RPS – Chapter 79 Found Something Good?

Li Feng played with the baby for a while, then gently held the baby under the armpits and let him try walking on his own. The baby also loved walking. He clapped his little hands and took small, waddling steps, moving surprisingly fast. Moreover, the baby had sharp eyes—he would immediately head toward anything that caught his interest, and Li Feng followed behind, staying close and carefully supporting him.

When the baby saw wildflowers among the grass, he immediately squatted down, though his little body wasn’t quite stable yet. Using his chubby hands, he tried to grab at the flowers. The little blossoms looked rather sturdy, and although the baby tugged several times, all he managed to do was crush the petals. The stem itself stayed firmly rooted.

The baby didn’t seem to mind the missing flower. In fact, he became fixated on the green stem and stubbornly tried to pull it out. As the saying goes, “Wildfires burn endlessly, but the spring wind brings them back to life”—these wild grasses had deep roots, and not only that, their stems were tough and resilient. Even adults often couldn’t uproot them completely, let alone a baby with such soft, delicate hands. So after going from curious to determined, even using all his baby strength, he ended up with nothing but green plant juice staining his hands—and a hard fall onto his little bottom.

Li Feng, still supporting the baby from behind, burst out laughing at the sight. How could a baby be this adorable? The little one sat there pouting after the fall, his big eyes glittering with confusion as he stared at the now-ruined flower and stubborn grass. Why can’t I pull it out? he seemed to wonder. And my hand hurts so much…

Thinking this, the baby lifted his tender little hand and looked at the green juice smeared across his palm. Tears welled up instantly, but no one rushed to comfort him. Everyone nearby was too busy laughing, holding their stomachs.

The baby blinked his eyes rapidly, pushing the tears back, then picked himself up and sat down right next to the stubborn weed, refusing to give up. His little hand reached out again—he wasn’t going to let this one go. Seeing that Li Feng and the others had no intention of helping, he didn’t get discouraged. He tried again with all his might. But the grass was too deeply rooted, and the baby was only nine months old—not even a year yet. How could he possibly manage?

His tiny face turned bright red from the effort. At last, with a loud “Waaah!” he gave up and threw himself into Li Feng’s arms, crying out, “Baa… baa… baa… baa!” so pitifully that it broke Li Feng’s heart.

They had all been enjoying watching the baby’s cute little antics, finding it absolutely delightful. But suddenly, he cried—and so miserably too. Hearing him call out “Daddy” over and over made Li Feng ache with sympathy. He quickly scooped the baby into his arms to comfort him.

“Don’t cry, baby. The little grass is being naughty. Daddy will scold it and pull it out for you, okay?” he cooed softly as he pretended to angrily slap the unlucky weed.

Seeing the grass swaying pitifully from the “punishment,” the baby sniffled, hiccuped, and even though tears still clung to his cheeks, a smile slowly bloomed on his face. Li Feng, glad that the baby had stopped crying, quickly broke off a few blades of grass and handed them over. The baby clutched the greenery tightly in his chubby fists, beaming with joy—he was even so happy that a little snot bubble popped out of his nose.

“Why does this baby love crying so much?” Li muttered with a frown. “A little thing happens and he cries—hungry, thirsty, needs to pee or poop, he cries. He even cries when he’s happy or upset. This isn’t like a man at all.”

Li Feng shot him a glare. “Hmph! Baby doesn’t know how to talk yet. Of course he cries when he’s hungry or thirsty. If he doesn’t cry, how would you know what he needs? Weren’t you the same when you were little?”

What nonsense—only babies who don’t cry are abnormal. Their baby was the smartest, cutest baby there ever was. The fact that he had the energy to cry just meant he was healthy and lively. What did Li know about anything? Talking about being a man—right now, the baby wasn’t even a boy, just an infant!

“Why are you so worked up? I was just being honest,” Li said, watching Li Feng stomp off while still holding the baby close.

“Well, keep your honest opinions to yourself! It’s perfectly normal for a baby to cry. All kids do it. From now on, don’t you dare say anything bad about our baby!” When it came to anyone saying anything “negative” about the baby, Li Feng was completely unapologetic—even if it was the other dad saying it. Honestly, Li might not have been as well-behaved as the baby when he was little.

“…Fine,” Li replied slowly, though he muttered to himself, I didn’t even say anything bad. I was just wondering aloud. Li Feng’s so protective these days, it’s unreal… But he dared not say it out loud, or he’d get another earful. He’d rather spend his time doing something fun than listening to another one of Li Feng’s “lectures.”

