Mom Is a Monster

Xiaofu is a eucalyptus tree, a narrow-leaved eucalyptus growing in the forest.

Everyone calls eucalyptus trees shameless because they can start wildfires by igniting themselves, burning away other species, then be reborn in the flames when the heat bursts open their seed pods.

Xiaofu grows quietly and honestly for a thousand years, until at last she meets a kind-hearted god: the System.

The System grants her the power to take human form, but only for three years.

The System also brings her a little tiger who is in the same "internship period" of taking human form. It tells her that if she can help the little tiger collect one hundred points of affection in the human world, she will be able to take human form permanently.

Xiaofu looks at the tiny tiger cub. This should be easy!

*

The first thing Xiaofu does after arriving in the human world is dump the cub at an orphanage.

A month later, the police show up at her door with the director.

The director points at her and scolds her for being a heartless mother, abandoning a perfectly good child just like that. Then she promptly hands the cub back to Xiaofu.

Xiaofu sees that the affection score above the cub's head has turned negative and asks what she did at the orphanage.

The cub says, "Those kids were so noisy, so I beat them all up."

The cub was born with divine strength. Whoever comes along is bound to get a couple of smacks.

Xiaofu: ...This is a real disaster.

*

Xiaofu doesn't give up. She thinks: If children won't work, then she'll find adults. The cub is so cute, surely she can win the adults' affection.

She signs up on a matchmaking site. Thanks to her stunning looks, plenty of men agree to go on dates with her.

The men take one look at her and think: What a beauty. Then they notice the kid tagging along and think: Why does she come with baggage?

The baggage is baring her teeth and glaring at them from the side.

Xiaofu goes on dates with a whole bunch of men, and the cub scares every last one of them away.

*

Xiaofu: If neither adults nor kids will work, how about animals?

Xiaofu gets a job at a zoo. She doesn't know if the cub is happy, but she certainly is. Every day, the koalas cling to her, sniffing her hair and licking her fingers.

The koalas: Wow! She smells like eucalyptus!

The cub: You rotten eggs! Don't you have a mom? That's my mom!

Xiaofu works at the zoo for three months, and the affection score above the cub's head keeps dropping. Animals big and small tremble at the sight of her.

The animals: Who would dare love her? We'd better run!

Xiaofu weeps in the middle of the night: If I keep doing this, the affection score will be docked by a hundred points...

*

By the time Luoluo is five, she understands that she is different from the other children: she has no dad, and her mom is a monster!

A big patch of Mom's hair is green. In summer, little white flowers bloom on her head. She gets angry easily and loses her temper. She really catches fire, the kind that scorches her hair!

But she sings to Luoluo, holds her in her arms and strokes her fur, sews clothes for her, and cooks delicious meat!

Luoluo has a secret: she can see the number above her own head.

She knows that when the number turns into one piece of pork belly and two handmade beef balls, Mom will leave her.

She loves her mom so much. She doesn't want to be separated from her.

Theme: Embrace love and freedom.