Chapter 205 - 207: Black Bear Foster Mother Found?

Chapter 205: Chapter 207: Black Bear Foster Mother Found?

Just as the bamboo rice was almost ready, several of the Beastmen started to arrive.

Si Cheng and Bai Meng carried the rice to the back, but when they caught the refreshing scent of bamboo, their eyes were unconsciously drawn forward.

Bai Meng swallowed, his eyes full of anticipation.

’I’ve heard for a long time that Su Luoluo is an amazing cook. I wonder if I’ll be lucky enough to try her food today.’

When Si Cheng returned, he had heard the tribespeople tell him that the leader was a great cook. The fish she had made for lunch, they said, was so delicious people had practically chewed up and swallowed the bones.

At the time, he thought the tribespeople were just exaggerating. But now, smelling the aroma, he couldn’t help but feel that what they’d said might actually be true.

Mo Xuan deftly set down the Beast Skin Bag of rice he was carrying on his back and looked over at Su Luoluo. "Luoluo, what deliciousness are you cooking up today?"

Su Luoluo smiled as she turned the bamboo tubes. "It’s bamboo rice. You’ll see once you try it."

Fu Feng took a sniff and nodded. "It must be delicious. It smells amazing."

The other men glanced at the stove without a word, each finding a seat at the round table.

Si Cheng and Bai Meng, who had been at the back, set down the rice. Si Cheng said to Su Luoluo in a pleasant tone, "Leader, we’ve put the rice here."

Bai Meng added, "Luoluo, I’ve put my rice here too."

Su Luoluo looked up at them and nodded. "Thank you. Go have a seat. The bamboo rice will be ready soon."

Si Cheng’s expression remained neutral at her words, but he didn’t refuse the invitation.

Bai Meng, on the other hand, was beaming. ’See, it pays to be thick-skinned! I’ve scored a meal today, haven’t I?’

The two of them walked toward the round table Su Luoluo had pointed to, but they stopped in their tracks as they got closer and saw the circle of men sitting around it.

There were only seven chairs at the round table. Aside from the one at the head of the table, the other seats were all occupied by Su Luoluo’s Beastmen. It was an awkward situation—if they went over, there would be nowhere for them to sit.

Xiao Ye watched the two of them standing there motionless, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

’Want to eat at our table? It’s not that simple.’

Mo Xuan and Fu Feng were also enjoying the show.

Luan Ting didn’t move. If they couldn’t even solve a little problem like this, they didn’t deserve to court Luoluo.

Nantu, as always, was unconcerned with such matters, his expression remaining cold and distant.

And Xi Yi, of course, was just like Mo Xuan and the others, watching the drama unfold with a raised eyebrow.

Si Cheng glanced to the side and summoned a whirlwind with a wave of his hand, instantly felling a tree. Then, with a flick of his wrist, a wooden chair materialized before him. He picked it up, placed it in an empty spot, and took a seat.

Bai Meng, meanwhile, had set his sights on a giant boulder nearby. He struck it directly with a Fiery Fire Palm, shattering the rock into countless smaller pieces. He kicked over a fragment of a suitable size, smoothed it into a stone stool with a few passes of his fingertips, found a spot, and sat down as well.

It was only when Su Luoluo brought the bamboo rice to the table that she realized the awkward situation.

She said, a little embarrassed, "I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize there weren’t enough chairs."

’I invited them to eat as thanks for helping me grind the rice,’ she thought, ’I can’t believe my guests ended up without chairs.’

Bai Meng smiled and said, "It’s no problem. This stone stool is pretty comfortable."

Si Cheng said, "I’m sorry to have troubled you, Leader."

His comment made Su Luoluo feel even more guilty. The moment the bamboo rice was ready, she quickly brought it over to them. "You must be hungry. This is bamboo rice. You can use the wooden sticks on the side to eat it."

The Beastmen rarely used chopsticks, so Su Luoluo had made a point to add the instruction.

With that, she turned and left.

When Fu Feng saw the bamboo rice being served to Bai Meng and Si Cheng first, he pouted and muttered, "And how long has it been? She’s already playing favorites."

For once, Mo Xuan was the voice of reason. "They’re guests. It’s only right that they eat first."

A short while later, Su Luoluo brought the rest of the bamboo rice to the table.

Although Su Luoluo had told them they could start eating, they all waited until she was seated at the table before they began.

The moment he took his first bite, Bai Meng felt like he’d never truly eaten anything before in his life. ’How can something be this delicious?’ Especially the cured sausage; it was so fragrant and had such a satisfying chew.

The delicious flavor was enough to make even Si Cheng’s eyebrows twitch. ’This rice really is different. It’s fragrant and sticky... what a wonderful texture.’

Fu Feng cried out in delight as he ate. "This little thing looks so unassuming, but it’s even more delicious than plain bamboo grain!"

Su Luoluo took a bite herself and couldn’t help but sigh in satisfaction.

’I’m finally eating a real mouthful of rice! It wasn’t easy to get to this point!’

’It tastes so good!’

’It’s countless times more delicious than the premium rice from the Post-apocalypse!’

’Even the rice is delicious on its own.’

’It’s a shame there’s no soy sauce; it would be even more delicious with it.’

’Now that I have rice, I can put clay pot rice on the menu.’

’I’ll be going to the Red Land in a few days, so I can make some clay pots while I’m there.’

After dinner, Su Luoluo looked at Si Cheng. "I have some tribe matters I’d like to discuss with you. I’ll head over to the tribe with you in a bit."

Si Cheng knew Su Luoluo wanted to ask about the matter he was investigating, and he nodded quickly. "Yes."

Seeing Su Luoluo deliberately single out Si Cheng, looking for all the world like she wanted to be alone with him, Mo Xuan felt a sour pang of jealousy. "What’s the matter? Is it something you can’t say in front of us? You have to go all the way to the tribe to discuss it?"

Fu Feng recalled what Su Luoluo had told him before and looked up. "Is it about the flower rats? How’s the search going? If you can’t find them, I don’t mind helping."

Su Luoluo’s heart skipped a beat. The whole reason she’d suggested talking at the tribe was to keep the others from finding out she was secretly investigating the Black Bear Foster Mother.

She never expected Fu Feng to bring up the flower rats—it was just a random excuse she had made up, one she hadn’t cleared with Si Cheng beforehand.

’I wonder what Si Cheng will say.’

Si Cheng, however, remained perfectly composed. "Yes, they’ve been found. But it was on our former tribe’s territory, so it’s not something we can discuss with outsiders."

Su Luoluo let out a huge sigh of relief. ’Thank goodness Si Cheng is so quick-witted.’

The territories occupied by tribes were sometimes considered forbidden ground by others, so it was perfectly normal to keep such things private.

Fu Feng didn’t press the issue, merely remarking coolly, "Just a few flower rats. Is there really a need to be so secretive, like they’re some kind of treasure?"

Si Cheng paid him no mind, and Su Luoluo simply started walking. The two of them left the outdoor kitchen together.

"Just look at her. Now that she’s the leader, she’s acting all high and mighty."

The other men didn’t have much of a reaction. Su Luoluo had just become the leader; it was only natural for her to be busy.

...

「Ring-tailed Lemur Tribe, the Priest’s Council Hall.」

Su Luoluo sat in a bamboo chair, looked at Si Cheng, and got straight to the point. "Well? Did you find her?"

Meanwhile, Xi Yi lay lazily in a patch of flowers, a stem of foxtail grass dangling from his mouth. He looked at the little black bear, who hadn’t appeared in a long time, and spoke. "After hiding for so many days, you’ve finally decided to see me. Did you find who you were looking for?"