Cub Raising Association Chapter 45

Nesela festival
By the time Xie Tao returned to Yunbao Branch, the matter regarding the Houdie family had already caused a small disturbance on the Star Network and this time the public opinion appeared to be almost entirely unanimous.
After digging up information about the Houdie family’s loss and the specific events, it became very clear that the Houdie family was in the wrong. From what they had found out, many people at once very easily associated Yunbao Branch with a specific role in this almost fiction-like drama.
“Going against such a big family for the sake of the cub, this club really isn’t simple.”
"I reckon the Houdie family didn't expect that the other side would have so much evidence and even witnesses. This overconfidence led to the capsizing of their ship. But anyway, I don't have even the tiniest bit of sympathy for them."
"I may not have the courage to change clubs, but even though my cub will not enroll at this Yunbao Branch, I would still like to express my support for the club. I hope this club will only get even better in the future."
In contrast to the complete condemnation of the Houdie family, there were also people who in the midst of the condemnation also praised Yunbao Branch.
Just by looking at Yunbao Branch's Xingyou account, it was clear that the club had been getting more and more attention these past few days.
"Our club's official account has tens of thousands of followers."
Looking at the rising number of followers, Xia Qi, who was responsible for managing the club's Xingyou account, was naturally very happy.
Considering the interstellar population as well as the number of followers of other well-known clubs, this amount was not enough. But they were getting there, bit by bit.
They had won the trial and by doing so they had also accidentally made themselves more famous, the mood of the people at the Yunbao Branch loosened up one after another.
However, after Xie Tao had returned to Yunbao Branch, he still had something he could not get off his mind. It was concerning mermaid cubs.
In the mermaid race, after a cub was born the parents would take their cub to receive a blessing from the God of the sea. It was a tradition of the mermaid race.
On Hailumite, in front of the statue of the sea god in the central city, there was a holy spring in which a crystal with a mystical dark blue color would be placed.
The birthstone, Alexis.
It was called the blessing of the sea god, but it was more appropriate to call it birth blessing. All the parents who came before the birthstone in order for their cubs to receive blessings surely had hearts brimming with beautiful wishes for the cub.
But the mermaid cub in their club had been all alone. The father had already died and the mother had passed away soon after the cub was born. Xie Tao therefore thought that the cub might not have received this blessing.
In the parents’ absence, the other members of the family had gone so far as to abandon the cub on a distant planet. Regardless of how he looked at it, Xie Tao could not stop the nagging feeling that this was probably the case.
Originally, it had only been a passing thought when he learned that neither of the cub's parents was alive. However, the more Xie Tao thought about it, the more the notion took root in his heart.
"Papa?" Feeling that the youth was distracted, the mermaid cub swimming near the edge gently grabbed the youth's trousers. However the cub did not make a fuss and just quietly held onto his parent.
Hearing the cub's voice, Xie Tao came back to his senses. At that moment, he also made a decision in his heart.
The mermaid cub had been very lucky to survive. Although it was a little late, Xie Tao wanted the little mermaid to receive a blessing just like the other cubs in his race.
After discussing with the other members of the club and getting unanimous approval, Xie Tao immediately started planning for the journey.
Traveling to Hailumite, Xie Tao did not even give the Houdie family residing on this planet a thought.
The other side was now in the teeth of the storm. This in itself was already enough to put them in a terrible state. Moreover, it was on the mermaid race's capital planet, it was impossible for the other side to dare to take any action this time.
Having to travel far again, Xie Tao comforted the other cubs in the club in advance and the next day, held two cubs in his arms as he boarded the starship.
One was of course the mermaid cub, the other was a fluffball with two small horns on its head.
The birthstone was fairly well known in the interstellar. Xie Tao wished for the Knox cub to receive a blessing as well, hoping that it might counteract some of the malice that the cub would meet with in the future.
When the starship neared Hailumite, Xie Tao could see the shape of the planet through the side window.
A dark blue planet, this was Xie Tao's first impression of it.
On this planet, the ocean arena accounted for a very large part of the planet and it therefore looked like this from outer space.
"Gale, if you are uncomfortable, you will tell me, right? " Walking down from the starship, Xie Tao said this with a warm voice as he raised his hand and touched the golden hair of the mermaid cub in his arms.
There was a specific resting environment for the aquatic cubs on the starship. Xie Tao had already memorized the time the cub left the water. The place they arrived at was a land city named Sailou.
The cub nodded obediently. The mermaid cub nestled quietly in the youth's embrace with his fin gently swaying. He seemed to have full confidence in his parent.
