Being a Dad in the Animal World
o0o
Bai Yi heard the deafening roar of lions from afar, and his heart tightened instinctively. Without hesitation, he sprinted toward the source of the sound.
Halfway there, he ran into Jason’s coalition, who had returned on his own.
The coalition warned Bai Yi that it was dangerous ahead.
Worried about Jason’s safety, Bai Yi ignored the warning and rushed forward at full speed.
When he reached the scene, he saw Jason surrounded by a group of lions. Despite the situation, Jason still refused to let go of the prey in his jaws.
It was obvious that he had stolen another pride’s kill.
There were quite a few lions in the group, but they were all lionesses.
Bai Yi quickly counted, there were about fifteen of them.
A chill ran down his spine.
Jason’s roar was loud, but in a situation like this, even a fully grown male lion wouldn’t be able to snatch food from an entire pride.
The strength of lionesses was no joke. They formed the backbone of the pride and were the key to its survival.
How did Jason, an adolescent male, even dare to charge in?
The lionesses lunged at Jason, their roars shaking the air, sending even nearby predators scurrying away.
This pride might be a group of African lions that migrated from the Serengeti around June.
But no matter where they came from, they were an unstoppable force.
Was he supposed to just watch Jason get torn apart?
Anyone who stepped in now was as good as dead.
The film crew was deeply anxious, and the audience was on edge.
Since they were filming with a drone, the crew had no way to intervene.
The streamer’s expression was grim.
“If Bai Yi is smart enough, he’ll abandon Jason. Otherwise, they’ll both die a horrible death. This pride is too large—seventeen lionesses, and their leader is a queen.”
"It’s obvious that provoking this pride will end terribly"
The audience thought the same, but Jason was surrounded by the lionesses because of Bai Yi.
They wanted Bai Yi to give up, yet they didn’t want Jason to suffer alone.
"What should we do? I’m so worried about them! If Jason dies, I won’t watch the livestream anymore. Bai Yi will be heartbroken!"
"You’re all forgetting! Bai Yi is a very smart lion. He’ll definitely come up with something!"
"He may be smart, but there’s no way he can rescue Jason from so many lions!"
"If he’s smart enough, he’ll turn around and leave."
"Yes, a wise lion wouldn’t challenge a pride."
"But Bai Yi has challenged lion prides more than once. Am I crazy for hoping he’ll take them on alone?"
"You’re definitely crazy. This pride means certain death."
No one knew what Bai Yi would do. He crouched in the grass, waiting for the right moment.
Bai Yi would definitely not leave Jason. Jason went hunting because he obeyed her, but is now surrounded by a group of lions.
If Bai Yi left today and Jason died here, he would never forgive himself.
Even though this cub constantly challenged his authority and never treated him as an elder, Bai Yi had still watched him grow up.
He had to admit, Jason’s courage was impressive. Even now, he refused to drop the food in his mouth.
And he had managed to anger the pride’s leader, a lioness with extensive hunting experience.
She launched the first attack, and the rest of the pride immediately followed. Jason still held onto his prey, refusing to let go.
Just as the lionesses were about to bring Jason down, Bai Yi leaped from the grass and roared.
His roar was deafening, likely echoing for miles. The lionesses hesitated and backed away slightly, startled by the sudden threat. But upon realizing it was just a single male lion, they quickly regained their confidence.
Jason ran toward Bai Yi with the prey still in his mouth. The lionesses immediately adjusted their strategy, surrounding them with the clear intent to fight to the death for their meal.
Bai Yi knew he wasn’t their match. His only option was to rush to Jason, grab him, and force him to drop the prey.
This cub was just too stubborn. No matter if the food was his or stolen, once it was in his mouth, he would rather die than let another lion take it.
Bai Yi thought Jason was too obsessed with food.
What kind of lion risked its life over a meal?
Even the strongest kings understood that when facing a pride, they had to decide whether survival or food was more important.
But to Jason, food seemed to matter more than his own life.
Bai Yi couldn’t help but wonder, who had influenced the cub to think this way?
