Chapter 10

Wu Yan looked at the flock of little cluckbirds, then at Bai Shuo, who was carefully protecting them. After hesitating for a moment, he decided not to tell him the truth.

The little cluckbirds trembled under the cubs’ burning gazes, and Bai Shuo inexplicably thought of himself the day before.

Blocking the cubs’ view, Bai Shuo began assigning tasks. “Wu Yan, take three people to wash the leafy greens. Wash them thoroughly, be careful, and don’t play in the water. Cai Hong, take everyone else to gather branches. Choose the dry ones.”

No one objected. Once the cubs had gone off to work and only Bai Shuo remained nearby, the little cluckbirds began chirping noisily, as though complaining about the featherfolk who had frightened them earlier.

Bai Shuo took out a large leaf with its edges curled upward, poured a little lukewarm water into it, and set it on the ground.

The little cluckbirds, which had been squawking chaotically, immediately rushed over, forming a circle as they lowered their heads to drink.

Bai Shuo did not let them drink too much. Once he had made sure every cluckbird had gotten some water, he put the leaf away. That evening, he planned to have Bai Xun make a feeding trough specifically for them.

With the experience he had gained cooking the previous night and that morning, Bai Shuo fried the meat even faster than before. By the time the cubs returned from washing the leafy greens, the first bowl of meat was already cooked.

Bai Shuo was not hungry yet, so he set some aside for himself and let the cubs divide the rest. “Three pieces each. No fighting.”

The cleaned greens wrapped around slices of freshly fried meat looked so delicious that they made one’s mouth water. For the cubs who had already tried eating this way, waiting was pure torture.

Bai Le was too impatient. He bit into a piece at once and cried out when it scalded him. Yet he could not bear to spit it out. He kept drawing in and blowing out his breath until the meat cooled slightly, then eagerly swallowed it.

“It’s delicious!” Bai Le exclaimed.

Seeing how happy he was, Bai Shuo’s mood brightened as well.

The other cubs were still dividing the meat. Because of Bai Shuo’s earlier warning, each one obediently took only three pieces. Each piece was about as large as a palm, and three pieces with some leafy greens were enough to fill a cub halfway.

After everyone had taken their share, Cai Hong came over carrying a bowl. “Bai Shuo, three pieces are left.”

“Three pieces?” Bai Shuo asked in surprise. He had divided the meat according to the number of people. The remaining pieces were in Bai Le’s bowl, which meant one of the cubs had not taken any.

He looked around and counted everyone. Something was wrong. There was one fewer person than before.

“Where did Wu Yan go?”

Cai Hong shook his head. He did not know. They had been so focused on the meat that they had not noticed when Wu Yan disappeared, much less where he had gone.

A cub beside them hurried to answer. “Over there!”

Bai Shuo looked in that direction and saw that Wu Yan had probably just left Cai Lin’s side and was heading toward another cave. Wu Cang and Wu Yan had joined the tribe late, and all the caves on the mountain were already occupied. As a result, the father and son lived in a cave at the foot of the mountain, not far from the cave where food was stored.

Bai Shuo told Cai Hong to go eat first, then handed the bowl to Bai Le. “Take this to your brother Wu Yan. When you come back, I’ll give you one extra piece.”

Perhaps because Wu Yan had only recently moved there, he was not close to the other cubs in the tribe. Usually, he left as soon as he finished working.

“All right.” Bai Le answered while eating. Once he heard that he would get an extra piece, he ran off carrying a bowl larger than his own head.

“Slow down!” Bai Shuo called.

He looked at the few cubs below who were still practicing how to walk, then at his little brother’s retreating figure racing along with the wind at his back. The temptation of food was truly enormous. Every bite Bai Le ate had been earned.

Before long, Bai Le came running back excitedly. The bowl in his hands had been replaced with another, this one containing half a bowl of red-crowned berries.

“Brother, these are for you.”

Bai Shuo had not expected Wu Yan to prepare a return gift. In this exchange, Wu Yan had probably lost out. Bai Shuo decided to mention it next time.

