Chapter 92: Appetite

"Brother Qing, how about... how about you hide in the bathroom first?" Fat Qi thought his quick-thinking idea was highly feasible. And whether he was worried Qing Bai would get lonely in the bathroom alone or for some other reason, he slapped his forehead and continued, "Jiunian can go in together. The two of you can look out for each other."

How can we take care of each other in that tiny bathroom?

Ai Chan, who had just released the little monkey from the window, turned around and heard Qi Xiaopang's words, with a complicated expression.

Qing Bai's expression was even more complicated, mixed with a strange sense of relief: This little fat guy is really his good brother...

Although Qing Bai didn't mind this somewhat awkward suggestion, unfortunately, the other party involved was very powerful and vetoed it: "No need."

Then he raised his hand and placed it on Qing Bai's shoulder.

Qing Bai shuddered slightly, feeling a warmth all over his body, as if he had sunk into a pile of fur. This feeling was not unfamiliar; it happened almost every day during his time as a 'kitten'. However, the feeling of being wrapped in a tail while in animal form was completely different from that of being wrapped in a human form, and...

Qing Bai quickly glanced at Jiu Nian's waist - he had just gotten out of bed, but his robe was smooth and tidy without a single wrinkle.

This guy didn't even let out his tail...

Or was it released, but he just couldn't see it?

Tsk, growing a tail in beast form feels completely different from growing a tail in human form...

Fortunately, Qing Bai was not the only one who couldn’t see it.

"Brother Qing?" Fat Qi looked at Jiu Nian's suddenly empty side in disbelief, and then gave an exaggerated reaction to this wonderful miracle. He rubbed his eyes hard and applauded silently.

This is much more amazing than those magic tricks that can make a person appear alive! This is a real magic trick!

Qi Xiaopang's speech became very fast: "That's the best, that's the best! Hiding in the bathroom just because the owner of the farmhouse came to deliver food is really not right. It's like catching an adulterer and running away in a panic!"

Qing Baijiunian, who was caught cheating, said: "..."

Ai Chan sighed, "Alright, alright. I know you're good at talking. Stop talking and open the door for Boss Zhou."

Qi Xiaopang curled his lips and went to open the door with a reluctant look.

Boss Zhou, worthy of being a businessman, was scolded twice by Qi Xiaopang early in the morning, but he still looked enthusiastic when he saw people again: "I'm so sorry to disturb our guests' rest! These breakfasts are fresh out of the pot, please don't be polite!"

As he spoke, he pushed the three-layer food cart into the door, but his eyes were looking around vigilantly. Just as Qi Xiaopang had said before: It is obvious that the person who comes here has other intentions than drinking.

Everyone knew that Boss Zhou was looking for the monkey under the pretext of delivering breakfast. Since the little monkey had already been "released", they pretended not to notice him looking around and went about their business, leaving Fatty Qi to deal with him.

At most, we can count Qing Bai who was invisible for nine years, and the nine years of paying close attention to Qing Bai.

"This breakfast is delicious! Thank you, Boss Zhou!" Qi Xiaopang rolled his eyes, hoping to get Boss Zhou to be 'generous' for once, and asked with feigned curiosity, "By the way, is this breakfast just for us, or is it included for other guests as well?"

"..." Boss Zhou, who was always so warm and welcoming, was stunned for a moment after these words came out. After realizing what was happening, he quickly said, "It's not that I can't bear to part with this breakfast, it's just..."

Boss Zhou lowered his voice, pretending to be mysterious. "Brother Qi, didn't you guys go climbing Chushan Mountain yesterday? Don't you know about the big event that happened there?"

"What big thing happened?" Qi Xiaopang played innocently like a pro. "It's very quiet in the temple on the mountain, isn't it?"

"It's naturally quiet in the temple, but it's bustling outside." Boss Zhou sighed, "You don't know, except for you, all the other guests at my farmhouse have been sent to the police for fighting with monkeys in Chushan Mountain."

We know that it was us who made the call to the police station.

"The past is a lesson for the future!" Boss Zhou lamented, "The monkeys on Chushan are really not to be trifled with, my guests!"

No matter how sincere and heartfelt Boss Zhou's behavior was, Qi Xiaopang didn't care. As a member who had personally visited the scene and had a deeper understanding, he didn't think the monkeys in Chushan were that difficult to deal with. He only felt that human nature was greedy and human hearts were terrible.

Qing Bai did see something else from Boss Zhou's reactions, but he was not in a good state to speak freely at the moment.

After thinking for a while, Qing Bai pressed Jiu Nian's arm. Seeing Jiu Nian looking at him, he raised his finger and pointed at his throat, silently asking him if he could speak in his current condition.

Jiu Nian's gaze followed Qing Bai's movements, and finally stopped at his white neck exposed outside his collar... He suddenly remembered that the person in front of him had a small red mole on the back of his neck.

Just when Qing Bai began to doubt the tacit understanding between them, Jiu Nian's Adam's apple moved up and down. He didn't open his mouth, but his voice echoed directly in Qing Bai's mind: "You can talk, they can't hear you."

Qing Bai was relieved that the tacit understanding between them was still there.

but……

"Fat Qi can't hear you either? Then who can help me pass on the message?"

This question seems like a question you already know the answer to.

Fortunately, Jiunian not only didn't mind, but also cooperated very well: "What message do you want to convey?"

Qing Bai moved the finger on his throat upwards, gently resting it on his thin jaw. He thought for a moment before speaking, "Just asking...does every household here keep dogs because they're afraid of the monkeys on Chu Mountain?"