He had never been this obsessed with food before.
Bai Yi took the food from Jason’s mouth, then held it in his own and ran forward a few steps before tossing it to the other lions.
However, the lions saw this as a challenge to their authority and weren’t going to let Jason and Bai Yi go so easily.
Bai Yi protected Jason as they retreated, but unfortunately, a lioness suddenly lunged from the side and sank her teeth into Jason’s hind leg.
A lion’s bite force was no joke. Jason collapsed instantly, and if Bai Yi hadn’t run fast enough, the cub’s leg would have been ripped off.
The lions chased them relentlessly, caring less about the food now.
Bai Yi felt a little panicked. This time, they had really run into trouble.
Jason let out anxious roars, and Bai Yi grew even more fearful.
He couldn’t fight off so many lions either. He had already taken a few bites, though the wounds were shallow.
But Jason’s hind leg, just one bite had left him unable to walk.
Bai Yi prayed in his heart, hoping the cub’s leg wouldn’t break!
Just then, the big brother of his coalition, joined the fight. He roared at the lionesses while Bai Yi and the coalition brother guarded Jason, but the surrounding lions showed no signs of backing down.
Bai Yi suddenly recognized the queen of the pride. This lion, who had never bowed to any male before, now had no choice but to lower his head, for Jason’s life.
As the queen pounced at him, Bai Yi rolled onto the ground and started acting cute.
"Jie jie, look at me, look at me! I’ll put on a little act for you, just let my brother go."
Lions were like that. If they saw submission, they wouldn’t always push things to the extreme.
The queen landed next to Bai Yi, momentarily caught off guard by his sudden surrender, nearly unable to stop herself in time.
Her fangs had already clamped around Bai Yi’s neck, but he showed complete submission.
So she didn’t bite down. Instead, she let out a low growl—warning, threatening.
It was as if she was saying, "Don’t let me catch you next time!"
Bai Yi knew when to stop. Seeing that the queen hadn’t bitten him, he understood, she was letting them go. She turned away, leading her pride back to their meal.
Bai Yi let out a long breath, his heart finally settling back in his chest.
He lifted his head and glanced at Jason, only to see Jason staring back at him.
To Jason, Bai Yi’s actions just now had been utterly humiliating.
His eyes clearly said, "Brother, you’re a male lion! You’re a king! How could you bow to them?!"
If Bai Yi knew what Jason was thinking, he would have told him "Submitting to a lady is called being a gentleman. There’s nothing shameful about it, don’t overthink it."
Now that they had escaped danger, they couldn’t stay here. Bai Yi quickly got up and went to check Jason’s injury. The bite was deep, and blood was already pouring out.
Bai Yi hurriedly licked the wound a few times, then nudged Jason with his head, urging him to stand.
The coalition brother also stepped forward, waiting nearby.
Looking at Jason’s condition, there was no way he’d be able to keep up with the migration for at least half a month.
Jason struggled to his feet, hobbling on three legs.
He moved very slowly. If he were still small, Bai Yi could carry him in his mouth, but he had grown up, weighing more than two hundred jin [100 kg], and he simply couldn’t be carried.
He could only protect him as they walked slowly.
Jason’s injury had impeded the migration progress for Bai Yi and the others.
At present, they were unable to keep pace with the migration of the herbivores.
Jason needed to heal, and Bai Yi had to accompany him.
If it were any other pride, Jason in his condition would surely be abandoned. The pride would not wait for him to recover, as delaying the migration would only lead to starvation on the dry season grassland.
His coalition big brother was clearly a normal lion; he knew that Jason could no longer move, so after two days of no sign from Bai Yi, the big brother set off on the migration journey alone.
In the end, he approached Bai Yi and Jason, nudged them, and then left without looking back.
He might have known that this lion pride was hopeless; they were all destined to die.
He did not want to die, so he continued forward.
Bai Yi was extremely worried. They were already short on water and food. If they were delayed for another half month, on this endless grassland there would probably not be a single animal hair to be seen.
