Editor: Little Sugar Jar
“Cat Tang, a mo!”
Cat Tang stopped mid-sniff as he was about to put a piece of cake to his mouth. Qi La lifted his head from his bowl, his face clearly showing his displeasure. Kang Ding and Ba He Er, their mouths still stained with meat sauce, also looked up. Zhao Yun Xiao looked at Cat Tang in surprise.
Cat Tang, holding the cake, stood up and walked to pull aside the animal skin covering the fence.
“Bei Lu? What are you all doing here?”
“Cat Tang, a mo…”
The five children mumbled, but their eyes were fixed on Zhao Yun Xiao—or rather, on the bowls of meat and the pot still emitting a fragrant aroma.
Zhao Yun Xiao pursed his lips, a smile in his eyes. It turned out the smell of food had attracted these greedy little cats.
He waved his hand: “Come in.”
The children immediately cheered and swarmed in like a hive of bees. One timid child tugged at his friend’s sleeve, hiding at the very back. Zhao Yunxiao only glanced at the child and saw something about him: quiet, withdrawn, and very afraid of being noticed.
Qi Luo immediately clutched his bowl of meat tightly, retreating to the corner of the room as if guarding something precious. Zhao Yunxiao glanced at him, said nothing, and simply picked a piece of meat from his own bowl and gave it to the nearest child. The child snatched it, opened his mouth wide, and stuffed it in, regardless of the heat.
Zhao Yunxiao then gave each child a piece. He didn"t give much – just enough for the children to taste, but their eyes still lit up noticeably.
Kang Ding then spoke, his tribal chief"s voice, though not harsh, still commanded: "Go home and eat."
The children didn"t want to go, but they didn"t dare disobey. As they left, they looked back at the pot and bowl, regretting their loss as if they were about to cry. Some even glanced longingly at Qi Luo – because Qi Luo had the biggest bowl of meat.
Zhao Yunxiao couldn"t keep the children for dinner. The meat in the pot looked plentiful, but there were so many "carnivores" here, plus Qi La... it would be gone in the blink of an eye. But seeing the children"s dejected faces, he still felt a pang of sympathy.
"Wait a minute,"
he called out, then got up and went into the room. A moment later, Zhao Yunxiao brought out a packet of dried meat. He was very generous: two pieces for each child, and an extra piece for the most timid one.
Holding the fragrant food in their hands, the children immediately forgot their sadness and shouted in unison, "Thank you, Uncle Yunxiao!"
Then they ran off as if afraid someone would change their mind.
Qi La was still unhappy. She sat sulking in the corner, her face pouting – because Uncle Yunxiao had shared the food with the other children, and there wasn"t much dried meat left.
Zhao Yunxiao noticed immediately. He wrapped up the remaining dried meat, stuffed it straight into Qi La"s lap, and patted her head: "Eat."
With this orphaned child, Zhao Yunxiao couldn"t help but show a little favoritism.
Qi La hugged the packet of meat, quickly shaking his head: "Uncle Yun Xiao, eat it..."
"Uncle... make more." Zhao Yun Xiao shoved it back into his hand, then pointed to the large bowl of meat in front of him. "Eat it."
A bubble of happiness welled up in Qi La"s heart. Uncle Yun Xiao treated him differently. He grinned, grabbed a large piece of meat, and stuffed it into his mouth. Zhao Yun Xiao had to swallow his desire to make him use a spoon or chopsticks – everyone here was used to eating with their hands.
After finishing the bread dipped in meat sauce, Ge Tang"s eyes lit up. He hugged the sugar jar, lifting it up as if asking for a treasure: "Yun Xiao, I want to learn how to make this."
Zhao Yun Xiao took a clean ceramic bowl and poured some raw sugar for Ge Tang. He still didn"t know how to explain "sweet radish," and had never seen it here before. He would have to wait until he had a better vocabulary or found the right ingredients before he could explain it clearly. Ge Tang
didn"t hesitate, treating it like a precious treasure, pouring it all into his ceramic jar and covering the mouth of the jar with animal skin.
Zhao Yun Xiao ate little. After finishing the bread and a few pieces of meat, he was full. He poured the remaining meat from his bowl to Qi La.
Then he brought out the "special" bowl of meat – a bowl with chili leaves and peppercorns – and placed it in the middle. He took out the leaves and peppercorns for Cat Tang, Khang Dinh, and Ba Hach Nhi to see, then dipped a little of the meat sauce in it and offered it to Cat Tang to taste first.
Cat Tang licked it, initially bewildered, as if he didn"t notice the difference. But after only a few breaths, he suddenly opened his mouth, stuck out his tongue, and grimaced:
"Spicy!"
