"What an adorable little orange kitten." Feng Si’s eyes widened as she watched the palm-sized kitten tilt its head to look at her, and she smiled back, her eyes curving into crescents.
"Adorable?" Mao Qiu looked down, pinched the scruff of the little orange kitten’s neck to lift it, and settled it in her arms. "This is my Beastman brother, Mao Ge."
Mao Ge’s round, bead-like eyes were fixed on Feng Si. He kicked his legs in Mao Qiu’s arms, trying to jump onto the lap of the sub-female beside them.
"Don’t fidget now, be good," Mao Qiu said, holding her brother down. She didn’t understand why he was acting up.
"How old is he?" Feng Si reached out and gently touched the tip of the little orange kitten’s nose with her finger. Mao Ge eagerly leaned forward to sniff it and let out a happy "MEOW."
Mao Qiu said proudly, "He’s two months old. When my male-beast father and sub-female mother are away earning coins, I’m usually the one looking after him."
This was Feng Si’s first time seeing a local cub. Before transforming into his human form, the kitten before her was nothing more than a fluffy little orange cat.
’So cute.’
The sight of the quiet, deserted stall caught the eye of Bai Dan, who was walking over from a short distance away.
She had recovered from the shock of losing a huge sum of coins, but the more she thought about it, the angrier she became.
A vicious glint flashed in her eyes. ’Feng Si scammed me out of several thousand coins. I can’t just let this go!’
’This is my turf. My family is huge, and we’re even related to the Mountain Chief. How can I let some newcomer sub-female cheat me out of my money!’
Seeing that Feng Si was still in the mood to play with a cub, Bai Dan grew so furious that she dug her nails into her palms. She spun around and hurried off to find Bai Qi.
Not long after Bai Dan left, back at the stall.
Feng Si noticed the little cat was still staring at her. She followed Mao Ge’s gaze to the untied cloth bag in her hand; he was clearly looking at the Green Potato inside.
"Can he eat this?"
Mao Qiu leaned over for a look, smelling a rare, sweet fragrance. She gulped. "He has teeth, so yes, he can eat it! What is this? It smells so sweet!"
"It’s a little snack I made. Here, you try some." Feng Si generously gave Mao Qiu a small handful.
Mao Qiu eagerly popped one into her mouth. As she chewed the Green Potato, her eyes widened in delight. ’That’s right, it really is sweet!’
This provoked a series of loud "MEOW MEOW"s from the little orange kitten in her arms.
Feng Si held out another Green Potato in front of the little orange kitten. The kitten’s eyes went crossed as it stared, then it immediately shot out its furry paws to snatch the Green Potato from Feng Si’s hand, hugging it tightly and not letting go.
The little cat lowered its head, clutching the Green Potato with both paws. Its pupils dilated and constricted in wonder. It opened its mouth, revealing tiny milk teeth, and started to NIBBLE NIBBLE NIBBLE.
A sub-female passing by on the market street happened to glance over at Feng Si’s stall and immediately stopped in her tracks.
She strode forward and asked, "That thing the cat Beastman is eating, how much is it? My cub is three months old, and it would be perfect for his teething."
"Teething for cubs?" A nearby sub-female holding a small black puppy heard the words. She turned to see the snack the kitten was clutching and gnawing on, then immediately rushed over to the stall. "How many coins? I’ll buy some too."
"I don’t have much of this, so I’m not selling it separately. But if you buy some white-cut pork, I can give you five strips for free," Feng Si said with a sweet smile. ’It seems this little snack I made is pretty popular. I need to seize this business opportunity.’
"Oh! Then if I buy three portions, does that mean I get fifteen strips?" A shrewd glint flashed in the sub-female’s eyes. She pulled out one thousand coins; she was always most willing to spend money on things for her cub.
"I’ll do the same as her! Give me fifteen of those strips. My cub is teething, and hard bones can easily hurt his teeth, but meat jerky is too tough. This is perfect!"
Seeing this, the other sub-female also took out one thousand coins. The little black puppy in her arms was also only about palm-sized, but it was plump and incredibly endearing.
Feng Si accepted the money with a smile, then portioned and sliced the meat. She also picked the largest pieces of Green Potato from her cloth bag for the two customers.
She was very happy as well. She was saving up to buy an Incubator, and when it came to her own cub, her heart was the same as any mother’s.
After they paid, the sub-female immediately gave a piece of Green Potato to her cub. The little black puppy held the snack with both paws, tilting its head to gnaw on it while cradled in its mother’s arms.
The gazes of the sub-females in the market, especially those with children, naturally drifted toward the cubs. When they saw the little black puppy gnawing on its treat, they were instantly struck with the idea of buying some for their own children.
They came forward to ask and learned the treats were a free bonus with a purchase of white-cut pork. Families who were relatively well-off and had only a few cubs soon swarmed Feng Si’s stall.
She hadn’t brought much Green Potato with her, so she quickly asked Mao Qiu to watch the stall. She then dashed home to grab more Green Potato and hurried back.
Even though she had prepared twice the usual amount of white-cut pork, it all sold out thanks to the Green Potato.
Feng Si cheerfully told the sub-female mothers who came later asking for Green Potato that she would have more tomorrow. Just as she was about to pack up, a large group of people descended on her stall.
A cacophony of sharp, noisy voices suddenly erupted in front of her stall. Feng Si lifted her head to look.
She saw Bai Dan and Bai Qi walking to the front of her stall, flanked by a crowd of people. Their twisted faces were filled with hatred; it was clear they were looking for trouble.
Feng Si stood up impassively and patted Mao Ge’s small head. "Take the cub and the cooking tools and leave first," she said to Mao Qiu.
Mao Qiu saw the approaching crowd as well and exclaimed in alarm, "We should go together! There are so many of them, they won’t let you off easy."
Feng Si shook her head, pressing the record button on her communicator. "We live on the same mountain. I can run today, but not tomorrow. Let’s see what they’re planning."
Mao Qiu stomped her foot anxiously. "Fine. I’ll go get the Mountain Chief right now."
Just as Mao Qiu left, Bai Dan and her group closed in. She stared at the sub-female before her, who wore an infuriating smile and seemed utterly unafraid.
"Hey. Let’s settle our score from last time," Bai Dan said haughtily.
"What score? I don’t recall owing you anything." Feng Si’s voice wasn’t loud, but her words were crisp and clear, ensuring everyone nearby could hear her.
The crowd, always eager for a spectacle, immediately gathered closer. After all, with no true females around, public squabbles were a rare event.
The people on the mountain all had to team up for foraging, so everyone knew each other. A large-scale argument like this was a rare sight.
Everyone gathered around to watch. Some male beasts selling their morning’s hunt nearby recognized her as the white-cut pork vendor and couldn’t help but inch closer for a better look.
Bai Qi and Bai Dan had brought their family members, more than twenty people in all. ’The onlookers are all familiar faces, too,’ they thought. ’We’ve known them for years. If they take a side, it will be ours.’
Bai Qi huffed. "Last time, a single word from you cost me four thousand coins, and Bai Dan lost four thousand coins too. You have to pay us back."
Bai Dan glared at her. "I’d advise you to know what’s good for you and pay up. Otherwise, don’t even think about leaving here today unless you do."