The Farmer's Daughter is the Favorite of the Family

"Xiaoling, you still haven't told us what kind of eagle this is." Qibao said.

"This is a black eagle, just like animals and humans, there's a law of the jungle - survival of the fittest. Maybe it was born weak and was abandoned by its parents." Xiaoling replied.

"Well, if you save it, it might be useful to me in the future!"

"Master, I would have saved it even if you didn't say so. After all, these black eagles are rare. It would be a waste if it died like this."

Qibao handed the young black eagle to Xiaoling. Feeling a bit tired, she stepped out of the space and went straight to bed.

The next day was the scheduled day for Qi Chuyun to come and pick up the vegetables.

"Miss Xu, this is a letter written to you by our young master." Qi Chuyun said.

After Qibao took the letter, Xiaowu said: "I don't know what Mr. Su is going to say this time. Every time he writes a letter, he makes himself sound so pitiful. It's always about lacking some food or another."

The old man said: "Just shut up! Master Su has helped our family so much. Besides, many of our things cannot be bought outside. We should not be so stingy!"

Xiaowu responded: "Grandpa, I know it's not a big deal, I just felt like saying it."

Qibao opened the letter, and when she read its contents, she barely managed to hold back her laughter.

Noticing Qibao's struggle to suppress her giggles, the old man immediately asked: "Qibao, what does the letter say?"

Qibao replied: "Su Chenyu is in trouble. It's about his future marriage. He says he wants to join our family."

The old man asked: "What are we going to do? Is he in any danger?"

Qibao explained: "No, it's his grandfather who made a bet and sent him away!"

The old man exclaimed: "Ah! What's going on? Why would he bet on his own family's future?"

Qibao replied: "Apparently, there was some kind of bet. If his grandfather lost, Su Chenyu would have to marry the daughter of the person he made the bet with. His grandfather thought it would be good to get a granddaughter-in-law without paying a dowry! But then, the girl turned out to be tall and strong, not at all like the girl he'd imagined. His grandfather wanted to back out of the deal, but the girl kept showing up at his door. Now, the whole family is too scared to even go outside!"

The old man was speechless: "Isn't Mr. Su's grandfather too unreliable? How could he harm his own grandson like this?"

"According to the letter." Qibao began: "He bet on the spur of the moment while drunk. But it's no surprise his family's worried, considering Su Chenyu is way past the usual marriage age."

"Ugh! Sounds like that grandpa really screwed his kid over!" the old man said.

Qibao pointed out: "Su Chenyu's status is not ordinary, and the person who can drink at the same table with his grandfather is also of similar status. If it really happens, wouldn't it be a perfect match? Maybe the girl is not so good-looking, but as long as she has a good heart, it's fine."

The old man said: "That makes sense. We can't deny someone just because of their appearance."

After Qi Chuyun took away the vegetables, Qibao seized the opportunity while her elder brothers had the day off.

"Hey, brothers." Qibao said: "Why don't we go horseback riding today?"

"Sounds great!" Little Wu exclaimed, eagerly agreeing.

The other brothers also agreed.

If we talk about where the Xu family got so many horses, they must be the wild horses that Qibao brought back from Daqing Mountain. They also built a stable for them. After Xiaoling's special "training", these horses are now extremely docile and often drink the spiritual spring water to improve their health.

With one brother leading each horse, they mounted and set off towards Daqing Mountain.

The riding skills of the brothers were taught by Qibao. The closer they got to Daqing Mountain, the faster they rode. They encountered Granny Lin picking fruits along the way, a familiar sight. Still, Qibao couldn't help but repeatedly warn her about the dangers.

The seven siblings galloped towards the mountain, joined by four white wolves racing behind them. Even Xiaobai tagged along.

"Let's race to the wolves' den. Whoever wins will be... Well, the winner!" Qibao suggested.

"Sounds good! You decide, Qibao." Xu Wenwu replied with a small smile.

"Hyah!"

With a flick of the whip, seven chestnut horses rushed out at an accelerated speed.

Many animals were startled on the road, and the cries of frightened animals could be heard from time to time in the originally quiet Daqing Mountain.

Qibao relished the sensation of the wind rushing past her ears, enjoying the thrill of the chase.

Unbeknownst to them, a pack of wolves had followed them. Over the years, the wolf population had steadily grown.

After a fierce race, Qibao once again crossed the finish line first.

The other brothers weren't far behind, but Xiaoliu was indeed the slowest.

Xiaowu patted Xiaoliu on the shoulder and said: "I always tell you to eat less. Look, the horse can hardly carry you now."

Xiaoliu retorted: "Fifth Brother, how damaging is this mouth of yours all day long, no wonder you get scolded by Grandpa every other day, it's reasonable after all."

"You're itching for a fight, aren't you?" Xiaowu rolled up his sleeves: "I'll show you a thing or two." He leaped off the horse.

Realizing things were about to get out of hand, Xiaoliu activated his qinggong and shot towards a nearby tree.

"Still trying to run?" Xiaowu kicked off the ground, flying towards the tree Xiaoliu had chosen.

And so began a chase through the trees, one youngster after the other, from one tree to another.

Qibao and the others were used to these fights and knew they'd be over soon. They found a patch of grass and sat down.

Qibao took out the snacks and spread them before everyone. They ate, listening to the sounds of insects and birds around them.

The wolf pack sat down as well, sometimes taking a bite of the snacks thrown their way and crunching through them.

Inside the cave, there were some mother wolves nursing their pups. Seeing the family nearby, they decided to join them, leading their recently weaned cubs along for a snack.

Qibao also carried some spiritual water for the mother wolves to drink.

"You're still recovering from giving birth. Have some spiritual water—it's good for you." Qibao gently stroked one wolf's head.

The wolf was very docile, lowering its head to drink the spiritual water while letting Qibao pet it.

The puppy smelled something and crawled toward Qibao, sniffing at her clothes.

Qibao picked up a pup at random—it was soft and chubby, utterly adorable. From time to time, it would extend its pink little tongue to lick Qibao's palm.

At this point, the two tired men finally stopped chasing each other. Xiaowu couldn't see what was different, but Xiaoliu's hair had been mussed into a mess. He approached, looking disgruntled.

"Big brother, look—Fifth Brother messed up my hair again." Xiaoliu complained.

"Xiaowu, you were the one who started teasing him. Bullying your younger brother isn't right." Xu Wenwu said.

"Big brother, I didn't hit him! I was just having fun with him. I promise next time I won't mess with his hair." Xiaowu said, grinning.

"Wow! They had more pups?" Xiaowu sat down on the ground and picked up a pup by the scruff of its neck.

Startled, the pup yelped constantly.

A mother wolf immediately stepped forward, opening her mouth as if to reclaim her child from Xiaowu's grasp.

"Just let me play with it a bit." Xiaowu said. He cradled the pup in his arms and stroked its back a few times until it gradually stopped crying.

After sitting for a long while, eating all their food and playing their fill, they decided it was time to go home.

This time, instead of chasing each other, they rode slowly on their horses toward Xujia Village.