Not far away, back at the frozen riverbank, three little furry figures suddenly came running at full speed.
"Mama! We’re back!" Xiao Yi shouted happily, his tiny tiger paws bounding through the snow.
Behind the three bounding cubs, Hu Yan and Han Jue quickly arrived, their powerful strides easily covering the ground.
Both of them were carrying massive, heavy woven baskets on their broad backs, having rushed over the moment the cubs delivered the message.
Hu Yan stopped at the riverbank, his golden eyes widening in complete shock as he looked at the massive mountain of green winter spinach, giant radishes, piles of massive wild yams, and twelve enormous silver fish resting on the snow.
He blinked blankly, looking from the harvest to his petite female.
"...Qinglan. Did you and Xuan Long go out and rob the entire forest while we were gone?"
Su Qinglan burst into a loud, helpless fit of laughter. "No! We just found a patch of wild yams buried under the snow, and then I decided to catch some fish."
Han Jue walked over to the hole in the ice, his sharp eyes instantly spotting the handmade branch fishing rod resting nearby. His eyes showed a flash of deep surprise and admiration.
"So this strange stick is another brilliant thing you invented?"
Su Qinglan puffed out her chest, looking incredibly proud as she rested her hands on her hips.
"Of course! It’s called a fishing rod. It’s much safer and easier than diving into the freezing water."
Hu Yan smiled dotingly, his chest swelling with pride for his amazing female. He immediately stepped forward and began lifting the heavy piles of fish and yams, packing them securely into the large baskets.
"Alright, let’s go home before the wind gets any colder. Tonight, we will have a massive feast!"
Everyone happily gathered the remaining vegetables, the giant starchy yams, and all the fresh, glittering fish.
Even the three little tiger cubs stubbornly insisted on helping, each of them picking up their tiny woven baskets in their mouths, their faces completely full of pure excitement.
As they walked back, the cubs trotted closely around Su Qinglan’s legs, chirping happily.
"Mama! Can we eat delicious grilled fish tonight? Just like the ones in the forest?" Xiao Yi asked, his mouth watering.
"And yam soup! What does yam taste like...sweet or sour?! Xiao Er added, completely recovered and full of energy now.
Su Qinglan nodded with a bright, loving smile, ruffling their soft ears.
"Yes, my little gluttons. We will make a huge pot of warm yam soup and plenty of savory grilled fish for the whole family."
The three little cubs immediately cheered in unison, their tiny tails wagging wildly in the crisp winter air. "Yay! Mama is the best!"
Xiao San slithered happily alongside his brothers. He was using the very tip of his tail to tightly grip his own tiny woven basket, proudly holding it off the snow as he moved.
In the kitchen, Su Qinglan was working up a sweat. She was busy experimenting with the freshly dug wild yams, creating brand new dishes like savory mashed yam with beast fat, crispy roasted yam cakes, and a thick, sweet yam-and-meat porridge.
The rich, mouth-watering aroma of grilled fish, stewed meat, and sweet yams filled every single corner of the chaotic, happy house.
When it was finally time to serve the food, they realized there were simply too many people to fit around the wooden dining table.
Without a second thought, they pushed the table completely out of the way and spread out several large, soft, warm beast rugs across the floor.
Everyone sat down in a massive circle, laughing and talking warmly. The mountain of delicious food disappeared at an unbelievable speed.
The beastmen ate the perfectly seasoned meat and grilled fish like there was no end to their appetites, praising Su Qinglan’s incredible cooking with every bite.
The only person missing from the massive gathering was Lan Yue. She was still far too embarrassed to face Su Qinglan after the clumsy incident with Tu Yuelang, so she had made a flimsy excuse to stay behind.
Su Qinglan knew exactly why her little sister was hiding, so she chuckled softly and packed a massive, generous portion of the best grilled fish, yam porridge, and fresh meat into a clean basket.
She handed it to her younger brother, Yin Chen.
"Yin Chen, deliver this to Lan Yue’s house so she can eat with her beast husbands," Su Qinglan instructed with a knowing smirk.
Yin Chen nodded obediently, took the heavy basket, and quickly ran out into the snowy night to deliver the feast.

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