In the village of Dayu Tree, dawn was yet to fully break.
A man, carrying a hemp sack, started walking towards the mountains.
"Freaking hell, I'm leaving the man to you!" the man said to the scrawny figure across from him. As he left, he carried a sack of grain and a string of copper coins.
The skinny man lifted the sack, weighing it. A trail of saliva slipped past the corner of his mouth, "It's been a while since I've had meat!"
"Chirp chirp!"
"Hiss hiss!"
"Awoo-"
The previously serene mountains suddenly bustled with activity!
The man jumped, anxiously holding on to his hemp sack and surveying his surroundings.
It was winter, almost the coldest period. Most wild animals should be hibernating in the mountains, right?
Zhao San, who hadn't ventured far, hadn't even finished counting his money when he noticed a dog blocking his path.
No, it wasn't a dog!
He fixed his gaze on the "dog's tail", it’s definitely drooping downwards!
It was a wolf!
Zhao San's legs felt leaden, "Help, help..."
His voice was hoarse, barely audible even a few meters away!
"Owwww——"
A wolf howl resounded, and a number of greyish-black figures started to emerge, enclosing Zhao San'er directly!
"No……don't……" Why would there be wolves at this season!
What on earth was happening!
He retreated repeatedly, and in his panicked flight, fell into a dirt pit.
The gray wolf pounced immediately, aiming for his leg with a bite!
"Ahhh!"
Elsewhere, a man taking a shortcut home was also blocked on the road.
He stared at the fox, the weasel, even the snake that should have been hibernating in its hole at this time!
Wild dogs surrounded him in droves, making it difficult to move a step!
"Arrghh!"
"Owwww!"
"Chirp chirp!"
The beasts were on the move!
"Ah! Ahhhh!"
The harsh cawing of the crow overhead sends shivers down the thin man's spine, making him clutch the bag in his hand even tighter before suddenly brandishing a cleaver, "Scram! All of you scram! No one will stop me from eating my meat!"
This was something he had bartered for with a measly fifty Wen and a bag of wheat bran!
"Yowlll!"
The lead fox issues a chilling howl, its eyes ruthlessly fixed on the man, "Yip yip!"
The wild dog, as if given a command, leaps into action!
"Ah! Help! Aaah!"
"Don't...save, save me..."
The man's wails soon fall silent.
Several foxes tear the sack apart, revealing a small figure within.
It's a little girl, her features distorted, her body so thin it hardly looks human.
After catching a whiff of the smell, the lead fox squeals in urgency.
Why isn't she making any noise?
She's not dead, is she?
No, please no!
What to do!
The fox was running around in desperation. A grey wolf calmly walked over, took a few breaths, picked her up in his mouth, and started to walk downhill step by step.
Humans cannot stay here; she can freeze to death!
The other animals followed suite. The grey wolf took one look back and continued its descent.
After they left, a shadow approached and sniffed, ran away, followed them for a while. When it passed Zhao's Third Son, it took his grains and disappeared.
The Mo family were asleep at this moment when they heard intermittent knocking on the door. They thought someone was begging for food.
"Sleep on, I will open the door!" Granny Mo got up and threw some clothes on.
"Oh my!"
The moment the door opened, despite muffling her mouth, Granny Mo let out a yelp of surprise.
Outside the door, there was everything - stray dogs, rabbits, foxes, weasels, squirrels, and more!
The head of the pack was even a grey wolf. It slightly wagged its tail and placed the thing it had been carrying in its mouth on the ground.
"You, you all..."
Granny Mo could not speak.
The other members of the family also came outside dressed. Seeing this, they were also so shocked that their legs began to tremble!
So many wild animals!
"What's going on here!"
"Stay away...stay away from me! I...I have a knife!" Mo Dahuo broke out into a cold sweat, clutching a machete in his hand.
The gray wolf took a step forward. Seeing them retreating continuously, it astonishingly backed off.
"Oof." It prodded the "thing" on the ground and then lay down, wagging its tail.
"What does that mean?" Granny Mo could tell that these animals didn't seem to want to hurt them.
Were they here to deliver something?
The tail was wagging - this must be a sign of friendliness, right?
"For...for us?" Granny Mo tentatively pointed to the object on the ground.
What was it?
It looked like there was some blood on it...
The grey wolf nudged it again, and with a roll, a grim-looking small face is revealed.
"It's her!"
Granny Mo least expected it to be the young lady from the Shen family who lived not far from them. What was she doing here?
And she was brought back by these beasts...
A few foxes approached, tugging at Granny Mo's clothes, chittering, and sitting up with their front paws put together as if pleading for mercy.
Mrs. Mo tentatively reached out and picked up the child.
"This is for our family?" Mrs. Mo asked.
The ferret-like creature nodded humanly, cupping its fists in a respectful salute, squeaking in response.
"Good, good, I'll accept, I'll raise him!" Mrs. Mo lowered her head to look at the child in her arms, her heart aching. "He's a fine child, just had a bit of a rough life! Well, since he's been sent here, it must be fate! Eldest, you go and inquire about what happened later on!"
"Yes, mother!" Gao Fengxia responded.
"Woohoo——"
With a wolf's howl, all animals stood up straight, bowing their heads!
Mrs. Mo was stunned, opening her mouth but was able to say only one line in response to the gratitude of the beasts: "I will take good care of this child! You can rest assured!"
"Woof!"
The grey wolf sniffed at Mrs. Mo's scent, then turned around and left.
Soon, all of the animals had disappeared.
If it weren't for the child in her arms, the old lady would have thought she had just had a dream!
"Mother...what...what is the background of this child? So many wolves and foxes have come to deliver him to us..."
Mrs. Mo was shocked, but she didn't let it show on her face: "No matter what, I have promised! Maybe it was Buddha's intention? This child..."
Seeing the marks on the child's hands, Mrs. Mo's voice paused: "For no reason, what was this child doing on the mountain? Could it be...his mother abandoned him?"
"Zhao Jinlan really deserves to die! No wonder her man is missing without a trace!" Gao Fengxia stated, fetching her own quilt.
"Elder son, take off the child's clothes and apply the medicine, the poor thing has fainted. Let him sleep like this!"
"Oh." Shi Dongyue responded, her eyes full of gentleness as she looked at the child, "Mother, can we call her my daughter?"
"Sure, if you like her, that's enough! Be good to the child!" said the old lady Mo as she started to disrobe the child.
Only if there hadn't been the accident, the second son's family should have had a daughter!
Only two thin outer garments, patched over and over, easily tore open with a gentle pull.
As the clothes came off, Shi Dongyue's breath hitched, and tears gushed uncontrollably.
Gao Fengxia and old Lady Mo also took a sharp intake of breath!