Chapter 246: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 246: Moldy Grain Buries Hidden Dangers, Nightmares Serve as Warnings (5)
The child lay dead, eyes wide open and lifeless, staring hollowly in Mo Yan's direction, as if asking, "Why didn't you save me?" Despite knowing it was just a dream, Mo Yan felt a chilling fear emanating from those vacant eyes.
Her body then uncontrollably drifted to another ordinary courtyard, home to a warm and happy family. After dinner, the entire family began to vomit and suffer from severe diarrhea. Eventually, with nothing left to expel, they began to cough up large clumps of black blood...
Mo Yan was tormented by nightmares all night. When she awoke at dawn, drenched in sweat, her mind was a chaotic swirl of images of innocent people dying from eating moldy rice and families shattered by grief.
"Is this dream trying to warn me about something?" Mo Yan clutched her head in pain, her face unnaturally pale. The dream felt disturbingly real; she could almost feel the heart-wrenching sorrow of those who lost their loved ones.
But what could she do? She was just an ordinary farm girl, lacking any substantial power to eliminate the scourge of moldy grain.
For several days, Mo Yan was deeply depressed, and even the youngest, Zhen'er, noticed. However, whenever they asked, Mo Yan, not wanting them to worry, simply said it was nothing.
Li Zhong and the others were at their wits' end, unable to find a solution.
In the end, it was Zhen'er who came up with an idea: giving Mo Yan the responsibility of taking care of the family’s animals, including Little Furball, the cat, and the cattle and horses. Having something to do would keep her from brooding.
The idea worked. Little Furball was growing larger and more energetic, often running off if not closely watched.
Mo Yan spent most of her time looking after the mischievous cat, and the rest of her time feeding the cattle and horses, leaving her little room for worry. Gradually, the memory of the nightmare began to fade.
By late August, the temperatures were dropping steadily. Little Furball had grown so heavy that Mo Yan’s arms ached from carrying it. Despite its young age, it was almost the size of an adult cat. Even the initially skeptical Mo Yan began to realize that Little Furball was not an ordinary wildcat.
"It's a tiger cub," Lin Yong remarked, startling Mo Yan as he came to fetch Xiao Hua for a trip to the mountains.
Tiger cub!
Mo Yan stared at the round-headed, plump little creature sucking on her thumb in shock. Although she had suspected it earlier, she had harbored some doubts. Now, those doubts were gone, leaving her in disbelief.
"What should I do? Is it too late to return it to the mountains?" Mo Yan looked at Lin Yong, full of hope.
With the troublesome red python occasionally sneaking around and the increasingly mischievous Xiao Hua, Mo Yan already had her hands full. The prospect of keeping a growing tiger cub was daunting.
Lin Yong lifted Little Furball by the scruff of its neck, examining it closely. "Unless you find its mother, it will die."
The position rendered Little Furball immobile. It glared fiercely at Lin Yong, letting out soft, fierce growls, trying to intimidate him into releasing it.
A hint of amusement flickered in Lin Yong's eyes. He placed his finger in Little Furball’s mouth, and the cub bit down hard, using all its strength.
Unfortunately, with only a few baby teeth, the cub left only shallow marks after a prolonged effort.
Lin Yong handed the cub back to Mo Yan, who quickly took it. Little Furball immediately calmed down, continuing to suck on her thumb, making soft, contented noises that contrasted sharply with its earlier aggression.
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