Startled by her father-in-law’s question, Liu Shi instinctively answered first.
“He probably went out to play after finishing his meal.”
Only after answering did Liu Shi realize something was wrong.
Tianbao was missing, and they were currently searching outside for traces of the person who had taken Tianbao, yet her father-in-law was asking about Hu Zi’s whereabouts.
This was practically asking her outright whether Hu Zi had stolen Tianbao!
Once she understood, Liu Shi’s expression immediately changed.
“Father, what do you mean by that? Do you suspect Hu Zi took Tianbao? Why would Hu Zi steal Tianbao? She’s neither edible nor drinkable – just a worthless girl child! Only you treat her like a treasure!”
Once it involved her own son, Liu Shi became agitated and spoke her true thoughts aloud.
Old Mrs. Xu and Xu Lao Nian’er turned pale with anger at Liu Shi’s words.
Just as they were about to speak again, they saw Xu Hu running frantically down the mountain path.
And behind him followed a tiger and two snow wolves.
Scrambling and stumbling toward home, Xu Hu immediately felt reassured when he saw his grandparents and mother, opening his mouth to wail.
“Mother! Mother! There’s a big bug! The big bug wants to eat me! And snow wolves! Waaah! Mother!”
Xu Hu called for his mother while running home. To anyone hearing his cries, they’d think he was about to be eaten by the tiger the next moment.
But in reality, the big tiger and snow wolves weren’t paying him any attention at all.
They were just following him leisurely from a distance.
Finally scrambling back to the house, feeling like he had narrowly escaped death, Xu Hu collapsed into Liu Shi’s arms, tears and snot streaming down his face.
The big tiger and two snow wolves ambled over to stand before Old Mrs. Xu and Xu Lao Nian’er.
The two snow wolves glanced at Xu Hu and Liu Shi behind the elderly couple, baring their sharp fangs at them, scaring Xu Hu so much he buried his head in Liu Shi’s armpit.
Liu Shi was also terrified, collapsing to the ground and trembling like a leaf.
“Waaah, father, mother!”
The big tiger moved closer to Old Mrs. Xu and the others, then turned sideways and slowly lay down.
Turning its head, the big tiger opened its mouth and gently bit its own back. Only then did the two elders see that there was a small tiger lying on the big tiger’s back.
The small tiger, held by the scruff of its neck by its father, curled its limbs and smacked its lips.
After placing its son on the ground, the big tiger glanced at Old Mrs. Xu, then turned its head again – though this time it didn’t open its mouth.
Understanding the big tiger’s signal, Old Mrs. Xu and Xu Lao Nian’er quickly looked at the big tiger’s back.
Sure enough, their exquisitely beautiful little granddaughter with her big, dark, sparkling eyes was biting her small fist, lying peacefully on the big tiger’s back.
Seeing Old Mrs. Xu and Xu Lao Nian’er’s faces, the little dumpling broke into a big smile.
With their precious treasure recovered, Old Mrs. Xu completely forgot that what stood before her was a man-eating tiger that wouldn’t spit out bones.
She reached out both hands and lifted her little granddaughter from the tiger’s back into her arms.
The little baby in her arms felt warm and cozy. Old Mrs. Xu glanced at the small tiger on the ground with its dazed eyes.
So the small tiger had been used for warmth.
Worried that his little granddaughter might catch cold, Xu Lao Nian’er quickly took off his outer coat and wrapped it around the little dumpling.
Seeing the Little Dumpling safely back in Old Mrs. Xu’s arms, the Snow Wolf bared its teeth once more at Xu Hu and Liu Shi.
Clutching Xu Hu tightly, Liu Shi bowed repeatedly while muttering, “We were wrong! We won’t dare do it again!”
Fearing the Little Dumpling might catch cold, the big tiger gave a soft call to the two snow wolves, then another gentle call toward Old Mrs. Xu, urging them to return quickly.
Old Mrs. Xu immediately hugged the Little Dumpling and hurried toward the house, equally worried about her granddaughter getting cold.
Seeing Old Mrs. Xu run off, Liu Shi suddenly found unexpected strength, scooped up Xu Hu, and followed in a frantic dash.
Xu Lao Nian’er nodded to the big tiger and turned to go inside, eager to check on his little granddaughter. But as he turned, he felt his pant leg being tugged.
Looking back, he saw the big tiger that had just released its grip.
Releasing Xu Lao Nian’er’s pants, the big tiger picked up a small tiger cub from the ground and presented it to him.
Though confused, Xu Lao Nian’er instinctively extended both hands.
After placing its carefully selected strongest son into Xu Lao Nian’er’s arms, the big tiger gave the cub one last lick on the forehead before turning to leave.
Once their young master was out of sight, the snow wolves glanced toward the Xu family courtyard before following the tiger away.
While their arrival had been leisurely, their departure was swift and decisive.
With a few leaps, the tiger and two wolves vanished from sight.
Holding the tiger cub in his arms, Xu Lao Nian’er grimaced.
This was clearly an assigned little bodyguard.
But tigers eat meat! How could their family possibly afford to raise a tiger cub?
Completely oblivious to Xu Lao Nian’er’s worries, the little tiger cub smacked its lips contentedly. Heh heh, he could stay with his fragrant little master forever! He’d fought off his second brother, third brother, and fourth sister to win this opportunity!
When Xu Lao Nian’er entered the fourth son’s room, he found Li Shi weeping with joy while clutching Xiao Tianbao, refusing to let go.
Old Mrs. Xu could do nothing about Li Shi’s emotional state.
After struggling fruitlessly to free herself from her mother’s embrace, the Little Dumpling finally surrendered, allowing Li Shi’s tears to soak her clothes.
It wasn’t until she sensed the tiger cub’s presence that the Little Dumpling reacted again.
Reaching her chubby little hands toward Xu Lao Nian’er, Xu Tianbao turned her head in his direction.
“Ah! Ah! Ah ah!”
Her pale, delicate hands making grasping motions, Li Shi finally noticed her daughter’s calls and looked up, immediately spotting the tiger cub in her father-in-law’s arms.
“Ah!” she screamed, clutching the Little Dumpling while scrambling to the farthest corner of the kang bed.
The tiger cub scratched its ear with a front paw, noticing its master had moved away. It stood up in Xu Lao Nian’er’s arms, then leaped onto the kang with a push of its hind legs.
After a soft “huff” and a yawn, the cub shook its head and began walking toward Li Shi and her daughter.
As the cub approached step by step, Li Shi curled into an increasingly smaller ball.
But when the little creature rolled over in front of her, exposing its belly, the adorable scene instantly soothed Li Shi’s fear.
This tiger cub had been brought in by her father-in-law, and he would never do anything to harm them.
With this realization, Li Shi’s emotions finally stabilized somewhat.
As her emotions calmed, her body naturally relaxed a bit.
Sensing this change, the little tiger cub immediately jumped between Li Shi’s legs. After turning around once, the cub lay down, its tail wrapping around little Tianbao’s extended left wrist.
That evening, Xu Hu received the first beating of his life.
All ten strikes with the willow branch landed firmly, even though Xu Hu cried heartbreakingly and even though Old Mrs. Xu felt pained watching, Xu Lao Nian’er showed no mercy.
Consequently, the next day, news spread throughout Fu’an Village that following Xu Dazhu and Xu Er Zhu, Xu Hu from the Xu family also couldn’t get out of bed.
The rumor that Xu Tianbao was a jinx grew increasingly widespread.