Chapter 118

His feet reacted faster than his brain. Li Dazhuang tossed the firewood aside, didn’t even bother with the basket, and scooped An An out, tucking him under his arm as he bolted down the mountain.

An An was still holding a snowball when he was suddenly jostled around, his head nearly shaken loose from the rough ride.

Li Dazhuang was running so fast that snow piled on his head. An An let out a couple of pitiful whimpers, but Li Dazhuang had no time to comfort him.

Behind them came the roar of a tiger and the shouts of people. Li Dazhuang’s legs moved so fast they nearly left afterimages.

He swore he’d never run this fast in his life—not even that time when a big goose from the village chased him as a kid. That was nothing compared to this.

He reached the foot of the mountain quickly and happened to run into the Production Team Leader. Seeing Li Dazhuang in such a frantic state, the Team Leader asked, “What’s going on? Why are you running like that?”

He didn’t say it out loud, but his expression clearly said: What, got a dog chasing you?

Li Dazhuang glanced at him but didn’t answer. Instead, he grabbed the Team Leader and dragged him along, not stopping until they reached the village. Only then did he pause, panting heavily.

The Production Team Leader, already an old man, had been forced to run all that way and was completely out of breath.

Xiao An’an finally set foot on solid ground. He instinctively reached for his waist—his dad had clutched him so tightly while running that he’d honestly feared being split in two.

“There’s a tiger on the mountain. I heard it.”

Once he was sure they were safe, Li Dazhuang finally managed to get the words out between gasps. The Production Team Leader, just catching his breath, went pale.

“What?!”

There had been rumors before about tigers on the mountain near their production team, stories that had come from the old hunter. But since no one in the village had ever seen one, no one had taken it seriously.

Seeing Li Dazhuang this frightened—someone who normally didn’t take anything seriously—the Team Leader knew it couldn’t be a joke. His demeanor changed instantly.

“I’ll go gather some men and head up the mountain. Was there anyone else up there?”

“I don’t know. I heard the tiger and just ran. Didn’t dare look back. But I think I heard someone screaming.”

The Team Leader had originally planned to just check if the tiger had left. But hearing that, he knew they had to go—there might still be someone alive.

He had run so fast earlier that he slipped and rolled in the snow, but he quickly got up and rushed back to the village to gather people.

Li Dazhuang, still shaken by the thought that a tiger might’ve been chasing him, was drenched in cold sweat despite the freezing weather. Holding An An tightly, he slowly made his way home.

His legs were stiff—probably from running too fast.

As he walked back, some of the village men the Team Leader had already called were grumbling. “Who the hell was so unlucky to run into a tiger? Now we all have to go out in this freezing cold.”

Elder Brother Li had also been summoned. He only had time to nod in greeting as they passed.

Back home, Li Dazhuang sat by the fire, clutching An An tightly. Granny Li, who was sewing nearby, looked up at the sight of him holding An An so nervously and asked instinctively, “What happened? You two got scared too? Don’t worry, the tiger won’t come into the village.”

“No, Mom. I ran into the tiger on the mountain just now.”

“What?!”

The needle in Granny Li’s hand immediately veered off course. She didn’t even notice the pain as she tossed her sewing aside and rushed over to check on the two of them.

Once she confirmed they were both unharmed, she muttered under her breath, “Thank goodness, thank goodness, as long as you’re both safe.”

An An was too young to understand just how close they’d come to being tiger food. At most, he was just annoyed that his dad had run too fast with him clamped under his arm—his stomach still hurt.

“How could this happen? We’ve lived in this village for decades and never heard of a tiger showing up.”

Then Granny Li remembered—someone *had* said something before. But back then, no one had taken it seriously.

Some had even thought the old hunter was just senile, making up stories to get people to talk to him. People would humor him now and then, letting him ramble about his younger days, but everyone figured he was just spinning tall tales. Eventually, no one paid him any mind.

“So what the old hunter said… was true?”

Granny Li’s expression shifted again and again. She didn’t want to believe it, but seeing her son drenched in sweat in the dead of winter, it was clear he wasn’t lying.

Which meant… there really *was* a tiger in the back mountain!

“It must be. Godfather showed me a tiger pelt once.”

