Chapter 20: Sauce Pork Bones Part 1

Even though it wasn’t their first meeting, Chen Ji still felt a bit nervous. He watched Grandpa White Tiger depart, pressing his tongue against the roof of his mouth before slowly exhaling.

Grandpa White Tiger’s massive body melted into the jungle, but his thick tail moved with surprising nimbleness and grace. It rustled the branches and leaves, curling provocatively in the air before flicking toward Chen Ji. In the end, it shrank into a snowy white dot that vanished from Chen Ji’s sight.

Ugh, so infuriating—but he couldn’t beat him.

…He really wanted to touch that tail.

Wonder if it felt as thick as it looked?

The System Cat crunched away at the Sweet Dragon Bamboo Shoot. 【Chen Ji, stop spacing out! Hurry up and pick some!】

Chen Ji chuckled and bent down to cradle the shoot in his hand. He swung his sickle from the snapped base upward until the blade caught easily inside it. Then he sliced it clean off, peeled back the sheath, trimmed the bottom, and tossed it into the bamboo basket.

The System Cat tilted its head to dodge the shoot, utterly unconcerned. As if a single Sweet Dragon Bamboo Shoot could threaten its life? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

【You’re really hopeless. You couldn’t even chop through the sheath.】 The System Cat said mercilessly.

【You try it, then?】 Chen Ji laughed, amused by the cat. The System Cat was such an armchair critic. Once a Sweet Dragon Bamboo Shoot broke the soil, its sheath began to harden. Within hours, it turned tough and rigid like a little suit of armor. For someone like Chen Ji, who was used to office life, managing to chop through it at all could only be chalked up to raw talent, brute strength, and natural intuition.

Chen Ji stayed in the bamboo grove instead of leaving. He knew the System Cat’s nature all too well—this one shoot might not even survive the trip down the mountain. Better to find a couple more, just in case. If they waited until afternoon to harvest on the way down, with weather this nice, the shoots might grow taller than him by then.

Chen Ji carefully cleared the dead leaves around the sturdiest Sweet Dragon Bamboo stalks. Some shoots hadn’t broken soil yet, but close inspection of the dirt below revealed hints of their presence. Before long, as he brushed aside a handful of leaves, he spotted a shoot protruding about an inch from the ground.

But it looked malnourished. Chen Ji prodded it with his trekking pole; even underground, its diameter was less than two centimeters.

The System Cat eyed it. 【Eating something this small feels kinda wrong, doesn’t it?】

Chen Ji replied, 【What do you know?】

Tiny shoots like this were a waste eaten raw. They were perfect for hand-peeled bamboo shoots soaked in broth—suck first, then bite. Even the sheath was so tender it crumbled on the tongue, yet it added just the right chewiness. One shoot, two flavors. How could the big ones, which you could only gnaw the flesh from, compare?

After a brief silence, the System Cat coughed twice. 【…How about I activate Full Territory Scan?】

【…】 Chen Ji paused for a moment. 【We need sustainable development.】

This patch of Sweet Dragon Bamboo was tiny. Harvesting every shoot might not kill it outright, but it would weaken the grove over time. Eventually, there’d be nothing left.

The System Cat could only swallow its ugly desires with teary eyes.

That said, Chen Ji still picked about ten shoots. By the time he finished, it was nearing noon. No rush to head to the back mountain; he decided to build a campfire right there on the terrace. He’d brought a huge portion of sauce pork bones today—warm them in a pot, and lunch was served.

It might be spring, but the mountain air was still chilly. Chen Ji rummaged through his bamboo basket and told the System Cat, “We’re low on alcohol blocks. I’ll grab some twigs. Watch the stuff.”

The mountains teemed with small animals. Leave food unattended, and it vanished fast.

The System Cat hugged its Sweet Dragon Bamboo Shoot and nodded. 【Okay~ Hurry back~】

Chen Ji ruffled its head and headed into the woods. Twigs were scarce this season, especially after the recent rain. He ventured deeper where the trees grew thicker, hoping for drier fallen branches.

Along the way, he plucked handfuls of Straw Cape Grass, twisting them into cord as he went. Every few steps, he’d snap a twig to check it—but after hundreds of meters, nothing suitable. Plenty of leaves, but they burned poorly and could spark a forest fire in the wind.

The light grew dimmer the farther he went, but Chen Ji knew the area was safe and stayed calm. He glanced left and right; the right side looked denser, so he pushed in with his trekking pole to part the branches. To his surprise, he walked straight into a pair of sapphire-blue eyes.

Chen Ji froze. Grandpa White Tiger, who had left not long ago, lay in the thick grass. Spotting Chen Ji, he looked up warily, seemingly relaxed but with his body coiled tight. Powerful muscles rippled fluidly beneath his thick fur, radiating danger.

