Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 33 - 16: Encountering Danger

The weather was clear that day, not a cloud in the sky. The Old Madam suddenly felt the urge to go outside and have a look. It was now April, and the villagers near the mountains knew that spring was not a time to harm pregnant mother animals, so not many were out hunting. Every household was busy transplanting rice seedlings, and even children as young as seven or eight had to help out in the fields.

A group of maids and elderly women gathered around the Old Madam as she left the manor, worried about delaying the villagers’ work with greetings and bows. The Old Madam instructed them only to walk around her own mountain area.

Just before leaving, a young boy was selling a wild rabbit to the Manor Head, receiving a string of coins in return. The boy looked quite handsome but had sallow skin. He wasn’t short but appeared somewhat frail, indicating long-term malnutrition.

Seeing the group of maids and women approaching, the boy quickly lowered his head and stepped aside. The Manor Head hurried over and, noting the Old Madam’s attention on the boy, explained, "This is a child from the village. Despite being only twelve years old and looking frail, he possesses natural divine power and is an excellent hunter."

The Old Madam nodded, saying, "It’s not easy for such a young child. We must not treat him unfairly." The Manor Head quickly replied, "Of course, not." The Old Madam didn’t dwell on it, merely instructing the Manor Head to gather a few coarse servant women, and the group headed to the mountain foot.

As they took in the vast array of flowers and breathed the unpolluted air, even the Old Madam couldn’t help but take a deep breath. Happily, she pointed out various wild vegetables to the maids next to her, explaining which ones were edible and which could cure illnesses, showing an amazing familiarity with them.

Not far from where they walked, there was a small stream, its shallow waters crystal clear, allowing one to see small fish and shrimp swimming about at the bottom. On the other side of the stream, not far away, was a forest. The Old Madam smiled and said, "Why don’t we have lunch here today? Let’s have some meat and vegetables brought over, and we’ll roast them." The maids and servant women clapped their hands in agreement.

Once everything was ready, they spread clean mats and felt on the ground, and the servant women started roasting meat and frying vegetables. The maids sat around the Old Madam, creating a picturesque scene.

The aroma of roasting meat gradually spread, and just then, there was a rustling sound from the woods. Before everyone could see clearly, a wild boar burst out of the forest like the wind, charging directly towards them, terrifying the ladies and maidservants.

Susu was momentarily stunned but quickly returned to her senses, yelling without hesitation, "Sister Zhen Zhu, quickly protect the Old Madam and run, head back to the manor." Her shout woke everyone up, the crude servant women scattered in panic, and Zhen Zhu, along with a few maids, protected the Old Madam as they ran toward the manor, disregarding their manners, screaming as they ran.

Susu didn’t have time to think much, promptly grabbing a burning stick from the roasting fire as she chased after the group. Meanwhile, the wild boar, weighing about two hundred pounds, rushed through the stream, headed straight for the roasting rack, seemingly startled by the heat of the meat and by the loud shouts, letting out a howl and charging toward the crowd.

Susu felt extremely fortunate that the women of Great Chu didn’t bind their feet. They were not far from the manor, and someone had already heard the shouts and was coming. However, the boar’s speed was unmatched by these pampered women. Though Susu was scared, her rational mind told her that she absolutely couldn’t let the boar harm the Old Madam. If something happened to the Old Madam, everyone present, including her, would surely face dire consequences. Even though the Old Madam was kind-hearted, who would dare to keep an incapable servant by their side?

Susu turned around, watching the approaching wild boar raise the stick. Watching the scene unfold, Yang Liu’s shout came as he turned his head back, "Susu!" causing the Old Madam, Zhen Zhu, and the others to instinctively look back. What they saw struck a chord of terror in their hearts. The wild boar was no more than ten meters away, and behind it, the little figure had raised a stick thicker than her arm, standing bravely in front of them like a solitary defender.

Just as the wild boar was closing in, at the critical moment, an arrow pierced the air, directly hitting the wild boar’s head. A figure rushed forward, grabbing the wild boar by its hind leg, and with a loud "bang," dragged the two hundred-pound beast three or four meters away. Susu, whose face was splattered with boar blood, patted her little face and foolishly smiled at the cold-faced young boy before her, "Little Brother, you’re amazing." Then she fainted.

