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As soon as Su Zhi summoned the spring water, the little black wolf trotted over eagerly. With a dip of its round head, it started lapping up the water eagerly. After a few sips, it turned and whimpered towards the other two adults and the little one, seemingly calling them over to drink. But when it turned back, the spring water had vanished, leaving it bewildered. It lifted its head, looking at Su Zhi with a whimper.
“Be patient, I’ll get more.”
Su Zhi reassured the little black wolf and took a few steps forward. Then, she conjured up the spring water again, this time appearing right next to the black dog. It had been eyeing the water, and now that it was within reach, it crawled forward and began drinking.
The two adult white wolves also approached and started drinking. It was clear that this family had a fondness for the spring water.
Su Zhi watched as the large black dog finished drinking the spring water and then lay down to the side. It seemed to have regained some energy but still couldn’t stand up. It appeared that the spring water alone wasn’t enough as a remedy. However, she wasn’t worried; she still had the lotus flower. Once her husband returned with the medicine, she would mix it with lotus powder and administer it to the black dog. That would surely cure its illness.
The large white wolf and the two little wolf pups had also finished drinking. The small white wolf returned to the side of the large black dog, while the little black wolf stayed by the spring, playing with the water and trying to touch the lotus leaves. However, as it touched one of the leaves, a white lotus flower bud moved, catching the little black wolf’s attention. Its almond-shaped eyes blinked incessantly as it stared at the lotus flower.
The large white wolf also glanced at the lotus flower, standing beside it and leaning in slightly, as if sniffing its fragrance.
Su Zhi wondered if both the little wolves had been attracted to the flower’s aroma, realizing its deliciousness. Had the large white wolf also sensed that the lotus flower was extraordinary? She was genuinely concerned that it might bite off the flower. It would be a shame for such a beautiful and miraculous flower to be destroyed by a wolf’s bite, even if it was a sacred beast!
“The pollen from this flower can cure illnesses. I’ll give some to your wife later, so please don’t destroy it. If you want to eat, I’ll give you some later too. But for now, please don’t bite it!”
Su Zhi felt compelled to say this, whether or not the large white wolf understood. However, when the wolf glanced at her and she blinked, she couldn’t believe her eyes. There was a hint of disdain in the wolf’s gaze! Could it really understand her words?
“Hey, big white wolf. Can you understand what I’m saying?”
The large white wolf continued to look at her with that disdainful expression. Su Zhi wondered if it understood her or not. However, she was certain that even if the wolf didn’t comprehend everything, it understood the gist of her words! That was even better. If it were to stay here in the future, she could easily communicate with it without worrying about misunderstandings.
Su Zhi resolved to show her best side in the coming days while the black dog was sick. She would provide them with good food, drink, shelter, and entertainment. She was determined to make them like it here, to like her and her husband. That way, they could convince them to stay!
Su Zhi collected the spring water and watched as the white wolf also lay down on the blanket. Then she stepped out, and the little black wolf tried to follow. However, the small white wolf grabbed its neck fur and pulled it back.
Su Zhi began cooking. Halfway through, Shen Zi’an returned with the herbs and some pills prepared by Physician Huang. Su Zhi asked Shen Zi’an to watch the pot while she took the pills and the leftover meat pie from lunch to the west room. Instead of giving the pills to the black dog directly, she took some pollen from the lotus flower in front of the white wolf. She diluted it in the spring water in a bowl she was holding and let the black dog drink it.
The black dog obediently drank the whole bowl of water. Su Zhi then handed it a meat pie.
The pie was cold, but still fragrant. After drinking the spring water, the black dog felt a little better. Now, when it smelled the aroma, it immediately lifted its head but then pushed the pie toward the two little wolves watching nearby.
Su Zhi immediately grew fonder of the black dog. She thought to herself that this dog not only found a wolf known as the Sacred Beast as a mate but also proved to be a good mother and so gentle. It was truly her favorite type of dog. Before she could return the pie, the white wolf had already taken it back. Once again, Su Zhi was amazed by the intelligence and loving behavior of the white wolf. She was determined to convince this family to stay.
Su Zhi then took two more pies and gave one each to the two little wolf cubs. She also gave one to the white wolf. The white wolf ate it with a regal demeanor, resembling a king. Su Zhi felt like a servant attending to them.
“Alright, rest now. I’ll go check on the food, and I’ll bring it to you later,” Su Zhi said.
After feeding the black dog the pollen and distributing the pies, Su Zhi stood up and walked out.
That evening, Su Zhi prepared a large pot of meat. After letting it cool down a bit, she went to serve it to the family. She had a plan: she would cook delicious meat for them every day, let them drink the spring water, and show the white wolf the magic of the lotus flower. She refused to believe that the white wolf wouldn’t be attached to this place. Even if they didn’t want to stay here, they would surely be tempted to return frequently. As long as the villagers saw their presence and knew that the Sacred Beast liked it here, it would be enough.
