Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be their own Tiger Girl!
Cui Shi hurried over, lifted Hu Niu off the sheep’s back, wiped the dust from her face and asked in confusion, “Hu Niu, where have you been? How did you become such a little dirty cat in just a short while? And where did these fish come from?”
Bai Renyi also rushed over, taking the fish from the little dumpling’s arms, exclaiming in surprise, “Oh, why does this fish look exactly like the one Da Keng brought back from under the cliff last time?”
Hu Niu said in her childish voice, “Fishies… fishies caught from below!” Her little finger pointed downward.
Bai Renyi and Cui Shi looked at each other in disbelief. Was this child running a fever? How could she say the fish came from under the cliff after just being gone for a short while?
Everyone knew the area under the cliff was extremely dangerous—those who went down never returned!
Cui Shi quickly felt the little dumpling’s forehead. The little dumpling felt her own forehead too and said in her baby voice, “No no no fever.”
Cui Shi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at her antics.
But if they didn’t believe Little Tiger Girl’s words, how could they explain this fish?
Bai Renyi carried the fish into the house and said to Cui Shi, “Only Da Keng in our family has been under the cliff. Have the eldest daughter-in-law call Da Keng back. I need to ask him what’s really going on.”
Cui Shi shoved the little dumpling into Bai Renyi’s arms and went to find the eldest daughter-in-law.
Bai Dakeng and his younger brothers were outside digging for wild vegetables. When he heard his grandfather was looking for him, he hurried back with his basket. He hadn’t gathered many vegetables but had managed to get a mouthful of sand.
Da Keng called out as soon as he entered, “Grandfather, what’s the matter?”
Before Bai Renyi could speak, Da Keng spotted the fish in the basin and asked in surprise, “How is there fish here?”
Bai Renyi waved his hand, “Da Keng, come here. Your grandfather wants to ask you something.”
Da Keng walked to his grandfather’s side. Bai Renyi asked, “Does this fish look familiar to you?”
“Familiar! It’s exactly like the fish I brought back from under the cliff! Grandfather, didn’t we finish all our fish long ago? How can there be fish here? Who went under the cliff?”
The fish from under the cliff were black, different from the fish found on the surface. There were no such fish on the surface, so Da Keng recognized it immediately.
“It was your little aunt who brought it back.”
“What, little aunt?!” Bai Dakeng’s eyes widened bigger than bronze bells.
“I called you back to ask about this. Tell me the truth—how many hours does it take to get from our home to under the cliff?”
“Grandfather, last time I followed the small stream. It took me two days to find the exit!”
“You’re not lying to me? You didn’t just get delayed playing along the way and say that on purpose?”
“How could I lie to you? I knew the family was worried about me and little aunt, so I rushed home day and night without stopping.” Da Keng hurried to defend himself.
“This is strange.” Bai Renyi was utterly perplexed.
By this time, all the family members had returned home. Hearing about this matter, they all found it quite astonishing.
“Could our Tiger Girl really be the reincarnation of a lucky star?” Bai Renyi racked his brains but still couldn’t figure it out. “Let’s kill and cook this fish first. What happens in this family stays strictly within these walls. If anyone dares to leak even a single word, I will punish them severely!”
Hearing this, Cui Shi deliberately glanced at Li Zhenzhu.
Li Zhenzhu was so frightened her chrysanthemum tightened, and she quickly declared, “Mother, I didn’t reveal anything about our family’s food reserves before, and I guarantee I won’t say a word about today’s matter either!”
“At least you understand what’s proper.”
The whole family went to prepare the fish. The three brothers cleaned the fish, the three sisters-in-law tended the fire, and the several Keng children watched the excitement nearby.Little Tiger Girl hugged Bai Renyi’s head: “Daddy… catch fishies! Catch fishies!”
Bai Renyi reached out and gently tapped her little nose, smiling affectionately: “Alright, daddy will catch fishies for you to eat!”
The large fish Tiger Girl had brought back weighed over ten pounds. They stewed the entire fish with its meat and broth in a big pot.
Outside, a chilly wind whistled. The whole family gathered around the stove, their sallow faces flushed red from the fragrant smell of fish wafting from the pot.
It had been so long since the family had eaten any meat, let alone had a full meal. Merely surviving without starving was already an achievement these days.
This meal finally filled them about seventy to eighty percent full. The hot soup and warm food brought them great comfort.
After eating, Little Tiger Girl grabbed Bai Renyi’s big hand with her tiny ones and pulled him outside, insisting: “Catch fishies! Catch fishies!”
Bai Renyi had only been humoring her earlier, not actually planning to go fishing – after all, the origin of that fish was unclear, and he needed time to investigate.
But Little Tiger Girl wouldn’t take no for an answer, pulling desperately: “Catch fishies, catch fishies!”
“Little Tiger Girl, there are no fishies, be good now,” Bai Renyi coaxed softly.
“There are fishies!” Little Tiger Girl actually talked back.
Her anxious, adorable expression nearly made the family die laughing.
“Little Tiger Girl, be good…”
“Daddy be good…” Little Tiger Girl imitated Bai Renyi’s tone, coaxing him softly.
Well, she was using both soft and hard tactics. It seemed she wouldn’t give up until they went fishing today.
Cui Shi pondered for a moment: “Husband, although this matter is strange, our Tiger Girl did actually catch a fish. Here’s what I think – why don’t you take the older boys and Tiger Girl to Da Keng to search.
If we can really find fish, it would save our family. If we can’t find any, we’ll just consider it a wasted trip – it’s not like we’ll lose any flesh anyway.”
Bai Renyi gritted his teeth, “Alright, I’ll go search then!”
“Remember, if you encounter any danger, don’t be greedy – preserving your lives is most important!” Cui Shi added.
“Understood, don’t worry! With our Tiger Girl here, there won’t be any danger.”
Little Tiger Girl rode her sheep again, setting off with Little White Wolf and Little White Tiger. Following behind were her father, several older brothers, and nephew Da Keng.
This journey took longer. Although the adults walked quickly, it still took them a full day and night to reach the cliff bottom.
Fortunately, the initial part of the path was desolate, full of dry, cracked wasteland. But the further in they went, the more moist the air became, and they could forage for wild vegetables and such along the way to fill their stomachs.
When they finally reached the cliff bottom, Bai Renyi and the others were stunned by the scenery!
While the world above was desolate with chilly winds blowing, where even tree bark had been stripped and boiled by villagers, this place was lush and green. A small river meandered through, presenting a vibrant scene!
Moreover, the temperature here was neither cold nor hot – perfectly comfortable. A light white mist floated over the river surface, the water was clear and cool, and schools of Large Black Fish were clearly visible inside, identical to the one Tiger Girl had brought back!
Many plants they had never seen before grew along the riverbank, some bearing colorful little flowers. Several large trees stood on the riverbank, heavy with red fruit.
Amid their delight, they felt a faint unease. Several months ago, Zhang Cuihua’s daughter Liu Yun had fainted while descending the cliff, sleeping for seven days before waking up. After waking, she remained sickly and still hadn’t recovered properly.
Other villagers had descended the cliff too, but returned insane, mysteriously telling everyone they encountered that there were demons.
Would they also encounter demons?Is this paradise an illusion created by spirits?