Werebeast Gongs CH 137 Sweet Times
Xiya groaned, leaning on Lei Jin's shoulder. He’d almost forgotten about the little fellow.
"Dada." Bubble twisted his little body, drowsily calling out again before curling up and falling still. The knot on the bundle had come undone, fluffy cotton stuffing scattered everywhere. The tiny merfolk was still sound asleep, dressed in a brand-new, cream-white garment, only his shimmering golden fishtail peeking out from underneath.
Lei Jin chuckled softly, glancing around but not seeing anyone else. Puzzled, he asked, "Why did you only bring Bubbles back? Where are Berg and the others?"
Xiya mixed some warm water and pulled Lei Jin over to wash the corn paste off his hands. "I found Bubbles at the market."
"Found him? Why didn't you 'find' some money while you were at it?" Lei Jin thought Xiya was joking. He shook the water off his hands nonchalantly and grabbed the cloth towel hanging on the rack.
Xiya laughed. "It's true. I ran into Chief Le Ping at the market. He was talking to me about that hide pouch you made when we heard people shouting near the market entrance. They said there was a little merfolk dragging a huge string of pearl oysters, asking everyone to take him to the Leopard Tribe to find his dada. I knew it had to be Bubbles."
"What the hell is Berg doing?" Lei Jin muttered, furious that Bubbles had been left alone in the crowded, chaotic market.
"Not sure about that. Alright, leave this to me. Take Bubbles inside." Xiya pinched Lei Jin's waist, pushing him out. He quickly washed up, rolled up his sleeves, and took over pressing the corn flatcakes onto the pot rim. His movements were far more practiced than Lei Jin's—kneading the dough, shaping the flatcakes, and remembering to stir the duck stew that was still half-raw.
"Let me handle it. Drink this to warm up first." After settling Bubbles, Lei Jin had made a large bowl of sweet, warm rice flour paste for Xiya, adding powdered sugar. He considered himself quite conscientious; Xiya had been traveling back and forth for days, he couldn't let him cook the moment he got back.
"Why aren't you in there with them?" Xiya took a couple of sips.
"Bubbles' still asleep. The three little ones are watching him."
The chopping board held half-cut tofu, and a basin held soaking shiitake mushrooms. Lei Jin prepared to continue.
"Still hungry? Want some shiitake tofu soup? I can make that. Don't get your hands dirty again. Besides, this doesn't need two people."
The freshly cooked flatcakes were piping hot. Xiya hissed, scalded, but clearly starving. He wolfed down half a flatcake with the rice paste and handed the other half to Lei Jin. Pointing to the stool by the hearth, he said, "Food at home is the best. If you're free, sit there and keep me company."
The food wouldn't be ready anytime soon. Seeing how famished Xiya was, Lei Jin found some long bamboo skewers. He alternately threaded them with cured sausages and the leftover spring rolls from lunch, brushing on a layer of homemade sauce. He pretended nonchalance as he leaned on the stove to sit down, but his right leg betrayed him, trembling uncontrollably. He hadn't exerted himself much recently; today's fight had taken a toll.
"I'll grill these for you. Have something to tide you over."
"Keep away from the fire. Don't burn yourself." Xiya smiled, lowering his head to knead the shiitakes, not noticing Lei Jin's discomfort.
Lei Jin, the flatcake dangling from his mouth, obediently moved his feet slightly away. He added two pieces of firewood and started grilling the sausages and spring rolls. The sizzling sound of sauce and oil dripping onto the flames filled the air. Soon, the skins were slightly charred and ready to eat.
Moya and Mingya were on duty this month, patrolling the outskirts of the tribe every day. Their meals were provided by the tribe, and they wouldn't be back until past midnight.
Winter days darkened quickly. Just as they were about to bar the door after dinner, Ivey and his family arrived, bringing things. Xiya had bought a lot this time, and Ivey had helped carry some back. Time flew, especially evident in children. Shuli was now a sturdy seven to eight-year-old boy, taking after his father—dark, strong, and endearingly honest. He sat quietly after entering. Xiya teased him about drooling over Lei Jin when he was little, and Shuli just scratched his head and chuckled.
Seeing Ivey seemed to have more to discuss, Lei Jin sent Grapes to take Shuli and Luhui to play in another room. Luhui was Ivey and Yaxi's second child, a little female born the same year as Grapes, just a month younger. Fair and delicate-looking, but painfully shy. Grapes dug out a pile of walnuts, raisins, and candied melon strips from the cupboard. It took several calls before Luhui hesitantly climbed down from Yaxi's lap.
With guests, the others naturally couldn't just go to sleep. An Luo gathered some corn cobs from the wall racks and brought them inside. He set out wide, shallow rattan baskets in the room to shuck the kernels.
Everyone chatted while working, multitasking efficiently. Only Lei Jin suffered, sitting there aching all over, especially his lower back and right leg.