From September to October, Maasai Mara officially entered the peak of the dry season. At that time, the grassland would either be filled with the emaciated bodies of animals that failed to keep up with the migration or an endless expanse of withered, yellow dry grass.
In contrast, the rainy season was vibrant and full of hope.
Bai Yi suddenly began to miss the season when it would rain for almost a month.
Even though rain could be bothersome, the moisture it provided was a blessing.
He began to regularly lick Jason’s wounds and clean his fur every day. He had never done this before because he found Jason too dirty and considered him a psychologically unstable male lion.
Now, the cub had been injured because of him.
Jason actually wished for Bai Yi to continue on with the three little ones. He attacked Bai Yi several times while Bai Yi was licking his wounds.
Ultimately, he couldn’t beat Bai Yi and ended up receiving a good beating.
He then behaved himself.
It was obvious that his older brother did not want to leave him alone, for his coalition big brother had already gone.
The animals migrated very quickly; essentially, they did not linger in one place. Within two days, there wasn’t even a single animal hair left around where Bai Yi had been staying.
This compounded their already dire food shortage.
The only advantage was that there were fewer strong enemies, as everyone was migrating northward with the herbivores in search of food.
Even if there were any lions lingering on the grassland, they were old, weak, or sick— unable to keep up with the migration and destined to starve on the dry grassland.
They were already several dozen li [5km] away from the Mara River and were just trying to move toward a water source, although misfortunes often occurred suddenly.
Bai Yi had no choice but to traverse more than ten li to the Mara River in search of water.
Perhaps out of divine mercy, they found a mineral water bottle along the way. Just as he was worried about how to bring water back to Jason, this bottle appeared.
It did not have a cap, which troubled him greatly.
It didn’t matter, as he could hold it in his mouth at an angle.
Excellent, Bai Yi saw hope again.
After he and the three little ones finished drinking the water, he filled the bottle under the watchful eyes of crocodiles. He then placed the bottle in his mouth with the opening facing inward and the bottom down, and began to hurry back.
When he walked too fast, water sometimes spilled out, so he would slow down.
Bai Yi’s actions constantly redefined the perceptions of the audience and the film crew. They were astonished and, at the same time, felt comforted by this male lion.
It seemed that in this hopeless season, he could survive by relying on his own wisdom.
Previously, the cubs looked down on rats, thinking they not only tasted bad but were not even substantial enough to fill the gaps between their teeth; during the days when animals hurriedly left, however, rats became their main source of sustenance.
Bai Yi’s hunting skills were steadily improving.
He could spend the whole day doing nothing but digging into rat holes, yet rats typically came out more at night, so Bai Yi chose to act under cover of darkness.
That day, when he hadn’t caught many rats during daylight, Bai Yi discovered another adorable animal.
It had gray fur covering its body, was somewhat larger than a rat, and its two ears stood high, alert to the surroundings!
African grassland rabbit!
It looked so cute and adorably clumsy that it must taste much better than rats, right?
To be honest, Bai Yi never imagined that one day he would eat a protected animal.
This rabbit is a low-risk species and is even listed by the World Conservation Union.
If other options were available, Bai Yi would surely let it go.
After all, with its adorably clumsy and fleshy, compact body, it was undeniably cute.
Bai Yi’s uncontrollable tears streamed from the corner of his mouth, and he decided to catch one to satisfy his craving... after all, he only ate rats, and Jason’s wound was healing very slowly.
Thus, on that pleasant, sun-drenched noon, the film crew and the audience witnessed a miraculous scene.
Bai Yi was racing with the rabbit.
The film crew explained to the audience:
"Bai Yi was tracking an African grassland rabbit. This rabbit is a low-risk species, but it is obvious that Bai Yi and his family could not keep up with the migration, so he had no choice but to settle for a second-best option."
The audience expressed some distrust towards Bai Yi:
"He can't even catch large animals, let alone a small and agile creature like a rabbit. I don't think he can catch a rabbit."
"If he can hunt a rabbit today, I will livestream myself chopping off my genitals."
