Recaps

Tao Qiu left his three chicks in the cave and searched Black Rabbit’s territory for new crops, but found nothing by nightfall. When a mass of poisonous vines attacked him as he slept, he escaped their grasp and pursued them as they retreated.

• Tao Qiu prepared food and water for three days, blocked the cave entrance, and left his chicks behind to search for new crops.
• The three chicks watched Tao Qiu leave; after he was gone, Third Cub broke down crying, and Tao Qiu mistakenly thought he heard her calling from behind.
• Tao Qiu offered Black Rabbit a wild boar in exchange for permission to search his territory, and Black Rabbit agreed on the condition that Tao Qiu show him the plant if he found it.
• Tao Qiu searched Black Rabbit’s territory all day without finding vegetables or grains, then rested in a tree while worrying about his chicks.
• Poisonous vines crept up the tree and attacked Tao Qiu, but he woke, escaped by flying away and shrinking his legs, and chased after the retreating vines.

Tao Qiu stole a black pear from a mutated pear tree after outsmarting its hunting vine, then continued searching Black Rabbit’s territory for staple crops. Near the border with Green Python’s territory, a foul-smelling attack nearly knocked him out, and he wondered whether Black Rabbit and Green Python knew about it.

• Tao Qiu followed a hunting vine to its pear tree and discovered black pears growing among its branches.
• Tao Qiu lured the vine away with prey, then flew back and stole the largest pear from the tree.
• Tao Qiu carried the pear as he searched Black Rabbit’s territory, finding no other crops and encountering no further danger.
• Near the territory boundary, Tao Qiu inhaled a powerful stench that left him dizzy before he escaped beyond its range.
• Tao Qiu recognized that the smell came from near Green Python’s lair and wondered whether she or Black Rabbit knew about it.

Tao Qiu investigated the source of the black smoke and discovered mutated radishes that released a deadly stench when they ripened and burst. After returning to Black Rabbit with gifts, he learned the Stinky Ground Fruit was known in the area, while the three chicks played at home.

• Tao Qiu followed the black smoke to a clearing and found that rotten, overripe mutated radishes created the stench and spread their seeds when they exploded.
• Tao Qiu took a radish and fled when nearby radishes began exploding, unaware that a huge shadow moved through Green Python's territory.
• Tao Qiu returned to Black Rabbit at dawn with prey, and Black Rabbit recoiled from his lingering stink.
• Black Rabbit told Tao Qiu that the Stinky Ground Fruit grew in his territory and that Green Python would handle the plants on her side.
• Tao Qiu thanked Black Rabbit and flew home as the three chicks practiced jumping and flapping their wings.

Tao Qiu returned to the cave after being away, reunited with the three cubs, and discovered they had carefully managed their food and taken turns keeping watch. He brought home pears and a radish to grow, invited all three cubs to help plant them, and planned to nap after they ate.

• The cubs practiced jumping while Tao Qiu was away, then sensed someone approaching and found him at the cave entrance.
• Second Cub threw up when Tao Qiu hugged her because he still smelled terrible, so he washed himself at the pond before returning to the cave.
• Tao Qiu praised the cubs for following their food portions and taking turns keeping watch, then comforted them and shared hugs.
• The cubs asked whether Tao Qiu had brought back seeds, and he showed them pears and a radish he planned to grow after making preparations.
• Tao Qiu invited Second Cub, Third Cub, and Eldest Cub to help him plant, then said he would nap after they ate.

Tao Qiu tested the pear and radish on prey, then used his ability to grow edible radishes for himself and the cubs. He discovered that the purified radishes still retained a weaker version of their explosive stink, giving him a potential weapon.

• After returning home, Tao Qiu slept through the day, and the cubs asked him about his snoring when he woke.
• Third Cub asked Eldest Cub and Second Cub to keep secret that she had cried when Tao Qiu left, and they agreed.
• Tao Qiu fed pear to one prey animal and radish to another; the pear made its prey fall asleep, while the radish caused no apparent harm.
• Tao Qiu grew radishes from seeds, and he and the cubs tasted the large, crisp harvest before deciding to grow more for winter.
• Tao Qiu accelerated one radish past maturity, and it shriveled into foul-smelling mush, showing that his ability weakened but did not remove the plant's stink.

