The mountain behind the tribe, right next to the forest behind Hu Jiao Jiao’s house, had a naturally formed cave. It was the perfect spot for sprouting potatoes. Hu Jiao Jiao had discovered it while cutting trees in the forest.

After Ying Yuan returned from moving the potatoes, Hu Jiao Jiao had him work with the males to dig the ground, while she headed to the cave.

The previous day, they had spent an entire day digging and had only managed to gather a little over a hundred pounds of potatoes. Since these were wild-grown, the sizes varied greatly, and the quality was not the best. These were far from ideal for planting.

Still, the chief had entrusted all these potatoes to her, which was already a generous gesture. The tribe didn’t have enough potatoes for her to be selective.

Hu Jiao Jiao planned to secretly swap the potatoes in the cave with some high-quality seed potatoes from her personal storage. The potatoes from her space were all large and plump, but replacing all of them at once would be too obvious. So, she replaced half, storing the removed potatoes in her space.

Her storage area had plenty of space aside from the shelves, so it was more than enough to temporarily hold the extra potatoes. However, she couldn’t possibly eat so many, so the next time she left the tribe, she planned to find a remote area to discard them and let them grow in wild.

For the next week, the chief delivered freshly dug wild potatoes daily, and Hu Jiao Jiao continued to quietly swap them out. Once the potatoes sprouted, they could begin planting.

Hu Jiao Jiao wasn’t idle, either. Her house still needed to be built. Aside from overseeing the males as they tilled the soil and checking on the sprouting potatoes, she spent her time cutting wood in the forest to construct her house.

In her previous life, she had been a homebody who enjoyed watching all sorts of documentaries, especially survival in the wilderness. Building a large house on her own was out of the question, but constructing a small shelter like those in survival shows? That, she could manage.

After stacking dozens of logs outside the yard, Hu Jiao Jiao started constructing the cabin. The site was chosen next to the old wooden house. She began by sharpening the ends of thick logs and placing them at the four corners of the cabin. Using mortise-and-tenon joints, she assembled the four walls and then the roof.

After covering the roof with wooden planks, she sealed the gaps in the walls with mud and moss to prevent wind and rain from seeping in. Finally, she sawed out a small door and installed homemade handles on both sides. A simple wooden cabin was now complete.

Exhausted, Hu Jiao Jiao panted heavily. She clapped her hands, admiring her handiwork with satisfaction. Thanks to the physical strength of beastmen, and her recent increase in stamina from all the work, she had managed to complete the cabin. Had she been in her previous, more delicate body, she might not have succeeded.

While she was building the house, the five cubs stood in the yard, watching in amazement. When the cabin finally took shape, their jaws dropped in disbelief.

“Mom is amazing! She even knows how to build a house!” Long Ling’er’s eyes sparkled with admiration, her face full of awe, practically turning into Hu Jiao Jiao’s little fan.

Long Zhong, however, wasn’t impressed. “It’s just building a house. All the beastmen in the tribe can do it. What’s the big deal? When I grow up, I’ll build a bigger and better house!”

Long Xiu, who couldn’t see the house but still had his sharp tongue, remarked, “She’s a female, and you’re a male. Even if you can build a house, you shouldn’t compare yourself to her.”

“Exactly, exactly! Third Brother, aren’t you ashamed to compare yourself to a female?” Long Ling’er stuck out her tongue at Long Zhong.

Long Zhong’s face turned red with frustration. Folding his arms across his chest, he turned away, refusing to argue further.

Long Yu, on the other hand, wore a serious expression, his tiny brows furrowed. “When did she learn to build houses?”

Without missing a beat, Long Xiu replied, “We haven’t been with her every moment. Maybe she learned from other beastmen while we weren’t around.”

Hearing this, Long Yu finally relaxed his furrowed brow.

Long Yao, meanwhile, lay drowsily on Long Ling’er’s head, drooling a little in his sleep, occasionally smacking his lips as if dreaming of something delicious.

Suddenly, Long Ling’er cried out, wiping her face in disgust. “Xiao Wu! You drooled on me!”

Long Yao, who had been dreaming of eating roasted deer legs, woke up confused. He lifted his head, still half-asleep, looking adorably dazed.

The other three cubs couldn’t help but laugh mischievously at the scene.

Hearing the commotion, Hu Jiao Jiao turned around, initially worried something had happened. Seeing the cubs playing in the yard, she felt a sense of peace and contentment, her lips curving into a smile.

If life could continue like this, it wouldn’t be so bad, she thought.

Noticing Hu Jiao Jiao’s gaze, the cubs immediately quieted down.

Long Yu rubbed his nose and said, “I’m going to collect firewood. Who wants to come with me?”

“I do! I’ll go!” Long Ling’er was the first to raise her hand, grabbing Long Yao off her head and making him raise his little dragon paws as well.

Long Yao, still groggy from his interrupted dream, blinked in confusion. “Huh? Where am I? What happened?”

Long Zhong, his face still gloomy, muttered, “I’ll go too.”

Just as Long Xiu was about to rise, gripping a wooden stick, Long Ling’er tugged at his sleeve, her voice sweet as honey. “Second Brother, why don’t you come with us? I haven’t gone out with you in a long time.”

Long Yu glanced at Long Xiu, knowing his brother often kept to himself, and nodded in agreement. “Ling’er, you can guide Second Brother.”

“I’d better…” Long Xiu began to refuse, but before he could finish, Long Zhong shoved him out of the yard. “You were teasing me earlier, so stop being so hesitant. Let’s go!”

Seeing Long Xiu finally willing to go out with the other cubs, Hu Jiao Jiao felt a surge of happiness.

With the cubs out of the house, Hu Jiao Jiao quickly tidied up the newly built cabin. She spread dry grass on the floor and topped it with a deep brown rug that matched the color of animal skins. The cabin wasn’t very large, about ten square meters, with just enough height for her to stand upright. But it was cozy and perfect for her.

She didn’t expect the big villain, Long Mo, to want to share the same house with her. Once he returned, she’d let him stay in the room with the cubs, and finally, she’d have a bedroom of her own! Just the thought of it made her a little excited.

As much as she adored the five cubs, living with them in the same room as an adult female had its inconveniences.

After finishing the new cabin, Hu Jiao Jiao connected the fence between the two houses, rebuilt a larger enclosure to include both, and finally called it a day.

Just as she was about to prepare dinner, she noticed the cubs running back in a panic, their faces covered in dirt. A wave of anxiety washed over her as she counted them—only four had returned…