Uncle Shan looked at the little beastman, his eyes full of paternal affection. "What a robust little boy. He'll surely be a great warrior in the future."
Upon hearing this, Mu ger and Lai Yuan smiled happily, their eyes narrowing with joy. Mu ger said sweetly, "Thank you, Elder."
"Just call me Uncle Shan. I am the steward of the young master's pavilion," Uncle Shan said, then addressed the others. "Quickly, prepare the best room available. Fetch water for our guests to bathe."
"Yes, sir."
Watching Uncle Shan busily making arrangements, everyone appeared harmonious.
Wang Jin fell silent.
Was I really the only one shocked that the baby just turned into a little tiger and ran off like that?
The original owner's memories contained no information about little beastmen, likely a blind spot in the original owner's knowledge. And Wang Jin certainly couldn't have known either.
Wang Jin regained his composure and hurriedly ushered Qi ger, Mu ger, and Lai Yuan inside.
Inside, the little tiger sat upright on the table, looking as leisurely and content as a little king inspecting his territory.
Seeing this, Mu ger stepped forward, grabbed the little tiger by the scruff of its neck, and held it in his arms, scolding softly, "On the table again? How many times have I told you, you cannot get on the table!"
Wang Jin quickly said, "It's fine. In this house, he can get on any table he wants."
As he spoke, Wang Jin reached out and stroked the little tiger's fur. It was warm and soft, and the texture felt quite pleasant.
Once transformed into a little tiger, the infant did not change back. Wang Jin set the swaddling clothes aside, planning to dress him again when he turned back into a baby.
For now, he remained in his little tiger form, nestled in Mu ger's arms, being stroked by Mu ger intermittently. He looked less like a son and more like a fluffy, adorable pet.
"By the way, A-Mu, did only you three come?" Wang Jin asked, seeing the little tiger squinting as if very sleepy, and lowered his voice.
Mu ger shook his head. "No. A group of people came. A-Hua's family, Xiao Ruo's family, and several families who used to weave cloth with us—Ye ger, Mian ger, and Jing ger—they all came. But the healer and the Qin brothers were unwilling to come. They said the Danmu tribe must carry on its legacy. So, following Brother Heng's intention, Xiao Ruo handed over the leadership position and the clan emblem to Qin Xi. He brought the ancient beast tribe's clan emblem and came. However, they all went to see the city lord first, that is, your brother..."
Pausing, Mu ger looked at Qi ger and said, "Originally, Uncle Qi was also unwilling to come. It was only after much persuasion from Brother Heng that he agreed."
Hearing this, Qi ger smiled awkwardly. "I'm old now, and I tend to cling to the past."
The ger before him had a haze of sorrow between his brows that wouldn't disperse. His smile was faint, as if even smiling wasn't a source of much joy for him.
That was understandable. His entire family was now gone, leaving only him... And his beastman had shown kindness to Brother Heng.
Wang Jin smiled, offering comfort. "Uncle Qi, don't worry. Once Brother Heng's city is built and we are settled, we can go back for visits whenever we wish in the future. The tribe is large; there will always be some empty houses. We can even go stay for a few days."
Upon hearing this, Qi ger's eyes lit up, and the haze between his brows lessened slightly.
Lai Yuan said, "We just don't know where the chosen city site is. Otherwise, I could go help Brother Heng right now."
Wang Jin replied, "There's no need to rush. You've just arrived at Ning'an City; you must be tired and hungry. Rest first."
As Wang Jin spoke, Lai Yuan and Qi ger nodded. But Mu ger remained silent. Wang Jin looked at him and noticed his gaze fixed on Wang Jin's still-flat abdomen, his eyes shining as if filled with stars.
Wang Jin stiffened, subconsciously covering his not-yet-showing belly. To cover his reaction, he picked up a teacup and took a sip. Seeing this, Mu ger exclaimed in alarm and snatched the teacup from Wang Jin's hand.
"A-jin, you cannot drink tea when pregnant."
"?" Wang Jin stammered, "Is... is that a rule? But the healer never mentioned..."
"He must have forgotten. When pregnant, you should drink plain water. You can have some honey water."
With that, Mu ger moved the tea farther away. Seeing a pot on the table, he poured Wang Jin a cup of warm water.
"..." The ger serving beside them suddenly felt he had nothing to do.
When Uncle Shan entered, he witnessed this scene and felt even more friendly toward Mu ger and the others.
He stepped forward and said, "Young Master, the bathwater for our three guests is ready. So..."
Hearing this, Wang Jin quickly said, "Right, Uncle Qi, A-Mu, Lai Yuan, you've traveled a long way. Go bathe first. Hu Hu can stay here; Uncle Shan, the others, and I will watch him. It's fine."
The three looked down at their dirty clothes and nodded.
Mu ger handed the little tiger in his arms to Wang Jin. The little tiger, perhaps truly tired, only lazily opened his eyes for a moment when transferred, then rolled over and continued sleeping.
Wang Jin stiffened, not daring to move for a long time. After a while, seeing the little tiger remained still, he finally reached out to stroke him. Once he started, he couldn't stop. The little tiger's fine, downy fur felt incredibly good.
He stroked the little tiger again and again, completely forgetting this was a baby, treating him like a kitten, holding him in his arms and petting him.
As he stroked the little tiger's fur, a thought drifted into his mind—if this were Yuan Heng's child, if he were a little white tiger… he would surely be even more adorable.
"Young Master, should we send a message to Master Yuan to inform him we have guests at home?" Uncle Shan asked softly.
Wang Jin thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Today is exactly the second day. Brother Heng will be back tonight; there's no need to send a separate message. As for the people from the Danmu tribe coming, I think Brother Heng probably already knows."
Xiao Ruo must have sent word to the man the moment they set out.
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