Tao Qiu planted radishes and pear seeds with help from the cubs, using his ability to quickly grow a field of seedlings. He began cultivating two pear trees while the cubs stayed with him in the valley.

• Tao Qiu buried the rotten radish sludge and an exploding radish, while a black snake later collected a bit of the mash for someone who had ordered it.
• Tao Qiu told Eldest Cub, Second Cub, and Third Cub his plans to grow radishes and pears for the family’s winter food.
• After resting, Tao Qiu cleared a new vegetable plot, and the cubs helped scatter radish seeds before he used his ability to sprout them into seedlings.
• Tao Qiu cut open a pear for its seeds and warned the cubs not to eat the fruit because it could make them drunk.
• Tao Qiu and the cubs planted the two largest pear seeds near the pond, and he began using his ability to grow one of them.

Tao Qiu worked to grow food while his three bird cubs played nearby, comforted one another, and brought him thoughtful gifts. A month later, the radishes were flourishing and the mutated pear trees had grown tall and fragrant, with the cubs happily playing hide-and-seek in their branches.

• Second Cub admired her reflection by the pond, and her praise of Third Cub's feathers eased Third Cub's worry about her unusual purple eyes.
• Eldest Cub understood Third Cub's insecurity and watched with relief as his sisters and their family affirmed that they were all loved and protected.
• The cubs brought Tao Qiu water, a stone, and a flower as gifts, and he thanked them before sharing lunch with them.
• After eating too much, the cubs fell asleep as Tao Qiu rubbed their bellies, then he continued tending the pear trees through the evening.
• A month passed as Tao Qiu grew the radishes and pear trees, and the cubs played games and brought him gifts while he kept their secret from other mutated monsters.
• The pear trees grew more than four meters tall and bloomed with purple flowers, and Tao Qiu pretended not to see the cubs hiding among their branches.

Tao Qiu prepared rotten radish mash to defend his valley after sensing that an unknown mutated monster was watching him. As autumn arrived and his cubs grew closer to flight, he and Third Cub both woke with a sudden sense of unease, and Tao Qiu went out to investigate.

• Tao Qiu told the cubs he was making more rotten radish mash, then secretly prepared it as protection in case a mutated monster exposed his crops and secrets.
• Tao Qiu recalled sensing an unseen watcher while patrolling, though he had told the cubs no bad guys had appeared so they would not worry.
• Half a month later, Tao Qiu showed the cubs autumn leaves and explained the changing seasons as their flight feathers grew and they anticipated learning to fly.
• Tao Qiu checked his growing radishes, pear tree, wild fruit, and tomatoes as the harvest developed.
• During an autumn rain, Tao Qiu and Third Cub woke feeling inexplicably uneasy, and Tao Qiu told the cubs to wait while he went out.

Tao Qiu discovered that a thief had visited his tomato patch and suspected Green Python, then reassured his frightened cubs while preparing to protect them and the crops. Green Python did not appear over the next few days, and the chapter ended with Tao Qiu meeting Black Rabbit while patrolling.

• Tao Qiu found crawling tracks near his tomato patch and suspected Green Python had sent a thief into his territory.
• Tao Qiu returned to the cave and told Third Cub that a bad guy had come, promising to protect her.
• At breakfast, Tao Qiu told Eldest Cub, Second Cub, and Third Cub about Green Python and vowed to come back alive if a fight happened.
• The cubs stayed close to Tao Qiu and anxiously watched for his return whenever he went outside.
• Green Python and the thief did not return over the following days, and Tao Qiu continued patrolling, hunting, and tending his crops.
• Tao Qiu encountered Black Rabbit while patrolling.

Tao Qiu fought Green Python to keep her from taking the fruit in his valley and protect his cubs. He lured her into the valley and revealed his humanlike winged form, leaving Green Python stunned and suspicious of his secrets.

• Black Rabbit warned Tao Qiu that Green Python had been active and her snakes had been heading toward Snow Bird's valley.
• Tao Qiu spent a peaceful night with the cubs before sensing Green Python approaching and leaving them safely inside the cave.
• Tao Qiu and Green Python fought at the valley entrance, injuring each other as he tried to keep her away from the valley.
• Tao Qiu retreated into the valley, and Green Python followed after smelling the fruit there.
• Tao Qiu blocked Green Python in his humanlike winged form with bamboo tubes of rotten mashed radish, and Green Python recognized him as Snow Bird and remarked on his secrets.

