Blushing Means He's Shy (Continued)

The Green Python mother wreaked havoc on most of the forest. After her death, her body was devoured by other mutated monsters. The Green Python tried to stop them, but she was too small at the time and couldn't stop all the monsters. She was even injured in the process.

Watching his mother's corpse being slowly devoured is a nightmare the Green Python can never forget.

Her mother treated her even better than she treated the Little Snake, so she couldn't help but feel sad whenever the topic came up.

When the Green Python mentioned the "stinging pain all over the body," Tao Qiu's eyes suddenly widened, revealing a look of shock.

Fortunately, he quickly composed himself, and the Green Python, absorbed in its past memories, didn't notice his unusual behavior.

Tao Qiu temporarily put his own thoughts aside. Seeing the Green Python's moist eyes, he sincerely said, "Chirp, chirp."

I'm sorry, I reminded you of something sad.

The Green Python shook its head. "Hiss..."

--It's okay, you didn't do it on purpose, and I also want to figure out why the fruit isn't working for me.

Upon hearing this, Tao Qiu frowned deeply.

He paused for a moment, then voiced his speculation.

--So far, all three races that have eaten the fruit have had an effect on their cubs? Yes? It's obvious, but the effects on adults are different. I, the White Fox, and the Red Fox can feel the effects, but you and the old Fox Clan chief cannot. The old Fox Clan chief can't even smell the fruit's fragrance.

While we can't guarantee that every cub will benefit from the fruit, we can first exclude the cubs and find the differences among us adult monsters.

He had barely finished speaking when the Green Python hissed...

--Different ages.

Tao Qiu's eyes lit up.

The Green Python then hissed... hiss...

--My mother and the old chief of the Fox Clan were among the first animals to mutate. Your parents and I were in the second batch, but I was born several springs later than them. You, the Red Fox, and the White Fox belong to the third batch, and you were all born at least twenty springs later than me. This is probably why the fruit is ineffective for us, and it has nothing to do with whether or not we have the disease.

If Tao Qiu hadn't learned from the Green Python that when he sensed he was going to die, he might have had the same illness as the Green Python's mother and the old Fox Clan chief, he would definitely have believed that what the Green Python said was the correct answer.

Although only the tingling pain throughout his body fits the description, he had only recently developed these symptoms, so he probably hadn't yet reached the point of losing his mind.

If that glowing fruit hadn't appeared, if he hadn't managed to grab it, he might have turned into a mutated monster who only knew how to kill and died a miserable death when his premonition of death came.

But his cultivation ability comes from the luminous fruit, and the luminous fruit could cure his illness, so there's no reason it couldn't save the old patriarch of the Fox Clan, right?

However, Tao Qiu didn't dare to completely dismiss Green Python's guess, because his own thoughts were just guesses, and he didn't know who was right between him and Green Python, or perhaps they were both wrong.

Tao Qiu responded to Green Python's idea in a conservative manner.

--That's possible, but to verify if it's true, I'd have to let mutated monsters of different ages try the fruit. That would completely expose my secret, and I'm afraid it would attract a lot of trouble.

The Green Python hissed.

--Then let's not bother verifying it. It's just that some monsters get the effect after eating it while others don't. It's not like you'll randomly get poisoned after eating it. Instead of thinking about this, I might as well go home and get some sleep.

The Green Python's approach—is it in Tao Qiu's best interest? Even if the Green Python doesn't benefit from the fruit, it's not in a hurry; Tao Qiu's whole family can enjoy it, so why rush and get anxious? Why search for answers?

Speaking of the whole family, he gave Lou Yu a tomato last time, but forgot to ask him if he felt anything special.

When he comes next time, remember to ask him.

Not long after the Green Python and the Little Snake left, the Red Fox came to visit again.

This time, he came as a fox, and he looked very dejected. The outcome should be similar to what Tao Qiu predicted.

Red Fox's words confirmed Tao Qiu's conjecture.

--I've tried them all, but they didn't work on the old chieftain. I gave the remaining fruit to the other adult foxes, and they all felt the effects of the fruit.

Red Fox didn't know how to describe his feelings. The fruit he obtained through the old clan leader's scheme was useless to the old clan leader.

The old patriarch smiled and comforted Red Fox, saying it was alright, since he had long been prepared to die anyway, but Red Fox still couldn't accept it.

Tao Qiu wasn't familiar with the Fox Clan, so he couldn't truly empathize with them. Besides, he wasn't good at comforting anyone, so he could only stare blankly at the Red Fox.

Thankfully, the Red Fox didn't come to him for comfort; she simply told him the results of her attempt, and that she would bring the prey and eggs together once they were sorted, promising not to renege on her promise.

At dinner, Tao Qiu roasted the plump chicken. It was the first time the baby birds had ever eaten chicken, and they all said they loved it.

A few days later, Tao Qiu led his children to harvest this batch of crops and planted a new batch.

