"Ethan, this tiger won't hurt anyone, will it?" Natalie asked, voicing the nervous concern of the entire village.
"Don't worry. Any animal I bring back won't hurt anyone," Ethan reassured them. "It's just like Blackie. It can understand human speech perfectly." Ethan then gestured to the tiger and the rest of the animals. "Come here."
Seeing this bizarre parade of beasts obediently walk over, the more timid villagers quickly scrambled backward. Even the braver ones instinctively gripped their pitchforks tighter, watching with bated breath.
"Haha, don't be nervous. Hasn't Secretary Suzie been talking about turning our village into an international resort? And as Director Natalie pointed out, our village doesn't have any special features. Why would tourists want to come here?"
Ethan patted the tiger's massive head. "So, I decided to train these wild beasts to be as docile as house pets. They will live alongside our villagers. Having wild animals that are friendly to humans—where tourists can have zero-distance contact with them—now that is a special feature!"
Hearing Ethan's explanation, Suzie's heart swelled with warmth. He had done all this for the village's future. Suddenly filled with courage, she strode right up to the massive tiger.
Seeing her approach, the tiger gently rubbed its huge head against her leg. It even stuck out its tongue and licked her hand like a giant, overgrown kitten. That immediately put Suzie completely at ease, and she giggled, petting the beast.
"Daddy, Daddy! I want to play with the big cat too!" Missy cried out, not wanting to be left out.
Ethan smiled and lifted her onto the tiger's broad back. The little girl was overjoyed, hugging the tiger's thick neck and giggling non-stop.
Seeing that the tiger really didn't bite, the rest of the villagers swarmed over. They bravely pinched the tiger's ears and stroked its fur. However, everyone completely ignored the two massive wild boars. The boars snorted, feeling wronged. Hey, we can be cute too, you know!
After letting the villagers play for a while, Suzie slipped back into her authoritative role. "Alright, alright, it's getting late! Let's stop playing around. You'll have plenty of time to see them in the future. Let's head back. We all have farming to do tomorrow!"
The villagers happily agreed and began the trek back, forming a crowd around the strange animal parade.
"Uncle Ethan," one teenage villager asked curiously, "I get catching the tiger, the boars, and the wolf cub in the mountains. But these horses aren't wild, are they? They look like military warhorses."
"Heh, the three military officers didn't think I knew how to shoot," Ethan grinned. "They challenged me to a marksmanship bet and lost. So, I won three horses! Natalie, Suzie, and I will each take one. From now on, you two won't have to walk to work. You can just ride! Won't that be fun?"
"Wow, really? That's amazing!" Suzie clapped her hands happily, but then frowned. "But they're so tall. What if it gets spooked and kicks me? That wouldn't be fun at all."
Ethan smiled confidently. "Impossible. Any disobedient animal that falls into my hands becomes honest and obedient within minutes. If I can tame tigers and wild boars, horses are a piece of cake. Come on, pick which one you like. I'll have it carry you right now."
Holding Whiskers in her arms, Suzie pointed at the striking red horse. "I like this one."
"Good choice." Ethan stopped, patted the red horse's head, and pointed at Suzie. "Red Cloud, this is Sister Suzie. She is your master now. No matter the situation, you must ensure her safety and listen to her commands. Do you understand?"
"Neigh!" Red Cloud tossed his mane, walked over to Suzie, and affectionately rubbed his large head against her shoulder. Then, to everyone's amazement, the horse folded its legs and laid down on the ground, looking up at Suzie with a soft whinny.
"My god, Ethan! Is he telling me to get on?" Suzie asked excitedly.
"Yep. He knows you wouldn't be able to climb up easily, so he's lying down to make it easier for you."
"Wow, he's so smart! I love you already!" Suzie planted a big kiss on Red Cloud's face, not even caring about the stray horse hairs stuck to her lips, and excitedly climbed into the saddle.
"Neigh!" Red Cloud waited for her to secure her grip before slowly and steadily standing up.
"Wow, that horse is incredible!" the villagers gasped in awe.
"Natalie, you pick one too," Ethan smiled, noticing the envy on her face.
"Um, then... I'll take the big white horse," Natalie said, her face flushing slightly.
"Alright. Snow White, this is Sister Natalie..." Ethan instructed the white horse exactly as he had done with Red Cloud. Just like before, Snow White obediently knelt down to let Natalie mount.
Seeing that Ethan treated their daughter equally and gave her a gift just as magnificent as Suzie's, Natalie's parents, Donald and Martha, exchanged a look and smiled happily.
"Ethan, did the army give them these names? They're beautiful. Red Cloud and Snow White. Oh, 'Snow' is even part of my name!" Natalie said happily from her saddle. "By the way, what did you name your gray horse?"
"They didn't have names in the army. I named them on the way back," Ethan replied. "My gray horse is named Mist."
"Snow White, Red Cloud, and Mist... Those are much better names than 'Black Charcoal'," Suzie teased with a smile.
"Woof..." Blackie let out a low grumble. It was hard to tell if he was agreeing with Suzie or objecting to her insult.
"Alright everyone, hold up a second," Ethan called out. He couldn't let the villagers worry about him all night for nothing. "I have some cigarettes and candy here. Let's pass them around."
Every woman and child received a handful of premium candy, and every man received a pack of expensive Chunghwa cigarettes. The villagers beamed, thanking him repeatedly.
"Mom, Uncle Ethan is so amazing! Even the army can't beat him! When I grow up, I want to be just like him!" a teenage boy said enviously, popping a piece of candy into his mouth.
"Of course! Do you know who your Uncle Ethan is?" the mother boasted loudly. "Let me tell you a secret. The night his mother gave birth to him, she had a dream that a blazing star from the heavens flew right into her belly! She woke up startled, and then he was born. Think about it! Your Uncle Ethan is a star reincarnated from the heavens! How could he be anything but extraordinary?"
Ethan listened to this, a drop of cold sweat rolling down his temple. What the hell? Since when did I have such a legendary origin story?
Suzie and Natalie covered their mouths, trying to hold back their laughter.
When they finally arrived at the village entrance, the villagers happily bid Ethan goodnight and headed to their respective homes. Missy was extremely reluctant to get off the tiger. Ethan had to coax her for several minutes, promising she could play with the tiger all by herself the next day, before she finally let go of the beast's neck.
Ethan lifted the little girl from the tiger and handed her up to Natalie, who was still sitting on Snow White. Natalie hugged Missy tightly, gave Ethan a happy wave, and rode off toward her house with her parents following closely behind.