Yu Xiaocao quickly pulled away the guards and rushed into the encirclement. Before Zhu Junyang could intercept, she hugged the wolf and rubbed its thick fur. "Big Gray, why did you come down the mountain? Was there not enough food in the mountains? It's ok, I have a big brood of rabbits at home, I can share them with you!" 

　　Big Gray's fur was almost the same color as the moon. Yu Xiaocao gently caressed its soft fur, the protruding bones on his back was a little harsh on her hands. It seemed that the food chain at the secret base had also been destroyed. She wondered how Big Gray survived these two months. 

　　When Yu Hai saw his daughter run toward the wolf, his heart almost jumped out of his mouth. He hurried forward a few steps and stopped upon seeing the scene before him. Under the moonlight, a little girl was nestled beside the silver-gray wolf and stroking the back of the wolf. The wolf was as tame as a domesticated dog. At their feet, two little cubs rolled around acting cute. The scene was as beautiful as a dream.  

　　When Yu Xiaocao turned her head, she saw her worried father. She smiled rea.s.suringly as him and said, "Father, this wolf is very intelligent. He remembered that I helped him before and never attacked me. When I went up the mountain, he entrusted me with Little Black and Little White!"

　　Zhu Junyang looked at the gray wolf with interest and asked, "Are Little Black and Little White his children? How come they don't look like him? Could there be a mistake?"

　　"Beasts have a really good sense of smell. If it's not their children, why would they put in so much effort? Little Black and Little White's mother died shortly after giving birth to them. It was the Big Gray who fed them with the blood of his prey to keep them alive. The last time I went up the mountain, he gave me the two little guys to bring back!" Yu Xiaocao said amusingly.

　　Yu Hai was still worried. He had many children at home. What would he do if the wolf became berserk one day and bites his children? Thus, he was deeply opposed, in his heart, to taking the wolf home. After thinking about it, he asked, "Cao'er, have you decided to take in this gray wolf?" 

　　Yu Xiaocao gently stroked the gray wolf's fur and nodded, "The wolf pack came down the mountain tonight, which means that there is less and less food available on the mountain. Father, I want to keep Big Gray until things are better on the mountain. After that, I will let him go back up the mountain."

　　Feeling somewhat distressed, Yu Hai frowned slightly and said, "We have so many people coming and going at our house. If one day the gray wolf suddenly goes mad and bites people, it would be hard to explain."

　　"That won't happen, Big Gray understands human speech and won't hurt anyone. Unless someone wants to hurt him or us. He already saved you just by depending on your scent, Father. This alone proves that Big Gray isn't a common wolf!" Yu Xiaocao tried to persuade her father. If she disregarded Big Gray, then he might die of starvation.

　　Yu Hai still felt doubtful as he said, "But...in a famine year, people can't get enough to eat yet you want to take a wolf home to raise. I'm afraid the villagers will talk..."

　　"Alright! What is there to contend for? When that time comes, just say that it's a pet trained by this prince and I like buying meat to raise him. Let's see who can say anything then! Let's go! It's almost dawn. Clean up the wolf corpses and be careful of attracting other predators again!" Seeing that the two were arguing back and forth with no end in sight, Zhu Junyang made the decision. 

　　With Big Gray's problem solved, Yu Xiaocao was in a good mood. When she went back home, she saw the injuries on her father's body. Her heart ached as she grumbled, "Father, how come you didn't say that you were hurt? You've bled so much. Quick, lie down. I'll sprinkle some anti-inflammatory and styptic powder on it." 

　　At this time, Madam Liu, who stayed in the room with the children, came in and lit the oil lamp. She saw the b.l.o.o.d.y scars on her husband's body caused by the wolf's claws, and said with tears, "How could you be so careless? The wound is so deep, should we ask Doctor Sun from town to come and take a look?"