Once they finished eating, the surrounding cubs happily ran off to play. Bai Shuo began preparing food for the cubs who had gone out with Bai Su. Those cubs had worked hard that day too, so naturally he could not treat them unfairly.

When Bai Su returned with the other cubs, his hide bag was filled with red-crowned berries. He took them out and distributed them, then washed his own share and carried it to his younger brother. Seeing that there was already another bowl beside Bai Shuo, he calmly pushed it aside.

Bai Shuo noticed his brother’s little maneuver and fell silent.

Bai Su’s favorite thing had always been feeding his younger brother. That had not changed. He picked up the chopsticks and took over Bai Shuo’s task.

“You go eat. I’ll watch them.”

Bai Shuo decided to listen to his elder brother and moved aside to eat the fruit. The red-crowned berries were about the size of a fist. Those that were fully ripe were purely sweet, while the less mature ones had a hint of tartness. Both were delicious.

The berries Wu Yan had gathered were a little redder, probably because he had found a place the other cubs had not visited. The ones Bai Su brought back were paler, but just as tasty.

Bai Shuo ate while remembering to peel two berries for each of his brothers. After finishing, he washed his hands and began preparing dinner for their family.

As they busied themselves, the sky gradually darkened. By evening, the gathering party and the hunting party returned one after another, and the tribe slowly grew lively.

Bai Shuo was making soup. Of the ten pieces of meat he had earned through processing food, only one remained. It was just enough to make a pot of red-sour-berry stew with moo-moo beast meat. The cubs had eaten it that morning, but their parents had not.

Bai Yun and Bai Xun returned to the tribe at roughly the same time. They had caught slightly less prey than the day before, but because the gathering party had gone farther, they had brought back more food. Altogether, the tribe’s harvest was still quite substantial.

After setting down the food, the two went straight to look for their cubs. As they approached, they first smelled something both unfamiliar and strangely familiar.

“You cooked meat?” Bai Xun twitched his nose. But after taking a closer sniff, he decided it did not quite smell like ordinary boiled meat. It was more fragrant, and seemed even more delicious.

“Yes, Father and Mother. I made red-sour-berry moo-moo beast soup. Try some.” Bai Shuo picked up a wooden bowl to serve it, but Bai Yun took it from him.

Bai Yun first filled three bowls halfway and set them aside for the cubs, then served her mate and herself.

The bright red soup was filled with slices of meat rolling gently in the broth, with chopped scallions scattered across the top. It looked intensely appetizing. Bai Xun, sitting nearby, could not help swallowing.

Their second cub always managed to make foods they had never eaten before—and they were always delicious.

After yesterday’s cracklings and fried meat, Bai Xun already knew that this soup would taste better than the meat soups they had made in the past. He blew on it twice, then hurriedly took a sip. He immediately became so excited that he could barely form a coherent sentence, urging his mate to try it at once. Even as the soup scalded his mouth and made him hiss, he did not slow down.

Bai Yun was not as impatient as her mate. She waited for it to cool slightly before drinking. After tasting it, she understood why Bai Xun had been so excited.

Red-sour berries were not as sour as sour berries, but they were still among the foods most people disliked. Only the cubs in the tribe liked eating them, and if one ate too many before eating other foods, one’s teeth would ache.

Yet stewed in soup, the berries became an entirely different delicacy. Their refreshing tartness perfectly concealed the gamey smell of the meat, leaving behind only tender, savory richness. After drinking one mouthful, one wanted another.

The two adult featherfolk each drank a large bowl of soup and immediately felt wonderfully comfortable. In the past, after working all day, they had to cook before they could eat. Hunger had become a habit, and no one had thought there was anything wrong with it.

But filling one’s stomach first brought a happiness like catching one’s first prey after the snow season—a feeling that filled the heart with hope.

Bai Xun set his wooden bowl aside and picked up a cub. He was just about to play the tossing game with him when he noticed the little cluckbirds huddled together on the ground.

