His Little Deer Wife is Very Fierce

Chapter 1: Escape 

Lu Rong was sleeping soundly when he was picked up from his bed. Wang Tu dressed him while Lu Rong kept his eyes dazedly closed, lifting his hands when he was told to do so. Wang Tu wasn’t as gentle as usual and pulled the sweater down roughly over his head, so Lu Rong grunted twice in displeasure as his ears hurt. After the sweater was put on, he fell back to sleep on Wang Tu’s shoulder, feeling him fiddle with his arm, the rustling of his down jacket sounding in his ears.

After zipping the jacket up, Lu Rong sat on the edge of the bed with his head hanging down and eyes closed, waiting for Wang Tu to wring a towel to wipe his face. But Wang Tu put a woolen hat and scarf on him, carried him out of the bedroom and went down from the second floor.

With the door open, the whistling wind rolled in with snowflakes, Lu Rong winced, his daze instantly disappearing as he opened his eyes. The area directly in front of the yard was illuminated with a ghastly white light, while the rest of the house was hidden in darkness.

Wang Tu put him next to the driveway of the carved gate and instructed in a low voice, “Just stand here and wait for me to drive over.”

Lu Rong stood motionless, watching his white breath under the streetlight, a little sleepy and a little excited. He had never been sent to kindergarten by Wang Tu at the crack of dawn, and today he would definitely be the first child to arrive.

First to arrive!

The family’s black car pulled up in front of him, the door opened, and Lu Rong climbed into the passenger seat. After sitting down, the car rushed out, and he leaned back and struggled to pull over the seat belt and put it on himself.

“Brother Tu, I get to go in earlier than all the other kids today!” Lu Rong’s two legs were hanging in the air and swung back and forth. His gloved hands were tapping against the seat, his tone full of complacency.

Wang Tu didn’t respond as he had done before, but drove on in silence, out of the villa gate and onto the street. It was still dark, there were no pedestrians or vehicles on the road, and the area illuminated by streetlights was full of snow.

Lu Rong turned his head and breathed on the glass window, then took his hand out of the glove and drew on it. Finger and watery glass rubbed together, occasionally making a strange sound.

The black car was moving fast, Wang Tu’s sunken face was constantly looking in the rearview mirror. Lu Rong had been drawing on the glass, and didn’t notice that the rear had been enveloped by darkness.

The darkness was different from that of the late night, without the light of street lamps or the vague outline of houses. It was thick to the point of being a substance, without a trace of light, and like a huge curtain spreading forward, it was chasing after the car, and everywhere it passed it swallowed up everything in it, along with the stars in the sky.

Wang Tu stepped on the gas, the wheels caused the snow to fly up. Ahead, on the road, was a pothole, but he neither slowed down nor avoided it, directly driving into it.

The car lurched violently, and Lu Rong popped out of his seat and stayed in his seat due to his seat belt. He exclaimed, somewhat cheerfully and exaggeratedly, “Ouch, my butt, oh!”

In the past, Wang Tu always laughed when he made such a tone of voice and expression. But now he didn’t say anything, just looked ahead with a sullen face.

Lu Rong, who didn’t get a response, couldn’t help but look at him and saw two red marks on his face in the light of the street lamp, and after carefully observing them, asked, “Brother Tu, what is that on your face?”

Wang Tu didn’t answer, only began to cough. He coughed so hard that it was like he couldn’t breathe, and Lu Rong’s gaze then took on a worried look.

“Are you sick?” He asked.

It was a while before Wang Tu said in a hoarse voice, “Rong Rong, have you remembered all the words Uncle Bai taught you?”

Lu Rong was stunned for a moment and said back, “Yes.”

“Then tell me.”

“Don’t let anyone find out that I can turn into a deer, and don’t tell anyone about it.” He finished and then added proudly, “I didn’t turn into a deer! Even when they were talking about the deer in the zoo and saying all the wrong things, I didn’t turn into a deer for them to see.”

The words just fell, when the sound of a few small laughs came, like a child covering their mouth to cover the laugh, the sound mixed with the wind and snow that drifted into the car. Lu Rong quickly turned around, but the back of the seat blocked his view, so he could only press his face against the car window and struggled to turn his eyes backwards.

