bookrandom Chapter 154 The Black Cat Trains the Little Tiger
Chapter 154 The Black Cat Trains the Little Tiger
It was completely dark, and a cold wind was howling, making the branches of the roadside trees rustle.
Li Xiangyang wrapped his cotton-padded coat tightly and hurried along with his head down.
Along the way, we could hear dogs barking in the distance from time to time, and occasionally a few wolf howls.
After entering the village, the lights were still on in my second uncle's yard, presumably waiting for the donkey cart.
Li Xiangyang pushed open the courtyard gate and, sure enough, saw his second uncle still pacing back and forth in the yard.
"You're back?" Second Uncle's tone was noticeably kinder than it had been that morning.
"Okay." Li Xiangyang drove the donkey cart into the yard. "Second Uncle, I've hitched up the cart for you. You can use it directly tomorrow."
“Xiangyang,” Uncle rubbed his hands together, “I was wrong about what I said this morning, don’t take it to heart.”
"Second Uncle, what are you saying?" Li Xiangyang said calmly. "It's getting late, I'll head back now."
"Wait," his second uncle stopped him, "could we...keep quiet about your mother going to work at the Agriculture Bureau for now?"
Li Xiangyang was stunned for a moment, then understood what his second uncle meant.
This is because she's afraid her uncle will be jealous if he finds out.
"Don't worry, Uncle, I know what I'm doing." With that, Li Xiangyang turned and walked home.
On the way, he pondered his next steps.
Now that his mother and sister have settled down in the county town, he should start preparing for his own marriage.
Thinking of Li Xiaoyun, a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.
Standing in the newly built courtyard, Li Xiangyang looked at the wooden fence under the moonlight and recalled the changes that had taken place over the past few months.
The thought of getting married in just over a month made him feel pressed for time.
Getting married is no small matter; just the banquet alone requires several tables, which all cost money.
Although he is currently financially well-off, there is simply too much to prepare.
My mother has just settled down in the city. Installing heating costs money, and all sorts of daily necessities will cost money.
"Alas, you only realize how little money you have when you need it."
Li Xiangyang muttered to himself, then unconsciously smiled.
Since his rebirth, he has lived a much better life than many other families.
But who doesn't want a better life?
This is the season when many wild animals are coming out of hibernation and starting to forage for food.
He counted on his fingers and realized that he could hunt a lot of good things in the mountains now: badgers, roe deer, wild boars, and if he was lucky, he might even run into a red deer.
With that in mind, he decided to go find Wang Ergou first thing tomorrow morning.
Hunting together is not only more efficient, but also provides mutual support.
Besides, Wang Ergou's marksmanship is now top-notch.
He packed his things for tomorrow in the house: bullets, ropes, dry food, and a water bottle.
After carefully maintaining the Type 63 automatic rifle given to him by Captain Zhou, Li Xiangyang lay in bed, but couldn't fall asleep.
My mind is filled with images of Li Xiaoyun.
Thinking of her gentle appearance, he wished he could rush into the mountains right now to hunt, get lots of good stuff, and let her marry him in style.
The next morning, Li Xiangyang was awakened by a burst of urgent barking from a dog.
When I opened my eyes, I saw Little Tiger playing with Black Cat in the yard.
This little guy is growing really fast. It hasn't been long, and he's already about the size of an adult mixed-breed dog.
Although it's still the one being bullied by the black cat, it's already showing considerable strength, making it harder for the black cat to bully it anymore.
"Alright, alright, stop fooling around," Li Xiangyang shouted.
Little Tiger immediately ran over, wagging its tail, while Black Cat arrogantly squatted on the courtyard wall, licking its paws, as if it wasn't the one who had just been playing around with the dog.
Li Xiangyang rubbed Xiaohu's head.
Luckily, we have a black cat at home, otherwise the dog would have been starving these past two days.
In the kitchen, Li Xiangyang rummaged through pots and pans, preparing to make breakfast.
His mother used to do all these things, but now he has to do them himself.
"Well, we can't even find an egg."
Li Xiangyang searched the entire kitchen but only found a handful of cornmeal. He shook his head helplessly.
Just as he was about to cook some porridge to make do, the black cat suddenly meowed and jumped to his feet, with something in its mouth.
