The early summer breeze rustled the bamboo forest. In the middle of a stone-built flower bed, a fluffy black-and-white ball curled up, hugging a bamboo shoot in its arms and gnawing slowly like a person chewing on sugarcane.
At the edge of the flower bed, little Pea, who had just learned to walk a few steps, held onto the stone rim with one hand while stretching the other forward. His legs twitched as if he wanted to jump, drooling and occasionally letting out little whimpers.
It was unclear whether he wanted to eat the bamboo shoot in Tuantuan’s paws or if he wanted to pinch the little bear’s ears.
Standing nearby, Bai Xue, watching her son, casually tugged at the opening of his little pants to ensure his tiny birdie was out and that he wouldn’t wet himself. Once satisfied, she paid him no more attention.
She usually loved weaving cloth and would hardly leave her loom even when Han Cheng called her. But now, every once in a while, she would rush out to gaze at the little creature Han Cheng had named Tuantuan.
Even though Tuantuan sat there, chewing bamboo shoots by himself, utterly ignoring this two-legged monkey who had never seen a panda eat bamboo before—acting all aloof and proud—it didn’t stop Bai Xue’s heart from bursting with excitement.
To her, Tuantuan was irresistibly adorable. Just watching the fluffy ball gnawing on bamboo was endlessly captivating.
Han Cheng arrived, carrying a newly crafted baby bottle from the deer pen.
The bottle was made entirely of fired clay, resembling a later-generation beer bottle.
So, to make do, Han Cheng had Hei Wa craft them in this shape.
Without rubber or soft enough wood, the bottle’s nipple was replaced with a bamboo tube.
Of course, the bamboo tube that fit into the bottle’s opening wasn’t exactly thin. If left unmodified, the milk would pour out uncontrollably.
After thinking for a while, Han Cheng devised a solution—keeping a bamboo node intact at one end of the tube, drilling a few small holes, and then inserting that end into the clay bottle.
Pine resin sealed the gap between the bottle and the bamboo tube, completing a simple baby bottle.
It was crude, but it worked.
Don’t ask how Han Cheng knew that—it was something he would never admit, even if beaten to death.
Pouring milk into this bottle was relatively easy. Thanks to the bamboo tube, he just had to pour the deer milk into it and wait for it to seep down slowly.
Of course, this hard-won, roughly crafted baby bottle wasn’t for his son, Han Pea.
Thanks to Han Cheng’s persistent efforts, Bai Xue’s two bowls had grown significantly larger, more than enough to feed little Pea.
This bottle was prepared for the Green Sparrow Tribe’s ‘tribal pet’—Tuantuan.
Tuantuan was still small, only a few months old.
Even in the modern world, Han Cheng—a self-proclaimed tough guy—couldn’t resist the charm of these masters of cuteness. He fell for them completely and learned all about their habits and behaviors.
A few months old panda cub wouldn’t just eat tender bamboo shoots; it was still nursing.
Of course, even without his modern knowledge, Han Cheng would have figured that out quickly.
Because every time Bai Xue finished feeding little Pea and then went to hold Tuantuan, the little rascal would always take the opportunity to leisurely and shamelessly act like a little rogue, completely disregarding Han Cheng, the rightful owner.
In light of this, Han Cheng had no choice but to tinker together a makeshift baby bottle.
If he didn’t get it done soon, he would suffer.
Holding the bottle in his hand, Han Cheng approached with a bit of a smug, treasure-presenting attitude. Realizing this, he couldn’t help but chuckle and sniff.
This wasn’t just a pet he had bartered for—this was practically a boss-level figure.
And yet, the frustrating thing was that he enjoyed serving it. Truly, creatures that could act cute and beg for affection were invincible.
Of course, the prerequisite was that they had to be naturally adorable. Han Cheng shivered uncontrollably if someone like Ruhua tried to pull the same stunt… just imagining that horrifying scene.
Even that kind of person would be “invincible” in their own way.
As Han Cheng got closer and saw the situation before him, he couldn’t help but curse out loud.
He was particularly fond of this patch of bamboo. With his frequent care, it looked pretty pleasing to the eye, and he was usually reluctant to cut any from it.
Everyone in the tribe knew how much the “Divine Child” cherished this bamboo grove, so even the most mischievous brats didn’t dare to touch it.
But now, it had fallen victim to an utterly lawless little bear.
Three freshly sprouted bamboo shoots had been snapped off—two already eaten, and the last one half-chewed. The culprit, the little bear, squatted there, glanced up at Han Cheng with a particularly innocent expression, then continued leisurely gnawing on the bamboo, thoroughly enjoying itself.
Seeing this, Han Cheng’s anger immediately dissipated.
Hmph, shameless little thing, trying to pull this trick again.
Han Cheng muttered in his heart, but he had to admit—it worked on him every time.
Reaching out, he picked up the little rascal, who was still unwilling to let go of its bamboo shoot, and carried it to a spot away from the bamboo grove.
Confiscating the remaining shot, he ruffled the little guy’s head a few times before bringing the baby bottle to its mouth.
When the deer milk flowed in, the cub instantly forgot about the half-eaten bamboo shoot Han Cheng had taken away.
After greedily gulping down two mouthfuls, the little one stretched out its front paws and clutched the bottle, drinking on its own.
The sight of it indulging in the milk was amusing.
As the milk in the bottle gradually decreased, the seemingly clumsy little bear instinctively leaned its head further and further back.
But the result of this maneuver was that, before long, it lost balance and toppled over.
For a sturdy bear cub, this was nothing. It didn’t even bother to get up. Instead, it remained sprawled on the ground, cradling the bottle with its front paws while eagerly drinking, its short hind legs kicking occasionally.
Its body swayed from side to side like a fluffy ball rolling around.
No matter how it rolled, though, the bottle never left its mouth.
Its irresistibly adorable antics melted Bai Xue’s heart and even Han Cheng, a grown man.
Meanwhile, not far from the Green Sparrow Tribe, a large panda with a somewhat dirty coat was making its way through the forest, searching and sniffing its way toward the tribe’s location.
This was none other than the mother who had lost her cub. Somehow, she had managed to track it all the way here…