TDU Chapter 50: Bear Paw

Chapter 50 Bear Paw

Lin Qin, still stirring the pot, froze at Qiao Jiajin’s words, her hands trembling so much she almost dropped the utensil. For her, the word {Interweb} had only appeared in history books.

Tian Tian's gaze sharpened as she slowly stood up, her expression growing more serious. She locked eyes with Qiao Jiajin, an uneasy tension filling the space. "Qiao Jiajin, earlier… what year did you say you were born?"

Qiao Jiajin, still oblivious to the shift in mood, scratched the bridge of his nose with a casual smile. "I said it before, didn’t I? ’79. Nineteen seventy-nine. What’s the big deal?"

Tian Tian's breath caught. Her tone grew cautious as she measured his words carefully. "I thought you were kidding. If you were really born in 1979, then you should be in your forties right now."

Lin Qin was momentarily taken aback by Tian Tian's remark, her confusion evident as she turned to face her. "That doesn’t add up..." she muttered, her voice trailing off.

Meanwhile, Qi Xia paid no attention to the brewing tension. He calmly served himself a bowl of the meat from the pot, as though the conversation around him were nothing more than background noise.

Qiao Jiajin frowned, visibly perplexed by Tian Tian's comment. "Tian Tian, what are you talking about? Has hunger messed with your head? How could I, a young and vibrant leng-zai, possibly be in my forties?"

He had a point—he didn’t look anywhere near forty. His youthful appearance and physical vigor simply didn't match the age Tian Tian had sprouted.

Xiao Xiao, standing quietly to the side, showed no visible reaction to the exchange. Like Qi Xia, she remained composed, betraying no hint of surprise or unease at the strange revelation.

Lin Qin’s lips trembled slightly as she asked cautiously, "Qiao Jiajin, what year is it now?"

Qiao Jiajin, visibly perplexed by the sudden questioning, stared at her with confusion. "It’s 2006," he replied, his tone firm.

When he saw both Tian Tian and Lin Qin staring at him in disbelief, the confusion on his face deepened. 

"Why are you gals looking at me like that?"

An unspoken strangeness hung in the air. Lin Qin felt it creeping over her like a chill. She turned her gaze to Tian Tian and asked hesitantly, "Tian Tian, what year did you come from?"

Tian Tian furrowed her brows, still trying to piece everything together. "I'm from 2019," she said slowly, as if testing the words on her tongue. "What on earth is going on here?"

Lin Qin felt her legs go weak, and she slowly sank to the floor. "Everyone... I’m from 2068," she confessed, her voice trembling slightly.

"Ah??" Qiao Jiajin recoiled in shock, his face turning pale. "2068??"

Qi Xia, on the other hand, merely nodded, his expression thoughtful. It all started to make sense now.

Indeed, Lin Qin had always seemed like someone from the future. In her era, it was customary for people to wear masks from a young age, so ingrained in their daily lives that masks were as ubiquitous as clothing. Her odd discomfort without one, the way she often looked lost or uneasy, was a result of her feeling exposed, almost naked, without it.

With the rapid expansion of the Internet, Lin Qin had never needed to understand what {handbills} were; online advertisements had become overwhelming enough on their own.

Qi Xia silently shook his head, realizing that everyone was beginning to notice the strange inconsistency in their circumstances.

"Isn't this even weirder..." Tian Tian's voice quivered as she spoke, addressing the group. "We aren’t even from the same year, yet we’ve all gathered here on the same day. Could this really be the work of some kind of {God}?"

Lin Qin, still grappling with the revelation, shook her head in disbelief. "If we’re from different timelines, then the {earthquake} we experienced before coming here wasn’t the same one..."

She turned to Qiao Jiajin with an incredulous look. "But in my timeline, there’s no record of any large-scale earthquake in your district."

Tian Tian suddenly turned her attention to Qi Xia. "And you? Which year are you from?"

"I’m from 2022," Qi Xia replied calmly.

“What exactly is happening?!” Qiao Jiajin felt his head spinning. “Swindler Lad, you’re the smart one here. Do you have any answers?”

Qi Xia shook his head. None of the theoretical knowledge he possessed could elucidate the bizarre situation before them.

Why were people from different time periods gathered together? 

Was this selection by {God} random or deliberate? 

How extensive was the temporal divide between the participants?

“Regardless,” Qi Xia said, gazing resolutely at the darkening crimson sky outside the window, “we only have ten days here. Whether this is the work of {God} or something else, I don’t care. My focus now is on filling my stomach and acquiring those {Dào} as soon as possible. Even if the mystery of our circumstances concerns you all greatly, I advise against delving too deeply into it.”

