RPS – Chapter 43 Rumor Cracks

The five people who arrived—three women and two men—were mostly unfamiliar to Li Feng. He only recognized two of the women; the others were likely from the Ka’s tribe, whom they hadn’t had time to meet that night.

The two women he did recognize were Mi, the beautiful widow of the tribe, and another skillful woman from the tribe. He remembered her as being especially good at weaving baskets—quick and precise. She was about the same age as Mi and had two children. Her husband was also one of the tribe’s skilled hunters. As for the other two men and one woman, Li Feng had never seen them before. They appeared older and were probably here to learn how to weave hats.

Had the chief sent these people ahead to learn from him so they could later teach the rest of the tribe? That was probably for the best—it would avoid gossip and discomfort from having too many people show up at once. But that wasn’t the real reason Li Feng suddenly froze. The actual reason was Mi—the woman he had once foolishly assumed was romantically interested in him. Finding out later that he had misunderstood left him feeling terribly embarrassed. Fortunately, only he knew about his misjudgment; otherwise, things would be even more awkward now. Li Feng quickly shoved the embarrassment to the back of his mind. She didn’t know, so he had to forget it too.

Li Feng was about to stand up and greet them when he noticed the group looking at him with amused expressions—not at his face, but at his chest. Confused, he looked down and felt his face cycle through every color in the rainbow. The baby was still latched onto his nipple, sucking intently. One chubby little hand was gripping the other side and refused to let go. Li Feng desperately wanted to dig a hole and hide in it. This was too humiliating. “You little rascal,” he thought. “You’ve totally ruined Dad’s dignity in front of everyone!” Now he definitely couldn’t face anyone.

“You all sit for a bit. I’ll come teach you in a moment,” Li Feng said awkwardly before bolting into the house, pulling Li (the baby’s other parent) in with him.

Li Feng pinched the baby’s soft cheek, trying to coax him to let go, but the little rascal only bit down harder. Even tugging didn’t help—it just made it hurt more, making Li Feng gasp. “This is ridiculous! Baby, I know you’re hungry, but Daddy doesn’t have milk! Be good and let go, okay? I’ll get you some milk right now.” He couldn’t bring himself to scold or hit the baby, so he tried to reason with him gently.

But how could a baby understand reason? Talking was a waste of effort. “Hey, go bring some milk over—maybe once he smells it, he’ll let go,” Li Feng said anxiously. If the baby didn’t let go soon, his nipple would be swollen—or worse, it might already be red and inflamed.

Li couldn’t help but laugh. The baby was just too cute—he had somehow figured out where to latch onto! “Alright, I’ll get it right away,” Li said, heading out to fetch milk while Bu and Nuo entertained the guests.

Back inside, Li Feng kept poking the baby’s chubby cheek with his finger—each poke left a tiny dent—but the little guy still wouldn’t let go. He didn’t know how such a small mouth could be so strong.

Meanwhile, outside, the atmosphere had turned cheerful. What could have been an awkward situation actually became a source of amusement. All five guests secretly chuckled to themselves, especially Mi, who even laughed out loud. “Li’s baby is so adorable!” she said. Mi was a bold and cheerful woman, easygoing and warm, so her laughter didn’t offend anyone—in fact, it helped lighten the mood significantly.

The three people from the Ka’s tribe had originally imagined Li Feng as a sleazy, skinny, selfish man. But instead, they were greeted by a good-looking young man joyfully playing with his baby, with a vibrant, expressive face. And the baby really was adorable—fair-skinned and chubby, a rare sight.

Mi and the others relaxed considerably after that scene. Mi, in particular, was good at conversation, and one witty remark from her had Bu and the others laughing as well. Since they were all from the same tribe and knew each other well, there wasn’t much of a barrier. Plus, the chief had surely chosen people who wouldn’t have any obvious dislike or resentment toward Li Feng. That meant Nuo and Bu could also welcome them with an open mind, without worrying they’d say anything offensive toward Li Feng later.

“Yes, the baby’s really cute. But you’ve only seen one side—he’s actually quite the little troublemaker,” Nuo laughed as he explained. Sure, he was cute, but he had also peed on Nuo more than once and would cry nonstop until Li Feng came to soothe him. Those two things didn’t exactly count as “adorable” to him.