The back of the car was quite far, like a dark place, nothing could be seen, but he felt something was wrong, but couldn’t see.

Lu Rong blinked blankly, lost interest in the sound of laughter, and turned his head to look ahead again.

Between heaven and earth, in the wind and snow, there was an invisible barrier moving fast, isolating everything along the way behind the darkness. A few more voices rang out from the black barrier.

It was a child’s unintentional laughter, and a man’s sly, low murmur, interspersed with a woman’s mournful wailing, like a night lord hissing, a female ghost complaining.

Lu Rong slowly sat up straight.

He was a little scared and wanted Wang Tu to hug him, but knew he was driving, so he moved over there and reached out to grab the corner of Wang Tu’s coat.

The car continued to rush forward. The ordinary family car on the empty road went 180 yards, the engine sound and wind noise mixed, the windows rattled.

Lu Rong didn’t dare to look back, but asked nervously, “Brother Tu, what are those people doing back there? Why are they doing that?”

“It’s okay, Rong Rong, Brother Tu is here.” Wang Tu didn’t explain, but only reassured him.

Wang Tu looked at the rearview mirror again and suddenly slammed on the brakes. The family car braked sharply and skidded forward on the snow for several meters, emitting an ear-piercing sound of tire scraping.

Lu Rong was tightly strangled by the seat belt, but also scared enough to cause his heart to beat erratically.

“Sit still for now.” Wang Tu hurriedly spoke and then moved to get out.

Lu Rong didn’t want to be alone, so he crawled to the driver’s seat on his hands and knees and said in a panic, “I want to be with you!”

“Don’t move, I’ll be right back.” Wang Tu turned around and ordered.

Wang Tu had never been so stern with him before, and Lu Rong was so stunned that he just sat back down with a deflated mouth. He didn’t dare to turn his head to look behind the car.

The darkness, the strange noises, and Wang Tu’s severity, made him think that there must be something scary behind him, such as the kind of monsters on TV. His eyes only followed Wang Tu closely, watching him run around the front of the car, pulling a long-necked white bottle from his pocket, uncapping it and then bowing back quickly, pouring the liquid inside onto the street.

The snow surface emitted an erosion sound and a thin red line appeared across the street, then disappeared into the white in an instant.

Wang Tu ran back to the car after all this, and had just pulled open the passenger door when a small, soft body came crashing down on him.

Lu Rong tightly wrapped his neck, eyes closed, urging, “Get in the car, get in the car! Let’s go to kindergarten! The teacher is powerful, and isn’t afraid of anything!”

“No, we’re not going to kindergarten today, we’re leaving here right now.” Wang Tu hugged him, turned around and ran to the right.

“Gloves, my gloves!” Lu Rong hurriedly reminded him. He had just taken his gloves to draw on the car window and hadn’t had a chance to put them on again.

Wang Tu retreated to the side of the car again, picked up the woolen gloves left on the seat and handed them to him, then hurriedly ran towards a dark alley down the street.

From the warmth of the car to the outside, Lu Rong’s body shivered from the cold air. He buried his face in the side of Wang Tu’s neck, and slowly opened his eyes a slit to look behind him.

The strange sounds suddenly disappeared in unison, and the surroundings were instantly quiet. Lu Rong looked in that direction, although he couldn’t see anything, he instinctively felt like being watched by something, and his body was cold and uncomfortable.

He quickly retreated into Wang Tu’s arms, only to hear his rapid panting and the crunch of his feet on the snow. Wang Tu was running fast, Lu Rong was bumped very hard, but held back from making a sound.

They were in a cramped and curved alleyway, with low and dilapidated houses on both sides, and occasional alleyways branching out, like leaf veins reaching in every direction.

Wang Tu carried Lu Rong through these alleyways and soon came to a small, dark courtyard, rapping vigorously on the iron door, “Brother! Brother!”

The lights inside the house blinked on, and after ten seconds or so, the iron door was opened.

Lu Rong, who was lying in Wang Tu’s arms, dropped his head and saw a middle-aged man draped in a black down coat standing at the door.

Huh? He gave a small gasp in his heart.

