Chapter Forty-Three: Sheep

On this day, Xiong Zixiang had a rare day off.

The clear blue sky, with a few wisps of thin clouds hanging lazily, and the warm autumn sun shining down, made it the perfect weather for a hike.

Little Nan'er had just recovered from a serious illness and had been cooped up indoors for days. He was itching to go out and run wild in the mountains. He circled around Zhang Yili and Xiong Zixiang, chattering incessantly, "Auntie, Uncle, Nan'er wants to go up the mountain to pick fruit!"

Looking into her nephew's bright, expectant eyes, Zhang's heart had already softened.

She's had some free time these past few days. Her pig head meat jelly stall was closed because of the cool weather, and she hasn't figured out a new business yet, so she decided to give herself a break.

She smiled and pinched Xiao Nan'er's cheek: "Okay, today we'll all listen to Nan'er and go up the mountain to play."

Li Xiulan was rushing Dazhuang to grind the cornmeal she had promised Xiaonan when she heard this. She looked up and smiled, "Go on, go on. Nan'er has been bored these past few days. Watch your step carefully, it's still slippery. Also, watch your step and watch your step. Don't go crazy playing. Come back for lunch before noon!"

"Yes, sister-in-law!"

Zhang Yi responded promptly, quickly putting a thicker old padded jacket on Nan'er, and then changing into a more durable old outfit himself.

Xiong Zixiang went to the storeroom to get a wood-chopping knife, and then found a sturdy basket to carry on his back. He couldn't go up the mountain empty-handed; it would be good to chop some hard firewood that could burn for a long time.

The three of them left the courtyard. Xiao Nan'er held Zhang Xiaoyi's hand with one hand and tightly gripped Xiong Zixiang's broad and strong fingers with the other. She skipped and hopped in the middle, like a little bird that had been released from its cage, chattering and pointing at the wildflowers and weeds by the roadside, asking questions incessantly.

Zhang noticed the question and said a few words to Xiao Nan'er.

Xiong Zixiang didn't say much, but let Xiao Nan'er pull him along. His tall figure walked in the windy spot, shielding the two people beside him from the mountain wind.

Once inside the mountains, the air becomes even fresher.

The smell of earth after the rain is truly refreshing.

Sunlight filters through the thinning canopy of trees as autumn begins, casting dappled shadows.

Little Nan'er was having a blast, sometimes squatting in the grass watching the insects, sometimes helping to break off branches, her little face flushed from running around.

"Nan'er, slow down, watch where you're going!"

Zhang Liuyi smiled and reminded her from behind, and she couldn't help but take a few deep breaths of the mountain air. It seemed as if she could exhale all the pent-up frustration she had accumulated over the days. She couldn't help but feel a little anxious because she had hit a bottleneck in her stall business.

Xiong Zixiang, holding a machete, scanned the woods, looking for easy branches and twigs to use.

His movements were steady and powerful; he swung his knife down, and a sound was heard...

With a crisp sound, the thick, dry branch fell to the ground.

He then trimmed the branches, leaving only the main stem, and neatly stacked them into the basket.

"Uncle is amazing!"

Xiao Nan ran back and watched Xiong Zixiang easily cut down the thick tree branch, her big eyes filled with admiration.

He imitated Xiong Zixiang, picking up a thin, dry twig and forcefully hitting a sapling next to him while making some incomprehensible syllables, which amused Zhang Yili and Xiong Zixiang.

Zhang Yi was also busy, her eyes searching through the bushes and sunny slopes.

Soon, she discovered several clumps of wild hawthorn trees, with bright red berries hanging from the branches like strings of tiny red lanterns.

There are also a few wild jujube trees, their fruits, though small, are densely packed together.

"Nan'er! Come and see! Red fruit!" Zhang Liuli waved to little Nan'er.

Xiao Nan'er immediately dropped the weapon in his hand and ran over happily.

Zhang carefully avoided the thorns on the branches, picked a plump hawthorn, wiped it on his clothes, and handed it to Xiao Nan'er: "Here, try it and see if it's good. If it's good, we'll pick some more."

Little Nan put it in her mouth without hesitation, her little face immediately scrunching up like a bun: "Ptooey...sour!"

"Haha, wild hawthorn, that's the taste!" Zhang Liuyi laughed, picking one and putting it in his mouth.

She liked the slightly sour and astringent taste, and couldn't resist picking a few more.

She picked some more sour jujubes, which were even more sour. Lately, she hadn't been sleeping well, so she thought she'd try eating some whole sour jujubes.

She carefully wrapped the fruit she had picked in a handkerchief and put it in the corner of her small basket.

The three of them walked and stopped, some chopping wood, some picking fruit, while Nan'er seemed tireless, running and playing in the woods, her clear laughter echoing in the valley.

The firewood in Xiong Zixiang's basket gradually piled up, and Zhang Yixiao's handkerchief was also filled with wild fruits.

