Free Web NovelChapter 68: Chapter 68: Bai Su’s Food Cures the Disabled
As the food was served, several soldiers found themselves swallowing hard as they stared at the chunks of meat.
Bai Xiaolang said sweetly, "Go on and eat, uncles. You don’t have to wait for us."
Bai Su called out while carving the whole roasted lamb, "That’s right, don’t wait for us! The lamb won’t taste good if it gets cold. I’ll be right there after I cut a rack of ribs."
A Bear Beastman watched her squatting before the roast lamb, struggling to cut it with a long knife. Beads of sweat dotted her delicate, flushed face.
He scratched his head and walked over, a little embarrassed. "Miss Bai, why don’t you let me handle rough work like this? I’m strong."
Seeing his offer, Bai Su didn’t refuse. "Alright, you can help me cut it then. A few horizontal cuts here, and here too."
The Bear Beastman followed her directions, but he used too much force and accidentally sliced through the steel plate underneath.
He looked at Bai Su, flustered and looking like he’d done something terribly wrong. He immediately moved to kneel.
With lightning-fast reflexes, Bai Su pulled him up. "What are you doing?! Get up, get up! It’s fine!"
The Bear Beastman froze for a second before quickly taking two steps back. "I’m sorry, Miss Bai Su. I shouldn’t have broken your kitchenware."
Shockwaves coursed through him.
’This high and mighty young female with a superpower... she actually touched me just to stop me from kneeling!’
’Could she really be the scheming, arrogant, and cruel person the leader’s daughter described?’
Bai Su laughed. "It’s alright. This thing isn’t expensive, I’ll just get a new one later. This one was getting old anyway. Why don’t you help me bring these few pounds of lamb to the table? It’s time to eat."
The Bear Beastman nodded profusely.
The other Bear Beastmen were also on edge, shooting him furtive glares. They blamed him for being so clumsy, afraid he would anger the female and get punished.
But to their surprise, the entire meal was unexpectedly harmonious.
Bai Su was an incredibly warm and gracious host. Seeing how much they enjoyed the food, she would even flash a radiant smile and encourage them to eat more.
Her kind and endearing manner was enough to move them to tears.
They realized they had all been deceived.
’This female, who has the attention of the entire Federation, not only doesn’t look down on male Beastmen, but she also has an exceptionally good personality!’
’When we get back to the barracks, we have to clear Miss Bai’s name!’
After the meal, the Bear Beastman looked at Bai Su again, a little nervously. "Um, Miss Bai..."
Bai Su looked at him with a smile, her rabbit ears hanging at her sides twitching cutely. "What is it?"
The Bear Beastman’s weathered face flushed as he stammered, pointing at the leftover food on the table, "C-can I... get this... t-to go? I have a younger brother... his legs are bad, so he doesn’t get out much... I..."
Bai Su saw his awkwardness and nodded repeatedly before he could even finish. "Yes, of course you can!"
She went to the kitchen to get a container and, while packing up an untouched leg of lamb and some steak, she said, "If you’re willing to help out again next time, just let me know beforehand, and I’ll prepare a portion for your brother too."
The Bear Beastman was overwhelmed by the favor. The two Bear Beastmen next to him shot him jealous looks, secretly pinching his back and accusing him of being a cunning little schemer.
The Bear Beastman nodded and thanked her repeatedly. "Thank you, Miss Bai Su! Thank you, Miss Bai Su! Miss Bai Su, you’re such a good person!"
Bai Xiaolang beamed beside them. "Of course she is! My mom is the best person in the whole world!"
Bai Su just smiled, finished packing the food, and saw them off.
*
The Bear Beastman carried the food back to the military headquarters and made a turn toward the logistics department.
At the headquarters, many soldiers who had been severely wounded on the battlefield and could no longer fight were assigned to the logistics department.
After Lu Tingyan retook his post, he established a special Disabled Tribe to house these soldiers.
This was done for two reasons: one, to make it easier to care for them, and two, grouping the disabled together allowed them to support each other. This was better for their mental health, as they wouldn’t feel like a burden to others.
The Bear Beastman’s name was Bablo. He was a veteran who had retired from the battlefield and had once braved life and death alongside Lu Tingyan.
Later, the new leader, finding him too old, stripped him of his rank as a Lieutenant and relegated him to being a cook in the military department.
This time, upon taking office, Lu Tingyan had been busy rooting out the cancerous tumors of the old regime, and with his engagement on top of that, he hadn’t had time to look after old soldiers like them.
When Bablo brought the food to his younger brother, he found him sitting in his wheelchair, basking in the sun.
Even in the sunlight, his dark brown fur remained dull, looking dusty and listless.
A pang of heartache crossed Bablo’s eyes. Once upon a time, his brother had been one of the strongest and most outstanding among the younger generation of Bear Beastmen. He was also the first male to break through to become a Level 7 Beastman right after coming of age.
Even the Bear Clan chief had said he had a good chance of becoming the number one warrior of the Bear Clan Tribe.
But unexpectedly, his nerves had been damaged in an explosion on the battlefield. He could no longer stand on his own two feet, and now he was just a frail and despondent shadow of his former self.
And there were many more Beastmen like him in this Disabled Tribe.
Bablo forced himself to cheer up and walked over. "Kong Ji, look what I brought for you!"
Seeing his older brother, Kong Ji managed to rally his spirits, a faint smile on his face. "Bro, you’re here."
