Chapter 178
Bai Tu was stunned by the unrelated questions. Didn’t they already have five cubs, two adults and three little ones? Wasn’t that enough?
Lang Qi noticed Bai Tu’s thoughts through his gaze and slowly averted his eyes.
Five cubs were enough, but more could be good.
Bai Tu quickly steered the topic back: “I’m asking about the special situation.” He almost let Lang Qi divert the topic.
Lang Qi looked back at him: “Mating season.” The wolf tribe’s mating season was a bit more unique. Generally, the stronger the abilities, the stronger the reactions during the mating season, which often meant that the leaders of the wolf tribe had more cubs.
“Mm?” Bai Tu paused for a moment. So, was the situation in his dream related to the mating season? Was that why he had to leave the tribe with Lang Qi?
Bai Tu recalled what had happened the winter before last, after Lang Qi had taken medicine. How should he say it? It seemed to explain things.
“Last year was quite normal…” Bai Tu felt something was off. Wasn’t last year fine? Though there was some restlessness and clinginess, it was all within control, unlike the year before, and certainly not like the dream, where Lang Qi almost lost control.
“Because there were cubs.” Lang Qi explained.
The wolf tribe’s mating season typically occurred in the spring or autumn. In rare cases, if the issue wasn’t resolved during these seasons, it could extend into the rainy season or the snowy season.
Last spring and autumn, the cubs were very protective of Bai Tu, keeping everyone away and almost chasing them off. Lang Qi didn’t have a chance to do anything; he had to bear with it. But this year, the cubs were already two years old. Lang Qi looked at Bai Tu, his eyes filled with expectation. Bai Tu asking about it… did that mean, even if they didn’t want more cubs, they could still…
Bai Tu: “…Alright, I get it.” He shouldn’t have asked.
Lang Qi looked a little disappointed, glanced at the cubs, and sighed inwardly.
Bai Tu composed himself and asked a more serious question: “Is your mother named Lang Shui?”
“How did you know?” Lang Qi was a little surprised. The name was correct, but he had never told Bai Tu.
“I heard someone mention it,” Bai Tu replied, not mentioning the dream. After confirming this, he changed the topic. “After the rainy season, I plan to continue expanding the living area.” They had already expanded part of it, but it still wasn’t big enough. Even if the tribe didn’t grow as large as in his dream, it would still need more buildings. They couldn’t just have everyone from other tribes staying in caves.
Bai Tu also wanted to build a trading area.
Recently, many people had come to their tribe to exchange goods. Given how easily beastmen shared news, it was clear that more people would come next year. Too many visitors in the living area would be dangerous for the tribe’s members. No one could just keep an eye on people all day long without doing anything else.
So, if there were too many people, trading would need to be done outside the living area. It was better to build it now rather than find a place to set up temporarily later. Lang Qi had never disagreed with Bai Tu’s plans for the tribe, mainly because Bai Tu’s suggestions were always useful. After hearing Bai Tu’s proposal, Lang Qi nodded and agreed, “I’ll go talk to Chen.”
Just his agreement wasn’t enough. Bai Chen also needed to agree. Lang Qi took the responsibility on himself. Even if it rained, he would go out, and though he had animal skins to cover him, he would still get wet. Bai Tu was content to relax. Since Lang Qi could go, he didn’t need to make an extra trip himself.
The second day after the Beast God Temple opened, the rain outside gradually became heavier. Bai Tu sent people to inspect the tribe’s drainage system and the drainage ditches in the fields. These areas had been prioritized from the beginning, so there was no need for additional work now; they just needed to ensure the current state was maintained.
The increase in rainfall indicated that a heavy storm was approaching. After finishing the inspection of the drainage system, just a few days later, a torrential rain started, accompanied by strong winds, and the temperature dropped significantly. In this kind of weather, the cubs couldn’t have their lessons. Unlike the snow season, when they could walk underground, the rain season made all the underground passages unusable, as they would get flooded in no time.
In the rainy season, underground passages couldn’t be used, but at the same time, very few beastmen would risk invading other tribes in heavy rain. After all, in unfamiliar terrain during a torrential downpour, wandering around in the forest was almost like walking to their doom. If they got lost, they’d be left hungry.
