Chapter 4, The Fox Smiles

Old Lin was also taken aback, but as the only man in the household, he mustered his courage and shouted towards the door: "Who is it? Why are you howling at this late hour instead of sleeping?"

Lin Laoshi spoke with little conviction. After hearing his wife say this, he pondered for a moment, intending to comfort Li Shi with a few words. However, he was at a loss for words and did not know what to say. In the end, he simply stomped his foot and went out, but he resolved in his heart that, regardless of the circumstances, he would protect his wife and children safely.

The fox was also quite alert, immediately darting out of the village, disappearing in a few flashes. With this, the matter was understood. From that point on, the yellow fox never returned to the village, nor did it harm Old Li's family again

Lin Laoshi felt a chill surge from his feet to the top of his head, instantly dispelling the warmth he had just gained from getting out of bed. He stood there with his mouth agape, unsure of what to do. Streams of warm air escaped from his mouth, forming white columns, creating an indescribably eerie scene

No, listen again, the wind does not make this sound

The black fox did not leave; it merely looked calmly at Lin Laoshi and then at Li Shi. Lin Laoshi was terrified, repeatedly saying, "I didn't mean to, I truly didn't mean to..."

Old Lin perked up his ears to listen and scratched his head: "Our house is drafty; could it be the sound caused by the wind?"

The eldest son of the Li family came out wielding a hoe, intending to kill the fox. He feared that if the fox was not eliminated, it would continue to harm his family in the future. However, Old Wang rushed out to block the eldest son of the Li family, shouting at the fox: "Why aren't you leaving quickly!"

The rapidity of events can be described as being faster than a flash of lightning, leaving no time to cover one's ears

Before Lin Laoshi could finish mumbling, the tailless white fox suddenly darted over. The speed was so swift that it startled Lin Laoshi, causing him to fall to the ground. He saw tears continuously dropping from the black eyes of the white fox, which let out a low whimper. It picked up the vine that was binding two fox cubs and turned to dash out of the courtyard

You hear, someone is crying outside the door

Upon witnessing this scene, Lin Laoshi hurriedly turned his head. At that moment, Old Wang suddenly raised his head, his eyes wide open, seemingly filled with a glimmer of light. He swiftly lunged forward, his right hand forming a claw-like shape, seizing a small piece of flesh from the neck of Li's wife. What Old Wang grasped was a tumor-like lump of flesh, which continued to wriggle as if it were still alive

Li was filled with both doubt and confusion, yet he still said to Lin, "Lin, why don't you go take a look? It might be that someone’s elder has passed away. The villagers have always been quite considerate towards us, and if there’s something we can help with, we should lend a hand."

Everyone felt relieved when nothing seemed to be wrong. Just then, a woman's scream suddenly came from outside the door. Lin Laoshi hurriedly looked outside and saw a yellow fox suddenly darting out from the tall haystack of the old Li family. The yellow fox had its eyes darting around and a black nose. Its fur was a brilliant golden yellow.

Everyone was in a daze, staring blankly. Old Wang, dissatisfied, turned his head and shouted at Old Li: "What are you still staring for? Quickly cover your wife with a quilt."

Then the black fox suddenly laughed, its sharp-nosed, monkey-cheeked face displaying a smile that was indescribably sinister and eerie, before it turned and darted out of the courtyard

Li sat in the room, sighing as she looked at the two little foxes that Lin Laoshi had thrown on the ground. One was already dead, while the other was whimpering, looking pitiful. She wanted to release the little fox that was still alive, but Lin Laoshi was outside, sullenly sharpening his axe. She was also afraid of hurting his feelings. After all, she thought, Lin Laoshi was doing this for himself and the child in her womb.

Generally, the foxes from hetushucomcom are about the size of a clumsy dog, but this one is far larger than the average fox. Its fur is glossy and shines brightly, appearing golden under the sunlight. Its crimson eyes emit an eerie glow. The shouting woman was originally holding a child, watching the commotion, when this fox suddenly leaped out, its golden fur dazzling her eyes in the sunlight, startling her.

This is clearly the fox coming to have its young. The black fox seems to understand the rules of the human world very well, behaving quite appropriately. What it means is that the white fox stealing your chickens is indeed wrong, and having its tail cut off serves as a lesson. The silver in the porcelain bowl at the door is compensation for your chickens. The bow is a request for Lin Laoshi to return those two young foxes to it.

Li's wife was covered in blood, chuckling ominously... As everyone stared in shock, she grabbed her nightgown with both hands and pulled it forcefully to the sides. With a tearing sound, the nightgown was ripped apart, revealing her bare chest.

As the night deepened, the couple could no longer stay awake and soon fell asleep. In the latter half of the night, Li heard someone crying outside, the sound was mournful and incessant. Startled awake, she wondered who could be crying at such an hour. She hurriedly nudged Lin Laoshi, who was sleeping soundly. He sat up abruptly, still somewhat dazed, and asked, "What’s wrong?"

Humans are like this, and so are foxes. Since ancient times, there has been a saying that yellow foxes are of low quality, red foxes are of medium quality, and white foxes are of high quality. In other words, yellow foxes are considered inferior, red foxes are average, and only white foxes are esteemed. The achievements of a pure white fox in cultivation far exceed those of a yellow fox. Lin Laoshi felt quite uneasy at the thought of having attracted a white fox, but the matter had already been settled with the Book of Images and Texts, and it was too late to regret. He stubbornly muttered to himself, "If it doesn't steal our chickens, why should I seek it out? Wang Decai's family has so many chickens; why does it choose to steal from our poor household? The reasoning is on my side, and I am not afraid."

