RPS – Chapter 26 The Legendary Husband’s Surname

Li Feng and Nuo had gone to cook, and Mo had already come out holding the baby to greet them when they returned. When he saw all the prey, especially the large tiger, his usually tense little face finally broke into a smile. When he heard Li say that it was Li Feng who hunted them, he was even more shocked. The way he looked at Li Feng was no longer just as the baby’s “mother”—his admiration was very clear and obvious.

That night, Li Feng cooked the corn they had picked and stir-fried some edamame. He also steamed an egg custard for the baby. He wasn’t sure if the eggs were bird eggs, or from wild chickens or ducks—he had picked up quite a few eggs from the forest undergrowth and brought them all back. It was a pity he hadn’t managed to catch any wild chickens or ducks—they could fly, after all. He could only sigh longingly at the birds.

To make sure that next time Li and the others would remember to pick up any eggs they found, Li Feng deliberately cooked and boiled a few eggs as examples. Otherwise, they might try to eat them raw—they had shells, how could you eat them like that?

That evening, while Li Feng was cooking, Mo—who usually didn’t like hanging around the stove—kept following behind him holding the baby. It was hard to tell if it was because he was hungry or because he admired Li Feng’s “bravery.” Li Feng thought Mo was just tempted by the aroma and wanted to eat. Seeing the kid carefully holding the baby, Li Feng felt sorry for him and fed him a few bites of scrambled egg. Mo’s cheeks puffed up as he chewed happily, so pleased he forgot to “praise” Li Feng as he’d meant to.

Dinner was very hearty. A pot of juicy, tender yellow corn was sweet and chewy, and everyone gnawed on their own cob; the plate of green edamame glistened after being stir-fried and was very tasty; and the scrambled eggs with greens were a perfect blend of color, aroma, and flavor.

Li Feng took the baby from Mo’s arms and fed him the egg custard. He had also gone to the animals that were producing milk and managed to get some out. He wasn’t good at milking, and after some fumbling around nearly got kicked. He didn’t collect much milk—it would spoil quickly in this heat, and the baby couldn’t finish too much anyway. Plus, the baby goats and fawns hadn’t been fed yet—those were their future rations, and he couldn’t let them starve.

He boiled the milk in a pot. Though the smell was a bit strong, it was very nutritious—much better than meat broth or fruit juice. The baby wasn’t used to the strong taste and refused to drink it, nearly knocking over the bowl with his tiny hands. He cried so pitifully that Li Feng’s heart ached, and even Li anxiously wished he could drink it for him. “He doesn’t like it, then don’t force him—give him fruit juice instead!”

Li Feng rolled his eyes. “What do you know? The baby is still too young—he has to drink milk. Have you ever seen a baby that doesn’t drink milk? Only milk will help him grow up healthy and strong like a warrior.” In the tribe, babies born to women always had milk to drink—those who didn’t were usually very weak.

Hearing that, Li shut up and kept telling himself that this was good for the baby—it was fine.

The baby got hungry easily. Even though he’d eaten egg custard earlier, it didn’t take long for him to get hungry again. This time, when Li Feng brought the milk to the baby’s lips, he had no choice but to drink it—Li Feng wouldn’t give him anything else. So the baby drank the pungent milk while crying miserably. Mo, beside him, kept holding the baby’s little hand and cheering him on.

Finally, the bowl of milk was finished. The baby burped—no one could tell whether it was from being full or from crying. He had been drinking and crying at the same time. Now that he was full and exhausted, he soon fell asleep. Fat tears still clung to his long lashes, making Mo’s heart ache as he took the baby to bed. The way he looked at Li Feng had lost its earlier awe and turned into grievance. The admiration was long gone. All he could think was—how could someone be so heartless? The baby was so cute, yet he made him cry. Even if it was for the baby’s good, couldn’t he be more gentle? Look how much the baby cried…

Li Feng watched with a grin as Mo carried the baby into the room. Then he turned back, sat up straight, and said, “I’m about to make an announcement.”

His serious tone and expression caught the attention of the other three, who all turned to him, curious. “Feng, what’s the matter? Why so serious?”

Li Feng thought to himself, What do you mean, ‘so serious’? I’m always serious, okay? But his face didn’t show it. He cleared his throat. “Well, I noticed all our names are just one character. I think that’ll make naming things in the future kind of hard. So, I’ve decided to put Li’s name in front of mine. From now on, I’ll be called Li Feng.” Whew, finally got it out—so many words in one go, he was exhausted.

“Huh? That’s it? But why’d you suddenly think of that?” Nuo asked, confused. What was wrong with single-character names? They were convenient.

Li Feng didn’t think so at all. Every time they called out “Feng,” he felt a pang of guilt, like he was stealing someone else’s life—enjoying the trust and reliance that Feng’s friends had for him. It always made his mind wander. Sometimes he even wondered if he was the reason Feng had died—he’d fallen into such a spiral he couldn’t pull himself out of. Besides, when people called “Feng,” he often didn’t react—thinking they were calling someone else. After all, everyone used to call him Li Feng, never just one character. He didn’t have anyone close enough to call him by a nickname.

But truthfully, Feng had already died giving birth. With such a weak body, and men’s pelvises not suited for childbirth, it was already a miracle he’d carried the baby to term. If Li Feng hadn’t entered his body at that moment, it might’ve been a double fatality.

Of course, Li Feng didn’t know any of that. He just thought Feng had it worst—carrying a child for ten months as a man, only to not even see his baby before his body was no longer his own. Just thinking about it made Li Feng’s heart ache. Sometimes he wondered—had Feng entered his body too? Had they switched places? He consoled himself by imagining that maybe Feng was also living on in some other way…

“Uh, this is actually a tradition I heard about before—women who are married will take their husband’s surname. I think it’s pretty nice, and convenient too.” Li Feng didn’t even mind being thought of as a woman anymore, just to get his name back.

“Hey, you’re right! So from now on, you’re Li Feng, and I’ll be Bu Nuo!” Nuo said, not realizing what he was revealing.

“Oh? Bu Nuo, huh? You’re Bu Nuo now?” Li Feng repeated deliberately.

Only then did Nuo realize what he’d said—he’d spoken his inner thoughts out loud…

Li thought Li Feng’s idea was great too. Husband’s surname? Mmm, not bad at all. Li Feng, Li Feng… The name with the husband’s surname—it sounded so nice!

What Li Feng didn’t expect was that his little suggestion would later be spread all over the tribe by Nuo, who eventually paired up with Bu. From then on, all the women in the tribe started taking their husband’s surnames. It became a huge trend, even spreading to faraway tribes. And thousands of years later, it was still the same… Though who knows just how far it had truly gone?