âIâm not going,â Bluepool said, sounding irritated.
Parker, who had just finished roasting a piece of meat, called out to her. âQingqing, hurry over and eat.â
âOh,â Bai Qingqing responded. She said to Bluepool, âYou should come and eat with us.â
She had just finished speaking when Bluepool felt a chill run all over his body. When he turned his head, he found himself looking straight into a blood-red pair of eyes veiled with a threat.
âNo need, Iâve already eaten.â As he spoke, he pressed his hands against the bottom of the water ball. A moment later, more than ten luminous balls the size of longans appeared in his palms.
Bluepool handed the luminous balls to Bai Qingqing and said, âThere are too many beastmen around tonight. Come to the waterhole tomorrow to look for me when thereâs no one around. Iâll lend you the little silver fishes.â
âAlright!â Bai Qingqing replied right away.
Holding the light sources and returning to the bonfire, Bai Qingqing said excitedly, âLetâs mount the luminous balls into the tree hole. In the future, Iâll be able to see in the dark.â
âHow are you going to sleep when it constantly stays bright?â Parker asked, sounding jealous.
Winston also chimed in, âWith light in the tree hole, it will attract predators who come out to hunt at night. And also insects.â
âOh, right.â Bai Qingqingâs eyes rolled about. Then, she said, ââThen just encrust it on a wooden block. When I need to use it Iâll hang it on the wall, and at other times it can be stored away.â
Winston glanced at the pile of firewood, then retrieved one with a dense texture, and started shaving it with a stone blade.
Bai Qingqing watched him carve the wood as she ate. No idea what balls those were, but they gave off quite a bright light and were round like pearls. Winston drilled a hole that was slightly smaller than the ball, then pressed the ball into the hole. Just like that, the balls were mounted into the wooden block.
According to Bai Qingqingâs idea, Winston mounted the ten-odd balls into three wooden blocks. After dinner, when they entered the tree hole with the wooden blocks, the entire tree hole was brightly lit.
âHow nice.â Lying in bed, Bai Qingqing gazed at the luminous balls on the walls.
This was even more convenient than lightbulbs, and there didnât exist the possibility of a power failure.
It didnât matter to the three males though, for they could see in the dark, to begin with. But no one was in a hurry to keep the balls away. Tonight, all of them were so excited they couldnât quite get to sleep.
The next day when Bai Qingqing woke up, the luminous balls were still hanging on the walls. However, the glow emitted by them was hidden by the daylight, and so only appeared like an ordinary non-luminous pearl.
Only Curtis was in the tree hole. Upon seeing that she had woken, he flicked out his tongue. âSsssââ
âWhy didnât you wake me up when itâs so bright out there already?â Bai Qingqing said as she rubbed her eyes.
Laying sprawled on the floor, Curtis propped up his chin with his hand and gazed at Bai Qingqing. âNow that youâre pregnant, itâs better for you to sleep more.â
Bai Qingqingâs expression froze. Oh right, she was pregnant again.
With her petite hand over her abdomen, Bai Qingqing smiled gently. She wouldnât be getting her period in the next few months. That was actually pretty nice. Hehe...
Early in the morning, Molly came to look for her. She shared with her the intelligence from yesterday.
âThe newly arrived female chose an unpopular middle-aged male. But that male has two animal stripes.â
Molly said, feeling glad, âThank god Alva didnât participate. Else, she would definitely have chosen him.â
Bai Qingqing mused to herself: Bailey sure can adapt to circumstances.
âRight, I heard youâre pregnant again. Youâre terrific.â Molly gazed at her own tummy, the envy of a single girl written all over her face.
âDonât be anxious. When our village expands, youâll have more males to choose from.â Bai Qingqing said, âCome, Iâll bring you to look at the fishes Bluepool brought from the sea.â
Molly shook her head repeatedly and said as she retreated, âYou can go by yourself. Iâll go and have fun in the Flos Eriocauli field.â
Bai Qingqing felt guilty. This lass still feared Bluepool even now.
âIâll keep you company.â Curtis suddenly came out of the tree hole.