Old Li regained his composure and hurriedly pulled over a cotton quilt from the bed, covering his wife with it. She stopped her fussing and quieted down, curling up and shrinking into the quilt.

Upon leaving the house, Lin Laoshi was momentarily stunned. He had originally intended to make a few fox traps, but given that it was the dead of winter, he had no readily available materials. After pondering for a long time, he decided to set a trap in his own yard. What he called a trap was essentially a long trench he had dug, with sharpened wooden sticks inserted below, covered with dry grass and then topped with snow

At his shout, the cries outside grew louder, sobbing as if in deep sorrow. At this point, Lin Laoshi could no longer sit still. He had some doubts about whether the white fox had come to bring him misfortune, but it was clear that the sounds outside were human cries. Could the fox really transform into human form? If it truly had such abilities, it wouldn't have resorted to stealing two chickens from his home, only to have its tail cut off by him.

Old Wang let out a cold snort: "This is what you get for refusing a toast and instead drinking a punishment drink." He raised the silver needle and forcefully jabbed it down towards the meatball, causing Li's wife to let out a tragic scream, "Aah!" Her whole body trembled violently, and with a thud, she collapsed onto the kang, unconscious.

The door opened, revealing a night where the moon was bright and the stars sparse. The large moon cast a pale light on the snow-covered ground, illuminating the surroundings. Beneath the old locust tree in the yard, a white fox with a half-broken tail stood; it was the same one that had been struck by an axe during the day. Next to it was a black fox, its body entirely sleek and dark, with a band of purple fur around its waist, approximately half the size of the white fox. Its eyes flickered with a flame-like, otherworldly red, and it stood there, bowing to Lin Laoshi as he stepped outside, just like a human would.

In fact, there is no real purpose in doing this; a fox is not a human. It can leap far and, with a single bound, might easily bypass this trap. However, Lin Laoshi had no other options; at the very least, he needed to take some action. This was merely a way to find some peace of mind, yet he still felt uneasy and began to sharpen his very dull short axe.

The couple remained silent, and the day passed just like that. Lin Laoshi did not dare to go anywhere, keeping the axe in his arms while accompanying Li. However, as night fell, nothing happened, and the two gradually began to relax. Lin Laoshi was even contemplating a trip to the town the next day to sell the two fox cubs, buy two hens for laying eggs, and use the remaining money to buy some flour to supplement his wife.

The woman's shrill voice pierced through the air. Everyone felt a shiver run down their spines. The yellow fox, initially intending to flee, was also startled by the sudden exclamation and stared blankly at the woman.

Li's ability to recognize and interpret characters is far superior to Lin's honesty. Usually, he listens to his wife, and upon hearing Li's words, he contemplates that it is indeed the case. He puts on his cotton coat, wears his shoes, takes a couple of steps to the door, and with a creak, he opens the door.

At this moment, Li Shi also got up, wrapped in her clothes, holding her belly as she walked to the door. Before she could step outside, she exclaimed, "Who left this at our doorstep?"

Li hurriedly shouted to Lin: "Quick, quickly return those two little foxes to them"

After Li finished speaking, Lin listened carefully and indeed, the crying sound from outside, though faint, drifted into the room. The sound was very soft and gentle, resembling the sound of light rain in summer

Li observed his stubbornness and, with a wry smile, said: "If it were truly a fox cultivating immortality, would that thing reason with you

Lin Laoshi lowered his head and saw, in the snow-covered ground in front of the door, an unexpectedly large blue-and-white porcelain bowl that had appeared at some point. Inside the bowl were several scattered pieces of silver, amounting to approximately seven or eight taels. In this era, seven or eight taels of silver was enough for an ordinary family’s annual expenses. While Lin Laoshi was lost in thought, Li Shi had already spotted the two foxes bowing beneath the locust tree, and she immediately understood what was happening.

This matter was personally experienced by Lin Laoshi, and it remains deeply etched in his memory. Upon hearing the Li family's account, he felt a sudden jolt in his heart, recalling the mother fox, which was entirely snow-white, without a single strand of mixed fur, making him feel even more frightened. In this world, people are divided into three classes: the Mongols are the first class, the Semu people are the second, and the Han people are the third. Here, the Han people refer to the Han, Khitan, Jurchen, and other ethnic groups within the territory of the Jin Dynasty, as well as the Yunnan people who were conquered by the Mongols earlier. The Koreans from the Northeast are also considered Han people. The fourth class consists of the Southerners, also known as barbarians or newly annexed people, referring to those from the former territory of the Southern Song Dynasty, south of the Huai River, who were conquered last by the Great Yuan Dynasty.

Old Lin was also startled. Upon hearing his wife shout, he hurried back into the house, pulled out the two foxes, and placed them by the door, mumbling: "One is dead, it wasn't intentional; the road was slippery, I slipped and fell, and it got thrown out of my hands..."

The haystack at Old Li's house is quite large, resembling a small hill. Every household in the village has such a haystack. One purpose is to use it for kindling in winter, and the other is to feed livestock. Therefore, every autumn, families stockpile a large amount of hay and dry leaves, leaving what they do not use piled up without concern. The following year, they continue to add more on top. Eventually, the hay at the bottom has aged significantly, and due to the passage of time, the lowest layer of hay gradually becomes darker and moldy. This area often attracts creatures that thrive in dark and damp conditions. The yellow fox emerged from the very bottom of the haystack.