Chapter 1267: Xiaobao

The growth rate of that little kitty is still quite noticeable; after all, wild beasts are different from humans. With a short lifespan, its growth rate far exceeds that of humans, and it can now play freely.

If we speak according to the laws of survival in Nature, humans are actually born prematurely. Only those who can move freely shortly after birth are not premature.

However, only mammals have evolved this "premature" ability, because once a species becomes strong, it gains the ability to protect its young, keeping them by its side until adulthood; the cost is that the number of offspring produced at one time is smaller.

Humans are still doing okay, not simplified to the extreme. The appearance of a panda cub after birth makes it impossible for you to think it is a bear.

Even among rabbits, domestic rabbits and wild rabbits are completely different; the maturity of their cubs is not the same, and there is reproductive isolation. These are all special abilities that organisms have evolved generation after generation for the sake of reproduction.

Why are the bodies of later generations of children worse? Because they have almost not undergone the selection of Nature. Future children's bodies will only be worse. People in the past had good bodies because they had to endure wars and famines. Those who could survive such things must have had excellent bodies, and the offspring they produced were naturally better.

People always say that when someone's father was young, he could carry two or three hundred catties of goods, pull hundreds of catties of grain with ease, and walk how many miles of mountain roads in a day. In the eyes of young people, this is already impossible; it feels like only a god who exercises every day could do it.

Added to the progress of Medicine, children who should not have survived have all survived, so the bodies of future generations will only be worse.

Now, Changle's body is no different from being made of Iron. When asked to sit in a carriage, he feels his legs are uncomfortable and wants to get down and walk a bit himself.

Ayuduo, on the other hand, has already become accustomed to this kind of enjoyment, as if she were born a Noble lady who should be enjoying life.

The kitty also has its own name, called Xiaobao. It is true that using its cry as its name is a bit bad, as everyone hears its sounds as either "meow-meow" or "mimi." Anyway, naming creatures at the beginning is just like this: either based on sound, appearance, or some other characteristic.

Calling it Xiaobao is a hope that this kitty can grow a bit sturdier. Although it looks very healthy now, it is not much bigger than a human fist, and as a wild beast, it is still too weak.

Following the method of domesticating dogs, no one dares to feed it raw meat, only cooked meat. Although it seems to eat the food humans eat, everyone believes that wild beasts should eat meat, so they try their best to feed it meat.

After all, it is just a little kitty. With so many people, let alone what falls from their lips, even the shreds of meat picked from between their teeth are enough to fill it up, so no one ever worries that feeding the kitty meat is a waste of food.

Whenever everyone stops to rest, it jumps down and shuttles around the camp to play. It has not shown any intention of wanting to escape, so everyone lets it run around.

Moreover, everyone has discovered that it likes to play with people or play by holding its own tail. The journey is very boring, so everyone finds a piece of dry Grass to tease Xiaobao. Seeing it play happily makes them happy too. Besides the fact that Xiaobao itself is cute enough to be loved, perhaps they also feel the sense of control humans have over wild beasts. For humans in this era who are under the threat of wild beasts, this feeling is very special and very wonderful.

Xiaobao also often runs to the camp of the Xuanyuan Tribe Laborers. Fortunately, they had already been warned that they must treat Xiaobao with care; if anyone dared to harm it, Huaxia naturally has ways to punish you. After all, you are just an ordinary clansman of the Xuanyuan Tribe, and as long as the compensation is sufficient, it will do.

Xuanyuan would not cause trouble for Huaxia because of the life of one ordinary person. Although it is said that Xuanyuan cherishes his own clansmen, the concepts of status and hierarchy in this era are already very clear. Commoners can even be classified into the wealth of Nobles because they themselves can be traded. It is not a rare thing for a Tribal Chief to sell the members of his own tribe, especially selling women.

The people of the Xuanyuan Tribe only know that Xiaobao belongs to Changle Prince and is probably just a toy of his. If he could catch one, he would probably treat a tiger as a toy too. Who is he? It is normal for him to keep anything as a toy. Doesn't Huaxia also keep many wolves? They are clearly wolves, yet they insist on saying they are dogs they raised.

The people of the Xuanyuan Tribe, because they are afraid of harming Xiaobao and thus bringing trouble upon themselves, never play with Xiaobao. Xiaobao also discovered that the people it meets far away from the place where the people who hold it every day are have a different scent and do not play with it either. It is boring, and after a few times, it stops going to play.

The people of the Xuanyuan Tribe are bold and not afraid of hurting Xiaobao; they have a sense of proportion and like to tease Xiaobao. However, they do not know that the process of them playing with Xiaobao is the process of training Xiaobao's hunting skills.

Having left its mother at a young age, no one taught it hunting skills. Fortunately, it had already been weaned when it left, otherwise it would not have survived.

However, hunting skills can also be trained acquiredly. Many things are carried in its bones, and playing every day is the time for it to train itself.

It is also because so many people accompany it to play that Xiaobao has not had any problems. This includes the most important period of growth, which is usually spent with its brothers and sisters. Having the company of its own kind, and having been weaned—otherwise, it might have appeared in situations like holding its own tail all day or eating its own feet, which would be a complete psychological illness.

A big cat sucking milk is not a big problem; after all, humans sometimes suck their fingers too. But if it gnaws on its fingers all day until the nails are gnawed away, and feels panicked if it doesn't gnaw for a moment, that is a psychological illness. If Xiaobao had such a problem, it would basically be ruined and could only be a pet.

The day everyone discovered Xiaobao's ability was actually a very ordinary day.

Near evening, everyone set up camp. The main road was very flat; the leaders had post stations to stay in, while others lived in Tents.

Xiaobao was playing outside as usual; after all, being next to the wilderness, there were naturally many small creatures.

When everyone saw the little kitty lying down completely, eyes fixed on the front, their own eyes could not help but look over, and they discovered that in the leaves by the road, there was a mouse looking for food.

Xiaobao occasionally wiggled its butt, then carefully took a few steps forward, shortening the distance between itself and the prey.