Chapter 65

Xu Mo ignored them. The monkeys were timid; he pretended not to see them to avoid scaring them away again.

After the water boiled, he put the fish bones and hemp rope into the water to boil, then gathered some herbs nearby to make an anesthetic for the injured monkey to eat.

He wiped off the herbs on the monkey’s back and washed the wound with warm water. He then extracted some threads from the hemp rope, used the fish bones to pierce the monkey’s skin, and sewed up the wound.

Xu Mo had no experience, and the fish bones were not very sturdy, breaking several times as he tried to pierce the monkey’s skin. Despite the anesthetic, the monkey still screamed in pain, but it understood that Xu Mo was treating its injury, so it did not struggle, even though it howled in pain.

The other four monkeys, watching from the side, showed signs of fear and alarm, covering their eyes with their hands, unable to bear the sight.

After a long time, Xu Mo finally finished sewing up the monkey’s wound, drenched in sweat. He then changed the herbs and applied them to the monkey. The monkey lay on the dry grass, seemingly too weak to move.

Xu Mo gently stroked the monkey’s head a few times, and the monkey chirped in response. Xu Mo looked around the environment, thought for a moment, and then went into the forest to catch a mountain chicken.

He killed the chicken by the river, plucked its feathers, and gathered some spices, seasonings, and herbs beneficial for recovery. He put the chicken and the herbs into a clay pot, filled it with water, and hung it over a rack to cook.

While the pot was cooking, the other four monkeys became increasingly curious, watching him from a distance. When he finished killing the chicken and put it in the pot to cook, the four monkeys picked up the chicken feathers from the riverbank and played with them, sticking them in their ears and on their heads, making quite a commotion.

Xu Mo took advantage of the time while the pot was cooking to return to his dwelling, fetching a wooden spoon, several earthen bowls, and some salt. When he returned, the water in the pot had already boiled, and the mixed aroma of the spices, seasonings, and chicken was incredibly inviting.

The four monkeys gathered around the pot, their mouths watering. They tried to reach out to touch the pot several times but were stopped by the injured monkey’s warning calls.

The injured monkey was the leader of the family, and the female monkey and the other three young monkeys were all afraid of it. Although they were extremely curious about what was in the pot, they did not dare to touch it, their mouths watering even more.

Seeing this, Xu Mo found it amusing. As he approached, the four monkeys called out and fled. However, the aroma from the pot was too tempting, and they only ran a few steps before turning back, their red eyes fixed on Xu Mo and the pot.

The injured monkey, still lying on the ground in the same position, chirped at Xu Mo when he returned. Xu Mo did not understand what it was saying, but he squatted down and checked the monkey’s wound again. Seeing that the wound was healing well and had not broken open, he felt relieved.

As the chicken cooked, the aroma in the air became more intense. Xu Mo lifted the lid of the pot and sprinkled some salt inside.

The four monkeys, unable to resist the temptation, had moved closer. They were still afraid of Xu Mo, so they stood on the other side of the pot, separated from him by the fire. They tiptoed and peered into the pot, their mouths watering almost to the ground.

“Cough, cough!”

Xu Mo pretended to cough, and the four monkeys were immediately startled, screaming and fleeing. After a few steps, seeing that Xu Mo did not move, they returned.

When the chicken was cooked, Xu Mo took an earthen bowl and used the wooden spoon to scoop a bowl of chicken soup. After it cooled, he offered it to the injured monkey, gesturing for it to drink.

The injured monkey, having smelled the soup for a long time, was just as curious and hungry as the other four monkeys. Due to its injury, it did not dare to move without Xu Mo’s permission, and its saliva had already soaked the ground. Upon receiving the bowl of soup, it sniffed it, found the aroma the same as that from the pot, and immediately drank it all, gulping it down. After finishing the soup, it even licked the inside of the bowl.

The other four monkeys watched the injured monkey drink the soup, their eyes fixed on the bowl, swallowing their saliva. When the monkey finished the soup, their eyes shifted to the pot.

Xu Mo clearly heard their swallowing sounds, finding it amusing and interesting. He then took four more earthen bowls, filled them with chicken soup, and placed them on the grass, gesturing for the four monkeys to take them.

The four monkeys, afraid of Xu Mo but unable to resist the aroma of the soup, exchanged glances and slowly approached. They kept their eyes on Xu Mo’s movements while slowly extending their hands to pick up the bowls.

