Soon, the dining table was cleared away, and before everyone could set off, Jiayin had already taken He Mama's hand and gone to the Ye family's courtyard to study.
Tao Hongying thought she knew her lazy daughter very well and guessed that she was about to be naughty again.
So she secretly followed and saw that her daughter was earnestly reciting palace rules, which frightened her so much that she quickly retreated.
Grandma Li was just about to air out the quilts while the weather was nice when she saw her daughter-in-law enter with a frown. She asked, "What's wrong? Is Fu Niu being lazy again?"
Tao Hongying shook her head and said hesitantly, "Mother, Fu Niu'er is studying very hard."
"Isn't this a good thing?" Old Mrs. Li subconsciously replied, about to say something more, when she suddenly remembered her grotesque feeling that morning. She pulled her daughter-in-law aside and asked, "You also feel that something is wrong with Fu Niu'er, don't you? This girl seems to have grown up overnight. It's not that she's particularly sensible, it's just... she's not naughty anymore, she doesn't cause trouble anymore!"
"Yes, yes!" Tao Hongying nodded repeatedly. "This child used to be so lazy, always wanting to study for a while and then rest for a whole day. Now he's suddenly so diligent and serious, and I can't help but feel uneasy. Did someone give him a talking-to?!"
Grandma Li quickly waved her hand, "It wasn't me. With such a smart and filial child at home, I'd be laughing in my sleep. Why would I scold him for no reason?"
“That’s not what I meant, Mother,” Tao Hongying said. “I went down the mountain early yesterday. Did something happen after that?”
Grandma Li quickly called out to Li Laosi to inquire, but Li Laosi was even more confused, saying, "No, everything is fine."
The three sat facing each other, all puzzled, then suddenly realized that they might be making a mountain out of a molehill.
After all, it's a good thing that the child is no longer lazy and is studying hard.
It's just that it's a bit too unusual for a lazy girl.
Little did they know that just because of a seat issue, the lazy girl's sensitive spot was triggered!
Even if they knew, they probably wouldn't understand.
After all, everyone should kneel before that person; it's only natural.
The Li family didn't get any seats; being able to stand on the side was already an honor...
Fortunately, the Marquis returned with his men soon after. As soon as he entered, he asked with a smile, "Where's Fu Niu'er? I brought her some nice things!"
Li Laosi laughed and said, "Is it the one we caught in the mountains?"
The Marquis nodded, and he excitedly ran to the neighboring courtyard and carried his daughter back.
Jiayin was also happy to see the Marquis and went up to hug her godfather's arm.
The Marquis ruffled her hair. "Last time, during the military training, your father and I went up the mountain and happened to catch a little fox. We've had the palace eunuchs who train animals examine it these past few days. They've clipped its claws and broken off its sharp teeth. We've brought it back today. Do you like it?"
As he spoke, he gestured for his personal guards to come forward.
The guards carried a cage about two feet square and placed it on the table. After the black cloth covering it was removed, everyone could see it clearly.
There was a little fox in the cage.
It was about a foot long, with snow-white fur all over its body. Its eyes were like amber. It was thin and small, and it was crouching down, watching the crowd warily. It would occasionally bare its teeth, as if warning the crowd not to come forward.
But it's so small that this behavior only makes it more endearingly pretentious, cute yet fierce!
Jiayin fell in love with it almost at first sight. She rushed over and exclaimed excitedly, "It's a fox! It's so small and cute!"
The Marquis secretly breathed a sigh of relief; if the child liked it, then all his efforts hadn't been in vain.
It's worth noting that they mobilized over three hundred people and spent a whole day and night scaring away the big fox before successfully bringing the little creature back.
He called to his personal guard, who took a bird egg and stuffed it into the corner of the cage.
The little fox hesitated for a moment, but perhaps because it was too hungry, it quickly turned its head and ate the bird's egg.
As it turned around, everyone noticed something amiss and gasped in shock.
This little fox actually has three tails!
Grandma Li immediately said, "Could this fox have become a spirit? There's an old saying that a fox with nine tails can transform into human form!"