It was still not night according to local time. Xie Tao followed the route he had previously mapped out from the airport to the site. The huge statue of the sea god was located in the middle of the city of Sailou, Xie Tao could see it as soon as he raised his head.
The closer to the center of the city he got, the more Xie Tao could feel the clear festive atmosphere filling the streets. But as he did not know a lot about mermaid holidays, he did not know which festival he had happened to run into.
Although he was a little curious, Xie Tao wanted to take advantage of the fact that the sky was still not completely dark. He soon arrived at the foot of the giant statue with the two cubs in his arms.
The god of sea worshipped by the mermaid race was very dignified and stern-looking, with a scepter in the right hand and a crown on the head for symbolic power.
In contrast to the giant statue, the spring in front of them at once seemed small.
When Xie Tao arrived, there were seven parents waiting in line while carrying their cubs in their arms.
A human had come to this place with a mermaid cub and a cub whose appearance they could not see clearly, the mermaid parents present felt rather surprised by this.
It was not just that it was rare for parents of other races to come with their cubs to pray for blessings, but also the fact that they had never before come across a family that all were a different race from each other.
In the evening when the light was dim, the light golden mark on the mermaid cub's forehead became difficult to make out. If they had seen the mark, maybe the present parents would have had an even more extreme reaction.
Once the cubs in front of them had all received their blessing, Xie Tao walked forward with his own two.
The flawless dark blue stone was dropped directly into the spring. Xie Tao made a gesture of prayer in accordance with the other parents’ actions, he then reached out a finger and touched the spring's surface.
The holy spring water was an ocean-blue cold liquid. After touching it, Xie Tao lifted his hand and gently brushed the finger against the forehead of mermaid cub in his arms.
In the mermaid race, it was a very sacred tradition for cubs to receive the blessing of the sea god.
"Papa~" The youth nodded in response and the mermaid cub at once lightly moved his little tail. But Xie Tao held the cub firmly and did not let him move around for the fear of dropping him.
When the cub calmed down a bit, Xie Tao stretched out his hand and just like he had on the mermaid cub, lightly touched the fluffy forehead of the Knox. As a result, once he took back his finger, a small patch of white fluffy fur on the cub's head had temporarily become dyed light blue.
Upon seeing this, Xie Tao looked away and coughed a little. But the owner of this fluffy blue forehead only made a low sound and lightly touched his tail against the back of the youth's hand.
Like this, both cubs had now been blessed.
After handing over a certain amount of credit points, Xie Tao filled a small bottle he had prepared in the morning with some spring water, wanting to take it back to the other cubs in the club.
Once Xie Tao had finished all of these things, the sky had already become dark.
Originally, Xie Tao wanted to first find a place to stay, but after walking for a few minutes, he became somewhat infected by the street's lively atmosphere.
Xie Tao was currently in the heart of the city itself, which was the most prosperous area.
There was no natural lighting, at this time of the night the only light source was the "fairy lights", the warm glowing balls dancing in the breeze, sprinkled across the night sky. It was an extremely beautiful scene.
This was actually arranged by the city of Sailou for the festivities.
Looking at the mermaid cub in his embrace, he seemed very interested in these flying light balls. The blue eyes glittered as they followed one ball's movements, then promptly switched to another. Xie Tao was also curious by all of this, so he simply stopped and asked a passer-by what holiday it was.
"It's Nesela Day. There will be many events today, such as cubs singing to their parents or parents to sing to their cubs, there will also be declarations of love and so on… In short, it is a festival to encourage expressing good feelings to one's loved ones."
The young mermaid asked by Xie Tao pondered on how to explain it.
The principle behind it was basically that positive feelings should be conveyed to the important people in one's life, especially during this festival.
"If you continue two hundred meters, you will see Lailochi. It's a public stage, some brave cubs will go up to sing to their parents. It should be very lively there by now."
It was said with some delight. Xie Tao gave a nod to the other and then held the two cubs in his arms as he went to the place the other mentioned.
Cubs singing…
Looking down at the mermaid cub nestled in his embrace, Xie Tao slightly bent his eyes in a smile and then habitually raised his hand to touch the cub's soft golden hair.
The mermaid cub has already learned to speak, he believed that the cub would soon be able to sing as well.
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Translator's note:
Oh BL god, I have overdosed on cuteness. ><
This chapter really makes up for the lack of fluff in the past two, oh our adorable little Gale~
And there is even more, take a look at this amazing fanart made by Fairlady1996 and Rahzel: