Chapter 54

Chapter 54

"Great! I'll go fetch Uncle Yuan Luo and the others right away!"

"Then we'll go get the clay pots!"

The cubs were now "well-trained." After efficiently dividing the tasks among themselves, they sprang into action. Tao Tu stayed to keep Xiao Er company, while the little red fox went to "supervise" his father.

Bing Qiu and the little black lion stood steadfastly on either side of Xue Tuan, rooted to the spot as if unwilling to leave his side unless absolutely necessary.

Xue Tuan had long grown accustomed to the presence of his brother and the little black lion, so he paid little mind to their decision not to join the other cubs. His thoughts were consumed by yak milk.

Yak milk itself boasts high nutritional value. If the tribe could secure a consistent supply in the future, the cubs could drink it regularly.

Beastmen typically spent their early childhood in beast form, growing up on a diet of meat. For a unique case like Xue Tuan, even without memories from before his "awakening," it was easy to surmise he had been raised on various fruits, soft mashed meats, or pureed tubers.

Furthermore, since the beastmen in their tribe had no tradition of raising animals, it was understandable that few, if any, had ever tasted animal milk.

Yak milk could also be processed into high-fat foods such as ghee and milk skin, or fermented into yogurt. Especially during the cold season, yak milk, being a high-energy, fat-rich food, would likely be cherished by the beastmen.

In many instances, ghee could serve as a substitute for butter. The distinction was that butter, made from cow's milk, was ideal for baking, while ghee was suitable for high-temperature frying. Xue Tuan also wondered if any of the cubs might be lactose intolerant. Fortunately, ghee was lactose-free, making it a suitable option. Its only drawback was that not everyone could tolerate its distinct pungent aroma.

"By the way, Xiao Shu, go find a beastman uncle to help us get a bucket of warm water," Xue Tuan said, momentarily distracted, assigning Xiao Shu a few more errands. "Also, if there's any dry grass, bamboo leaves, or leftover bamboo shoots in the cave, bring some over."

Xiao Shu replied, "Alright, I'll go immediately."

Yaks were a rare sight in this region and did not inhabit plateaus or graze on pastureland. However, yaks likely consumed a variety of wild plants to survive. Xue Tuan was relieved that San Hu hadn't let these yaks escape; otherwise, who knew when they would encounter them again?

Xue Tuan glanced at the nearly finished enclosure and said to Yun Lu, "Uncle Yun Lu, does our tribe have any old animal hides? Please bring a few over."

Yun Lu recalled there were plenty in the central cave and dispatched his subordinates to retrieve them.

"Xue Tuan, were you looking for us?"

Sha Hu had summoned several Subbeastman uncles who were about to take a break. More hands were better, especially since there were two yaks ready for milking.

Qing Miao arrived with Qing Guo. Lately, he had been accompanying Qing Guo to his father, Tree Clothes, to learn sewing, missing out on playtime with Xue Tuan and the others. Upon seeing Xue Tuan, Qing Miao and Qing Guo immediately transformed into their beast forms, trotting over and pouncing on him. After affectionately cuddling the adorable sun bear cubs for a while, Xue Tuan turned to the adults and said:

"Uncle Yuan Luo, Uncle Tree Clothes, just follow my instructions later..."

Xue Tuan briefly explained the milking process to Uncle Yuan Luo and the others.

No one in the tribe had any prior experience with milking. Uncle Yuan Luo and the others nodded in understanding but were unsure if they would succeed.

Uncle Yuan Luo looked at Tree Clothes: "Shall we... give it a try first?"

Tree Clothes replied, "Alright, I'll go first. You watch, so we don't make the same mistakes."

While the adults prepared, Xue Tuan led the cubs to soothe the yaks, helping them acclimate to their new surroundings.

A makeshift enclosure, constructed from simple wooden stakes and fences, housed the yaks temporarily.

Xue Tuan walked over with the cubs, while the little black lion carried several worn animal hides on his back. They planned to drape the hides over the outside of the enclosure to provide the yaks with some shelter from the wind and snow.

Bing Qiu, Qing Miao, and Sha Hu, being taller, took the hides from Xue Tuan and diligently spread and secured them over the fence.

Yun Lu observed the cubs for a moment, then considered having a few beastmen properly fasten the hides to the cave entrance for greater stability.