"Guys, there's no need for that. Bai Yi's daring hunt is already a great breakthrough. He can now catch rats to feed Jason and the three little ones, and I have no further demands of him."
"That's great. Bai Yi can eat protected animals now. When will I be able to eat a giant panda?"
"Friend upstairs, I support you eating a giant panda. The key is that you must be able to handle it. I remember someone online asked if eating a giant panda when you're about to starve was illegal, and a lawyer replied that a giant panda is, at most, an animal, but you are human. You can eat it, but first you must be able to overpower it when you're nearly starving."
"Don't be fooled by his cuteness. In ancient times, he was the mount of Chiyou. How confident are you that you can handle him? Although he is called a panda, he is not a cat. Please be rational and don't let the panda look down on you."
"You're getting off-topic. Hey, look at Bai Yi!"
On screen, a rabbit and a lion engaged in an intense showdown. The rabbit hopped high, while Bai Yi ran even faster. They clashed several times during the pursuit, and eventually the rabbit was no match for Bai Yi, who caught it in his mouth.
With that speed, the viewers were simply in disbelief.
If Bai Yi used that speed to chase herbivores, no animal would be his match, right?
Bai Yi once again demonstrated his laid-like attitude.
Now he could no longer be laid-back, because he had no lions to rely on.
Jason was severely injured, and if Bai Yi did not put in effort, their entire family would perish.
Thus, he was compelled to fight for survival.
He was indeed capable; his solo challenge against a lion pride was proof enough. As for why he wasn't hunting, perhaps it was because he wanted to be a salted fish.
Bai Yi truly wanted to be a salted fish; if he could lie down, he would never stand up.
He was already exhausted as a human; why should he not be allowed to be a salted fish as an animal?
When there was a thigh to hold, he wouldn't hesitate to get on it.
He was known for his ability to live off others.
After all, he had a great big Jason.
He had to get Jason to recover quickly so that the food supply for their whole family would be secure.
Bai Yi caught a wild rabbit, went back, and tossed it in front of Jason; only Jason got that treat while the three cubs received nothing.
After all, Jason was the only source of labor in the family. Once Bai Yi recognized this reality, he decided to be a bit kinder to Jason.
“Roar~”
“Hurry up and eat; this is an extra meal for you that the others don’t have”
“When you were injured I took care of you. Once you recover, remember my favor and let me eat soft rice. Understand?”
Bai Yi’s inner calculations were clattering away in his mind, yet they still could not resolve the current predicament.
He would be forced to struggle for survival for half a month until Jason got better; then they would continue migrating north. Their destination was Serengeti National Park.
It was still so far; they hadn’t even left Maasai Mara yet, and that was the most terrifying part.
Jason also knew that Bai Yi wanted him to recover as quickly as possible, so he ate whenever food was available.
Injury also had its advantages.
Previously, his older brother never even bothered to touch him, not even to clean his fur.
Now his older brother not only cleaned his fur but also licked his wounds.
He even felt a tiny bit of joy.
That joy soon dissipated.
While his older brother was cleaning his fur, he wanted to reciprocate, but his older brother refused.
He even got hit with a paw, and he couldn’t understand why.
A rabbit was quickly eaten, and the three cubs complained in discontent from the side, as if questioning Bai Yi: why did only my brother get it while we got none?
Bai Yi paid no attention to them, thinking that having rats to eat was already good enough; if they wanted a rabbit, they were dreaming.
His present mission was to get Jason to recover as quickly as possible.
He had, after all, overlooked the true nature of beasts.
Even though Jason was injured, the colorful scraps in his brain were just as abundant as before.
Bai Yi’s licking of his hind leg wound prevented it from becoming inflamed or suppurating.
Yet this shameless fellow blatantly showcased his prickly brother, signaling to Bai Yi to 'take care of him'.
“…… .Do you think I have a good temper?"
o0o
"salted fish" (咸鱼, xiányú) is a Chinese slang term that refers to someone who is lazy, unmotivated
Give him an inch, and he takes a mile. Tsk tsk tsk
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