Chapter 115: Fire!
Nan Yuanman hurriedly stood up from the ground, her dirty little chubby hands pinching her nose tip, cautiously approaching the edge of the pit, stretching her head to look inside.
The pit was full of all kinds of garbage, with no trace at all of the Village Ancestral Hall ever existing.
Nan Yuanman’s small face turned bright red from holding her breath, and just as she hesitated whether to go down and check, a hoarse elderly voice came from behind her: “You little doll, how did you end up here all by yourself?”
This sudden voice startled Nan Yuanman badly, and she quickly turned her head to look back, only to see Grandpa Hu, wearing a hat and headscarf that covered him tightly, appearing behind her at some point.
He was holding a black, heavy plastic bag in his hand: “This is where villagers usually dump garbage, it’s very dirty, little child, you should go back quickly!”
With outsiders present, Nan Yuanman had no choice but to give up the idea of climbing into the pit to check the Village Ancestral Hall, let out a muffled grunt, and obediently stepped back with her short legs.
Seeing her move away from the pit edge, Grandpa Hu subtly let out a sigh of relief and threw the black plastic bag in his hand into the pit.
The plastic bag seemed to hit something, making a faint hissing sound.
Nan Yuanman, now far from the big pit, was taking small breaths of fresh air when she suddenly smelled a faint bloody scent in the air.
She paused slightly, lifted her chubby steamed bun face, stretched her neck to look toward the big pit, but Grandpa Hu walked up to her side, blocking her view: “What’s wrong? Don’t know the way?”
“Come on, Grandpa Hu will take you to find your brother.” Grandpa Hu gently pushed Nan Yuanman’s shoulder, signaling her to walk ahead. Nan Yuanman pursed her lips and had no choice but to leave first, planning to come back alone at night to investigate.
No way around it.
Nan Yuanman sighed like a little adult. Her brother was too timid! She had to do it herself!
Just as Nan Yuanman had left on her front foot, on her back foot, rustling sounds rose from the quiet big pit. A skeletal fox claw stretched out from the garbage pile, accurately grabbing toward the black plastic bag that had just been thrown in…
–
“Where’s my kid? Where’s my little sister?!”
Feng Langqing’s hair was uncombed, clothes unchanged, disheveled and panicked as he ran out of the room, grabbing a staff member to ask: “Where did you take Perfection?!”
The staff member quickly raised both hands: “Qing Bro, calm down. Wasn’t Perfection sleeping with you?”
“No!” Feng Langqing felt the sky had fallen; how could the child be gone after one sleep?
Could it be…
That she was grabbed by that weird old man from last night?!
Thinking of that ferocious old man who ate a heart raw last night, Feng Langqing felt utterly unwell and urgently urged the staff: “Perfection is missing! Hurry and help find her!”
The staff member panicked too, quickly notifying the director, starting to go out to search. Jiang Chuyun and Jiang Xinxin next door, as well as Meng Xi and Meng Juanjuan, all heard it.
Jiang Chuyun frowned slightly: “What? Nan Yuanman is missing?”
His face was full of dislike for Nan Yuanman: “Really spoiled by her mom. Kids should stay obediently by adults! Why run around!”
Jiang Xinxin didn’t speak, but her brows and eyes showed a bit of pleasure.
Meng Juanjuan looked worried: “Little aunt, should we help look for her?”
Meng Xi’s eyebrows twitched slightly. This was a good chance to do something to Nan Yuanman. A trace of worry appeared on her face: “Yes, let’s all help look. Hope nothing happens to Perfection.”
The other two groups of guests also joined in the search. Just as they were about to split up to search every corner of the village, dirty Nan Yuanman appeared at the courtyard entrance.
Nan Yuanman was also stunned to see so many people in the yard: “What are you all doing in my home’s yard?”
Su Yilan exclaimed: “Perfection?! Where did you go?! How did you get yourself so dirty?!”
Feng Langqing, who was taking out his mobile phone to call Feng Congqian for reinforcements, shivered and turned his head to see Nan Yuanman standing at the doorway.
“Perfection! My little darling! You nearly scared me to death, you know!” Feng Langqing yelled, dashing toward Nan Yuanman and scooping her into his arms, full of relief at having her back.
“Where did you go? I woke up and didn’t see you. Do you know how scary that was!”
Nan Yuanman suddenly realized her bad habit had flared up again; she forgot to tell the adults when she went out!