However, seeing them approach, Xue Tuan waved his hand, saying, "Adults, please don't come over just yet."

Wild animals were typically less wary of cubs and Subbeastmen, so it was best to let the cubs remain there a little longer to avoid causing any undue stress.

"Are we going to feed the wild beasts?" Qing Miao repeated, wondering if he had misheard. He initially thought the tribe had captured some spirit beasts, but upon arrival, he realized they were not. Simply being near these beasts already felt strange to him, and now they were expected to feed them?

Xue Tuan pondered for a moment and said, "We're going to milk them later, so isn't it perfectly normal to feed them something?" Following the beastmen's ingrained "barter" mentality from childhood, raising animals in this manner wasn't unreasonable, was it?

The cubs readily accepted this explanation and even encouraged the yaks to eat more so they could produce more milk. None of them had ever tasted this before, but if Xue Tuan wanted it, it must be delicious, right?

The cubs weren't entirely sure what the yaks preferred, so each held different foods, attempting to offer them to the yaks.

"Xue Tuan, look over there," Qing Miao pointed to where a mother yak was licking a wound on a calf.

Juan Juan asked, "Is the little yak injured?"

The cubs went to inspect the calf. As Xue Tuan took a step, he remembered something and turned back to the little black lion, rummaging through their small bag: "Did you bring the herbs Brother Ye Cong gave us?"

"I brought them," the little black lion lifted a paw, helping Xue Tuan hold the bag open. Brother Ye Cong had given every household a small jar of herbs for minor wounds, so the little black lion always made sure to carry it, just as he checked for his bone whistle.

Xue Tuan retrieved the herbs, and the cubs automatically made way for him to approach the injured calf. Fortunately, it was just a small scratch, nothing serious. Xue Tuan easily applied the medicine: "There, it'll heal soon."

The lively and cheerful cubs, radiating goodwill, effortlessly won over the yaks. In just a short time, the yaks seemed to have gradually adapted to being in the enclosure and to the presence of the beastmen. They became more docile, slowly losing their fear of the beastmen's approach.

Seeing Xue Tuan's signal, Tree Clothes rolled up his sleeves, dipped his hands into the recently brought warm water, and rubbed them together to warm them. This was one of the steps Xue Tuan had mentioned—if their hands were too cold, it might startle the yaks. If a yak suddenly kicked during milking, they would be the ones in trouble.

After this, Tree Clothes, guided by Xue Tuan, approached a female yak. He spoke softly, almost whispering, "Shall I begin?"

Xue Tuan patted the yak and nodded, "It's fine, don't be nervous."

So Tree Clothes placed his hands on the yak and began pressing down evenly, his movements gentle yet steady.

As Tree Clothes alternated his hands, yak milk dripped into the clay pot with soft, crisp sounds. The yak swished its tail, occasionally glancing back curiously at Tree Clothes but showing no resistance.

"I think I've got the hang of it?" Tree Clothes smiled, his movements growing more skilled. The milk already filled a small portion of the jar, emitting a faint milky aroma.

"Father, let me try?" Qing Miao whispered from the side.

"Come here," Tree Clothes took Qing Miao's hand, guiding him through the motions.

Xue Tuan was surprised that Uncle Tree Clothes and Qing Miao succeeded on their first try—they seemed to be naturals.

"Uncle Yuan Luo, there's another yak over there," Xue Tuan called Juan Juan's father over, indicating that milking could begin on that side as well.

"Father, father, I'll help you," Juan Juan quickly ran to Uncle Yuan Luo. Seeing that Brother Qing Miao could assist Uncle Tree Clothes, he wanted to try too.

Uncle Yuan Luo replied, "Alright, but let your father get used to it first, then I'll show you." Uncle Yuan Luo led Juan Juan to the warm water. He needed to warm his hands, which had grown cold from nervousness.

The other cubs crouched near Tree Clothes and Qing Miao, their eyes fixed on the clay pot as it slowly filled with milk. They didn't dislike the smell of the milk; in fact, they quite enjoyed it.

"Xue Tuan, can we drink it once it's done?" Sha Hu swallowed hard, reaching for the jar Tree Clothes handed him.

Seeing Sha Hu about to sneak a taste, Xue Tuan lightly tapped the top of his head: "You have to boil it first, or you might get diarrhea."

