RPS – Chapter 39 The Gloom Before the Rain

Everyone in the tribe—young and old, men and women—had gathered in the plaza. At the center was a huge bonfire, built from the dry, segmented trunks of several large trees. The middle was hollow, and flames surged up several meters high.

The orange-red firelight lit up the faces of the people in the square, each one beaming with joy. It was a simple, unfiltered happiness—something they hadn’t felt in a long time. After all, when you’re starving, who has the energy to feel joy?

Li Feng carried the baby while being tugged forward by Li. Mo, led by Li, also squeezed into the crowd. They made their way to the front of the bonfire. The tribal chief never interfered with what they were doing, so long as there was no danger. So now, people were singing and dancing around the fire. Off to the side, others were roasting all kinds of meat over smaller fires.

Li Feng and his group had brought a small lamb with them, which Bu and Nuo carried to the plaza. Li Feng was planning to roast a whole lamb. Though they didn’t have a full set of spices, at least there were some strong herbs that could help get rid of the gamey odor.

Since he was holding the baby, Li Feng couldn’t join in the dancing. Not that he minded—he had never been the type who enjoyed loud festivities. In his past life, he was a homebody. Even though he had improved a lot since coming here, he still preferred watching others enjoy themselves from the sidelines rather than getting involved himself.

Right now, what he really wanted was to finish roasting the lamb, then talk to the tribal chief and Ka’s tribe about switching to a different kind of wheat seed.

“Do you want to go dance with them?” Li Feng asked Li beside him. Though, to be honest, Li didn’t seem like the type to enjoy dancing. He always had a cool, detached demeanor. It was hard to imagine him dancing at all.

“No,” Li replied bluntly. He didn’t like dancing. He much preferred staying with Li Feng.

“Maybe just give it a try? This is kind of a big celebration.” Li Feng suddenly became curious about what Li would look like dancing. It might be fun to see. Dancing in the tribe didn’t follow any formal choreography—it was all about letting your body move freely, following your instincts.

“I want to see you dance,” Li said, taking the baby from his arms.

“What? Me? I don’t know how to dance! You do it instead!” Li Feng was dumbfounded. Him dancing? That’d be the day. He had never danced in his entire life.

“Then let’s dance together,” Li whispered softly beside his ear, voice gentle and warm.

“No way, I can’t.” Li Feng immediately refused. He wasn’t cut out for this. Watching others twist their hips and sway was one thing—doing it himself? He felt completely out of his element.

“It’s okay, I’ll teach you.”

With that, Li pulled him over to where Bu and Nuo were, placed the baby in Nuo’s arms, and dragged Li Feng to the bonfire.

They began to dance.

There were drums nearby—primitive instruments made from hollowed-out tree trunks with stretched cowhide over them. Someone was beating the drum. Though it didn’t have the crisp sound of finely made drums, its deep, dull rhythm carried far across the tribe, stirring people to move.

Li took Li Feng’s hand, stepping left, kicking right, his waist twisting with power and grace. It was a dance full of energy and strength. Unconsciously, Li Feng began following his steps. He was clumsy at first, but Li would slow his pace now and then to let him catch up.

As they danced, Li Feng suddenly thought— Could this be the original form of dance? Based on hunting stances? That crouched, ready-to-pounce pose was just like the moment before a predator struck. Even the swaying hips and twisting torso resembled preparatory movements before a kill…

Li’s physique was evenly built and strong, his features striking. The firelight cast shadows beneath the bridge of his nose, making his profile look even sharper. In that moment, Li Feng found him so handsome, it was hard to describe. Every movement, every step drew his gaze, and soon his feet were naturally moving with Li’s rhythm.

Li, of course, noticed Li Feng’s gaze and the way he was following him. He danced with even more energy now.

Originally, he hadn’t even planned to dance—he didn’t like it. He only joined in because he wanted to dance with Li Feng. He never expected this to be the result.

Li Feng’s captivated, almost entranced look made Li feel a warm excitement swell in his chest— a happiness that filled him from the inside out.