“Children are always very cute, but this baby is just too lovable. I’ve never seen such a chubby, fair-skinned child,” Mi said, sitting nearby and glancing toward Li Feng’s room. Although she couldn’t see anything, she could easily guess what was going on inside — and she was certain it’d be amusing when they came out.

“Haha, that’s because the baby drinks too much milk,” Nuo laughed. According to Li Feng, the baby’s fair, tender skin was all thanks to the milk he drank. If he were eating only fruit every day, he’d be skinny and yellow — suffering from malnutrition. Though Nuo didn’t really know what “malnutrition” meant, the thick, milky scent all over the baby made it clear he drank plenty. His skin even carried a faint milky fragrance.

“Milk?” one of the women from the Ka tribe asked suddenly. Did Li Feng produce the milk himself? But wasn’t he a man? And he didn’t even have breasts — how could he produce milk?

“Haha, it’s animal milk. Whenever we hunt animals that have milk, we squeeze it and feed it to the baby,” Nuo explained. But he suddenly realized — they didn’t even know each other’s names yet. “Mi, you haven’t introduced everyone yet.”

He and Mi already knew each other, and after that whole incident with the baby earlier, they’d forgotten to make introductions.

“Look at me, totally forgot — the baby was just too funny,” Mi said. The idea of a baby trying to suck on Li Feng’s nipple was hilarious. They had been so entertained they forgot that the three others hadn’t been introduced. They had left early at the last gathering and didn’t get to know the others properly.

Mi pointed to the woman who had just asked the question: “This is Hu,” and then pointed to the two men — the taller one was Ping, the other was Chang.

Bu and the others nodded in greeting and briefly introduced themselves in return. Even Mo solemnly introduced himself, drawing warm smiles from the visitors. A six- or seven-year-old child trying to act all grown up didn’t come off as mature — it just made him look even more childish.

Mo had been somewhat withdrawn and emotionally closed off after losing his parents, using coldness to act older than he was. But since being adopted by Li Feng and the others, he had changed a lot. At least in front of them, he could laugh happily and even act a bit spoiled. Still, whenever strangers were around, he went back to his little adult act.

But to Mi and the others, that little adult act was absolutely adorable — a child not even waist-high standing so seriously was just too funny. So after Mo introduced himself, they all burst into laughter, including Nuo. Seeing them laugh, Mo frowned and stormed off to the inner room to find the baby.

When Mo went inside, Li had already returned with the milk. He’d heard the laughter from the living room and guessed what had happened — and judging from Mo’s grumpy face, he figured someone had laughed at him again. It was no wonder; this little guy was always putting on that grown-up act. People couldn’t help but laugh.

“Uncle Li Feng, did the baby let go yet?” Mo asked, tiptoeing to peek, but he was too short. Even on tiptoe, he could only see the baby still lying on Li Feng’s chest.

Li Feng was about to give him a flick on the forehead — bringing up sore topics! But remembering that Mo hadn’t laughed with the others, he let it go. “The baby just finished eating and fell asleep,” he said.

Sure enough, the baby had just been hungry. The moment Li brought in the milk, he let go, and Li Feng fed him. He drank it all, making happy little grunts like a piglet, then burped and drifted off to sleep.

Li Feng didn’t dare put him down right away for fear of waking him. The little guy would cry if not rocked to sleep, which was why Li Feng was delayed. Looking down at the baby sleeping soundly in his arms, his little mouth still sucking reflexively — was he dreaming about drinking milk?

After rocking him gently for a while, Li Feng figured he wouldn’t wake up, so he laid him down on a bed covered with animal pelts. He told Mo to lie down too — after all, Mo was still young, and more sleep would help him grow taller and healthier.

Li watched as Li Feng covered the baby with a fur blanket, noting the gentle expression on his face. How could such a warm and kind person be the selfish man the villagers talked about? They were too judgmental, blinded by selfishness and fear — fear of losing resources or food. But if they weren’t selfish, why would they be afraid? To accuse Li Feng of being selfish when they were the ones acting out of self-interest was the height of hypocrisy.

Li shook his head. Even if others didn’t trust Li Feng, he did. He believed Li Feng was doing everything for him, for the baby, for all of them — and even for the good of the tribe. But well-meaning actions were easily misinterpreted. Maybe the time for change had truly come. Sooner or later, it had to happen — Li Feng just ended up being the first to step up.

