Chapter 86: Such a Large Field Frog

A large toad lay on its back, tongue lolling, basking in the summer sunlight. Every so often, it flicked out its tongue to swallow a passing insect, thoroughly enjoying the flavors of life.

“How wonderful! What a huge field frog!” Fubao exclaimed. Back in Linjia Village, she often went to the brook with Little Wolf and Canghai to catch frogs, but never had she seen one this big!

The toad thought, “Field frog? Who’s that supposed to be?”

The little ginseng muttered silently, “That’s a toad!”

“You wicked toad, up to no good and here to harm people! I’ll teach you a lesson today!” said the little ginseng, still shaken from Gu Yun’s earlier scare, determined to move around and regain its courage.

The toad replied, “Are you sure about that?”

A little while later, Fubao frowned at the sight of the little ginseng dangling midair. Oh dear! How was she to rescue her friend?

The toad extended its long tongue and wrapped Fubao tightly, suspending her over the pond atop a large lotus. The little ginseng’s face dipped repeatedly close to the water’s surface.

The toad mused, “It’s been ages since I played like this. When will the old ancestor finally bring it back to the palace?”

“What should we do now, Flower?” Fubao and the puppy in her arms exchanged helpless looks.

The puppy thought, “I’ve got nothing!”

“Don’t just stand there, call that silly bird! I’ve swallowed half the pond already!” the little ginseng shouted from the other side.

Heartless! Truly heartless!

No, not just heartless—dog-less too!

“But Duckie’s feathers are all gone; it can’t fly over here.”

“Oh, what about the fat rabbit?”

“It’s serving as a eunuch in the palace now!”

The little ginseng was speechless. What nonsense!

“Oh, help!” it cried.

In the end, the toad grew bored and tossed the little ginseng back onto the bank. Fubao drained the water from its belly and dragged it home.

Old Lady Bai was deeply worried about Old Lady Han’s illness. At her age, this could well be a matter of life and death.

What a headache!

While Old Lady Bai had no appetite at supper, Fubao ate heartily, even sneaking away a drumstick. Thus, the little ginseng, having survived “the miseries of the human world,” received Fubao’s consolation—a chicken drumstick.

“Tomorrow, Great-Grandmother said we’d visit the Bai residence again. Apparently, an imperial physician is coming to treat Granny Han!” Fubao recalled what her great-uncle had mentioned at dinner.

The Imperial Consort in the palace was the second daughter of the Han household. Upon hearing of Old Lady Han’s illness, she immediately sent the imperial physician. It was said Granny Han had fallen ill in order to be allowed into the palace to see her own daughter.

“Tomorrow, I’ll make that loathsome toad pay!” the little ginseng muttered fiercely between bites of chicken.

Oh—what a dreadful face the ginseng made when scowling!

The next day, Fubao charmed Old Lady Bai into taking her along to the Han residence.

The imperial physician, a white-bearded old man, carefully took Old Lady Han’s pulse. The sight of her was truly alarming.

While everyone else anxiously awaited the imperial physician’s verdict, Fubao slipped away the moment they arrived and made for the back garden.

There, the toad had found a new spot and was napping peacefully with eyes closed. Suddenly, it sensed a suffocating presence. Startled, it opened its eyes—only to meet a pair of murderous, gleaming eyes!

Wait, the toad thought, this one looks awfully familiar... if only it still had feathers!

It was that great bird! Hadn’t it vanished? Why was it here again?

Yes, it was Duckie!

Duckie cackled, “Caught you at last! You made me search everywhere. Who’d have thought I’d find you here!”

The toad panicked. “I’ve got to run!”

Back in the palace, Duckie often dined in the imperial gardens, but the fish there were all foreign and tiny—hardly enough for a snack.

So Duckie had set its sights on this toad. After days of chasing and hiding, the toad had finally escaped, only to be relocated here by someone else.

After Duckie was sent to the Bai residence, it never saw the tantalizing toad again.

But now, fortune had delivered it right into Duckie’s beak!

With a menacing grin, Duckie declared, “Now I’ll eat you at last!”

The toad cried out, “Help!”