Daddy knows Lele is the best,” Zhuo Yan said, patting his daughter’s head. Then, without hesitation, he swiftly grabbed Zhuo Buhei, who was still splashing around in the water.

By the time all three were washed, night had already fallen. Zhuo Yan was drenched in sweat.

“Let’s wait until they’re asleep and then wash ourselves,” he suggested.

A-Yin’s eyes lit up. “Okay!” He agreed enthusiastically, then carried the basket on his back and held his older brother’s hand as they headed back to the cave.

The first thing they did upon returning was light a fire—Kangbao needed to be dried. Meanwhile, the two little troublemakers bounced around on the stone bed, shaking themselves off. By the time Kangbao was fully dry, they were already halfway dry too.

—So easy to take care of.

With everything settled, the three little cubs huddled together. Lele and Buhei liked to snuggle up against their big brother while they slept.

Zhuo Yan let out a quiet sigh of relief. “This time was their last bath in beast form. Next time, they’ll be in human form—you’ll be the one washing them then.”

“Okay,” A-Yin agreed. Then, glancing at his brother, he added, “Brother really does love fluffy things.”

Zhuo Yan: Hehe.

At seven or eight, they were at that mischievous age when even dogs would get annoyed—especially his daughter and the youngest. They were already so naughty in beast form; he couldn’t even imagine what they’d be like in human form. Yeah… A-Yin could handle that. Washing fluffy fur was one thing, but dealing with little troublemakers in human form? No, thanks.