Chapter 141: Chapter 141: The Incorporated Monkeys
When they went to the greenhouse the next day, not a single intact radish seedling remained in the surrounding vegetable patch.
As for what was inside, they didn’t even need to look.
They had surely all been eaten.
Everyone decided against replanting the radish seedlings for the time being. They also wouldn’t plant any more vegetables in the greenhouse, letting the monkey troop use it as a shelter instead.
Now that they had shelter, if they were also given food, the monkeys would be living on their charity. It wouldn’t take more than a few days for them to completely submit.
The group went back to moving construction materials, trimming lumber, and building their houses.
One and Two pitched in, energetically doing whatever tasks they could.
The Monkey King watched One and Two, seemingly lost in thought.
After a busy morning, the foundation for the first house was finally complete.
By then, it was about time for everyone to have lunch.
To make it crystal clear to the monkey troop that the only way to get food was to stick with them, everyone gathered firewood and started grilling right then and there. They cooked sea fish, shrimp, abalone, shiitake mushrooms, and more.
One and Two were afraid of the fire, but they couldn’t resist the temptation of the delicious food. They squatted in front of Shen Baoying, watching her with pleading eyes.
Shen Baoying gave them a grilled fish.
One and Two took it and began to gnaw. The soft, hot, savory grilled fish instantly won them over, and they devoured it ravenously.
The rest of the monkey troop stared, their eyes wide, but they didn’t dare to rush forward brazenly like they had the day before.
Jiang Si ate two palm-sized prawns and was already half-full.
Even after finishing a large grilled fish, One and Two were still hungry. They spotted skewers of uncooked fish nearby and timidly wondered if they could take one.
Dressed so neatly, with their timid expressions, they looked just as adorable as toddlers.
Shen Baoying said indulgently, "Go on, take one."
’They can eat it raw, anyway.’
Hearing Shen Baoying’s permission, they cleverly understood, snatching up a skewer and taking a huge bite.
But after swallowing that huge bite, their faces showed expressions of disgust, as if they were chewing on wax.
Apparently, the difference in taste between cooked and raw fish was just too great.
They couldn’t get used to it right away.
One and Two stopped eating. They looked quizzically at the raw fish in their hands, then back at the fish everyone else was still grilling.
’There really is a difference.’
So, being the clever creatures they were, they carefully reached out and held the raw fish skewers near the fire.
When they saw that no one was stopping them, they scooted a little closer to the flames.
Shen Baoying secretly winked at Jiang Si, her face beaming with pride as if to say, ’See how smart they are?’
Watching One and Two grilling their fish by the fire, looking completely at ease and even snacking on peanuts and sunflower seeds, made the rest of the monkey troop grow even more anxious.
In this freezing weather, a few vegetable seedlings were nowhere near enough to replenish their energy.
They were already starving and desperately needed protein.
But these two-legged beasts showed no intention of giving them any food at all.
Jiang Si finished another skewer of grilled bean curd. When she looked over, she saw that every monkey in the troop had picked up a stick and was gnawing on it, as if chewing the ice and snow could fill their bellies. They looked utterly pathetic.
Qin Shen handed her a skewer of grilled lamb. It was sizzling with rendered fat, dusted with chili powder, slathered in garlic sauce, and sprinkled with chopped scallions.
This was Jiang Si’s favorite combination of flavors. She took it with a smile. "Thanks."
Qin Shen gave his usual reply. "No need to thank me."
His tone was serious, his handsome face deadpan. Even while holding a skewer of grilled meat, he had the air of a dean of discipline.
Jiang Si couldn’t help but chuckle. She made a little finger heart at him.
Qin Shen glanced at her, his face impassive. But with his other hand, he secretly reached into her palm and, in a flash, formed a little finger heart of his own.
A flicker of surprise showed in Jiang Si’s eyes; she hadn’t expected Qin Shen to return the gesture.
Her smile grew even wider, and the grilled meat in her hand suddenly seemed even more delicious.
Everyone else looked up at the sky. It was as if a sweet fragrance had filled the air.
Lunch ended up lasting a full two and a half hours.
One, Two, Big Black, and Little Black all had perfectly round, full bellies.
The monkey troop had been watching with such longing their eyes could have popped out. They had already chewed several sticks to splinters.
The tantalizing aroma had wafted right in front of them, only to vanish completely.
If they hadn’t smelled or seen the food, they might have been able to bear it. But to have witnessed it all and gotten nothing to eat...
The monkey troop finally grew restless again. As Jiang Si and the others returned to work on the wooden house, the monkeys scrambled over to the dying embers of the fire, searching for scraps.
The Monkey King, with its snow-white fur, even picked up a piece of burnt charcoal and bit into it twice before spitting it out.
Jiang Si remained firm. ’Training monkeys is like breaking a hawk. You have to wear down their wild spirit before they’ll listen.’
’If they won’t obey, what’s the point of taking on such a troublesome mob?’
’Might as well just braise them for dinner.’
Seeing their former troop in such a miserable state, One and Two kept getting distracted from their work. When the other monkeys called out to them, they would glance at the humans for permission before chittering back a few responses.
They must have their own way of communicating. After One and Two exchanged a few calls with the troop, the wild monkeys suddenly mustered their courage, crept closer, and grabbed the largest log from the edge of the pile, attempting to lift it.
This left everyone dumbfounded. Could it be that the Monkey King already understood that it needed to work for them?
It had taken a long time for One and Two to become tame enough to start helping out on their own.
Even Jiang Si was amazed. The Monkey King’s intelligence was remarkably high if it was already trying to earn its keep.
But the log was too heavy. The Monkey King couldn’t lift it and could only drag it along, looking like Sun Wukong trying to move the Sea-Calming Divine Needle for the first time.
Seeing their king struggling with the log, the other monkeys rushed forward to help.
Working together, they actually managed to haul the log right up to Qin Shen.
The Monkey King looked up meekly, any trace of its initial arrogance gone. It looked completely subservient, desperate for approval.
Qin Shen looked down at it, his expression cool and detached.
The Monkey King bowed its head, and the rest of the troop prostrated themselves on the ground.
The scene amazed everyone.
Jiang Linhai tugged on Jiang Si’s sleeve and whispered, "Is the Monkey King acknowledging Qin Shen as its master?"
’This is submission to the King of Beasts,’ Jiang Si mused, but she said aloud, "It’s probably just scared of him after the beating he gave it."
Jiang Linhai’s eyes widened. "You guys beat up the monkeys before?"
Jiang Si nodded calmly. "We just gave them a scare."
Jiang Linhai had a moment of realization. "No wonder the Monkey King is acting so tame. A single punch from Qin Shen could kill a bull; it’d be weirder if they *weren’t* scared."
"Still, this is a good thing. Does this mean Qin Shen can just make them obey him now?"
Jiang Si nodded. "Probably, maybe, I guess?"
"I don’t know, either."
Qin Shen suddenly looked at her, his gaze asking whether or not he should accept these new followers.
Jiang Si blinked, and he reached out a well-defined hand to accept the log from the monkeys.
The Monkey King instantly let out a triumphant shriek and turned to run back for more wood, as if announcing to the whole troop, "Brothers and sisters, we’re officially part of the organization now!"
Since they had started working, it was time to provide them with rations.
Jiang Si drove the transport vehicle straight back to the Icebreaker and returned with a dozen sacks of corn.
