Chapter 10: A Life-threatened Opens Little Shibas Eyes Which tempts Wang She (1/2)
Chapter 10: A Life-threatened Opens Little Shiba' Eyes Which tempts Wang She
Translator: TransnEditor: Transn
”Sister, it's the Spring Festival!”
On the edge of the Misty Mountain, the small village was swept up in an atmosphere of joy as the Spring Festival was just around the corner.
This year marked a turning point for the village. Wang Tianlei had driven the whole village since his return. The gain had doubled several times with fewer casualties, which meant increased income and improved living conditions. In the Spring Festival season, even the old storyteller of the village could treat himself with meat occasionally. Wang Tianlei had found him a job teaching people to read. Young women could buy cloth of different colors to make one or two new padded jackets and even Little Shiba himself got one. Now, with the annual festival around the corner, happiness abounded in the prosperous village.
Zhou Hua, whose belly was much larger and rounder than it was a month ago, was well protected by the Wangs. Her husband's parents would not allow her to work at all. All she had to do was eat, sleep and wait for the big moment when she would give birth to a fat baby boy and make them happy grandparents.
This was killing Zhou Hua, a mountain-born girl who had started helping her family out with everyday chores at the age of four.
Over a decade's worth of daily routine made her uncomfortable with such an easy life.
She could do nothing about it.
This was the reason Zhou Hua had nothing to do these days but sun-bathe, sitting by the wall of her yard, eyes closed, resting her hand on her big belly. Lately, however, it seemed it would soon snow with the dark sky and fierce north wind. In such terrible weather, she stayed indoors, sitting by the charcoal stove. A thick cotton curtain hung on the door, making it a warm haven.
Little Shiba visited and talked with his sister regularly for the chance to have a few more peeks at the Ignis Skill. He could not afford the trouble he would get himself into if his memory failed and he misunderstood one of the acupoints.
Seeing her little brother bounce into the room, Zhou Hua laughed and said, ”Yay! It's almost Spring Festival. Want your lucky money? Don't worry. You'll get it.”
”Now that you are married, you have to give me lucky money, too! Hooray!” Little Shiba laughed and said. Actually, in this village, kids were lucky to receive one or two copper coins as their lucky money. He didn't really care about the money.
They stayed in the warm room, talking to each other from time to time. Instead of going deep into the mountains, Wang Tianlei was practicing shadow boxing with the young men in an open space in the village. They didn't go hunting in the woods for two basic reasons. The first being that they already had enough animals for food and other basic daily necessities. The second reason was that with the weather getting cold, the northern winds blowing and the first snow coming, the hunters wouldn't find anything even if they did go hunting. The cunning beasts in the woods had already stocked enough food to get themselves through the winter. They were hiding in their caves and waiting for the first snow of this winter. The men would rather take advantage of this time and practice boxing and combat tactics, and hope for better harvest when the snow stopped.
Time flew by peacefully and happily. Little Shiba chatted with his sister for a little while, scanned Wang Tianlei's Ignis Skill again when he had the chance and would then put it back, fully content. It was almost time to go home as it was starting to get dark outside.
”It's too late. Why don't you stay here tonight and have dinner with us?” Zhou Hua said.
Little Shiba shook his head immediately and said, ”No, thanks. Mom will be upset if I come home late again.”
Zhou Hua laughed and said, ”You don't say! You should be a good boy and not make her worry about you all the time.”
”Sure!” Little Shiba waved his hand impatiently and ran to the door.
He ran fast because it was getting dark and his mom would definitely be harsh on him if he was late again. As soon as he reached the woodshed and was about to step out of the yard, he heard a loud ”Bang” coming from the yard, and then, a scream.
”Sister?!” Little Shiba suddenly stopped, his heart fluttered. That was Zhou Hua. What happened?
There was no time for hesitation. He picked up a wood chopping axe from the ground, and headed back to the yard.
The moment he arrived, Little Shiba saw Zhou Hua stagger from her room, panicked. At the same time, Wang Tianlei's father heard the big noise, and rushed out from a wing room.
”What happened?”
Wang Tianlei's father was hardly an old man. He was a strong man in his mid-forties. Seeing Zhou Hua flee out in panic, he ran to her aid and helped her stand.
”B-b-bear! Bear! A bear!”
ROAR!! A loud roar came from the room, the walls and door collapsed. A black bear, over three meters high, rushed out from the ruins of the destroyed pitiful little house.