Chapter 198
Lang Ze’s pockets were completely empty—not a single point card left.
To make transactions easier, point cards came in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 points. Earlier that day, Lang Ze had received over 500 points, but he had handed them all over without hesitation. Now, he didn’t even have enough to buy a plain mochi ball, let alone a piece of cake.
But would Lang Ze ever admit that he was out of points and couldn’t buy snacks?
Of course not.
He casually snatched a piece of cake from Lang Zuo, who was standing closest to him and had been showing off the most. As he took a bite, he asked, “What other snacks do we have?”
Sharing food among the young wolves wasn’t unusual—it happened all the time. Normally, when Lang Ze finished eating, he would buy more. Since he usually had plenty of points, he never bought just a little.
So Lang Zuo didn’t find anything strange about it. In fact, he even pushed his cake closer to Lang Ze, making it easier for him to grab another piece.
Taking full advantage of the situation, Lang Ze tore off a large chunk without hesitation.
“Boss, try this!” another young wolf came over with a new snack.
There were more than twenty young wolves gathered, each with their own preferences—some liked savory food, some liked sweet, and others preferred mild flavors. As a result, everyone bought different types of snacks.
Lang Ze simply sampled a little bit from everyone, quickly filling his stomach.
Burp! Lang Ze let out a satisfied belch, clapped his hands, and said coldly, “Go play. I’m heading back to rest.”
The young wolves looked at their now-empty plates, lost in thought.
Something felt… off.
They had eaten their food, showed off their new snacks, yet…
Unable to figure it out, they gave up thinking, gathered their plates, and happily ran off to play.
…They just got hungry a little sooner than usual that day.
*
The Next Day
Lang Ze used the same trick. He didn’t show up right away when the young wolves were buying snacks but waited until they had already finished shopping.
Learning from yesterday, they bought more food this time.
Unlike the rest of the tribe, the young wolves had a habit of gathering in familiar spots to eat.
And today, that familiar spot happened to include their boss.
Excitedly, they ran over—completely unaware that their leader had his eyes locked onto their snacks.
For the first three days after returning to the tribe, the young wolves were extravagant, buying whatever they wanted without restraint.
By the fourth day, however, they noticed their pockets had shrunk to half their usual size.
They weren’t quite as reckless anymore.
They still bought their favorite foods, just less of them.
And by the end of the fourth day, their points were completely gone.
With empty pockets, they returned to their usual plan—finding Lang Ze.
Unfortunately for them, Lang Ze’s pockets were even emptier than theirs.
Using his old trick to find Bai Tu, he suddenly remembered… he was already in trouble.
His confidence deflated instantly.
When Lang Qian went to find Bai Tu, he noticed a familiar-looking wolf by the roadside. He had already walked past but then hesitated and turned back.
“…Lang Ze?”
Lang Ze let out a small howl in response.
“What happened to you?”
Lang Qian looked around—there was no one else nearby. So he’s not hiding from anyone… then why is he like this?
Lang Ze stayed sprawled on the ground for a while before finally shifting into human form and stepping out.
“I was just… playing around.”
There was no way he was going to admit that he had shifted into his wolf form to look pitiful and beg for food—only to realize that, as a big wolf, he just looked more threatening instead of pitiful.
Lang Qian could tell he wasn’t being honest, but since Lang Ze refused to explain, there was no way to guess the real reason.
Thinking about how the young wolves had probably run out of points by now, Lang Qian pulled out a point card he had been carrying with him.
“Here. Use this for now, but don’t tell anyone.”
Lang Qian understood Bai Tu’s intention—he wanted Lang Ze to learn his lesson and stop handing out his points so carelessly.
But after spending so much time with the young wolves, Lang Qian also understood their eating habits.
Lang Ze had definitely been starving these past few days.
Looking at him now, he even seemed thinner.
This punishment should be enough, right?
Lang Qian wasn’t entirely sure.
But he figured Bai Tu would probably give Lang Ze some points soon anyway.