Khang Dinh, Ba Hach Nhi, and Ky La became even more curious. Zhao Yun Xiao picked up a small piece for Ky La, then pushed the bowl in front of Khang Dinh and Ba Hach Nhi.
Ky La was a child, and Cat Tang was suffering from a stomachache. So Zhao Yun Xiao assigned the "tasting" task to the two males. He wanted to know if the people in the tribe could tolerate spicy food – because Yun Huo liked spicy food.
Khang Dinh and Ba Hach Nhi each threw a piece into their mouths. After chewing a few times, both stopped simultaneously. It wasn"t very spicy, but for someone who had never eaten spicy food before, it was enough to leave a lingering aftertaste.
Qi La nervously swallowed, biting into his piece of meat. After two bites, he opened his mouth wide, gasping and struggling to swallow, then fanned his tongue out.
Kang Ding and Ba Hach Er also started fanning their tongues. They both took a few sips of cold water. But strangely, Ba Hach Er… reached for another piece.
It was really spicy, but after eating it, he seemed to want more.
Kang Ding licked his lips, picked up his bowl, and stood up. He took some more and said to Ge Tang: “Go find Wa La. Tell him about these two things. Is it worth it for the tribe to go and pick them? Let him decide.”
Ge Tang immediately said: “Whether Wa La wants it or not doesn’t matter. We have to prepare too. I want to learn to cook.”
Ba Hach Er’s forehead was beaded with sweat from the spiciness, but he still said firmly: “I’ll go pick them.”
Kang Ding went out. Qi La continued to gasp, muttering: “Ge Tang… this is also delicious, it’s just… it burns my tongue.”
Cát Tang only tasted a little of the broth but was absolutely convinced: "Uncle Vân Tiêu, if you cook with this, it will definitely be delicious."
Kila nodded vigorously, then buried his head back in his bowl of meat.
In Wala"s tent, he, his companion Lei Ao, the son of Ote, and Mai Lun were savoring the spicy meat. After tasting it, everyone was fanning their tongues.
Mai Lun, sticking out his tongue, said, "Uncle Wala, Uncle Kang Ding… it’s really spicy, but delicious. It would be even better if it were a little less spicy."
Kang Ding was slightly embarrassed, but still spoke frankly, "Yun Xiao made a non-spicy version. He used the leaves, fruits, and bark he picked today to cook it. This bowl has two ingredients he didn"t have time to pick yet."
Mai Lun swallowed, regretting that there was only water left in the bowl: "Yun Xiao is really skilled. He can make any kind of meat delicious…"
Wala took two sips of cold water, and the burning sensation subsided. He mused, "It’s spicy, but after eating it, you feel warm. Warm. If you eat it, Bai Yue… maybe it can keep you warm."
Upon hearing this, Khang Dinh"s expression turned serious: "That"s right. I sweated after eating."
Wa La immediately decided: "Go and gather. Gather a lot!"
Crossing the White Moon was a matter of life and death; the chieftain and the shaman couldn"t afford to delay.
Mai Lun said: "Tomorrow we"ll go a little further."
Wa La nodded, then turned to O Te:
"O Te, you don"t need to hunt. You go with the females and protect them while they gather safely."
"Okay," O Te licked his lips, then looked at Khang Dinh. "Uncle Khang Dinh… can I have this bowl of meat broth?"
Khang Dinh hesitated briefly – he wanted to take it back. But as the chieftain, he couldn"t be stingy. He left the bowl, saying to Wa La: "Tomorrow I"ll tell the male group hunting to collect these two things as well. And it must be quick, so Yun Xiao can teach us how to make dried meat."
Wa La nodded: "I"ll urge them."
Khang Dinh returned. Seeing that he returned empty-handed, Cat Tang slightly pouted… but then immediately lifted his head proudly: such a formidable woman was at his house.
A large pot of meat, and almost all the broth was gone. Ba Hach Er and Qi La washed the pots and dishes. Cat Tang then boiled two large pots of warm water for Yun Xiao to wash his face and rinse his mouth. Zhao Yun Xiao wanted to take a bath, but there was no river nearby, and he was hesitant to ask.
When it was time to sleep, everyone went back to their tents. There was no entertainment here: after dinner, they processed the animal skins and dried meat, then slept.
Ba Hach Er moved to Ke Ya"s tent. Cat Tang and Kang Ding moved to Ba Hach Er"s room. Zhao Yun Xiao had a room to himself. For him, it was more convenient –
wiping himself down and urinating at night wasn"t too embarrassing.
Zhao Yun Xiao pulled the fence, covered himself with animal skins, and quickly wiped himself down. After changing into his pajamas, he carried the basin out to pour water. Cat Tang was still awake, waiting for him to finish before going to sleep. When he heard the sound of water in Yun Xiao"s room, he sent Kang Ding back to the next room. Cát Tang was female, so he understood what Yun Xiao was doing.