An An could feel his father trembling slightly as he held him. He adjusted his position to sit more comfortably, no longer squirming to get away like he usually did.

“There was someone else on the mountain. I think the tiger got them. I heard someone screaming.”

“No idea who it was. But we’re not going back up there again.”

As long as her family was safe, Granny Li could breathe easy.

She picked up her sewing again. The blood from the earlier prick she wiped away as if nothing had happened.

Still, she kept glancing out toward the courtyard, wondering when the others would return. After all, both Elder Brother Li and Grandpa Li had gone with the search party.

If there really was a tiger, even the whole village might not be enough—they’d just end up as a bigger meal.

The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. In the end, she set her sewing aside, dragged a stool to the doorway, and waited.

It wasn’t until dusk that the villagers began to return.

They said that when they reached the mountain, they saw a large pool of blood from a distance. The Production Team Leader immediately ordered a headcount back in the village.

Turns out, Song Longqi’s father had gone up the mountain at noon to collect firewood, and a woman from the Educated Youth camp had also gone to gather sticks. Neither had returned.

Judging by the amount of blood, it didn’t look good.

Even with the Team Leader leading the way, everyone felt a chill in their hearts. Once they reached halfway up the mountain, no one dared go deeper.

Thankfully, they soon found Song Longqi’s father, and the woman from the Educated Youth camp was nearby.

Both had passed out, but their limbs were intact. The Team Leader checked—they were still breathing. Still alive.

He called for the young men to carry them down the mountain.

Winter evenings darkened quickly. With the sky dimming and the knowledge that a tiger was lurking nearby, the group moved fast.

On the way down, Song Laosan briefly regained consciousness from the pain and weakly asked them to slow down. But everyone pretended not to hear.

With the snow, the cold, and a tiger on the mountain, who had time to slow down? What, did he want them to throw a funeral banquet?

Even the Production Team Leader, who noticed he had woken, said nothing about slowing down.

He had gone up out of a sense of duty, but he also had to protect the rest of the village.

The Team Leader and a few of his nephews took Song Laosan and the Educated Youth woman to the county hospital. The rest of the villagers returned home.

Granny Li finally saw her husband and eldest son return. She rubbed her frozen hands and hurried over.

“Everything okay?”

“We found them. Still alive,” Elder Brother Li replied, helping his father inside. As they walked, he added, “Dad took a fall, though.”

The snow was thick, and the mountain trail was dim under the trees. Grandpa Li hadn’t seen clearly and slipped, but thankfully Elder Brother Li had been nearby to catch him.

“I’ll rub some medicated oil on you later. Daughter-in-law, let’s get dinner started.”

Sister-in-law Li checked her husband to make sure he wasn’t hurt, then tied her apron and took over the cooking.

“Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll handle dinner. Shitou can help me watch the fire.”

“Alright then.”

Granny Li couldn’t relax just yet. Grandpa Li sat down with a dark expression, clearly uncomfortable with everyone treating him like a fragile old man.

He kept insisting he was fine and that they shouldn’t fuss.

Li Dazhuang still hadn’t fully recovered from the shock. He couldn’t stop replaying the scene in his head—the tiger felt like it was right on his heels.

It was late, and the family was too frugal to light lamps. Sister-in-law Li made some coarse grain porridge and stir-fried a bit of pickled vegetables for dinner.

After finishing the hot porridge, Li Dazhuang watched An An’s cheeks puff as he chewed. He took a deep breath and finally voiced his suspicion.

“Dad, Mom, I think that guy from the Song family—he must’ve done something to provoke the tiger!”

Even Li Dazhuang himself had never taken the old hunter’s words seriously before. He just liked gossip and had a good memory, so he remembered some of the stories.

“My godfather used to say, it’s not just people who fear wild beasts—beasts fear people too. That’s why they usually stay deep in the mountains.”

Li Dazhuang used to be bold, but after dreaming of wild beasts threatening his son, he never dared venture too deep again.

The deeper parts had more firewood, sure, but compared to An An’s life, a little extra effort was nothing.

“I was gathering firewood where everyone usually goes. If the tiger had been there all along, someone would’ve seen it by now.”

Besides, this year hadn’t been especially hard. The tiger shouldn’t have been so hungry as to attack people.

