Chapter 662: Beast World: Raising a Wife 37

There is nothing here to pass the time; in the harsh winter shrouded by night, the most suitable thing is to reproduce.

Their gestation period is only four months, after which they give birth to offspring; whether the offspring are male or female Sub-Beasts, the time is the same.

This means that when the harsh winter ends, new life will arrive just in time.

For this reason, each tribe's extremely scarce gestation fruits have long been prepared, waiting for Sub-Beasts in need to come with their families to collect them.

Gestation is much harder for Sub-Beasts than for female beasts; each reproduction is a tremendous challenge for them.

So in this harsh winter, Jin Chen's household seems not to lack guests.

Early in the morning, Jin Chen felt the indoor temperature had dropped considerably, fearing Bai Mo might catch a cold; he hurriedly got up, picked some charcoal in the warm stove, and soon the house was filled with heat.

Bai Mo also slowly woke up, lying on the plush blanket in a daze.

"Mo Mo, there's another sound outside."

Jin Chen lit the oil lamp, listened to the movement outside the Main Gate, pursed his lips, and walked toward the bed.

The bed was made large enough; once the harsh winter arrived, the two basically never left the bed except to eat.

"They must be here to change medicine."

Bai Mo had long been accustomed to this; he had already prepared several bundles of herbs in advance, waiting for them to take back and decoct into liquid.

"Jin Chen, it's me!"

The person outside the Main Gate was obviously frozen stiff, his speech trembling.

Both of them were very familiar with that voice.

"Du Feng? How did you come here, kid?"

Jin Chen opened the door a crack to let him in, then gave him a once-over.

"Yo, your fire is burning brightly!"

Du Feng rubbed his hands; having stood at the doorway for a while, a thick layer of snow had already settled on him.

"I came to ask Bai Mo for herbs; supposedly they can make Sub-Beast gestation less arduous!"

Just saying that made him beam with joy; since separating from the family and living alone with Yu Wu, he finally knew what a carefree life was like, and many former worries had vanished.

"Ah! Yu Wu has also taken the gestation fruit!"

Bai Mo hurriedly popped his head out from under the blanket, eyes wide with surprise: "Is he suffering?"

"It's fine; he just feels fresh, talking to his belly all day."

Du Feng scratched his head, laughing a bit foolishly.

"Brother, give him the herb at the back; its property is the mildest, and drinking it isn't bitter."

Bai Mo stretched out his finger again, pointing at the spot behind the stove.

"Okay."

Jin Chen found the herbs, handed them to Du Feng, and gave a hey.

"How come Yu Wu is pregnant, and you've gotten so fat?"

"Never mind; Xiao Wu wants to eat everything since he got pregnant, and luckily I stocked plenty of food, but he can't eat much, so the leftovers have all ended up in my belly."

Du Feng waved his hand, indicating this was a sweet burden: "Eight meals a day—who can stand that?"

"Never mind that, I have to go back; Xiao Wu is still home alone."

Du Feng pulled his beast-skin cap back onto his head; as he was leaving, Jin Chen saw him off and casually asked.

"Has your Bai Mo taken the gestation fruit?"

"No."

Jin Chen frowned; the chieftain had indeed given him one, but he had never taken it to heart.

It was just an offhand question; Du Feng didn't take it to heart either, slipping out through the door crack and diving into the snow curtain—clearly early morning, yet only a thin layer of light.

Looking outside, everything was a expanse of snow spikes; only the oil lamps peeking out from the cave windows of each household glowed, dim yellow and warm.

Jin Chen glanced a few times, then lifted a piece of meat indoors.

Also, the rock-sugar candies Bai Mo learned to make last night were placed on an outside board, frozen until they were crisp and crackly, looking crystal clear and translucent.

After washing his hands clean, he set those candies and the specially made bed-side table in place; only then did Jin Chen shrink into the blanket and hold Bai Mo.

"Mo Mo, the chieftain actually gave us a gestation fruit; what do you think?"

Bai Mo was just lowering his head to bite the sugar shell; hearing this, he lifted his eyes to look at Jin Chen, frowned and shook his head.

He then rubbed against his embrace again, his tail winding around Jin Chen's waist, even his beast ears warm.

"No, better let the chieftain send it to the Sub-Beasts who need it."

But as soon as he finished speaking, he thought Jin Chen might want offspring, hastily swallowed what was in his mouth, and turned to meet his gaze.

"Could it be that Brother wants offspring?"

Jin Chen's mouth twitched slightly; he would rather not have offspring disturb their world.

"No, I was just asking what you think."

"Oh, I don't want to," Bai Mo said, eyebrows knotted, fingers gripping the sheet as he came up with an excuse: "My constitution is poor; I can't bear offspring."

Jin Chen couldn't help but laugh; Bai Mo had been raised extremely well by him, so there was no truth to the claim of poor constitution, but it suited his wishes just fine.

So he went along with the excuse, coaxing: "Then we won't take the gestation fruit; I'll find a time to return it to the chieftain."

"Good!"

Bai Mo agreed eagerly, fed Jin Chen a candy, his eyes curving into smiles.

It felt similar to eating ice cream; ever since Jin Chen made it for him once, Bai Mo has been unable to forget that flavor.

"Glutton, this isn't meant for you to eat all at once."

Seeing the candies in the wooden bowl dwindling, Jin Chen hurriedly stopped Bai Mo from continuing to eat.

"This stuff gets cloying; let's have it after the meal."

Bai Mo knows what he's worried about, grinning to show his teeth, "I brush my teeth with charcoal ash every day, I won't get cavities."

"Are you not eating rice then?" Jin Chen changed tactics, "We're having barbecue for lunch today, I remember Mo Mo also loves it."

Bai Mo sank into Silence, rubbing his belly.

Staying cooped up at home all day without moving, if I finish this fruit, I'm afraid I really won't be able to eat at noon.

"Then I won't eat."

He pushed the bowl aside, got out of bed, scooped hot water from the stove to rinse his mouth, muttering while rinsing, "Brother is definitely doing this on purpose."

"Then if Mo Mo gets a toothache later, don't come crying to me."

Jin Chen laughed, "A toothache is much worse than ordinary aches and pains."

Bai Mo spat out two more mouthfuls of water, feeling he'd rinsed clean, then hopped onto the bed, curling up in the embrace and shaking his ears.

"Just go ahead and scare me."

"How dare I scare you? We're the great Beast God's Will inheritor, the tribe's future priest?"

Jin Chen teased, rubbing his nose tip.

Bai Mo wrinkled his face and twisted his body, "So awkward, don't call me priest, it's still too early."

Although since that day he sensed the will, the priest clearly stated that once he grows up later, he will step down and yield the position to him.

But Bai Mo always feels it's too soon; he just formed the contract not long ago, how could he already bear such a great responsibility?

Bai Mo thought, he couldn't be as kind as Amu, willingly sacrificing his time and vitality again and again for the people of the tribe.

Many experiences have merely been telling him that some people aren't worth such sacrifice.

Whether selfish or lacking responsibility, Bai Mo refused the Beast God's Will's command, and also hesitated over the priest's duty,

Jin Chen knew what he was hesitating about, and didn't press him, kissing the corner of his lips to soothe, "Just let things take their natural course."