Sha Hu flinched: "Oh, I'll remember." Diarrhea was out of the question—it meant his father wouldn't let him eat any tasty treats for days.

"What are you all doing?" Rong Shan arrived, drawn by the commotion.

"Father," Xue Tuan ran over and hugged Rong Shan's leg, "Help us boil the milk."

"Alright, let's cook some for our good child." Rong Shan bent down to brush the weeds off Xue Tuan's fur clothing, then took his little hand and followed Sha Hu toward the clay pot.

Seeing Rong Shan arrive, Yun Lu returned to the cave to check on Xiao Er.

When the young cubs came running to call Yuan Luo, Rong Shan had already heard that San Hu and the others had caught a few yaks. These beasts were relatively rare, and Rong Shan thought he would go take a look after finishing his tasks. However, he missed the slaughtering scene and instead heard that the cubs wanted to raise the yaks.

Rong Shan was puzzled at first, but as soon as he saw his own child among them, he immediately understood. Just like when they hadn’t yet realized Hui Hui was a Spirit beast, his child had been feeding Hui Hui, even though it didn’t yield much meat. If the cub wanted to raise them, so be it—it wasn’t like they couldn’t afford it.

Now, there was a fixed fire pit at the cave entrance, always equipped with a pot for boiling water, so they didn’t need to start a new fire.

"Sha Hu, pass me the clay pot." Rong Shan replaced it with a clean clay pot, took the pot containing the beast milk, and poured it into the clay pot.

"Dad, it’s better not to have the fire too high." Xue Tuan stood nearby, craning his neck to check the pot. A high flame would cook it faster, but he was worried that if they weren’t careful, it might burn.

Rong Shan obediently removed one piece of firewood from under the pot. "Alright, Dad will listen to our good child." Rong Shan smiled and pinched Xue Tuan’s cheek. His child didn’t have much meat on his body, except for his chubby cheeks, which were especially adorable.

A moment later, the milk surface began to bubble slightly, and the milky scent started to spread, captivating the nearby cubs, who couldn’t take their eyes off it. They had drunk all sorts of strange-tasting water invented by Elder Grandpa but had never tasted this kind of beast milk before.

"Does beast milk need to be boiled like water?" Xiao Shu asked quietly. Nowadays, most people in the tribe had unconsciously grown accustomed to drinking hot water, and adding this extra step for beast milk was something everyone could accept.

The milky aroma grew stronger than before, and bubbles began to form in the pot. Rong Shan slowly stirred the bottom of the pot with a bamboo chopstick to prevent it from sticking.

Xue Tuan said, "Once it boils, remove the fire and let it cool for a while before drinking."

As soon as Xue Tuan finished speaking, the pot began to bubble with a "gurgling" sound, and the milky aroma now overpowered the smoky scent of the firewood.

Several beastmen who had been busy outside the cave followed the scent back. One of them laughed and said, "It smells amazing, Deputy Chief. Do we get a share?"

Yuan Tu patted his companion’s shoulder and said, "Can’t you see the little cubs are practically drooling?" Trying to "take food" from the cubs at a time like this? Just see if they won’t bite you.

"You’ll be last in line, but there should be enough." Rong Shan casually estimated the number of people and spoke.

Yuan Tu hadn’t expected to get a share and said happily, "Thank you, Deputy Chief!"

The fire had been put out, and Rong Shan used a large clay ladle to scoop the creamy hot milk into clay bowls, handing one to each cub who extended their little hands.

Xue Tuan held a small bowl, waiting in line behind the other cubs. Rong Shan and Feng Yan had long noticed their child’s habit of letting others go first and went along with it.

Sha Hu held the bowl of beast milk he had been looking forward to for so long. The beast milk in the bowl was intensely fragrant, and after warming, a thin layer of milk skin had formed on the surface. Sha Hu sniffed the aroma several times before taking a small sip.

The beast milk slid smoothly down his throat, warming his stomach. Every cub who finished drinking the beast milk wore a happy smile, with a milky mustache appearing around their mouths.

"Hahaha, Uncle Rong Shan, look at Xue Tuan." The cubs, unable to see their own faces, laughed at each other.

The little black lion, who had been lapping up the beast milk from his bowl, also looked up and saw that Little Dumpling had "grown a white mustache." A smile appeared in the little black lion’s eyes.