The biggest restriction during the rainy season was on the Feather Tribe. Even though other races couldn’t go out in winter, the Feather Tribe faced fewer restrictions. But during the rainy season, the wet feathers and the impact of the rain made flying extremely difficult. Unless absolutely necessary, the Feather Tribe rarely traveled during this time. Overall, the rainy season was the quietest time in the entire Beast God continent, with almost no one outside the living area.
The area around the Beast God Tribe was now being watched by the smaller cat tribe. In truth, the cat tribe didn’t like water either. Bai Tu’s method was to have each person carry a mobile small shelter, hide it in a tree in a concealed place, and rely on the cat tribe’s natural ability to hide.
Outsiders couldn’t detect them. Even so, this was still one of the hardest tasks in the tribe. The tribe implemented a rotating system, where beastmen with suitable forms would take turns going out. When they detected a nearby tribe, they wouldn’t alert them but would quietly return to report back to the tribe.
In short, safety always came first.
When Bai Tu and Bai Chen were finalizing these details, Lang Qi, who was standing nearby, seemed to want to say something but hesitated and ended up saying nothing.
At the time, Bai Tu felt that Lang Qi probably wanted to express something. It wasn’t until mid-rainy season, when the little wolves couldn’t resist going out to play, that he realized all the preparations had been unnecessary.
With the wolf tribe cubs around, any visiting tribes would likely just be there as practice partners, especially since hunting wasn’t needed now, and the cubs had no outlet for their energy.
However, sometimes, too much energy wasn’t a good thing. Bai Tu watched as Lang Ze’s team went out early and returned late every day, playing and fooling around. They were getting more and more injuries, and Bai Tu thought he should assign them some tasks.
Just patrolling seemed like play to them. After finishing their patrol, they’d get bored and start fighting. They were all around adulthood, so even though it was just roughhousing, it could still result in injuries if things got out of hand.
Nearly half of the injuries were self-inflicted, while the rest were caused by accidents—falling into pits on the mountain, bumping into rocks while playing in the water, or running into trees while walking… The reasons for the injuries among the wolf tribe were all kinds of bizarre, and Bai Tu wouldn’t be surprised no matter how ridiculous they were.
A way to channel their energy into something useful came to Bai Tu: sending them to work in the cafeteria.
No matter if it’s windy or raining, the cafeteria never closes; it’s open year-round. However, this “year-round” doesn’t mean one person works nonstop; rather, the cafeteria itself is always open, and the beastmen working there can take turns resting.
Many people dislike going out during the rainy season, so the cafeteria tends to make more snacks. With the cubs having nothing else to do, they could go help in the cafeteria.
The cafeteria has a variety of food, which the little wolves naturally love. Bai Tu assigned tasks that weren’t too difficult since the cubs lacked the patience to complete anything too complicated.
As for the final task, it was very simple: extracting soybean oil.
A batch of soybeans was planted after last winter, and the seeds for after the rainy season were saved in advance. Bai Tu planned to extract all the remaining beans into oil, and the leftover bean pulp could be fed to the prey.
The soybean oil extraction setup wasn’t too complicated, mainly because the tribe couldn’t make anything too complex. The more time-consuming but crucial part of the process was the repeated pounding.
At first, the kitchen staff thought it seemed easy because it wasn’t about holding a stick and directly striking; instead, it involved moving a wooden stick to hit another device, which even looked somewhat fun.
But when a group of people actually started trying, they realized that the task was much harder than it seemed. After working for a good part of the day, their arms were sore, and the final product was meager.
Bai Tu ultimately assigned the task to the little wolves, and soon after, their excited voices could be heard.
For the little wolves, there was no task that could stump them. As long as food was provided, they could do anything.
Indeed, tasks that were physically demanding for others were just right for the little wolves. Once they started working in the cafeteria, they were instantly more energized because the smell of food was everywhere.
Although the oil press and the cafeteria were some distance apart, the little wolves’ noses were incredibly sensitive. As soon as food was prepared, they could smell it from afar.
Soon, nearly all the little wolves loved this job. Whether it was tiring or not didn’t matter; the main draw was getting to eat the food as soon as it was ready! This was what made the little wolves eager to work.
The oil press was eventually handed over to Lang Ze’s team. So, after their water-fetching and patrolling duties, the entire team now had an additional task, yet it didn’t deter them from their desire to go out and fight whenever they had free time.
Although Bai Tu knew there was no real danger to their lives, watching the injured wolves made him uneasy. He asked Lang Qi, “Can we stop them from fighting?” With so many tasks to do, they shouldn’t have the energy for fights. Were the little wolves just too energetic this year? They didn’t act like this last year, only eating more than usual.
