Favorite of the Beast-world: I Got Rich Through Farming-Chapter 360 - 239: A Special Scent? And Got Fat

Just as she said that, palm-sized crabs started crawling out of the nearby, unpaved puddles. An Jin exclaimed cheerfully, "Let’s catch these and take them back too!"

It was the height of crab season. They were full of rich, savory roe, and their meat was plump and sweet. What better time to eat crab than now!

Steamed crab, drunken crab, spicy stir-fried crab, crab roe soup dumplings...

She had already planned out her menu for the next week.

’Finally, I have something to do during this boring rainy season. What could be better than exploring the various delicacies of my beloved Huaxia!’

"Okay, wait a minute. I’ll go catch them for you." Ling Hong found a Beast Skin Bag, and after a quick walk around the area, he came back with it half-full of plump, large crabs for her.

Seeing dark clouds gathering overhead once more, with the faint threat of more rain, the three of them headed home with their spoils.

Smoke from the chimney soon rose, carrying with it the fragrant aroma of a meal.

...

The first wave of rain ended, and the continent welcomed the second. Now that she had things to occupy her time, the rainy season was no longer boring.

When An Jin had free time at home, she would either research new recipes or tally her ledgers at her desk. Whenever she got thirsty, she’d take a few sips of steaming wild chrysanthemum tea.

HISS~ The black-and-red python instinctively coiled its body around her.

It rested its head flat on her soft lap, nuzzling her affectionately from time to time. The python’s blood-red pupils, usually narrowed, were now wide and round, its lazy posture one of pure contentment.

As An Jin reviewed her ledgers, she ran her hand down his back twice, following the direction of his scales. ’The texture of these smooth scales is really nice,’ she thought.

The door opened and closed. A handsome, slender Silver Wolf also settled obediently by her side, tucking its paws neatly beneath its body.

His fluffy wolf head rested against her calf, the tip of one claw gently hooking the hem of her dress. His entire being radiated a silent plea for pets.

An Jin: "..." ’Well, so much for getting any work done on these ledgers.’

After quelling the Crocodile Beast uprising at the Great Soup River, Xi finally returned. Overcome with longing, he rushed in the moment he arrived, eager for a hug from An Jin. But because he was soaking wet, Mi Yin sent him flying back out with a single whip of his tail.

"Dry yourself off before you come in. Don’t get the rug wet," he said coldly.

Ling Hong chimed in, "The air outside is too cold and damp. Jin might catch a cold. Let’s not let him in for now."

Xi, locked outside, could only grind his teeth in frustration. ’It’s true what they say—the weak get bullied. If I don’t get my revenge in secret, I’ll be a disgrace to the Merfolk!’

An Jin couldn’t help but laugh at their back-and-forth, though her heart went out to the poor Little Merfolk.

’I should have waited until Xi was stronger before we mated,’ she thought. ’Then he wouldn’t have to endure being bullied by these two every day.’

"Don’t listen to them. Hurry and come in. Dinner’s ready; we were just waiting for you," An Jin said, pressing one hand on a wolf paw and the other on a snake tail.

In any family, the female’s word was law. Her commands held absolute authority. As much as Mi Yin and Ling Hong couldn’t stand Xi, they had no choice but to obey An Jin.

...

Mi Yin and the others were happy to set aside their own tasks to paint with her, practice calligraphy, and cook delicious meals... With the three of them by her side, An Jin found that her simple, sparse life had become quite interesting.

Before she knew it, the long rainy season had slipped away.

After about half a month of clear skies, the cold season descended. The entire continent was blanketed in vast white snow, transforming into a world of ice.

An Jin carved a "5" on the wall.

’It’s already been five years. Time flies,’ she mused. ’This is my fifth winter here.’

She had mated with Mi Yin first, four years ago. Her family was large now, but she always felt like something was missing.

It wasn’t until she saw Chun Ni with several half-grown tiger cubs trailing behind her that she belatedly realized what that something was.

’But Mi Yin doesn’t like children, and Ling Hong has never brought up the topic. As for Xi, that’s even less likely. I’ve always felt he’s just a big kid himself; there’s no way he would like little kids.’

In the Beast World, where procreation was a primary purpose for survival, these three were a breath of fresh air. And frankly, it was convenient for her.

...

During the cold season, the rivers outside froze solid, leaving Xi with nowhere to go play.

Xi, having forced himself to stay on land for his beloved female, found himself in a very awkward predicament.

He longed to be in the river, but he’d freeze into a fish-cicle. At the same time, the fireplace and underfloor heating inside made the air so dry that his delicate skin was on the verge of cracking.

He was forced to resort to filling several buckets with water and soaking in them a few times a day to replenish the moisture his body was losing.

Sometimes he’d doze off while soaking. By the time he woke up, the water in the bucket was so warm you could have sprinkled in some pine-pepper salt and called it a delicious pot of fish soup.

"I’ll go turn down the underfloor heating," An Jin offered. The control room was on the first floor, and she turned to head downstairs.

"No! You’ll get cold!" Xi grabbed her, his anxious voice filled with concern.

He could tough it out; he’d gotten through the past few years the same way. He couldn’t bear the thought of her being cold. "Ah Jin, could you help me get some ice? Just putting it in the bucket will be enough..."

"Will that be enough?" An Jin’s gaze fell on his flushed, steam-kissed face. ’Is it just my imagination?’ she wondered, ’or do I smell a mouth-watering aroma of fish?’

"Mmm," he mumbled, leaning weakly against the wall as his legs gave out a little. He gave a feeble nod.

An Jin immediately went to the ice cellar to get him some ice.

She hadn’t exercised in a while, and just a few steps up the stairs left her panting heavily.

She returned with the ice and tossed it into the bucket. Xi immediately threw himself in with a sigh of relief. The flush on his face finally began to fade.

"Ah Jin, you smell so good..." He peeked his head out from the bucket. As his mind cleared, his sense of smell returned.

She let out a small "Ah?" her eyes widening slightly. ’Good? What kind of good smell?’

’Actually, I think he smells pretty good too,’ she thought.

He shook his head, looking a little lost. "I don’t know. It’s an indescribable scent. I’ve never smelled anything like it before, but I really like it..."

She lowered her head and sniffed herself. She couldn’t smell anything. ’How could I possibly smell good?’ A Beastman’s sense of smell was truly impossible to understand.

At first, she thought Xi was just hallucinating from the heat. But then she realized that lately, Ling Hong and Mi Yin had also been saying things like "You smell so good." They were always trying to get closer to her, holding her tightly when they slept.

Even Mi Yin, who usually hibernated through the cold season, had been unusually restless lately. That kind of behavior normally only happened when she was on her period. When she asked him about it, he couldn’t give her a specific reason either.

She didn’t know if it was because of the cold, but lately, she seemed to have caught Mi Yin’s laziness. She started sleeping in, sometimes not waking up until two or three in the afternoon.

It was, admittedly, a little embarrassing.

And every time, it was hunger that finally woke her.

It used to be her job to wake Mi Yin up; now, their roles were completely reversed.

Mi Yin chuckled. "Jin’er, you’re like a Humming Beast. Only a Humming Beast wakes up, eats its fill, and goes right back to sleep."

The corner of An Jin’s mouth twitched. "...You’re the pig."

"A pig? You mean the Humming Beast? No, wild boars are much more aggressive..." He pinched her increasingly plump cheeks. "But I like you a little chubbier."

They’re better to pinch, and you’re more comfortable to hold. The softer, warmer feel was something a Snake Beast instinctively craved.

"...Chubby?"

This time, she finally registered the changes her body had been going through.