If I give him a little in advance, it won’t matter… At worst, Bai Tu will just scold me.
Lang Ze’s eyes lit up at the sight of the point card, but then he remembered everything that had happened over the past few days.
Shaking his head firmly, he said, “No! I don’t want your points!”
So what if I’m hungry? I can endure it! I absolutely cannot take Lang Qian’s points again!
“It’s fine. Just take it. As long as you don’t tell anyone, it’ll be fine.”
Lang Qian was firm. He shoved the point card into Lang Ze’s hand and walked away before he could refuse.
Tomorrow, they would set out, and right now, Lang Ze needed to find Bai Tu to discuss something.
After Lang Qian left, Lang Ze glanced down at the point card in his hand—it was worth even more than the one he had given back to Lang Qian earlier.
He had been brave enough to refuse it while Lang Qian was still there, but now…
Thinking about all the delicious food in the cafeteria, Lang Ze exhaled deeply and muttered, “Just one last time!”
He would borrow this one last time and pay off his debt next month!
Having made up his mind, Lang Ze puffed out his chest and strode toward the cafeteria with confidence.
Tomorrow, they were heading to the transit station—he had to eat his fill!
The agreed-upon time had already passed, yet Lang Qian still hadn’t arrived. Bai Tu was slightly surprised.
Lang Qian was usually very punctual—if anything, he tended to arrive early rather than right on time. It was rare for him to be late.
But since it wasn’t an urgent matter, Bai Tu wasn’t too concerned. If it had been important, they would have just discussed it at home. Maybe Lang Qian had been held up by something.
After all, the Beast God Continent didn’t have mobile phones or other communication devices. If something came up unexpectedly, there was no way to send a message. If it was really urgent and Lang Qian couldn’t make it, he would probably send someone else to deliver the message.
Bai Tu busied himself with organizing the documents on his desk. With more transit stations being established, their workload had increased significantly.
Since more goods were being transported—many of them perishable—finding proper storage solutions had become crucial. Without refrigeration, food wouldn’t last long, especially in this season.
No matter how careful they were, spoilage during transport was inevitable. Typically, the Beast Tribe and the respective transit station would each cover half of the losses. However, in some cases, too much food had gone bad along the way, raising suspicions that some of it had been spoiled before it was even shipped.
Each transit station had Beast Tribe beastmen stationed there, but personal interests often took priority over loyalty to the tribe.
To prevent corruption, the Hundred Beasts Tribe regularly sent out patrol teams, including Lang Ze’s squad, to conduct inspections. These routine checks made it riskier for anyone to tamper with supplies, as the consequences of being caught were severe.
Although things had stabilized at most transit points, patrols were still ongoing. Lang Ze and Lang Qian’s team had been the first assigned to these missions.
Nowadays, they no longer had to visit every transit station, but they were still responsible for the more distant ones with higher supply volumes.
Using the young wolves for patrols was more reliable than other beastmen—because no matter how far away they were, as long as Bai Tu promised them good food, they would always rush back at top speed, no matter what temptations lay outside.
Just as Bai Tu finished checking the list of supplies for this trip, Lang Qian finally arrived.
“Sorry, Tu. I lost track of time and arrived late,” Lang Qian apologized immediately upon arriving.
Bai Tu waved it off—it wasn’t a big deal.
“It’s fine. You weren’t late on purpose, and it wasn’t by much anyway.”
It had only been a short delay, nothing worth making a fuss over.
Handing Lang Qian the documents, Bai Tu instructed, “This is the inventory list from the end of winter to the beginning of this month. Make sure to double-check it.”
When supplies were sent from the transit stations to the Hundred Beasts Tribe, the transporters would carry a receipt for verification. But when Lang Qian and his team visited, they would personally verify the total quantities again.
The frequency of these checks varied—major transit stations were inspected every three months, while smaller ones were checked every six months to a year.
Even for nearby stations, the journey took at least two days each way, making the round trip four to five days. For distant locations, it could take half a month or even longer.
Sending people too frequently would be a waste of manpower, so Bai Tu usually assigned these tasks to the patrol squads.
Whenever they went on patrol, they would handle the inventory checks as well.
In reality, patrol teams had multiple responsibilities during each trip. But since they were experienced, everyone managed one or two tasks efficiently, ensuring they completed their missions quickly.
Lang Qian had handled this kind of work since the beginning without any issues. By now, he was completely used to it.
After confirming that all the necessary documents were in order, he prepared to head back.
Just as he was about to stand up, Lang Qian suddenly recalled something he had encountered on the way. He hesitated for a moment before asking Bai Tu, “Tu, do you know why Little Wolf suddenly shifted into beast form?”
“Little Wolf shifted? Who are you talking about? Ze?” Bai Tu looked up. “Did you see Ze on your way here?”
“Yeah.” Lang Qian nodded. “He was in beast form, lying at the door. Does that mean he’s not feeling well?”
Generally, humanoid form was more convenient—it allowed for easier communication with others. Except for situations like fighting or bathing, most people preferred to stay in human form. Even those who liked their beast form wouldn’t just lie at the doorway like that.
Seeing Lang Ze lying at the entrance was a pitiful sight.
Bai Tu fell silent for a moment.
Lang Qian didn’t know, but he did—Lang Ze was playing the sympathy card.
He had learned this trick from the young cubs.
The little ones were at the mischievous stage, always causing trouble. But no matter how big of a mess they made, they had a foolproof tactic: shifting into beast form. The moment they did, Bai Tu’s anger would instantly disappear.
Since Lang Ze often hung around the cubs, he had picked up on this pattern. If he ever made Bai Tu or Lang Qi angry, he’d use the same trick.
Bai Tu always wanted to be firm, but no matter how big Lang Ze’s beast form was, his eyes still carried that pure, innocent, pitiful look—it was hard to be strict. Even Lang Qi would go easier on him when he pulled this stunt.
But as time passed, the trick became less effective. After all, fully grown wolves couldn’t be called little wolves anymore. Lang Ze was now as big as Lang Qi—no amount of acting pitiful would work.
Bai Tu hadn’t expected Lang Ze to try it again. He was well aware that the guy was actually huge, but just imagining the scene Lang Qian described still made his heart soften.
“Wait a moment.”
Bai Tu briefly explained why Lang Ze had shifted into beast form, then went into his room to grab a stack of point cards that had been collected from the cubs—these were the ones Lang Ze had lent to them. He handed them to Lang Qian.
“Give these to Lang Ze when you go back.”
Lang Ze had been behaving himself these past few days—he hadn’t done anything wrong, so there was no need to keep punishing him.
Hopefully, this experience would teach him a lesson: he couldn’t just give away his points so carelessly. If it had been anyone other than the cubs, that person could have easily kept the points for themselves, and Lang Ze would have had no way to complain. After all, everyone knew that little wolves weren’t good at saving their points.
Lang Qian agreed, took the point cards, and left. As he stepped outside, he let out a breath of relief.
Even though he had only secretly helped Lang Ze out, he still felt guilty when facing Bai Tu.
Lang Qian went to find Lang Ze, only to discover that his door was locked.
At this hour, Lang Qian didn’t even hesitate—he headed straight for the cafeteria.
Inside, the little wolves were cheering.
Their boss, Lang Ze, had gotten his points back—they wouldn’t have to go hungry!
For them, the three meals provided at the cafeteria were never enough. But they didn’t want to keep eating the same food they had been having for years either. So, extra meals were a must. The amount they could afford depended on the point cards in their pockets.
Now that Lang Ze had points again, of course, they were going to have a proper feast.
After all, they wouldn’t get another chance tomorrow.
The little wolves loved exploring. Over the past few years, they had almost traveled across the entire Beast God Continent. But every time they went out, they would always miss the food back in the tribe.
