"Don’t like it?" Xiu Xi was very perceptive of her emotions, his expression dimming as he looked at her.
He thought she wasn’t interested in the food he had found for her.
But she clearly liked drinking milk.
Or was it... that she wanted milk from some other mammal?
Xiu Xi frowned, already considering whether he should go and lead a wild buffalo back tomorrow.
"No, I like it very much," Ruan Jiaojiao regained her senses and promptly said, noticing that he seemed somewhat disappointed.
Moreover, the milk was indeed tasty and it saved money.
Xiu Xi looked at her seriously, observing for a few seconds to make sure she wasn’t lying. His expression then brightened, and when he turned his head to look at the ewe nearby, his demeanor improved significantly. He then led her to the kitchen for breakfast.
Several boys, having gawked enough at the sheep, also returned to the kitchen one by one to have their meal. As Ruanlin Family washed the dishes, she instructed them, "The matter of Xiaoxi finding the sheep must not be spoken of outside, understand? If anyone asks, say we bought them for the family, specifically to nourish your sister with milk."
"Okay," the boys answered in unison, and they all understood that such good fortune could easily make others envious, readily agreeing without any doubt.
Ruanlin Family breathed a sigh of relief.
Once the boys went off to study, Ruanlin Family watched the goat still gnawing at the tree bark. She then found a sickle in the hall and, instructing Ruan Jiaojiao and Xiu Xi who were still near the lambs, went out with a dustpan to cut grass.
Ruanlin Family rarely raised such livestock, aside from chickens and ducks, as they were too troublesome and consumed a lot of grain. Now that Xiu Xi had led two back, she couldn’t simply ignore them.
Ruan Jiaojiao, having finished breakfast, played in the backyard. She particularly liked the little goat with its wet eyes that were particularly beautiful. It wasn’t afraid of people, liked to lick her palm, rub against her legs, act spoiled, and its fur was soft to the touch, making it comfortable to pet.
Xiu Xi stood to the side and watched her play, his eyes emitting a green glow as he looked meaningfully at the goat licking her palm.
The little goat seemed to sense the low pressure coming from him and shivered slightly. It instinctively wanted to back away like its mother, but couldn’t bear to leave Ruan Jiaojiao’s side. It trembled on its feet while still licking and nuzzling Ruan Jiaojiao’s palm.
Ruan Jiaojiao suspiciously glanced at Xiu Xi, who was not far away, and then at the ewe that was avoiding him.
"Xiu Xi, come here for a sec," she beckoned him over.
Xiu Xi looked at her and walked over.
The goat by her side shook even more violently, and as Xiu Xi approached, it bolted... stumbling once mid-way, rolling around before reaching its mother and, after getting up clumsily, hid behind the ewe’s hindquarters.
Indeed, she hadn’t misjudged! These animals were all truly afraid of Xiu Xi. That included Xiaohei, which used to be so fond of her but would hide in the corner if she was with Xiu Xi, not even daring to show its head, along with the monkeys from the mountain and beasts lurking in the shadows—all feared her, and it was not just her imagination!
With suspicion in her eyes, Ruan Jiaojiao looked straight at Xiu Xi and asked, "Xiu Xi, why are these animals afraid of you?"
Xiu Xi glanced at her, then at the two sheep hiding away, and shook his head, "I don’t know."
"Really don’t know?" Ruan Jiaojiao was skeptical, but she also felt it was unlikely that he had some kind of special power, considering if he did, he wouldn’t have had such a tough life before.