Over the next few days, Su Zhi followed through with her plan.
The black dog’s condition improved significantly by the second day. It could already stand up, though it was still a bit weak. After all, Su Zhi had diluted the lotus flower pollen. If she had given it to the dog directly, it would have been bouncing around already. However, Su Zhi wanted to keep them around for a few more days. She wanted to take this opportunity to win them over and show them how good it was to stay with her. Otherwise, once they were fully recovered, they might just run off, and that would be a loss.
The white wolf went out and brought back two wild rabbits. However, the black dog and the two little wolf cubs had already eaten the food Su Zhi had prepared. The white wolf glanced at the delicious meat Su Zhi had cooked before going to eat the rabbit meat on its own.
Su Zhi greatly admired the Sacred Beast, the large white wolf. She now knew just how delicious her cooking was, especially today when she had added some onions grown by the spiritual Spring. The aroma was incredibly strong.
Indeed, Su Zhi found that anything grown by the spring was delicious. Just adding a bit to a whole pot of food made it taste better, like a seasoning. However, it was winter now, so it wasn’t very practical to use things grown by the spring. Finally, she noticed some empty space near the spiritual Spring and decided to plant onions there. They grew vigorously and lushly. The land near the spring was magical; even a stick could grow into bamboo there. Su Zhi thought that although she didn’t have hundreds of acres of fertile land, having this small plot for onions was enough. It was too much work to manage a large area anyway.
Su Zhi planted onions along this strip of land near the spring. Onions were the most common and essential seasoning in her kitchen. They wouldn’t attract much attention, and she could easily buy more to replant whenever needed. It was convenient and effortless, an essential item for cooking at home.
Today, Su Zhi had added plenty of onions to the meat, and the fragrance wafted out into the yard.
The large white wolf could still go and eat its raw meat, Su Zhi thought. It was indeed a wolf. Although all white wolves could be called Sacred Beasts, this particular white wolf must be the king among them!
Su Zhi believed that she had already let them experience the comfort and delicious food in her home. They also knew that the spring water was excellent to drink. Now it was time to show them the magic of the lotus flower pollen. She waited for the family to finish their meal, then revealed the spring water again. She took some pollen and, in front of the white wolf, applied it to the black dog’s nose.
The black dog’s nose had a wound with exposed flesh. Su Zhi’s hand quickly healed the wound as she applied the pollen.
The black dog felt very comfortable on its nose. It moved its nose, feeling no pain at all. It even touched it with its paw, showing how interesting the movement was. Su Zhi realized that the black dog was also very intelligent.
Looking at the white wolf, Su Zhi noticed that it first looked at the black dog’s nose, then at the lotus flower. She timely concealed and revealed the spring water and lotus flower. She wanted to show the white wolf that both the delicious spring water and the healing lotus flower were in her hands. If they wanted to use them, they had to come to her.
Su Zhi knew that if she wanted to keep them, she could only use this kind of enticing method.
People die for wealth, birds perish for food. Su Zhi refused to believe that the combination of the Spiritual Spring and the white Lotus flower, along with delicious food, couldn’t convince a few wolves to stay and guard her home!
“Little Black, Little White, come play outside with me!”
After exchanging glances with the white wolf, Su Zhi retracted the spiritual spring and picked up the tray. With a call to the two little wolves, she headed outside. This morning, she had played with Little black for a while. While cooking in the kitchen, she had kept calling these two little ones little black and little white. Little black was very happy and loved to follow her around. The white wolf always watched it. In the end, even the black dog came into the kitchen. Because they had played for a while, Little black was very sensitive to her call. As soon as Su Zhi called, it happily ran after her.
The white wolf glanced at the large white wolf and followed along as well.
Another day passed, and Shen Zi’an had grown accustomed to having three wolves and a dog around the house. He also hoped they would stay.
When Su Zhi saw Shen Zi’an earnestly asking the white wolf family to stay, she found him incredibly adorable. It seemed like Shen Zi’an, like her, was almost treating the white wolf family as humans, talking to them. Knowing that Shen Zi’an also liked this family, she felt very happy.
On the third day, Shen Ziping came knocking at the door. He claimed to have come to get medicine for Shen Ziju, but in reality, he wanted to seize the opportunity to ask Shen Zi’an for some money. He knew that Fourth Brother’s and his wife’s reputation as a jinx was gaining momentum in the village again. Fourth Brother would want to please his wife to maintain her reputation, so why not get some money out of it with just a few words?
Shen Ziping’s plan seemed promising, but as soon as he stepped inside, he saw a giant wolf standing under the corridor in the courtyard, its eyes fixed on him. Startled, he exclaimed, turned around, and ran away.
In an instant, news of a white wolf in Shen Zi’an’s house spread. Everyone in Riverside Village knew that Shen Zi’an and his wife had truly managed to invite a Sacred Beast as they had claimed!