Lang Ze especially preferred the tribe’s food. He patted his pockets and, at an unprecedented speed, calculated how much food he could still buy with his remaining points.
Lang Qian had given him 1,000 points. He had just spent 400, so he had 600 left—enough to buy all snacks for the road.
Of course, the tribe would prepare rations for their journey, but no matter how much food was packed per day, somehow, the little wolves always managed to still feel hungry.
So, the more food, the better.
While calculating food, Lang Ze was also calculating his debts.
The transit station they were heading to this time was far, but they wouldn’t be stopping along the way. That meant a fast round trip—about half a month. The points he’d earn from this mission would be more than last time.
And with the points Bai Tu had just returned to him, he’d be able to fully repay Lang Qian.
With that settled, Lang Ze felt completely at ease.
All in on snacks!
When Lang Qian arrived, he immediately noticed how excited all the little wolves were.
Especially Lang Ze—the pitiful little wolf he had seen earlier seemed like a complete illusion.
Recalling Bai Tu’s words, Lang Qian had to admit it—Lang Ze had definitely been faking it.
He absentmindedly reached into his pocket and touched the point cards.
I’ll talk to him tomorrow before we leave.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, something was shoved into his hand.
A candied hawthorn skewer.
Lang Ze had been caught red-handed, spending Lang Qian’s points right in front of him—and he felt incredibly guilty.
Too guilty to even think about why he felt so guilty.
His hands worked faster than his brain—before he even understood what he was doing, he had already shoved the candied hawthorn into Lang Qian’s hand.
Then, unable to pinpoint exactly why he felt so guilty, Lang Ze pleaded.
“Qian, don’t tell Tu, okay?”
Lang Qian lowered his gaze, his eyes lingering on the skewer in his hand.
A simple, ordinary snack—one that anyone in the tribe could buy at any time.
And yet, somehow, it felt different.
It wasn’t until Lang Ze started anxiously scratching his ears that Lang Qian finally spoke, “I didn’t tell Tu. Tu already gave me back the confiscated point cards and told me to give them to you. Don’t make Tu angry again in the future.”
After saying that, he felt like something was off. That wasn’t quite what he had intended to say.
Not knowing what else to say, Lang Qian simply shut his mouth.
Using Bai Tu as a shield like this was probably the most ridiculous thing he had ever done.
Upon hearing that his confiscated points had been returned, Lang Ze’s eyes lit up. “Then I only need to repay five hundred next month?”
“Yes.” Lang Qian nodded. “You go ahead and enjoy yourself. I’m heading back.”
“Oh.” Lang Ze responded, briefly considering asking Lang Qian to stay. But the thought only lasted a moment before the aroma of grilled lamb skewers completely distracted him.
Lang Qian returned to his residence.
He still lived in the same place as before, but with most sub-beastmen now working at the transit point as teachers or doctors, the area had become much emptier. It only became lively again during the rainy and snowy seasons, when everyone returned.
Bai Tu had once asked him if he wanted to move elsewhere. Lang Qian hadn’t hesitated—he refused immediately.
He had no family. His sub-beastman father had passed away shortly after giving birth to him. As for his other father, he didn’t even know whether the man was a beastman from the West River Tribe or some unknown tribe. Naturally, there had never been any contact.
So, it didn’t really matter where he lived.
Lang Qian’s room was very simple, furnished only with the essentials that came with the assigned housing—a wardrobe, a table, and a few chairs. The table was a desk with three drawers: one large one in the center and two smaller ones on the sides.
He placed the candied hawthorn skewer on the side, washed his hands, and opened the right-hand drawer.
Under layers of documents lay his point records.
Since arriving at the Hundred Beasts Tribe years ago, he had started by making medicine. Now, he followed Lang Ze to inspect the transit point. His earnings in points were higher than most people in the tribe.