As soon as they picked up the bowls, they quickly retreated, their actions synchronized as if they had been trained.

After retreating to a safe distance, they, like the injured monkey, drank the soup eagerly. After finishing, they stared at the pot, still unsatisfied.

Xu Mo shared the remaining soup and chicken with them. He then took the pot and bowls to the river to wash them.

When he returned, the injured monkey suddenly chirped at the female monkey, who responded and then darted to the items on the ground, picked up the pot, and ran into the forest. The three young monkeys remained in place.

The injured monkey turned and chirped at Xu Mo. Xu Mo did not understand what it was saying but guessed it had something to do with the female monkey taking the pot.

Curious, Xu Mo sat on the grass, wanting to see what the female monkey would do with the pot.

Soon, the female monkey returned, carrying the pot, and placed it in front of Xu Mo before quickly retreating.

The injured monkey chirped at Xu Mo, gesturing for him to look at the pot.

Actually, Xu Mo did not need to look. With his strong sense of smell, he had already detected the aroma from the pot. It smelled like alcohol, but it was much lighter than the alcohol he had tasted before, with a fragrant and slightly sweet aroma, even hinting at a mango scent.

Xu Mo approached, picked up the pot, and examined it. The pot contained a half-full amber liquid, slightly cloudy but with a pleasant aroma.

The injured monkey chirped at Xu Mo again, and this time, Xu Mo understood. He put the pot down, used the wooden spoon to scoop a spoonful, and brought it to his mouth.

The liquid in the pot was indeed alcohol, made from mangoes. Although it was light, it was fragrantly sweet and refreshing, far superior to ordinary alcohol.

Xu Mo was not a drinker, especially with his enhanced taste, but the mango wine was so good that he could not resist having a few more spoonfuls.

The injured monkey, seeing Xu Mo drink the mango wine, chirped again, this time with a tone of joy.

Xu Mo understood that the monkey was grateful for his treatment and the chicken soup he had cooked for the family. The female monkey had brought the mango wine as a thank you. However, he was puzzled about where the monkeys had obtained the wine in the secluded mountain.

But he did not dwell on it.

The monkey’s injury was severe, and even with Xu Mo’s skilled treatment, it would take at least three to five days to heal.

The injured monkey should not be moved, and Xu Mo was concerned about any complications, so he moved his belongings closer to stay nearby. The morning dew on the mountain could cause inflammation if it touched the wound, so Xu Mo cut trees and pulled grass to build a small shelter over the monkey.

Over the next few days, Xu Mo identified herbs, cared for the monkey, and changed its bandages. When he had time, he caught a mountain chicken or a wild rabbit to cook meat soup for the monkey family. The other four monkeys gradually became familiar with him and no longer fled when he approached.

To help identify them, Xu Mo named the five monkeys after fruits. The injured monkey, the father, was named Mango. The female monkey, the mother, was named Grape. The other three monkeys were their children: the two older ones were twins, one male and one female. The male, slightly larger, was named Carambola, and the female was named Orange. The youngest, a male, was named Longan.

The smallest monkey, Longan, was the one Xu Mo had seen in the wild mango forest.

He called the five monkeys by their fruit names, and over time, they learned to recognize their names when he called them.

Living in the secluded valley with the monkeys added a lot of fun to his life.

When Mango’s injury healed, Xu Mo moved back to his dwelling, but the monkeys, having grown accustomed to the meat soup he cooked, followed him and refused to leave.

Xu Mo had to build a shelter for them near his dwelling.

Monkeys are excellent imitators. When Xu Mo went hunting, the five monkeys followed him and gradually learned to catch mountain chickens and wild rabbits on their own.

However, they could not learn Xu Mo’s technique of holding his breath and pretending to be dead to lure the prey. When they got impatient, they would cause a commotion, chasing the prey all over the mountain.

They did, however, learn to kill and pluck chickens and rabbits, though their impatience often left the job incomplete. But since they were doing it for themselves, they did not mind.

With his ability to hold his breath, Xu Mo could go without food for several days. Sometimes, when he was practicing his tactile senses or meditating, he would be gone for days. The five monkeys slowly learned to start fires and cook, using the seasonings Xu Mo had prepared, and managed to make the meat soup.

However, their already red eyes became even redder from the smoke.

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