After hearing Qi Xia's words, everyone sat down slowly.

He was right. Their primary goal was to escape, not to dwell on the anomalies surrounding them. No matter which era they came from, they shared the same pressing desire: to break free from this hellish place and return to their own lives.

Pursuing the mysteries of the {time periods} could prove a dangerous distraction, one that could derail their chances of survival.

Each of the five took a small bowl from the restaurant and filled it with soup, though their expressions remained tense and uneasy. The layers of enigma surrounding this place clung to them like a shroud, raising questions they longed to answer.

But Qi Xia's warning resonated with them: chasing after the {truth} would cost them precious time.

Is the pursuit of {truth} worth more than the drive to {escape}?

"Yeah... forget it," Tian Tian sighed, resignation heavy in her voice. "We've already gone through enough {inconceivable} things."

Lin Qin and Qiao Jiajin exchanged weary glances and shook their heads in silent agreement.

With deliberate care, Tian Tian picked up an old wok ladle and began portioning out the bear meat, tearing it gently off the bone and distributing it among their bowls. The meat had softened to the point of melting, sliding easily away from the bone as rich, savory steam wafted up, filling the air with an enticing aroma.

"It... smells pretty good," Qiao Jiajin muttered, swallowing hard as he accepted his bowl.

Qi Xia, meanwhile, cradled his own bowl in his hands but hesitated. His sharp gaze flicked to Xiao Xiao, watching her closely. Only after observing her take a few bites did he finally allow himself to relax. Once he felt confident the food was safe, he carefully tore off a piece of the tender white meat from the bone.

Qi Xia lifted the bear meat to his nose, and the rich aroma hit him hard. Without hesitating, he tossed the chunk into his mouth, biting down lightly. Instantly, the hot juices burst across his tongue.

"Fuu..." He winced, exhaling sharply to cool the burning heat, and then, after a couple more quick chews, Qi Xia swallowed the meat.

Disgusting.

He had never imagined bear meat could taste so vile. The initial bite was fatty and greasy, and as he chewed, an overpowering malodorous and gamey flavor spread through his mouth, almost gagging him. Whether it was the lack of seasoning or simply the natural taste of bear meat, Qi Xia found it utterly unpalatable. After that first bite, he had no desire to touch his bowl again.

He glanced over at Lin Qin and saw that she was also struggling. Her face was contorted into a grimace, her features twisted as if she had just bitten into something unbearably sour.

Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian seemed unfazed, tearing into their portions of bear meat with enthusiasm, casting curious glances at the two of them.

"What’s the matter? Not to your liking?" Qiao Jiajin asked, his words slightly garbled as he chewed.

"What do you think?" Qi Xia retorted dryly. "Are our taste buds as different as our generations?"

Qiao Jiajin nodded thoughtfully, still chewing. "It’s definitely not great," he mumbled, "but we need to eat to survive. Swindler Lad, I bet you’ve never had to dig through trash for food when you were a kid, huh?"

Qi Xia found Qiao Jiajin's comment somewhat amusing. Setting his bowl down, he replied with a touch of mockery, "Qiao Jiajin, your diet seems quite varied. Not only bear paws but trash too? Impressive."

"Watch your mouth, Swindler Lad..." Qiao Jiajin stuffed another chunk of meat into his mouth, speaking with exaggerated bravado. "Do you know how much older I am than you? From now on, you should call me {Boss Qiao}. I’ll take care of you. I’ve eaten more trash in my lifetime than you’ve eaten bear paws."

"Allow me to reiterate—I have neither eaten bear paws nor garbage."

Tian Tian and Lin Qin couldn’t help but laugh at the banter between Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin, and somehow, the food in their hands became slightly more tolerable. It was a strange comfort—despite the different times they came from, at this moment, they were all allies, bound by circumstance.

Qi Xia, no longer quarreling, resigned himself to the meal. He scooped a few more chunks of bear meat into his mouth, pushing past his distaste. As unpleasant as it was, hunger was the greater enemy. They had no idea what challenges lay ahead, so conserving their strength was essential.

As he dug deeper into his bowl, he encountered the {bear’s paw}—once fabled as a delicacy in the olden days. Hoping for a taste more refined than the rest of the bear, he took a bite. Almost immediately, he gagged.

The bear’s paw was fattier than any other part, the texture revolting—like chewing on a gelatinous mass of congealed, gamey mucus. It had an overpowering stench of rancid fat, making him wonder: 

‘Did people in ancient times truly consider this a delicacy?’