The little girl felt full of guilt and quickly apologized: “Sorry, Third Brother. I saw you sleeping so soundly and didn’t wake you. I just went to…”
She leaned slightly close to Feng Langqing’s ear and whispered softly: “I went to check the place from last night, but there was no Village Ancestral Hall there. It was a big pit full of garbage!”
Hearing that Nan Yuanman had gone alone to find the Village Ancestral Hall, Feng Langqing couldn’t help pinching her small face, his expression darkening a bit, somewhat angry: “Perfection! How could you do something so dangerous by yourself?”
And without saying a word to him! What if she encountered danger?!
Nan Yuanman pretended to be hurt by his pinch, crying out ouch a few times, tugging his clothes hem and shaking it, quickly admitting fault: “I know I was wrong. Won’t do it again next time.”
Feng Langqing’s sword brows shot up, his fingers pressing a bit harder: “You still want a next time?!”
Nan Yuanman stood on tiptoe, mumbling unclearly: “No no, no next time!”
Seeing Nan Yuanman, Jiang Chuyun also imperceptibly let out a sigh of relief, but his face darkened as he said to her: “Nan Yuanman, in these five years, has your mom only taught you to run off at the drop of a hat? Can’t you tell adults when you go out?”
“Do you know how much public resources we wasted looking for you? Do you know if something happened to you, all the staff on this variety show would face lawsuits?”
“You’re already five years old. Can’t you use your brain to think about what you should do and what you shouldn’t?”
Before Nan Yuanman could speak, Feng Langqing got unhappy first. He picked up Nan Yuanman and coldly glanced at Jiang Chuyun: “Who are you to lecture? It’s not your place to scold our Perfection.”
Being publicly dissed by Feng Langqing, Jiang Chuyun lost face, but with cameras around, he held back his anger and said in feigned helplessness: “Actor Feng, no matter what, I’m Perfection’s uncle. If you spoil her like this, you’ll ruin her!”
Nan Yuanman tilted her head: “Then you can’t keep spoiling Jiang Xinxin anymore! You’ll ruin her too!”
Jiang Chuyun blurted out: “Xin Xin is different from you!”
Su Yilan couldn’t help muttering softly: “What’s different? Aren’t they both five-year-old kids… Lectures others fluently, but when it’s his own niece, it’s different. Such double standards…”
Su Hu nodded in agreement, saying super loudly: “Exactly, double standards!”
Su Yilan: “!!!”
She quickly covered Su Hu’s mouth, giving Jiang Chuyun an awkward smile: “Sorry, Teacher Jiang. Kids say whatever, kids say whatever.”
He Junnan nearly burst out laughing, quickly lowering his head to hold it in. Lin Lean twitched his mouth corner and scoffed disdainfully.
Jiang Chuyun’s face immediately darkened. Seeing the situation was bad, Director Ge quickly intervened: “Alright alright, as long as Perfection is safe. Perfection, in the future, tell Uncle Director or other brothers and sisters wherever you go!”
Nan Yuanman nodded obediently: “Okay.”
“Now that all the guests are here, I’ll announce the first task of the morning: the kids choose the dishes, and the guests make breakfast for the kids.”
“The dish selection rule is simple: whoever carries this apple on their head and reaches the finish line first gets to choose first.” Director Ge showed an apple: “Now, please have all guests and kids wash up and head to the playground for dish selection.”
“Got it, then Teacher Feng, we’ll go back and prepare!” Su Yilan, fearing Jiang Chuyun would snap at her, quickly dragged Su Hu away.
He Junnan also said goodbye and left with Lin Lean.
Meng Xi hid the pity in her eyes, softly said goodbye, and took Meng Juanjuan back to wash up.
Only then did Feng Langqing smell the indescribable stench coming from Nan Yuanman. He gagged and quickly carried her into the yard at a run: “Oh my dear mom, did you fall into a latrine? So stinky!”
Nan Yuanman looked innocent: “No, I just fell once. Oh right, Grandpa Hu just brought me back.”
She poked her head out from Feng Langqing’s arms to look outside, but Grandpa Hu was no longer at the courtyard entrance: “Huh? Where’s Grandpa Hu?”
“Probably went back first. We’ll thank Grandpa Hu later. The most important thing now is to wash you, little stinky doll.” Feng Langqing rushed off to boil hot water.
Nan Yuanman sat obediently on the small stool with her legs together waiting, but half a minute later, thick smoke billowed from the kitchen.
Nan Yuanman: “!!”
“It’s on fire!”