The Marquis shook his head. "The palace eunuchs who train animals have examined it. It's just an ordinary snow fox, less than two months old."
“I also mentioned it to the Emperor. Don’t worry about offending anyone. Fu Niu’er can keep this little fox as a playmate.”
Normally, Grandma Li and Tao Hongying might have objected, but they were worried about the little girl's sudden diligence. This little fox playmate had come at just the right time.
Before anyone could respond with a word of approval, they had already nodded.
Grandma Li quickly replied, "Okay, okay, I'll stay and play with Fu Niu'er."
Tao Hongying asked, "What should I feed the little fox? It's not difficult to raise, is it?"
The Marquis replied with a smile, "Raw meat, eggs, bird eggs, and fruit are all fine. But this fox is still young, so it would be better to feed it some rice porridge with minced meat."
Shuiyun immediately went to the kitchen to prepare, while Shuiling followed Jiayin, chattering and teasing the little fox.
In her previous life, Jiayin had wanted a cat, but it died of illness, so she never raised one again.
She had absolutely no resistance to these furry little animals, and her face flushed with joy as she excitedly asked, "Godfather, does the little fox have a name?"
"You are its master, so you should name it!" the Marquis said with a smile.
Jiayin rested her chubby chin on her hand and thought for a moment, "The little fox's fur is snow-white and its eyes are amber, so how about we call it... Three!"
"Pfft!" Everyone burst out laughing.
After hearing the first two sentences, they thought Jiayin would choose a name like Snowball or Amber, but they didn't expect it to be three!
Is it to emphasize that the little fox has three tails?
Why do we need to talk about fur color and eyes first?
Pure misleading!
Jiayin played a little prank, laughing smugly, and knocked on the cage, saying, "San Tiao, did you hear that? From now on, you'll be called San Tiao! Stay with me and we'll eat and drink well together!"
Whether the little fox understood or not, it rolled its eyes dismissively, then turned its head away, only showing its backside to Jiayin.
Everyone burst into laughter.
Jiayin, this little bundle of joy, has finally met someone who doesn't like her, and her status as the group's darling is in jeopardy...
After chatting for a while, the Marquis and Li Laosi were about to set off.
The Emperor has already approved the expedition. In the coming days, as long as there is any unusual activity from the barbarians, the border troops will be ready to cross the river at any time.
Everyone was reluctant to part, wondering how long it would be before they could see each other again.
Especially Grandma Li and Tao Hongying, they wished they could give them all their belongings.
The clothes, shoes, socks, food, and other necessities that had been prepared beforehand were all packed up and handed over to the personal guards.
Jiayin hugged her father, feeling a little regretful.
I was so busy playing before, why didn't I check my inventory and gather some good materials to forge another weapon for my father?
Fortunately, the Marquis managed to obtain a fine bow from the palace, and the sabers issued to him by the army were not too bad either.
Li Laosi didn't think much of it. He put down his daughter and went to tell his mother to take care of her health.
The Marquis picked up the chubby girl and said the same thing again, "When your godfather comes back, he will bring you something nice."
Jiayin hugged her godfather's neck, suddenly feeling a pang of sadness.
In Xincun, Xindu, and even the entire Tianwu, everyone regarded their adoptive father as their guardian deity.
But no one knows how arduous and dangerous his years of travel and constant life-or-death struggles were!
She couldn't help but pat her godfather's broad shoulders and say, "Godfather, you've worked hard. From now on, Fu Niu'er will help you."
These words seemed rather nonsensical, but the Marquis somehow understood them.
He paused for a moment, then slowly smiled and nodded solemnly, "Alright, Godfather will be waiting for that day!"
My darlings, I'm sorry for the late update today~ There was a plot point I was a little stuck on, so I wrote it a bit slower~ That concludes the fourth update. I'm going back to three updates a day to give me a break~ It's the last day of the month, so please vote for me in recognition of my eight days of extra updates~ Don't forget to give me a good review (five stars or likes) and urge me to update more, love you all!
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