A few years ago, when food was scarce and even people were starving, no one had seen a tiger.

“It has to be something Song Laosan did that lured the tiger here!”

“When I realized something was wrong, I grabbed An An and ran like hell. I didn’t even look back before I saw the village.”

“Mom, you don’t know how fast I ran—I even threw the basket away!”

Elder Brother Li chimed in, “It’s fine. Spring Plowing is still a few days off. I’ll cut some bamboo and weave you a new one. What matters is that you’re safe.”

Sister-in-law Li nodded in agreement. “Exactly. Stuff can be replaced. People can’t.”

She used to dislike Li Dazhuang for being lazy and gluttonous. But now that he’d turned over a new leaf and was earning as many work points as her husband, her attitude had changed.

Given their age gap and how much he’d matured, she now saw him more like a younger family member—just like Granny Li and Elder Brother Li did—someone to trust unconditionally.

“That Song Laosan, of all the things he could’ve done, he had to go mess with a tiger. Good thing it was you, Younger Brother-in-law. If it had been someone else, who knows what might’ve happened.”

Hearing all this, An An finally realized how dangerous it had been. He clutched his father’s arm, fear setting in belatedly.

Li Dazhuang gently rubbed the back of An An’s head. Feeling the little fuzzy head nuzzle into his palm, a smile tugged at his lips.

Granny Li and Grandpa Li joined in condemning Song Laosan, making Li Dazhuang feel a little embarrassed for bringing up his theory.

“Tomorrow, we’ll ask the Production Team Leader. He should know what really happened.”

“Alright. I’ll go boil some water. You soak your feet and take An An to bed early.”

That night, Li Dazhuang couldn’t sleep well. He kept dreaming of being chased by a tiger. Half-asleep, he felt a small hand patting his shoulder.

He opened his eyes to see a drowsy An An, mimicking how the adults usually comforted him, trying to soothe his dad to sleep.

Li Dazhuang couldn’t help but laugh. The fear eased.

This time, when he closed his eyes again, he slept straight through to morning.

The news about the tiger on the mountain had everyone in the village on edge. So the next day, the Production Team Leader gathered everyone at the village entrance to explain.

Turns out, Song Laosan and the female Educated Youth had been having an illicit affair, meeting in a cave on the mountain.

Yesterday, while they were up there, Song Laosan spotted a tiger cub in the bushes—and decided to take it home for meat.

They hadn’t gotten far before the tigress caught up with them. No matter how fast they ran, they couldn’t escape.

Though they didn’t lose any limbs, their bodies were riddled with fractures. The doctor said they’d need to be bedridden for several months at the very least—and even then, there was no guarantee they’d recover fully.

The Production Team Leader made no effort to cover up what had happened. After all, if they had the nerve to do something so disgraceful, they’d better be ready to face the consequences.

It was bitterly cold, and even the Team Leader’s own father had slipped and fallen. He was already in a foul mood.

On the way back, the entire village was buzzing with gossip. The Song family and the folks at the Educated Youth Point couldn’t even lift their heads.

A few villagers huddled together, whispering that they’d long suspected Song Laosan and that female educated youth had something going on. The way they looked at each other—it was obvious something wasn’t right!

Li Dazhuang covered his son’s ears. When his boy looked up at him with curious, puzzled eyes, he shot him a glare and said nothing. Some things a child had no business knowing.

Xiao An’an didn’t understand why his father suddenly turned so fierce. He pouted, feeling a little wronged, but the cold wind cut like knives, and he didn’t dare cry. His lips stuck out so far you could’ve hung an oil jug on them.

Li Dazhuang used to enjoy gossiping about who was cheating with whom. He’d even join in with a few juicy comments of his own.

Besides, it was obvious to everyone in the village that the educated youths from the Educated Youth Point looked down on them. Their noses were so high in the air, it was a wonder they didn’t trip over their own feet.

To be fooling around with someone else’s husband while the man’s wife was still around—something like that would be talked about in the village for decades.

But things were different now. He had a son. A tiny little boy. He couldn’t let that kind of filth corrupt his child.

An’an’s ears were sore from being covered so long. Once the crowd dispersed and they started heading home, Li Dazhuang finally let go.

