(10,000-word chapter) (continued)

Before Tao Qiu left, he had clearly told them to stay hidden in the cave, but they had gone out anyway.

Tao Qiu asked in all seriousness, "Do you think you were wrong?"

The three bird chicks had already stood up. They looked at one another, then said in unison, "Chirp, chirp."

—We were wrong.

Seeing how sincere they were, Tao Qiu softened his tone. "It was wrong, but it wasn't a serious mistake, and your intentions were good, so you should reflect on it, but there's no need to blame yourselves too much."

The chicks still looked a little puzzled, so Tao Qiu explained further. "You've admitted your mistake sincerely, and it didn't have any serious consequences. Daddy has already told you off and taught you a lesson, so you don't have to worry about me being angry anymore, and there's no need to look so miserable."

The chicks understood now. Daddy wasn't unhappy, and he didn't blame them.

They didn't really understand whether they were wrong or not. All they cared about was how Tao Qiu felt.

"Chirp, chirp," Second Cub chirped coquettishly.

—I knew Daddy was the best.

Third Cub promised, "Chirp, chirp."

—We'll be good.

Eldest Cub's eyes grew deep. "Chirp, chirp, chirp."

—We'll definitely become really strong someday.

Only by becoming strong could they protect Daddy, instead of being unable to do anything but call out a warning, as they had today.

Tao Qiu's eyes were full of laughter. "I love you too. All right, all right, we've been up half the night. Let's sleep first. We can talk about everything else after we wake up tomorrow."

Second Cub happily chimed in, "Chirp, chirp, chirp!"

—Sleeping is the most important thing in the whole wide world, and so is eating!

Tao Qiu had said that before, and Second Cub had remembered it after hearing it just once.

Tao Qiu chuckled. "Xuexue is right."

After all that scrambling up and down, Tao Qiu and the chicks had inevitably gotten dirty. Tao Qiu especially had gotten some of the smell on him from throwing rotten radish pulp at Green Python.

But he was really too tired and had no energy to wash. Dirty it was, then. One night of it wouldn't kill him anyway.

With that thought, Tao Qiu gathered the three chicks in his arms and was about to lie down when he stretched out his leg. A bone-deep pain shot through it, and he couldn't help sucking in a sharp breath.

"Chirp, chirp?" Third Cub's heart, which had only just settled, leaped back into her throat.

—What's wrong, Daddy?

Eldest Cub felt Tao Qiu's right leg trembling. He looked down and saw that his right calf was covered in bruises and had already swollen up.

Eldest Cub cried anxiously, "Chirp, chirp!"

—Daddy, you're hurt!

Tao Qiu had acted perfectly normal before, so the chicks hadn't noticed how badly his leg was hurt.

Second Cub hopped off Tao Qiu's leg and looked at his right calf. It was frighteningly red and swollen, nearly a full size bigger than his left one. The tears she had only just held back welled up again.

"Chirp... chirp, chirp..."

—Wah... Daddy hurts...

As soon as Second Cub started crying, the other two also grew teary-eyed.

Tao Qiu hurried to soothe them. "Daddy just got bumped by Green Python by accident. The injury looks scary, but it's actually not serious. You know how well I heal, sweethearts. I'll be fine when I wake up tomorrow morning."

Third Cub sniffled. "Chirp, chirp... chirp, chirp..."

—It's not serious... but it still hurts...

Eldest Cub said nothing. He silently lowered his head as tears pattered down.

"Oh, my sweethearts, you've been crying all night. You really shouldn't cry anymore, or your eyes will start hurting."

That didn't work. The chicks' tears kept flowing.

With no other choice, Tao Qiu had to put on an act.

"Ow, it hurts, it hurts! The more you cry, the more my leg hurts. What should I do?"

The chicks saw Tao Qiu clutching his leg, his face twisted. He really did seem to be in more pain than before.

"Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp!"

—I won't cry anymore, Daddy, please don't hurt!

Second Cub was the first to respond again, holding back her tears almost instantly.

Eldest Cub and Third Cub weren't as quick as Second Cub, but they soon stopped crying too.

"Phew, now that you've stopped crying, it doesn't hurt as much as before." Tao Qiu took a deep breath, looking thoroughly convincing.

Third Cub hiccuped and gently touched Tao Qiu's leg. "Chirp, chirp, chirp."

—Pat, pat. Leg, don't hurt anymore.

Tao Qiu smiled broadly. "Thank you, Yuanyuan. It really does feel much better."

Hearing that, Eldest Cub and Second Cub hurried over to pat it too.

Tao Qiu responded to each of them in turn, his acting on par with that of a

best actor.

Now they could finally go to sleep.

Since Tao Qiu had hurt his leg, the chicks, who always liked to nestle on him to sleep, went back to their own nests of their own accord. But they moved their nests close to Tao Qiu, right beside his head, where he could see them as soon as he opened his eyes.

They didn't mind that Tao Qiu was a little stinky, either. Even if he brought over a bucket of rotten radish pulp and covered himself in it now, they would still cling to him and refuse to leave.

