Chapter 24: Doesn’t Bite Just Anyone
“Yesterday I went to the Zhang Family to borrow Aunt Zhou’s needle and thread. Yuan Yuan was crying and fussing to go out, so I took her to the Zhang Family to return the needle and thread.”
Xiao Huan’s face was full of anxiety, her eyes swollen from crying.
“When I went to the toilet, I asked Lady Zhou to watch Yuan Yuan for me, but in the time it took Aunt Zhou to just go into the kitchen to bring Yuan Yuan a bowl of sugar water, Yuan Yuan disappeared.”
The Zhang Family people knew Yuan Yuan was missing, so they all stopped their work to help search. The idle villagers heard a child was missing and came out to help search too.
“We searched everywhere in the village but couldn’t find her. A one-year-old child, where could she go?” Xiao Huan was full of self-blame and worry, tears falling uncontrollably.
If anything happened to Yuan Yuan, she wouldn’t live anymore!
“Don’t panic first.” Lady Shang comfortingly patted her shoulder. “Xiao Hui is missing too?”
Xiao Huan shook her head. “Xiao Hui refuses to leave the courtyard no matter what.”
Lady Shang raised her eyebrow in surprise. Xiao Hui was the one she had found and contracted to guard the house and courtyard. If Yuan Yuan was missing, it should have been the first to run out to search—why wouldn’t it leave the courtyard?
Thinking of something, her ears twitched slightly. Moments later, a dark gleam flashed in her eyes.
So that’s how it is.
Hearing Yuan Yuan was missing, anxiety appeared on Lu Chengjing’s usually expressionless face. He had Shi Tou help him up so he could join the search too.
“You can’t even walk steadily—why add to the chaos?” Lady Shang pressed him back onto the ox cart. “Shi Tou, you and Xiao Huan drive the ox cart home. I’ll bring Yuan Yuan back soon.”
Shi Tou said happily, “Sis, you know where Yuan Yuan is?”
Xiao Huan and the others also looked at Lady Shang.
“The little one is naughty.” Lady Shang’s lips curved in a smile. Lu Chengjing looked at that smile and felt it was full of ill intent no matter how he saw it—this woman was probably up to something.
Liu Er had long blended into the crowd waiting for Lady Shang. He squeezed closer to her. “I heard a baby’s crying heading toward the Village Chief’s House.”
Zhang Er turned to look at him upon hearing this. “Liu Er, if you have a clue, why didn’t you say so earlier?”
“What if I just didn’t want to say earlier?” Liu Er raised his head. He feared Lady Shang but not Zhang Er the fool.
“You!” Zhang Er clenched his fist to punch him, but Zhang Da held him back.
Liu Er grew even more smug, though a bit annoyed deep down.
With this, he was probably going to be resented by the Lin Family, but who cared—his own life was most important.
“Then let’s go to the Village Chief’s House to ask first.”
Lady Shang brought two fingers to her lips and whistled. In no time, a sturdy gray wolf came dashing over.
“Oh my, it’s a wolf!”
“A wild wolf has entered the village!”
“Run!”
The villagers shouted in panic.
“Everyone, don’t be afraid. This is a domesticated wolf that doesn’t bite casually.” After comforting the ox pulling the cart, Lady Shang squatted down to pet the gray wolf at her feet.
Xiao Hui was extremely docile, its tail even wagging gently.
The villagers looked on in astonishment. How did this wolf look just like a dog?
Lu Chengjing also stared at the gray wolf. Taming beasts—another skill the old Lady Shang didn’t have.
Shi Tou didn’t know what Lady Shang wanted by calling Xiao Hui over, but he blindly trusted her now and didn’t delay, driving the ox cart home.
Lu Chengjing, who had been thoroughly arranged for: “…”
Xiao Huan didn’t want to go back, but Lady Shang thought if those eyes kept crying, they might not be salvageable, so she knocked her out and stuffed her onto the ox cart.
Once the ox cart left, Lady Shang headed to the Lin Family with Xiao Hui.
The villagers didn’t leave, harboring thoughts of watching the excitement, and followed to the Lin Family.
Knocking on the Lin Family door, Liu Shi opened it and came out. Seeing so many people at the door, she frowned.