The middle-aged man he knew was Uncle Chen who cleaned the villa area, often sweeping leaves with a broom and pushing a cart. When he saw Lu Rong playing in the yard, he would call out to him and hand him a candy.

Wang Tu didn’t allow him to eat anything from anyone except for what Uncle Chen gave him.

Lu Rong’s chin was wrapped in a scarf, and his head was covered with a yellow woolen hat adorned with a pom-pom, revealing only a pair of dark eyes and the tip of his nose.

A flake of snow fell and hung on his eyelashes, and he blinked.

Uncle Chen looked at him, but he aimed his question at Wang Tu, “They’re coming?”

His tone was serious.

Wang Tu replied, “We escaped from the villa, using soul gargling water to temporarily block it.”

Uncle Chen added, “The two of us are enough. We just can’t take him with us, put him in here first.”

Wang Tu smiled and carried Lu Rong to the courtyard, Uncle Chen blocked the door and said, “Don’t enter this house, it’s not safe.”

Wang Tu looked around and saw two large blue garbage cans not far from the door, so he carried Lu Rong over and put him into the half-empty one.

Lu Rong was shocked, his upper body was exposed outside the bin and he grabbed Wang Tu’s sleeve in panic, “I’m not garbage, I’m a child.”

Wang Tu removed his hand and said in a warm voice, “Lu Rong, Uncle Chen and I have to go do something, you stay here and don’t go out. We will come to pick you up after we finish.”

“No, I’m going too, I’m not trash!” Lu Rong was on his hands and knees trying to crawl out of the trash can.

“Do as you’re told!” Wang Tu said sternly. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, his forehead was bulging with veins, and his expression was fierce.

Lu Rong didn’t dare to move for a while, but his eyes quickly filled with tears. He held back his sobs and asked accusingly, “Just for a moment?”

“Yes.” Wang Tu said.

“Then can I sit outside the garbage can and wait?”

“No.” Wang Tu refused coldly.

Lu Rong’s voice had taken on a sobbing tone, “Then come and get me, don’t let the garbage truck load me up.”

“It will be quick.”

“And ask the teacher for leave.” He choked and added, “Don’t say I’m in the garbage.”

“Okay.” Wang Tu said, “You must also remember to hide well and not make any noise. Except for when me or Uncle Chen comes to pick you up, no matter what happens outside, you can’t come out.”

Lu Rong nodded, and the pom-pom on the top of his woolen hat shook along with him.

“Then sit down.” Wang Tu said.

Lu Rong carefully sat down, and felt something soft and squishy under his buttocks, so he reached out to feel it. It was a bulging plastic bag.

Wang Tu slowly placed the lid of the trash can, covered it halfway and saw the child inside looking up at him, eyes full of fear and flashing with tears, but he pursed his lips and didn’t make a sound.

His heart was soft, as he softly said, “Don’t be afraid, Uncle Chen and I will come to pick you up in the morning. Don’t panic if we come late, but remember, don’t go home.”

Uncle Chen closed the courtyard door and put on the down jacket draped over his body, zipping it up as he said, “We will be back before tomorrow morning, it will be done in a while.” 

Lu Rong softened his voice and begged, “You have to hurry up though, before I get loaded up in the garbage truck.” 

Wang Tu was about to say something else when he heard a loud bang in the distance, like something exploded. He and Uncle Chen looked in that direction in unison and saw the stagnant black curtain begin to spread forward.

He no longer hesitated, closed the lid of the trash can with a bang, then he and Uncle Chen ran in the direction of the black curtain. Their movements were unusually swift, and they instantly disappeared at the entrance of the alley.

Lu Rong listened to the footsteps disappear, sitting in the dark garbage can, all tense, looking at the gap above the lid of the can.

Uncle Chen left the lights on, and there was an orange light spilling out from the top of the courtyard wall, allowing him to see the opposite alley wall through the gap.

Lu Rong didn’t know the words on it, but there was a series of numbers underneath, so he read them silently in his mind.

“130…”

In the distance, the shrill laughter and harsh cries rang out again, and a plastic bag by the garbage can also rattled in the wind. It was like a monster was hiding in the darkness, peering at this trash can from somewhere, causing his heart to tighten with fear and his whole body to shake uncontrollably.

