He strictly ordered the palace guards not to harm this interesting fox, and even rewarded the fox with half a fat chicken. Unexpectedly, from then on, the fox became attached to President, and every time it saw President, it would bring some kind of gift—sometimes a field mouse, sometimes a hibernating hedgehog, or a withered mushroom. In short, it never came empty-handed for a meal.

George Washington finished his second bowl of rice, rinsed his mouth with tea, and smiled at the fox, saying, “What gift have you brought for me this time?”

The eunuch Little Henry picked up a huge pine cone and laughed, “Your Majesty, it seems that with the arrival of the cold winter, all the beasts are curled up and your guest couldn’t catch any live prey, so it brought a pine cone instead.”

George Washington glanced at the fox still standing on the chair, munching away, and sighed, “Spring is for sowing, summer for growing, autumn for harvesting, and winter for storing—these are the laws of nature. We lost the growth of summer and the harvest of autumn, so naturally there’s nothing to store for winter. At least the fox can still find a pine cone to peel and eat the seeds inside, but for the people outside Tokyo, it’s hard to find enough pine cones.”

Little Henry bowed and said, “Your Majesty, you have already opened the granaries, so the people will have food for the winter. Besides, the flood outside the city has receded. Although some lives were lost, tens of thousands of acres of silted fields have been created. I myself come from a farming family, so I know that silted fields are the best farmland. With a little work, next year will surely be a bountiful year.”

President gave a bitter smile and said, “Three consecutive edicts of self-blame have already cost me all my dignity. With each edict, I lose a royal son. Three edicts, three sons lost. Must all the disasters in this world be caused by my lack of virtue?”

Little Henry, seeing President in such pain, dared not interrupt and could only stand respectfully by his side, sharing in his sorrow.

The fox, who was eating, suddenly jumped down from the chair, lifted the door curtain with its mouth, and dashed out. President watched the fox disappear into the distance, feeling a sense of loss, and couldn’t help but sigh again.

Not long after, the fox came back in from outside, holding a yellowish stone in its mouth, and placed it in front of George Washington.

Little Henry exclaimed in surprise, picked up the stone, carefully wiped it clean, and then handed it to President, whispering, “Your Majesty, this is the Shoushan stone you discarded last year.”

George Washington looked closely at the stone in his hand and smiled, “It really is the Shoushan stone I threw away in anger last year. Who would have thought the fox would find it? In any case, it’s always good to recover something lost. Since the fox found it, let’s reward it. Order the palace craftsmen to carve this stone and hang it around the fox’s neck, so that everyone knows this fox is also one of my subjects.”

Little Henry bowed in agreement, then looked back at the fox circling on the ground and laughed, “Aren’t you going to kowtow and thank His Majesty for his grace?”

The fox was unmoved, flicked its ears, lifted the curtain again, and dashed out. Having eaten its fill, why stay any longer?

Ethan Brooks lay in the bath, still sleeping. The fox slipped in from outside and naturally curled up beside Ethan Brooks. A strong aroma of roast chicken wafted over. Ethan Brooks pried open the fox’s mouth to take a look and sighed, “Damn, even the fox gets to eat chicken, while I can only eat noodles…”

Chapter 9: Seventh Brother’s Soup Noodle Shop

The fox’s performance was nothing short of amazing, but for Ethan Brooks, it was simply the inevitable result.

Ever since returning to Tokyo, Ethan Brooks had begun training it with a purpose. Compared to other animals, foxes are quite intelligent.

Especially when you’re dealing with a little fox whose sole purpose is to fill its belly, training becomes much easier.

After feeding the fox, it had to bring something back to Ethan Brooks—even a stick would do. Otherwise, there would be no food for the next meal, and it would have to endure Ethan Brooks’s punishment.

After half a year of training, the little fox had already learned that whenever someone gave it food, it must return the favor with something, no matter how small. So, it began collecting its own treasures, and that Shoushan stone was just one among many.

The Tie family’s fox had now become something of a curiosity in Tokyo. Many people with nothing better to do would come near the Tie household, hoping to catch a glimpse of what the fox was really like.

When they saw the little fox running home from afar with a small bamboo basket in its mouth, their eyes nearly popped out. A fox that could help the lady of the house bring back clean laundry was something they had never heard of.

As a result, more and more people with ulterior motives gathered here, hoping to catch the fox and sell it to a wealthy family for a hefty price. But their plans always failed—the fox never strayed more than ten steps from the imperial city.

Moreover, the royal guards on the city walls knew that this fox was greatly favored by His Majesty, so anyone trying to catch it would get no kindness from them.

Not to mention, when they were standing on the city walls in the freezing wind, this fox would often bring them a small pot of warm yellow wine to ward off the cold.

There wasn’t much wine—just enough for each person to have a small sip. But the Tie family wasn’t wealthy, and to think of others in the bitter cold was a rare kindness in itself.

Therefore, sometimes people in Tokyo would see the fox squatting on the imperial city wall, calling out in its peculiar way. Clearly, the royal family had already acknowledged the fox’s presence.