“Is it true? They’re conscripting again?!”
The news from Xu Lao Nian’er so shocked Old Mrs. Xu that she accidentally exclaimed aloud.
Her voice was a bit too loud, startling the just-awakened Xiao Tianbao.
Xiao Hu Zai also roused from his drowsy, prone state, lifting his head to stare blankly at Old Mrs. Xu.
Only when he felt the grasping pressure on the tip of his tail did the little tiger yawn and lie back down.
“Ahh! Ah!”
The hand clutching Hu Zai’s tail tightened its grip. Xiao Tianbao felt that Grandma’s scare had made her hungry.
She wanted milk!
Old Mrs. Xu had no time to worry about the little tiger now. Seeing that her precious granddaughter had been startled awake, she quickly rocked her arms to soothe the child.
“Oh dear! We scared our Tianbao! Grandma didn’t mean to, our Tianbao should go back to sleep!”
While softly comforting and gently rocking her arms, Old Mrs. Xu tried to lull Xiao Tianbao back to sleep.
But the little one kept her shiny black eyes wide open, calling “ah ah ah” at her.
Unfortunately, Old Mrs. Xu didn’t understand baby talk. No matter how much Tianbao went “ah,” Old Mrs. Xu couldn’t figure out what she meant and could only continue soothing her.
It wasn’t surprising that Old Mrs. Xu didn’t realize Tianbao wanted milk—after all, the little one had just drunk a big bowl of goat milk half an hour ago. Who would have thought she’d get hungry again so soon?
It was Xiao Hu Zai who, sensing his owner’s growing urgency, lifted his head and let out a cry toward the window.
The young tiger’s call was still quite tender, sounding more like a cat than a tiger.
Outside, the mother Black Mountain Goat crouched by the wall heard Xiao Hu Zai’s cry and came to Xu Lao Si’s window, butting the window frame with her head going “bang bang bang” while bleating “baa baa baa.”
Hearing the mother goat’s calls, Xiao Tianbao’s little hands stopped flailing randomly and reached toward the goat’s direction.
“Ahh! Ah! Ah! Baa!”
In her urgency, Tianbao even mimicked the goat outside with a “baa” of her own.
This delighted Old Mrs. Xu beyond measure.
“Our Tianbao is so clever! So little, and already learning to bleat like a goat! Old man, did you hear that?”
Old Mrs. Xu was eager to show off her granddaughter, unaware that the mother goat outside was growing frantic upon hearing Xiao Tianbao’s “baa.”
What were those humans doing? Why hadn’t they come to milk her yet? Couldn’t they hear that her owner was hungry?
The banging on the window grew louder, and combined with Xiao Tianbao’s gestures, Old Mrs. Xu finally realized the little one wanted milk.
Li Shi went out with a bowl to milk the goat while Old Mrs. Xu, holding the now calm Little Dumpling, resumed her conversation with Xu Lao Nian’er.
“Didn’t they just conscript soldiers half a year ago? How long has it been, and they’re doing it again?”
Sitting down beside Old Mrs. Xu, Xu Lao Nian’er looked at the pink, doughy little dumpling and felt his heart melt.
Completely focused on his granddaughter, Xu Lao Nian’er answered absently.
“What else could it be? They’re going to war again! They say Bei Qiang has attacked once more. And this time, you can’t pay to avoid conscription—every household must provide one person.”
Old Mrs. Xu frowned deeply, her face full of worry.
“Last time we paid silver to keep both our boys home, and that used up the last of our savings. What do we do this time? Between Da Zhu and Er Zhu, which one should go?”
Year after year of war meant year after year of conscription. Wave after wave of men left, yet few ever returned.
Everyone knew in their hearts that those who didn’t return would likely never come back in this lifetime.
Both Da Zhu and Er Zhu were her own sons. They were both flesh of her flesh – choosing to sacrifice either one would feel like having her heart carved out with a knife to Old Mrs. Xu.
Xiao Tianbao sensed her grandmother’s sorrow, her dark, bright eyes shifting thoughtfully.
She didn’t understand what “war” was, but she felt it was something bad. She didn’t like war, not one bit!
Lost in her grief, Old Mrs. Xu suddenly felt a warm little hand touch her cheek, making her freeze momentarily.
Although Xiao Tianbao was closest to her in the entire Lao Xu Jia, such active physical contact was still rare.
Now, with that tender little hand resting on her face, she felt warmth spreading from the small palm to her cheek, then throughout her entire body.
All sadness, all worries – they all vanished!
Then, overjoyed, Old Mrs. Xu scooped up the Little Dumpling and, while Xiao Tianbao was still confused, planted a kiss on her pink, tender cheek.
“Oh my! Grandma’s precious granddaughter! How can you be so endearing!”
