Chapter 56
With Long Xu’s assistance, building several greenhouses was easy. The heavy materials were like toys in the mecha’s massive hands.
Shi Nuo, with nothing else to do, watched, fascinated, as Long Xu worked tirelessly.
The mecha laid the foundations, poured the concrete, erected the framework, its movements precise and efficient, the humming of its machinery a constant background noise.
The hydroponics greenhouse was completed first, sixty-four square meters, not too large. They didn’t need much, and growing too much would be wasteful.
The roof and walls were made of a special crystalline glass, strong and transparent, maximizing heat absorption and retention while also allowing for ventilation and natural light. The glass panels could be opened and closed as needed.
The foundation was sturdy, and the building materials were all disaster-resistant.
This planet was prone to strong winds, sometimes even gale-force winds, and Hugh Elvis wanted to ensure the greenhouses were sturdy enough to withstand the elements, especially when he wasn’t around, so Shi Nuo wouldn’t have to rely on foraging for wild vegetables.
After the hydroponics greenhouse was completed and the automated systems installed, Shi Nuo and Hugh entered, poured various seeds into the designated compartments, activated the control panel, and within ten minutes, the seeds were planted.
The system used both hydroponics and soil-based cultivation. After the soil beds were planted, the tall hydroponics racks were lifted by a mechanical arm from the ceiling and positioned above the soil beds, maximizing space utilization.
Rows of seedlings, neatly arranged, filled the greenhouse, the temperature and humidity automatically regulated. Sixteen different types of vegetables, some leafy greens, some root vegetables, and some with edible stems and leaves.
The livestock greenhouse was larger, sixteen meters wide and sixteen meters long, a total of 256 square meters, with two levels, equipped with ventilation, automated feeding, sterilization, cleaning, and waste disposal systems. With the automated systems, minimal human intervention was required. They only needed to perform occasional checks.
In addition to the greenhouses, Long Xu also dug two small ponds, one for fish, the other for shrimp and crabs, also equipped with automated systems.
After the ponds were completed, Hugh piloted Long Xu on another supply run, returning with a variety of carefully selected livestock.
The upper level of the livestock greenhouse housed poultry: chickens, ducks, geese, two types of large birds for meat, and about twenty egg-laying hens.
The lower level housed ten young sheep, deer, space pigs, rabbits, and miniature cattle, each species with a male and female pair for breeding, their designated areas separated to prevent conflict.
The animals were all carefully bred and selected, able to adapt to the environmental changes of space travel.
The fish and shrimp were local species, caught in the nearby river by Hugh and Long Xu. After everything was set up and running smoothly, two weeks had passed.
The first signs of growth were from a type of leafy green vegetable, its tender green leaves thriving, their progress noticeable every day.
Shi Nuo, upon waking, would immediately check on them.
When they were finally ready to be harvested, he excitedly grabbed a basket and went to the greenhouse, climbing onto the hydroponics racks and carefully picking the leaves, placing them neatly in the basket.
Hugh stood below, watching him carefully, and helped him reach the higher leaves.
The vibrant green leaves, blanched in boiling meat broth, were tender, crisp, and sweet.
“Homegrown vegetables are the best,” Shi Nuo said contentedly, holding his bowl.
Hugh Elvis smiled, his eyes crinkling slightly, and readily agreed.
The egg-laying hens, having adjusted to their new environment, began producing eggs, the egg collection box filled daily with chicken eggs and larger bird eggs, all delicious.
Their lives had changed dramatically. Shi Nuo, his attention now occupied with his new responsibilities, spent his days tending the vegetable garden, monitoring their growth, researching recipes with Hugh, and even trying his hand at cooking, finding a sense of fulfillment in these new tasks.
He rarely visited the livestock greenhouse. Despite the ventilation system, there was still a lingering smell, and his heightened sense of smell during pregnancy made it unpleasant. He only went there to collect the eggs.
He soon realized they couldn’t possibly eat all the eggs and, after discussing it with Hugh, they moved some of the hens to the breeding area, keeping only half for egg production, enough for a few fresh eggs each day.
The remaining poultry was slaughtered, their meat used for broth and other dishes, nothing wasted.
His six-month pregnancy belly had grown slightly larger.
Fortunately, the new activities and responsibilities kept Shi Nuo’s mood stable. Apart from the occasional discomfort from his developing breasts, he was generally cheerful.
His morning sickness wasn’t severe, which relieved both Hugh and Long Xu.
Their limited resources and remote location meant they couldn’t easily acquire specific foods if he had strong cravings, and snacks weren’t a healthy substitute for proper meals.
Hugh went out every five days, bringing back fresh ingredients for dishes he couldn’t prepare himself, or that Shi Nuo requested.
Shi Nuo always looked forward to these trips, the unique snacks and regional specialties a welcome change from their usual fare, a constant source of surprise and delight.
The novelty and excitement dispelled his anxieties about the upcoming birth, until the eighth month arrived.
The baby’s movements weren’t frequent, but its life force was strong, a sign of good health.
As for its sex, with such a strong life force, it was likely to present as an Alpha, but Hugh, different from ordinary Alphas, having consumed a beast heart and possessing a rare ability, had a unique physiology, and their child’s genetic makeup might also be different. It could be a strong Beta or even an Omega.
At eight months, Shi Nuo’s belly wasn’t excessively large, and his movements weren’t too restricted.
However, as the due date approached, he couldn’t help but feel anxious, both eager for the baby’s arrival and worried about the birth. He had even hesitated about the pre-natal sex determination scan, his courage failing him every time he considered it.
He wanted to know the baby’s sex to prepare, but the uncertainty made him nervous. Even though the child was growing inside him, he still felt a sense of apprehension.