He immediately laughed. “Where did you catch these little cluckbirds? Shall Father wash them clean for you and roast them later?”

Bai Shuo, who had been picked up before he could refuse, was speechless.

It seemed that everyone except him thought little cluckbirds were food. Afraid that the birds would lose their lives that very night, Bai Shuo hurriedly explained that he wanted to raise them until they grew big before eating them.

Hearing this, Bai Xun paid little attention. He said casually, “You can’t raise little cluckbirds. Ones that are brought back stop eating and drinking, then starve to death after a couple of days.”

His cub’s ideas really were different from those of the other cubs. Unfortunately, little cluckbirds stopped eating as soon as they entered the tribe. If they were not killed now, they would still have to be killed a few days later. If they starved to death, there would be no meat left.

“They don’t eat or drink?” Bai Shuo lowered his head and looked at the little cluckbirds huddled together, their heads poking outward. He felt that something about this explanation was wrong.

“Could it be that they don’t like the food they’re being given?”

Bai Xun did not know the answer. He shook his head. “I don’t know. In the past, we ate the little cluckbirds as soon as we caught them.”

The birds were small to begin with. After starving for two days, there was even less meat on them. So everyone ate them immediately after catching them, to avoid wasting them.

Bai Shuo had given the little cluckbirds water that afternoon, so he felt the claim that they would neither eat nor drink was open to question.

“Father, these little cluckbirds only hatched today. I want to try feeding them for a few days.”

“Feed them for as long as you want.” The cub had only taken human form two days ago and did not understand these matters, so Bai Xun did not care. They were only a few little cluckbirds. “Once this brood starves to death, Father will catch you another brood!”

Bai Shuo was speechless.

It was clear that his father had no hope whatsoever that he could raise the little cluckbirds.

Bai Shuo suddenly recalled the way Wu Yan had looked at the birds that afternoon, as if he wanted to say something but could not bring himself to. He suspected that Wu Yan had thought the same thing, but had not had the heart to tell him the truth.

Bai Shuo crouched down and patted the little cluckbirds on the head one by one.

“You all have to grow up properly,” he said with a sigh.

They had to grow up quietly, then astonish everyone.

Elsewhere, Wu Yan was discussing the matter with Wu Cang.

“Father, can you help me catch a brood of little cluckbirds?”

Bai Shuo’s guess had been correct. Wu Yan did know that the little cluckbirds could not be raised. But he had not said so directly. He was afraid that the fair, soft little cub would be disappointed.

So he planned to have Wu Cang catch a new brood every day and secretly replace the birds that were close to starving to death. That way, Bai Shuo would never find out.

The young Wu Yan had not considered one important matter: if he really did this, would Bai Shuo begin to question his entire existence while watching the little cluckbirds remain forever the same size?

…

Unaware of Wu Yan’s plan, Bai Shuo finished working beside the fire after his parents returned. With Bai Xun and Bai Yun’s help, he went to collect the wheat that had nearly finished drying.

The wheat had already ripened and had been drying for most of the day, so little effort was needed. Once he placed the ears in his palm and rubbed them back and forth a few times, the grains fell out on their own.

The only drawback was that the awns were sharp and pricked his palms painfully.

Bai Yun found the things in her cub’s hands somewhat familiar. She picked up some and helped rub them free.

“Shuo, what do you want these for?”

As the leader of the gathering party, Bai Yun had naturally seen this plant before. Its taste was mediocre and it scratched the mouth when eaten. Besides, by the time it ripened, the other leafy greens and fruits were ripe as well, so no one usually bothered gathering it.

Bai Shuo explained, “This plant is called wheat. Once it ripens and dries, it can be stored for several years without spoiling. It is also very filling.”

Wheat contained a great deal of starch. Although it could not compare with meat, it would be immensely useful during the snow season, when food was scarce.

Bai Yun stared at the wheat grains in her hand, astonished. “It can really be stored for that long?”

Though she asked the question, she already believed it almost completely. Their cub had always been different from the others. He had taken human form late, but he knew more than many adult featherfolk. Whenever he spoke, people could not help believing him.