Chen Ji didn’t move. His gaze locked onto Grandpa White Tiger.

Who could resist such a beautiful, mighty creature?

Grandpa White Tiger watched him right back.

Chen Ji licked his lips. A shiver ran down his spine, leaving his mouth dry. His mind screamed danger, but his heart marveled at the beauty.

If only he could touch him.

After staring for a long while, Chen Ji sighed inwardly and began to back away slowly. Enough was enough; time to head back. Linger any longer, and Xiao Ba would chew him out.

But then Grandpa White Tiger moved.

He rose leisurely and padded toward Chen Ji. His paw pads—easily ten times larger than the System Cat’s—touched down with eerie silence on the leaf-strewn ground. He approached slowly.

A thin sheen of sweat beaded on Chen Ji’s skin, glinting faintly in the dim light. Grandpa White Tiger’s pink nose twitched as he stopped beside Chen Ji.

He tilted his head up at Chen Ji, who looked down in return. Suddenly, Chen Ji’s wrist itched. He glanced sideways to find the tiger’s tail tip casually hooked around it.

Chen Ji held still.

Grandpa White Tiger brushed past, his silky fur gliding against Chen Ji’s leg. Chen Ji figured it was just playful tail-hooking like before—until a tremendous force yanked his wrist, pulling him forward two steps.

Chen Ji stumbled. The tail didn’t relent, and he lost his balance, tumbling right onto Grandpa White Tiger.

Chen Ji’s face buried deep in the tiger’s thick fur. The lush, dense pelt sealed his mouth and nose. His first thought: No trace of that musky predator stench.

Second thought: So soft.

Realizing this, Chen Ji pushed himself up. Looking up, he found Grandpa White Tiger glancing back, those sapphire eyes full of exasperation, as if to say: How does someone even trip on flat ground?

For some reason, Chen Ji felt embarrassed—then indignant. It was the tiger who yanked him! Not like he’d fallen on his own. Why feel bad?

Grandpa White Tiger didn’t budge, clearly waiting for Chen Ji to get up.

Chen Ji used him as leverage to stand, but before he could steady himself, the tail tugged again. The tiger’s body shivered slightly, settling Chen Ji onto his back. The tail released his wrist, coiled around his waist instead, then pressed his back flush against the tiger’s, forcing him to cling tight.

Satisfied Chen Ji was secure, Grandpa White Tiger took off. Weightlessness hit instantly. Wind whistled in Chen Ji’s ears, followed by branches whispering across his back. He gripped the fur desperately—it felt more thrilling than a roller coaster. After all, regular coasters weren’t alive, much less a beast that could snack on kids.

Clinging so close, warmth seeped through the fur like a sun-baked quilt, cozy beyond words. Chen Ji couldn’t resist a deep inhale, then rubbed his face against the tiger’s back. If whipping out his phone felt safe, he’d snap a selfie for posterity.

Someday, in the nursing home, he could show off to the old folks: Look, I rode a wild tiger once.

He reached down to feel the tail around his waist—exactly as thick as he’d imagined, solid and substantial.

Maybe it was his imagination, but Grandpa White Tiger picked up speed.

Less than a minute later, sunlight warmed Chen Ji’s back. Then came the System Cat’s triple blast: 【Holy crap? Holy crap! Holy crap?!】

Grandpa White Tiger halted. Chen Ji opened his eyes as the tail uncoiled from his back, letting him sit up.

The System Cat gawked at him, the last bite of Sweet Dragon Bamboo Shoot tumbling from its paws.

【Weren’t you going for firewood? …What the hell is this?】

Chen Ji slid down from Grandpa White Tiger’s back. The tiger turned and left at once. Chen Ji said helplessly to the System Cat, “…Grandpa White Tiger was kind enough to give me a ride back.”

“He probably thought I was lost.”

The System Cat: “Meow meow meow awooo?!”

【What the heck?! Huh?! Like forcibly walking an old lady across the street and dragging her back?!】

Grandpa White Tiger’s form stiffened before he bolted into the jungle, fleeing like the wind.

Chen Ji saw it and called out, stifling laughter, “Grandpa White Tiger, thanks for the ride! I brought an offering just for you. Care to enjoy it before you go?”

Grandpa White Tiger didn’t just keep walking—he flat-out sprinted.

Once the tiger’s presence faded, Chen Ji burst out laughing. He clamped a hand over his mouth, trying to stay quiet. Cat hearing was sharp; he didn’t want an embarrassed tiger wheeling back for a chomp.

The System Cat eyed his smug grin. 【So what now?】

Chen Ji finished laughing. “I’ll go grab some more.”

He’d gone slow before, hunting twig by twig. Now that he knew the spot, it was easy—Grandpa White Tiger’s resting place had to be dry. Even if not, his body heat would’ve baked it that way.