Ivey coming so late indeed had another purpose: his family's general store. Before, when the tribe farmed collectively, Ivey could go hunting, and Yaxi alone could manage the shop. Now, the land was divided among families, and the plots were growing. With more food available, some families built pens to raise livestock they couldn't eat immediately, also to accumulate fertilizer for the fields. Feeding and tending them took manpower. Ivey's household only had him and Yaxi who could work. Juggling everything, they had no time for the shop. Their purpose tonight was to ask if Lei Jin's family was interested in taking it over. After all, their large household was well-known, and Ivey was close to Xiya. Handing the shop to someone they trusted would be a relief.
Xiya thought it sounded good. The heavy farm work would naturally fall to him and his brothers; they wouldn't let Lei Jin do it anyway. But he also knew Lei Jin wasn't the type to sit idle. Giving him a shop to tinker with was perfect. Plus, there was papa. Papa had real substance in his head, and Lei Jin had clever ideas. The two together would surely cook up many good things. His mind was already seventy to eighty percent decided. Seeing his two dads also approved, he didn't outright agree, wanting to discuss it with Moya and Mingya first.
Ivey didn't expect an immediate answer. Seeing Xiya and Lei Jin hadn't refused, he said he'd hold the shop for them, and the price could be negotiated.
Xiya coaxed the four little ones to sleep on Mingya's bed. Finding Lei Jin sprawled on his own bed, intently prying open pearl oysters with a small knife, he scooped him up and slung him over his shoulder. "First, come bathe with me."
Lei Jin hung upside down, gritting his teeth as he sucked in a sharp breath.
"What's wrong?" Xiya heard the strained sound.
"Nothing. Put me down. I haven't even taken my clothes off yet."
"With me here, you think I can't get your clothes off?" Xiya reached down and gave Lei Jin's buttock a meaningful squeeze. The implication was clear.
Lei Jin wasn't one to be coy either. The moment his feet touched the ground, he unbuttoned his clothes matter-of-factly and tossed them aside. Turning, he jumped into the large wooden tub. The water contained some root herbs and leaves given by Mura. Lei Jin had used it a few times; it was quite relaxing, and the scent was light. Now everyone in the family used it.
"The soap's over there." Lei Jin pointed to the new shelf by the north wall—simple and practical, perfect for keeping small items handy.
"That thing you, papa, and Mura have been tinkering with every day?" Xiya remembered Lei Jin always saying those grasses and leaves Mura gathered were great for washing face and body, just troublesome to use. He’d said it would be better if they could make soap.
"Yeah. The green one's made with sheep fat, the orange one with pig fat." Lei Jin was pleased. Honestly, he hadn't done much. Mura gathered the raw materials, Roger experimented with the formulas, and he was just the enthusiastic spectator.
Xiya picked up the supposedly sheep-fat soap. It felt slightly greasy to the touch but felt warm and smooth when applied. He rubbed some onto his fingers, pulled Lei Jin's waist closer, and slid his hand down the crease between his buttocks to the hidden entrance. He bent a finger, probing inside to lubricate, while his lips roamed Lei Jin's chest with kisses.
Lei Jin's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. Then, a teasing smile curved his lips. He leaned back slightly, hands resting on Xiya's shoulders, actively lifting his hips to press teasingly against Xiya's half-hard member. Xiya withdrew his finger, pressed Lei Jin against the tub, and bent his legs forward. But his shaft only managed to push halfway in before getting stuck. Lei Jin was clenched far too tight; both felt uncomfortable.
Xiya initially thought Lei Jin was playing hard to get. After all their times together, Lei Jin shouldn't have such a rejection reaction. But when he saw Lei Jin's expression, he knew he was terribly wrong. The sweat at Lei Jin's hairline felt icy cold to the touch—clearly cold sweat. This wasn't pleasure; it was endurance of pain.
"Go deeper," Lei Jin exhaled, trying to force himself to relax.
"What's really wrong?" Seeing him like this, Xiya couldn't continue. No matter how uncontrollable his desire was, he gritted his teeth, cupped Lei Jin's buttocks, pried them apart, and pulled out.
"Told you, it's nothing." Just some superficial injuries.
Xiya wouldn't believe him again. The water's impurities obscured the view. He simply lifted Lei Jin out. After a thorough inspection, he finally discovered the large, overlapping bruises—blue and purple—covering Lei Jin's back, waist, and right leg.
"Who did this?" Xiya's face darkened. These injuries were clearly from heavy blows.
Seeing he couldn't hide it, Lei Jin confessed.
Winter was the slack farming season, perfect for building new irrigation canals. Plus, the river was shallow, so they could also dredge the silt from the old canals. At noon, he'd accompanied An Bu to inspect the work. A group of females had swarmed them, stubbornly bringing up the old proposal: they wanted to clear-cut the forest behind the tribe and turn it all into farmland.