Thinking of this, Bai Yun felt a little regretful. It was a pity that their tribe was so small and had no priest. If the cub had been born in a large tribe, the priest would certainly have chosen him for personal instruction.

Bai Shuo did not know that his mother was lamenting his fate. He nodded. “It can. Mother, you can try this year. Gather it, dry it, and see whether it can be kept until the snow season.”

Bai Yun thought about it, then nodded. She decided to gather the wheat she encountered the next day. The plant’s taste really was ordinary, but during the snow season, when there was no food at all, even food that tasted poor was worth eating.

After all, no matter how unpleasant it was, it was still food. It was better than going hungry.

Seeing that she had agreed, Bai Shuo continued, “Mother, remember to gather only the ones that have turned yellow. Don’t touch the green ones. Wait until they ripen.”

“All right.”

With her years of gathering experience, Bai Yun understood at once. She only needed to gather the ripe ones.

Having received her answer, Bai Shuo began thinking about cultivation. He did not know how large the tribe’s territory was, but judging from how the hunting and gathering parties went to different places every day in search of food, he knew it could not be small.

To rely solely on hunting and gathering across such a vast territory was far too wasteful. It was unstable, and the efficiency was low. It would be better to clear a plot of land and cultivate it themselves.

The problem was the division of labor.

Having the cubs work would save time explaining everything, as long as he prepared food for them. But the cubs did not have enough strength to clear a large area of land for planting. If he wanted to grow a substantial amount, he would need the adult featherfolk.

Yet telling the adults that he wanted to plant crops would require a long explanation, and they might not agree.

Bai Shuo’s gaze moved back and forth between his father and mother several times. An idea began to take shape in his mind.

After dinner, Bai Shuo suddenly asked, “Father, Mother, would you like to sharpen your claws tonight?”

The tips of featherfolk’s claws grew continuously, just like fingernails on a human-shaped body. To keep them from growing too long, featherfolk sharpened their claws regularly.

They could do it anywhere: against the inner walls of a cave, on rocks outside, or against the thick trunk of a tree.

Soil worked as well. It was slower, but one could simply spend a little more time at it.

And so, after being persuaded by Bai Shuo, his old father transformed into his feathered form and went to sharpen his claws in a place where the trees grew sparsely.

Bai Yun had the feeling that her cub was planning something again. She ruffled his hair, transformed into her feathered form, and followed closely behind Bai Xun.

Some featherfolk who had finished eating saw them and asked the cub who had remained behind, “Bai Shuo, what are your parents going to do?”

Bai Shuo obediently shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Those three words immediately aroused the curiosity of the featherfolk nearby.

“Could they have found something delicious?”

“Should we go take a look?” someone suggested.

At once, several others agreed.

“Let’s go, let’s go. We’ll take a look.”

As they spoke, a group of idle featherfolk transformed into their feathered forms and followed. When they arrived, they discovered that Bai Xun and Bai Yun were merely sharpening their claws.

The featherfolk had thought something important was happening and were terribly disappointed. But they had come all this way, and they were already in feathered form. They looked down at their own claws and decided they might as well sharpen them too.

There was not a single thick tree nearby, so they simply imitated Bai Xun and Bai Yun, scratching at the ground. The soil was too soft, but burying their claws in it felt rather pleasant. Soon, a whole group of featherfolk was happily clawing at the earth.

After transforming into their feathered forms, featherfolk always became somewhat more restless without realizing it. A few especially lively ones scooped up clumps of soil and threw them at the others. They were promptly surrounded and beaten soundly, only to repeat the same mischief a short while later.

They were typical creatures who remembered the fun but not the punishment.

Only after they had torn apart a large patch of earth did the featherfolk shake their wings and fly to the river to bathe. Cubs became ill easily and could not go into the water at night, but adult featherfolk had no such concern.

The next morning, Bai Shuo led a group of cubs to the place where the featherfolk had sharpened their claws and scattered wheat seeds there.