Each time he received points, Lang Qian would immediately save them. Thanks to Bai Tu’s careful management, the tribe had never had any issues with the point system. Other tribes also recognized the value of points for bartering, making them a widely accepted currency.
The Hundred Beasts Tribe, the transit point, and all the connected tribes had become accustomed to this system. Compared to salt or other goods, point cards were far more precise and convenient.
The point record books were standardized as well. Because Lang Qian had few expenses, his record book had accumulated an astonishing number of points.
He mentally calculated how many points were needed to raise a cub. Then, he subtracted that amount from his total and noted down the remaining points on a separate piece of paper, adding in the points he currently had on hand.
Once he had finished his calculations, Lang Qian put away his point records and cards, closed the drawer, and finally picked up the candied hawthorn skewer.
He took a careful bite.
It was very sweet.
After Lang Ze’s team departed, Bai Tu initially felt that the tribe had become much quieter—especially the cafeteria.
But that feeling didn’t last long.
The cubs were about to go on summer break.
Since the school was first established, the vacation schedule had been adjusted multiple times. Now, it had finally settled on a time that was convenient for everyone: summer break would begin ten days before the rainy season, allowing orcs from other tribes to come pick up their cubs.
The Hundred Beasts Kindergarten and Elementary School primarily enrolled cubs from the Hundred Beasts Tribe and neighboring tribes. However, once they graduated from elementary school, students from all over the Beast God Continent could enroll in further education.
These older cubs spent most of the year in the Hundred Beasts Tribe and only returned home twice a year during school breaks. The early dismissal was mainly for their benefit.
Initially, the school had staggered the break—letting the cubs from farther away leave first while those from the tribe continued studying.
But on the second day after the visiting cubs left, Bai Chi noticed something—the remaining students had lost their enthusiasm for learning.
After all, seeing others leave made them want to go too.
Bai Tu and Bai Chi discussed the matter and decided that the cubs from their tribe might as well start their vacation early. A few extra days off would just give them more time to play.
The period between the start of vacation and the rainy season was one of the few times cubs could run around freely. After all, in ten days, the rainy season would arrive, and they’d be stuck indoors watching the rain.
Bai Tu still remembered his promise to the cubs—to take them outside the residential area to play. So before vacation started, he and Lang Qi rushed to finish their work, delegating less important tasks to others. In the end, they both took a break.
From the first day he heard Bai Tu’s plan, Lang Qi’s expression had been off. When he finally heard Bai Tu say he was taking ten days off to accompany the cubs, he looked even more displeased.
But no matter how much he envied the cubs, he could only follow Bai Tu’s arrangements.
On the second day of vacation, Bai Tu and Lang Qi took a few cubs outside.
Although there were plenty of houses in the residential area, and Bai Tu had left a lot of greenery—keeping many trees and setting up playgrounds every few streets—it still wasn’t the same as being outside.
Beyond the residential area stretched vast fields of vegetation. Since the rainy season was approaching, the tribe members were busy harvesting wheat, while some cubs followed behind, picking up the fallen stalks.
No matter how careful the harvesters were, some wheat would inevitably fall to the ground. The job of these cubs was to pick up the scattered stalks.
This task also earned them points, though much less than adults. But for the cubs, working to earn points and then exchanging them for food, toys, or other things they liked was the best feeling in the world.
Originally, the adult beastmen would gather the fallen wheat themselves after harvesting. But this year, the cubs’ vacation started earlier, leaving them with nothing to do—so picking up wheat was the perfect activity.
Most of the cubs doing this job were around ten years old, while the younger ones stayed in the tribe.
Bai Tu and his family stopped at a wheat field that had already been harvested. Bai Tu took out a stack of small baskets, handing one to each cub. Then he put straw hats on their heads and said, “Go pick up wheat. Whoever gathers the most will win two drumsticks.”
“Awooo!” Lang Chu shot off like an arrow.
Lang Sui and Lang Ying followed close behind.
Even though Lang Sui and Lang Ying were older, picking up wheat was actually easier for the smaller Lang Chu—because he was closer to the ground.
