Beast World: A Fragile Beauty Blessed with Many Children-Chapter 276 - 275: Supervise Him Closely
Si Shuo hugged Ji Liang, listening to his heart beating a little faster for her. She chuckled and continued, "So, Ji Liang, if there’s anything you want to do, just go for it.
Putting together a Traveling Merchant Team isn’t easy. My only requirement for you is to protect yourself. Crystal Stones are just material possessions!
If you ever need anything, just say it. We’ll face whatever comes together..."
Ji Liang kissed her forehead and hummed in agreement, waves of affection surging in his heart. "Little Shushu, remember to miss me.
When we first met, Zhi Le wasn’t with you, and you were always rubbing his Beast Mark from time to time to show him you were thinking of him.
Do you know how jealous I was of him back then?
Little Shushu, when you have a spare moment, rub my Beast Mark more often too. No matter where I go, I will always come back to you..."
Si Shuo hummed in reply, filled with reluctance to see him go. After talking for a while, she finally drifted into a deep sleep. When she opened her eyes again, she stared numbly at the high sun outside the window. Ji Liang had already left with the team.
Recently, the Thirteen Families and the Eight Great Tribes had been successively holding their own flower-viewing banquets, barbecue festivals, fashion shows, and so on. These events were designed to attract the participation of females with moderate or higher fertility and outstanding high-level males from within Guangshou City and even neighboring cities.
These were all just matchmaking parties in disguise. Si Shuo received an invitation every so often, but she turned them all down, using her postpartum recovery as an excuse.
However, as Wei Ce’s wife, she couldn’t very well refuse to attend the Iron-eating Beast Clan’s harvesting festival.
The Iron-eating Beast Clan Land was vast. South of an endless mountain range, there were large swaths of naturally growing fruits of all kinds, which could be stored to last through the rainy season and the coldest season.
Every year during the harvest, they would always invite some Female Saints and warriors of the Twelfth Level and above to participate, allowing them to gather some to take home.
After about half a month of care from Gong You, Tuanyuan had finally grown to the same size as the other cubs. So, Si Shuo took her Beast Husbands and the Horned Deer Cubs, and the whole family went together to the camp by the moat on the western outskirts of the city.
When they arrived, Wei Jin had already set up three large tents. He cheerfully brought out a bamboo basket filled with harvested wild grapes, persimmons, pomegranates, chestnuts, and pecans. "Our Iron-eating Beast Clan’s Bamboo Forest Mountain is very well-maintained. The fruit that grows there is delicious. We should pick plenty more later to dry and store for the winter..."
Wei Ce accepted it with a smile. Xuyou was riding on Xu Ye’s back. The two cubs sat right in the bamboo basket, rummaging for tasty treats. Grinning, they said to Wei Jin, "Thank you, Grandfather!"
"Aha, good cubs," Wei Jin chuckled and nodded. He pulled out two Twelfth-Level Crystal Stones and gave one to each of them.
His generosity made the people around them look over frequently. Those who didn’t know any better would have thought the two cubs were his own biological grandchildren.
Xu Ye and Xuyou accepted the gifts with a giggle and cupped their hands in thanks. The two fair-skinned, pretty cubs acting like little adults made all the grown-ups laugh uncontrollably.
Wei Jin stared at the two Iron Beast Cubs still squirming on the Beast Skins, so captivated he couldn’t tear himself away. But as the Iron-eating Beast Clan Leader, he had many duties...
Wei Ce couldn’t stand seeing him like that, so he scooped up the two cubs and shoved them into his father’s arms. "Father, we’re going up the mountain to gather food in a bit. Since you’re not busy, you can help us look after Tuanyuan."
Wei Jin’s eyes lit up as he nodded, but he grumbled, "Fine, you young people love to play and make a ruckus. Leave the cubs to me. Have Little Ye and Youyou stay here too. I’ll watch them all for you."
Xuyou, who was stuffing a bunch of grapes into his space, heard this and shook his head. "Grandfather, Youyou is going to gather. I can help now!"
Xu Ye was also eager to fly around outside, so he naturally didn’t want to be held back.
Wei Jin didn’t insist, only reminding them not to leave the adults’ sight. Although Bamboo Forest Mountain was the Iron-eating Beast Clan’s territory, they coexisted peacefully with the small animals on the mountain.
There were no large Fierce Beasts like tigers on the mountain, but wolves and wild boars did exist. Otherwise, the rabbits would run rampant. The wild boars also helped loosen the soil and their droppings fertilized it, contributing significantly to the bamboo forest’s prosperity.
Xu Ye and Xuyou hummed in agreement, obedient and well-behaved.
Wei Ce, however, sighed. "Father, you should hurry up and find a Female Saint to marry. Otherwise, there’s nowhere to place all this overflowing fatherly love of yours."
Wei Jin was quite exasperated. If he weren’t holding the two cubs, he would have definitely grabbed a stick to chase Wei Ce down and teach him a lesson. "Having a brat like you is enough to make me lose my appetite for one meal a day! I have a comfortable life, why would I go looking for trouble? Besides, I’m watching the cubs for you, helping you out, and you’re making fun of your own father with no respect for your elders?"
Wei Ce chuckled, transformed into his Iron-eating Beast form, and carried Si Shuo up the mountain. Zhi Le, Xu Chi, and Gong You followed with the two cubs.
Yin Jiang and Xiao Cheng stayed behind to watch the tents, gather some firewood to boil water, and prepare lunch.
Wei Ce turned his head and said to Si Shuo gleefully, "Shuo, I’ve already told the elders that Father’s Beast Mark has returned.
So, this harvesting festival our clan is organizing is also a matchmaking event for Father! I’m going to make sure he finds a good Female Saint."
Si Shuo pursed her lips into a smile. "There’s no rush. Father has already had one failed mating. He needs to choose carefully this time."
Wei Ce hummed in agreement. "Of course. I support him finding another Female Saint because I feel my Mother wasn’t worthy of him. Father still has a long life ahead of him; he can’t stay single forever.
I can see he doesn’t have any lingering attachments to my Mother anymore. All his attention is on me, and it looks like he’s about to shift that focus onto our two cubs.
He’s just too lonely. Seeing how lively other families are, he must feel a bit down. While he’s still not too old, it’s better for him to find a suitable partner soon."
’That reminds me of my own world,’ Si Shuo thought. ’No matter how old the children were, they were usually opposed to their parents remarrying. After all, a second marriage late in life could lead to many problems.
When the children were young, they’d worry their stepfather or stepmother wouldn’t treat them well, or that new half-siblings would make them feel redundant. When the children grew up, it would involve disputes over inheritance.’
"You’re quite open-minded," Si Shuo said. She really liked Wei Ce’s sincere and unguarded nature, but she couldn’t help worrying that he might be taken advantage of.
Wei Ce chuckled lightly. "I can support Shuo and the cubs on my own. Father had it too hard raising me. Now that I’m happy, I hope he can have a similar kind of happiness."
Si Shuo could understand that feeling. She hugged his neck and nuzzled against him. "Mm, having you all with me makes me so happy too!"
Wei Ce led them to a mountain hollow where there were many wild fruits. Everyone took bamboo baskets out of their spaces and began to busy themselves with picking.
Si Shuo and Xu Chi put a portion of the fruit directly into their respective Sumeru Spaces. That way, when the rainy season and the coldest season arrived, they could take them out to eat fresh.
Some of the fruit, like what the other Beastmen were doing, they prepared to sun-dry.