The baby, meanwhile, ignored the mini drama between his two dads. He was busy playing with the grass leaves in his hands. His chubby little fingers pinched and poked at them, fiddling over and over. Soon, though, he got bored. With a flick of his tiny hand, the grass leaves floated away, spinning in the breeze before falling into the surrounding grass. The baby blinked his big eyes and burst into laughter—he must’ve found the spinning leaves amusing and graceful.

Walking behind them, Li shook his head. Just now he was crying and screaming to have those, and now he’s tossed them away so casually. Truly the fickle heart of a child. Only pleased when it suits him, never sticking to anything for long. But when he saw the baby’s eyes curve into little crescents as he smiled, those two deep little dimples on his cheeks, and the few small white teeth peeking through—he couldn’t help but smile too. He reached out and pinched the baby’s little nose, and the baby looked up and gave him a brilliant smile, shouting out in his clear, bright voice: “Daddy!”

Hearing this, Li felt utterly refreshed. The baby’s voice was so pleasant, so obedient, and he looked absolutely adorable. His chubby little cheeks were soft and smooth, just like freshly boiled and peeled eggs. He had completely forgotten that just a moment ago, he was complaining about how the baby cried too much and wasn’t manly enough.

“Hey, aren’t you two going to get up already? You’re setting a bad example for the child!” Li Feng kicked Nuo and Bu, who were still snuggled up together sleeping. These two, seriously—they’d just lain there all afternoon. Judging by how tidy their clothes still were, at least they hadn’t done anything inappropriate!

“It’s already this late, how can you not be hungry?” Li sat down and opened the food box. It was already noon, and he really was starting to feel hungry. These days, Li Feng only gave them very light meals in the morning—just a boiled egg or two and a cup of soybean juice, or a bowl of flour paste soup. Occasionally, when there was extra animal milk, he let them drink it, but they couldn’t stomach it; it was better suited for the baby. Ever since they’d started eating meat, they hadn’t drunk any of that watery stuff—it just didn’t fill them up. If they had gone hunting, they would’ve been starving by now. Since they weren’t moving much, they weren’t too hungry yet. But since it was about the right time, they might as well eat a little—it was true they were getting a bit hungry.

“Aiya, we’ve been starving! We’ve been waiting for you guys forever! Who knew you’d take so long—we had no choice but to wait with empty stomachs!” Nuo rolled over and sat up, acting all pitiful despite having had a good nap. They’d been basking in the sun, enjoying the breeze, breathing in the scent of the grass and wild herbs from the mountain. They’d never noticed it before, always rushing around in the forest. But now that they had time to relax, they realized how fragrant the mountain plants really were. The two had cuddled up together, occasionally sharing sweet kisses while watching the clouds drift across the blue sky. It was pure bliss—they hadn’t even noticed that Li Feng and the baby had wandered off to play nearby.

Li Feng couldn’t be bothered to argue. He was feeling a bit hungry too, and the baby, who had been playing for quite a while, definitely hadn’t eaten yet—he must be starving. The group, both young and old, sat in a circle with animal hides spread in the center. The food was taken out of the baskets. Although it was a little cold, it didn’t matter. Mo and Lu had already collected a bunch of dry branches while playing earlier, perfect for starting a fire to do some outdoor grilling.

Li Feng heated up some milk and soybean juice for the baby, and had Lu and Mo drink some too to fill their stomachs a bit. As for the adults, they started stewing the marinated meat Li Feng had prepared that morning. There were also multigrain flatbreads and steamed buns, along with slices of cured meat, dried fish, and sausages. While they were busy boiling water and cooking, Li Feng handed the baby over to Li and went off to find some wild greens. They had only brought meat—mostly cured stuff—so it would be good to add some fresh vegetables.

It was spring, and there were plenty of wild greens around, especially fresh shepherd’s purse, amaranth, and so on. There was a lot nearby. As for other plants he didn’t recognize, Li Feng didn’t dare mess with them—they could be poisonous, like the legendary “Soul-Breaking Grass” from novels. He wasn’t trying to be some kind of herbal pioneer.

He didn’t go far—just a little into the woods near their cooking spot—hoping to find some extras like wood ear fungus or wild mushrooms. He also wanted to check on the animals they had tethered to make sure they hadn’t escaped. It would be a huge loss if their food supply ran off while they were out having fun!

Thankfully, all the animals were still there, obediently munching grass, showing no signs of trying to chew through their ropes. Li Feng sighed in relief and pulled some grass nearby to feed them. As he wandered a bit farther, he stumbled upon a treasure—scallions and a few green onions. Hm? Could that be garlic hiding in the lush grass? He stepped closer, parted the grass—and yes, it was garlic! Quite a bit, too. Though they were all rather small—probably because the surrounding wild grass had taken most of the nutrients—even though the garlic was as thin as scallions, and the scallions looked like weeds, he had found them. Finally, he had collected scallions, ginger, and garlic. They previously only had scallions at home. If he could find chili peppers, that would be even better. If not the real kind, even wild mountain peppers would do—they were just as spicy.