The warm sunshine shone down, and the mountains and forests were truly a place of tranquility and beauty.

Just as they were about to find a flat spot to rest and drink some hot water from their water bags, a timid voice rang out.

The sound came from a nearby mountain valley.

Xiao Nan'er's ears immediately perked up. He stopped chasing the flying insect and curiously looked in the direction of the sound.

"Auntie, Uncle, there's a sheep bleating!" he exclaimed excitedly, pointing in the direction the sound was coming from.

Zhang Yili and Xiong Zixiang also heard it.

The two exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised.

How could there be sheep bleating in this deep mountain forest?

Could it be a wild goat?

Xiong Zixiang subconsciously gripped the handle of the machete at his waist. He needed this to deal with the wild goat, as its horns were very hard, and he was afraid that the goat would be startled and injure the two of them.

"Nan'er, slow down, don't run!"

Zhang Liuyi quickly pulled Xiao Nan'er back, who was about to rush over, while he and Xiong Zixiang walked side by side, carefully pushing aside the bushes blocking their way, toward the source of the sound.

After passing several huge rocks, a small, relatively flat meadow came into view.

On the grass, a little lamb stood all alone.

It was pure white all over, except for its head and four hooves, which were light yellow. It was not very big and looked to be only a few months old.

It seemed startled by the sudden appearance of the person, flinched, and tried to run, but only managed to take one staggering step before showing a clear limp.

The left foreleg is bent and cannot bear weight properly.

"Little lamb! A white lamb!" Little Nan'er broke free from Zhang Liuli's hand and cried out in surprise, her little face beaming with excitement.

Zhang Yili was initially worried, fearing it might be some ferocious wild animal.

Once he saw that it was just a small lamb that was clearly a domesticated breed and had a disability, he felt relieved and did not stop Nan'er anymore.

Xiong Zixiang also loosened his grip on the knife, but still glanced around to make sure there was no other danger.

Little Nan'er had already run to the lamb's side, squatted down, and reached out her little hand, carefully trying to touch the lamb's head.

The lamb was initially scared and wanted to back away, but its legs were weak, so it could only take small, quick steps and make soft bleating sounds.

Xiao Nan'er's hands were very gentle as she slowly stroked the lamb's soft head.

The little lamb seemed to sense the child's kindness, and gradually quieted down, even lowering its head slightly and rubbing its head against Nan'er's palm.

"Auntie, Uncle, it likes me!"

Little Nan was overjoyed and giggled, gently stroking the wool on the lamb's neck with her little hand.

The lamb stood obediently, letting him stroke it, and stuck out its pink tongue to lick the back of Nan'er's hand.

Zhang Liuyi and Xiong Zixiang approached. Zhang Liuyi took a closer look at the lamb. Its snow-white fur was very clean, unlike that of a wild lamb. Moreover, there was a small piece of rough straw rope that had been worn off around its neck.

She understood about 70-80% of what was going on, and Xiong Zixiang also noticed. He whispered, "The villagers released them."

Both of them were familiar with the village rules.

These lambs, born with obvious disabilities, are difficult to raise, consume a lot of feed, don't grow very big, and don't yield much meat.

Killing them feels like committing a sin, especially against cubs; I can't bring myself to do it.

So the usual practice is to take them to the deep mountains and release them as soon as possible, letting them live or die on their own, which is a way to give them a chance to survive and to satisfy that kind of heartache.

The little white lamb in front of us was clearly released in this way.

"It's so pitiful, all alone here. Shall we take it home?"

Little Nan looked up, her big eyes full of pleading, her little hands tightly hugging the lamb's neck, as if afraid the adults would disagree.

Zhang Liuyi and Xiong Zixiang looked at the two little ones snuggling together and were both at a loss.

Take it back?

This lamb has a limp, so it really takes a lot of feed to raise it.

Not taking her? Looking at Nan'er's little eyes and then at the little lamb's docile and helpless appearance, I really couldn't bring myself to do it.

"Nan'er, this lamb was released by the villagers, it..."

Xiong Zixiang tried to explain, but when he looked at Nan'er, he swallowed his words back.

"Uncle, it's so well-behaved. If it stays here by itself, it will be eaten by the big bad wolf."

Tears were already welling up in Xiao Nan'er's eyes, and she hugged the lamb even tighter.

Zhang Liuyi sighed, squatted down, and looked directly into Nan'er's eyes.

“Nan’er, you can take it back. But you need to think carefully, because you’ll be in charge of it from now on. You’ll be responsible for taking care of it, feeding it grass and water every day, and cleaning its bed. Its leg isn’t good, and it might get sick. You’ll have to take care of all of that. Can you do that?”

Little Nan nodded vigorously, her little face tense, with an unprecedented seriousness.

"I can, Auntie! I'll feed it grass, I'll give it water, I'll protect it!"

