Chapter 147 Tata's Little Secret: Barbecue, Conflict, Determination...
Despite the physical exhaustion, Lai insisted on cleaning up the mess in the house before washing up, changing into clean clothes, and finally lying down on the bed.
He breathed a sigh of relief, slowly closed his eyes, and gradually calmed down.
Even when you're hunting in a dangerous jungle and someone is on guard and it's your turn to rest, you can't completely let your guard down.
The bites of mosquitoes, the howls of wild animals, and the sparse sounds of rodents and various small insects made it difficult for everyone to rest well during the few days they spent in the forest.
As soon as he returned to his familiar surroundings, Lai finally relaxed completely. This strange little home gave him a great sense of security.
Tata watched as Lei gradually fell asleep and jumped onto the bed, lying down next to him, keeping a watchful eye on the surrounding movements.
He was a little afraid that the guy named Ryan would take advantage of his inattention and kill Ray.
During the few days Tata spent with Ryan, he was mostly wary and uneasy, and did not develop any trust in Him.
Tata knew she couldn't defeat Him, so she dealt with Him cautiously, hoping He would leave soon.
But things didn't go as planned. Ryan didn't seem to have any intention of leaving. He even used magic to hide himself and observe their every move from the shadows.
This feeling made Tata very uncomfortable. He longed to return to the Great Forest of Eaton as soon as possible. Although he might have to wait a long time through Ray, he distrusted the words of this guy who had just hatched from his egg.
He should tell Ray, but then Ray would find out he had deceived him.
Tata felt as if a small bird was constantly fluttering around his mind, leaving him at a loss for what to do.
His face was filled with worry.
After flying around the entire building for a long time, Lian flew over Lai, who was already fast asleep.
This human has a very good appearance, but he is still inferior to the elf.
Ryan knew that a large part of the reason he had these thoughts was the influence of his experience during his last awakening.
That was a very, very long time ago, when an unprecedented conflict broke out between various races and demons, and the elf He knew also died in that conflict.
What was his name again?
Ryan fell into deep thought, but couldn't figure it out even after a long time. Subconsciously, he felt that he should be a very important elf, but Ryan still lacked that part of his memory.
Never mind, my memory will gradually return.
He abandoned thinking and began exploring a new world.
The magical elements in the air were far less than they had been a hundred years ago, but the place wasn't entirely without merit; He discovered a sapling in the backyard.
The saplings are individual trees that grow from the seeds of the Elf Mother Tree. What they will grow into is unknown, but each sapling contains a very rich element of wood.
Being next to it makes Ryan feel very comfortable, like dry skin absorbing a lot of moisture.
Lei woke up after sleeping for just over an hour. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Tata nestled next to him, looking at him with an extremely complicated expression.
"What's wrong, Tata?"
The little monster rolled its eyes, its gaze growing increasingly resentful.
This human's vigilance is so low! Such a dangerous creature lurking around us for so long and we didn't even notice. What will we do when the beast leaves?
Tata unconsciously put himself into the role of the old father.
Are you hungry?
Can't animals have anything else besides hunger!?
Lai got up, stretched, and got out of bed to start preparing dinner.
I called Lamb over today; he plans to roast the whole piece of game we got.
The prey had just died, and its fur and internal organs hadn't been processed yet. He had to clean them up in advance, otherwise it would be too late.
Tata followed behind Lai the whole time, watching him skin, gut, and clean his prey, still feeling extremely conflicted.
This prey wasn't very big, only about a meter long without its head and tail, so it wouldn't be difficult for one person to handle.
After processing the whole animal, Lai placed it in a bowl and marinated it with common seasonings such as scallions, ginger, garlic, and a small amount of alcohol.
After cleaning up, he took out the bear meat, washed it, and cut it into pieces to make stew for the little monster.
Tata found a corner to watch Lai work, and even when Lamb came over, he still couldn't shake off the tangled mess in his mind.
Lamb helped set up a campfire in the yard, while Lai tied the prey securely to sticks and placed it over the fire to roast. The two of them sat on small stools nearby, chatting and grilling the meat to pass the time.
