Chapter 38 part 3

The cubs before their eyes open are at their most vulnerable, while cubs after their eyes open can barely be considered to have the initial ability to survive – at least they won’t become critically endangered and cry loudly due to brief hunger.

The rain fell all night, only letting up slightly after midnight. Miaomiao’s second cub was slow to arrive, and it wasn’t until dawn that the second tiger finally slipped out in one smooth motion—perhaps because of its smaller size, its birth was completely effortless.  

With practiced ease, Miaomiao licked off the amniotic sac for her secondborn. This little one, having had nearly all its nutrients plundered by the firstborn, was a full size smaller than its sibling. Even its roars were kitten-like as it wriggled on stubby limbs, instinctively crawling to Miaomiao’s belly to feed.  

The survival battle of the cubs was incredibly brutal right from birth. Miaomiao instinctively positioned the second cub next to the first, but the older cub clearly didn’t welcome a rival for food. It roared and swiped a paw at its younger sibling.

But the blow was like hitting a solid city wall. The recoil made the little demon tiger a little confused. However, it didn’t give up and swung another paw.

Kong Bi couldn’t help but flick its head with her finger in annoyance. Caught off guard, the little demon tiger rolled to the side, shaking its dazed head before roaring angrily.

“Wah! —”

This little fellow was clearly hot-tempered. While protesting Kong Bi’s detestable behavior, it charged forward again. Miaomiao quickly lowered her head, gently biting the little demon tiger’s head and carrying it to a slightly further spot. She then began to lick it soothingly. Her comforting actions finally calmed the little one down, making it forget its desire for revenge against Kong Bi.

The second cub had no idea what was happening, still suckling vigorously with its two scrawny forepaws rhythmically kneading. But it clearly didn’t have the same appetite as the firstborn—soon, it grew too tired to continue.  

Miaomiao, as usual, lowered her head to lick the second cub, both to keep it warm and to stimulate its bowel movements.

Although it was so much smaller and thinner compared to the firstborn, Miaomiao didn’t show any favoritism, even though she actually preferred the older cub.

That little one was stronger and more lively, and it was clear at a glance that it would become a majestic king in the future. In comparison, the second cub was truly pitifully small. Although Miaomiao was a first-time mother, she instinctively felt that the second cub wouldn’t be so easy to raise.

For tigers, when food is plentiful, they won’t abandon any of their cubs. But they will rank them in their minds. Once they encounter danger, the first one to be protected must be the strongest one in the litter, a role usually filled by the firstborn. This is because, generally, those born later are weaker, with few exceptions.

Kong Bi also watched the little tiger with curiosity.

Unlike newborn pandas, which resemble tiny hairless mice, tiger cubs are born with fur. Their stripes emerge from the skin itself, unlike domestic cats, whose patterns are only surface-level—shave them, and their skin is uniform. Because of this, even at birth, you can already imagine what a tiger cub will look like when fully grown.  

Each tiger’s stripes are unique, their form of identification. Kong Bi had already seen the firstborn; the ink-like markings on its forehead faintly outlined a five-pointed star-like pattern. The second cub, however, had a standard, striking ‘king’ (王) character on its forehead.

Not every tiger has the word “王” on its head. Some will have “兲”, “丰”, or even “囧”. Only a few can really grow a standard “王” character.

If it hadn’t been for the little demon tiger, the second cub would probably have been a healthy, strong little tiger.

But now…

Even without using any special methods—just observing with the naked eye—Kong Bi could tell the second cub wasn’t quite right. It nursed quietly, nothing like its noisy older sibling, who growled with possessive fierceness between gulps. In the wild, tigers actually dislike rowdy cubs—some mothers, after repeated warnings, might even kill overly vocal offspring to protect the rest of the litter. Yet noise and mischief are natural for cubs; unnatural quietness is hardly a good sign.

Perhaps the second cub was just naturally quiet?

Kong Bi could only comfort herself with this thought. After all, both cubs making it this far was already a blessing—asking for more would be greedy. Truthfully, by the time Miaomiao had come to her, birth was imminent. The little demon tiger had already absorbed most of the energy meant for their gestation. That the second cub survived at all was something of a miracle.  

Even though in the final days, because the little demon tiger no longer plundered the mother’s nutrients, allowing her to eat her fill and absorb nourishment, the time was ultimately limited, and there wasn’t enough for a qualitative change.

In fact, if Kong Bi hadn’t taken over the little demon tiger, perhaps Miaomiao would have started giving birth several days earlier. But after Kong Bi took over, her body no longer sensed the little demon tiger’s presence and thus Miaomiao wasn’t in a hurry to give birth, which is why it was delayed until now.

The birthing process of any living creature is closely related to its physical condition. Once the body believes its nutrition is insufficient, it will promote premature birth or consciously reduce the survival rate of the embryos. Natural selection dictates that after such a screening process, the individuals that ultimately survive in the wild are often the strongest, better able to ensure the continuation of their species in the wild.

