Chapter 332: Thank Goodness You Know Them
Chapter 332: Chapter 332: Thank Goodness You Know Them
The cry for help sounded rather familiar to Su Qing.
But what surprised Su Qing even more was that someone had actually ventured into this deep, remote forest and onto the territory of Da Hei, Er Hei, and San Hei. This location was, after all, in the deepest part of the mountains—the kind of place with no paths at all.
Since A Jin had insisted on following her, Su Qing ended up letting the tiger serve as her mount. Hearing the cry, she didn’t have time to think. She just pointed in the direction of the sound and quickly said to A Jin, "A Jin, that way."
"ROAR!" A Jin responded, dashing in the direction Su Qing had pointed.
The person who had cried for help was none other than Meng Yanjing, one of the students Su Qing had met during her last trip to Da Hu Mountain. This time, Meng Yanjing, Qiao Mulin, and Mr. Chen had entered the mountains with two geologists for a survey. Since the task required them to go deep into Da Hu Mountain, they were also accompanied by two soldiers for their safety.
The group of seven had been in the mountains for half a month, and things had gone relatively smoothly without any major dangers. They had planned to collect a few more samples today before heading out, but who would have known they’d run into the Black Bear Brothers, who were just casually strolling around their own turf.
The chance encounter shocked both sides, and Meng Yanjing was so terrified she screamed for help.
That one cry of "Help!" immediately made the others’ faces fall. They knew that wild animals like black bears rarely attacked humans unprovoked unless they were hungry. However, if a sudden noise or movement startled them, that was a different story.
Instantly, everyone stared nervously at the three black bears, bracing for the worst while trying to figure out how to escape unharmed. Knowing she’d messed up, Meng Yanjing clamped her hands over her mouth. Though she was trembling with fear, she didn’t make another sound.
As for Da Hei and his brothers, they had just eaten their fill and were taking a stroll on their territory when they stumbled upon people. This was only the second time they had ever encountered humans; the first was Su Qing.
Thanks to their prior experience with Su Qing, the three big guys’ perception of humans was set at her level—they assumed all humans were formidable. At the same time, because of their fondness for Su Qing, they naturally held no malice toward people. Even Meng Yanjing’s scream hadn’t provoked them. They simply watched the group with curiosity and caution, as if looking at some strange new spectacle.
And so, both sides stared at each other. To the arriving Su Qing, it looked like they were in a tense standoff, a fight ready to break out at any second.
Su Qing spotted Meng Yanjing and the other two at a glance, and it finally clicked why the voice had been so familiar. The cry for help had clearly come from Meng Yanjing.
Just as Su Qing was about to call out to Da Hei and his brothers, the three big fellows spotted her. They immediately abandoned Meng Yanjing’s group and rushed toward Su Qing, roaring with excitement.
"Be careful!" Meng Yanjing had clearly recognized Su Qing as well. She was first stunned to see Su Qing arrive on a tiger, but when she saw the three black bears charging toward her, she was so frightened she forgot everything else and yelled, "Get... get out of the way!"
Su Qing just smiled and waved at Meng Yanjing before hopping off A Jin’s back and catching Da Hei, the first to reach her, in a big hug.
Da Hei hugged Su Qing, looking absolutely ecstatic. Its little tail wagged back and forth, and it even tried to lick her face.
Su Qing grabbed Da Hei’s snout. "Stop right there. One lick from you and my face is ruined."
Er Hei and San Hei weren’t as fast as Da Hei and missed their chance for a hug. Instead, they circled Su Qing, their tails wagging nonstop as they hopped with excitement.
A Jin, however, was getting a little disgruntled. Feeling that these three dark hulks were trying to steal his thunder, he strode forward and swatted San Hei on the head.
San Hei, naturally unhappy about being randomly smacked by A Jin, pounced at the tiger. But because of Su Qing, they were already familiar with each other and no longer hostile. So, while they started wrestling, it wasn’t a fight to the death—more like a friendly spar.
"That’s enough, you two! Keep fighting and there’ll be no food for you," Su Qing called out, peeling Da Hei off her shoulder as she watched San Hei and A Jin wrestling in a heap.
The four big animals were extremely sensitive to the word "food." The moment they heard Su Qing, San Hei and A Jin immediately ceased hostilities. They trotted shamelessly to Su Qing’s side, whining softly like they were trying to act cute. Su Qing couldn’t help but laugh, patting each of the big guys on their huge foreheads before turning to the dumbfounded group of onlookers.
"Are you all okay?" Su Qing asked.
"Ah, we’re fine, we’re fine." It was Qiao Mulin who answered. He nodded quickly, glanced at A Jin and the Black Bear Brothers, and swallowed hard. "You... you’re really familiar with them, huh?"
Qiao Mulin had clearly voiced the question on everyone’s mind. The two soldiers, in particular, were staring with wide, shining eyes. They had never seen wild animals act so familiar with a person—like old friends reuniting after a long time apart. It was simply incredible.
"Mm, we sort of fought our way into friendship the last time I was in the mountains, so I guess you could say we’re familiar," Su Qing replied with a smile.
Hearing this, the group’s eyes went wide. ’How could this be considered just "familiar"? This is incredibly familiar!’ The way the big animals were acting, they seemed just short of being able to talk.
"That’s great, Su Qing! Thank goodness you know them!" Meng Yanjing said, patting her chest in relief. "A moment ago, I really thought we were done for."
It had scared her to death. It was her first time facing a black bear, let alone three at once. Thinking about all the stories she’d heard about the mountains, her legs had gone weak, and she still hadn’t fully recovered.
"Don’t be afraid. They’re very well-behaved," Su Qing said with a smile, reaching up to stroke Da Hei’s head. The big bear obediently lowered its head toward her, making it easier for her to reach.
"They really are well-behaved around you," Meng Yanjing remarked with emotion. Seeing Su Qing, a lone girl standing amidst three bears and a tiger, gave off an inexplicably harmonious feeling.
Mr. Chen also let out a huge sigh of relief. He could see that with Su Qing around, these huge wild beasts were as tame as kittens and puppies. He couldn’t help but say with feeling, "Su Qing, thank you so much."
Mr. Chen didn’t dare imagine what might have happened if Su Qing hadn’t shown up. In any case, he knew his old bones wouldn’t have been able to outrun those three black bears.
It was now noon, and Meng Yanjing’s group hadn’t eaten lunch yet. Since Su Qing had just saved them, and because the men in the group were fascinated by the four large animals, they invited her to join them for a meal.
Su Qing glanced at the sky and accepted with a smile. "Alright. I’ll take these four to hunt some game, and we’ll have a proper feast for lunch."