Chapter 15: An Adorably Clumsy Little Tiger

Chang Sheng didn’t mention it, and Ye Xin Ran almost forgot as well.

The boy had gone up the mountain chasing a rabbit, which now lay inside his book case.

Ye Xin Ran grabbed the book case resting in the corner while muttering, “I told you I’d settle the score with you when we got back. Rabbits might be rare, but if something like this happens again, I will definitely… ah!”

Her sentence was cut short by a sudden exclamation as she opened the book case.

“Auntie, what’s wrong?”

Chang Ping and Chang An rushed over, while Chang Sheng immediately looked guilty.

Ye Xin Ran stared at the little creature in her hands. Its yellow fur was streaked with black stripes, and on its head was the faint shape of an unformed “Monarch” character.

It was a tiger cub!

“Is this a tiger?” Chang Ping immediately recognized it.

Chang An, who didn’t know what a tiger looked like, gasped and opened his mouth wide in astonishment when he heard his brother say so.

“Auntie, is the tiger alive?”

Ye Xin Ran could feel its warmth and heartbeat through her hands. “Yes, it’s alive,” she replied, then turned to Chang Sheng.

“Didn’t Er Dan say you went chasing a rabbit? How did it turn into a tiger?”

Chang Sheng hurried to explain. “Auntie, I really was chasing a rabbit! But it was so fast, and after chasing it for a long time, I still couldn’t catch it. Just when I was about to give up, I saw the rabbit run back.

“I got so excited that I didn’t pay attention to my footing and fell into the trap. Then this tiger cub fell in with me.”

“I see,” Chang Ping analyzed logically. “The rabbit must’ve encountered the tiger and ran back in fear. But instead of catching the rabbit, you and the tiger cub both ended up in the trap.”

Ye Xin Ran carefully examined the small tiger in her hands.

Its eyes were closed, one of its ears had a piece missing, and its striped fur was stained with blood. Turning it over, she found bite marks from another predator.

This tiger cub wasn’t very big and must have been attacked by another animal while its mother was away.

Ye Xin Ran immediately realized a serious problem.

The mountain not only had tigers but also other dangerous creatures.

Mi Lu Mountain wasn’t far from the village, and this posed a significant risk.

“This tiger cub must be returned to the wild,” Ye Xin Ran said firmly.

“Auntie, can’t we keep it?” Chang An stroked the tiger’s tail reluctantly.

“Of course not. The tiger’s parents are still on the mountain. They’ll be worried sick about their missing cub.

“If we don’t return it, and the tiger’s parents come searching in the village, the consequences will be disastrous,” Ye Xin Ran explained, turning to Chang Sheng.

“Auntie, I was wrong,” Chang Sheng said, his eyes reddening as he heard her reasoning.

“What were you wrong about?” Ye Xin Ran’s tone grew stern.

Having chosen to stay and take care of these three children, she had to establish discipline. While caring for them, she wouldn’t tolerate reckless behavior. Rules had to be set, and they needed to understand what was important.

“I shouldn’t have disregarded the danger and gone up the mountain chasing a rabbit,” Chang Sheng answered in a small voice.

“And what else?”

Ye Xin Ran clearly didn’t intend to let him off so easily.

“And… and I shouldn’t have hidden it from you and secretly brought the tiger cub home.”

“Now that you know what you did wrong, what should you do in the future?”

Chang Sheng’s face turned red. Although he felt it was difficult to say, he still spoke up:

“From now on, whether I’m heading home or to school, I’ll stick to the main road and absolutely won’t go into the mountains. If something happens, I’ll ask Auntie first.”

Ye Xin Ran hadn’t expected that a seemingly stubborn child like Chang Sheng could change so quickly.

It seemed her earlier thoughts were correct.

To earn a child’s obedience and trust, it wasn’t about simply indulging them but about gaining their respect and admiration.

When you become someone strong and capable in their eyes, children naturally follow.

For Ye Xin Ran, who had no prior experience raising children, constant patience and spoiling were hard to maintain. By taking the reverse approach, earning their trust and a little fear, getting along became easier.

In this household, Chang Sheng was the leader among the three siblings. Chang Ping and Chang An followed his lead in everything.

Winning over Chang Sheng meant she had solidified her position as the head of the household, at least when Xiao Huai’an wasn’t around.

“All right, it’s been a long day. Rest early. Chang An, come back to sleep with me,” Ye Xin Ran instructed.

“Yes, Auntie!”

Chang An quickly scurried back, his little legs moving fast.

Once in bed, he curled up in the corner by the wall. “Auntie, I’ll sleep very quietly tonight,” he promised.

“Good, now go to sleep,” Ye Xin Ran said, watching as he dozed off.

Only after Chang An was sound asleep did Ye Xin Ran get up to treat the tiger cub’s injuries.

She entered her spatial storage and retrieved hydrogen peroxide and a needle with thread to stitch up the wounds.

The injuries were deep but fortunately hadn’t damaged any internal organs. Judging by the tiger cub’s condition, it had likely lost a lot of blood.

Ye Xin Ran also fed it some anti-inflammatory and blood-replenishing medicine.

Perhaps the medicine took effect, as the tiger cub soon opened its eyes.

Its pale blue irises gave it an endearing look that Ye Xin Ran couldn’t help but like.

But unfortunately, a wild animal like this was difficult to tame. Its mother might track its scent here, so Ye Xin Ran needed to return it to the mountain as soon as possible.

The cub sniffed around, seemingly hungry, and Ye Xin Ran remembered that Chang Sheng hadn’t eaten either.

She went to the kitchen to warm up some food but discovered the fire in the stove hadn’t completely gone out. From the looks of it, Chang Ping had already reheated food for Chang Sheng.

Ye Xin Ran felt comforted.

The three brothers shared a strong bond. Chang Sheng cared for his younger brothers, standing up for them whenever needed. Chang Ping, like a little care taker, looked after both his brothers. And though Chang An was young, he also knew how to think about others. They were all thoughtful children.

Checking the food she’d left for Chang Sheng, she saw that all the rice was gone, but only half the dishes had been eaten.

Ye Xin Ran brought the leftover meat to the tiger cub in the room.

The tiger, now more alert, stared at her with its big blue eyes, its gaze fixated on her.

Only when she pushed the bowl of meat toward it did its expression change as it caught the scent of the food.

Animals showed their joy in very straightforward ways.

After taking its first bite, the tiger’s already large eyes grew even wider, and its ears perked up.

It seemed delighted by the meal, devouring the meat in a matter of moments and even licking the bowl clean.

“Since you’ve eaten my family’s meat, you’d better not cause us any trouble in the future!” Ye Xin Ran teased, tugging at its round ears. Then she added, “Once you’re back in the mountains, you’ll need to learn how to protect yourself. Don’t go wandering around for no reason, understand?”

The tiger cub stared at Ye Xin Ran in bewilderment, as if it didn’t understand, or perhaps it really did.