“Dad, why’d you cover my ears?”

“Because if a kid hears certain things, their ears might fall off!”

An’an instinctively clapped his hands over his ears, looking up at his father with wide, half-believing eyes. He shrank back a little and leaned into his father’s arms.

Whether it was true or not, he didn’t want his ears to fall off.

Back at home, Sister-in-law Li sent Shitou out with Xiao Hua and An’an to build snowmen, while the adults gathered to talk about what had happened.

No one could’ve imagined that two people who usually seemed so normal would sneak off into the mountains in the dead of winter to fool around—and even try to steal a tiger cub!

In their village, there weren’t many people bold enough to pull something like that.

Forget tigers—even if you tried to snatch a chick in front of a mother hen, she’d come at you, pecking like mad.

Li Dadan flipped the three sweet potatoes roasting by the stove. Once they were done, he finally spoke.

“My godfather once told me, it’s hardest for a tigress to have cubs.”

What was true for people was true for tigers as well.

If a family only had one child, they’d guard that kid like the apple of their eye.

The family indulged in a good round of gossip, and just as they were finishing, the sweet potatoes were ready. Li Dazhuang called the three kids back inside.

Anything he handled personally, he always made sure to prepare three portions—for his brother’s two kids and his own An’an.

He knew his brother and sister-in-law well. They weren’t the type to take advantage of others. If he treated their kids well, they’d definitely want to return the favor.

Give to one, and you get two in return.

Any way you looked at it, he came out ahead.

This time, Sister-in-law Li took the initiative to divide up the sweet potatoes. She picked the roundest, plumpest one—clearly the best—and peeled it before handing it to An’an.

“That Song family—after this, they won’t be able to show their faces in the village. Don’t you go near them again like you used to.”

Granny Li gave Li Dazhuang a sharp glare. At this point, even a dog passing by Song Laosan would pick up the stink. Let alone a person.

“I know, Ma. I’m not going anywhere near them.”

People didn’t talk about bad luck and superstition much anymore, but even so, Li Dazhuang couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

Last time it was something to do with Song Laosan. This time too. Maybe that guy was just bad luck for his precious son!

No way he was going to let that slide.

Li Dazhuang made up his mind—no matter what, he’d steer clear of that man from now on.

Life at the Educated Youth Point had taken a sharp downturn thanks to that female educated youth’s scandal.

Educated youths were already outsiders in the village. Most of them acted like they’d been wronged just for being sent there.

The villagers weren’t exactly pushovers. After being looked down on like that, who would still try to cozy up to them?

Before, their arrogance could be brushed off as “just how city folks are.” But after that scandal, people started saying they were all just frauds—not even as decent as the villagers themselves.

No one wanted to associate with them anymore. The Educated Youth Point became completely isolated.

The Production Team Leader hated seeing things turn out like this, but he had no idea how to fix it. He was at his wit’s end.

After all, the educated youths never appreciated his efforts. It wasn’t the first time.

Even when he tried to help them out of kindness, they’d assume he had ulterior motives.

Eventually, the Team Leader gave up. He treated them like any other villagers—work when you’re supposed to, and don’t expect any special favors.

As the New Year passed and the weather warmed, An’an grew sturdier. He no longer needed to cling to the adults and could now run around with Xiao Hua.

Kids in the village loved to play together at that age.

They’d wade into the river to catch fish, climb the hills to pick fruit, dig up bird eggs—running wild across the mountains, never getting tired.

Lately, Shitou discovered a secret: whenever he brought his little brother along, their luck skyrocketed.

They caught half a basin of fish because An’an was washing his feet by the river.

They found perfectly ripe wild fruit untouched by birds because An’an had tugged on his sleeve.

Once or twice could be chalked up to coincidence. But the more it happened, the more convinced Shitou became—this had to be because of his brother.

Feeling like he’d uncovered a world-shaking secret, Shitou waited until Xiao Hua took An’an to dig worms for the chickens, then snuck off to tell the rest of the family.

Sister-in-law Li and Elder Brother Li’s first reaction was disbelief. How could something so mystical be real?

But Granny Li thought it over and started to believe.

Her aching back and shoulders hadn’t hurt since An’an had patted them a couple of times.

