Chapter 317 (2/2)
Liu Pei stared fixedly at the scene. The person leading the big gray wolf was unexpectedly his beloved little niece. He then looked at the small snow sled behind them and immediately felt like he had fallen into a dream. His youngest brother-in-law was truly too odd to let a wolf pull a snow sled and even let his daughter Xiaocao bring stuff over by herself.
”Xiaocao, why are you here right now? Quickly go into the rooms and go on the kang bed to get warm!” Eldest Maternal Aunt also came out of the house and started to pull on Xiaocao's hand to bring her inside.
When Big Gray saw that his little master was being pulled away by a stranger, he hurriedly squeezed through and attentively observed Madam Han. Eldest Maternal Aunt let out a scream and pointed at Big Gray with a hand that trembled, ”Xiaocao, what is this thing?”
Yu Xiaocao quickly placated her aunt, ”Eldest Maternal Aunt, this is the pet that's being raised by the young royal prince, he's called Big Gray! Don't judge him by his fierce looks, he's actually very docile. He never bites people randomly!”
The wolf didn't bite people randomly? That still meant he could bite people ah! Who knew whether the wolf would decide to not be random and still decide to bite a person?
”Wow! Is this a dog or a wolf? It looks so impressive ah!!” Third Maternal Uncle's youngest son, the thirteen year old Liu Zhimin, rushed out of the house. He stopped about three steps in front of Big Gray and racked his brain on how to get closer. He was a bit afraid, so his face betrayed his mixed emotions.
Yu Xiaocao used her fingers to comb the fur on Big Gray's chest and pushed all of the snow off the animal. Then she spoke to Liu Zhimin, ”Big Gray should be a wolf! However, he's already been tamed and is even more obedient than some dogs!” Big Gray gave her a sidelong glance and a flicker of arrogance s.h.i.+ned through his eyes, 'Why are you comparing me to those dumb dogs? Such an insult to this wolf's character, right?'
Second Maternal Uncle's youngest son, Liu Zhiqiang, cautiously got closer and closer until he was about a step away from Big Gray. When he noticed that Big Gray didn't pay him any attention, his courage rose and he reached out a hand towards Big Gray. Second Maternal Aunt, Madam Hu, screeched, ”Zhiqiang, you want to die ah!! Your younger cousin already said that it's a wolf, a wolf!!”
Big Gray felt irritable at the sound of Madam Hu's shrill voice and impatiently stamped on the snow covered ground. Xiaocao softly petted him and managed to soothe him back down.
”Second Older Cousin, Third Older Cousin! Unload the stuff on the sled quickly, we can't let the cabbage freeze outside!” Yu Xiaocao hurriedly used a tactic to distract them in order to avoid those two from continuously provoking Big Gray. Big Gray's temperament wasn't that good. After spending so much time with the Yu Family, he still ignored most of them. So what would he do to these two strangers he had never seen before?
Xiaocao's maternal grandmother, Madam Yao, slowly walked out of the residence and rebuked her two daughters-in-law, ”Xiaocao came over, so why hasn't she been led inside? The poor child will freeze! Xiaocao, come inside and go to my room.”
Xiaocao brushed off all of the snow on her body and took off the wolf coat to hang in the hallway to let dry. She entered the room and finally took off her m.u.f.fler and hat. Big Gray copied her and shook off all of the snow off his body before he gracefully and haughtily followed Xiaocao into the room. Madam Yao's room only had two people in there talking quietly and there weren't any other people. Most importantly, there weren't any annoying children so Big Gray was very pleased.
”Aiya! When did this guy suddenly come in? Xiaocao, tell him to lay on the side somewhere so he doesn't end up scaring anyone!” Liu Cunjin, Xiaocao's maternal grandfather, knew Big Gray was a wolf and had heard the animal had saved his son-in-law's life. However, a wolf would always have a wild nature so keeping a safe distance was always better.
Liu Zhimin had finished bringing all of the cabbage into the kitchen and now entered the room. He smiled, ”Grandfather, Younger Sister Xiaocao gave our family a lot of pork, wheat flour and cabbage!”
Liu Cunjin said, ”We haven't even finished the pork you guys gave us last time, so why are you giving us more? We'll take the cabbage but you should take the wheat flour and pork back home!”
Yu Xiaocao pouted, ”I braved through the winds and snows to come and give Grandfather and Grandmother these presents, yet you want me to bring it back? If I go back, my mother will definitely scold me for not doing things well. I don't want to take them back!”
Madam Yao tenderly wiped her granddaughter's face that had turned red from the cold and said, ”Your father and mother are truly too much. On such a cold day they made their child go do such errands, and for what? If they end up making you sick from this, just watch if I'll forgive them!”
Madam Han had already stored away the wheat flour. She entered the room and asked in concern, ”Xiaocao, did you eat lunch yet? Let me make you some dough dumplings made with half wheat flour and half coa.r.s.e grain. The soup and dumplings will whet your hunger and warm you up.”
The Liu Family ate two meals a day. At this time, they had just eaten breakfast not long ago. If Xiaocao hadn't come over at noon, they weren't going to cook anything. Madam Han knew the Yu Family had the habit of taking three meals a day and that Xiaocao must have left the residence very early in the morning, so she must be hungry by now.
Yu Xiaocao nodded and said, ”Eldest Maternal Aunt's dough dumplings are the best. Thank you Eldest Aunt!”
At this time, her three maternal uncles and three maternal aunts and all of their children had entered the room to greet Yu Xiaocao, their young guest. Big Gray, who was originally lying down next to the kang bed, had been squeezed out of room and had nowhere to go. He ran out of the room to find a more quiet place to lie down.
Xiaocao's grandmother saw that the room had been filled with so many people that there wasn't any s.p.a.ce to put a foot down, so she spoke to her sons and daughters-in-law, ”You all should go do what you were doing earlier. No one's an outsider here. Just leave a few of the younger generation here to keep Xiaocao company.”
Out of Eldest Maternal Uncle's three daughters, his oldest, Liu Feifeng, had already been married. During her wedding, the Yu Family had given her a big present for her dowry, which caused all of the villagers in Xishan Village to gossip enthusiastically about it for a long time after. His second daughter, Liu Feiying, was going to turn seventeen after the New Years and had already been betrothed. Her wedding was scheduled at the beginning of spring. His youngest daughter, Liu Feiyan, was almost fifteen years old. It was said that Eldest Maternal Aunt was currently looking at suitable families for her.