Seven Cubs, Seven Fathers, Zero Days Off

Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Be a Baby Who Doesn’t Lie and Is Always Himself

His subordinate hurriedly pulled out some dried goat jerky.

”General, you should eat something, even if it’s just this.”

Mu Silin looked at the dry jerky in his hand, then glanced down at the roasted wild goat sizzling with oil. His deep eyes narrowed.

He took a deep breath, accepted it, and took a savage bite.

He used to think dried goat jerky was quite tasty, but now it was completely flavorless, like chewing on wax.

His subordinate also chewed on a piece of the dry jerky.

”General, what do you think Miss Shen Yue’s roasted wild goat tastes like?”

’I really want to try some!’

’When will I ever get to taste it?’

Mu Silin forced down a mouthful of the jerky. ’He wanted to know what it tasted like, too!’

’It definitely wouldn’t taste like the dry jerky in his own hand.’

Down below, the stomachs of the little cubs trailing Shen Yue had been growling with hunger for some time.

She called out, ”Dinner’s ready!”

The little cubs scrambled to their seats at the stone table. Even the little ice-block, Sanbao, stared unblinkingly at the roasted goat in the center.

While Shen Yue had been cooking, she had told Dabao and Er Bao to teach their younger brothers some table manners.

So, having listened to Dabao and Er Bao’s instructions, the little cubs were sitting quietly and not fidgeting.

Of course, there were one or two stubborn exceptions.

”Si Bao, no licking the meat.”

”Wubao, your paws are dirty! Don’t grab the meat with them!”

Dabao, ever responsible, kept a close eye on Si Bao’s outstretched tongue and Wubao’s paw.

As Shen Yue walked over carrying the soup, she glanced at the two little culprits.

”Si Bao, Wubao, you’re not behaving. Didn’t you hear the lesson on table manners Dabao just gave you? You have to follow the rules!”

The two little cubs, who had been about to sneak out their paws again, flinched and pulled them back at her words.

Si Bao immediately denied it.

”Female mother, it wasn’t me! It was Wubao!”

The Little White Tiger was stunned. He hadn’t expected the wolf cub to deny it on the spot and sell him out.

He stared with his big, round tiger eyes.

”Why are you lying? Female mother, it was Si Bao, not me!”

Shen Yue paused, surprised that the two little cubs were trying to pin the blame on each other right in front of her.

It’s natural for children to lie instinctively to hide their mistakes, afraid of being punished. But she had seen both Si Bao and Wubao. They were caught red-handed and still wouldn’t admit it.

If she didn’t guide them properly, one child’s habit of lying could lead the others to follow their bad example. Si Bao had already led Wubao astray right before her eyes.

Shen Yue sat down and looked at the two cubs. Under her gaze, Si Bao and Wubao immediately deflated, lowering their eyes, not daring to meet hers.

”Si Bao, Wubao, why won’t you look at female mother?”

Neither of the two cubs said a word, and the others beside them didn’t dare to speak either.

Shen Yue’s voice was very gentle.

”Female mother isn’t scolding you or yelling at you. Why are you afraid to look at me?”

Wubao listened, thought for a moment, and looked up at her, his ears drooping.

He met her gaze, which was both loving and stern. His large, crystal-clear amber eyes revealed a flicker of fear.

”Female mother, Wubao was wrong. Please don’t be angry, female mother. It was me who touched the meat with my paw. Wubao shouldn’t have lied!”

As he spoke, he placed one foreleg on Shen Yue’s leg and held up the other paw—the one that had touched the meat—high in the air.

”It was this paw! It’s still oily!”

The little cub held up his paw for her to see, hoping she would forgive him.

Wubao watched her warily. Her reflection was clearly visible in his pure eyes as he offered a pitiful, sincere apology, terrified she would be angry.

’It’s as if, in this little cub’s heart, I am his entire world.’

’The person he cares for and loves most in this world.’

Shen Yue’s heart softened. She reached out and lifted Wubao into her arms. The memory of last night’s dream, of a soft, fluffy Wubao being smashed into a bloody pulp, made her heart shudder.

”Wubao, female mother isn’t angry. Female mother just wants to tell you that you should never let others lead you astray and make you act unlike yourself, you understand?”

Hearing this, Si Bao the Little Blood Wolf, who was standing nearby, immediately hung his head, his ears drooping listlessly.

Shen Yue continued, ”When you lie, you feel terrible and anxious inside, don’t you? Your heart pounds because you’re afraid someone will see through it, right? That’s why you became too timid to even meet female mother’s gaze, isn’t it?”

The Little Tiger listened as if she had read his mind.

His little ears folded back, his eyes welled up with tears, and he sniffled, leaning into Shen Yue’s embrace as if he was about to cry.

”Mhm, Wubao lied, and it made my heart feel awful...”

’I shouldn’t have lied. I didn’t want to lie.’

’So this is what lying does. It makes you feel so scared you can’t even look female mother in the eye. It’s all Si Bao’s fault for getting me into this!’

Shen Yue stroked his head and said encouragingly,

”This is what female mother wanted to tell you. My Fengxi must always be a mighty, brave, and honest tiger cub. That way, you’ll be more confident and open, and you’ll definitely grow up to be a truly incredible person. And Wubao, don’t be afraid. Making a mistake isn’t scary. What’s scary is knowing you’re wrong but refusing to change. Only by making mistakes can you learn where you went wrong. By bravely admitting and correcting your mistakes, you come to understand yourself better and become yourself again. So for my Wubao to bravely admit his mistake... that’s truly amazing!”

Nearby, Si Muye listened and couldn’t help but fall into deep thought.

’Making a mistake isn’t scary. It’s by bravely admitting and correcting it that you come to understand yourself better and become yourself again.’

’Then what about me...?’

’Back then, his leg injury had caused his spiritual power to decline and his Combat Power to plummet. During that battle, it was precisely his mistake that led to countless deaths and injuries in his unit. The brothers he had trained with, the brothers he had faced life and death with, had fallen one by one right in front of him.’

’Later, being abandoned by his family and forsaken by the K Empire hadn’t crushed him. The only thing that did was the memory of the brothers who had died because of him. It was something he couldn’t face, something he could never forgive himself for.’

’That was why he was unwilling to return to the Royal City, why he didn’t dare to face the brothers who had once believed in him and entrusted him with their very lives.’

From his hiding spot, Mu Silin chewed on his jerky, mulling over Shen Yue’s words.

His gaze, as he watched Shen Yue, was filled with profound admiration and astonishment.

’When had he ever heard such words?’

’Such words of education and encouragement for a child... in just a few sentences, they could stir a person’s soul, leaving one deeply impressed without quite knowing why.’

’He couldn’t help but think, with a mother like that raising them, there was no doubt the children would grow up to be successful. How could they possibly go wrong? In the future, every single one of them would likely be able to stand on their own.’

Down below, the Little Tiger listened, his big, round eyes shimmering with tears. He nodded, seeming to half-understand.

”Female mother, really? Is Wubao amazing, too?”

”Of course. Any cub who is brave enough to admit their mistakes and reflect on their actions is one of female mother’s most amazing cubs!”

Wubao’s eyes shone with an extraordinary light as he snuggled into Shen Yue’s embrace.

”I understand! Wubao will remember female mother’s words! I’ll be a cub who doesn’t lie and is always myself!!”

Satisfied, Shen Yue stroked his fluffy head, then looked at the Little Blood Wolf who stood beside them with his head bowed.

”Si Bao, what about you? What kind of cub do you want to be?”