Lang Yao held Bai Ye’s hand and didn’t rush off immediately. Instead, he turned to Bai Tu and asked, “Dad, are you and Father joining in?”
Bai Tu was momentarily stumped, but he quickly came up with a solution. He reached out and pushed Lang Qi forward. “Your father will participate. I’ll count.”
“Okay!” Bai Ye was very satisfied with this answer and handed his basket to Lang Qi. “For Father! I’ll go with my brother.”
Bai Tu rummaged through their supplies and pulled out a large basket. “Your father is an adult—he gets a big one.”
Since the final count was based on the number of full baskets, there was no way Bai Tu would let Lang Qi, the father, win the drumsticks.
Lang Qi: “……”
Bai Ye: “Alrighty!”
Bai Tu found a flat spot, spread out some straw, and sat down to watch the cubs.
As for why he wasn’t participating…
Bai Tu glanced down at his stomach, then did nothing. Instead, he took out a water bottle and drank a couple of sips.
This time before the rainy season was one of the hottest periods of the year. But the beastmen had already adapted to this climate. Even he had only struggled in the first two years after waking up—recently, he had gotten used to it.
Or maybe it wasn’t just adaptation. Bai Tu recalled the temperature he had seen before they left. This summer’s average temperature was slightly lower than last year’s.
When he had first woken up, there had been no thermometer, so he wasn’t sure how hot it had been. What he remembered most clearly was constantly sweating.
Now, it wasn’t as unbearable. Even the river’s water level was a bit higher than before.
Bai Tu rested his chin in his hand, watching the cubs busying themselves in the field. Then, his gaze shifted to Lang Qi.
Even though this was typically a task for cubs, Lang Qi worked with absolute precision. The areas he passed through were spotless.
The cubs, on the other hand, had varying levels of success.
Lang Sui and Lang Ying, being older, were doing a decent job. While they weren’t as meticulous as their father, their work was still considered acceptable. Most of the fallen wheat was picked up.
Bai Ye was just as thorough as Lang Qi, but he was much slower. He focused on precision—carefully collecting each stalk and neatly arranging them in his basket.
Lang Yao was also thorough, but since he had to wait for Bai Ye, he would pick up wheat at double the pace to stay in sync.
Among all the cubs, Lang Chu was the fastest. But the areas he covered always needed a second check.
Bai Tu’s rule was that the ground couldn’t have too much leftover wheat. So after Lang Chu finished a section, he often had to go back and redo it—sometimes two or three times before it was barely acceptable.
They had set out in the morning. But as time passed and the sun climbed higher, even the most obedient cubs began to lose interest.
After all, they were still just children. After working for half the morning, they weren’t in the mood to continue.
Even the most sensible Lang Yao and the most well-behaved Bai Ye had noticeably slowed down.
Seeing that it was about time, Bai Tu poured water for the cubs and took out their packed lunch. “Time to eat!”
“Awooo!” Lang Chu immediately dropped his basket and bolted toward Bai Tu.
Lang Yao glanced at his silly younger brother, told Bai Ye to wait, and went to pick up Lang Chu’s abandoned basket.
Lang Sui walked over and took it from him. “I’m stronger, I’ll carry it!”
Lang Ying had already started running after Lang Chu, though he still remembered to bring his own basket.
When Lang Chu reached Bai Tu, he finally realized he had dropped his basket when Bai Tu asked for it.
Bai Tu watched the cubs the whole time without interfering. He only handed out water for them to wash their hands after they had all arrived and put away their tools. He also helped wipe their now dirt-covered faces.
Only when the cubs had returned to their clean and adorable state did Bai Tu nod in satisfaction. “Alright, let’s eat.”
Lang Chu let out an excited howl and grabbed the biggest bowl.
Since they were eating outdoors, Bai Tu had prepared food that didn’t require cooking.
