As Cheng Xiaofan looked at the little fox, he felt a touch of intoxication. It was clear that the aroma had attracted it.
The last time he cooked by White Python Lake, a giant python had emerged. This time, it was a little fox.
The fox was incredibly cute, with fluffy yellow fur and eyes curved like crescent moons, as if it were smiling.
Although young, the fox exuded a certain elegance and charm.
Its pair of smiling eyes were fixed on the bamboo tubes illuminated by the fire, as if it already knew that precious delicacies were hidden within.
"Squeak!"
The fox cried out twice, a string of saliva dripping from its mouth.
When it realized Cheng Xiaofan was staring at it, it seemed to get shy.
It quickly raised a paw and wiped away the drool.
"Come here!"
Cheng Xiaofan beckoned to the little fox.
"Woof woof!"
Seeing that Cheng Xiaofan was about to interact with the fox, Taqibao immediately became agitated. It pounced forward, knocked the fox to the ground, and opened its mouth to tear at it.
"Taqibao, shut up!"
Cheng Xiaofan roared, "If you dare to hurt it, you'll be eating dog stew tonight!"
Taqibao whimpered and retreated to the side, looking dejected.
There was no helping it; the master had fallen for the vixen.
To even think of eating dog stew, did he not feel a pang of heartache when he said that?
At this moment, Fu Yueli and Gu Jingyue also noticed the little fox.
"Wow, this little fox is so beautiful!" Fu Yueli exclaimed.
Gu Yuejing, mimicking Cheng Xiaofan, waved at it and said, "Little cutie, come here!"
When Taqibao witnessed this scene, it felt utterly hopeless. Oh heavens, even these two beauties had fallen for the vixen.
What was the world coming to?
The little fox cast a timid glance at Taqibao.
"Don't be afraid of him, come over to me!"
Cheng Xiaofan called out to the little fox again.
Upon hearing this, the little fox cautiously walked towards him.
When it reached Cheng Xiaofan, its eyes were glued to the roasted bamboo tubes, its delicate nose twitching from time to time.
Its greedy expression made the two beauties laugh.
"Do you want to eat the rice in these bamboo tubes?" Cheng Xiaofan asked.
The little fox nodded immediately.
"Xiaofan, this fox has become sentient,"
Fu Yueli said with a smile, "It can actually understand what you're saying!"
"Zhuxi Village is truly a magical place; the animals here are exceptionally spirited!" Gu Yuejing marveled.
Cheng Xiaofan reached out and stroked the little fox a few times, saying, "The meal will be ready soon. I'll give you a whole tube, okay?"
"Squeak! Squeak..."
The little fox's moon-shaped eyes curved even more in a smile.
The water droplets on the surface of the roasted bamboo tubes had evaporated, and the aroma grew more intense.
"Alright!"
Cheng Xiaofan clapped his hands, "Time to eat!"
He retrieved a basin from the helicopter and filled it with water from the stream.
Then, he took the bamboo tubes from the rack and immersed them in the basin.
While waiting, Cheng Xiaofan split the remaining bamboo to make three pairs of chopsticks, giving one pair to Fu Yueli and another to Gu Jingyue.
Only when the outside of the bamboo tubes was cool enough to touch did he take them out of the water one by one.
He lifted the lid of a bamboo tube, and an explosion of fragrance immediately assailed their senses.
"Woof woof!"
Taqibao leaped, paws in the air.
It looked as though it would go mad if it didn't get a taste.
Cheng Xiaofan had no choice but to toss a bamboo tube to it.
Taqibao caught the tube, placed it on the ground, and with a paw, split it in half. It then plunged its mouth in to eat.
"Aowu—"
Its mouth was so scalded that it couldn't breathe properly and rushed to the stream to submerge its mouth in the water.
Cheng Xiaofan then threw another bamboo tube to the Sky-Breaking Eagle.
Fu Yueli and Gu Jingyue, naturally, didn't need Cheng Xiaofan to serve them; they each took one from the rack.
At this point, Cheng Xiaofan took down a bamboo tube, opened its lid, and offered it to the little fox, saying with a smile, "Little cutie, forgive my delay, please eat!"
The little fox took a bite and then stopped.
"Why aren't you eating anymore?"
Cheng Xiaofan asked, puzzled.
"Squeak! Squeak..."
Tears welled up in the little fox's eyes as it cried out several times.
Cheng Xiaofan's brow furrowed, and he asked, "Do you mean you want to take it for your mother to eat?"
"Squeak!"
The little fox nodded.
Understanding the fox's intention, Cheng Xiaofan smiled, "Alright, where is your mother? Lead me there, and I'll help you deliver it!"
"Squeak!"
The little fox nodded and turned around.
Cheng Xiaofan took the bamboo tube and followed the little fox into the dense forest ahead.
Watching Cheng Xiaofan's retreating figure, Fu Yueli was dumbfounded and said, "Xiaofan has become sentient too! He can actually understand the little fox!"
"Both this person and this beast have become sentient!"
Gu Jingyue chimed in.
Cheng Xiaofan followed the little fox for about half a mile before stopping. He discovered a small den near the hillside, where an old fox lay.
The old fox had an injury and had lost a lot of blood. It lay there with its eyes closed, its body trembling slightly, appearing to be in great pain.
"Squeak! Squeak..."
The little fox nudged closer to the old fox and cried out twice.
The old fox managed to open its eyes and responded with a few sounds before closing them again.
Seeing this, the little fox, thinking its mother was dying, cried out in distress.
At this moment, Cheng Xiaofan finally understood. The injured fox was the little fox's mother.
The little fox had come to him seeking delicacies to feed its mother.
Cheng Xiaofan squatted down and patted the little fox, saying, "Don't be sad, I can heal your mother's leg injury right away!"
He set the bamboo tube aside and gently lifted the old fox's injured leg. He found the injured area to be burning hot and festering.
Then, Cheng Xiaofan extended his right hand and infused a wisp of spiritual energy into the leg.
He then found a thorn and pierced the festering wound to squeeze out the pus, before slowly injecting another wisp of spiritual energy.
In less than a moment, the old fox's injured leg healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Squeak!"
Suddenly, the old fox stood up like a human, clasped its front paws together, and repeatedly bowed to Cheng Xiaofan, just like a person.
"You're welcome. Have something to eat!"
Cheng Xiaofan split the bamboo tube in two, revealing the steamed glutinous rice and salted meat inside.
"Squeak!"
However, the old fox ignored the food. It rummaged in its den and produced something wrapped in a large mulberry leaf, presenting it to Cheng Xiaofan.
Cheng Xiaofan's eyes fixed on the object wrapped in the large mulberry leaf, and he couldn't help but be taken aback!
He had often heard from the elders that foxes, though naturally cunning, were creatures that understood gratitude.
If you respected them an inch, they would repay you a foot.
Could it be that because he had healed its injury, it was offering him a treasure as a token of gratitude?