Chapter 44: Rabbit gives birth, mother and child are safe
The path from the tribe to the salt mountain had become a well-trodden trail, thanks to the efforts of the tribe members who had cleared it.
Master Lu's words were correct a road would naturally form where there were many travelers.
Han Cheng didn't come here for any other reason but to observe the group of deer that frequented the vicinity of the salt mountain. Since the day they extracted rock salt from the salt mountain, Han Cheng visited the location every day, except on days with heavy rain.
Since he incorporated daily running into his routine, the round trip to the salt mountain, covering about fifteen or sixteen miles, served as a good running route. Initially, this round trip would leave Han Cheng exhausted for quite a while. However, with persistent and regular exercise over time, the distance no longer inflicted as much pain as before. He still got tired, but it wasn't as brutal, and his recovery was faster.
Of course, this improvement was also influenced by the daily salt intake during this period.
Shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother worried about the potential dangers Han Cheng might face. So, Heiwa, Tie Tuo, and several women from the tribe accompanied Han Cheng each time he went to Salt Mountain. They carried weapons, acting as Han Cheng's guards.
As the sun rose, casting its rays on the earth, Han Cheng and his group reached the salt mountain. The Deer Lord, accompanied by its followers, was still there. Some were lying on the ground, while others strolled.
They hadn't left their habitat yet to other places for food yet.
Upon hearing the distant noise, all the deer became exceptionally alert. Their tensed bodies relaxed once they recognized that the approaching group consisted of these two-legged creatures.
For these deer, the presence of these two-legged creatures had become routine. Moreover, they willingly approached to eat the dew-free grass they brought.
The first to approach for a meal was their leader.
Unlike other deer, the proud leader would only eat the grass that Han Cheng held in his hands. It paid no attention to grass thrown on the ground.
Today, the leader wasn't in the mood to eat much. After taking a few bites of the grass that Han Cheng brought, it stopped and nudged Han Cheng's waist, where a covered pottery jug was hanging.
Seemingly urging Han Cheng to open it quickly so it could have a few sips.
Han Cheng chuckled as he patted the Deer Lords bony antlers and the silky smooth face. He chattered away to it while opening the jug's lid.
The Deer Lord got impatient with Han Cheng, and shoved its mouth into the jug once the lid was off. It elegantly took a few sips.
Seeing the Deer Lord raise its head, Han Cheng quickly moved to the side to avoid it.
However, he was a step too late.
The darn deer still managed to bring its wet mouth close to him, giving him two light nudges, splashing half of his face with water.
Having consumed grass and saltwater, the Deer Lord didn't care about Han Cheng touching his proud antler anymore.
Who cares about the antlers when theres food and salt water?
Well, this phrase applies to humans and works for deer. If you don't believe it, just look at the author's solemn face.
Han Cheng touched the Deer Lords bony antlers and smooth face with a sly smile. A jug of water wasn't much, and the leader quickly consumed it.
The proud Deer Lord, having eaten grass and drank salt water, left with elegant steps, thoroughly satisfied. Before leaving, it stretched its neck to lick Han Cheng's face, not wanting to waste the delicious saltwater splashed on him.
The other deers, following their leader's example, approached the rest of the group to eat grass and drink from the jugs of saltwater.
Except for Han Cheng, the others were stronger, each carrying two jugs of saltwater. Of course, the saltwater wasn't brought from the tribe. It was filled from a spring about a mile from the salt mountain.
On the way back, they would hide the empty pottery jugs near the spring, concealed by the surrounding trees. The next day, when they returned, they would retrieve the jugs, fill them with water, and add salt brought by Han Cheng from the tribe.
The deer, appreciating the savory taste of saltwater, eagerly drank it.
Han Cheng's face lit up with a smile while observing the two or three dozen deers. His initial idea seemed feasible. Using this gradual approach, these deers would eventually become the exclusive property of the Green Sparrow tribe.
The tribe members imitated Han Cheng's actions, giving affectionate touches to the deers approaching for grass and water. Han Cheng specifically instructed this to make the deers accustomed to their presence and comfortable being touched by their hands.
However, these deers didn't visit this spot every day. They also roamed to other places, as eating grass near the salt mountain wasn't enough.
But no matter how long they stayed away, they always returned to the salt mountain.
Han Cheng made a record regarding the time these deer spent at this location and elsewhere. Through comparison, he noticed that the time spent by the deer at the salt mountain gradually increased while the time spent elsewhere decreased. This was excellent news.
After playing with the deer, Han Cheng and the group began to head back.
The two rabbits in the cave, which Han Cheng had used for testing herbs and tasting various plants, were fortunate. Over this period, they showed no signs of poisoning and, instead, became fatter.
Not only that, but the female rabbit with slightly white fur on its head became pregnant and gave birth today. Five little ones, mother, and babies were safe.
Looking at the five tiny bunny babies, their eyes still closed as they suckled beneath their mother's belly, Han Cheng couldn't help but smile.
This was truly a surprise.
While he had been diligently taming the deer and cultivating rapeseed, some progress had been made. Still, success was a long way off. On the other hand, the rabbits, which he hadn't paid much attention to, unexpectedly had babies.
No wonder these two rabbits appeared a bit irritable before. They would scratch the ground with their paws and even bite their fur whenever there was nothing to do.
Han Cheng thought it was just because they had been quiet for a while and, for some reason, wanted to escape. Failing that, they resorted to self-mutilation, threatening by demonstrating their determination to harm themselves. This led him to reinforce the stone walls around them and cover the top with stone slabs.
The ground was made of stone slabs, so they couldn't dig through it.
It wasn't until now, seeing these little bunnies, that he realized what was going on.
Their previous behavior wasn't an attempt to escape but rather an effort to dig out a burrow to have babies.
Understanding this, Han Cheng quickly found a pottery jar with cracks from firing, stuffed it with soft dried grass, added the rabbit fur they had bitten off, and placed it inside the burrow. He positioned the grassy side facing the stone wall and covered the jar's opening with stones on both sides to prevent it from moving randomly.
And thus, a little nest was created.
Han Cheng made the nest waiting for a while, but the two rabbits did not intend to move in. The male rabbit even stood before the female, staring at Han Cheng with anger.
"Humph, the belly is covered in fur, and the important parts can't be seen. Who cares about looking?" Han Cheng muttered to himself, feeling like a hoodlum being misunderstood by rabbits. He left, somewhat dejected.
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