“So, what now?” Li chose not to dwell on it. Let things unfold naturally — just go with the flow. Still, with Li Feng in his current state, it would be awkward to let him go out.

Li Feng turned to him, puzzled, only to catch Li’s teasing gaze. Following his line of sight, Li Feng looked down — and immediately felt a wave of mortification. Four clear teeth marks on his left chest. Though the drool had been wiped away, the swollen nipple was still painfully obvious. There were no clothes or bandages here, and even if there were, putting a bandage on it would just draw more attention — the very definition of “trying to hide only makes it more obvious.”

“It should be fine, right? They saw it — they know it was the baby…” Li Feng said weakly. Still, the location was just too embarrassing.

Li smirked. “If that’s the case, then let’s go out!” And with that, he grabbed Li Feng’s hand and pulled him out.

Just before heading out, Li Feng had only enough time to undo his tied-up ponytail and let his hair fall forward, hoping to cover the area a bit. But that only drew more attention — since he went in with his hair tied and came out with it loose, it was even more suspicious.

“The baby’s asleep?” Mi asked in a softer voice, not wanting to wake him.

“Mm.”

Mi gave a brief introduction of Li Feng to the others, and then they officially started discussing the main topic of the day: weaving straw hats. No one brought up the previous rumors; they were here to talk about hat-making. Actually, Li Feng had wanted to make bamboo hats, but after being here for so long and still not having seen any bamboo— not even bamboo chopsticks, which were instead made from fruitwood— he had given up. Who said transmigrating into another world would always mean access to bamboo and bamboo shoots? He hadn’t even seen a single bamboo splinter! Bamboo really had so many uses; he wondered if it even existed in this world.

Weaving straw hats wasn’t all that complicated. Since they had already learned how to weave baskets, the technique wasn’t too different—just using different materials. It was mostly based on basket-weaving but with some braiding techniques and interlocking segments of straw. It was somewhat like knitting a hat with yarn, except the materials were completely different.

In modern times, straw hats had become fashion accessories, with various materials, weaving techniques, and colorful decorations. Li Feng didn’t care about any of that—mainly because he didn’t know how to do it. He was simply plagiarizing the ideas of people from his previous world. He took out the crooked straw hat he’d made earlier as a reference, so the others could get a rough idea. It was easier to show than to explain, since describing it in words alone probably wouldn’t help much.

As soon as he took out the hat, the five people eagerly crowded around to look at it, itching to try it on but restraining themselves for fear of damaging it. Mi, however, picked it up and studied it closely. The others surrounded her, touching and examining the hat like it was a prized possession. Seeing this, Li Feng’s mouth twitched—why did their expressions and gestures look so crazed, like they were ogling a lover? If their eyes could shoot fire, the hat would’ve already turned to ashes.

It was raining outside and a bit chilly. The women were wearing light clothing, and since the living room’s gate wasn’t closed—otherwise, it’d be too dark—the wind mixed with rain was blowing in freely. Li Feng stepped forward and half-closed the gate to block some of the wind. He then went to pour each of them a cup of hot water. The three women were indeed cold, while the two men seemed fine. When the five of them saw Li Feng and Nuo smiling warmly as they handed them the hot water, they suddenly began to feel that maybe the rumors they’d heard were all just a big misunderstanding.

After all, this gentle man didn’t resemble the ruthless, selfish person they’d imagined. He smiled warmly at the baby, was thoughtful and attentive to them. They couldn’t even remember the last time—or if ever—someone had handed them water. It wasn’t just the gesture—it was the fact that he noticed they were cold, closed the door, and gave them something warm. That was the most considerate act they’d ever experienced.

Given how hard it was just to get enough food, no one paid attention to such small details. But when someone hands you a cup of hot water while you’re cold, it’s a deeply comforting feeling. Their emotions were mixed. To think that someone they’d regarded as an “enemy” or “selfish jerk” could be so understanding made them feel both comforted and guilty—like they had wrongly judged someone without knowing the full story, simply believing the rumors. In short, they felt very conflicted, and their expressions reflected this as they looked at Li Feng.

