Chapter 22

And she made it today better than Mu Qing's previous attempt; at least the dough is formed, and she added natural sugar water, so it's definitely tastier than last time.

Mu Qing looked at the female's expectant expression, remained silent without speaking; worst case, today would again be a day of eating "unpalatable food".

But thinking positively, this is the first time his female has made food for him.

Having convinced himself, Mu Qing followed Yun Li's words and turned up the fire until he heard the water boiling, then after a moment lowered the fire a bit, slowly waiting for a faint sweet aroma to rise from the stove.

Without Yun Li needing to speak, Mu Qing had already lifted the wooden lid, and saw inside the pale pinkish lump, which was actually the source of that mouth-watering fragrance.

"Fire! Put out the fire quickly, you watch the fire. I'll go get chopsticks to see if it's done. If it's done we can taste how it is."

Before he finished speaking, Yun Li had already run into the house, taken a pair of smoothed wooden chopsticks, and run back out.

But as soon as anyone came out, they saw Mu Qing had already set down the stone pot.

"Oh no, why did you put down the stone pot? If it's not cooked, we'd have to move it back."

But since it was already set down, Yun Li didn't tell him to move it back; instead she poked the large bun repeatedly with her chopsticks, "It can be pierced, but I don't know if it's cooked or not."

If it were boiled dumplings, she knew that biting one would tell if they were done, but this bun is too big, Yun Li worries the edges might be cooked while the inside isn't.

Seeing her dilemma, Mu Qing took a stone knife from the house, cut a large piece, and shoved it into his mouth.

"Is it done?"

Yun Li was asking whether it was done, but Mu Qing's attention was elsewhere: "It's delicious, A Li—how did you think to make it with bamboo flour?"

Seeing he didn't answer about doneness, Yun Li tore a piece from his bun and stuffed it into her mouth; after eating it she finally answered his question: "During the cold season I was so hungry, but bamboo flour was too dry and hard to swallow, so I added some water and boiled it, and then I found bamboo flour tasty."

Anyway, the Original Owner lived alone in that cave and no one knew how she used to eat, so Yun Li just made it up.

Mu Qing's gaze filled with pity at her look; he pulled the female into his embrace, "Sorry, I'm not good with words—I won't ask anymore."

Actually there's nothing to ask—A Li merely skillfully made an unpalatable food tasty; why did he have to ask that extra question, making A Li recall her past hardships.

Yun Li laughed and returned the embrace, "What's there that can't be asked? How I used to live isn't your fault."

Besides, the one who suffered was the Original Owner, not her.

But who would have thought the male would feel so guilty and distressed for her; Yun Li buried her head in his chest, and her heart, which had been empty from missing her relatives, finally filled up again.

"No, I should have found you earlier."

Mu Qing felt that his lateness was what made her suffer so much.

Yun Li didn't want to hear him say that; if he had come earlier, he would have found the Original Owner.

Although she didn't know whether the Original Owner feared the Snake Beastmen, the Original Owner was a kind-hearted female; if Mu Qing truly treated her well, the Original Owner would also be willing to become his mate.

So saying, her and Mu Qing's meeting was just right; earlier or later, we wouldn't know what their ending would be.

"Don't overthink it—I used to go out with the gathering team every day; where could I have run into you? And even if we had met, would you have greeted me looking like that?"

Yun Li didn't want him to keep speculating; what's the point of all that thinking? Isn't it better to cherish the present life?

"I will."

Seeing Mu Qing earnestly answering her question, Yun Li simply stopped him, "What will, what will—don't make such meaningless guesses. Isn't it fine as it is now?"

They have already become mates, they already have the present; if nothing unexpected happens, they will stay together for life.

Mu Qing looked at her; he wanted to say things are good now, but he's greedy, wishing she had also had a good past.

But Yun Li had already let go of him and was pushing him to take the stone knife and cut the bun into several pieces.

Mu Qing had no choice but to comply, then placed the cut bun pieces into a bowl, waiting for him to change the water in the stone pot and heat it on the stove, only to see Yun Li already taking a handful of pickled vegetables from the jar and chopping them on the stone board.

"Let me do it, you sit." He walked over and said.

Yun Li responded, made space for him to cut; today's lunch is pickled vegetables with buns.

Thinking about it, it actually feels quite nice.

But her parents, knowing they had cherished their daughter since childhood, would surely say she had been bewitched if one day she felt happy eating pickled vegetables with buns.

"Is it tasty?"

Yun Li ate two bun pieces with the pickled vegetables and couldn't eat more; she gave the rest to Mu Qing to finish.

Hearing her words, Mu Qing nodded, "En."

"Then I'll make it again next time."

Seeing Mu Qing frown, Yun Li quickly said, "I'll only make it once or twice a month, not often; frankly I'm not good at cooking anyway."

"No, you make it very tasty; I just don't want you to be so tired."

"But I'm idle at home, so bored."

Hearing his words, although Yun Li was pleased that Mu Qing doted on her—so much that she didn't even need to cook occasionally—she was still bored; she said she wanted to grow wild vegetables, but in fact she had no wild vegetable seeds.

Beastmen have no concept of farmland, so Mu Qing naturally didn't know where to get seeds; however, while gathering wild vegetables he pulled up the roots as well and helped Yun Li plant them in a stone trough filled with soil.

Yun Li just needs to occasionally water those wild vegetables each day; whether they survive is entirely up to luck.

Hearing that, Mu Qing frowned slightly, "Then I'll accompany you out for a walk this afternoon."

He also knew his female had no close female friends, and moreover A Li over by the river wasn't particularly willing to go either.

If A Li felt bored, he could ask the males in the Hunting Squad to bring their partners over to play with A Li.

"Are you free this afternoon?"

"Nothing, keeping you company is more important."

Mu Qing hadn't forgotten that two males were eyeing A Li like tigers; although what he said that day was sincere, it didn't mean he wanted his female to immediately accept them and let them in.

Therefore, precautions still need to be taken.

"Oh, like that!"

Yun Li burst out laughing, "Then teach me cultivation; I want to cultivate, so that when you go out hunting later, I can follow you."

When she's weak at first she won't drag Mu Qing down, but if she becomes strong, wouldn't she then be able to go out with Mu Qing?

"Cultivation? A Li actually wants to cultivate?"

Mu Qing looked her up and down, "Cultivation might involve some hardship; A Li, are you really willing to endure it?"

Yun Li nodded, "Can't I cultivate?"

In the Tribe, even those little cubs can cultivate; her body is already healed, so why not? As for enduring hardship, if she can bear a bit of suffering, she'll have enough strength to protect herself—what's wrong with enduring a little hardship?

"Of course you can, but not this afternoon; wait for me to get some things from the Witch Doctor, tonight I'll prepare what you need before cultivation."

No matter who wants to cultivate, they must first soak in beast blood for several days, and while soaking they absolutely must not faint, otherwise they won't be able to continue cultivating.

Mu Qing finished speaking, then began to consider whether the game from earlier hunts had suitable beast blood.

Soak in beast blood? Cultivation also requires soaking in beast blood?

What is this?

Yun Li listened, feeling quite confused, but since she didn't understand this, she naturally obeyed Mu Qing's words honestly; after all, it's just soaking in beast blood, even if it smells a bit bad, for the sake of being able to cultivate, she should be able to endure it and get over it quickly.

It's just that Yun Li didn't expect that, since Mu Qing emphasized that one must absolutely not faint while soaking in beast blood, that beast blood must surely be something out of the ordinary.