The fish One caught was huge. It grabbed the fish by the fin, but with a flick of its tail, the fish fell right back into the water.

The one Two caught was a little smaller. Two reacted much faster, though. The moment the fish was out of the water, it cupped it with both paws, bit down, and steadily carried it over to Shen Baoying.

The monkey troop had a strict hierarchy. Shen Baoying held the highest status among them, so even though they had caught the fish, they would offer it to her to eat first before it was distributed.

Shen Baoying patted Two’s little hat and said excitedly to Niu Niu, "Did you see that? One and Two learned how to catch fish through the ice just like that!"

Niu Niu nodded. "That’s amazing!"

Shen Baoying smiled. "I thought we’d have to teach them how to use spears, but it looks like that won’t be necessary at all. Their paws are much better."

Snow Monkeys were naturally capable of fishing and could even swim; it had simply slipped her mind.

Niu Niu laughed. "One and Two are so smart, I’m sure they could learn to use spears, too. Using their paws must be so cold."

Shen Baoying chuckled. "As long as they can catch enough to eat, they won’t starve. If they can’t learn to use a spear, then so be it."

The words had barely left her mouth when One, after its earlier failure, displayed its formidable skill. It struck swiftly, snagging a massive grouper in its jaws.

Shen Baoying and Niu Niu excitedly cheered at how incredible it was.

Two struck again, this time catching a rather large red grouper.

But they didn’t eat their catches, offering them all to Shen Baoying instead.

When Shen Baoying placed a fish in the basket, they learned to put their catches directly into the basket too.

They had perfectly mastered the skill of catching fish from the sea ice.

After a few more tries at chiseling through the ice, they would surely grasp the core of it.

Shen Baoying and Niu Niu’s cheers drew Jiang Si and Zhang Qingfang over.

Seeing how nimbly One and Two were catching fish, Zhang Qingfang chuckled. "With skills like that, they’ll have no problem feeding themselves."

This was exactly what Jiang Si had hoped for. If the whole monkey troop could learn to break the sea ice and catch fish, they wouldn’t come and raid their supplies.

With One and Two having learned the skill, they would serve as excellent role models.

But even though One and Two were having an easy time fishing now, the activity was fraught with danger.

If they fell in and got their fur completely soaked, their body temperature would plummet. Without being dried by a fire in time, a Snow Monkey’s life could quickly slip away.

If they dove into the sea for fish, they might not be able to find the hole in the ice again and could drown.

What’s more, they could fall right through the ice while trying to break it.

With the humans watching over them now, One and Two could be dried off immediately if they fell in, so they didn’t have to fear the danger.

But if the rest of the monkey troop didn’t realize the dangers of the sea, a single fishing expedition could become a catastrophe for them.

They would have to learn about the safety of the ice and slowly gain experience through trial and error.

Of course, if the monkey troop stayed with them, they wouldn’t have to worry about that, as the humans would naturally stop them from taking such risks.

’But the troop has been quiet for the past few days. Perhaps they found another food source?’

’In that case, raising One and Two isn’t a bad idea.’

’They can not only work, but also act as sentries. They’re very alert and incredibly agile.’

One and Two had no idea that Jiang Si had considered so much in just a few moments.

They felt a great sense of accomplishment from fishing. They would cry out happily at Shen Baoying’s praise, and when they got candy as a reward, they would spin around in delight like children.

But after catching so many fish, their paws were frozen and trembling so much they could barely hold onto the candy.

Shen Baoying quickly stopped them from continuing to catch fish with their bare paws. She used a towel to dry their paws and rub their little damp jackets.

One and Two stayed put obediently. Jiang Si picked up a spear, and with a swift motion, speared another large fish.

Seeing the fish struggling on the spear, One’s and Two’s eyes darted back and forth, a thoughtful look on their faces.

A while later, when Shen Baoying was getting ready to head back, One and Two tentatively picked up the spears.

They were holding them backward, so Shen Baoying corrected them and gave a demonstration.

One and Two were even more intelligent than they had imagined, with the learning capacity of at least a three or four-year-old child.

After holding the spears correctly, they began tentatively jabbing at the water. They couldn’t control their strength well and kept missing, but the fact that they could accurately lock onto a target and understood that tools could be used for fishing was a great sign.

One and Two were smaller than Niu Niu, so using spears was indeed a bit difficult for them.

By the time the heat pack on Shen Baoying’s body grew cold and it was really time to leave, they still hadn’t managed to spear a single fish.

But Jiang Si recorded footage of them trying their best to learn.

When everyone returned to the Icebreaker for lunch, Jiang Si played the recording for them all to see.

Seeing their earnest and adorable efforts, even Jiang Linhai felt a sense of inadequacy. He admitted that when he was their size, he couldn’t have caught that many fish.

「In the days that followed.」

Shen Baoying took them out every day to till the soil, feed the chickens and ducks, and catch fish.

Gradually, One and Two began to perform these tasks proactively on Shen Baoying’s command.

In time, Big Black and Little Black also grew accustomed to them.

One and Two could even ride on Big Black and Little Black’s backs to help Shen Baoying and the others deliver things. When they ran, they looked like dashing little generals.

It was an adorably harmonious sight.

Just as everyone had accepted One and Two as part of the team and was preparing to make a nest for them on the Icebreaker, the monkey troop suddenly returned.

Qin Shen’s eyes snapped open. He woke Jiang Si. "Sisi."

Jiang Si rubbed her eyes. "What’s wrong?"

"The monkey troop is here. Want to go take a look?"

Jiang Si nodded. "Yeah, let’s go."

They threw on their clothes. Hearing the barks of Big Black and Little Black, the others also hurried out of their rooms.

With Big Black and Little Black in the lead, they all rushed over to see dozens of pairs of glowing, round eyes in the pitch-black darkness.

The last time, by the time Jiang Si and the others arrived, the Monkey King had already led the monkeys away after pulling up their radishes.

But this time, they hadn’t run.

Her gaze shifted, and she saw two familiar little figures standing in front of the Monkey King.

One and Two were baring their teeth, facing off against the Monkey King.

The Monkey King, for his part, wasn’t making any rash moves either.

Jiang Si guessed it was likely out of fear of Qin Shen’s presence.

’Or perhaps,’ she thought, ’he still has some affection for his former troop members. Or maybe he came specifically to find One and Two and take them back.’

After Jiang Si and the others arrived, the Monkey King glanced at them a few times, then abruptly turned and led his troop away.

One and Two stood up and watched them go, hesitating, but ultimately chose not to follow.

Shen Baoying ran over happily and hugged One and Two. "Oh, you two! My love for you wasn’t wasted after all."

Jiang Linhai laughed. "They’re not reluctant to leave you. They’re reluctant to leave this good life with meat to eat and clothes to wear every day."

Shen Baoying shot him a glare. "They still chose us, didn’t they?"

Zhang Qingfang shone a flashlight around the radish patch and was struck speechless. "They got us again."

Jiang Si followed the beam of the flashlight and saw that eighty to ninety percent of the seedlings had been devoured.

All that in just a few moments. They were incredibly fast.