Lei Jin had heard this before and hadn't paid much mind. Want to farm? Want to clear land? Go ahead. But later, Roger had mentioned that without the forest, the Leopard Tribe's prime water source would be ruined within eight to ten years. Naturally, Xiya and the others couldn't ignore that. Over the years, An Bu had explained the reasoning countless times. But people were like that—disasters unseen were easily dismissed, while the benefits were tangible: more land, more grain, better food for families. Lei Jin, impatient with endless repetition of the same arguments, had declared: Let's settle it with a fight. Winner makes the rules.
This world, frankly, was a wilderness where might spoke loudest. It was in their nature, werebeasts or female alike. Lei Jin's suggestion hit the mark. Even the werebeasts nearby cheered, saying it was the fairest way.
First, weed out the ringleaders. Lei Jin pointed out over thirty females. He knew if they were subdued, the matter would be mostly settled.
Lei Jin's intelligence was obvious to all. But his physique wasn't particularly strong, even among females. This gave many a surge of confidence.
After Lei Jin easily took down ten opponents, people stopped underestimating him. After twenty fell, some began to waver. When thirty were down, the group finally conceded defeat.
When recounting it to Xiya, Lei Jin naturally emphasized how effortlessly cool and mighty he'd been. But deep down, he knew the truth: he'd won through superior combat experience, but those females had raw strength. He'd definitely taken plenty of hits.
Hearing the full story, Xiya felt both pride and helplessness.
Lei Jin burrowed under the blankets. The less important aftermath, he chose to forget. To be safe, he'd also gone to the temple. With a gentle, persuasive demeanor, he "consulted" with the old priest, suggesting prophecies about divine punishment for destroying the forest. Tribe members deeply believed in spirits residing in all things, so this method would surely work. He knew the old priest felt guilty over Mingya's coming-of-age ceremony. Wouldn't it be cruel not to let the old man make amends?
"Don't be so rigid about the process. A good outcome is what matters. The journey isn't really important." Brother Jin began imparting what he considered sound philosophy. He guaranteed that with this dual approach, no one would bring it up again.
Xiya agreed, applying herbal paste to help disperse the bruising. "Get some sleep. Otherwise, when Moya and the others get back, you'll have to explain all over again." Regardless, Lei Jin's method was indeed much more effective than their painstaking persuasion.
"Aren't you sleeping?" Lei Jin knew it was late.
Xiya leaned down and kissed his cheek, tilting his head towards the open wardrobe stuffed full of dirty clothes.
Lei Jin coughed, forcing a dry chuckle. "The weather's bad. Washed clothes won't dry." What could one say about Lei Jin? He liked cleanliness and tidiness, yes, but washing and mending? That was beyond him in this lifetime.
If he had a life motto, it might be: No one's perfect. A handsome guy needs some charming flaws to set him off.
"Right. Very 'charming' flaws. Husband, you focus on sleeping. Washing clothes? That's a wife's job." Xiya teased, using the term Lei Jin had demanded.
"Good boy." Lei Jin beamed with praise, but his tone shifted. "But you just got back today. We'll deal with it tomorrow."
"I'll finish quickly. Uncle An Bu has some things for me to do tomorrow."
"Then I'll pry open a few more oysters. I'll wait for you." The oysters Bubbles brought were each as large as cattail fans. Inside each were two or three pearls the size of a baby's fist. Every one glowed with a soft, warm light. Lei Jin planned to use them as lamps.
"Did you run into snow on the road?" Lei Jin rinsed the pried pearls in a basin of clean water by the bed, dried them off, and stuffed them all under his blanket.
Xiya brought in several buckets of water from the stream outside, taking the hot water pot from the brazier. "Snow was heavy up north. We hit it twice on the trip, but no major trouble. I brought back lots of cotton and cotton cloth, enough for you. Qinghe and the others said to invite you to the Wolf Tribe whenever you want. Thanks to your good idea, they dug wells with huge effort these past years. It started working last year. With water, the harvests are much better. The Bear Tribe kept their promise and is willing to sell us bronze and iron now. Pricey, but it's a start. Chief Le Ping gave us two small hoes and a little iron pot—in the bottom bundle. Hmm... didn't see Berg. Sent the things with his tribespeople..."
The charcoal fire blazed, casting a warm, red glow throughout the room. The night deepened, the howling north wind sweeping across the vast grasslands outside. Xiya talked; Lei Jin listened, occasionally humming to prove he was still conscious. He’d gotten used to only falling into deep sleep after opening the door for Moya and Mingya each night. But today's fight had drained him; his mind was already foggy.
"Lei Jin, what do you think about taking over Ivey's shop?"
"Mmm." Lei Jin responded automatically, then fell silent.