The main dish was noodles—pre-cooked and deep-fried like instant noodles. They could be boiled or soaked in water when ready to eat.
For meat, there were two types of jerky. One was the usual kind, and the other had only been lightly seasoned with salt before being cooked, cut into chunks, and sun-dried. The second type could be soaked in hot water for a while to soften. The taste wasn’t as good as fresh meat, but for an outdoor meal, it was still better than most other options.
Along with the noodles and jerky, Bai Tu had also prepared dried vegetables.
Overall, the meal was quite similar to the instant noodles from his past life, except that the ratio of meat, noodles, and vegetables here was 6:3:1.
Lang Qi’s meal was mostly meat, while the cubs’ meals had a more balanced mix. Bai Tu’s portion was different from both—his bowl contained a lot more vegetables and only about one-third meat.
Even though the day’s activities hadn’t turned out as the cubs had expected, one of their best traits was their obedience. If Dad said it, then no matter how unexpected, it must be reasonable.
So after finishing their meal and taking a nap by the field, the cubs naturally picked up their tools and prepared for the next round of work.
However, this time, before starting, they huddled together to redistribute the workload.
Bai Tu didn’t interfere. He simply watched from the side, leaving all the decision-making to them.
Lang Qi sat behind Bai Tu, adjusting his position so Bai Tu could lean on him more comfortably. He also massaged Bai Tu’s shoulders and waist. “Are you tired?”
“No.” Bai Tu raised his hand and swatted Lang Qi’s hand away. “Go accompany the cubs.”
“They haven’t started yet,” Lang Qi replied. “If I go now, won’t I just be slacking?”
Bai Tu: “……”
Too lazy to argue, Bai Tu let it go.
Meanwhile, the cubs had already sorted out their tasks:
Lang Chu took the lead, gathering wheat from four rows at once. Lang Sui and Lang Ying followed behind, picking up whatever Lang Chu missed, each handling two rows. Bai Ye was the last one in line, collecting anything the first three left behind. His job was relatively easy since Lang Sui and Lang Ying barely missed much. Lang Yao worked on the rows next to these four, keeping pace with Bai Ye.
Bai Tu watched the well-coordinated teamwork and nodded approvingly. “Smart.” Then, he turned to Lang Qi. “If you don’t go now, you might not be able to keep up with the cubs.”
“Then I won’t keep up.” Lang Qi looked completely unconcerned. Finally, a rare chance to spend time alone with Bai Tu—he’d be a fool to give that up just to compete with the cubs over wheat.
Bai Tu was about to say something else when he noticed a large crowd gathering at the entrance of the tribe’s residential area. He tapped Lang Qi. “Go check what’s going on at the gate.”
Even though they weren’t far from the residential area, all Bai Tu could see was a dense crowd. He couldn’t make out any details or hear what was being said.
Lang Qi stood up, took a quick look, and then headed over to investigate.
A moment later, Lang Qi walked back with a complicated expression.
“What happened?” Bai Tu slowly stood up.
“Everyone saw our cubs gathering wheat, so they brought their own cubs out to learn—” Lang Qi gestured toward the cubs in the field but suddenly paused mid-sentence.
Following his gaze, Bai Tu looked over and was momentarily speechless.
The cubs’ energy from the morning had already worn off by the afternoon, especially Lang Chu. Since he was at the front with no one to follow as an example, he somehow lost focus, shifted into his beast form, and started pouncing around aimlessly.
Lang Sui and Lang Ying, who were barely ten years old, had limited self-control. They had been working diligently earlier because everyone was focused on their tasks, but now, seeing Lang Chu playing in his beast form, they couldn’t resist transforming as well.
Lang Yao held out a little longer than the others, but then someone tugged on his clothes.
“Brother…”
Seeing his younger brother’s expectant gaze, Lang Yao set down his basket, shifted into beast form, crawled out of his clothes, and stood in front of his siblings.