Having passed out, Susu naturally didn’t see the shock and smile in the young boy’s eyes, nor did she know that he caught her fainting little body. She also didn’t witness the handmaidens collapsing on the ground and the Old Madam barely managing to stand. The villagers who followed the young boy continuously praised him, "Sheng lad’s strength is impressive, it’s fortunate you arrived in time."

The women helped the Old Madam and the maids back to the manor, not forgetting Susu. The Old Madam even arranged for Susu to be placed in her main chamber’s green gauze cabinet, inviting the village’s old doctor to examine her, and also brought the young hero who shot the boar into the manor. Meanwhile, the village men had already taken the wild boar to the manor, following the Old Madam’s orders to prepare a feast with it and inviting the whole village to come to the manor for a meal.

Susu wasn’t injured; her fainting was purely due to fright and exhaustion, so she woke up before dinner. Her head and face had been cleaned, and she had been dressed in fresh clothes.

Bisi, sitting beside the bed in a daze, heard some movement and, seeing Susu awake, flung herself over, hugging Susu and crying tears of joy, "You’re finally awake." Reserved as Bisi usually was, seeing her act like this showed how frightened she truly was. Recalling the scene made Susu shiver with lingering fear, and she patted Bisi’s back, "It’s alright, it’s alright!" Bisi laughed, "You silly girl, making me worry so much." Susu grinned foolishly, "So where’s the wild boar now? I must inform the Old Madam, I’m going to devour two bowls of its meat to relieve my anger."

As this was said, the Old Madam and the maids, who were entering the green gauze cabinet to check on Susu, couldn’t help but laugh. Their laughter dispelled some of the fear in their hearts.

Seeing the Old Madam enter, Susu hurriedly tried to get up to greet her, but the Old Madam stopped her, sitting down beside Susu. "Good child, never mind two bowls of meat, as long as you’re well, even if you eat an entire pig, I’d agree." She then gently stroked Susu’s hair, "Susu, how did you get so brave at that moment? If something had happened to you, how would I ever feel at ease?"

Susu cautiously leaned close to the Old Madam, her tiny face lifted, eyes clear and bright. "At that moment, I was scared too, but I knew I wasn’t as fast as the other maids, and I couldn’t protect the Old Madam, so it was better to block the boar; after all, I had a stick in my hand." Such words nearly brought tears to the Old Madam’s and Zhen Zhu’s eyes, leaving the Old Madam at a loss for words, muttering, "Silly child!"

Susu smiled, "As the saying goes, fools have their blessings! Old Madam, where’s the Little Brother who saved me? Such a life-saving grace must be thanked in person."

The Old Madam chuckled, "Not only is he your savior, but he’s also mine. However, that young boy is quite principled, he wouldn’t accept any silver or gifts. I heard that he is an orphan, raised by the villagers’ collective care."

Hearing this, Susu understood that the Old Madam sincerely wanted to repay the act of saving their lives, but also wished to avoid any rumors of ingratitude. After some thought, Susu suggested, "Since Little Brother was raised with village support, he may have deep feelings for the community. If he doesn’t accept gold or silver, why not benefit the neighborhood? This sentiment might encourage the village to take more care of him."

The Old Madam praised the idea, clapping her hands, while Zhen Zhu also laughed, "No wonder the Old Madam took a liking to Susu right away; her little head is quite clever!"

The Old Madam thought for a moment and said, "Pass a message to the Manor Head, exempt Hongshan Village from land rent this year." Zhen Zhu nodded and went to deliver the message. Susu pondered, realizing that although she had little to offer, she couldn’t just let a life-saving grace go unrewarded with mere words. "I may not have much, but from now on, I’ll make eight sets of clothes for Little Brother every year as a token of my gratitude."

The Old Madam complimented, "That’s a commendable idea. The child is alone, though the neighborhood helps, every household isn’t wealthy, and these matters might not be thoroughly considered."