Tao Qiu used rotten radish mash and falling rocks to overpower the Green Python, then stopped her escape by catching her venomous offspring during an ambush. Realizing the Green Python had attacked for the sake of her sickly child, he heard her beg for the child’s life, but the chapter ended as she prepared to die.

• Tao Qiu blinded and injured the Green Python with fermented rotten radish mash and dropped rocks on her as she fought back.
• The injured Green Python tried to flee, but a tiny green snake ambushed Tao Qiu, and he caught her before she could bite him.
• Tao Qiu recognized the little snake as the Green Python’s child and suspected the Green Python had stolen his fruit to help her.
• The Green Python submitted and begged Tao Qiu to spare her child, offering her own life in exchange.
• After Tao Qiu remained silent, the Green Python moved toward a sharp rock and prepared to take her own life.

Tao Qiu spared Green Python and her last surviving child, gave them tomatoes in exchange for future prey, and returned to comfort his three frightened bird cubs. The cubs calmed down in his care, but Third Cub asked whether Tao Qiu was angry that they had disobeyed him.

• Green Python tried to kill herself to save her little snake, but Tao Qiu stopped her and returned the child to her side.
• Tao Qiu gave Green Python a basket of tomatoes in exchange for prey and asked her to keep the night's events secret.
• Green Python thanked Tao Qiu and complimented his three bird cubs, and Tao Qiu agreed that they were cute.
• Tao Qiu returned to the cave, gathered his crying cubs in his arms, and comforted them until they calmed down.
• Tao Qiu praised Xuexue, Momo, and Yuanyuan for warning him and rushing to help, and Third Cub asked if he was angry that they had run out without permission.

Tao Qiu reassured the three chicks after they disobeyed him, then comforted them when they discovered his injured leg. After resting overnight, his leg had nearly healed, and the family shared a meal together.

• Tao Qiu accepted the chicks’ apology for leaving the cave and told them not to blame themselves.
• The chicks noticed Tao Qiu’s badly swollen leg and cried, so he pretended their tears made it hurt more to calm them.
• Tao Qiu and the chicks slept until the next day, when his leg had almost completely healed.
• Tao Qiu fed the chicks with their sore eyes closed and told them he had never disliked caring for them after they hatched.
• Eldest Cub, Second Cub, and Third Cub checked Tao Qiu’s leg and confirmed it had recovered, then praised him for defeating Green Python with stinky stuff.

Tao Qiu explained to his cubs why he spared Green Python and Little Snake, hoping to trade crops for meat and turn a conflict into cooperation. After sharing a warm family moment, he took the cubs to clean up the battlefield, where they admired the damage left by the fight.

• The cubs asked Tao Qiu whether Green Python would return and why he had given tomatoes to her and spared Little Snake.
• Tao Qiu explained that Green Python had risked stealing fruit to save her only surviving child, and the cubs understood her desperation.
• Tao Qiu told the cubs he hoped to trade fruit with Green Python for meat and possibly gain her help against future threats.
• The cubs worried Tao Qiu would still have to work hard, and he reassured them that having them made him happy despite life's hardships.
• After resting, Tao Qiu brought the cubs to clean up the battlefield, where they surveyed the damage with admiration for the powerful mutated monsters.

Tao Qiu cleaned up after the fight with Green Python, bathed and sang with the cubs, then explained to Black Rabbit how he had defeated Green Python. Back at the cave, he worried about how long he could keep the cubs and the fruit’s secret hidden, while the cubs gathered around to comfort him.

• Tao Qiu had the cubs help bury the rotten radish mush, then took them to the pond for a bath and sang with them as they dried in the sun.
• Tao Qiu thanked Black Rabbit for warning him about Green Python and said the Stinky Ground Fruit had blinded and disoriented her, allowing him to win.
• Black Rabbit asked why Green Python had sought out Tao Qiu, but Tao Qiu avoided answering and Black Rabbit left after hinting that he suspected the fruit was involved.
• Tao Qiu returned to the cave and worried about revealing the cubs and the fruit, but the cubs noticed his mood and stayed beside him.

