Chapter 55 The Southern Giant Rat

Chapter 55: Southern Rodents

Upon hearing Gu Jinghe's full account, Wen Yuchen couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.

Zheng Zheng, beside them, shook his head playfully: "Brother, your hands are naughty."

Jinjin chimed in, nodding: "Yes, my brother's hands are naughty. He just had to play with the bamboo pole."

At this, Xingxing's mouth began to widen, ready to cry again.

Gu Jinghe quickly popped a piece of cake into his open mouth: "Try it, is it yummy?"

Xingxing sniffled, beginning to chew.

Seeing that Xingxing was sufficiently appeased, Gu Jinghe nodded a farewell to Wen Yuchen and departed with the two children.

Wen Yuchen then took Zheng Zheng for their meal.

During naptime, Zheng Zheng lay sound asleep on his small pillow.

Wen Yuchen went to wash the clothes he had changed out of the day before.

After hanging the laundry to dry, Wen Yuchen intended to lie down with Zheng Zheng for a short rest.

Before he could settle, he spotted an unwelcome guest perched on Zheng Zheng's plump arm.

It was a black-and-white patterned mosquito, its belly distended from feeding.

Wen Yuchen's brows furrowed tightly as he tiptoed closer.

For a moment, there was no immediate threat. The mosquito, perhaps lost in its feast or simply too full, remained utterly still.

Wen Yuchen swiftly reached out, pinching it directly with two fingers, resulting in a burst of fresh blood on his fingertip.

After washing the blood from his hand in the bathroom, Wen Yuchen returned to find a large, red welt on Zheng Zheng's pale, chubby arm.

He leaned in for a closer look, muttering under his breath: "Damn mosquito, how are there mosquitoes already in May?"

Zheng Zheng, feeling an itch in his sleep, scratched the spot a couple of times with his other hand.

To prevent him from scratching his skin raw, Wen Yuchen tucked Zheng Zheng's little hand under the blanket.

He rummaged through cabinets, finding the pre-prepared calamine lotion and cotton swabs.

Dipping a cotton swab into the lotion, he applied it to Zheng Zheng's arm two or three times.

As he put the lotion away, Wen Yuchen also retrieved the mosquito repellent lotion he had bought earlier.

The temperature in the south had risen these past few days, making it humid and damp. Zheng Zheng always kicked off his blanket while sleeping.

In the brief moment it took Wen Yuchen to fetch the lotion, Zheng Zheng had already kicked his small blanket away again.

He quickly applied the lotion to Zheng Zheng's exposed arms and legs.

He then meticulously checked inside the mosquito net once more, finally feeling at ease.

[Such a venomous mosquito, daring to suck our Zheng Zheng's blood!]

[Mosquitoes arrived unusually early this year, absolutely detestable.]

[Seriously, I just went out to grab a package and got two bites on my leg.]

[Does any sister know what Chen Zi applied to Zheng Zheng? Is it effective? My kid is a mosquito buffet every time we go out.]

[It's Suoye mosquito repellent lotion. It works quite well for my baby. The lotion seems more effective than the spray, though I haven't tried the spray.]

[Suoye's lotion is indeed effective, but it might vary from person to person.]

[Wow, these father and son are sleeping so soundly.]

[Did Chen Zi lie down for even five minutes? His sleep quality is so enviable.]

[As an insomniac, I'm jealous.]

[I'm speechless. I just rushed over from Xiao Moli's livestream—Xiao Moli battling a southern giant rat.]

[What! What happened?]

[I'm going to go watch.]

Su Yuecheng and Xiao Moli were learning how to make oil-paper umbrellas from Yang Xuanhe and Master Yang.

After a morning of lessons, the mother-daughter duo received high praise from Master Yang.

Just as they were about to have lunch, Su Yuecheng had just tossed out the water used to wash Xiao Moli's hands.

Then, from seemingly nowhere, a large rat scurried right up to Su Yuecheng's face.

The enamel basin clattered to the ground, and Su Yuecheng shrieked, bolting into the yard.

Su Yuecheng had grown up in the north, a true northerner through and through.

The largest rat she had ever seen in her life was no bigger than her palm.

This large gray rat, fatter than a basketball, was truly an eye-opener for Su Yuecheng.

Xiao Moli heard her mother's scream and rushed out to find her.

She then saw her mother being chased by a huge gray rat.

Xiao Moli's small face was instantly clouded with worry. She wanted to help her mother, but her tiny self seemed incapable of much assistance.

Seeing her daughter approach, Su Yuecheng quickly warned: "Xiao Moli, stay away from this rat. It's full of germs."

Xiao Moli's eyes reddened with concern, and she dashed back into the house to seek help from Yang Xuanhe.

Xiao Moli ran up to Yang Xuanhe: "Grandma, grandma, a big rat is chasing my mom."

Yang Xuanhe immediately stood up: "Grandma will go check. Xiao Moli, stay far away from the rat. Don't let it bite you."

With that, she casually grabbed a broom from the corner.

The large rat seemed almost human-like, as if it sensed Su Yuecheng was an easy target, and followed her at a leisurely pace.

Unsuspecting, it was met with a broom striking its head.

Yang Xuanhe, still vigorous in her old age, continuously swatted the large rat with the broom, saying: "Xiao Su, hurry back inside, quick."

Su Yuecheng was genuinely terrified this time, running back into the house with tears in her eyes.

Yang Xuanhe's fighting prowess was undeniable; she beat the rat until it squealed.

The large gray rat scurried away in disarray.

Yang Xuanhe tossed the broom outside and came back in, saying: "That rat has grown so fat on its own, it knows how to pick its targets, almost human-like. Don't be scared now; I'll go borrow the big cat from next door later."

Little Jasmine, nestled in her mother's arms, wiped away her tears.

[Don't cry, Chengcheng, a head pat makes it less scary.]

[In the south, you call that a rat?]

[Your rats and ours seem different.]

[Whoa, that gave me goosebumps.]

[No wonder my mom used to warn me about rats eating people when I was little. Your southern giant rats really do eat people.]

[So terrifying.]

[Go, call Chenzi over. Chenzi is a fierce tabby who's a powerhouse fighter; she’ll directly kill that nasty rat.]

[On behalf of Chenzi: thank you.]

[Hey, don't underestimate Chenzi, okay? ⊙ω⊙]

With everyone's comfort, Su Yuecheng gradually calmed down.

She said somewhat shyly: "Sorry, I'm really quite afraid of rats..."

Yang Xuanhe affectionately stroked her hair: "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. When I first came to the south, the big rats and bugs here made me cry several times. Back then, my partner would chase them off whenever possible."

"Let's eat first. After the meal, you two can go rest properly in the upstairs room. Little Jasmine must be scared too."

"I'll go next door and borrow their big cat. Wowow is a pro at catching rats."

Su Yuecheng and Little Jasmine nodded in unison.

Little Jasmine asked, "Grandma, is Wowow a cat?"

Yang Xuanhe nodded: "Yes, Wowow's a big, chubby orange cat. Don't let his size fool you; he's very agile."

They finished lunch peacefully.

Unexpectedly, the big rat, fearless, came back again.

Then again, Yang Xuanhe had said this critter was clever—otherwise, it wouldn't have gotten away from her whacking.

Seeing the nasty rat sneak back in, bold as ever, Yang Xuanhe was furious and immediately got up to borrow the cat.

Su Yuecheng quickly shut the door with Little Jasmine.

The filming crew, including Ani, were still out buying sticky traps and rat poison.

Su Yuecheng held her child, her pretty face sinking.