Hou Xiang looked suspicious, then suddenly remembered something and angrily asked, “And what about the meat? Why would you be so kind as to give Hou Xiaotiao meat? You must have an ulterior motive!”

Hou Xiaotiao even gave animal skin to Hu Jiao Jiao—could these two be secretly involved?

Thinking about it, Hou Xiang couldn’t control her anger.

Hu Jiao Jiao was momentarily speechless. She hadn’t even figured out what was happening, and now Hou Xiang was here accusing her?

Hou Xiang sure had a lot of nerve.

Hu Jiao Jiao sighed helplessly and explained, “Who said the meat was for Monkey Xiaotiao? I traded it for animal skin. If you don’t believe me, ask Old Niu tou. I went to trade with him this morning, but he refused. Later, Hou Xiaotiao agreed to the trade. Many people saw it.”

Upon hearing this, Hou Xiang’s expression froze. “What? The meat was traded for animal hide with Hou Xiaotiao? Why didn’t I know about this…?”

“If you don’t believe me, you can ask the people who witnessed it. Or do you think I had extra meat lying around to just give it to Hou Xiaotiao for free?” Hu Jiao Jiao said calmly.

Hou Xiang thought about it carefully, and it did seem true. She realized she had made a mistake and felt embarrassed. Even though she and Hu Jiao Jiao weren’t close and didn’t get along, it was undeniable that she and Hou Xiaotiao had benefited from stealing many of Long Mo’s hunts over the years. And now she had misunderstood Hu Jiao Jiao, so clearly, she was in the wrong. Moreover, getting so much meat for just three hides was actually a good deal for her.

“Well… I misunderstood. I’m sorry,” Hou Xiang said, awkwardly forcing a smile.

Hu Jiao Jiao hadn’t expected an apology from her. In the book, Hou Xiaotiao’s partner was greedy, sharp-tongued, and full of pride. With her chubby figure, few males liked her. Yet now, she seemed much better than the unreasonable Xiong Hua.

Hu Jiao Jiao’s anger dissipated, and her tone softened. “It’s fine, as long as the misunderstanding is cleared up.”

But something still puzzled her. Many beastmen had witnessed the trade between her and Hou Xiaotiao, so how could Hou Xiang have misunderstood so badly?

She asked, “Who told you I gave meat to Hou Xiaotiao?”

Hou Xiang paused, realizing something was off. She scowled and slapped her thigh in frustration, “It was Lu CuiCui! That little witch tricked me!”

Hu Jiao Jiao wasn’t surprised. After all, she had caused Lu CuiCui to lose face earlier. With Lu CuiCui’s petty nature, it was entirely possible she had misled Hou Xiang out of spite.

Glancing at Hou Xiang’s angry face, Hu Jiao Jiao offered some advice, “In the future, don’t be so quick to believe gossip. Only your partner and family will have your best interests at heart.”

Hou Xiang nodded repeatedly, “I won’t listen to anything that little witch Lu CuiCui says again.”

With the misunderstanding resolved, Hu Jiao Jiao saw the three cubs standing outside the courtyard, watching her. She waved them over with a warm smile, “Yu’er, Ling’er, Zhong’er, come in and eat.”

Long Yao, who had been clinging to Hu Jiao Jiao’s arm, lit up at the mention of food. In a flash, he let go and darted to the stove, eagerly lining up for the meal.

Hu Jiao Jiao smiled wryly, “This little one is definitely a foodie.”

Hearing the approaching footsteps of his brothers, Long Xiu, who had been standing still with his cane, remained motionless. He didn’t want to accidentally bump into something or break anything. But then, a soft and warm hand took his, and a gentle voice said, “Xiu Xiu, come on, I’ll take you to eat.”

Hu Jiao Jiao led Long Xiu to stand in line behind Long Yao.

The other three siblings who had just entered the courtyard stared in disbelief. Since when had this once-mean female become so gentle and caring?

In the past, she would berate Long Xiu for being blind, calling him useless. She not only refused to help him, but she also forbade his siblings from assisting him. If she caught them helping him, they’d be punished. And now, she was personally guiding him to dinner?

After the initial shock, Long Ling’er was the first to run over happily. Finally, their mother didn’t despise their brother for being blind and was even taking care of him!

She really liked this new version of their mother!

The cubs quickly lined up, and Hu Jiao Jiao lifted the pot’s lid. The delicious aroma of the bone soup filled the air, and she served each cub a bowl of soup and five beef meatballs.

The cubs eagerly drank their soup, not wasting a single drop.

While they were focused on their meal, Hu Jiao Jiao began setting out the other dishes. She realized that putting the food on the ground wasn’t convenient and made a mental note to find time to make some tables and chairs.

Suddenly, the sound of a rumbling stomach interrupted her thoughts. Hu Jiao Jiao looked up in confusion only to find Hou Xiang still standing outside the courtyard, staring at her—specifically at the pot of soup.

Hou Xiang rubbed her belly and gave an embarrassed smile. “Hey, Hu Jiao Jiao, what did you make? It smells so good! I’ve never smelled anything like this before.”

Ah, so she’s interested in the bone soup.

Beastmen knew how to cook, but only the basics—usually roasting or boiling meat. If they had salt, they’d add a pinch for flavor, but the primary goal was just to fill their stomachs. Hu Jiao Jiao’s cooking wasn’t particularly good, but with a range of seasonings from her space, even simple home-cooked dishes were beyond anything the beastmen had ever experienced.

There was still plenty of soup left, and Hu Jiao Jiao wasn’t stingy. She ladled a bowl and handed it to Monkey Xiang. “This is deer bone broth with beef meatballs. Have a taste.”

After all, Hou Xiaotiao had saved Long Yao, so giving his partner some food wasn’t a big deal.

Hou Xiang’s eyes lit up. She waddled over, wiping her hands on her fur skirt before accepting the bowl. “Oh no, how could I possibly…” she muttered, though she eagerly brought the bowl to her lips.

The warm soup slid down her throat, and Hou Xiang’s eyes fluttered shut in bliss as she let out a contented sigh, “Mmm, this is so good! Hu Jiao Jiao, you’re amazing! I’ve never tasted anything so good!”

She downed the rest of the soup in one go, and if she wasn’t embarrassed to lick the bowl in front of Hu Jiaojiao, she would have licked the soup in the bowl clean.

Still hungry, Hou Xiang glanced at the pot longingly.

Amused, Hu Jiao Jiao served the cubs, then set aside some of the stir-fried venison and braised beef. She handed it to Monkey Xiang, “Hou Xiaotiao saved my Long Yao, and I haven’t properly thanked him. Take this meat home for your cubs to try. If they like it, I can teach you how to make it.”