Tao Qiu traded with Green Python, who brought prey and explained that his red fruit had helped save Little Snake. Green Python left on friendly terms, while Tao Qiu kept his questions about the fruit’s effects to himself.

• Tao Qiu welcomed Green Python at the valley entrance and learned she would bring prey in stages while the weather was still mild.
• Green Python told Tao Qiu that Little Snake’s condition had stabilized after eating his red fruit, and admitted she had once sent snakes to steal it.
• Green Python explained that Little Snake was her only surviving child and asked whether Tao Qiu would keep growing the plants; Tao Qiu agreed and offered to trade more fruit.
• Green Python tried to greet Tao Qiu’s three cubs, but they were frightened and darted back inside.
• Tao Qiu suggested Green Python bring Little Snake to meet the cubs, and Green Python agreed before leaving and deciding she would protect Tao Qiu.

Tao Qiu and his three cubs spent the day harvesting pears, tomatoes, and wild berries, with the cubs picking fruit while Tao Qiu caught and carried it. After lunch and a nap, they planned for Tao Qiu to pull the radishes on his own.

• Second Cub woke Tao Qiu early, and Eldest Cub and Third Cub helped prepare for the harvest.
• Tao Qiu placed the cubs in the pear tree, where they picked pears and tossed them down for him to catch.
• Tao Qiu and the cubs filled two large baskets with pears, then stored them in the cave.
• The cubs picked wild berries while Tao Qiu harvested tomatoes, and the family returned to the cave for lunch.
• Tao Qiu let the cubs eat their fill, rubbed their bellies, and napped with them before the afternoon radish harvest.

Tao Qiu and the bird cubs finished harvesting the giant radishes, then celebrated their bounty with food and family time. After the cubs worried that they had not snored like Tao Qiu, he reassured them that they were still the very best together.

• Tao Qiu and the bird cubs carried nearly the entire radish harvest into the cave, where the cubs cheered that their dad was mighty.
• Tao Qiu bathed the cubs before the chilly night, then played with them and told them a bedtime story.
• The family slept late, and Tao Qiu moved the cubs into a warm nest before preparing meat, fruit, and vegetables.
• Third Cub woke frightened away from Tao Qiu, then settled down when he picked her up and praised her dream of flying.
• Eldest Cub asked whether the cubs had snored, and Tao Qiu told them they had slept quietly but had shared other experiences with him.
• Tao Qiu and the cubs feasted together, and he reassured them that small differences did not keep them from being the very best in the world together.

Tao Qiu encountered Lou Yu and his teammates during a patrol, then accepted a backpack of human items that Lou Yu had brought as a gift. Lou Yu and the Snow Bird showed their familiar affection in front of the stunned team, leaving them worried about how closely their captain had bonded with a mutated monster.

• Tao Qiu spotted Lou Yu and his four teammates at the edge of his territory and greeted him before preparing to leave.
• Lou Yu called Tao Qiu back, then hurried to his car to find something to give him.
• Tao Qiu’s gaze unsettled Lou Yu’s teammates, who feared the Snow Bird might attack them.
• Lou Yu gave Tao Qiu a backpack of human items and explained that he would prepare a proper return gift later.
• Tao Qiu picked up the backpack by its straps and leaned toward Lou Yu, who gently stroked his head as the teammates watched in shock.

Lou Yu reassured his team about intelligent mutated monsters while concealing Snow Bird’s true nature and replacing the supplies Snow Bird had taken. Meanwhile, Tao Qiu returned to the cave with a backpack and introduced it to the cubs, warning them to be cautious around humans.

• Lou Yu said Snow Bird was only slightly more intelligent than other mutated monsters and had no ill will toward humans, keeping his ability to speak and take human form secret.
• Lou Yu’s teammates noticed missing supplies, and he agreed to replace them while denying that he had given Snow Bird a gun.
• Chen Lin asked about the plant sap and the Awakening Reagent, and Lou Yu said the research outcome was uncertain because earlier discoveries had depended on chance and powerful families had hoarded the technology.
• Tao Qiu returned to the cave with a backpack, and the cubs recognized it as the schoolbag from the rhyme he had taught them.
• Tao Qiu explained the backpack’s human scent and told the cubs to avoid humans when he was not there, comparing humans to the big snake.

