Chapter 203: Extra (3)
Over the past few years, the He’an Tribe had welcomed the birth of several younglings. Ban Jiu and Bai Lu had grown into older cubs, while Jiang Xing and He Feng from the same batch had reached their adolescent years. As teenagers, they were no longer interested in playing with the newly born cubs.
The older cubs, like Ban Jiu, preferred going on adventures outside the tribe with their classmates who came for lessons. Activities like hunting and gathering brought a sense of accomplishment that far surpassed playing aimlessly in the tribe.
The newly born cubs included a little fox, a wolf, a cat, and a lion, all of whom were mild-tempered. Once they grew a bit bigger, they started playing around the tribe grounds, often accompanied by Chirpy.
With so many younglings in the tribe, every one of them was Chirpy’s playmate. When they were little, Chirpy played with them. As they grew into adolescents, Chirpy would carry them on its back to hunt and gather.
Chirpy wasn’t just Jian Mo and Wu Jiong’s winged beast. It had become an indispensable member of the tribe and a cherished companion in the memories of every youngling.
That day, Jian Mo and Wu Jiong had just returned from gathering when they heard the younglings shouting from across the river in their tender voices, “Brother Jian Mo! Chief! You’ve got visitors at your house!”
Seated on a giant wolf, Jian Mo called out, “Who is it?”
The younglings responded, “It’s Chief Zhou Zhi from the Bai Zhi Tribe and Chief Qi Ming from the Yu Qi Tribe! They brought their younglings too—oh, and Brother Ji Xun and Brother Mo Ah are here with their cubs as well!”
These were all old friends. Jian Mo chuckled. “Where are they now? Are they at our place?”
Before the younglings could answer, a voice called out from the distance, “We’re over here.”
It turned out that the group was waiting on the open grounds.
Zhou Zhi and Ji Xun’s cubs had been born some time ago and were now almost half a year old—old enough to be brought out to play. Zhou Zhi’s cub had inherited his beast form as a sub-beastman and was currently a small, chubby chirp. Too young to transform, it remained in its fluffy bird form. Ji Xun’s cub, on the other hand, had taken after Mo Ah and was a little panda. It, too, had not yet gained the ability to transform.
At the moment, the two cubs were snuggled in their fathers’ arms, their round eyes curiously observing Jian Mo. The chubby winged beastman cub even shoved its tiny paw into its mouth, sucking on it as it gazed at Jian Mo.
“Brother Jian Mo?” it chirped.
Jian Mo smiled. “Oh, you can talk now? And you even recognize people?”
Qi Ming gently held the chubby chirp’s paw, stopping it from sucking. “Of course! Our little Di Qiu is very smart.”
Ji Xun added, “Our Ming Yin is just as clever. Ming Yin, have you greeted everyone?”
The little panda cub peeked shyly from its father’s embrace and called out in a soft, babyish voice, “Brother Jian Mo, Chief Wu Jiong.”
Jian Mo couldn’t resist picking up the little panda cub and giving it a playful squeeze. “No need to call him ‘Chief Wu Jiong.’ Just say ‘Brother Wu Jiong.’”
Before the panda cub could reply, the quick-witted chubby winged beastman called out crisply, “Brother Wu Jiong!”
Wu Jiong, now in human form, walked over and extended his arms. Zhou Zhi promptly handed over the chubby chirp, which Wu Jiong expertly held, one hand supporting its round bottom as he patted its back gently. His movements were so practiced that Jian Mo couldn’t help but smile at him—after all, Wu Jiong had spent plenty of time holding the He’an Tribe’s younglings.
Jian Mo led the visitors back to his house. “How have things been for you lately?”
Qi Ming replied, “Very smooth. We just harvested another batch of vegetables, and we managed to grow something you mentioned before—a watermelon. They’re small, about the size of a fist, but the juice inside is very sweet. We brought you a few.”
Jian Mo’s eyes lit up. “Really? That’s fantastic!”
Watermelon was a summer essential, but since coming to this world, Jian Mo hadn’t eaten any—or even seen a similar fruit. During one of their chats, he had mentioned it to Qi Ming, who passed the information along to some of the Bai Zhi Tribe’s traveling bird beastmen.
After years of searching, the bird beastmen brought back a small, fist-sized melon from another tribe. The fruit, juicy and sweet, was a cross between a cantaloupe and a watermelon. It tasted delightful but unfortunately didn’t thrive in the He’an Tribe’s climate. Jian Mo had tried planting it twice but failed both times.
Once they reached the house, Qi Ming and Mo Ah unpacked their gifts. Jian Mo eagerly sliced one of the melons. True to Qi Ming’s description, the fruit was fragrant, sweet, and refreshingly cool—a perfect treat.
As he savored the melon, Jian Mo exclaimed, “You guys are amazing! It feels like you’ve saved my life.”
Qi Ming laughed. “You’re exaggerating.”
“No, I mean it. I love all kinds of fruits, but we don’t have many here—just some berries,” Jian Mo explained.
Qi Ming reassured him, “When our second batch ripens this year, we’ll send more over.”
Jian Mo grinned. “How about a trade? We’ve made quite a bit of cheese recently. Would you swap some melons for cheese?”
“Deal,” Qi Ming agreed.
Apart from catching up with Jian Mo, the visitors also wanted him to examine their younglings. Both cubs had been delivered by Jian Mo, and though they were thriving, their fathers couldn’t help but worry and wanted to be thorough.
While they chatted indoors, Chirpy and Ying Ao returned.
The chubby winged beastman spotted Chirpy outside and immediately called out, “Chirpy—!” Chirpy, recognizing the familiar cub, poked its head inside. “Chirp.”
