A Little Jade in Goddess Gorge

Chapter 8: Time to Say Goodbye

Yu Xiao hummed and practically goes home to her cave prancing. 

Have you eaten? 

"Ah mother, you're home? No, I haven't eaten" Yu Xiao already had tea and snacks in Liu's family house, however for some reason she feels guilty to let her know.

The wolf glances on her slightly bulging tummy and chuckles.

It's not good to overeat you know. 

Yu Xiao is embarrassed. "Mother, it's not what it looks like."

You come home smelling like a stranger every day. Do you think just because you told your siblings not to tell me, I wouldn't know? The wolf chuckles again.

"Sorry mother. I just don't want you to think I'm abandoning the family. It's just nice to have someone to talk to." 

After a few weeks of spending time with Grandpa and Grandma Liu, Yu Xiao starts to pick up the local language. She could communicate with Grandpa Liu now, albeit very broken and mixed with hand signs.

It is fine. The wolf said. I won't stop you from spending time with your own kind. 

However, they might not hurt you because you are human, but they might hurt your siblings. We are not the same as you, remember? 

"I understand, mother. I'll make sure Xiao Bing and Xiao Xue keep a distance from the village."

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One day, when Yu Xiao was gathering wild vegetables and checking her traps for small animals when she heard Xiao Bing's shrilling scream. She ran towards them but abruptly stopped when she saw a giant brown bear.

Her mother is battling the bear fiercely, she is as big as the bear however she has 2 wolf pups behind her.  

"Mother!"

Take them away!

"Xiao Bing! Xiao Xue! Over here."

The wolf pups hesitant, but fortunately they decided to run to her. Yu Xiao remembers the pit where Grandpa Liu fell down before. 

"Mother! There is a trap not far from here. We could lure the bear there."

Go! Go now!

Yu Xiao and the pups ran towards the pit and carefully go around it. Behind them, their mother gradually retreating while still baring her fang and push to prevent the bear from getting to her children. 

She jumped across the pit and keep the threatening stance from the bear. Wolves and bears do not usually provoke bigger creatures, so after both creatures maintain safe distance for a while, the bear retreat.

"Mother! Are you okay? What happened?" 

Bad luck. I don't know where that guy came from.

"You are bleeding."

I'm fine. That stupid bear is in a worse condition than I do.

"Mother, it's not the time to act tough." Yu Xiao winch on how deep the wound on the wolf's torso is. She did some emergency treatment and made her drink most of the magical spring water she kept before.

Yu Xiao spends the next few days nourishing her mother's wound and hunting for their food. So she hasn't got time to return to the village. However after a while, she decided to go to Liu's home to let them know.

Grandpa & grandma Liu is really worried after hearing the story from Yu Xiao. "Yu girl, the forest is really too dangerous for you. What do you think of setting down here, there are a lot of good man in this village. You are beautiful and your embroidery skill is good. If you married over, no one will wrong you."

"Grandma, I don't want to think about that. I can't leave my family, moreover, at the moment my mother is injured. Say, do you know any medicine that would help with nourishing blood loss?"

Grandma Liu sighed "Why don't you go with me to town? I'll introduce you to sister Song, she is the embroidery shop owner in Xiangjiang town. Then you can go to the medicine hall and ask for your medicine."

Yu Xiao hesitantly go with Grandma Liu even though she doesn't want to leave her family for too long.

Along the way, they met with few villagers and Grandma Liu introduced her as her relative who comes to visit. After introducing her to sister Song, Grandma Liu pushed some copper coins to Yu Xiao, saying it's her share from the embroidery she made at her house before. With the money, she went to the medicine hall and buy some medicine to supplement blood loss.

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As soon as she enters the forest, Yu Xiao is greeted by Xiao Xue who was waiting for her.

"Xiao Xue? What happened?"

She whimpers and gestures to her to follow.

Yu Xiao follows her, and soon they just need to follow the blood trail to a remote little cave and saw Xiao Bing crying and licking their heavily injured mother.

"Mother? How come?" Her injury was already better even though she was still a bit weak. However this time there are new wounds that are even worse than before.

That stupid bear came back.

"You were still injured. If you stay at home nothing would happen?" The cave is hidden and surrounded by multiple traps. Even though the bear is really powerful, he won't be able to approach the cave so easily.

You underestimate your sibling's ability to get in trouble. But no matter. I still injured him more than he could to me.

"Mother, don't talk. I'll come back with medicine quickly. Just hang on, ok?"

No, no, listen to me. I know.. This is it for me.

"Mother, I'm a doctor remember? You will be fine"

Silly girl, I could feel it. Listen.. You look after your siblings, ok? They won't bother you for too long. Soon they will mature enough and they will walk their own way, after that... you go and join your people.

Yu Xiao and the pups cried and she said some words to comfort their mother. However even she knows that her seemingly godly mother is dying.

Hey, I lived for a long time ok? I have no regrets. And I really glad... I picked you from that river.. Yu Xiao. You take care...

"Mother?" The giant wolf already closed her eyes. She looked like she is just sleeping.

Xiao Xue and Xiao Bing howl for a while. Yu Xiao tries to wipe her tears that won't stop falling.

In her previous life, her parents left her when she was very young. Even though her grandmother and aunts never mistreated her, but she was just a responsibility. No one ever looks after her like the way the giant wolf did.

Now she is gone, what should she do next?

She saw her crying siblings. They are still too young to lose their mother. Yu Xiao tries to move her mother's body home and bury her, but how come a skinny girl moves the giant body?

Yu Xiao wiped tears from her eyes and gather some stone, wood, and dried grass. She stacked the firewood and dried grass on her mother's body and stack stones at the entrance of the cave. With one last look, she throws a lit branch inside and seal the cave.

The sounds of crying wolves fill the forest that night. Yu Xiao let her tears fall to the ground and softly whispered.

"Mother, don't worry about us. We will live well"