"A trading fair is when beastmen from all kinds of races gather, lay out their stuff, and if someone from another tribe likes what they see, they trade — item for item. It's always lively!"
"These kinds of fairs are usually only hosted by big tribes, because without a major tribe to oversee it, things can get messy."
"But sometimes, a few medium-sized tribes team up to host one, like the Giant Crocodile Tribe — they partnered with other strong medium tribes to do it together," Bai Di explained.
"Oh, I see! Got it. I'd love to go check it out and see if there's anything good to pick up," Si Lu said with a grin.
"Perfect timing, everyone's here today — it's rare for us all to be together. Let's all go," Bai Di replied with a smile.
He knew the little female loved lively places.
And from what he'd heard, the trading fair was supposed to be pretty bustling — she'd definitely enjoy it.
After helping Si Lu get dressed, the two of them walked out of the cave and saw the others already busying about in the clearing.
"Lulu, did you sleep well?" Cheng Mo asked gently as he looked at Si Lu.
"Mm-hmm, slept great," Si Lu replied with a cheerful smile.
"I heard you want to go check out the fair — sure, let's go after we eat. But first, be a good girl and wash your face." As he said that, Cheng Mo brought over a basin of water for her to wash up.
After washing her face and rinsing her mouth, Si Lu sat by the fire and enjoyed being fed by Bai Di and Hei Yao.
Cheng Mo, off to the side, was feeding the little cub some meat broth.
The little one was finally able to drink meat broth now — though it wasn't his main food source yet. He still needed formula.
Little Cheng Yu knew that after eating, they'd be going out to play — so he was wolfing down his food like a champ.
Not just him — Si Lu was eating quickly too.
The others nearby couldn't help laughing when they saw how eager both Si Lu and the cub were.
They're really in a rush, huh!
"Slow down, no need to rush," Cheng Mo said gently to Si Lu, then glanced at the little one in front of him and shook his head with a helpless smile.
No kidding — the two of them really were alike!
"Mm, okay," Si Lu said a bit sheepishly.
She really was kind of eager.
If they went too late, all the good stuff might be gone!
Soon enough, both the big ones and the little ones finished eating.
"I'm done! What about you guys? Hurry and eat so we can head out to the fair," Si Lu said excitedly.
"No need — we already ate. Plus, we've packed everything up. Let's go!" Hei Yao said.
He reached out and patted Si Lu's cute little head, his eyes full of warmth.
"Yup, we figured you'd be anxious, so we packed a bunch of stuff before you even got up. When we get there, if you see anything you like, we'll trade for it," Bai Di added. He had a big bamboo basket strapped to his back.
And not just Bai Di — even Song Zhan had a big basket on his back.
They were planning to trade for some things they needed, too.
As for what was in those baskets? Mostly animal hides, herbs, fruit — all stuff Si Lu had collected earlier — plus dried shrimp and other items.
"Alright, let's go!" Si Lu said happily.
She scooped little Cheng Yu into her arms and walked in the middle of the group.
They set off in the direction of the trading fair.
"Hey, is this fair gonna be packed? Are there tons of people?" Si Lu asked as they walked, a little bored.
"There'll be plenty of beastmen, and lots of different races. So make sure not to wander off. If you see something you like, just tell us and we'll trade for it," Cheng Mo said, giving Si Lu a look of concern.
Big crowds made him nervous.
After all, their little female was way too pretty.
"Yeah, tell us what you want and we'll get it for you," Bai Di chimed in.
"Got it, don't worry," Si Lu replied. And before long, they reached the outskirts of the fair.
It was basically just a huge open space, but there were tons of beastmen already — all lined up neatly along the sides of the road with stalls set up.
They were selling everything — wild meat, fruit, flowers, herbs, furs… you name it.
It was overwhelming!
Si Lu looked left and right, practically dazzled by all the sights.
She had to admit, it really was lively.
With people shouting and bargaining, it felt just like one of those old-school markets.
She had to admit — the beastman world definitely had its own kind of charm.
She even saw some beastmen selling seafood, salt, little wild beast cubs… there really was everything here!
"How are you doing? Getting used to it?" Hei Yao asked.
He was worried the little female might not like noisy places.
If she wasn't into it, he'd take her home right away.
"I'm good! This place is super lively — I like it," Si Lu said with a grin.
"Glad to hear it," Hei Yao said, visibly relieved.
As long as she was happy, that's what mattered.
"Oh yeah — you guys brought stuff to trade too, right? Are we missing anything at home?" Si Lu asked Bai Di and the others.
No way all this stuff was just for her. They definitely needed things too.
"Mostly salt — we're running low," Bai Di replied.
Back in the day, male beastmen didn't even eat salt — it was saved for the females and young ones. But their whole big family had always shared the salt.
So yeah, they'd gone through a lot.
And winter was coming — time to stock up.
The one upside was that they lived by the sea, so there was a lot of salt available — both good quality and bad.
Unlike in the forest, where salt was super rare — sometimes they had to chew on salty leaves just to get by. And even those were hard to find.
If females and cubs didn't eat enough salt, they could get sick really easily.
So male beastmen often gave up their share to save it for the others.
But Si Lu didn't want them doing that — everyone should eat together.
And honestly, the guys were all in great shape!
Salt was good for male beastmen too.
"Got it. Then let's get a lot of salt," Si Lu said.
No joke — all that salt she'd gotten from the system rewards was already gone.
With so many people in the house, it was no wonder it got used up fast.
"Mm," Bai Di nodded.
"Oh, and Ah Di — make sure we only trade for high-quality salt. Don't take the dirty, impure stuff. Eating that can really mess you up," Si Lu added.
"Got it," Bai Di replied.
Good quality salt was available — just a bit pricier.
But thinking about what the little female said, he realized she was totally right.
Sure, the cheap stuff might save a few trades, but it wasn't worth the health risk.
The good stuff might cost more, but it was safe.