Li Feng, however, didn’t notice any of this. As the host, it was only polite to offer tea or water to guests, especially when they needed it to warm up. But Li, He, and Bu, who stood by watching, noticed everything. They suspected the rumors were beginning to lose credibility. Not many people had heard the supposed scandal directly—most of it was secondhand gossip—so perhaps now these five were beginning to doubt its truth.

That was a good sign. If these five went back and shared their positive experience, even if not everyone believed it, at least some would. That was exactly what Li He and Bu hoped for. So the idea of sending them to deliver hats to the chief wasn’t a bad one. Though the effects weren’t immediate, things were starting to move in a good direction.

Sooner or later, this crack in the rumor would widen until the whole thing shattered like a bubble, disappearing into thin air.

Li Feng paid no attention to their thoughts. Once they finished their water, he began teaching them the basics of hat-weaving. First came the materials—this part was crucial. There were many options: rice straw, wheat straw, bamboo strips, water plants, etc. While many materials existed, they didn’t have access to most. But all good materials had one thing in common: they needed to be flexible and durable. Otherwise, the hat would fall apart easily.

Li Feng didn’t use any advanced techniques. He used vines, which functioned somewhat like modern wire to shape and stabilize the hat. Without that, even tightly braided straw wouldn’t hold. Bamboo strips would’ve been better—they could also be used to make cooling mats in summer or wind-blocking curtains in winter. Unfortunately, he had yet to see any bamboo.

The five people sent by the chief were all skillful, even the two older men. Li Feng wasn’t sure why men had been sent to learn this skill, but he didn’t ask. He didn’t want to stir up any more trouble, especially if it made things harder for Li He and Bu in the tribe. After all, it wasn’t his fault in the first place.

Teaching the skill wasn’t hard for Li Feng. The materials he gave them were ones he had gathered himself—there wasn’t much, and he was almost using up his whole stash. “You should all recognize this straw,” he said. “You can gather and dry it yourselves in the future. There are other usable types too, though I don’t have them right now. I’ll let you know if I find them, or you can experiment. But be careful—some grasses are quite sharp.” He taught while weaving, with Nuo also learning by his side.

Only Li, He, and Bu weren’t very interested. They occasionally glanced over, then returned to sharpening their stone knives or shell-and-wood spears. The living room was quiet but not awkwardly so—it felt warm and peaceful. Outside, the autumn rain beat gently on the roof and ground, creating a soothing, rhythmic sound that added to the calm atmosphere, especially as they worked on their intricate, novel crafts.

Li Feng didn’t talk the whole time—just spoke up during key steps or when they had questions. Sometimes his woven product didn’t look as good as Mi’s or the others’, but that didn’t reduce their admiration. He had great ideas, even if his execution wasn’t always perfect. He openly shared his thoughts and let them figure things out themselves, which only reinforced the impression that he wasn’t selfish. He’d even shared improvements to previous items like straw sandals and baskets—small changes, but very practical—motivating everyone to work harder.

Though hat-weaving wasn’t a complex skill, Mi and the others spent the entire afternoon learning and making their first ones. The shapes finally came together—not quite as good as Li Feng’s, but passable and wearable. They could wear them back to avoid the rain.

Seeing they’d more or less learned it, Li Feng told them they could practice at home and come back if they got stuck, saving them time for other work. Afterward, he cleaned up using a straw broom he had woven himself. He wanted to invite them to stay for dinner, but they declined—understandable, since they’d been out a long time and needed to return home to cook. They were also excited, eager to show off their new hats.

Throughout the lesson, Li Feng had been calm and patient. The baby had woken twice, and each time, Li Feng had gently fed and soothed him back to sleep. He was clearly a kind and gentle person who didn’t keep skills to himself. They decided they must tell others about this—it was very likely they had misunderstood him.

Still, they didn’t bring up the seed-related rumor. They didn’t want to ruin the pleasant atmosphere. Li Feng saw them to the door, which made them think even more highly of him—humble, polite, good-mannered. For Li Feng, it was just a natural part of how he’d always interacted with people. He didn’t realize this ordinary gesture would bring such unexpected rewards.

Humans are strange beings. With intelligence and emotion come obsession and fickleness. A single thought can turn one into a saint—or a monster. It all depends on who can see clearly and understand truly.

_{You know I am not liking Li very much. What the he*l did he meant by change is required but doing nothing. He couldn’t even talk to chief and came back. It’s hurtful and why Li Feng is not hurt beyond me.}