"Hmph." Xue Tuan licked off the milk stain, completely unfazed by the cubs’ laughter. He picked up two other bowls of beast milk and walked into the cave.

One bowl was for Tao Tu, and the other was for Xiao Er.

"Thank you, Xue Tuan!" Tao Tu had been eagerly waiting to drink it inside the cave. Luckily, Xue Tuan hadn’t forgotten his share.

Nearby, Xiao Er sipped the beast milk slowly. He had never tasted such delicious "water" before and was almost reluctant to finish it.

Yun Lu, watching the cubs enjoy their beast milk, grew curious.

"Uncle Yun Lu, Beast God says that if cubs drink beast milk from a young age, their bodies will grow stronger." Xue Tuan decided to bring up Beast God—this way, the tribe would surely encourage the cubs to drink more.

"So that’s how it is!" Yun Lu no longer cared whether Xue Tuan had intended to wait a few days before eating the yaks. He immediately decided to raise them properly!

"With only two female yaks, it’s not enough for daily drinking. We’ll need the patrolling beastmen to keep an eye out." Yun Lu was already planning to assign new tasks to the patrolling beastmen.

It would be great if they could find a few more, but even if they couldn’t for now, it was fine. Luckily, among the ones they caught this time, there were both males and females. Once mating season came, they would naturally breed, and gradually there would be more yaks.

In the future, yaks would not only provide beast milk, meat, and fur but could also be used for plowing. Their waste would make excellent fertilizer, making them a key livestock for the beastmen.

Xue Tuan mentioned this to Yun Lu, suggesting that once beast milk production increased, they could assign people to try making it.

Yun Lu nodded, somewhat understanding, and said he would keep it in mind. However, his attention was mainly on Xiao Er. He had been staying by Xiao Er’s side and overheard him talking with Tao Tu about many things related to their tribe.

"Xue Tuan, I’d like to try the beast milk too. Take me with you." Yun Lu gave Xue Tuan a meaningful look.

It didn’t sound like a task that required two people, so Xue Tuan understood that Uncle Yun Lu had something to say and followed him out.

"Good child."

As soon as Yun Lu and Xue Tuan stepped out, they ran into Feng Yan and Rong Shan, who were arriving together, followed by Shi Hu and the others.

"Dad!" It seemed Dad and Uncle Shi Hu had finished their work. Before Xue Tuan could walk over, Feng Yan had already strode forward, picked him up, and placed him on his shoulders.

"Perfect timing, since you’re all back. There’s something I want to discuss." Yun Lu led everyone to the cave he shared with Shi Hu, which wasn’t far from the central cave.

Once everyone was seated, Yun Lu said, "I heard from Xiao Er about some situations in their tribe…"

Feng Yan and Shi Hu spoke in unison, "Who is Xiao Er?"

The others weren’t aware of what had happened that afternoon, so Yun Lu briefly explained.

After listening for a while, Xue Tuan finally understood what Uncle Yun Lu wanted to say.

The current situation of Xiao Er’s tribe was somewhat similar to their old tribe, with the difference that Xiao Er’s ancestors had once been "wealthy" because their settlement was near a salt flat.

The salt flat wasn’t as large as a salt lake, but it was enough to sustain a small tribe of three hundred people for a hundred years.

According to Xiao Er, although their ancestors had enough salt to last several generations, their chief strictly forbade tribe members from spreading the word. Even when they attended gatherings hosted by medium or large tribes, they never traded large amounts of salt to avoid drawing attention.

It was clear that this chief had his own ideas and made many efforts to ensure his tribe’s long-term survival. However, over time, the tribe failed to maintain harmony internally, with members splitting and reuniting. As the salt in the flat dwindled, by Xiao Er’s generation, it was exhausted, and the tribe began migrating again.

Xiao Er was naturally simple-minded, so Uncle Yun Lu managed to extract quite a bit of information from him.

"Xiao Er mentioned that because they hadn’t found a suitable place by the cold season, the tribe temporarily settled by a small stream."

"Their tribe particularly enjoys grains like rice and wheat. They had some to begin with and collected more along the way."

"But the further they traveled in this direction, the fewer grains they found, though there were more wild beasts, so they started hunting."

"He even asked me if our tribe has plenty of grains…"

No wonder Uncle Yun Lu had gathered them for this discussion—it turned out Xiao Er’s tribe still had stores of rice and wheat!