Why didn't my aunt and uncle come?
"Fara's parents are here, but they're hosting them at home, so they can't come."
Lamb said apologetically.
"Oh, it's nothing. I called Guge and Temuqi, they'll be here to eat with us in a bit."
"Okay, brother, we've finished all the farm work at home. When can we go pick chestnuts again?"
Lamb's tone was clearly expectant.
"Don't you want to rest for a few more days?"
Lei was puzzled.
"I'm not taking a break; staying at home is boring."
“Then we’ll go in the next few days. Wait for my news. We can still sell some before the harvest festival. Actually, business is better closer to the harvest festival.”
"Okay! Let's hurry."
Lamb immediately became happy.
"Ah, I wish Neil were home too!"
"He'll be back in a few days for the harvest festival."
How long will you stay at home this time?
"have no idea."
The two chatted like that, and soon Guge and Temuqi joined in the conversation.
As dusk fell, the small animals roasting over the campfire grew crispy, their meaty aroma mingling with the rich sauce, creating a unique fragrance that intensified the hunger in one's stomach.
Ray cut some cooked meat from the animal's leg and shared it with everyone.
The meat was roasted to perfection at this point. It was tender and juicy, neither dry nor undercooked. Enjoying a bite of meat with a glass of chilled fruit wine on a hot autumn day was incredibly refreshing.
Gug was old, so Lai only gave him some room-temperature drinks to satisfy his craving.
Temujin loved meat and enjoyed drinking and eating heartily.
Tata found a clean spot and lay there listlessly, watching Lei invite people to a barbecue party without a care in the world, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.
What are humans grilling?
A sentence suddenly popped into her head, startling Tata so much that she almost slipped and fell off the spot where she was standing.
"I don't know what kind of little beast it is; I've never seen it before. Lord Ryan, where are you? You always appear out of nowhere, which frightens the beast."
Tata was terrified, afraid that she might accidentally anger this guy and get slapped to death. But she still truthfully expressed her feelings.
The moment he finished speaking, he felt something fly into his forehead, and then he saw the little figure floating next to the barbecue.
He was only a meter away from the four of them, but none of them noticed his presence.
"This flavor is very new."
Tata understood the words "taste" and "new" and thought He must be saying that it was the first time He had smelled this smell.
"Although the humans who take care of the beasts are weak, the food they cook is exceptionally delicious."
Tata proudly introduced it.
Lian flew around the roasting meat a few times, watching the meat sizzle under the flames and turn into a beautiful and delicious color.
Seeing this, Tata ran up to Lai and rubbed against his trouser leg, obtaining a piece of meat that hadn't been seasoned at all.
It's very tender and fragrant, but it doesn't have much flavor.
The little monster licked the meat juice off its fur and made its own assessment. Of course, Ryan knew about these thoughts, but it didn't react. Tata watched it fly back to the backyard.
Seeing this, Tata breathed a sigh of relief. He always felt a lot of pressure when that guy was around.
Among the four adult men was a dwarf with an exceptionally large appetite, so it was no problem for him to devour this beast, which was only a little over a meter long.
Lai also prepared a lot of skewered vegetables for everyone to grill according to their own preferences, which not only increased everyone's participation but also helped to cut through the richness of the food.
Soon, when everyone had eaten halfway through, Gug stopped eating, sipping the low-alcohol beverage in his glass and chatting with Lai and the others.
"Actually, I've always had a question."
Lamb also had a few drinks and, emboldened by the alcohol, asked Temuji a question.
"Aren't dwarfs supposed to not eat beef? But I vaguely remember seeing you eat beef."
This question was somewhat offensive, after all, it was a private matter. Any other dwarf would have gotten angry at such an impolite question, but Temuji answered the young man's question without any hesitation.
“My mother is a human, and I am not a pure-blooded dwarf, so I don’t have to abide by these rules.”
"Thank you very much for your answer."
