In the village of Ascot, dawn is yet to fully break.
A Man, carrying a hemp sack, started walking towards the mountains.
"Freaking hell, I'm leaving this thing to you!" the Man said to the scrawny figure across from him. As she left, she carried a sack of grain and a string of copper coins.
The skinny friend lifted the sack, weighing it. A trail of saliva slipped past the corner of his mouth, "It's been a while since I've had meat!"
"Chirp chirp!"
"Hiss hiss!"
"Awoo-"
The previously serene mountains suddenly bustled with activity!
The friend jumped, anxiously holding on to his hemp sack and surveying his surroundings.
It is winter, almost the coldest period. Most wild animals should be hibernating in the mountains, right?
Anton, who hadn't ventured far, hadn't even finished counting his money when she noticed a dog blocking his path.
No, it wasn't a dog!
He fixed his gaze on the "dog's tail", it’s definitely drooping downwards!
It is a wolf!
Anton's legs felt leaden, "Help, help..."
Her voice is hoarse, barely audible even a few meters away!
"Owwww——"
A wolf howl resounded, and a number of greyish-black figures started to emerge, enclosing Anton'er directly!
"No……don't……" Why would there be wolves at this season!
What on earth is happening!
He retreated repeatedly, and in his panicked flight, fell into a dirt pit.
The gray wolf pounced immediately, aiming for his leg with a bite!
"Ahhh!"
Elsewhere, a friend taking a shortcut home is also blocked on the road.
He stared at the fox, the weasel, even the snake that should have been hibernating in its hole at this time!
Wild dogs surrounded him in droves, making it difficult to move a step!
"Arrghh!"
"Owwww!"
"Chirp chirp!"
The beasts were on the move!
"Ah! Ahhhh!"
The harsh cawing of the crow overhead sends shivers down the thin friend's spine, making him clutch the bag in his hand even tighter before suddenly waving a knife, "Go away! All of you Go away! No one will stop me from eating my meat!"
This is something she had bartered for with a meager fifty Wen and a bag of wheat bran!
"Yowlll!"
The lead fox issues a chilling howl, its eyes ruthlessly fixed on the friend, "Yip yip!"
The wild dog, as if given a command, leaps into action!
"Ah! Help! Aaah!"
"Don't...save, save me..."
The friend's wails soon fall silent.
Several foxes tear the sack apart, revealing a small figure within.
It's a little girl, his features distorted, his body so thin it hardly looks human.
After catching a whiff of the smell, the lead fox squeals in urgency.
Why isn't she making any noise?
She's not dead, is she?
No, please no!
What to do!
The fox is running around in desperation. A grey wolf calmly walked over, took a few breaths, picked his up in his mouth, and started to walk downhill step by step.
Humans cannot stay here; she can freeze to death!
The other animals followed suite. The grey wolf took one look back and continued its descent.
After they left, a shadow approached and sniffed, ran away, followed them for a while. When it passed Anton's Son, it took his grains and disappeared.
The Astro family were asleep at this moment when they heard intermittent knocking on the door. They thought someone is begging for food.
"Sleep on, I will open the door!" Granny Astro got up and tilted some clothes on.
"Oh my!"
The moment the door opened, despite muffling his mouth, Granny Astro let out a scream of surprise.
Outside the door, there is everything - stray dogs, rabbits, foxes, weasels, squirrels, and more!
The head of the pack is even a grey wolf. It slightly wagged its tail and placed the thing it had been carrying in its mouth on the ground.
"You, you all..."
Granny Astro could not speak.
The other members of the family also came outside dressed. Seeing this, they were also so shocked that their legs began to tremble!
So many wild animals!
"What's going on here!"
"Stay away...stay away from me! I...I have a knife!" Astro Harold broke out into a cold sweat, clutching a machete in his hand.
The gray wolf took a step forward. Seeing them retreating continuously, it astonishingly backed off.
"Oof." It prodded the "thing" on the ground and then lay down, wagging its tail.
"What does that mean?" Granny Astro could tell that these animals didn't seem to want to hurt them.
Were they here to deliver something?
The tail is wagging - this must be a sign of friendliness, right?
"For...for us?" Granny Astro tentatively pointed to the object on the ground.
What is it?
It looked like there is some blood on it...
The grey wolf nudged it again, and with a roll, a grim-looking small face is revealed.
"It's his!"
Granny Astro least expected it to be the young lady from the Ford family who lived not far from them. What is she doing here?
And she is brought back by these beasts...
A few foxes approached, tugging at Granny Astro's clothes, chittering, and sitting up with their front paws put together as if pleading for mercy.
Mrs. Astro tentatively reached out and picked up the child.
"This is for our family?" Mrs. Astro asked.
The ferret-like creature nodded humanly, cupping its fists in a respectful salute, squeaking in response.
"Good, good, I'll accept, I'll raise his!" Mrs. Astro lowered his head to look at the child in his arms, his heart aching. "She's a fine child, just had a bit of a rough life! Well, since she's been sent here, it must be fate! Eldest, you go and inquire about what happened later on!"
"Yes, mother!" Harold Astro responded.
"Woohoo——"
With a wolf's howl, all animals stood up straight, bowing their heads!
Mrs. Astro is stunned, opening his mouth and say only one line in response to the gratitude of the beasts: "I will take good care of this child! You can rest assured!"
"Woof!"
The grey wolf sniffed at Mrs. Astro's scent, then turned around and left.
Soon, all of the animals had disappeared.
If it weren't for the child in his arms, the old lady would have thought she had just had a dream!
"Mother...what...what is the background of this child? So many wolves and foxes have come to deliver his to us..."
Mrs. Astro is shocked, but she didn't let it show on his face: "No matter what, I have promised! Maybe it is Buddha's intention? This child..."
Seeing the marks on the child's hands, Mrs. Astro's voice paused: "For no reason, what is this child doing on the mountain? Could it be...his mother abandoned his?"
"Anton Castro really deserves to die! No wonder his friend is missing without a trace!" Harold Astro stated, fetching his own quilt.
"Elder Brent, take off the child's clothes and apply the medicine, the poor thing has fainted. Let him sleep like this!"
"Oh." Brent Astro responded, his eyes full of gentleness as she looked at the child, "Mother, can we call his my daughter?"
"Sure, if you like his, that's enough! Be good to the child!" said the old lady Astro as she started to disrobe the child.
Only if there hadn't been the accident, the second friend's family should have had a daughter!
Only two thin outer garments, patched over and over, easily tore open with a gentle pull.
As the clothes came off, Brent Astro's breath hitched, and tears gushed uncontrollably.
Harold Astro and old Lady Astro also took a sharp intake of breath!
