This was the first time the little bear had followed the wolves outside, and it was curious about everything.
Song Wei and Lin Ping’an also strolled leisurely behind them to aid their digestion.
With the snow melted, more people were out and about.
“Oh my, what is that thing? It looks weird—not like a dog at all.”
Everyone knew about the wolves Song Wei kept at home, though they always thought they were wolfdogs.
But this was their first time seeing a bear.
“It looks strange.”
Many villagers had heard of black bears but had never actually seen one.
Adult bears were easier to recognize, but few had seen one this small.
“That’s a bear!”
The speaker was Shuanzi, who had come to play with Lin Ping’an.
Even in winter, he would occasionally visit Lin Ping’an, so he knew they had a bear at home now.
A bear.
The moment the word was uttered, the onlookers were stunned.
“Really? A bear? How can it be so small? It’s not even as big as my dog.”
“Yeah, it looks so silly. How could it be a fierce bear?”
Shuanzi planted his hands on his hips. “It really is a bear! A bear cub! Sister Song told us!”
Everyone turned to Song Wei.
She nodded. “It’s a bear cub, still small. Its mother was killed by a tiger, and we brought it back out of pity. Don’t worry, uncles and aunties—it’s too small to bite anyone.”
“But what about when it grows up? Grown bears bite people.”
Song Wei replied, “Lin Zhen and I are trying to tame it. If it’s raised around people from a young age, it might not bite when it grows up. If everyone is really too afraid, I’ll release it deep into the forest.”
“Goodness, Song Zhiqing, you’re really bold! This is the first time I’ve ever seen someone raise a bear.”
“Hey, little thing, can I hold it?”
Song Wei nodded. “Sure, but don’t pull its fur or hit it.”
“Who would hit such a small thing?”
Many who were seeing a bear for the first time found the cub, which was smaller than a dog, utterly fascinating.
The key was that this little bear looked genuinely silly and wasn’t afraid of people at all. Even when picked up, it just struggled to get down and walk on its own.
“Wow, this is my first time seeing a bear! If it weren’t for the one you brought back, Song Zhiqing, I might never have known what a bear looks like in my lifetime.”
“Exactly! Song Zhiqing, you’re really something. Holding this little thing is like holding a small child—just with a bit too much fur.”
“Song Zhiqing, how much meat does this bear eat? How do you even raise it?”
Song Wei gave them a quick lesson: “Bears are omnivores. They eat not only meat but also vegetables, fruits, and other things. Right now, it can already munch on tomatoes, radishes, and stuff like that.”
“Plus, bears really love honey. They also eat fish. When it gets a bit bigger, it can even gnaw on a couple of steamed buns.”
“So bears don’t just eat meat?”
They found the bear cub even more fascinating.
“If this bear cub grows up in the village, will it be friendly with us too?”
Some bold young men’s eyes lit up. “Song Zhiqing, you should bring the bear out for walks more often!”
Song Wei didn’t refuse. “Sure.”
Bears grow quickly, and it would be impossible to hide it for long.
Song Wei indeed wanted the little bear to interact more with people so it could be trained not to attack humans in the future.
If it truly couldn’t be tamed, she would steel herself and put it down.
The bear cub took a stroll around the brigade, and many people came to see the novelty.
The little thing was passed around and held by everyone. Some even brought tomatoes and radishes from home to feed it.
The little creature wasn’t picky at all—it would sit on the ground, holding whatever was given with its paws, and eat.
It really was just like a small child.
Jiang Wenwu rubbed his arms. “It’s kinda cute, but it reminds me of that bear in the mountains that waved—gives me the creeps just thinking about it.”
When a bear stands upright, it looks eerily human from a distance.
This little bear even resembled a human child.
Song Wei said, “Just think of it as a little dummy, and you’ll be fine.”
It looks like a child—a not-too-bright little dummy.
Jiang Wenwu: “……”
To Song Wei’s surprise, the little bear turned out to be even more popular in the village than the fox.
She also noticed that this little guy genuinely loved going out.
It even went out to mooch food and drinks!
Several families particularly adored the little thing. Every time Lin Ping’an took it out to play, those families would give it something to eat.
The little bear remembered this and often went out to freeload, sometimes even bringing back leftovers.
Song Wei: (￣ー￣*|||）
“You’re something else!”
She pinched the little bear’s ears.
The scolded bear looked back at her with innocent, pitch-black eyes.
Song Wei: “Stop running off to other people’s houses. Are we starving you at home?”
Lin Ping’an: “Sister-in-law, it doesn’t understand you.”
“Sister-in-law, school’s about to start. My classmates asked if I could bring the bear cub to school with me. Can I?”
Song Wei: How is this thing so popular?!
Not only that, but when she went to chat and gossip with the elderly ladies, they also insisted she bring the little bear along.
The little bear looked silly and wasn’t as active as cats or dogs. With a bit of food, it could entertain itself for hours.
Plus, its fur was wonderfully soft to touch.
Song Wei bathed it regularly because, every time it played with the village children, it ended up just as dirty as they did.
So, the little bear had no fleas or other pests, and its fur was exceptionally smooth.
One day, Song Wei was gossiping with the aunties at the village entrance while the bear cub played nearby with a ball of yarn.
“Time to get busy again soon.”
“Hope this year’s harvest is a good one too!”
Though exhausting, the joy of a bountiful harvest was what these lifelong farmers cherished most.
“Wang Shu and his father are back, and they got into a fight. Did you all hear?”
“What? Did they both really get involved with that Widow Hu…?”
Though the rest went unsaid, the meaningful glances said it all.
“Exactly! My cousin’s uncle’s nephew lives in town. I heard the police station was quite a scene that day. The father and son started fighting right after leaving the station—so embarrassing.”
“Tsk tsk tsk… Widow Hu really has no standards.”
As Song Wei listened, she suddenly noticed someone walking on the road leading to the village.
Though the face was unclear at a distance, the figure and familiar gait made her spring to her feet.
“What’s wrong?”
Without answering, Song Wei dashed toward the road.
Nearly three months had passed, and she’d never realized how much she could miss someone.
The little bear, confused by Song Wei’s sudden sprint, dropped its toy and trotted after her on all fours.
The elderly ladies couldn’t see as clearly as Song Wei, but when they saw her running and throwing herself into the person’s arms, they understood immediately.
Lin Zhen was back.
“Oh, these young folks are so clingy.”
“Even an old cabbage like me can’t help but smile watching them. This young couple is truly devoted.”
They couldn’t help but reminisce about their own youth.
Right after marriage, they too had enjoyed a period of sweetness.
Though life later became noisy and quarrelsome, they had supported each other all the way to now.
Leave a Reply