By the third day, the wolf pack had descended the mountain. The first to bear the brunt was the old Zhao Residence that was halfway up the mountain. However, all of the people inside had been moved to the Yu Family's residence. Without the smell of food around, the wolf pack detoured around the houses halfway up the mountain and the Liu Family's newly constructed residence and rushed straight towards the Yu Family's next door neighbor, the Qian Family.
The Qian Family's courtyard had about a hundred or so ducks in there. Although it was a disaster year, raising ducks wasn't the same as raising chickens. Chickens required a lot of fodder whereas ducks only needed to be let out to a pond, and they could forage food for themselves. Little fish, shrimp, and snails were all a part of their regular diet. Madam Mao was planning on raising these hundred ducks until autumn and then selling them.
It was currently the fifteenth of September and the moon was bright and radiant. Yu Hai climbed onto the top of his own wall and could clearly see the besieged Qian Family. The Qian Family had also dug some pit traps around them, which served their purpose. There were a few wolves caught in the pits. However, there were too many wolves in the pack. The ravenous starved wolves attempted one after another to scale the walls. Some even tried to use their bodies as a battering ram and slammed themselves against the Qian Family's dilapidated wooden gate....
The Qian Family's ducks in the back courtyard screamed to the high heavens. Their walls were not as high as the Yu Family's and a few strong wolves managed to twist themselves in midair and jump onto the top of the walls.
Yu Xiaocao was laying on the roof as she anxiously watched what was happening at the Qian Family's residence. She quietly asked, "Father, are you sure that Uncle Qian and his whole family aren't at home right now?"
"Mhm! The day before yesterday, your Uncle Qian had told me that he was planning on taking the family to his wife's maternal home in the evening. Last night I saw that all of them had left the village." Yu Hai held a bow and arrow in his hands as his eyes glittered with the s.h.i.+mmering light from the moon.
Yu Xiaocao finally relaxed. When she heard the ducks let out a scream, she remarked in regret, "It's too bad Auntie Qian's flock of ducks will be destroyed. I'm pretty sure they're about to become the wolves' evening meal!"
Although Yu Hai couldn't see the back courtyard of the Qian Residence, he guessed, "Shouldn't be too big of a loss! When your Uncle Qian left, he had opened up the gate to the pond. When the ducks get scared, they should run towards the pond. I'm sure some of the ducks will be eaten by the wolf pack but probably not all of them."
Yu Xiaocao climbed to the highest part of the roof. With the light of the moon, she could faintly see the messy ripples on the lake. It was probably all caused by the ducks heading into the water. Yu Xiaocao relaxed again.
Zhu Junyang calmly sat on top of the roof and saw the worry disappearing from Yu Xiaocao's face. He teased, "You're unable to defend yourself, so why are you worrying about other people?"
Yu Xiaocao turned her head around and looked strangely at Zhu Junyang, who was sitting on the beam of the roof as if he was on flat ground. Then she looked at her own position, awkwardly hugging onto the roof. She curled her lip and said, "What do you mean by this?"
"If the wolf pack can't find any food at the Qian Family's place, they will naturally change their target. The Yu Family is the closest neighbor to the Qian Family. What target do you think they'll go for next?" Zhu Junyang expressed his disdain towards Yu Xiaocao's intelligence. She was normally a very sharp little girl, so how come her brains seemed to have disappeared right now? Was she really scared silly by the wolf pack?
Who was their next target? It was quite obvious! Yu Xiaocao smiled bitterly as she watched the wolf pack finish battering down the Qian Family's gate and run around in the back courtyard. A portion of them were already das.h.i.+ng over in the direction of the Yu Family's residence.
"Prepare! Everyone get into position!" Zhu Junyang commanded his dozen or so bodyguards. All of them climbed up bamboo ladders to get onto the wall. Each of them was energetic and healthy as they prepared and aimed their bows and arrows.
Yu Xiaocao stayed on top of the tall roof and tied up a piece of meat on a bamboo pole. As if she was fis.h.i.+ng, she dangled the bait outside the walls.