Bai Tu suddenly stopped.
Eating more than usual.
He remembered the reason why the little wolves’ appetite suddenly increased, looked at Lang Qi, and asked his suspicion: “Is it because of the mating season?”
Lang Qi slowly nodded.
The reactions during the mating season were gradual. For example, last year, the little wolves only wanted to eat more, but this year, in addition to eating more, they also wanted to fight.
Bai Tu: “…” Bai Tu: “What other behaviors can we expect besides fighting?” He decided to prepare in advance.
Lang Qi fell silent for a moment before answering, “It’s never happened before.” Other wolf tribes either endure the season or immediately seek out a mate. Lang Ze’s team was the first group that didn’t look for a mate but also didn’t want to endure it. They chose to vent their energy in other ways.
Bai Tu was silent for a moment; this actually seemed to have some research value.
A Guide to Observing the Mating Season of Young Wolves—a research project that seemed rather useless but somewhat interesting.
However, this wasn’t the main point. The real question was whether the medicine would last.
The tribe’s medicines were stored separately. Usually, only a small amount of ready-made medicine was kept on hand, and the rest was stored in the warehouse or pharmacy to be made into new supplies once the current stock ran out. The tribe hadn’t had many issues in the past two years, so Bai Tu didn’t have much medicine left. The little wolves were using more and more, and it was getting dangerously low.
As Bai Tu was pondering whether to go to the pharmacy to fetch the prepared medicine, Lang Qian came over. Seeing that only Lang Qian was present, Bai Tu felt relieved and went ahead to handle other matters.
Since Lang Qian arrived at the tribe and regained his freedom, he had been one of the most cooperative beastmen Bai Tu had encountered. If Lang Qian hadn’t cooperated so well, gaining information from him back then wouldn’t have been so simple.
Lang Qian now lived with the other sub-beastmen, and there were others from the West River Tribe living there with him. Although Lang Qian had done work for Hu Que, he hadn’t harmed these sub-beastmen, so they all got along fairly well. However, Lang Qian had originally entered the Hundred Beasts Tribe with a purpose, and some of the beastmen still targeted him.
Bai Tu had emphasized this a few times, but there were still those who resisted. It wasn’t a major wrongdoing, though, since from their perspective, Lang Qian was sent by Hu Que to harm their tribe. If their tribe wasn’t so strong, their fate might have been the same as the tribe poisoned by the West River Tribe.
To avoid causing trouble for Bai Tu and to steer clear of the beastmen who targeted him, Lang Qian rarely ventured out. Most of the time, he stayed close to the sub-beastmen’s living area, choosing work that was nearby, such as working in the pharmacy.
Originally, Bai Tu planned to place the pharmacy in the innermost area of the residential zone, next to the meeting room. However, after the sub-beastmen moved in, he changed his mind. Many of the sub-beastmen were familiar with medicine, and having the pharmacy closer would be more convenient. As a result, the pharmacy was placed next to the sub-beastmen’s living area. Lang Qian had come over this time to deliver the medicine. After Bai Tu realized there wasn’t enough hemostatic medicine, he sent a message to the sub-beastmen to help make more.
Bai Tu had planned to go there in a couple of days to pick it up, but unexpectedly, Lang Qian delivered it directly.
“I happened to want to go for a walk,” Lang Qian explained.
There were fewer beastmen outside during the rainy season, so he wouldn’t run into many people. Moreover, the weather was cool, perfect for getting some fresh air. Even if he did run into people while delivering the medicine, they wouldn’t say much because beastmen had a natural respect for those with medical skills. Even if they didn’t approve of his past behavior, their attitude would improve because of the medicine. Lang Qian knew this, which is why he took the opportunity to come over.
By the way…
“Tu, may I see the cubs?”
Bai Tu pointed to the bamboo basket on the table. “They’re all in there.”
Recently, the two older ones were also home, and with the rainy season perfect for sleeping, the cubs often gathered together to sleep. Bai Tu enjoyed the peace but worried that the cubs might sneak out once they woke up. So, he brought out the bamboo basket meant for the cubs, placed a soft mat inside, and let them sleep in it.
The bamboo basket was breathable, so even in the summer, it wasn’t stuffy. He would carry it wherever he went, placing it beside him so he could check on the cubs and notice if they woke up.
