1 – The White Tiger Sends the Girl
Early morning, the mountain was shrouded in mist.
Bai Renyi and his wife had gone up the mountain to gather herbs before dawn. With so many mouths to feed in the household, the meager harvest from their fields alone couldn’t sustain everyone. They had no choice but to collect medicinal herbs to exchange for some spare silver to supplement their income.
The elderly couple helped each other along the steep mountain path, finally reaching a relatively flat area. Just as they were about to sit down and catch their breath, they spotted several medicinal herbs growing from a crevice in the rocks!
Bai Renyi was overjoyed and reached out to pick them when suddenly, an ear-splitting tiger’s roar echoed from deep within the forest!
Immediately after, a White Tiger with Upturned Eyes emerged, walking with regal steps, carrying something fleshy in its mouth.
The old couple trembled with fear. Seeing the white tiger heading straight toward them, escape was impossible in time. In their panic, they could only scramble up a tree to save themselves!
But they had only climbed halfway when the white tiger suddenly leaped to the base of the tree. Cui Shi, terrified, lost her grip and slipped, falling down!
Bai Renyi, who was below her, inevitably got knocked down as well!
They landed with pained grimaces, but before they could even cry out in pain, they opened their eyes to find the white tiger looming over them, staring intently.
They were done for…
Unexpectedly, the white tiger showed no intention of attacking. Instead, it dropped the thing in its mouth onto the ground with a soft thud, and the object immediately let out a kitten-like cry.
It turned out it had been carrying a baby!
The white tiger glanced at the baby on the ground, then at the Bai couple, using its eyes to signal Cui Shi to pick up the infant.
Bai Renyi stammered, “Y-you want to give him to us?”
The white tiger seemed to nod slightly, letting out a soft snort from its nose.
Cui Shi mustered her courage and picked up the baby. The white tiger watched them for a while, as if confirming they were good people, then turned and left, its plump rear swaying as it glanced back repeatedly.
Soon after, a powerful tiger’s roar resonated from the deep mountains, carrying a hint of reluctance…
The Bai couple, certain the white tiger had left, wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads and collapsed weakly to the ground.
Just then, the baby in Cui Shi’s arms stirred. She carefully placed the infant on the ground and unwrapped the small bundle.
Instantly, Cui Shi was stunned. Before her eyes was a chubby little dumpling about seven or eight months old, babbling with its plump little mouth.
The little dumpling wore a Red Bodice over its snow-white belly, looking even more adorable than the chubby babies depicted in New Year paintings!
“Ah!” Cui Shi exclaimed, eagerly parting the little dumpling’s chubby legs to take a look. Her voice trembled with excitement, “It’s a little girl!”
Bai Renyi was too embarrassed to look, but hearing from his wife that it was a little girl, he too was overjoyed. His Bai family had been blessed with nothing but little monks—no girls. This little girl was a gift from the heavens!
The elderly couple was so delighted they forgot all about gathering herbs. They hurried home, cradling the Little dumpling as if holding a star or the moon.
The Bai family had three sons. The eldest son and his wife Tian E had two grandsons: Bai Dakeng and Bai Erkeng. The second son and his wife Zhao Ju also had two grandsons: Bai Sankeng and Bai Sikeng. The third son and his wife Li Zhenzhu had one grandson: Bai Wukeng.
When they saw Cui Shi carrying a Little dumpling in her arms, the third daughter-in-law Li Zhenzhu frowned and asked, “Mother, weren’t you and Father supposed to be gathering herbs on the mountain? How come you didn’t get any herbs but picked up some stinky child instead?””Pfft…” Cui Shi spat at her, placing the chubby little dumpling in the middle of the heated brick bed, saying delightedly, “I’ve picked up a little daughter.”
The whole family immediately erupted in excitement!
“Ah! A little daughter!”
“Mother! You’re not fooling me, are you!”
“Let me see, let me see!!”