Then, the day finally arrived.
Shi Nuo was woken from his nap by the white wolf pacing anxiously beside the bed.
He was still drowsy, his mind foggy, when the wolf told him the baby was coming.
Beastmen had unique instincts, varying by species. The Elvis family’s bloodline was wolves, and Hugh, a rare white wolf, despite his long exile, still retained those instincts. He could smell the change in Shi Nuo’s pheromones, the signs of impending labor.
“Now?” Shi Nuo mumbled, still disoriented.
“Yes, soon,” the white wolf paced back and forth, then stopped in front of him, nuzzling his belly, its eyes narrowed, its tail wagging erratically, its ears twitching, its anxiety evident.
Shi Nuo’s own anxiety intensified, his hands clenching.
Seeing this, the white wolf shifted back into its human form in a flash of white light.
Hugh Elvis ran his fingers through his hair, a white animal skin wrapped around his waist. He frowned, his lips pressed into a thin line, his expression a mixture of concern and a strange helplessness. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself.
He lifted Shi Nuo into his arms. “Let’s go to the living room. Stay near the birthing assistance device. The baby could arrive any minute.”
Shi Nuo instinctively wrapped his arms around Hugh’s neck and nodded, his anxiety growing. “Okay.”
The pendant around his neck pulsed faintly, and Long Xu emerged from its spatial storage device, its massive shadow looming over the house.
Hugh’s instincts were correct. Soon after they reached the living room, Shi Nuo’s labor pains began.
The birthing assistance device was a great help. As Shi Nuo’s contractions intensified, his hand gripping Hugh’s tightly, the white-haired man watched the device anxiously, his brow furrowed, unsure of what to do, afraid to touch Shi Nuo, relieved that the Omega’s vital signs were stable.
The device couldn’t eliminate the pain completely, but it lessened it considerably.
Three hours later, a faint whimpering sound reached Shi Nuo’s ears, and a moment later, Hugh held a small bundle in his hands.
“It’s a wolf cub,” he said, his voice hoarse, carrying the baby to the device for Shi Nuo to see.
A blue light scanned the cub, and Long Xu’s voice said, “All vital signs normal. Healthy.”
The wolf cub whimpered again, its sparse fur wet and matted, its small body red and wrinkled, its tail short and stubby.
As if sensing it was safe, it closed its eyes, nestled in Hugh’s hands, and promptly fell asleep.
Tears, a mixture of pain and relief, streamed down Shi Nuo’s face, and he couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s…not very pretty.”
But he loved it already.
Hugh also smiled, his gaze softening. “It’ll grow into its looks.”
Shi Nuo wiped his tears, his vision clearing, and carefully took the cub from Hugh. Holding the small wolf was easier than holding a human infant, less fear of accidentally hurting its fragile body.
“I’ll clean it up and wrap it in a blanket. It will want to feed soon,” Hugh said.
“Okay,” Shi Nuo returned the cub to Hugh and lay back on the birthing assistance device to rest.
The device’s postpartum cleaning function was activated, and he couldn’t leave for another half hour.
Hugh, holding the wolf cub, cleaned it gently within Shi Nuo’s line of sight.
Shi Nuo remembered the documentaries he had watched. Wolf cubs, unlike actual wolf pups, which were born with fur, had skin more similar to that of human infants.
This wasn’t unusual. Beastmen and wild beasts were different.
He suddenly remembered something important and looked up at Hugh. “Is it a boy or a girl?”
Hugh Elvis, holding the small blanket he had prepared, had also forgotten about this. He held the cub up with one hand and was about to examine it when Long Xu’s cold, mechanical voice said, “Male.”
The mecha, standing by the open doorway, could see everything happening in the living room.
Shi Nuo lay back again, his eyes crinkling in a smile. “A boy. A strong little Alpha.”
There were two possibilities. If the child was born in human form, its secondary gender would develop later, and if it was an Alpha, it would gradually learn to shift into its beast form. If it was born in beast form, its secondary gender would almost certainly be Alpha, with very few exceptions.
Regardless of its future development, having been born on this primitive planet, the child, a small beastman, would remain in its wolf cub form for the first year, its more robust body better suited to the harsh environment.
Hugh Elvis dressed the cub, and seeing that it was still asleep, didn’t bother preparing formula yet, simply standing beside the crib, watching it.
It was so small, not even as long as his hand.
This was his and Shi Nuo’s cub.
As Shi Nuo had said, it wasn’t pretty. It was…ugly.
Hugh, coming back to his senses, realized he had been standing there for a while, lost in thought. He looked up at Shi Nuo. “Which name should we use?”
Shi Nuo hesitated. “I don’t know.”
They had discussed many names, both for boys and girls, but hadn’t been able to decide.
The common names seemed too ordinary, the unusual ones too…unique. They didn’t know what their child would like.
Hugh opened his terminal, his gaze fixed on a separate screen displaying the list of names they had compiled. He frowned, then, as if making a difficult decision, said, “Should we let the system choose randomly?”
Shi Nuo hesitated, then nodded decisively. “Okay.”
Before they could resort to such drastic measures, the wolf cub opened its eyes and whimpered.
Hugh immediately turned to it, seeing its small mouth moving, its head lifting slightly as if searching for something. Realizing it was hungry, he quickly prepared the formula.
The cub latched onto the nipple and began to suckle contentedly, its whimpering ceasing.
Shi Nuo, still lying on the birthing assistance device, unable to help, said suddenly, “Let’s call it Wu Wu.”
He smiled. “It’s always whimpering.”
Hugh, feeding the cub, looked up, a smile in his eyes. “Okay. Wu Wu.”
“And its formal name?” Shi Nuo asked.
They were once again faced with a difficult decision.