"This is... an egg?" Li Xiangyang took it in surprise.
The black cat smugly flicked its tail, as if to say: Look, I still have to take care of you.
"Not bad, you're even helping me find food now," Li Xiangyang said with a smile. "But don't steal it, or someone will come looking for you."
The black cat pretended not to hear, gracefully strolled to the door, and called out to the little tiger.
Little Tiger immediately ran out after him, seemingly to find something to eat.
Seeing this, Li Xiangyang was a little worried.
Although the black cat is far more intelligent than its kind, if it were to take Xiao Hu to cause trouble in the neighborhood, it might get beaten to death.
These days, there are quite a few people who own guns.
"They're such a worry, they don't even let me eat breakfast before running off..."
Li Xiangyang shook his head helplessly and chased after them.
Following the paw prints left by the tiger cub, Li Xiangyang chased it into the deep mountains.
Sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
After walking for about half an hour, they heard a faint sound ahead.
"Finally caught up." Li Xiangyang was overjoyed.
It seems we underestimated the wisdom of the black cat; it knew perfectly well that it had to go to the mountains to find food.
At this moment, it was seen lying by a clump of grass, its tail swishing back and forth as it directed the tiger cub.
Although Xiao Hu is already quite big, he still behaves like a student in front of Xuan Mao.
The black cat gently nudged the grass with its paw, and the little tiger tiptoed around to the other side.
Li Xiangyang quickly understood Xuanmao's intention; it was teaching Xiaohu how to hunt.
Sure enough, a rustling sound came from the grass, and a wild rabbit pricked up its ears alertly.
The black cat stared intently, its eyes sharp and unwavering.
Little Tiger also imitated Black Cat, lowering his body and even slowing his breathing.
Suddenly, the black cat flicked its tail, and Little Tiger understood, immediately rushing out from the other side.
The hare was startled and turned to run, but it ran right into the black cat's claws.
"Wow!" Li Xiangyang exclaimed repeatedly.
This combination is simply flawless.
Xuanmao's skill in training dogs is even more authentic than the experience summarized by Lao Zheng.
It's unknown how many times it attacked Little Tiger before finally succeeding.
But it's all good, since the black cat can train it, I've gotten the benefit directly.
The hare was easily subdued by the black cat, but it didn't bite it. Instead, it stepped aside and gestured for the little tiger to come forward.
Xiao Hu clumsily picked up the rabbit and ran towards Li Xiangyang, wagging his tail as if to ask for credit.
The black cat strolled over slowly, looking smug, as if to say: Look how well I've trained this silly dog.
Li Xiangyang smiled and patted Xiaohu's head: "Not bad. With the little princess teaching you, you're sure to be a good hunting dog in the future. After all, a good teacher produces a good student."
Upon hearing this, the black cat turned and left, its tail held high, clearly pleased with the compliment.
“By the way, little princess,” Li Xiangyang said with a smile, looking at the black cat that had walked to the big tree in front of them, “I was watching you teach Xiaohu how to hunt, and it suddenly reminded me of a story.”
"The story goes that once upon a time, a cat taught a tiger how to hunt, passing on all its skills. As a result, the tiger wanted to eat the cat, but luckily the cat hadn't taught it how to climb trees, thus saving its life."
"So, are you going to teach Xiaohu how to climb trees?"
Xuanmao glanced at Li Xiangyang with its golden eyes after hearing his teasing, its expression quite disdainful.
It's as if it's saying: "This silly little tiger, even if I teach it, will it learn?"
With that, the black cat leaped up and nimbly climbed the tree trunk.
In no time, they reached the tree branch and looked down at the master and servant on the ground.
Upon seeing this, Xiao Hu immediately perked up, barking at the black cat in the tree, his front paws resting on the trunk, looking eager to try.
Xuanmao calmly looked at his clumsy apprentice, a hint of mockery in his eyes.
Sure enough, the little tiger mustered all its strength and leaped upwards, but as soon as its claws gripped the bark, its whole body slid down.
With a "thud," he fell flat on his back.
The black cat turned to look at Li Xiangyang, its expression seemingly saying: Look, even if I want to teach it, it has to learn.