Forest Ranger: Starting with a Giant Panda Mom Clinging to Me - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: How Can She Compare to the Black-and-White Silk at Brother Tian’s House!

After dinner, Lin Tian stretched lazily and lay on a rocking chair in the courtyard, scrolling through his phone. Beside him, Panda Mom snuggled close, munching on bamboo shoot snacks she had brought back, while also peeking at his phone.

Lin Tian rested his head on her chubby, soft belly, feeling quite comfortable. He scrolled for a bit, then casually rubbed Panda Mom’s fluffy tummy. Life felt absolutely delightful.

> “Damn, I am so jealous! I want to scroll Douyin and pet Panda Mom too!”

> “Is this a life humans can actually live?”

> “The other forest rangers must be crying with envy.”

> “I want to rub Panda Mom’s soft little belly too!”

> “No Panda Mom belly for you, but Croc Bro’s belly is available. Wanna rub that?”

> “Pfft! Goddamn Croc Bro’s belly.”

> “Croc Bro: Were you being polite?!”

…

Night fell. The sky darkened. Lin Tian yawned and went to bed.

Barely a moment after turning off the light, the door suddenly swung open. Panda Mom waddled in, carrying her two cubs in her mouth.

Lin Tian saw this and helplessly held his forehead.  The room he’d prepared next door was completely wasted—Panda Mom had no interest in staying there.

Not only that, she climbed onto the bed and nudged Lin Tian, signaling him to scoot over.

Lin Tian: …

Looking at Panda Mom, who had claimed the foot of his bed, Lin Tian felt helpless. Fortunately, he bathed Panda Mom every night, so she was clean, with no odd smells.

Her fur was soft too. It felt cozy under his feet.

Lin Tian glanced at Panda Mom by moonlight, yawned, and went to sleep.

…

Meanwhile, while Lin Tian rested, the city was alive with lights and nightlife.

Chen Yi, draped in a jacket, took a sip of coffee and started editing videos.

“Today’s video is packed with gems again! This Lin Tian is practically a treasure of a streamer!”

Chen Yi was thrilled. Whether it was Lin Tian taking Panda Mom to “zero-yuan shop” a squirrel’s stash, fishing with her, or pulling a Chinese alligator out of the river, it was all prime editing material.

She felt like cutting anything out would be a shame. It was absolutely loaded with content! Ten minutes wouldn’t be enough.

In the end, Chen Yi decided to edit a 30-minute video, split into three parts!

“Looks like another all-nighter,” she said. Chen Yi gulped down her coffee, suddenly envying Lin Tian’s life. “Tch, Brother Tian is probably already asleep by now, right? So jealous. I want that life too.”

Staring at the screen, where Lin Tian leisurely fished under blue skies and green waters, Chen Yi was filled with envy. But soon, she rubbed her slightly chubby cheeks. “Forget it, no time for that. Gotta edit. This month’s rent isn’t even paid yet.”

…

Lin Tian had no idea that while he slept soundly, someone was burning the midnight oil editing his livestream footage.  Those edited videos brought him a ton of new fans and viewers. He was already gaining some fame on Douyin.

But even if he knew, Lin Tian wouldn’t have cared much. He started streaming just to have someone to chat with and didn’t pay it much mind.

That night, Lin Tian slept comfortably.

When he woke, the sky was just starting to brighten. It was six in the morning. There was still plenty of time before work.

Lin Tian stretched, pulled his slippers out from under Panda Mom’s butt, and headed to the courtyard. He made a point to check the water tank in the courtyard.

The Chinese alligator was sleeping soundly in the tank. Hearing Lin Tian open the door, it only opened its eyes briefly before dozing off again.

Lin Tian sighed, seeing it was still in the courtyard. It looked like the Chinese alligator was really planning to stay at his place.

With a sigh, Lin Tian didn’t dwell on it. He stretched, took a sip of water, and started practicing Tai Chi in the courtyard. He had learned it online. He had discovered that after drinking spiritual water, exercise helped speed up physical improvements.

So, every morning, he worked out for a bit to boost the spiritual water’s absorption.

While practicing Tai Chi, Lin Tian started his livestream.

> “First!”

> “Sofa!”

> “Damn, so many people are up this early for the stream?”

> “Pfft, I didn’t sleep.”

> “I was up all night watching the girl next door dance, but when I saw Brother Tian go live, I came right over.”

> “Exactly, the black silk girl next door cannot hold a candle to the black-and-white silk at Brother Tian’s house.”

> “??? You guys were weird.”

…

The moment the livestream started, a flood of comments poured in.

Lin Tian fixed the camera, practiced Tai Chi, and smiled as he greeted the audience. “Morning, everyone.”

> “Morning, Brother Tian.”

> “Brother Tian is doing Tai Chi?”

> “Good grief, while we are slaving away at 996*, Brother Tian is already living the retired life?”

[*^The term “996” refers to a work schedule common in some Chinese tech companies, where employees work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week, totaling 72 hours.]

…

> “Brother Tian, is Panda Mom up yet? I want to see Panda Mom!”

> “+1, want to see Panda Mom!”

> “I want to see the little mice.”

> “Panda cubs: Who are you calling little mice? Are you being polite?!”

> “Hahaha, am I the only one wanting to see Croc Bro?”

> “Speaking of, is Croc Bro still living in the tank?”

…

“Yup, in the tank,” Lin Tian said.

Lin Tian glanced at the comments and swung the camera toward the Chinese alligator dozing by the tank.

“Little croc, say hi to everyone.”

“Huff …” The Chinese alligator opened its eyes, not understanding who Lin Tian was asking it to greet. But hearing Lin Tian call, it thought it was mealtime and immediately scrambled over with a splash.

It raised its head, opened its mouth, and stared at Lin Tian. Its thick tail wagged excitedly behind it, kicking up a cloud of dust in the courtyard.

Lin Tian: …

Looking at the Chinese alligator acting like a husky, he was genuinely speechless. Anyone who didn’t know better would think he was raising a husky at home.

The audience cracked up seeing this.

> “Pfft hahaha, Croc Bro’s husky act is straight-up hilarious.”

> “Brother Tian, spill it, how did you train a ferocious crocodile into a husky?”

> “Croc Bro, you are a crocodile, not a husky! Put away your tongue and tail, let’s not mess around, okay?”

> “Chinese Alligator: You are the husky; your whole family is filled with huskies.”

…

While the audience laughed their heads off, the Chinese alligator genuinely thought there was food.

Lin Tian saw this and held his forehead helplessly. How was this another foodie?

“Ying ying!”

Just as he called the Chinese alligator a foodie, another foodie waddled out of the house with her goofy frame.

“Ying ying.”

Panda Mom ran out of the house, saw Lin Tian in the courtyard, and immediately shuffled over. Her round head nuzzled Lin Tian’s arm, acting cute.

“Morning, Panda Mom. I got your bamboo ready. Eat up,” Lin Tian said.

Lin Tian gave Panda Mom the bamboo shoots he had dug up yesterday. Among the supplies sent by the bureau was a truckload of fresh bamboo.

The bureau had promised to send a new batch every three days. Now with the Chinese alligator added, they’d probably send even more supplies.

In short, Lin Tian didn’t have to worry about the costs of feeding the pandas or the Chinese alligator.