All four of them were exhausted. Within minutes of lying down, they had all fallen asleep, and for a time the cave was so quiet that only their rhythmic breathing could be heard.

They slept until the sun had almost reached the middle of the sky the next day. Father Tao Qiu was the first to wake, because his stomach was rumbling, telling him it was time to eat.

Tao Qiu slowly sat up. His right calf had almost completely healed. He could still feel a slight sting when he moved it, but it didn't affect anything.

Seeing that the chicks were still fast asleep, Tao Qiu got up as quietly as he could, afraid of waking them.

After crying like that last night, they needed a good rest.

Tao Qiu first took a quick bath in the pond, then returned to the cave and cut up the meat and tomatoes before waking the chicks.

"Time to eat, time to eat! If you're still sleepy, you can go back to sleep after your meal."

Tao Qiu scooped the chicks out of their nests.

"Chirp, chirp, chirp! Chirp, chirp!" Second Cub squinted and chirped anxiously.

—My eyes have turned into sour fruits! I can't open them, wah!

Eldest Cub and Third Cub were in the same situation.

Tao Qiu hurriedly explained, "That's because you cried too much last night. Your eyes are very tired and want to rest some more. If you can't open them, don't force them, or they'll feel awful."

Third Cub said, "Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp."

—My eyes are crying. I don't want to cry. Daddy, tell my eyes to stop crying.

Tao Qiu wiped away the reflex tears that had flowed from Third Cub's sore eyes and played along. "Eyes, eyes, will you please stop crying? When you cry, my Yuanyuan feels very uncomfortable."

He paused for a few seconds, then replied to Third Cub, "Sweetheart, your eyes told me that if you're good and keep them closed for now, they'll stop crying after you let them rest and wait a little longer."

Second Cub nodded. "Chirp, chirp."

—We'll do whatever Daddy says.

Tao Qiu stroked Third Cub's head, then turned to Eldest Cub. "Momo, let your eyes rest a while too. It's all right if you can't open them. Daddy will feed you."

Eldest Cub agreed and raised his wings toward Tao Qiu, asking to be held.

Tao Qiu did as he wished and reached out to pick him up, then gathered Second Cub and Third Cub into his arms and set the three little fluffballs in a row on the dining table.

He took turns feeding meat to the three chicks. Watching them obediently open their mouths with their eyes closed as they waited for food, Tao Qiu was reminded for a moment of when the three of them had just hatched.

The round little fluffballs hadn't understood anything. When they were hungry, they chirped and chattered, and when they were cold or scared, they whimpered for Daddy to hold them.

Tao Qiu couldn't help sharing the memory with them. "When you'd just hatched, you were just like this, waiting with your eyes closed for Daddy to feed you every day. You got hungry right on time, too, even in the middle of the night. Back then, I was afraid I'd accidentally put the meat on top of your heads because I was so sleepy."

He spoke with laughter in his voice, not meaning to complain. He just found it amusing.

But Eldest Cub thought for a moment and asked, "Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp?"

—Daddy, did you dislike us back then?

Three little chicks who didn't understand anything must have been a lot of trouble to look after.

Tao Qiu answered honestly, "It was tiring, but I definitely didn't hate or dislike you because of it. It was like growing crops. The process takes a lot of work and effort, but watching them grow strong and thinking about the harvest to come fills my heart with happiness. Crops let me eat my fill and stay alive, while you bring me happiness and hope, so I love you very, very much."

The three chicks were happy to hear that. "Chirp, chirp!"

—We love Daddy very much too!

Looking at his adorable chicks, Tao Qiu's heart filled with comfort. Once again, he was glad he had chosen to lay the eggs and carefully hatch them, so that all three had broken out of their shells and lived safely to this day.

Children were not only a continuation of life, but also a hope for the heart.

Tao Qiu and the chicks enjoyed their meal, sweeping away the sadness of the previous night and that morning. Even when the chicks could open their eyes and looked at Tao Qiu's injured leg again, they were no longer so downcast. Instead, they carefully checked whether his leg had really recovered.

Eldest Cub: "Chirp."

—The swelling's gone.

Second Cub: "Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp."

—The bruises are gone, and it's white again.

Third Cub watched Tao Qiu's expression and poked his leg. "Chirp, chirp."

—It doesn't hurt when I touch it, either.

The three chicks were like doctors carefully observing a patient's recovery after surgery, highly skilled and meticulous and responsible in their manner, deserving of a few honorary banners from their patient.

Tao Qiu didn't stop them. He just watched the three of them make their diagnosis with a smile.

In the end, the three siblings reached a conclusion—Daddy hadn't lied last night. His leg really was better this morning!

"Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp!" The last trace of worry on Second Cub's face turned into admiration.

—Daddy's amazing! Even the big bad snake couldn't beat you!

Third Cub was a little excited too. "Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp."

—Daddy can use stinky stuff, but the big bad snake can't.