Every time the Fox Clan delivers prey, it's Tao Qiu who goes to the valley entrance to meet it. The Fox Clan still doesn't know about the existence of the bird cubs.

The mutated pheasants on the mountain are considered to be kept in captivity by the Fox Clan, who basically don't allow them to come down the mountain. That's why Tao Qiu hasn't caught a single one in all these years, let alone eaten any eggs.

The mutated pheasants are large, and their eggs are much larger than those of the mildly mutated and ordinary chickens in the human base, almost as large as ostrich eggs before the catastrophe.

The only drawback is the small number of eggs. The Fox Clan later sent prey three more times, but there were only five eggs in total. It is said that the foxes saved them by being frugal.

The eggs were too big, and the stone slab that Tao Qiu usually used was too small, so she had to fry them in several batches to finish them.

Besides pan-frying, braising or roasting also tastes good.

Later, the little birds were quite surprised to find out that one of the two packets of salt they thought was actually sugar, only now it was granulated sugar instead of rock sugar.

So sugar can be made this fine?

And because the cartoon said that eating too much candy would cause tooth decay, and tooth decay not only hurts but also affects eating, Second Cub and Third Cub were so scared that they stopped begging Tao Qiu for candy every day like before.

With proper brushing and washing before bed and early morning, kids will pay more attention to cleaning their teeth.

That animated film filled many gaps in Tao Qiu's education. The little birds would ask Tao Qiu to replay it from time to time, and they would watch it very attentively each time.

Tao Qiu had reviewed the remaining animated series, and they were mostly free of problems. However, he prohibited children from watching the few that he felt were unsuitable for their age group.

After the kids finished watching five animated films, used up their power bank batteries, and ate all the snacks, it was almost time for Tao Qiu and Lou Yu to meet again.

Late spring is warm with frequent light rain.

Last night it rained continuously, but when Tao Qiu got up this morning, the sky was clear and the warm sunshine spread across every inch of the land, making people feel good just looking at it.

The chicks were still sleeping when Tao Qiu went down to weed the crops and channeled his supernatural abilities into them. He was busy for almost an hour, and when he returned, the chicks had already woken up.

After breakfast, Second Cub asked Tao Qiu, "Chirp chirp?"

--Will the delivery person come today?

Ever since Tao Qiu said that Lou Yu would probably be arriving in the next few days, the little birds have been asking about it almost every day.

The Third Cub chirped expectantly, "Chirp chirp."

--Hoping for a sequel to the ghost story.

Eldest Cub: "Chirp chirp."

I'd also like to know what happens next.

After breakfast, Tao Qiu went for a walk, Lou Yu didn't come.

Around noon, Tao Qiu went out twice, but still didn't see anyone.

These days, not only the little birds miss Lou Yu, but Tao Qiu misses him terribly too.

"Captain, everything's been loaded into the truck. You can drive it out to find Snow Bird tomorrow morning after the gates open."

Inside the base, Chen Lin reported the mission progress to Lou Yu, who had just stepped into the house.

Lou Yu been working overtime these days to free up a whole day for going out, so after buying the things Tao Qiu needed, he asked Chen Lin, who was free, to help pack and load them into the car.

Aside from the snacks Chen Lin made himself, everything else had been sealed in boxes by Lou Yu beforehand. Although Chen Lin could roughly guess what the contents were based on the weight and sound when he moved them, he didn't ask since Lou Yu didn't want them to know.

"Thank you for your hard work."

"You're welcome. I packed extra snacks; Snow Bird should like them."

Lou Yu's explanation last time was that he wasn't sure if the Snow Bird had eaten or used the things he gave it, but Chen Lin's words clearly implied that the Snow Bird ate the snacks and even liked them.

Chen Lin is meticulous and observant, so it's normal that he would notice something amiss.

"Or is it you who are more observant?" Lou Yu smiled, his words carrying a hidden meaning.

"As long as the captain and Snow Bird are happy."

Chen Lin had no bad intentions and never intended to force Lou Yu to tell him the truth. He was simply bored and wanted to tease the captain.

The next morning, Lou Yu left the base, a piece of news that attracted a lot of attention.

For those who admire him, it's like sending the only college student in the entire village; even if they haven't benefited yet, they still feel honored to be associated with him.

For those who dislike him, they might as well wish for him to die in an accident outside, otherwise he'd come back at night with his prey and show it off all over the base, which annoys them.

Lou Yu didn't care what they thought; he only had one thought in his mind right now—he needed to see Tao Qiu as soon as possible!

Perhaps it was a meeting of minds, but as noon approached, Tao Qiu's heart inexplicably began to race, as if bound and pulled by a red thread, urging him to hurry towards the person on the other side of the thread.

Tao Qiu prepared lunch, but he wasn't in the mood to eat. He let the baby birds eat by themselves and then hurriedly flew out of the valley.

The Second Cub swallowed the fruit in his mouth, his eyes shining. "Chirp chirp?"

--Is it... that human? Has he/she arrived?

The Eldest Cub was also a little excited. "Chirp chirp."