Mrs. Thompson's Embarrassment

Lily Evans felt a rush of warmth in her chest. Wild boars are ferocious—if it really came to a fight, lives could be at stake. Yet her simple-minded husband was willing to risk everything for her...

Unconsciously, Lily tightly gripped Lucky's hand. Looking at the tall man shielding her, her heart warmed. Without a word, she picked up a thick branch, determined not to let Lucky face danger alone.

Both of them stared unblinkingly at the thicket, slowly backing away.

Suddenly, the thicket shook violently, and something darted out from within.

"Oh my goodness, what bit me!" Mrs. Thompson howled, clutching her backside as she jumped out. Lily saw a huge hedgehog latched onto her.

Seeing Lily and Lucky, Mrs. Thompson rushed over for help, crying, "Lily, come quick! What on earth bit my butt?!"

Mrs. Thompson was covered in scratches from the thicket, her clothes torn and bloodied.

Lily didn’t stand on ceremony. She raised her stick and whacked Mrs. Thompson square on the backside, saying, "Auntie, hold still! I'll get that beast off you!"

Mrs. Thompson yelped in pain, but not knowing what was happening to her rear, she really didn’t dare move.

Lily struck Mrs. Thompson’s backside with the stick, making her leap and howl in pain.

But the big hedgehog seemed frightened and bit down even harder. Tears streamed down Mrs. Thompson’s face as she cried, "Lily, the beast still won’t let go! Hurry up and get it off me!"

"Auntie, if you keep moving, I’ll miss! Lie down!" Lily said, struggling to hold back her laughter as she gripped the stick and stared at Mrs. Thompson.

Mrs. Thompson had no choice but to lie face down on a big rock, wailing, "Lily, go easy! I’m too old for this! Ouch! Ow! Be gentle!"

After a flurry of swings, Lily finally knocked the hedgehog off.

Mrs. Thompson’s face turned pale. She gasped for breath, clutching her sore backside, then kicked the unlucky hedgehog away and cursed, "So it was a hedgehog! I thought it was something worse! How dare you bite me, you little beast!"

Lily’s belly ached from holding back laughter. Mrs. Thompson looked a complete mess—her hair wild, her clothes torn to shreds.

Lily glanced at the thicket and spotted her homemade trap on the ground. She realized Mrs. Thompson must’ve come hunting for wild game and couldn’t help but laugh at her. Pheasants and rabbits would never go near that kind of thicket—maybe a wild boar would! Mrs. Thompson really was reckless and fearless.

Feigning ignorance, Lily asked, "Auntie, what brings you up the mountain today?"

A flicker of embarrassment crossed Mrs. Thompson’s face. She thought, I can’t let Lily know I ended up like this trying to catch wild game, or she’ll never let me live it down. So she mumbled, "I came to pick wild vegetables... What about you? What are you doing up here?"

"Oh, we’re picking wild vegetables too," Lily lied, not about to tell Mrs. Thompson she was actually gathering mushrooms.

Mrs. Thompson knew Lily wouldn’t tell her the truth, so she kept quiet. She’d been up all night setting traps, and after all this fuss, she hadn’t caught anything but a hedgehog and ruined her clothes. Furious, she cursed at the hedgehog and stomped down the mountain, muttering about having to get home and cook before her husband started yelling.

Once Mrs. Thompson left, Lily didn’t dare venture deeper into the mountain for fear of running into real wild beasts. She stayed nearby to gather mushrooms, with Lucky happily trotting behind her, basket on his back.

The two of them picked mushrooms all the way, unaware that someone was secretly following them, eyes glued greedily to the mushrooms in Lily’s hands.