Lang Qian had been eyeing the basket for a while, and upon hearing this, he already had an idea of what was inside. He asked again, “Can I hold them?”
Bai Tu wasn’t sure either, so he hesitated before answering, “You can try.” He wouldn’t refuse such a small request, but holding the cubs wasn’t something he could decide on his own—it would also depend on the cubs’ consent.
Bai Tu wasn’t sure how the cubs developed this habit. He could hold them, but when Lang Qi was nearby, it wasn’t allowed.
When Lang Qi and others were around, the cubs would reluctantly choose Lang Qi instead. Bai Tu suspected the cubs had mentally ranked everyone in their minds. Lang Qian also understood the cubs’ personalities. He looked down at the little wolf cubs and couldn’t resist, cautiously reaching out to touch them.
The black wolf cub was the first to wake up. It stared at Lang Qian, seemingly assessing whether there was any hostility. Since it was the first to wake up, Bai Tu easily took the cub and placed it into Lang Qian’s hands. Lang Qian carefully cradled the cub, genuinely holding it with both hands to support it.
When Bai Tu first held a cub, he was also very cautious. He looked at Lang Qian with some curiosity and asked, “You’ve never interacted with cubs in the tribe?”
It was clear from Lang Qian’s attitude that he liked the cubs. Considering the large number of sub-beastmen captured by the West River Tribe and the fact that the Black Forest Tribe wasn’t any smaller, there should have been plenty of cubs, so it seemed strange that Lang Qian had never interacted with them.
“I’m afraid the cubs will learn from me,” Lang Qian explained softly.
He had worked for Hu Que, and to those who didn’t know the details, it seemed like he had a glorious position. But only Lang Qian knew how dangerous the work had been. Hu Que trusted no one. Some sub-beastmen who failed to poison others or were caught were killed by Hu Que when they returned to the tribe, simply because Hu Que feared they would expose the tribe.
Those sub-beastmen who couldn’t deceive anyone also faced punishment—sometimes just a beating, but in severe cases, they met the same fate as the failed ones. Lang Qian had seen so many of these things and knew that to survive, one had to be especially cautious.
There were too many similar incidents. Even someone as intelligent as Lang Qian had to be constantly vigilant to survive until he entered the Beast God’s Tribe. If he had made just one mistake in all these years, he would have already become a corpse.
As for the cubs, he liked cubs, but not the cubs from the West River Tribe. Some of their cubs, despite being so young, would bully the sub-beastmen cubs. It was clear from an early age what kind of adult they would grow into. But Lang Qian didn’t dare touch the sub-beastmen cubs. He didn’t want Hu Que to see his preferences and use them to threaten him, nor did he want the cubs to live the kind of life he had.
It was just too exhausting.
Bai Tu let out a soft sigh and gently rubbed the black wolf cub resting in Lang Qian’s palm.
As the largest in the litter, the black wolf cub was always the most composed. Even when placed in someone else’s hands, it didn’t panic. Of course, the main reason was because it trusted its favorite papa.
The cub trusted Bai Tu immensely, so even when placed in the hands of an unfamiliar person, it wasn’t scared. It simply curiously looked at Lang Qian and occasionally turned around to check if Bai Tu was still there. Once it confirmed Bai Tu’s presence, it stopped moving.
“It’s so well-behaved,” Lang Qian remarked, impressed.
The cubs at the school were a bit older, and while Lang Qian had seen them a few times, many of them were often fighting. Due to his experiences in the West River Tribe, Lang Qian would always try to avoid cubs fighting, so even though the school wasn’t far, he never went inside.
This wasn’t the first time Lang Qian had seen these cubs, but every time they were more impressive than the last. The cubs seemed to be getting more well-behaved. The previous times Lang Qian had come, he hadn’t been able to ask about them, but today, he finally got the chance.
Seeing how much Lang Qian liked the cubs, Bai Tu decided to let him keep watching and said, “Take your time. Do you want some tea? I’ll pour you a cup.”
Of course, this wasn’t regular tea, but herbal tea. Over the past two years, Bai Tu had become familiar with most of the plants around the tribe and had made some herbal teas. When it was too hot or when he didn’t want plain water, he liked to drink it, along with some snacks. “Or would you prefer some snacks?”
“Anything is fine.” Lang Qian knew Bai Tu’s preferences, but he was easy-going and didn’t mind whatever was offered.
