Hu Jiao Jiao was still busy preparing breakfast when she saw Long Ling’er dash excitedly back into the courtyard.

“Mom! Mom!” she chirped, her sweet voice practically ringing like a tiny megaphone.

Hu Jiao Jiao looked up, noticing her eagerness and immediately pausing her cooking to turn to her daughter, concern etched on her face:

“What’s wrong? Did you cut yourself?”

The tools in her space were extremely sharp, and Ling’er wasn’t used to handling knives. If she cut her hand, it would be no small injury. Her little girl would be in tears for sure. Hu Jiao Jiao was already regretting giving Ling’er the knife, but then she looked down and saw a pair of chubby, white hands proudly holding a soft, tiny lump of pink meat, her face beaming with pride.

“Mom, I cleaned the bird! Here’s the meat for you!” Ling’er’s big, round eyes blinked at her, filled with hopeful anticipation.

“This… this is the bird?” Hu Jiao Jiao froze, her worried expression turning to stunned disbelief.

No matter how she looked at the lump of meat in Ling’er’s hands, it looked nothing like the sparrow.

“Yup! Mom, it’s not much, but one day, I’ll bring you really big prey to eat!” Long Ling’er nodded earnestly, her tiny arms forming a circle in the air much bigger than herself, showing her grand ambition.

Hu Jiao Jiao’s lips twitched in amusement as she gently patted her daughter’s head, “Ling’er, hunting is the job of males. You’re a girl; you don’t need to hunt.”

At this, Ling’er’s delighted expression fell, her face growing long with disappointment.

“Oh… then what am I supposed to do as a girl? Kill the prey? I can do that too!”

Hu Jiao Jiao noticed her daughter’s unusual excitement whenever she mentioned “killing” and couldn’t help but shiver slightly at the meat in her hands.

“!!”

Could it be that Ling’er’s innate hunting instincts were kicking in already?

No, she had to stop this before it developed further!

Bending down, she gently explained, “Well, actually, the males can handle the killing too. As for someone as… meticulous as Ling’er,” she glanced at the bird meat, carefully choosing her words, “you could do something even more impressive, like becoming a healer…”

Yes! A gentle-hearted, compassionate healer. That would be perfect.

“A healer?” Ling’er blinked, tilting her head as if seriously considering this possibility. What could she do for Mom as a healer?

As a healer, could she still get rid of those mean beastmen who bullied her mom?

Seeing that her daughter seemed to be absorbing the idea, Hu Jiao Jiao pressed on, “Yes, a healer! When Mom is old and sick, you can take care of her.”

Whether Ling’er heard this last part or not, her eyes suddenly sparkled again. She clenched her little fists and lifted them high, her face lit up with excitement.

“Alright! I’ll become a healer for you, Mom!”

Hu Jiao Jiao sighed in relief.

At least the tiny spark of “villainy” in her little girl had been snuffed out. Thankfully, Ling’er was pure and trusting, easy to persuade, and quick to listen.

“Mom, can I keep this?” Ling’er held up the small knife like a treasure, gazing at her mother expectantly.

“Of course, just be careful not to hurt yourself, and don’t let anyone else see it,” Hu Jiao Jiao said, eyeing the knife briefly before nodding her consent.

As long as Ling’er stayed safe and didn’t get any wild ideas about hunting or fighting, she would give her daughter anything she asked for.

“Thank you, Mom!”

Ecstatic with her “gift,” Ling’er raced off to show it off to her siblings.

“Big Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, and Xiao Wu! Look, this is from Mom~”

Long Zhong rolled his eyes. “It’s so small; how useful could it be? When I grow up, my claws will be way sharper than that!”

“But you’re not grown up yet, Third Brother!” Ling’er replied seriously, oblivious to his frustration.

Long Zhong: “…”

Long Yu chuckled indulgently, saying nothing, while Long Yao curiously leaned in, his eyes widening as his reflection in the blade revealed his own big, red eyes staring back at him. Startled, he jumped back.

“Awoo!” Who’s that? Those eyes are scary!

His siblings burst into laughter, and Long Xiu reached out to pat Ling’er’s head. “Ling’er, just remember not to show it to any other beastmen.”

Long Xiu was usually the most thoughtful and could sense that this was something they shouldn’t let others see.

“I know, Second Brother!” Ling’er nodded obediently.

Meanwhile, Long Zhong shot a glance at her knife, secretly sizing it up with his fingers. Once satisfied, he quickly tucked his hands away, acting as if nothing had happened.

“Cubs, breakfast is ready!”

Hearing Hu Jiao Jiao’s call from the yard, the cubs stowed away their treasures and cheerfully dashed back to the table.

Hu Jiao Jiao was planning on saving some breakfast for Long Mo, figuring he wouldn’t be back this early, but just as the cubs began to eat, he returned.

“Back so soon? Didn’t you go hunting?” Hu Jiao Jiao asked, surprised to see him empty-handed—except for a small stone jar in his arms, dusty from what looked like long storage.

“I didn’t go hunting,” Long Mo replied, glancing at the cubs happily eating before walking over to Hu Jiao Jiao’s side.

She looked curiously at the jar in his hands. “Is this… for me?” she asked, blinking.

Long Mo nodded, pressing his lips together in seriousness. “Open it.”

Hu Jiao Jiao took the jar, lifted the lid, and gasped in shock as she peeked inside.

The jar was filled with bright white, sparkling grains that shifted like fine sand as the jar moved.

“Is this… salt?!”

For a moment, Hu Jiao Jiao was speechless, unable to process what she was seeing.

“I thought all the salt in the tribe had dissolved. How did you end up with so much salt? Did you…”

And these grains were so fine and white, the high-quality salt traded with the Sea Beastmen. Her mind raced with worry—if this was stolen salt, what would they do? Salt was precious beyond measure in the beastman world, and here Long Mo was, handing it over to her so trustingly.

Seeing her alarmed expression, Long Mo quickly explained, “The salt in the storage did dissolve. This was some I’d traded with the chief long ago, and I’ve kept it since then.”