“Alright, let’s go back now. If the baby doesn’t see us soon, he might start crying.” Li Feng finally snapped back to his senses. He was slightly embarrassed that he had stared at Li for so long, completely forgetting about the people around them. Since when had this man occupied his gaze for such a long time? When did his feelings for him start to change? It was hard to say—maybe from the first time he saw him, he had already been imprinted in his heart. Or perhaps it started during their first intimate moment, when Li quietly took up residence in his heart.

“Mm, okay.” Li’s eyes remained fixed on Li Feng’s slightly evasive gaze. Gently, he brushed aside the loose strands of hair and sweat by Li Feng’s ear with a tender touch.

Li Feng walked briskly, though his hand was still held tightly by Li. After a few attempts to shake him off failed, he simply let him hold it. He just avoided looking at him again and instead headed straight towards Bu and Nuo’s small bonfire.

“Hey, you guys finally came back,” Nuo exclaimed, quickly handing the baby to Li Feng. The baby had given him quite a hard time—pooping, peeing, then crying and wailing right after. It had been utter chaos, and he almost wanted to throw the little one out. How had he never realized that this cute, soft little bun could be so exhausting? He used to think Li Feng had it easy with the baby because the little one was always smiling and obedient. Who knew that just a short time with him would turn his image of a sweet, adorable baby into one of a tiny tormentor. Honestly, things always seem better in imagination than in reality. Li Feng, you really have it tough!

Li Feng took the baby and, seeing Nuo’s relieved expression as if he had just gotten rid of a massive burden, found it amusing. “What? Isn’t the baby cute?” Normally, Nuo loved playing with him.

“Please, don’t even bring it up. Why didn’t you warn me how much of a handful he is? What a little rascal!” Nuo immediately distanced himself, fearing Li Feng might hit him. Everyone knew the baby was Li Feng’s treasure. Even saying one bad word could get you in trouble. Sometimes Nuo liked to pinch the baby’s cheeks and got pinched right back by Li Feng more than once.

“Hmph, that’s because the baby doesn’t like you. Look how well-behaved he is now.” Li Feng rolled his eyes. Nuo calling the baby a little rascal annoyed him. Seriously—his baby was adorable! Big, bright black eyes that always spun around like marbles, making him look extremely clever; a straight little nose and a small, rosy mouth. Whose baby could be cuter than his?

“Tch. He’s still a little rascal no matter what you say,” Nuo said, making a face at Li Feng while standing next to Bu.

That earned glares from all three—Li, Li Feng, and little Mo. The three of them stared straight at Nuo, scaring him into quickly hiding behind Bu. Geez, they were terrifying. He was just telling the truth! That baby really was a handful.

“Alright, let’s roast the lamb already. We’ve been waiting for you,” Bu quickly changed the subject. What Nuo said was true, but with the baby’s two dads around, there was no point arguing. Besides, they needed Li Feng for this—he had promised to show off his roast whole lamb recipe.

“You already prepped the lamb?” Li Feng handed the baby to Li behind him. Nuo just said all that—no way he was going to let him touch the baby again.

“Yup, all cleaned up and ready.” Bu had already removed the head and prepared it just like Li Feng had taught.

Li Feng skewered the entire lamb onto a clean peachwood stick, then had Bu and Nuo each hold one end to slowly rotate it over the fire. The lamb was tender, so the outer layer cooked quickly and began dripping fat. Though the mutton smell was still present, the aroma of the meat was mouthwatering.

He used a knife made from river mussel shell to quickly score the meat, then evenly sprinkled the five-spice powder he had prepared over it while Bu and Nuo kept turning it to ensure it roasted evenly and absorbed the flavor. Once the aroma from the spices seeped into the meat, the strong gamey smell disappeared, leaving behind only the rich scent of roasted lamb.

Just as Li, Bu, and Nuo thought they could finally eat, Li Feng wouldn’t let them. If Bu and Nuo didn’t know how serious and picky he was about food, they would have thought he was just messing with them. It smelled so good already—why couldn’t they dig in?