Bai Tu liked that Lang Qian was so easy-going. He took out some of the oat flakes he had been enjoying lately. “Would you like some oatmeal?”
“I’ll have some,” Lang Qian nodded, his gaze still glued to the cubs.
Bai Tu quickly took out three bowls. The oatmeal was something he made himself, mixing crushed oats with honey, sesame, and other ingredients before frying them. It would have been better to bake it, but there was no oven here, so he had to make do.
However, the taste was still great, especially with the pure natural honey. Bai Tu had been enjoying it lately when he was hungry, as it tasted better than the usual porridge.
The cubs could also eat the oatmeal. The last bowl was for them. Bai Tu used a spoon to scoop some into the bowl and poured hot water over it.
Just as the water was being poured in, there was the sound of hurried footsteps approaching.
Bai Tu paused in his movements and grabbed a large bowl.
Just as Bai Tu finished pouring the oatmeal, the sound of Lang Ze’s voice came from outside the courtyard: “Tu, do you have any more wound medicine?” Even before he appeared, his voice was already heard.
“Who got hurt again?” Bai Tu knew at once that it was highly likely someone had gotten into a fight. Sometimes he really wanted to say, “Get a partner,” but seeing the behavior of the little wolves, he could never bring himself to say it.
Physically, they were all adults, but mentally… forget it, better not to mention it.
“Zuo! What are you eating, Tu?” Lang Ze walked in, drenched in rain, and when he saw Lang Qian in the room, he paused and reached out to poke the little wolf cub in Lang Qian’s hands.
The little wolf cub wouldn’t let him touch it, it remembered!
“Your hands are dirty, don’t touch it,” Lang Qian said, carefully cradling the cub.
Lang Ze reluctantly withdrew his hand, but still felt unsatisfied. He glared at the little wolf cub. “Silly cub, I’m your real uncle!”
When Lang Ze tried to hold it, the cub wouldn’t let him, but when others held it, the cub was fine with it. Lang Ze thought his nephew must be a little slow.
The black wolf cub glanced at its silly uncle, then turned around to watch Bai Tu prepare the food.
“Lang Qian just brought some over,” Bai Tu said, handing Lang Ze the medicine and gesturing to the bowl beside him. “Oatmeal.”
Hearing this, Lang Ze took the medicine and food, and waved it in front of the little wolf cub. As for which bowl to use, of course, it had to be the largest. As long as he was there, no one else would get the big bowl!
Lang Ze proudly showed off his large serving of food to the cub.
However, the little wolf cub completely ignored him, turning its head to look at the food in Bai Tu’s hands.
No matter how much Lang Ze had, it wasn’t its food. The food in Bai Tu’s hands was what it could eat.
Lang Ze wanted to tease the cub, but since Bai Tu was here, he didn’t dare touch the sleeping cubs, and Lang Qian wouldn’t let him touch the only one awake. So, he had no choice but to leave with his food. Lang Qian waited until Lang Ze’s figure disappeared at the door before removing his protective hand from around the cub.
Bai Tu said, “Don’t mind him. He’s just trying to scare the cubs. He doesn’t dare touch them.”
Lang Ze could sometimes be a bit reckless, but he still had boundaries, at least in front of them. Bai Tu handed the food to Lang Qian, keeping one portion for himself, and added a spoon to the last bowl.
“Are you eating now?” Lang Qian asked.
“Snacks,” Bai Tu explained. The cubs had to eat several times a day.
In the past, the wolf tribe fed cubs by giving them food when there was food, or leaving them hungry when there wasn’t. Over time, the cubs became accustomed to this way of eating. When they grew up, one full meal could last several days, but this habit wasn’t good for their health.
Since their tribe didn’t lack food, Bai Tu didn’t feed them like that. He fed them at regular intervals, just like the adults. However, since the cubs ate smaller portions and digested quickly, they needed extra meals in addition to breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The extra meals were optional, so Bai Tu usually decided based on how much the cubs had been playing and whether their bellies were still flat. It had been a while since they finished lunch, so it was time to give them something.
But since it was just a snack, Bai Tu didn’t give them much; just a small bowl for the cubs to share.
It wasn’t just Lang Ze who responded to the smell. The cubs did too. When Bai Tu placed the food on the table, the ones in the bamboo basket woke up as well.
However, for the cubs, waking up didn’t always mean opening their eyes right away. Sometimes, they took a while to open their eyes and crawl out.