Last time she was sent to gather pigweed for the production team’s pigs, she unknowingly passed by a nest of hornets several times with An’an in tow—and never got stung.

The very next day, a young wife from the village went to the same spot and got stung all over.

When Granny Li, Grandpa Li, and Li Dazhuang all turned serious, Sister-in-law Li and Elder Brother Li stopped laughing and lowered their voices.

“You think it’s true?”

Shitou, sensing his parents didn’t believe him, felt a little wronged. He nodded earnestly.

“It’s true! Every time I take little brother with me, I find the sweetest fruit!”

Li Dazhuang, who knew better than anyone what was really going on, could no longer keep quiet. He admitted that he’d long since noticed—whenever he took An’an out, they always came back with something.

Sometimes it was a rabbit, sometimes a pheasant, sometimes a nest of bird eggs—too many times to count.

When Granny Li heard that, her face darkened. She kicked her youngest son and snapped:

“Why didn’t you say something earlier?”

Li Dazhuang scratched his head innocently. He just wanted to sneak a bite or two when he took An’an out.

Granny Li knew her son’s nature well enough to guess what he was thinking. She rolled her eyes and called a family meeting.

They all agreed: this had to be kept secret. No one else could know.

This wasn’t some trivial matter. For An’an’s sake, the fewer people who knew, the better.

In their village, even having meat a few days in a row would get people talking. Something this big? No way.

“Shitou, from now on, don’t take An’an along on those trips. What if someone finds out how special your brother is and tries to take him away?”

Sister-in-law Li wrapped an arm around her son’s shoulders, speaking to him with rare seriousness.

Shitou wasn’t a little kid anymore. He had his own way of thinking.

His gut told him his mother was right.

If he knew someone else’s little brother was this amazing, he’d probably want to snatch him too.

Everyone in the family tacitly agreed to keep An’an’s strange abilities a secret. Even Xiao Hua had an inkling and knew not to let anyone find out how special her brother was.

Only An’an himself was completely clueless. He didn’t even understand what they were talking about.

He was the youngest in the family, and with each passing year being better than the last, his life was nothing short of comfortable.

Not long ago, Xiao Chun sent word home—she was three months pregnant.

Granny Li did the math, then traded some things with the villagers for a batch of chicks. She planned to send them over when Xiao Chun gave birth.

Xiao Chun’s in-laws had a big family. With so many people, there were bound to be conflicts. Even if her mother-in-law wanted to give her something nourishing, she’d have to consider the opinions of her daughters-in-law and younger children.

But if it came from her maiden family, the others would have no grounds to complain.

Life in the village was peaceful. The Production Team Leader was strict but not unreasonable. As long as no one crossed the line, he didn’t interfere.

Every year, new educated youths were sent to the village. The villagers would rather do without than help expand the Educated Youth Point. No one wanted to host them in their own homes.

Fortunately, once the first batch settled in, they could teach the newcomers.

Whether it was cooking or farming, they had to learn.

At first, the Production Team Leader had hoped this batch of educated youths would be useful. But they turned out to be completely useless—couldn’t even work as well as the villagers.

He couldn’t refuse them, so he let them stay and made them join the labor force.

Most of the educated youths still refused to truly integrate into village life. They clung to their pride.

So long as they didn’t interfere with each other, things were fine.

Not long ago, Sister-in-law Li’s mother gave her a cloth ration ticket. She’d intended to make a new outfit for Xiao Hua, but after thinking it over, Sister-in-law Li exchanged it for fabric at the supply co-op and had her mother-in-law sew jackets for both An’an and Xiao Hua.

Luckily, An’an had fair skin and delicate features. Sister-in-law Li chose a light yellow fabric that wasn’t very dirt-resistant, but it looked great on both kids.

The village grew rapeseed, which they cut down in spring to feed the pigs. After finishing the work with An’an, Li Dazhuang wove a flower crown from the bright yellow blossoms and placed it on his son’s head.

“So handsome.”

An’an beamed at the praise, unable to hide his grin no matter how hard he tried. His little white teeth peeked out in a smile.

On the way home, butterflies danced among the rapeseed flowers. The whole scene looked like a painting from a propaganda poster.