Looking at the purity in the child's eyes, Zhang Yili and Xiong Zixiang exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness and compromise in each other's eyes.

Fine, let's just consider it as finding a companion for Nan'er.

"Alright then."

Zhang Liuyi finally nodded and gestured to Xiong Zixiang with his eyes.

Xiong Zixiang understood, bent down, and easily picked up the lame little white lamb with his large hand.

The lamb looked tiny in his strong arms, shifted uncomfortably, and let out a weak bleat.

"Let's go home! Sheep and I are going home!" Little Nan'er cheered excitedly.

The path down the mountain became more interesting because of the addition of a little lamb.

Xiao Nan'er is full of energy. She wanted to carry the sheep herself, but she couldn't carry it after only a few steps. The sheep almost fell off, but Xiong Zixiang caught it with quick reflexes.

After a while, she begged her aunt to hold her, but in the end, Xiong Zixiang's broad arms became the most reliable tool for transporting the sheep.

He held the lamb steadily in one arm, while his other hand held onto the strap of the wooden basket.

Zhang Liuyi, holding Nan'er's hand and carrying the bag of wild fruit, set off on their journey home as the sun was high in the sky.

When they appeared at the entrance of Zhang's courtyard with a small white lamb that had difficulty walking, Li Xiulan was so surprised that she almost dropped the winnowing basket in her hand.

"Where...where did this sheep come from?"

She looked at the timid little thing in Xiong Zixiang's arms, then at the excited expression on her son's face, and her heart skipped a beat.

"Mom! It's my sheep! We found it on the mountain! Its name is Yangyang!"

Little Nan rushed over impatiently, hugged Li Xiulan's leg, and introduced her loudly with her little face upturned.

"Found it?"

Li Xiulan's gaze fell on Zhang Liuyi and Xiong Zixiang, carrying a questioning look and a hint of disapproval.

She had also grown up in the village, and upon seeing the lamb's lame leg, she immediately understood its origin.

Bringing this back would just be adding a burden, wouldn't it?

Zhang Yili put down his basket, smiled helplessly, and briefly explained the situation on the mountain.

“Sister-in-law, Nan’er said that he will take care of the sheep from now on, and he will be responsible for feeding them grass and watering them,” Zhang Yi added.

Li Xiulan looked at her son's expectant little face, which was fixed on her, and then at the little white lamb nestled in Xiong Zixiang's arms, looking particularly innocent and vulnerable.

The practical thoughts in her mind were ultimately suppressed by her maternal instincts.

She crouched down, looked Xiao Nan'er straight in the eyes, and her tone became serious:

"Nan'er, do you want to keep it?"

"Yes!" Xiao Nan'er nodded vigorously.

"Okay, Mother can agree to that."

Li Xiulan said earnestly, "But you must remember, this is a living, breathing creature. It's not your cloth tiger that you can throw away when you're tired of playing with it."

"It will depend on you from now on. You have to remember to feed it clean hay and give it fresh water every day. When it gets cold, you have to keep it warm. Its legs are not good, so you have to take extra care of it and make sure it doesn't fall or hurt itself. Can you do that? You have to do it every day, you can't be lazy, and you can't ask your mother to remind you."

Hearing her mother's tone, Xiao Nan'er's face tightened.

He looked at his mother, then at the lamb in Xiong Zixiang's arms.

After a moment, he nodded vigorously again, his voice clear and firm: "Mom, I can do it! I'll feed the sheep myself, every single day!"

"Okay, then it will be your sheep from now on."

Li Xiulan finally relented, and a smile appeared on her face.

She stood up and said to Xiong Zixiang, "Zixiang, let's put it in that empty chicken coop next to the kitchen for now, at least it'll keep out the wind. Later I'll have Liu Ji find some planks and nail together a sturdier sheep pen for it."

Xiong Zixiang gently placed the lamb into a large chicken coop as instructed.

The lamb bleated anxiously in its new environment.

Little Nan immediately lay down by the chicken coop, reached her little hand inside, gently stroked the lamb's head, and whispered soothingly, "Don't be afraid, lamb, this is your new home. I'll get you some grass to eat in a little while!"

Zhang Liuyi took out the bag of wild hawthorns and sour dates from his basket and handed it to Li Xiulan: "Sister-in-law, these were picked from the mountain. They're for Nan'er to snack on."

Li Xiulan took the item and watched her son intently talking to the lambs by the chicken coop. She shook her head with a helpless smile: "This house is getting more and more lively."

The first thing Xiao Nan did to keep her promise was to run to the woodpile, tiptoe, and laboriously pull off a few handfuls of dry straw. She then ran back and carefully stuffed them into the chicken coop, muttering, "Sheep, eat grass, eat your fill!"

The lame lamb seemed to sense its young master's kindness, lowered its head to sniff the hay, and then began to chew it in small bites.

Little Nan'er squatted by the cage, propping her chin up with her hand, watching intently.