Just as Bai Tu finished talking to Lang Qian, a cub in the bamboo basket started to move. Bai Tu picked them up one by one and placed them on the table, lining them up, and then began feeding them.
This was the first time Lang Qian had seen such a scene. He forgot all about his own food and just watched as the cubs obediently ate their meals.
He had a bit of freedom in the West River Tribe, not always confined. However, the cubs he had seen before would fiercely fight for food, grabbing and eating while some would hide the food after getting it, not letting the other cubs eat. The traits of competition and selfishness in the adults of the West River Tribe had transferred to the cubs.
Recently, Lang Qian had seen many cubs in the Hundred Beast Tribe, and these cubs were generally very well-behaved. When it came to eating, they would simply eat without any fighting, just like the adult beasts. They would queue up, take their food, and then find a vacant spot. He had thought that those cubs were already well-behaved, but after seeing these cubs, Lang Qian felt an urge to have one of them.
Watching the extremely well-behaved cubs, Lang Qian couldn’t bring himself to look away. Bai Tu saw how much he liked them and handed him the bowl and spoon. “Want to try?” Lang Qian pointed to himself, a bit unsure, asking if he could feed a cub. “Try it,” Bai Tu encouraged. He could tell Lang Qian really liked cubs, though he didn’t know why he hadn’t gone to the rabbit tribe.
Some things were private, so Bai Tu didn’t push further. He briefly explained the feeding method. “You can go from the oldest to the youngest or the other way around. After feeding one round, you can start again from the first. Take your time in the middle, let the cubs chew slowly.” Since it was oatmeal, it needed to be chewed. Though it could be eaten directly, Bai Tu didn’t want the cubs to eat too quickly.
Following Bai Tu’s instructions, Lang Qian started from the oldest cub and fed all the way to the smallest white cub before pausing. Then he started over. There wasn’t much food left in the bowl, and after two rounds, there was none left. Seeing the cubs looking at him expectantly, Lang Qian thought about sharing some of his own food.
“Don’t give them too much,” Bai Tu stopped him and explained. “They’ve already had enough at lunch. This is just a snack, a little is enough. Too much will lead to indigestion.”
The cubs could also suffer from indigestion, so Bai Tu always followed the rule of smaller, more frequent meals. Seeing how much Lang Qian liked the cubs, he couldn’t help but emphasize a few points again.
At first, when Bai Tu saw the cubs’ expressions after finishing their food, he also felt heartbroken. But they had already eaten enough, and no matter how pitiful the cubs looked, he wouldn’t give them more. In fact, many cubs didn’t really understand hunger or fullness; as long as food was available, they would eat until they couldn’t anymore. So, those taking care of the cubs mustn’t be soft-hearted. Giving in to the cubs’ begging would only harm them.
Upon hearing Bai Tu’s words, Lang Qian immediately moved his food far away, not letting the cubs see it.
Seeing that Lang Qian had listened to his advice, Bai Tu felt relieved. He decided to take the opportunity to talk to the people in the tribe about common knowledge on raising cubs.
He had mentioned this to Tu Cai before, and now many people with cubs knew about it, but it still hadn’t been fully popularized. Cubs couldn’t speak, so if they got sick, they couldn’t even tell anyone. From noticing something was wrong to eventually figuring out the cause usually took half a day, and just thinking about it made Bai Tu feel heartbroken.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt it was necessary. After the rainy season ended, this issue would be brought up on the agenda.
Lang Qian stayed for a while longer, watching the cubs, and left reluctantly. Seeing Lang Qian’s expression, Bai Tu thought of his past self.
Two years ago, when he looked at the cubs in the tribe, his gaze was just like Lang Qian’s—hug them, play with them for a while, wanting to stay longer, almost wishing to bring them back to his own cave.
After Lang Qian left, Bai Tu looked at the cubs who were crawling out, suddenly recalling something. When Lang Qi had voluntarily handed over Lang Sui and Lang Ying to him, had he already noticed that he liked cubs?
Bai Tu recalled the events from that time, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt it was possible. After all, Lang Qi’s observational skills were well-known. He could spot even the smallest issues, and Bai Tu had never hidden the fact that he liked cubs.
Bai Tu rubbed Lang Sui and Lang Ying. The two cubs had grown much bigger since they were first brought to him, and without realizing it, he had been raising them for almost two years.
The cubs didn’t know Bai Tu was reflecting on the passage of time. Seeing that their father only petted the two older brothers and not them, they eagerly pushed their heads into Bai Tu’s hand.