It was already dark when they arrived at Chushan the day before yesterday. They carried their luggage and checked into the farmhouse. They went up the mountain early the next day and it was dusk when they came down. It took them nearly two days and they had no idea about the surrounding area. If it weren't for the big commotion caused by the little monkey's visit this morning, Qing Bai would not have known that there were so many dogs at the foot of Chushan, and they responded to the call. Just by listening to their barking, it was not difficult to imagine what a huge group it was.

Jiunian relayed Qing Bai's questions truthfully.

Facing the handsome face that had been expressionless for nine years, Mr. Zhou, who had spoken directly to this guest for the first time in two days, felt inexplicably flattered. "Although most rural families keep dogs to guard the house, we do have this reason here."

Boss Zhou gave a wry smile. "In other places, one or two dogs are enough. More than that will just eat them up. But in Chushan, almost every household has several... If you have fewer, you can't prevent them at all."

"What are you guarding against? Monkeys?" asked Qi Xiaopang.

Boss Zhou nodded and said, "You chose a good time to visit Chushan. The mountains are rich in resources at this time of year, and the monkeys won't have to worry about food and drink. If you come in late autumn or winter, you might even encounter monkeys coming down the mountain to rob you."

Qi Xiaopang was stunned: "Is this... so arrogant?"

He thought the monkeys on the mountain were quite polite and soft-hearted, as they didn't kill those people in the situation yesterday.

Boss Zhou said this was just the beginning: "These days, things are pretty good. If crops or houses are damaged by monkeys, we get some compensation. Occasionally, during extreme weather, staff go up the mountain to feed the monkeys. In the early days, when there were no regulations, the hatred was really deep and unrelenting."

Seeing that they were listening attentively, Boss Zhou, whose desire to express himself was satisfied, decided to say something unknown to most people. He lowered his voice and whispered, "The monkeys on Chu Mountain have eaten people!"

“…” They looked at each other and simultaneously thought of the Monkey King Temple in the mountains.

They don't know whether the monkeys in Chushan eat humans, but there is conclusive evidence that humans eat monkeys.

Boss Zhou thought they didn't believe him, so he explained, "That was 20 or 30 years ago. People had a weak sense of law back then, and when people couldn't even get enough to eat, who cared about protecting animals? When monkeys came down the mountain to steal crops, the villagers would take turns chasing them with hoes and beating them. If the monkeys ran fast, they'd come down the mountain at night, so the villagers would arrange shifts and patrol with big wolfhounds. But how could the monkeys, no matter how clever, stand up to humans? As a result, not only were the monkeys driven back into the mountains, but several conflicts had even killed several. Some of the braver ones even secretly picked up the monkey carcasses to eat."

"Alas……"

But isn't this still just people eating monkeys?

"But monkeys are animals. Not only do they look like humans, they're also smart and incredibly vindictive... The next year, the families of those who had taken the monkey carcasses home to eat meat all lost their children. Someone saw from afar that the monkeys had abducted the children into the mountains. The families, along with their best dogs, went into the mountains to look for the children. They searched for months, but there was no sign of them, alive or dead!"

Qi Xiaopang still felt that the monkeys he had seen in the forests of Chushan were not the evil monkeys that Boss Zhou had described, kidnapping children and bringing them up the mountain to stockpile food. "That's too one-sided, isn't it? What if human traffickers kidnapped the children and framed the monkeys in the mountains? By the way, did you call the police?"

Boss Zhou was nearly distracted by Fatty Qi, and it took him a long while to regain his composure. He shook his head and sighed, "Everyone in the village says this is the Monkey King coming for revenge. Back then, the villagers killed his people and ate their flesh. So, they've kidnapped the children and taken them into the mountains, naturally wanting to repay them with an eye for an eye. Those children, let alone survive, are unlikely to survive, let alone survive with their bodies intact."

"...In short, the feud was forged. Although no such tragedy occurred later, it left a shadow. From then on, people here not only kept a close eye on their children, but also became particularly fond of raising dogs. They always felt unsafe if they didn't have a few dogs at home."

Qi Xiaopang was still wondering whether those children were really abducted by monkeys or kidnapped by human traffickers. Qing Bai turned his head and looked out the window. It was already bright outside. Logically, all the darkness should be exposed when the sun rises, but the Chinese toon tree outside the window was still showing its fangs and claws, and its shadow was distorted.

There was no wind outside at the moment, but the dead dogs hanging on the branches were all facing the window, as if they knew that the person who killed them was in the room.

Qing Bai's voice was very soft, like a sigh: "So, to the people of Chushan, dogs are comrades who have fought alongside them, and one of the sources of their sense of security."

Qi Xiaopang also realized the importance of dogs in Chushan, and his expression changed: "Then Boss Zhou, your farm stay also sells dog meat dishes?"

Boss Zhou chuckled, "We Chushan locals don't eat dog meat, but we're open for business. As the saying goes, the customer is God! We can't refuse God's request!"

Qi Xiaopang: "..."

This is complete nonsense. Your farm stay is rarely full and one day a guest was sent to the police station. It's such a 'hot business'. How can there be so many gods who specifically ask for dog meat!

Qing Bai looked at the 'fruitful' camellia trees outside the window and said: "Humans really are worthy of being the animals standing at the top of the food chain. Even the clever and vengeful monkeys eat them, and even the dogs that protect the house eat them..."

"If you can't control your appetite like this, you will suffer retribution sooner or later."

Jiu Nian seemed to sense something just after Qing Baihua finished speaking. He turned his head to look out the window. His golden eyes clearly reflected the scene outside the window - the Chinese toon tree was alive.