“You all…”
Before she could finish, Xiao Hui brushed past her legs and ran inside.
“A wolf!” Liu Shi stumbled from the impact, steadying herself on the door frame to avoid falling.
Ignoring what all these people at the door were doing, she hurried after it—Tie Dan and Er Ya were still in the courtyard.
Lady Shang stepped over the threshold and leisurely entered the Lin Family.
The villagers looked at each other and followed inside.
The Lin Family didn’t often have excitement like this. They were already here—might as well watch before leaving.
Er Ya and Tie Dan were scared into wailing by Xiao Hui.
“Get out!” Liu Shi shakily grabbed the broom and tentatively swung it at Xiao Hui. “I’ll beat you to death! Get out quick!”
Xiao Hui ignored her, baring its wolf mouth as it approached the two children. One mouthful of sharp teeth scared them into crying even louder, their little bodies trembling, wanting to run but too afraid.
Liu Shi was so anxious she cried, looking at the villagers. “The wolf is going to eat people—hurry and come beat the wolf!”
“Xiao Hui is domesticated and doesn’t bite casually.” Before the villagers could speak, Lady Shang spoke first.
Hearing it didn’t bite, Liu Shi relaxed a bit, but hearing her grandson’s cries, she grew frantic again and scolded Lady Shang. “You’re a grown person with no sense at all. Can a wolf be domesticated? You disaster, hurry and get the wolf away. If it bites my precious grandson, I won’t let you off!”
Lady Shang said, “Give me back my child, or else…”
Xiao Hui edged closer to Tie Dan by two inches, its wolf mouth nearly touching Tie Dan’s face.
Tie Dan cried with snot and tears smeared across his face, shouting for dad, mom, and grandma.
Liu Shi’s heart ached terribly at the cries. She grabbed the broom and swung at Lady Shang. “You wicked thing!”
Lady Shang grabbed the broom and swung it. Liu Shi couldn’t withstand the force and fell aside, immediately throwing a tantrum on the ground, crying and shouting, “They’re bullying people to death! No justice!”
Lady Shang narrowed her eyes and flung the broom, which whistled straight past Liu Shi’s face and smashed a big hole in the wall.
A loud “bang.”
The villagers all widened their eyes in surprise. Lady Shang looked skinny and weak, but she had such strength?
Liu Shi’s shouting stopped abruptly, staring at Lady Shang in terror.
Wasn’t this woman the most bullied young lady of the Lu Family? How did she know martial arts?
“Where is my child?” Lady Shang said this to Chen San’s father in the room.
Old Chen wiped his neck with his hand—a hand full of blood.
He let out a miserable scream and fainted onto the kang, landing right on Chen San.
Lady Shang saw Chen San’s fingers twitch. She raised her eyebrow inwardly—sure enough, he was awake.
She withdrew her gaze to Liu Shi. “Crying and fussing won’t work on me. I just want the child. If you can’t hand her over…”
Xiao Hui howled appropriately and pinned Tie Dan down with one paw.
“Grandma, Grandma save me!” Tie Dan cried out to Liu Shi for help.
Liu Shi’s eyes nearly burst with horror—her golden grandson!
Lady Shang: “Hand over the child, and I’ll let him go.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I haven’t seen your child.” Liu Shi’s eyes darted around.
Lady Shang stared at her. “Looks like you want to watch your grandson get eaten by the wolf yourself. Xiao Hui!”
Xiao Hui lowered its head, bared its sharp teeth, and bit toward Tie Dan’s neck.
Just as the wolf teeth were about to touch the child’s skin, a stone suddenly smashed toward Xiao Hui. Xiao Hui dodged by tilting its head.
A man’s angry roar came from the crowd. “Beast, you dare hurt my son!”
Lin Jianshan pushed through the crowd. Behind him were Village Chief Lin and Lin Jianshui.
It turned out some villagers saw things going badly and ran to the fields to call back the Lin Family men.
“My Tie Dan!” Lin Jianshan’s wife Zhou Shi flung off Chen Guifang’s supporting hand and lunged at Lady Shang, clawing. “You dare hurt my son—I’ll fight you to the death!”
