Sooo Yummy~

Once Third Cub had calmed down, Tao Qiu set about cleaning up the mess.

First, he tossed the dead grass soiled with vomit aside to deal with tomorrow. Then he fetched water to wash his hands and wipe Third Cub's feathers clean.

It was still inconvenient for the cubs to go outside, but they needed water, so Tao Qiu had cut bamboo and made containers from its hollow sections, storing plenty of water in the cave.

Mutated bamboo was taller and thicker than ordinary bamboo, and harder too, but that was no obstacle for Tao Qiu. His sharp beak, talons, and flight feathers were no less sharp than swords and knives.

Come to think of it, the cave had grown livelier and livelier since he'd had the cubs. Before, there had been just one nest and one bird, and "empty" was all it took to describe the place. Now there were more birds and more nests, and all sorts of everyday tools had been set out. It was gradually beginning to feel like home.

If he and the cubs hadn't been able to see in the dark, he might even have had to figure out how to make a fire.

Once everything was tidy, Tao Qiu lay down again with his wings around the three little birds.

Third Cub had stopped vomiting and no longer felt nauseous, but she was still a little listless. She curled up weakly against Tao Qiu's chest, with Eldest Cub and Second Cub keeping watch on either side of her.

Tao Qiu wanted to ask Third Cub why she had been overeating these past few days, but seeing how listless she was, he had planned to leave it until tomorrow. Unexpectedly, after resting for a while, Third Cub spoke up on her own.

"Chirp."

—Daddy.

Tao Qiu answered at once, "Mm, Daddy's here. What is it, sweetheart?"

Third Cub hesitated, her voice very quiet. "Chirp chirp, chirp chirp chirp."

—These past few days, I ate lots and lots on purpose.

By bringing it up herself, the child had shown that she wanted to solve the problem. At a time like this, a parent naturally needed to listen patiently and offer guidance.

Tao Qiu spoke gently. "Can you tell Daddy why?"

Third Cub didn't answer right away. She seemed to be thinking about how to put it, and Tao Qiu didn't rush her, waiting quietly instead.

About a minute later, Third Cub continued chirping.

—Fruit good, me bad. Eat lots of fruit, me good, Daddy no hurt.

Tao Qiu froze. When he understood, he couldn't stop his eyes from reddening.

Because Third Cub was frail and the youngest, the other three birds paid her special attention, and Tao Qiu openly favored her.

Tao Qiu, Eldest Cub, and Second Cub were all perfectly willing to do so and had no complaints, but Third Cub only felt more guilty.

Third Cub was sensitive and thoughtful. The kinder Daddy, her brother, and her sister were to her, the deeper her guilt grew.

She wanted to be as healthy and strong as her brother and sister. Even if she couldn't help Daddy, at least she wouldn't be a burden to him. Heaven only knew how miserable Third Cub felt, once she was old enough to understand, when she recalled Daddy feeding her his own blood.

Tao Qiu had told the three of them that eating the fruit he grew was good for their health, and Third Cub had taken it to heart. She thought that if she ate more, she would get better faster. Then she could be as strong as her brother and sister, and Daddy wouldn't have to hurt himself for her anymore.

Unfortunately, no matter how clever Third Cub was, she was still a little chick who couldn't even fly yet. She only knew that a buildup in quantity could bring about a change in quality. How could she have imagined that her little body simply couldn't handle taking in so much?

Not only had her plan failed, but she had also caused Daddy new trouble.

If Third Cub hadn't been too weak, she would have wanted to dig a hole and bury herself.

After she finished chirping, Third Cub's eyes grew wet again. But before she could cry, Tao Qiu carefully cupped her in his hands and lifted her before him, where she met his equally tear-filled eyes.

"Sweetheart..." Tao Qiu choked up. He had a thousand things to say, but when the words reached his lips, he didn't know where to begin.

He had guessed at many reasons before, but it had never occurred to him that a two-month-old baby bird already had so many thoughts and feelings.

Third Cub's thoughtfulness showed how much she loved her family, but it also made Tao Qiu's heart ache.

After taking a deep breath and getting his emotions under control, Tao Qiu tried to explain things to Third Cub in simple terms. "Daddy knows you're a good baby. You want to get better quickly so Daddy won't have to worry anymore, and that's very praiseworthy. But this has to happen slowly. Look, at first you could only eat half a piece of meat and two or three pieces of fruit. Later, you could eat a whole piece of meat and five or six pieces of fruit. You were getting healthier and healthier, and you didn't get sick from being too full like you did tonight. That shows the way we did things before was right, doesn't it?"

Seeing Third Cub blink and nod, looking as though she was thinking it through, Tao Qiu continued, "You're Daddy's child and your brother and sister's little sister. We're a family. You're smaller and weaker than us, so it's only right that we take extra care of you. At the same time, it's perfectly normal for you to feel like you owe us, because we all love one another. We can remember that love and give back when we're able to, but we can't turn it into a burden. That would hurt both ourselves and the people who love us."

Afraid his words would place a different kind of emotional burden on Third Cub and make her feel she was the only one who overthought things, Tao Qiu used himself as an example. "Take me, Daddy, for instance. When I saw that you were such a pitiful little bundle after you hatched, so weak that you might lose your life at any moment, I felt terribly guilty too. I blamed myself for not giving birth to you properly, and for not being able to make you as healthy as your brother and sister right away. If I hadn't given birth to you, you wouldn't have had to suffer so much at all..."