Xiya smiled, got up to tuck the blanket around him, and carried the basin to the outer room to wash.
Outside, the air was cold enough to freeze water. Xiya hung the washed clothes outside, securing them. With this wind, they’d probably be mostly dry by morning.
"Wind's fierce tonight." Xiya blew on his hands, glancing at the western sky. Werebeasts were still on their final patrol of the duty shift. Times were peaceful, but no one dared lower their guard.
Moya and Mingya returned just as Xiya was smoothing out the bedding. While they washed up, Xiya discussed Ivey's shop proposal with them. Moya also thought it a good idea. Mingya naturally followed his brothers' lead.
"Eldest Brother, did you know? Lei Jin was amazing today! He took down over thirty females so easily!" Mingya piped up, disappointed he and Second Brother had been on patrol and missed it.
"I know already." Xiya smiled. Lei Jin's pride was monumental; he wouldn't shatter the illusion in front of Mingya. As for Moya, he'd discover the truth once he got into bed.
"Eldest Brother, you just got back and you already know?"
"Stop fidgeting." Moya was pressing a hot compress onto Mingya's left leg.
Mingya gave an embarrassed smile and sat back obediently.
The four little ones had taken over his bed, so Mingya wriggled into Xiya's blanket to squeeze in with him.
"Eldest Brother, what did you buy at the market?" Mingya asked, hugging Xiya's waist.
"Bought lots of things. You can look tomorrow." Xiya turned over, letting Mingya scoot closer to the wall. This house was built when he was ten. Back then, his dads had purely found the three of them bothersome and kicked them out. Young and small, they could all fit on one bed. Now, even two sharing felt cramped. So even if Lei Jin hadn't mentioned building a house, they would have needed to. With children, this house truly couldn't hold them all.
"Eldest Brother, you're really warm." Mingya burrowed deeper into Xiya's embrace.
"Keep wriggling like that, and I'll fall off the bed. Is your leg hurting in the cold?" Their little brother, afraid of pain and prone to tears since childhood—who would have thought he'd endure such hardship for Lei Jin?
"Doesn't hurt. Second Brother's just worried. Look, Eldest Brother, I also have this!" Mingya proudly stretched out his left leg for Xiya to see. The injured area was wrapped in a thick, soft piece of hide. The stitching, however, was a tragic spectacle—crooked, uneven, with coarse thread trailing everywhere.
"Lei Jin made this?" Xiya guessed. Such terrible needlework, yet daring to show it off—only Lei Jin fit the description.
Mingya nodded happily. "Leij Jin said wearing this in winter keeps my leg from getting cold."
"Good boy. Just know it yourself from now on. Don't show it to anyone outside." Xiya pulled Mingya's leg back under the blanket. "Don't actually catch a chill and make your Second Brother fuss over you again." Mingya had been thin and small since birth. When other children his age were running, he couldn't even crawl. But leave him lying on the bed? He absolutely refused. So Xiya and Moya had carried him everywhere on their backs.
Xiya had many friends and loved playing around, so the task of carrying Mingya often fell to Moya. Back then, tribe members often saw a little black leopard cub with an even smaller snow leopard cub perched on his head, running alone through the grassland winds. Moya had been quiet and reserved since childhood, but truly good to his family.
Moya checked on the children. Returning, he lifted the blanket—the room instantly glowed. Lei Jin didn't seem bothered by all those pearls in the bed. Unsurprisingly, Moya saw the bruises. Heartache washed over him, but he didn't press for details.
Most of winter passed. Only scattered light snow had fallen on the grasslands. In two days, it would be the Moon Sacrifice Festival.
After the Moon Sacrifice, the year would truly end. Four years here, and this was Lei Jin's first Moon Sacrifice. Everything felt fresh and new. The big winter hunts this year had been led by Xiya and Moya. For the final one, An Bu had gone along but handed leadership to Xiya.
Mingya had spent these days with some werebeasts at the western snow mountains—the source of the largest river flowing through the grasslands. The clear water used for the festival's opening ceremony had to be fetched from there. Roger had selected eight prime carcasses from the root cellar early that morning—offerings for the sacrifice. The number each family offered depended on the number of adults—a fair system, no one objected. Besides, everyone wanted peace and plenty in the coming year. Lei Jin didn't believe in these things, nor did Roger. But when in Rome... they understood not to stand out too much.
Hibernating all winter, the quiet streets buzzed with life again. The tribe had the old tradition of burning bamboo during the Moon Sacrifice, so crackling bamboo piles were everywhere.
Lei Jin sometimes wandered over to the temple. The sacrificial altar was already built. The wood was soaked in animal fat; once lit, it would burn for three days without going out.
During these three days, no hunting or slaughtering was allowed in the tribe. Families busily prepared food early. Their household made piles of dumplings. Lei Jin rubbed his belly. By next summer, their fourth child should be born.