Tao Qiu’s taste of jerky brought back painful memories of his parents’ abuse and his death in his previous life, but the cubs comforted him with their love. After sharing a moment of warmth with them, he resumed checking the food in the backpack.

• Tao Qiu opened the backpack’s medicine box, explained its contents to the cubs, and then fed them jerky from a cloth bag.
• The jerky reminded Tao Qiu of his previous life, and he began crying until Third Cub flew to him and asked why.
• Tao Qiu told the cubs that bad people had bullied him, and they angrily cursed those who had hurt him.
• Tao Qiu remembered how his parents rejected him and accidentally pushed him to his death, then reflected on the love he had received from his grandparents and the cubs.
• The cubs hugged Tao Qiu, and he told them they had made him feel warm and loved before returning to the backpack and finding rock sugar.

Tao Qiu shared candy and salt from the human’s bag with the cubs, then found a book that reminded him of his past life. He left the cubs eager to hear its stories, poems, and prose read aloud.

• Tao Qiu gave the cubs rock candy, and Eldest Cub found it too sweet while Second Cub and Third Cub happily claimed his share in exchange for fruit.
• Tao Qiu explained salt was a seasoning, but the cubs insisted on tasting it and immediately drank water to soothe their mouths.
• Tao Qiu comforted the cubs with kisses and pear, then continued searching the backpack.
• Tao Qiu found a book titled New Leaf Anthology and reflected on how its simplified Chinese text resembled the language from his previous life.
• Eldest Cub recognized the book’s printed characters, and Tao Qiu explained that it contained mostly prose and poetry, with a few short stories he could read to them.

Tao Qiu unpacked the clothes the man had given him, realized they carried the man’s scent, and privately wondered about his intentions. After showing the clothes to the cubs and trying them on, Tao Qiu considered trading with humans and reassured the cubs that the man was trustworthy.

• Tao Qiu recognized the clothes as the man’s and blushed while imagining the man had chosen them with intimate thoughts in mind.
• Tao Qiu explained clothes to the cubs, and Second Cub asked to dye her feathers white.
• Tao Qiu put on the clothes, and the cubs praised how handsome he looked.
• Tao Qiu agreed with Third Cub that they could trade with humans for clothes and other supplies.
• Eldest Cub worried that humans might rob them, but Tao Qiu said he would trade only with the man because he trusted him.

Tao Qiu found a lighter among the gifts and taught the bird cubs about fire and how to use it safely, then flew off to gather ingredients for cooking. Meanwhile, Lou Yu returned to base and filed a mission report, while his teammates noticed the supplies he had given Snow Bird and speculated about his reasons.

• Tao Qiu decided to keep observing the man before telling him or the cubs about their connection, and Eldest Cub trusted his judgment.
• Tao Qiu found a lighter in the backpack and demonstrated how fire could provide warmth and cook food, but could also be dangerous.
• Tao Qiu showed the cubs how water put out fire and promised to teach them ways to cook with their available supplies.
• Tao Qiu flew to the nearest forest to gather ingredients while the cubs waited for him at the cave entrance.
• Lou Yu returned to base with his team, submitted their samples to the research institute, and wrote a report about their mission while omitting their visit to Snow Bird.
• Huo Lan, Chen Lin, Liu Qi'an, and John noticed supplies missing from their inventory and agreed to keep Lou Yu's secret as they speculated about why he had given them to Snow Bird.

Lou Yu reflected on his growing attachment to Snow Bird and his secret hope that the clothes he gave him would draw them closer. Meanwhile, Tao Qiu cooked a hearty meal for the cubs, washed them afterward, and told them a bedtime story as they warmed themselves by the fire.

• Lou Yu admitted to himself that he could not bear to lose Snow Bird and had given him clothes to create a lasting connection, even though his feelings were possessive and obsessive.
• Tao Qiu cooked fried, grilled, and braised meat along with a radish, tomato, and meat stew, and he and the three cubs enjoyed their first substantial cooked meal.
• After the meal, Tao Qiu used water mixed with plant ash to clean grease from the cubs, then washed the cooking tools and himself.
• Tao Qiu dried the cubs' feathers with medical gauze and sat with them by the fire, where they began falling asleep during his bedtime story.