The chubby winged beastman turned to Jian Mo with bright, eager eyes. “Brother Jian Mo, can we go play with Chirpy?”
Jian Mo smiled. “Let me find some playmates for you. Chirpy, go get Ying Jian and the others. Ask them to take Di Qiu and Ming Yin along to play.”
Chirpy chirped twice from outside, acknowledging the task, and flapped its wings as it went to gather the other younglings.
Ying Jian, a little lion cub, was already emerging as a leader among the younger ones. Despite his youth, his steady personality made Jian Mo trust him to look after the group.
Both Zhou Zhi and Ji Xun were familiar with the He’an Tribe’s setup and trusted Chirpy. Besides, the tribe’s patrolling beastmen ensured the cubs’ safety.
Once Chirpy returned with the other younglings, and the cubs joined them, the fathers gave a few reminders. “Don’t get into trouble, and don’t do anything dangerous.”
The chubby winged beastman reassured them sweetly, “Don’t worry, Dad! Chirpy will keep an eye on us.”
Chirpy puffed out its chest proudly. “Chirp!”
With that, the chubby winged beastman stretched out its wing to hold the panda cub’s paw. Together, the two younglings hopped and skipped off to join Ying Jian and the others.
Even after the younglings had wandered far off, Jian Mo and the others could still hear their lively voices. The sharp laughter of the cubs carried a long way, reaching the adults inside the house.
Ji Xun remarked with a smile, “We really should bring Ming Yin to your tribe to play more often. He’s become so much more lively when he’s with the other cubs.”
Jian Mo asked, “Does Ming Yin play with the cubs from the Lin Yan Tribe more often now?”
Ji Xun nodded. “Yes, but the Lin Yan Tribe’s cubs tend to be very slow in their speech, and Ming Yin isn’t exactly the quickest either. I’m worried that being around them might make him even slower. So lately, we’ve been limiting his interactions with them.”
Mo Ah added, “Our cubs are like that. They get quicker as they grow older.”
Jian Mo agreed. “Every cub has their own personality, and it’s not something that changes easily. You’ve already adjusted things by distancing him from the Lin Yan Tribe’s cubs, so there’s no need to stress over it.”
Ji Xun sighed. “As a father, it’s hard not to worry. We wanted to send Ming Yin to study in your tribe, but your tribe said they don’t accept cubs that young.”
Jian Mo chuckled. “That’s true. We cover a lot in our classes—reading, writing, and so much more. Can Ming Yin even hold a pen with his little paws? Besides, cubs that age just want to play. Forcing them to sit in a classroom so young would be too pitiful.”
Ji Xun rubbed his forehead in exasperation. “You’re right.”
Jian Mo offered, “If you’re concerned, just let him come to our tribe to play. Have him hang out with Ying Jian and the others for a while. I guarantee he’ll grow more outgoing and cheerful. Who knows, he might even become mischievous enough to drive you crazy.”
Qi Ming chimed in, “Hearing that makes me want to send Di Qiu over to play too.”
Jian Mo grinned. “Why not? Bring Di Qiu over whenever you can. Since your two tribes often trade goods, just bring him along on your trips. But honestly, Di Qiu doesn’t seem introverted at all. He’s got a bit of a leader’s vibe.”
Zhou Zhi nodded. “He can be a little bossy. When he’s upset, he even flaps his wings at people.”
Jian Mo laughed, imagining the chubby winged beastman flapping its wings in a huff. “I like that kind of personality. It’s better to resist than to stay passive.”
While the adults sipped tea and chatted inside, the younglings played with Chirpy in the tribe’s open grounds. Chirpy’s mental capacity was akin to that of a six- or seven-year-old child and had remained that way. Unlike Ying Ao or the other younglings who would eventually mature, Chirpy truly enjoyed playing with the cubs, giving its full attention to the games.
In Chirpy’s eyes, it wasn’t being sent out by Jian Mo to play with the cubs. Instead, it felt as if Jian Mo had arranged a group of young playmates just for it. Whenever one group of cubs grew older, Jian Mo and Wu Jiong would ensure a new batch of cubs came along to keep Chirpy company.
Although Chirpy wasn’t capable of complex expressions, it genuinely felt happy. Having playmates every day was more than enough for its sense of joy.
While Chirpy was momentarily distracted, Ying Jian shouted in his childish voice from the front, “Chirpy, stay alert! The beanbag’s about to hit you!”
Chirpy’s large ears twitched, and its gaze sharpened. “Chirp!”
Ying Jian raised his paw. “Here it comes—catch it!”
The cubs all sprang into action, shouting, “Howl—!”
The beanbag game was something Jian Mo had taught them. Chirpy, with its larger size, was at a slight disadvantage when playing on the ground, but it made up for it by flying, balancing out the playing field.
When Chirpy was focused, it wasn’t easy to beat it at the game, and it held its own against the cubs.
Chirpy perked up and started running around the play area, but before long, it was panting heavily.
The chubby winged beastman and the little panda cub followed behind, also out of breath, their tongues sticking out as they panted, “Huff, huff—”
Just as they were tiring out, Jian Mo stepped outside to call them. “Chirpy, are you done playing? Come back for some jelly!”
Hearing this, Chirpy immediately perked up. It knew Jian Mo must have prepared pearl seaweed jelly. Its ears twitched, and it let out a long call, “Chirp—!” It wasn’t just responding to Jian Mo but also signaling the cubs to follow it back for the treat.
Leading the younglings, Chirpy hurried back home, eager to enjoy the cool, sweet jelly.
—Today was another perfect day, Chirp! Chirpy thought proudly, holding its head high.
Thank you for the chapter!