Bai Tu looked down and couldn’t help but laugh. He petted the gray cub that had snuggled up to him and also touched the other two.
Looking at the cubs all crowded together in his hands, Bai Tu couldn’t help but praise them: “So good!” After all, they were his cubs, and no matter how he looked at them, he liked them. He decided to prepare something delicious for them that evening.
Recently, Bai Tu’s task had been to arrange the work for the construction team after the rainy season ended. The work was mostly decided already. They planned to add another layer around the current residential area and then build a simple trading market near the place where the Wolf Tribe had lived before.
As the name suggested, it was meant for exchanging goods. In the future, not only their tribe but also nearby tribes could bring food or other items to trade.
The market Bai Tu designed wasn’t just about buildings. He also planned to build some counters for storing goods. Most beastmen would try to bring as many supplies as possible when they left the tribe. With so many things, if everything were placed on the ground, it would take up a large area.
The market was large and especially crowded for this reason. While the number of tribes wasn’t huge, each tribe had a large population, and when all their goods were placed together, a single tribe would take up a large area. With all the tribes combined, the market was naturally vast.
Bai Tu didn’t want it to be too complicated. He remembered the first time he went to the market, when time was tight, and they split into several groups to search for crops. They still didn’t find many kinds, and in the end, many things slipped through the cracks.
He plans to prepare a counter for each tribe, where samples can be displayed on top and backpacks placed underneath. This way, when one looks across, it will be clear what each tribe has available.
Bai Tu also plans to categorize the goods—meat, crops, fruits, herbs, and so on—storing each type separately. When the time comes, people can go directly to the designated area for the goods they want, which will save a lot of time.
Previously, at the market, tribes would often display the same food in several different places so that more people could see it. He had seen this when he visited the horse tribe.
In addition to large counters, Bai Tu plans to make a signboard at the entrance of the market to guide the beastmen to the right areas. He also plans to place the larger quantities of goods on display to make it easier for people to see.
Bai Tu combined his knowledge of modern supermarkets and vegetable markets to maximize efficiency and save everyone’s time. After all, no matter which tribe it was, a trip out of the tribe usually involved many people, and these people would consume a lot of food every day.
The longer they waited outside, the more food they would consume. Though food is still required inside the tribe, more is eaten outside because people need to stay in the best condition for traveling. The same food would last for only one day on the trip to and from the market, but could last for several days back in the tribe.
Having seen Bai An worry about food, Bai Tu knew that many tribes were in the same situation, and he wanted to help as many people as he could.
After finishing the market planning, Bai Tu continued to play with the cubs and took them to the corridor to watch the rain.
When the houses in the residential area were being built, they had already considered potential rainy season issues. Drainage outlets were spaced evenly around the yard, so even if it rained heavily, there wouldn’t be too much water accumulated in the yard.
If the rain wasn’t too heavy, Bai Tu actually liked the rainy season because it saved him time on irrigation. However, when the rain was too heavy, he no longer had to worry about irrigation, but he was concerned about whether the rain would damage the plants and also about the accumulation of water in the fields. Too much water could drown the crops.
Bai Tu sighed. He wished the rain could be spread out evenly from spring to autumn. That way, there would be no need for irrigation, and he wouldn’t have to worry about the negative consequences of too much rain.
While he was thinking, he felt the cub in his arms try to rush outside. He looked down and saw that several cubs were staring at the water outside, eager to rush out and enjoy the fun of being washed by the rain. He had known that the cubs liked water, but now, seeing how close it was, they seemed eager to try it.
To prevent the cubs from running off on their own, Bai Tu put them back into the bamboo basket and took them back to the room. He then found a piece of cloth and cut it into a long strip, folding it in half to make a thick cloth strip about the width of a finger.
He found some needle and thread, secured the strip, and sewed two loops—one large and one small—to fit around the cubs. This way, the cubs were held in place. Finally, he took a rope and tied one end to the cloth around the cubs, the other end to himself, similar to a baby leash but designed for beast-form cubs.
When Lang Qi returned home after taking care of things, he saw Bai Tu holding several cubs while watching the rain. He knew that the cubs could be a bit unruly when they saw the rain, so he quickly walked over, only to find that Bai Tu had already used a different method to keep them under control.
However, Lang Qi couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about the ropes, though he couldn’t quite figure out why.
Thank you for the chapter!