Before Tao Qiu had finished speaking, Third Cub cried out anxiously, "Chirp chirp! Chirp chirp!"

—Daddy, don't blame Daddy! I don't blame Daddy either!

Eldest Cub and Second Cub, who had been listening attentively beside them, began chirping too.

Second Cub flapped her wings furiously. "Chirp! Chirp chirp!"

—Daddy, don't cry! I love Daddy the most!

Eldest Cub nuzzled Tao Qiu gently, his tone utterly serious. "Chirp! Chirp chirp!"

—That's not right! Daddy is a good daddy!

None of them agreed with what Tao Qiu had said. To them, Tao Qiu was the person who treated them best in the whole world, and he was also the best daddy in the world. They loved Daddy the most.

Even Daddy couldn't say Daddy was no good!

Tao Qiu laughed through his tears, gathered all three of them together, and lowered his head to meet their eyes.

"Don't worry, sweethearts. I don't think that way anymore. I turned my guilt into love for you a long time ago. I'll do everything I can to keep you fed and warm, so you can grow up happy and healthy every day."

With a ready-made answer right in front of her, and being a clever cub, Third Cub immediately chirped out loud.

—No more guilt! Lots and lots of love, for Daddy, for big brother and big sister!

"That's right. You really are Daddy's clever baby. Our whole family should have less sadness and lots more happiness." Tao Qiu happily planted a kiss on Third Cub, and of course he didn't leave out Eldest Cub or Second Cub.

Third Cub was so happy that her feathers puffed up, making her even fluffier. Second Cub bounced around in excitement, and even Eldest Cub, the steadiest of them all, couldn't keep his heart from racing and his breathing from quickening.

Faced with the three round little cuties, Tao Qiu felt as though his heart was melting into a puddle on the floor that he'd never be able to scoop back up. It took all his strength to stop himself from stuffing them into his mouth and eating them one by one.

The unexpected incident had brought Tao Qiu and the children's hearts closer together without their realizing it. His words hadn't been meant for Third Cub alone, and naturally she wasn't the only one they had affected.

Outside, the night was still as black as ink. It would probably be a long time before dawn.

Tao Qiu and the three little birds had been through so many emotional ups and downs that they needed time to settle down. Unable to sleep just yet, Tao Qiu had the cubs lie in a row beside his head and began telling them a bedtime story.

Tao Qiu told them the fairy tale "The Nightingale," because its protagonist was a bird like them.

The story was short, and even though Tao Qiu deliberately slowed down, he soon reached the end.

"...Finally, the nightingale flew out of the palace and brought its beautiful song to everyone who needed it."

When he finished, Tao Qiu didn't go on to teach the three cubs what grand lesson the fairy tale conveyed. For them at present, it only needed to be an entertaining story.

The three cubs each reacted differently to the story.

Eldest Cub: What kind of bird is a nightingale? Is it like us?

Third Cub: Does the nightingale have a daddy too?

Second Cub: The nightingale can sing, and so can I. Chirp chirp~ chirp~. Who sings better, me or the nightingale?

The three cubs chattered away around Tao Qiu like three little alarm clocks, leaving him unsure whether to laugh or cry.

Tao Qiu answered their questions one by one, and the three cubs listened obediently. Only much later, when sleepiness finally overtook them, did the little birds settle down beside Daddy with sleepy little murmurs, their bottoms sticking up and their little beaks temporarily "switched off."

Chapter 18: Sooo yummy~

After staying up late the night before, Tao Qiu and the cubs slept until the sun was high in the sky, waking only when their stomachs began to growl.

After drinking Tao Qiu's blood and resting for the night, Third Cub was mostly recovered. Perhaps because the burden on her heart was gone, she was also in much better spirits.

Having gone hungry all morning, the family ate until their bellies were round. For once, Tao Qiu took it easy and skipped his patrol, bringing the little birds to the platform at the cave entrance to bask in the sun and chat.

Second Cub still remembered the bedtime story from the night before and eagerly began practicing her singing. She didn't know many tunes, though, so she begged Tao Qiu to teach her.

Tao Qiu hummed several cheerful children's songs. Second Cub learned quickly, and before long, she was chirping out the rhythms quite nicely.

"Wow, Second Treasure, you're amazing! You're a little singer!"

Second Cub didn't know what a singer was, but she could tell from Tao Qiu's tone that he was praising her. So she sang with even greater enthusiasm, asking Tao Qiu to praise her every time she finished.

Clear, melodious birdsong rang out again and again, lingering for a long time.

Half an hour later, Tao Qiu reached out and gently pinched Second Cub's little beak shut. "All right," he said with a smile. "Everything needs moderation. If you keep singing, your throat will start to hurt."

Second Cub flapped her wings twice to show she understood. As it happened, her throat was feeling a little dry too.

Tao Qiu brought over the little cup of water beside him and gave Second Cub a drink. When she was done, Second Cub chirped a thank-you to Daddy, then happily hopped onto Tao Qiu's leg and settled down to rest.

Only then did Tao Qiu look at Eldest Cub and Third Cub, who had obediently kept him company as listeners, and ask as casually as he could, "Are there any other baby birds who would like to sing for Daddy? Daddy really, really wants to hear."