While they were still puzzled, they saw Li Feng take out a clay jar he’d asked Nuo to bring earlier. Inside was a mysterious sauce—his secret blend of fresh ginger juice, garlic juice, and powdered spices mixed with warm water into an aromatic ‘seasoning oil.’ There was no vegetable oil or chili, but it was still a decent seasoning.

The lamb was already perfectly tender—any more and it would get tough. So while it was just right, Li Feng used a bunch of clean leaves tied together as a brush to coat the meat evenly with the sauce. After another two minutes of roasting, it was just about ready.

He sliced the outer layer of lamb meat along the grain and placed it onto a clay plate. The rest of the lamb stayed on the fire but didn’t need constant turning—once every five to ten minutes would do. Since the inside wasn’t fully cooked yet, they would start with the sliced, ready pieces.

The spit was propped up on both ends with wood, so they didn’t need to hold it. Li Feng’s secret recipe filled the air with such an enticing aroma that it might not waft for ten miles, but it certainly spread far across the square. Sure enough, the chief suddenly appeared—he hadn’t been seen all this time, and now here he was.

“Ah, Li Feng, what are you grilling that smells so good?” the chief asked without ceremony, grabbing a still-steaming piece of lamb and stuffing it in his mouth.

He clearly knew it was lamb—why bother asking? “Haha, chief, it’s just lamb. Some of the others are roasting it too,” Li Feng hinted, trying to redirect him—there were too many mouths to feed here and only one lamb.

But the chief, after tasting one piece, shamelessly grabbed an entire plate and started eating. That was the portion Li Feng had specially cut for Li—it was the tenderest and most flavorful part!

Li clearly knew that too, especially since it was prepared just for him. So he spoke up: “chief, that was specially cut for me by Li Feng. There’s more over there—you can cut your own.”

Li Feng almost facepalmed. Li was so direct—didn’t he care about saving face for the chief? What if he held a grudge later? “Hey, he’s the chief! You could’ve just let him have it.”

“No. You cut it for me. It’s your gesture—I can’t let him take it.” Li’s voice wasn’t loud, but Li Feng heard it clearly. His ears immediately burned. Did he have to be this sappy all the time? It was just a bit of lamb!

“Just eat already!” Li Feng shoved the plate toward him and hurried off to baste more of the lamb.

“Hey, Ka, you guys came too?” the chief said, greeting Ka and the others who were walking over, acting like this was his own campfire. “Come try some of this lamb—you’ve never had anything this tasty before!”

“Really? Then we must give it a try.” Ka and the others had come over drawn by the delicious smell. Many others had smelled it too but were too shy to approach. Especially their own clansmen—only Ju and Hao’s group, who felt more familiar with Li Feng and the others, had rushed over, which left Ka no choice but to follow along.

The chief handed the sliced lamb meat, which Li Feng had prepared earlier, to Ka and his group. As expected, it was fresh and spicy, a taste he had never experienced before. Just like the food he’d had at Li Feng’s home, it was strange yet incredibly delicious. Even though the ingredients were the same, the way it was cooked made the flavor completely different.

He walked over to Li Feng’s side, watching him brush sauce over the lamb meat. Some parts seemed to be coated with fruit juice. These pieces were specially prepared for Mo, with juice similar to hawthorn or lemon, offering a sweet and sour taste. This kind of roasted lamb would carry a unique fruity fragrance, perfect for children.

“What are you brushing on it? Is this what makes the lamb taste so good?” Ka was increasingly curious. Just what kind of magical stuff was this? It looked like water from the Black Swamp—indescribable in color and had a pungent smell.

“Mm, this is specifically for grilling meat.” Li Feng didn’t even lift his head as he continued working. This one was almost done; all that was left were some lamb racks.

“You seem to know how to cook a lot of delicious things and are very smart. You’ve taught the tribe many things.” Over the past few days here, he had already been curious about this person who had so many novel ideas. He had wanted to chat more with him that morning, but they only exchanged a few quick words before the chief called him away to discuss matters about their tribe’s previous life and to ask if the tribespeople were adapting here. He couldn’t refuse—these were issues concerning the entire tribe, so he had to follow the chief.