Bablo placed the food in front of him. "Look, I just brought this from a restaurant. It’s super popular online! Lots of people go there, and it tastes amazing!"
Seeing his brother’s excitement, Kong Ji couldn’t bear to refuse his kind gesture. ƒreewebɳovel.com
After opening the container and taking a few bites, he stared at the food in disbelief. "This is food? Is this what meat tastes like?"
Bablo grinned. "Right? I never expected food could be this delicious either!"
Kong Ji began to wolf down the food.
As he ate, he couldn’t stop tears from falling. "Bro..."
Bablo panicked. "What’s wrong? Why are you crying?"
Kong Ji shook his head as he chewed. "It’s nothing..."
He just felt that the flavor of the food was so warm, as if he had returned to his childhood.
Even though his family had only eaten canned food together when he was a child with his parents, the taste of this meal somehow made him reminisce about those warm early years.
There was an indescribable warmth in the food, a flavor so moving it could stir the soul.
After Kong Ji finished all the food, he suddenly felt an itching sensation in his legs.
It was a subtle itch that seemed to emanate from his very bones, gradually spreading through both of his legs.
He stared at his legs in disbelief, his face filled with panic. "Bro... My legs!"
Hearing this, Bablo’s heart clenched. "What is it? What’s wrong with your legs? Where does it hurt?"
Kong Ji’s eyes widened, his whole body trembling. He grabbed Bablo’s sleeve with a shaking hand. "Bro, I think... I think I can feel my legs again!"
Bablo stood frozen in disbelief. When he finally reacted, his eyes were filled with ecstatic surprise. "Really? Are you sure? You can feel them?!"
Kong Ji’s eyes were wide with excitement. "Yes! I can really feel them, and they’re still itching now! Bro, am I going to get better?"
*
「Elsewhere.」
Lu Tingyan was in the conference room, watching the two sides argue endlessly with a growing headache.
All this because he wanted to open up a new territory for the disabled males returning from the battlefield.
Bi He, leader of the Bear Clan division, refused to yield an inch. "I suggest Leader Lu find another way to win people over. We will take care of our own disabled males."
He had previously pledged allegiance to Lu Zhen Country. Because his family had received a great favor from Lu Zhen Country, he was blindly loyal, had never liked Lu Tingyan as a leader, and refused to submit to him.
If not for the fact that the Bear Beastman clan’s combat strength was excellent, making them a valuable asset, Lu Tingyan would have crushed him long ago.
Across the table, Yan Hongyi, leader of the Lion Clan division, snorted coldly. "I’d advise you to stop being so stubborn. Who doesn’t know that your Bear Clan suffered the most casualties on the battlefield in the past? The Leader is doing this for the good of your clan. What reason do you have to resist?"
Due to Lu Zhen Country’s poor management over the past four years, he had initiated multiple wars, resulting in countless deaths and injuries among the Wolf Clan Beastmen.
The Bear Beastman families had also suffered innumerable losses, with many left disabled and unable to ever fight again.
Meanwhile, the Lion Clan’s female population had dwindled, their numbers had plummeted, and even few males were left.
Therefore, most of the combat power the Federation could now rely on still came from the Bear Beastman clan.
The Bear Clan Tribe leader’s constant refusal to recognize Lu Tingyan had always been a problem for him.
Bi He was completely intractable. "In short, how we handle the disabled soldiers within our clan is our own internal affair. I must ask the Leader not to interfere in our clan’s business."
Yan Hongyi looked at him, perplexed. "What are you trying to prove? Your Bear Clan is already stretched thin trying to support these disabled soldiers. The base for the disabled that the Leader is establishing can give them a better place to go. Why must you be so obstinate?"
Lu Tingyan interjected, "The Federation’s military strength is not what it used to be. Winter is approaching, so the Southern Country is unlikely to invade rashly. However, if we cannot recover some of our strength before next summer, I fear it will be very difficult to resist their invasion."
"If we continue with this internal strife, I believe we won’t even have to wait until next summer. Our situation is already precarious."
Bi He snorted. "They are all disabled; our own clansmen will care for them. Leader Lu wants to build a base, but I suspect it’s not to care for them, but to make it easier to hold the Bear Clan hostage, isn’t it?"
Yan Hongyi scoffed, "You’re judging a gentleman by your own vile standards."
The meeting ended on a sour note.
Only Lu Tingyan remained in the conference room, sitting at the head of the table, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Yodel came to his side and offered him a cup of coffee. "Leader, Bi He is old and notoriously stubborn. I’m afraid he won’t compromise so easily."
"I heard that he wanted to marry his daughter to you, but you insisted on getting engaged to Miss Bai. That’s made him trust you even less..."
"I suspect we’ll have to solve the problem of housing the disabled soldiers before we can completely win Bi He over."
Lu Tingyan massaged his brow and gave a slight nod. "How is the investigation I assigned you coming along?"
Yodel replied, "We have some leads. Before Miss Bai was expelled from the territory all those years ago, it seems she met privately with Mrs. Rachel and Miss Bai Xue."
"Around the same time, they also made private contact with the internationally infamous Medical Alliance."
Lu Tingyan’s eyes flew open. "The Medical Alliance?"
Yodel nodded. "It also seems the recent turmoil and internal strife within the Lanton Family are related to the Medical Alliance."
Lu Tingyan commanded, "Bring Bai Xue and Rachel to the interrogation room."
