Chapter 10: The Scapegoat

There were six wild rabbits in this nest, all of them knocked out by Bai Xi's overwhelming presence. Chen Rui, delighted, gathered them up and returned, eager to show off her accomplishment.

"Great-aunt, look how plump these wild rabbits are!"

"You've stopped crying, I see," Bai Xi teased with a laugh.

Chen Rui's cheeks flushed as she wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes and shook her head. "No more tears."

Bai Xi nodded, calculating inwardly. Each rabbit weighed about five or six pounds, so six of them was no small haul—enough to last several days.

"As long as you don't go running off again, I won't cry," Chen Rui added.

Bai Xi chose to ignore this last remark.

But then Chen Rui’s eyes widened in surprise as she glanced at Bai Xi’s feet. Only now did she notice that two wild geese lay there as well. She couldn't tell what had injured them, but both looked dazed, their heads lolling as they tried and failed to stand, much less fly.

"Great-aunt, these..."

"Take those two geese as well." The pair—a male weighing over eight pounds and a female over six—would make hearty meals for several days if stewed, Bai Xi thought. Of course, with the hot weather, they wouldn’t keep long. She considered sharing some with others or having someone from the village sell them in exchange for rice and flour. Bai Xi was tired of having millet porridge twice a day.

Chen Rui, though used to farm work, was still just a child. She struggled to lift such heavy things and began to worry.

"Great-aunt, I—I can't carry all this," she admitted, her face full of embarrassment and shame.

Bai Xi wasn't surprised. Altogether, the rabbits and geese weighed over forty pounds. Chen Rui was only ten years old and frail; it was only natural she couldn't carry them.

Bai Xi glanced at her own small hands. She doubted she could be of much help; at best, she could carry a single rabbit, which would hardly make a difference.

Just as the two of them were fretting, they spotted someone heading up the mountain. As soon as Bai Xi recognized the figure, she raised her voice and called out.

"Bai An’an, come here!"

Bai An’an was on his way up the mountain to gather firewood. He had just reached the foot of the slope when he heard someone calling his name—a voice that sounded very much like his great-aunt’s. He quickly looked around, soon spotting Chen Rui, and then saw Bai Xi standing atop a large rock.

When Bai Xi called out for Bai An’an, Chen Rui’s face fell, but she had no chance to stop her.

"Great-aunt, what are you doing here?" Bai An’an ran over as soon as he saw Bai Xi.

Chen Rui, realizing there was no hiding now, nervously clutched her clothes and greeted Bai An’an quietly, "Brother An."

"Chen Rui, did you bring Great-aunt here?"

Chen Rui blinked her tear-stained eyes, glanced at Bai Xi, and, not daring to say she’d been threatened by Bai Xi, could only nod miserably and brace herself for a scolding.

"You’re far too reckless! Don’t you know there are wild beasts in these mountains? How could you bring Great-aunt here? You..." Just a few days ago, he and Li Qingmei had been keeping watch, afraid the great-aunt might wander up the mountain. As soon as they relaxed, Chen Rui took her up here. Bai An’an's face was filled with barely concealed anger. He was fuming inside—when had Chen Rui become so bold? He would have to speak to Uncle Chen about this later.

"Enough!" Bai Xi interrupted as Bai An’an scolded Chen Rui like a little adult. "What wild beasts? We're just at the foot of the mountain; it's not as dangerous as you make it sound."

Bai Xi knew there were dangers in the mountains, but at the foot of the slope, it wasn’t nearly as perilous as people claimed. If it were, why would the village let children come here to cut grass for pigs or gather firewood?

"Great-aunt..." Bai An’an was at a loss for words.

"Stop fussing. I’m perfectly fine!" Bai Xi, growing impatient with hunger, waved her small, chubby hand to cut him off. Then she asked, "Where are you headed?"

"Great-aunt, I’m going to collect firewood."

He could be angry with Chen Rui, but not with Bai Xi. So Bai An’an answered politely, even though he suspected Bai Xi wouldn’t really care.

"I see." Bai Xi nodded, then bluntly asked, "Well, forget that for now—help me with something first."

Bai Xi’s childish tone didn’t strike Bai An’an as unreasonable in the slightest. He quickly replied, "Of course, Great-aunt, what do you need?"

But before Bai Xi could speak, Bai An’an hurriedly added, "Just one thing, Great-aunt—I can’t take you up the mountain with me."

Bai Xi huffed, "Who said I wanted to go up the mountain? I’m planning to head back."

Bai An’an grinned with relief. "That’s good. Would you like me to carry you down first?"

Chen Rui was only ten; Bai An’an would never be at ease letting Bai Xi wander around the foot of the mountain with only Chen Rui for company. What if she tripped or ran into a snake or insect? That would be no small matter.

"No need!"

Just as Bai An’an thought Bai Xi might insist on climbing further, she pointed to the bamboo basket from which Chen Rui had emptied the pig grass to make room for the rabbits and geese. "You carry this, and I’ll go back with you."

"Alright." Thinking Chen Rui had just covered something with pig grass, Bai An’an didn’t give it much thought. But as soon as he agreed, one of the geese under the pig grass twitched, catching his attention. It moved?

"Great-aunt, what’s in here?"

"The wild rabbits and geese Chen Rui and I caught," Bai Xi replied matter-of-factly.

"Wild rabbits and geese?" Bai An’an was astonished and incredulous. He lifted the pig grass for a look and was even more shocked.

"Great-aunt, you and Chen Rui did this?"

"Who else?" Bai Xi looked at his stunned expression and couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride, her little face glowing. She was, after all, a nine-tailed fox spirit—far cleverer than that useless, troublemaking flower sprite.

In just a few short days, Bai Xi seemed to have forgotten the dignity she used to maintain in the celestial realm, now displaying a child’s temperament in keeping with her present form.

Chen Rui blushed at the side. She hadn’t done anything; it was all Great-aunt’s doing.

Bai An’an wanted to ask more, but Bai Xi, growing impatient, pressed him.

"I’m tired. Enough talk—let’s go back. My feet are sore."

At that, Bai An’an swallowed his questions and obediently shouldered the bamboo basket. Chen Rui also hurried to cut a few vines to tie up the pig grass she’d gathered earlier, then hoisted it onto her shoulder.

Bai Xi refused Bai An’an’s offer to carry her and instead followed behind him as they descended.

With Bai An’an leading the way, Bai Xi found the journey much easier than when she’d come with Chen Rui. At least now, no wild grass would crowd around to whip her legs for being so short.

"Great-aunt, how did you manage to catch so many wild rabbits? And geese too?"

Wild rabbits were one thing—they were on the ground and could be caught. But geese flew in the sky; how could anyone just catch them? Bai An’an couldn’t make sense of it. He finally blurted out the question as they walked.