Now, he had finally found an opportunity, so he came over to try and strike up a conversation. But before he could say more than a few words, Li arrived holding the baby. Though he said nothing, he stood silently next to Li Feng, not even looking at Ka, but focusing intently on Li Feng. This made Ka suddenly feel extremely uncomfortable.

Even though Li didn’t seem to be looking at him, Ka couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being stared at with sharp, piercing eyes. All he wanted was to ask Li Feng some questions, maybe learn a thing or two from him. Why did Li seem to dislike him so much? He couldn’t recall ever offending him—they’d only just met!

Li Feng instinctively brushed off Ka’s compliment. “It’s really nothing, just a few small things. Not worth mentioning.” He straightened up—bending over for so long had really tired him out—and caught sight of Li beside him. “Eh? Why are you here? Weren’t you eating lamb? Did you finish already?” He remembered that Li had taken a full plate from the chief—it couldn’t have been eaten that fast. “Hold on, this one’s almost ready. You can eat it soon.” Li Feng smiled to reassure him.

“You two have such a great relationship,” Ka suddenly blurted out after watching them for a while.

Li’s expression softened slightly upon hearing that, while Li Feng nearly jumped in surprise. What great relationship? What is he talking about? Damn it—why was he spouting nonsense instead of eating his meat? And worse, he couldn’t even deny it since they were supposed to be “husbands.”

Trying to quickly change the subject, he said, “Ka, Ju, Hao and the others mentioned your tribe eats ‘grass seeds’ when you don’t have any prey, is that true?” He still couldn’t forget about that grain.

“Mm, yes. They’re not very tasty, but at least they keep us from starving. However, the seeds are only available in the early months of the year. We don’t have any now, which is why we’re looking to relocate,” Ka explained, clearly troubled.

“Do you still have any left? Could we maybe trade for some?” Li Feng eagerly offered, hoping to plant more of that grain—the more, the better.

“We still have some. Why?” Ka was confused. People in their tribe could eat meat—why would Li Feng want this?

“Uh, well, I’m kind of interested in it and want to trade for a little,” Li Feng suddenly felt like a big bad wolf trying to lure in an innocent rabbit—a bit evil, really.

“What do you want it for?” Chief suddenly walked over and inserted himself into the conversation.

“Uh, I was just thinking I might try making something different with it.” Li Feng felt a bit guilty under Zheng’s sharp gaze. The chief had a terrifying presence, clearly honed through life-or-death experiences—not something a regular guy like him could easily withstand.

“Is that so? Then tell us—what do you plan to make with it?” The chief smiled, eyes narrowing as he looked at Li Feng.

“I don’t know yet… I’m just toying with the idea,” Li Feng became more and more hesitant to meet the chief’s gaze, instead looking at Li.

“Chief, why are you suddenly so interested in what Li Feng wants to make?” Li looked at the chief and asked.

“Oh, I heard from Ju and Hao and the others that you mentioned those grass seeds could be planted, and that they could be turned into very delicious food?” the chief said, still with a smile.

“I’m just considering it—not certain. I just wanted to experiment a little.” Li Feng began to worry—when did Ju and Hao and the others hear that? Why would they tell the chief?

Ka was also surprised. The grass seeds could be planted? “Li Feng, is that true? Why didn’t you tell us earlier? We could’ve tried it too.”

“Alright, Li Feng is tired. We’re heading back now. He wasn’t sure it would work, so he didn’t dare tell anyone—he was afraid that if it failed, everything would be wasted,” Li, seeing Li Feng’s pale face from being questioned by both the chief and Ka, suddenly grew angry and coldly explained.

Then, without saying goodbye to the chief or caring how many people overheard the conversation, he took Li Feng’s hand and walked slowly back home. Mo held Li Feng’s other hand, cautiously watching his pale face and staying silent as they went home together.

Nuo and Bu walked over to the chief and Ka. Nuo said, “None of you should be doubting Li Feng. Everything he does is for the good of the tribe. Have you all forgotten the benefits and ‘prosperity’ he’s brought us?” With that, he turned and took Nuo’s hand, following closely behind Li and the others on their way home.