A tiger near the bamboo forest where two large greenhouses were built? Now that’s something new.
Those who had witnessed it made it sound so extraordinary. Watching others talk about the tiger, one couldn’t help but feel left out not having seen it with one’s own eyes. If they didn’t go and see the tiger while everyone was talking about it, they wouldn’t be able to participate in the chatter anymore and it would be downright embarrassing.
Hence, people gradually started heading towards the bamboo grove. Some cycled, while others walked. On their way, they called friends to join them. "Let’s go! Let’s go see the tiger together."
Even those who were off to the market thought of stopping by to catch a glimpse of the spectacle.
After all, everyone knew that the boss of the cattle farm there was a tough guy; with him watching over the tiger, everybody felt quite at ease.
Little did they know that while they were still on their way, they would be in for a surprise right before they turned the corner into a small lane near the bridge: someone was in a tree, enjoying the breeze!
This was during winter and right next to the bridge. It was already windy enough on the ground, let alone up a tree. Was this person out of their mind?
Anyone familiar with the local folks recognized the figure in the tree. It was Heizi from the cattle farm, who had once been a minor gambler but had now turned over a new leaf and joined Brother Fei to work with the cattle.
Someone joked: "Heizi, what are you doing up there in the tree? Is the ground too hot for you?"
Usually, Heizi would have retorted in kind, but today he just ignored it looking glum, "Don’t even get me started. You know people have been coming to see the tiger, right? Brother Fei thought to train it a bit to prevent any accidental harm to people. But then the beast gave us the slip this morning and we’ve no idea where it’s hiding now. Brother Fei is inside looking for it."
"What? The tiger escaped?"
People were suddenly startled and started looking around, afraid the tiger might suddenly jump out from some trench!
We came here to see a tiger, not to feed it with our hundred-plus pounds of flesh! We were not afraid of the tiger because someone was watching over it, but it had run away now. Who would dare to go and court death, except a fool?
Seeing people’s surprise, Heizi quickly reassured everyone: "Don’t be scared, it’s actually good to train it. It would be safer for everyone to look at it in the future. We can’t chain a tiger up, as it’d break through any kind of rope with one bite. Even iron chains can’t hold it. It would start roaring when agitated, making people uneasy. You may think it’s a good idea to put it in a big cage, but it doesn’t make sense financially. The tiger is not ours, after a few days someone else would take it away, spending so much money on building a cage is not worthwhile. So Brother Fei just thought of training it..."
"Ah..." Heizi sighed and continued, "Look at this mess! Don’t worry, everyone, I have been watching this tree, the tiger hasn’t crossed this way. Besides, it’s cold, the tiger won’t run to the river, it must be hiding somewhere inside!"
Not worried? You’re up in the tree and telling us not to worry? Are you up to something, lad?
The crowd started discussing, some people were ready to head back. One’s own life matters more than seeing the excitement.
This is not a joke. Those who have seen the tiger know that it only behaves when it’s next to Brother Fei. Now with the tiger gone, and a crowd coming towards it, wouldn’t it be like delivering food to its doorstep?
Seeing some people were about to leave, Heizi quickly called out, "Don’t rush off everyone! Wait a little longer. More people may arrive soon. Together we’ve got strength and power, what’s one tiger to us?"
This persuasion worked on some. If they were to leave now, they would certainly feel regretful.
Others insisted that the crowd wouldn’t matter. Everybody was there to watch the fun, unarmed. A fight between a human and a tiger isn’t even a fair match. Even if there’s a crowd, its presence wouldn’t do any good. Leaving early means getting safe early.
However, some decided to stay anyway. Heizi enthusiastically reassured those who stayed "Really, it’s safe. The tiger hasn’t fully grown yet, it’s not that deadly. Trust me, nothing will happen with so many people around!"
As the crowd on the ground started discussing, someone suggested that they all relocate to the bridge. From there, they could get a wider perspective and keep an eye on the river banks. If something unexpected happened, they could run in time.
Therefore, they all moved to the bridge.
As more people started passing by, seeing a large crowd standing on the bridge took them by surprise. When someone finally couldn’t help but ask, they were informed that everyone was waiting for a tiger capture.
Someone is capturing a tiger here? That’s a sight to see. We’ve heard about Wu Song fighting a tiger in the storytelling and on television. But who has witnessed such a scene in real life?
Although most people, aware of the impending danger, wanted to leave immediately, some decided to stay after all. The larger the crowd, the more encouraged Heizi became, and from his tree, he kept urging everyone to stick around and watch. They would soon capture the tiger.
People naturally stick together, thinking that with this many people, there’s no need to fear the tiger. Or, for the more pessimistic among them, even if the tiger did come onto the bridge, they would just need to run faster than others!
Heizi had shouted so much from the tree that he practically lost his voice, but that didn’t stop him from hollering with enthusiasm. No wonder some people thought he was crazy!
As he was shouting, he saw a distant cousin walking towards him and waved. When his cousin approached, he lowered his voice, "Why are you here too? Don’t you know it’s dangerous? Go back home, or I’ll come down and sort you out!"
His cousin was confused, "Why should I be afraid? There are so many people here. Weren’t you just shouting for everyone to stay and watch?"