Although this smelly garbage can, blocking out those things that scare people, became his only shelter, it was cold to the bone, and it didn’t take long for his hands and feet to freeze.

Lu Rong tried to adjust his posture and moved slightly, and the garbage bag rustled beneath him. He remembered Wang Tu’s words about not making any noise, so he remained sitting upright, his ears catching the movement outside, trying to hear the familiar sound of footsteps. He wanted to be lying in his soft bed with the covers over his chin, with only his ears exposed to the sound of the TV coming from the next room.

The sound would give him peace of mind, knowing that Wang Tu was not far away.

Lu Rong thought dully, sniffling and lifting his sleeve to wipe the cold tears from his face.

He continued to count, reciting the numbers over and over again, recognizing them from beginning to end, and then from end to end.

As his vision blurred, he stared at the only light and a whimper left his mouth.

He didn’t know how long it had been, but Wang Tu was late. He finally couldn’t resist anymore and moved backwards and forwards for a while before falling into a deep sleep against the wall of the can.

… 

Lu Rong woke up when it was already dawn.

His trash can was covered, and the trash was thrown into the next one with a thud.

Wang Tu hadn’t come to pick him up yet, and all he heard was someone talking next to him.

“…I slept so much last night that the big pot of soup simmering in the kitchen boiled dry. The pot almost burned through, and none of this morning’s guests had any soup.”

“I slept too much, I had to get up at five to make the noodles, and I didn’t wake up until six…”

Lu Rong sat up straight and looked out with his eyes pressed to the crack, seeing the iron door across the street was already open, with two aunts, one fat and one thin, leaning against it and chatting.

Wang Tu said he would come to pick him up at dawn, and maybe he couldn’t wait, but it was already dawn and he hadn’t come.

The trash can was as full as a mountain, so they threw it on the ground next to it.

No one tried to reach out and lift the lid of the can next to it, and no one found a child curled up in a ball inside.

Lu Rong thought that Wang Tu was just caught up in his business and would come to pick him up when he was done. When the time comes, he must accuse him loudly and never get along with him again.

——At least not for a day.

The waiting time only became longer.

But as the light from that gap slowly dimmed, like it was getting dark, he thought again how time had passed so quickly. He buried his head in his lap and made up his mind not to accuse Wang Tu as long as he came now, but to continue to be friendly with him.

Whenever a cart passed by, Lu Rong felt a heart-wrenching tension.

The garbage cans in those alleys were used to carry away the garbage with a cart.

When the time came, he would also be dumped into the cart and pulled away, like a ball of garbage, to an unknown place to be dumped, but certainly a place Wang Tu couldn’t find.

Lu Rong looked down at his gloves and let his fingers move around in them. He had been hungry all day, his stomach had been growling, and his nose was so sensitive that he was surprised to find the smell of noodles in the garbage can that still smelled good.

He was hesitant to go through when the trash can suddenly banged, spilling in a light overhead, and the blurred sounds of the outside world became instantly clear.

He quickly tilted his head, and he and a fat aunt stared at each other.

The fat aunt was holding the trash can lid in one hand and holding a bun in the other. Seeing Lu Rong, she stopped chewing and showed a shocked expression.

“Whose kid are you?! Why are you sitting in the trash can?!” She asked loudly.

Lu Rong looked at her nervously and didn’t make a sound.

The fat aunt stuffed the rest of the bun into her mouth and reached both hands under Lu Rong’s armpits to lift him out.

“I’m not going out! Don’t take me out, I want to wait for someone!” Lu Rong shouted in panic as he grabbed her arm with both feet in the air.

The fat aunt ignored his resistance and put the kicking child on the ground.

“What’s going on?” another person asked.

The fat aunt replied, “When I opened the trash can lid, I saw this child inside.”

Another person looked at Lu Rong from head to toe, saw his thick dark blue down jacket and leather snow boots, with a full set of woolen hat, scarf and gloves, and said, “Very well dressed, must be a child from a rich family.”

The fat aunt asked, “Kid, why are you sitting in the garbage? Where are your mom and dad? Where do they live? What is their phone number – hey, hey, where are you going?!”

Lu Rong ran towards the entrance of the alley without looking back.