The Production Team Leader happened to be returning from the Song family. He saw them playing with the rapeseed flowers but chose to turn a blind eye. He even waved at Li Dazhuang.

“Production Team Leader, were you just at the Song family’s place?”

“Yeah. Song Laosan can’t do heavy labor anymore. His brother and sister-in-law are trying to split the household.”

It wasn’t a secret. Since Li Dazhuang asked, the Team Leader answered.

After being mauled by a tiger, even if he recovered, Song Laosan was no longer fit for hard work. His wife had divorced him in a fit of anger and remarried someone from a neighboring village.

Now it was just Song Laosan and his young son, Song Longqi.

Even if his parents felt sorry for him, they couldn’t ignore the needs of their other children.

When he ruined the family’s reputation, they let it slide because he was injured and had a child to care for. But now that he couldn’t work, no one wanted to keep a useless man around.

Of course, Song Laosan didn’t want to split the household. If they did, he wouldn’t even be able to support his own son.

When the family started making a scene, they called the Production Team Leader over. But there wasn’t much he could do about something like this—he could only try to mediate and hope they’d eventually come to an agreement on their own.

Li Dazhuang had caught a good bit of gossip and was feeling quite satisfied as he headed back home.

The Production Team Leader stood where he was, watching their backs as they walked away, a vague memory surfacing—back in the day, Li Dazhuang used to run around with Song Laosan. No matter who saw them in the village, they were always met with scorn.

But after Li Dazhuang’s wife left, he straightened up almost overnight, even raising his son into a chubby, healthy little boy.

Song Laosan, on the other hand, had done nothing but curse his wife for being too heartless ever since she left. His kid was so skinny he was practically skin and bones. Even the Production Team Leader couldn’t help feeling sorry when he saw him.

In their village, no one had ever treated a child so poorly.

They were both men, yet the difference between them was staggering.

On the way home, Li Dazhuang’s son was bobbing his head the whole time, looking smug as could be. The flowers on his rapeseed blossom crown swayed with every nod.

When they got home, Li Dazhuang caught the scent of meat. Their household had no shortage of it—just a bit of cured meat prepared with traditional methods, nothing fancy, but no one would be shameless enough to come asking for a taste.

They could afford a meat meal every few days. Luckily, they’d received a generous share at the start, which kept suspicions at bay.

“Ma, we’re having meat today?”

Granny Li heard his voice and waved An An over. She held a freshly cooked piece of cured meat to his mouth for him to try.

An An couldn’t open his mouth to speak while chewing, so he simply gave his grandma a big thumbs-up.

Granny Li was delighted by his reaction, which only made her more eager to cook for the little guy.

…

This year during Spring Plowing, An An helped out too. Though small, he was quick and nimble with his hands, and many who saw him couldn’t help but praise him.

When he got tired, An An would head to the shade of a tree to find his little water bottle, gulping it down like a thirsty calf.

Most of the Educated Youth at the Educated Youth Point usually kept their distance from the villagers, but even so, when they passed by An An, they couldn’t help sneaking a glance or two.

After all, the little guy really was too endearing.

On the way home after work, someone brought up the news that one of the Educated Youth was marrying a girl from their village. That was big news around here.

The Educated Youth lived at the Educated Youth Point and didn’t even have a house of their own. If they were to marry, wouldn’t they have to move into the girl’s home?

So would that count as the girl marrying out or the guy marrying in? And did the Educated Youth’s parents even know about this?

When Sister-in-law Li heard the talk, she made a point of calling her son over and warned Shitou never to do something like that.

After all, the village girls were known quantities, but the Educated Youth—even if they got married—who knew if their parents would ever show up?

If they changed their minds later and wanted to return to the city, you wouldn’t even be able to find them. Relying on someone’s conscience for security? That was a joke!

In their village, even someone Shitou’s age knew better. So Sister-in-law Li gave him a stern talk, leaving Shitou blushing bright red as he mumbled in a tiny voice:

“Ma, I get it.”

Shitou took after his father—none of his mother’s cleverness. He looked honest and a bit slow.

If his mother hadn’t brought it up, Shitou wouldn’t have even thought it had anything to do with him.

Just then, a small head peeked out stealthily from beside the wall, followed by a soft, childish voice.

“Big Brother’s getting married?”