Chapter 29: In the End, It’s Still the Grand Aunt Who Gets Things Done

Zhang Xiu and Chen Daguo signaled Chen Daliu to look toward Bai Xi. Chen Daliu quickly greeted Bai Xi, then continued to ask, “Didn’t Xiaoshanzi say there was a tiger? Where is the tiger? Did I mishear?”

Chen Daguo was tempted to slap his nephew’s head. What were his eyes for if he hadn’t noticed the little tiger cub at the young lady’s feet?

After all, Chen Daliu was the village chief. Even with a few children present, and even in front of Zhang Xiu, Chen Daguo couldn’t lay a hand on him. Besides, who would dare raise a hand to anyone in front of the young lady?

“That—there!” Chen Daguo pointed with his lips.

Zhang Xiu was also giving him a look.

Only then did Chen Daliu notice the little tiger cub he had dismissed as a cat when he entered.

“This is a tiger?”

“No mistake, it’s a tiger!” Chen Daguo nodded.

Zhang Xiu added, “The young lady said so herself—it’s a tiger.” Although it was still small.

The young lady said so? Chen Daliu’s mouth twitched. She was only five years old. If she claimed it was a dragon, would they believe her too?

Seeing that Chen Daliu didn’t believe them, Chen Daguo nearly lost his temper, but noticing Bai Xi’s gaze, she held back.

“You silly boy, this is a tiger. Have you forgotten the tales of white tigers coming down the mountain and hurting people?”

Hearing this, Chen Daliu looked at the little spirit tiger in surprise. After observing it carefully, he approached Bai Xi and said, “Young lady, may I have a look at it?”

The little spirit tiger bared its teeth, thinking, Who do you think you are?

Yet, as Bai Xi nodded, it let out a couple of low whimpers, raising its head for Chen Daliu to see, grumbling inwardly: Go ahead, look. I doubt you’ll discover anything special.

A few seconds later, Chen Daliu exclaimed, “It really is a tiger cub!”

“This is serious trouble.”

The next moment, Chen Daliu turned and hurriedly pulled the rope in Bai Xi’s house that had never been pulled before. A moderate bell sounded.

Bai Xi was speechless. She had warned him before; why was he still so jumpy? Didn’t he have any sense of responsibility as a village chief?

If her thoughts were heard by others, they would certainly sympathize with Chen Daliu. Who could stay calm in such a situation?

Soon, the villagers of Niuluo gathered in the clearing before Bai Xi’s treehouse.

Zhang Xiu and Chen Daguo had already descended and explained what had happened to the others.

When they heard that Bai Xi had brought home a tiger cub to raise, the younger children looked on with envy and admiration, while the older ones, aware of the danger, began to worry and discuss.

“What should we do?”

“The chief thinks we should hurry and return the tiger cub to the mountain.”

“What? That’s so dangerous! Maybe we should just kill it?” Everyone knew there were beasts in the mountains, and where there were tigers, it must be deeper and even more perilous.

“No, no, that’s not possible. If the mother tiger comes looking and finds out the cub is dead, it’ll be even more dangerous.”

“So what do we do now?”

“I don’t know. Let’s wait and see what the chief says.”

Even though Bai Xi had brought trouble to the village, no one looked at her with disdain or complained.

The young lady was only five. It was perfectly normal for a child to want to keep a cute animal. Who didn’t like animals as a child?

Suddenly, someone asked in confusion,

“Why did the young lady go to the foot of the mountain?”

“Yes, who took her there?”

“Heavens, which rascal took the young lady up the mountain? Luckily she’s safe—otherwise, he’d have to be beaten for sure.”

The few children brought down by Zhang Xiu and Chen Daguo looked at each other, shrinking their necks and standing quietly aside without speaking.

Little Shitou whispered to Xiaoliu next to him, “Do you think we’ll get beaten?”

Xiaoliu nodded. “Definitely!”

As soon as he finished, their parents learned from Zhang Xiu and Chen Daguo that their children had taken the young lady to the mountain’s foot. Immediately, they rolled up their sleeves and rushed at their children, scolding and beating them.

“You troublemakers, do you realize what you’ve done?”

“How many times have I told you not to be so reckless—why won’t you listen?”

“I’ll teach you a lesson! How dare you take the young lady to play with tigers! Why weren’t you eaten yourself?”

“There’s enough mischief in the village—if you want to risk your life, fine, but don’t bring the young lady into it!”

The other villagers watched as the children were beaten and made no move to intervene. After all, a father disciplining his son was only right, and they had indeed made a mistake. Being punished was deserved.

Only when the beatings became excessive did some step in to urge restraint.

Zhang Xiu had wanted to scold Chen Rui as well, since she was involved, but having already done so in front of the young lady and upset her, she merely poked Chen Rui’s shoulder and whispered, “Don’t be so unruly again.”

Chen Rui nodded obediently, but thought to herself, If the young lady wants to go, who in the village could stop her?

Bai Xi stood on the steps, holding the little spirit tiger, watching the chaos below.

She glanced at Chen Daliu, her eyes full of disdain.

Chen Daliu’s face flushed. He had just promised the young lady the villagers wouldn’t get out of hand.

He coughed a few times to try and remind everyone, but the crowd was either discussing what to do, watching the children get punished, taking the opportunity to educate their own children, or urging others not to hit too hard lest they needed a doctor later.

No one paid him any attention, so Chen Daliu had to raise his voice, “Alright, quiet down, quiet down!”

“I said, be quiet.” Still, few listened.

He took a deep breath and shouted, “Stop making noise—the young lady is here!”

At once, silence fell, even those beating their children paused.

Everyone looked up at the steps of the treehouse.

Chen Daliu also looked at Bai Xi, thinking, The young lady is always effective.

Within seconds, whispers began, but voices were low; mostly reminders to others and their own children not to make any more noise.

“Look, the young lady is here.”

“Hey, is she holding a cat or something else?” Someone spotted the little creature in Bai Xi’s arms and hurriedly asked those nearby.

“Hiss, could that be the tiger cub the young lady brought back from the mountain’s foot?”

“What tiger cub? Are you blind? Who has ever seen a white tiger cub?”

“Exactly, that’s clearly a cat.”

The young lady, round and fair, holding a white cat-like creature, looked just like the lucky child from a New Year painting—a sight that warmed the heart.