Upon hearing this answer, Guge glanced sideways. Temuji was indeed very different from the other dwarfs he had encountered before.
He did not have the short temper and impatience typical of dwarfs. Apart from being quiet, his personality was almost the complete opposite of other dwarfs.
The group then started chatting about another topic. Soon, the impromptu dinner ended after more than two hours. Lai and Temuqi took Guge home together, and then Lai saw Temuqi off.
The group devoured the entire animal and drank three large bottles of fruit wine.
It was mainly Temuji who drank, while Lai, as the host, drank quite a bit with him. Lamb also poured himself several cups when Lai wasn't looking.
The alcohol content wasn't high, but it was affecting his face; Lamb's cheeks were flushed. He was perfectly conscious and not drunk.
Ray and Lamb cleaned up the leftovers, extinguished the campfire, and washed the dishes.
Little Black also benefited from this feast; it received a large bone with meat on it, which it is now happily gnawing on in its den.
It was getting late, so Lamb finished tidying up and went home, leaving only Rae in the small building.
With no entertainment devices available, he passed the time entirely by reading. Lai studied his magic notes for a long time before turning off the glass lamp and preparing to go to sleep.
The magic notebooks are extremely important; they are currently the only way for Ray to learn magic. Some time ago, he placed them in his storage space for easy access, which is why they were spared from this calamity and didn't fall apart like the box.
Tata washed her four little paws before she was allowed to jump onto Lai's bed.
"Aren't you afraid of the heat? You actually squeezed onto the bed."
During this period, the weather has been too hot, and the little monster, seeking coolness, sometimes sleeps directly on the floor.
He even rejected all of Neil's attempts to get close.
There was no other reason than it was too hot, especially since Tata was wearing a furry coat.
The little monster is very vain and would rather stay hot than let Lai trim his overly long fur. That's why Lai teased him earlier.
Ray felt a weight on his chest as the little monster sat on his chest.
He casually turned on the switch, and the room lit up instantly, revealing only Tata's furry chin.
Tata may not look very big, but she is quite muscular, and Ray felt a little heavy on his chest.
"What's wrong?"
The little monster seemed a bit emotional. Lai asked casually, not expecting any reply from Tata.
Tata looked at the human beneath her claws as if she had made a great decision.
He looked around but didn't see Ryan, so his gaze returned to Ray.
“The eggs brought back from inside… have hatched into terrifying creatures!”
Lei stared wide-eyed at Tata.
There were only him and the little monster in the room, so the grandmother's childlike voice could only be coming from the little monster in front of him. His ears also told him that the voice was coming from Tata.
There was too much information to process. He didn't know whether to study the principles of how the monsters made sounds first, or to worry about the terrifying creature in Tata's mouth.
"Tata, you can talk?"
The little monster rolled its eyes.
Human, you're focusing on the completely wrong thing!
"The direction doesn't matter!"
"Did you always know how to do it, or did you learn it within the past year?"
"..."
Tata fell silent.
He is a cub of a high-level magical beast, born with the ability to speak and make sounds.
His parents taught him animal language, and the elf uncle who often came to visit taught him common language and a little bit of elf language.
Uncle Elf often praised him for learning things very quickly, saying he was the smartest little monster in the surrounding area.
But just as he began learning magic from his father, a group of humans broke into the Great Forest of Eton. They stole many young magical beasts and took him away from his injured mother...
He has his own name, given to him by his parents, Amanta, in the hope that he will grow into a brave and healthy little monster.
When a lone beast enters an unfamiliar environment and cannot discern the hidden dangers around it, how could it dare to expose its differences from other beasts?
Tata looked at Lei with a complicated expression.
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Author's note: Minors are prohibited from drinking alcohol! Hahaha, Tata's pronunciation is inaccurate~
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 07:44:02 on June 7, 2024 and 20:28:55 on June 14, 2024!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Kasha, Nanshan Youmu, and Chaochaochao (10 bottles each); Yuanxu (6 bottles); I'll lie down for a while (5 bottles); Xiuxian Dafahao and Fengyu (1 bottle each);
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