While Old Mrs. Xu was happy, the two sisters-in-law eavesdropping outside were nearly frantic with anxiety.
Liu Shi and Zhao Shi had been startled by the commotion caused by the mother goat earlier and came out to check, just in time to overhear their in-laws discussing the conscription.
In previous years, the family had always paid silver to avoid conscription, which was why Lao Xu Jia could never save any money despite working hard all year round.
But this year, with one conscription already passed and Old Fourth’s funeral expenses, the family truly had no money left.
This situation was clear to both sisters-in-law.
So when they heard Old Mrs. Xu asking whether to send the eldest or the second son, both grew extremely tense, fearing to hear their own husband’s name.
Who would have thought the old couple would shift the conversation to that little jinx again, making Liu Shi so anxious she nearly barged in to ask directly.
Nearby, Li Shi quietly milked the goat.
This matter had nothing to do with her – after all, her man was already dead.
When the milk bowl was full, Li Shi stood up, carried it to the kitchen, took out the warmed milk from the pot, put in the freshly milked one, then brought the milk bowl back to her room.
Liu Shi and Zhao Shi exchanged glances and followed Li Shi into the house.
Nothing else mattered now – they just wanted to know which son their in-laws had decided to send to war.
Seeing the expressions on Liu Shi and Zhao Shi’s faces, Xu Lao Nian’er and Old Mrs. Xu realized their conversation had been overheard by their daughters-in-law.
“Mother! Da Zhu has worked so hard for this family all these years! And there’s Hu Zi – Hu Zi can’t grow up without his father!”
The moment she entered, Liu Shi began wailing, afraid that if she spoke too slowly, her in-laws might actually choose Xu Dazhu.
But her wailing was so loud that it startled Xiao Tianbao, who was just about to drink her milk.
Zhao Shi, annoyed at being slower this time, was about to speak when she saw her father-in-law’s expression darken instantly. She immediately stopped advancing and closed her mouth.
Sure enough, Xu Lao Nian’er’s reprimand came the next second.
“Quiet! Stop that wailing!”
A loud shout choked Liu Shi’s ensuing wail in her throat, making her hiccup several times.
However, after his roar, Xiao Tianbao gave another startle, causing Xu Lao Nian’er to immediately swallow his own words as well.
Ahem, it seemed their family’s loud voices would have to change from now on—they couldn’t risk frightening his precious little granddaughter again.
Seeing that Xiao Tianbao remained unaffected and had begun drinking milk from her bowl using both hands and feet, he turned back and glared at Liu Shi.
“Who said Da Zhu and Er Zhu are going for conscription? Neither of them needs to go!”
Before Liu Shi could catch her breath and was still coughing too much to speak, Zhao Shi beside her face lit up with joy.
“Father, are you serious?”
Xu Lao Nian’er glanced at Zhao Shi, then at Liu Shi who had just managed to steady her breathing.
“Eldest daughter-in-law, haven’t you resented Tianbao all along because your husband broke his leg on the day she was born? Do you know that Da Zhu and Er Zhu not being conscripted this time is all thanks to Tianbao!”
Hearing this, Liu Shi curled her lips, thinking nothing of it in her heart.
How could such a major matter as conscription have anything to do with a little brat! It was just her in-laws treating that little money-loser like a treasure, attributing every good thing to that little girl.
Just one look at Liu Shi’s expression told Xu Lao Nian’er that she hadn’t taken his words to heart at all.
“Hmph! Don’t you dare disbelieve it. The Village Chief said this conscription is urgent—they want people, not money. Normally, one of the two brothers would have to go, but because both of them broke their legs, they’d be useless on the battlefield. That’s why neither needs to go this time.”
His eyes falling on his precious granddaughter who was happily gulping milk from her bowl, a slight smile appeared on Xu Lao Nian’er’s face.
“So, if they hadn’t broken their legs that day, one of you would have become a widow! Tell me, isn’t our Xiao Tianbao the little lucky charm of our family!”
Just as Xu Lao Nian’er said this, Xiao Tianbao—who had finished drinking milk in Old Mrs. Xu’s arms—let out a milk hiccup, grabbed the tip of the little tiger’s tail again, and waved it twice in Xu Lao Nian’er’s direction.
“Ah! Ah ah! Ah!”
War is bad—she didn’t like war, and her family shouldn’t go to war either!
This timely response made it seem as though the little one had understood Xu Lao Nian’er’s words, stunning Liu Shi who was watching nearby.
Thinking back on all the strange events that had occurred in their family since Xiao Tianbao’s birth, Liu Shi grew dazed. Staring at the chubby hand still clutching the tiger’s tail tip, her eyes filled with doubt.
Could it be that this little girl was truly a reincarnated lucky charm?