Miaomiao lacked experience. Although she sensed the weakness of the second cub, she wasn’t overly anxious about it. Seeing that both cubs were full and had drunk their fill, she gathered them together, resting her head on her thick arm while watching them, her eyes full of maternal love.

She had already adapted to her role as a mother.

Kong Bi did not leave immediately. An inexperienced mother could easily accidentally crush the cubs to death while sleeping, so she had to help take care of them and make sure that Miaomiao had fully adapted and was proficient before leaving.

The all-night labor had clearly exhausted Miaomiao, and she soon fell into a deep sleep. Her warm fur made the best blanket, causing the first and second cubs to instinctively snuggle close to her. Perhaps knowing that her two cubs were lying beneath her, she slept exceptionally quietly, without even shifting her position.

The little tigers woke up once during the night to nurse, and Miaomiao also awoke to help them. Newborn tigers eat and excrete frequently, so Miaomiao, raising them alone, rarely got a comfortable and quiet rest. Perhaps it’s because of these interactions that mother tigers often develop a deep bond with their cubs, raising them alone for two to three years before letting them leave, and even becoming depressed due to their accidental deaths.

— If a tiger gives birth and none of the cubs survive, the immense grief can even be enough to make them choose death.

Many people believe that wild animals have no emotions, but they actually possess a rich spectrum of feelings. Some documentaries have even captured footage of predators burying their offspring after death.

It’s important to remember that when faced with a dead cub, they would usually choose to eat it. After giving birth, hunting is much more difficult for the mother, and they won’t pass up any opportunity to replenish their energy. The act of burying a cub would inevitably hinder their survival, and missing even one meal could mean death for them.

Going against their own instincts is a testament to their overwhelming love for their offspring.

And although Miaomiao had engaged in many unreliable behaviors during the birthing process, she was clearly a competent mother, at least not so unreliable that she needed Kong Bi, the ‘grandmother,’ to help raise the cubs. Seeing this, Kong Bi finally relaxed and left the tiger enclosure.

Outside the tiger enclosure, a crowd had gathered after Kong Bi notified them. They didn’t dare go inside; a mother tiger’s protectiveness of her cubs is fiercely strong. The presence of unfamiliar scents could even provoke her to eat her own offspring, although the probability was small, they didn’t want to risk it, so they had been waiting outside.

“How is it? How many did she have?”

“She had two,” Kong Bi replied, “but I couldn’t tell if they were male or female.”

The others nodded understandingly. Even though the mother tiger was close to Kong Bi, she wouldn’t let her approach her cubs rashly at a time like this. How could she possibly identify the tiger cubs’ genders?

In fact, Kong Bi had spread their legs to look, but still couldn’t tell.

Identifying the gender of newborn cubs is quite difficult, at least for Kong Bi. Her initial intention wasn’t to check their sex, but rather to see if the little demon tiger had developed any strange appendages. Only then did she remember to check their gender, but her inherited knowledge lacked information in this area. She only knew that it was likely her own demon power and the little demon tiger’s innate supernatural ability that made the markings on its forehead appear so mysterious and beautiful; she couldn’t discern anything else.

She was a bird expert, not a feline expert, so it was hard for her to tell the gender of the little tigers at a glance.

Kong Bi’s eye for cat cub genders wasn’t good before, and it was even worse now.

The others didn’t mind. They could tell when the cubs grew older anyway. However, some couldn’t help but pray, “Hopefully, both of them are male tigers.”

For them, the mother tiger had value, but not as much. After all, the over two hundred South China tigers in the country urgently needed new bloodlines to enrich their gene pool and prevent functional extinction. Although tigers possess formidable strength, this also limits their reproductive capacity. It takes two to three years for a tiger to mature from a cub, a far cry from herbivorous animals that can run and jump from birth.

Male tigers, however, were different. After three years, a single male could potentially mate with dozens of females, instantly enriching the genetic lineage.

Hearing this, Kong Bi could only selectively ignore the comment. She needed experts to vouch for her. The existence of South China tigers would inevitably lead to competition among various breeding centers and zoos. She needed to win over as many as possible to ensure they wouldn’t be taken away. Paying a small price for this was acceptable; after all, in the wild, if a male tiger had abundant food resources, it would naturally have several mates.

Of course, that was on the condition that they were male.

If all else failed, Kong Bi would simply release them back into the wild. After all, Miaomiao and the others hadn’t been found by humans for so many years, indicating they likely had a sufficiently hidden territory that humans hadn’t yet encroached upon.

However, it was still too early to say. Kong Bi looked down at her phone. After helping Miaomiao give birth, the game mission had naturally been completed. This time, the rewards were distributed promptly and were exactly what Kong Bi needed.

— General knowledge of Feline language.