Last year when he transmigrated, it was already June or July. He hadn’t ventured far into the mountains—just picked some fruits in the nearby woods. Many plants were more abundant in spring, but now he didn’t have time, nor dared to go deeper in. He’d wait until Li and the others were fully recovered before going as a group. For now, his priority was to dig these up and plant them at home. Still, he picked a small bunch first, thinking he’d sprinkle some scallions over dinner later—it would be delicious.

Li Feng quickly ran back to grab a shovel and basket, then dragged Li along to dig up the garlic and scallions. He dug up every visible patch nearby. Thankfully, they were all small and fit in one basket. Garlic and scallions were hardy, so he wasn’t worried. After dinner, they’d go home and plant them. As he dug through the grass, he felt such joy—like uncovering hidden treasure.

Just as he was about to finish digging, he noticed a few tiny, weed-like plants hugging the ground—cilantro! So small, not even half the size of his palm, flat against the soil. If he hadn’t been carefully digging up garlic sprouts, he might’ve mistaken it for grass and pulled it out. This discovery made him even more excited. He didn’t want to leave and insisted on thoroughly combing the area to see if there were any more good finds. In the end, aside from these three valuable items—scallions, garlic, and cilantro—the rest were just ordinary, tasteless wild greens or unknown weeds. Still, Li Feng wasn’t disappointed. Finding all three in one place was incredibly lucky. If only there were chili peppers, it would’ve been perfect. But no rush—he’d already waited a year, what’s a few more days? Chili peppers, just you wait!

“Hey! Li! Li Feng! What are you two doing? Haven’t you finished yet? Stop getting all lovey-dovey— the meat is grilled, and the soup’s ready!” Li Feng heard Nuo shouting from a distance. He wasn’t fazed at all by Nuo’s teasing about getting cozy. He was just too happy and shouted back, “Coming!” before dragging Li back, full of excitement.

When they returned, things actually weren’t quite ready yet—Nuo had exaggerated. Li Feng didn’t mind. Just as well—he could now add the chopped scallions and cilantro to the meat soup to enhance the flavor. The others watched as he cheerfully sorted and washed his basketful of greens, then sprinkled them into the soup, curiously asking what they were. Li Feng only gave a mysterious smile. “You’ll know soon enough!”

The more he kept it secret, the more curious they got. Everyone couldn’t wait for the meat soup to finish. Were these greens just like the previous ones—ginger and other unremarkable ingredients that turned out to be delicious? Since the scallions and cilantro were added near the end, the soup was nearly done and ready in just a couple of minutes. The milky-white broth gave off a rich meaty aroma. The gamey smell was completely gone. Although they’d added spices before, this time the flavor seemed subtly different—more fragrant, more savory. It smelled irresistible. Bright green bits of scallions and whole sprigs of cilantro floated on top—it looked lovely. Taking a sip—mmm, the flavor really was amazing. Li Feng squinted happily. Scallions and cilantro really were incredible for boosting flavor.

The others agreed—it tasted even better than usual. Everyone had several bowls. The grilled meat had also been brushed with garlic juice, sprinkled with scallions and salt. The taste? Spicy, savory, and incredibly delicious. There were also other dishes—stir-fried shepherd’s purse with sausage, cured meat with pickled vegetables, and dried fish eaten straight. Every dish was garnished with scallions. Although the difference wasn’t obvious, the flavor was definitely richer, more complete—a perfect finishing touch. At least for Li Feng, that’s how it felt. The others just thought it was super tasty and polished off every last bite with enthusiasm.

There was a lot of shepherd’s purse and other wild greens nearby. Since dinner was done and they had nothing else to do, Li Feng dragged everyone out for some exercise—digging wild greens together. Of course, they were only allowed to dig up what they recognized—nothing unfamiliar. They gathered as much shepherd’s purse as they could. After planting the scallions, garlic, and cilantro back home, they decided to make dumplings in the afternoon—it had been a long time. Spring greens were at their tenderest, especially shepherd’s purse, and now they also had scallions. They could make shepherd’s purse and pork filling, or scrambled egg with wild greens. Just thinking of that juicy, savory bite made Li Feng swallow his drool secretly. He couldn’t wait—he’d make it as soon as they got back!

Li looked at Li Feng’s radiant smile, and his own heart couldn’t help but beat faster, his blood rushing. In his heart, he made the same decision: once they got home—they’d make it!