Bai Ye quickly followed, transforming into a small white wolf cub. At three years old, the size difference between him and his older brothers was becoming more apparent. Raising his little paws, he climbed onto Lang Yao’s back. Lang Yao carried him over to join their other foolish brother.
Meanwhile, the tribe members were arriving with their own cubs, carrying tools and lecturing them along the way.
“Even the chief’s cubs are working hard—shouldn’t you be behaving yourselves too?”
But as soon as they reached the field and saw Bai Tu’s cubs running around in beast form, they all fell silent.
The most excited ones were the cubs from the tribe. One after another, they shifted into beast form. Clothes were piling up on the ground, and tiny wolf pups, lion cubs, and bunnies were scrambling out of them.
Since the cubs had been standing close together, their sudden transformations meant they kept bumping into each other.
Human-form cubs would apologize politely. Beast-form cubs? If they bumped into each other—they fought.
With such a small area and so many cubs shifting at once, chaos quickly erupted. The moment one cub got shoved, they’d immediately join the fight, turning it into an all-out brawl.
In no time, more than half of the cubs were involved.
Bai Tu: “……”
Honestly, he had expected that his cubs might slack off halfway through the task—but he hadn’t expected it to happen right when the others arrived.
“Leave three or four people to watch the cubs. The rest should go back to work,” Bai Tu instructed. With him and Lang Qi here, they only needed a few extra people to help keep an eye on things. Since this was an open, harvested wheat field, it was easy to spot anyone, so there was no risk of cubs wandering off.
Hearing that Bai Tu would be looking after the cubs, the adults gladly took the opportunity to leave. After a quick discussion, they left five people behind and returned to their work.
Bai Tu had promised that they would take the cubs out for a few days—so they did.
For the next ten days, Bai Tu and Lang Qi took the cubs outside daily. Aside from the first day’s wheat collection, they had the cubs try out different tasks, but the real goal was to help them recognize edible plants and food sources.
Unlike the first day, they didn’t make the cubs work from morning to night. Instead, they experimented with tasks in short bursts while exploring.
At first, it was just Bai Tu’s cubs, but soon, the entire cub group from the tribe joined in. With so many cubs, Bai Tu and Lang Qi couldn’t handle them all alone, so Bai Tu had Bai Chi call in a few available teachers to assist.
After ten days, the cubs still weren’t satisfied and wanted to continue going outside.
But the rainy season had arrived. Their activity range was now limited to within the residential area.
The arrival of the rainy season also meant that Lang Ze’s team was returning.
The moment they got back, the first thing Lang Ze did after receiving his earned points was to repay Lang Qian.
But after doing so… he made an unfortunate realization.
His pockets were empty again.
Still, this wasn’t anything new.
With the rain still light, Lang Ze took the cubs out to play.
When they arrived at the canteen, they saw a crowd of small wolves—all recently returned.
The first thing those little wolves did after receiving their points was to buy a feast and eat their fill.
Lang Ze instinctively patted his empty pockets and made a firm decision. “We’re not going in!”
Lang Chu looked up at his uncle and asked seriously, “Uncle, why aren’t you getting any snacks? Do you not want them?”
Lang Ze: “I’m just not hungry!”
Lang Yao saw right through him. “Uncle has no points, so he can’t buy snacks, which is why he’s not eating.”
Lang Ze: “Who said that?!”
*
When Bai Tu realized the cubs were late coming home, he and Lang Qian went out to find them.
And what did they see?
Lang Ze and a group of cubs sitting at the canteen table, each holding a pair of chopsticks, staring at empty plates in front of them.
Meanwhile, a line of small wolves had formed beside them.
Every time one of the little wolves received their snacks, the first thing they did was walk over and let Lang Ze and the cubs take a bite.
From Lang Ze to Bai Ye, after each of them took a bite, a third of the food was already gone—and then the little wolves finally started eating.
Lang Ze, feeling proud, boasted to the cubs, “See? Even without points, I still get to eat!”
Bai Tu: “……”
Lang Qian: “……”