After pouring the water and washing the basin, Zhao Yun Xiao habitually glanced over at Qi Luo"s tent. Qi Luo"s tent fence was also pulled, blocking out all light. He thought Qi Luo was asleep, so he turned back.
Before entering, he looked up at the sky—an old habit. And then he froze.
“Yun Xiao?” Ge Tang called.
Zhao Yun Xiao still stared up, goosebumps all over his body. In the sky… the moon had changed color.
Ge Tang stepped forward, looking up. Just one glance, and his heart sank.
“Yellow Moon…”
Zhao Yun Xiao turned, asking in bewilderment, because he didn’t know how to explain it properly: “Ge Tang… this… what?”
He pointed to the sky. The moon… was no longer red. It was yellow—the same kind of yellow moon he had seen for over twenty years in his own world.
Ge Tang pulled him closer, hastily pulling the fence shut, as if afraid the sky would see them. He asked again, genuinely surprised: “Yun Xiao… don’t you know? The Red Moon is over, the Yellow Moon is coming. The White Moon… isn’t far away.” Zhao Yun
Xiao didn’t understand much, only felt fear. Why did the moon change color? Why did everyone talk about it as if it were obvious?
Seeing his unease, Ge Tang thought he was also worried about Bai Yue"s arrival. He patted his shoulder, his voice firm: "Don"t be afraid."
He glanced towards Ba He"er"s room, then pushed Zhao Yunxiao into his own room, lowering his voice as if making a promise: "I will definitely have Tuo Zuo… before Bai Yue… take you away."
Zhao Yunxiao didn"t fully understand, but he clearly heard the words "Tuo Zuo." He pursed his lips and put the basin down. Ge Tang patted him again, told him to rest, then went outside and closed the fence.
Left alone, Zhao Yunxiao slumped down onto the animal skin rug, his hand tracing the bead Yun Huo had given him, gripping it tightly through his pajamas.
A jumble of emotions swirled in his mind: fear, homesickness, and… missing Yun Huo.
Yun Huo… I"m scared. I miss you. I want you here… right now.
During the day, he could be strong, he could reassure himself. But at night, he couldn"t stop the longing. No matter how many animal skins he covered himself with, no matter how warm his pajamas were… without Yun Huo by his side, he still felt cold.
The next morning, Ba Hach Nhi hung the leather bag that Zhao Yunxiao had asked him to return on the exact tree that Tu Ta had instructed. Tu Ta did not show his face.
Not long after Ba Hach Nhi left, a dark red shadow darted out from the forest, snatched the bag, and disappeared into the foliage.
It was Yun Huo.
He clutched the bag and flew straight back to the cave. Landing on the ground, he quickly transformed back into human form and opened the bag.
It was empty.
Only a single leaf—cut into the shape of a heart.
Yun Huo"s heart felt as if it were being squeezed. He held the leaf, trembling, then quickly stuffed it back into the bag. He transformed back into his animal form, grabbed the bag, and rushed like a madman.
Upon reaching the cave, he almost crashed into the stone bed. Transforming back into human form, he ripped open the thick animal skin and pulled out the phone he had carefully hidden.
The heart… he had seen it. He had seen it!
His fingers trembled so much that he pressed the wrong buttons several times. The screen lit up. He scrolled through the photos, as if afraid of missing something. And when that photo appeared, Yun Huo froze in place.
In the picture, he and Yun Xiao were kissing. It wasn"t explicit, just a very close, very real moment. Between them, Yun Xiao had performed some kind of "magic" on this strange device, creating a red heart shape.
Yun Huo remembered it vividly. That day, Yun Xiao said something… he only understood "you… me," but he didn"t understand the word in between. But he understood the meaning. Because afterwards, Yun Xiao lightly touched his lips.
He told himself: Yun Xiao wanted to say, "I like you." Yun Huo"s
eyes turned red. He took out the green heart-shaped leaf and placed it next to the phone. The two shapes were identical – one red, one green.
"Yun Xiao…"
He blurted out the name as if it were being torn from his chest. Then, as if losing control, he called out repeatedly until his voice was hoarse:
"Yun Xiao… Yun Xiao… Yun Xiao…"
He pressed the leaf against his heart, clenching his teeth.
Suddenly, he jumped up, turned around, and rushed out of the cave – as if wanting to fly straight to Yun Xiao.
But at the very moment of transformation, he froze.
No.
He couldn"t meet him.
He would bring bad luck to Yun Xiao. He would bring disaster upon him. No… no!
"Roar!"
A roar ripped through the forest, sending splinters of wood flying everywhere.