Chapter 57 - Disaster (2/2)

The three siblings walked with the Zhou sisters on the soft sandy shore. They laughed and chatted as they went in the direction of Dongshan Village.

They hadn’t even entered the village when they saw Auntie Shuanzhu hurriedly rushing toward the seashore. When she saw Xiaocao and her siblings, she accelerated her speed more, rushing towards them. She said, “Xiaolian, Xiaocao, something happened to your father. You have to quickly return home!”

“My father? What happened to him?” Yu Xiaocao’s grip on her basket tightened. Her heart was thrown in chaos.

The family was struggling through winter. In the past few days, the snow in the forest mountain had finally began to melt. Madam Zhang urged Yu Hai to hunt in the mountains. Early this morning, Yu Hai invited Hunter Zhao to hunt. Everyone said that the beginning of spring wasn’t a good time to hunt. This is because when wild animals enter the breeding season, they were especially violent. Could it be...

“Your father was bitten by a bear. His entire body is covered in blood. One of his legs was almost bitten till it was gone… You should quickly go home and have a look!” Thinking of the condition Yu Hai was in, Shuanzhu’s wife couldn’t help but shiver.

As soon as Shitou heard that, he immediately cried out and burst into tears. He threw his basket down and ran back home. Yu Xiaocao and her sister tried to suppress their panic-stricken hearts as they left their basket full of seafood and rushed back home side-by-side.

The Zhou sisters picked up the Yu sibling’s baskets with their free hand. They carried the baskets as they hurriedly walked in the direction of the Yu Family’s house.

Shuanzhu’s wife followed along with the Yu siblings. She couldn’t help but comfort the children, “Don’t worry. Your third uncle and Uncle Shuanzhu already borrowed the donkey cart from the neighboring village. They went to the town to get a doctor. Maybe your father’s injury isn’t as serious as it looks!”

Yu Xiaocao suppressed the fear and sorrow in her heart. Her steps were getting bigger and bigger as she ran. In the past six months, Yu Hai’s doting and tolerance were still vivid in her mind. Although their days were bitter, her parent’s love and affection gave her the courage to continue to live in this strange world.

Although Yu Hai had a lot of filial piety and wasn’t very good with conversations, he unconsciously became Xiaocao’s backbone. He was also the pillar of the second branch. She really couldn’t imagine how the second branch would fare in the Yu Family once her father was gone.

Father, you mustn’t let anything happen to you! Wait for me to save you! Yu Xiaocao was firmly holding her only life-saving straw in her hand——the multicolored stone. Since it was capable of using its remaining magical power to bring her soul from a different world to this world and allowing her to reincarnate, then it must have a method to save her father.

[Master don’t worry! If your father still has one breath left, this Divine Stone can pull him back from the gates of hell!] The little divine stone appears to detect her indecisive state of mind, so it put away its usual air of arrogance and haughtiness. It was full of self-confidence as it promised her that it’ll save her father.

Due to the great snow, the mountain was sealed. During the entire winter, the little divine stone didn’t get a chance to soak in the spring water from the mountains. However, it sensed that the snow also contained spiritual energy. The spiritual energy within the snow was not any less than the energy in the spring water. Every day, the divine stone would make Xiaocao collect the snow from the bamboo leaves and melt it for it to bathe. After nurturing its spirit for half a year, it stored enough spiritual energy to save a dying person.

With the little divine stone’s promise, Xiaocao’s restless heart finally calmed down. Xiaocao prayed to the deities for a blessing. She prayed that her father would hang on until she returned home!

The road home seemed very slow and long. As a result from fiercely running, Xiaocao’s chest felt as if it’s about to burst. She opened her mouth and tried to take in big breaths of air. However, in other people’s eyes, it seemed as if she was unable to breathe.

Yu Xiaolian sobbed, “Little sister, go slower. Something already happened to father. I don’t want anything to happen to you. I will go home first to take a look; you can slowly walk……”

“No…hu hu...no need! I…It’s because I usually don’t exercise…hu hu hu…so I’m like this! Don’t worry…I know my body best…hu hu…” Yu Xiaocao gasped for breath. Her two legs felt like they weighed as much as lead. Yet she didn’t have any intention of stopping to rest.

With great difficulty, she finally arrived in front of her own family’s door. She used up the remainder of her strength to push open the heavy door. Their courtyard was crowded with villagers who came over to help. When they saw Yu Xiaocao and her siblings, they acted on their own initiative and made room for them to enter.

“Father!” Yu Xiaocao rushed through the door of the west room. She pushed aside Eldest Aunt’s plump body and threw herself at the side of the kang bed.

There wasn’t a trace of blood on Yu Hai’s pale face. His body was covered with cotton patches which were stained with blood. The cotton patches were hardening into little pieces after being stained with blood. Only a few strips of bandages remained on his right trouser leg which exposed his badly mangled right leg.