CHAPTER 22: CHAPTER 19 I GO HUNTING_2

Si Yan warmed up Dongchi’s dinner and gave it to him again.

But when she checked again, Dongchi still hadn’t moved or eaten.

Could he have starved or suffocated himself to death? Could it be that the villain boss, having failed to burn down the cave, had actually suffocated himself? That would be a rather frustrating way to die.

Si Yan sighed and picked up the bowl.

Suddenly, Dongchi, who was hiding under the beast skin, felt his upper body being savagely lifted. Before he could react, his small face, parched from crying, was exposed to the air, and he just stared at her blankly.

Si Yan suddenly leaned in with a smile.

He was bewildered. He instinctively tried to back away, but being held, he couldn’t. He pursed his lips, his heart churning with a mix of emotions.

However, at that moment, Si Yan presented a small wooden spoon in front of him. "Open your mouth, ah—"

Dongchi was stunned.

"Open your mouth, ah—"

Dongchi subconsciously opened his mouth. But as soon as Si Yan’s small wooden spoon entered his mouth and he swallowed the food, a sudden surge of humiliation washed over him.

He spat out the food and yelled, "I don’t want you to feed me!"

Si Yan advanced with a cold laugh. "Kid, I’m not feeding you; I’m forcing you to eat. Can’t you tell? Open your mouth, ah— Don’t make me use violence!"

Dongchi shouted angrily, "Bad female! Bad female! You’re the worst female in the world!"

Si Yan leaned in with a dark smile. "So what if you think I’m a ’bad female’? I’m telling you, not only will I force you to eat, but I will also make you call me ’Mother.’ Want to try?"

Dongchi punched her angrily. "Bad female! Just you wait! When I grow up, I’ll definitely get my revenge!"

However, the cub’s fists didn’t have much strength, and Si Yan didn’t feel any pain.

Si Yan chuckled and fed him another mouthful.

Nan Mo watched from a distance, his face filled with worry and fear. Si Yan glanced at the most timid of the four cubs, then back at the one in her arms who would rather die than submit. It’s a long and arduous road ahead, she thought, feeling the weight of her responsibility once more.

That evening, after all four cubs had fallen asleep in the cave, Si Yan finally stepped out to look at the moon.

Freshly washed and bathed in moonlight, Si Yan’s pockmarked face seemed to glow.

Tai Seng, secretly watching and guarding her from the shadows, gazed at Si Yan. For a moment, his heart seemed to forget to beat. He opened his mouth slightly, his mind dazzling as if fireworks were bursting within it.

He quickly shook his head, then stared at her, somewhat dumbfounded.

Tai Seng was completely unaware that his big, fluffy tail had appeared behind him, wagging merrily.

Worried about the four cubs, Si Yan soon sighed in resignation and went back to sleep.

「The next morning」

Upon waking, Si Yan began to prepare for hunting. Bei Ji hurried over and asked anxiously, "Mother, what are you doing?"

Si Yan turned, a bright light flashing in her eyes as she smiled faintly. "I’m going hunting."

Bei Ji blocked her way, speaking anxiously, "Mother, hunting is the work of male Beastmen. The female Beastmen of the Yanxiang Tribe are only expected to stay at home; they don’t have to hunt."

There wasn’t enough food at home. The Beast World was not a peaceful place; food reserves needed to be stocked to handle various risks. Even if they had enough for now, it wouldn’t be sufficient for unexpected future events.

Si Yan was still determined to go hunting.

"But right now, I’m the only one in the family who can hunt," Si Yan said with a smile, stroking Bei Ji’s head.

Xi Qing frowned and called out to her, "Female!"

Si Yan raised an eyebrow.

He didn’t call me ’bad female.’ He dropped the ’bad.’ Is that some progress?

Xi Qing’s frown deepened as he looked at her.

Females can’t possibly hunt! Their bodies are too delicate, and they aren’t strong. They can’t even defeat a Long-eared Beast! If she goes out now, does it mean she’s going to abandon the four of them?

A feeling of unease spread through Xi Qing’s heart. He gritted his teeth, feeling incredibly angry for some reason.

Si Yan turned back and smiled again. "I’m going hunting. I’ll be back tonight."

Bei Ji anxiously grabbed Si Yan. "But, Mother..."

Si Yan patted Bei Ji’s head, smiling. "Don’t worry, Mother has a way to hunt."

With that, Si Yan left the cave.

After Si Yan left, Xi Qing remained in the cave, fuming. "I knew it! The bad female doesn’t want us anymore!"

Nan Mo, who had been hiding in a corner, quietly lay on the bed after Si Yan left and didn’t make a sound.

Bei Ji also felt very uneasy.

It wasn’t surprising that these cubs didn’t trust Si Yan; they truly lacked a sense of security.

Bei Ji said, "Brothers, if you want Mother to stay, you have to be nicer to her."

Xi Qing retorted, "No!"

He gritted his teeth, his hair fluttering to obscure half his face, looking both furious and aggrieved. "She did such horrible things to me..."

Bei Ji saw Xi Qing’s half-hidden face and, not knowing how to comfort him, ultimately chose to remain silent.

「...」

Si Yan didn’t know how other Beastmen hunted, but she had her own methods.

She took a wooden shovel to the back mountain and dug a trap in the dense forest there.

The animals in the Beast World were much larger than those in the post-apocalyptic world, so she dug a fairly large trap.

After digging the pit and camouflaging it with branches and wild grass, Si Yan took a walk around the forest.

Her sense of direction wasn’t great, so she didn’t dare to wander too far. After some searching, she found some wild chives and dug them all up.

She searched again and found a tree bearing purple fruits. She picked one and licked it; her tongue instantly went numb.

Si Yan’s eyes lit up.

Paralysis Fruit! This is Paralysis Fruit! In the future, it could serve as an anesthetic for treatments. I can also make some anesthetic powder from it.

She quickly found a large leaf, picked the Paralysis Fruits, and wrapped them in it. The fruits weren’t large, and she stored them all in her personal space.

When I get back, I’ll hollow out a stone to make a mortar and pestle, then process the Paralysis Fruits into an anesthetic. If a situation like Dongchi’s happens again, I can use it to alleviate the pain.