Chapter 181: Lying
The little baby girl’s hair on top of her head all stood on end, just like a cat whose tail had been grabbed.
“Good cub, no one’s fighting you for it.” Shang Wan stroked her own cub’s little head; she was so young, yet her possessiveness was quite strong.
Yuan Yuan was not reassured at all. While eating the steamed egg custard, she puffed out her cheeks, her big watery eyes staring unblinkingly at Chu Xu, very vigilant.
Chu Xu felt a chill creep up his back from her stare, instinctively sensing that if he didn’t do something, he’d be in for bad luck.
Thinking of the bird dropping plan he had proposed earlier, it was indeed very satisfying when used on others, but if it landed on his own head… the scene was too beautiful to imagine.
He shuddered in fright and hurriedly assured her, “I’m not fighting you for mother.”
Yuan Yuan tilted her little head, her little brows tightly furrowed, clearly not believing him.
“Really, I promise.” Chu Xu reached out his hand, “Let’s pinky promise.”
In a little friend’s world, a pinky promise was a huge deal that absolutely had to be fulfilled.
Two short little fingers hooked together and shook.
A smile reappeared on Yuan Yuan’s fair and tender little face.
They’d pinky promised, so the little brother definitely wouldn’t fight her for mother!
The robbed Shang Wan: “……”
So no need to ask for this party’s opinion?
After the meal, there were quite a few leftovers. Xiao Huan, following the principle of no waste, packed them all up.
The weather was too hot; if they covered them all the way back, they’d definitely spoil and be inedible. Shang Wan simply put the meal into the space when no one was looking.
They detoured to the shop to buy two packets of mung bean pastry and one packet of date paste cake, all paid for with the silver Shang Wan had swindled from the information broker.
Borrowing brush and ink from the study, she wrote a letter and entrusted someone to deliver it to Qiao Yu’an, asking him to send people to keep an eye on Sang Qi. If Sang Qi tried to leave the city, find a way to stop him.
That way, when Lord An’s side began their action, it would be convenient to make the arrest.
It was the hottest part of the day. Worried that the two children would suffer heatstroke traveling under the blazing sun, after leaving the city, Shang Wan directly turned into the woods and didn’t stop until they reached the riverside.
She turned her head to the three people and said, “It’s cooler by the river. Let’s wait until the sun is less intense before heading back.”
The three had no objections.
Chu Xu opened the oil paper wrapping the mung bean pastry and distributed it to everyone to eat.
The trees here grew tall and big, with sunlight filtering through layers of leaves, forming beams of light.
A gentle breeze stirred, making them sway lightly.
Even the summer heat dissipated somewhat under the shade of the trees.
Chu Xu took Yuan Yuan to the river to play in the water. The two little ones took off their socks and shoes, immersing their little feet in the clear river water and splashing around.
Worried that the two might accidentally fall in, Shang Wan and Xiao Huan each held one, accompanying them nearby.
“Xiao Huan, among the people you know, is there anyone with a red mole on the left earlobe?”
Hearing Shang Wan ask, Xiao Huan paused in splashing the river water, then shook her head, “No.”
Shang Wan noticed her obvious pause. She lifted her hand to tuck the stray hair blown forward behind her ear and said softly, “I don’t like hearing lies.”
Xiao Huan’s body trembled, her eyes staring fixedly at the rippling river surface without blinking.
Shang Wan tilted her head to look at her and asked, “Really none?”
Xiao Huan pursed her lips, glanced at Shang Wan, then at the two children, her expression hesitant.
Shang Wan raised an eyebrow, “Not convenient to say now?”
Xiao Huan nodded, and nervously glanced at Shang Wan.
Shang Wan: ?
Why did she see sympathy in Xiao Huan’s eyes?
Could that man with the red mole on his left earlobe be an enemy provoked by the original host?
“So many little fish!” Chu Xu’s exclamation interrupted Shang Wan’s thoughts. She looked up and saw a school of small fish surrounding the chubby little feet in the water, nuzzling them.
Yuan Yuan twisted her little body from the itch, giggling with her mouth wide open. If Shang Wan hadn’t held her tight, she would have fallen into the water by now.
Chu Xu watched enviously and stretched his little feet over, trying to attract some small fish.
The small fish clearly only liked Yuan Yuan and ignored him completely.
Chu Xu saw such a scene for the first time and looked longingly at those small fish, “Yuan Yuan, I want some too.”
Yuan Yuan glanced at him, and with a splash of her plump little feet, two small fish followed the water flow to Chu Xu’s side, circling his feet.
Compared to the big group around Yuan Yuan’s feet, the two small fish by Chu Xu were completely insufficient.
Chu Xu pouted, “So few, can I have a few more? I’ll take you to play on the swing when we get back.”
Yuan Yuan blinked her eyes, reached out her little hand to tug at the clothes on Chu Xu’s arm, her babyish voice soft and glutinous, “Brother, come.”
There was a small space between the two. Chu Xu scooted his bottom over to sit next to Yuan Yuan, and those small fish that had only circled Yuan Yuan swam some over to his feet as well.
He wiggled his toes, and the fish didn’t swim away.
Chu Xu shrank his toes from the itch and opened his eyes wide in surprise, “Yuan Yuan, you’re so amazing!”
His admiring little eyes couldn’t be hidden.
Yuan Yuan proudly puffed out her little chest; of course!
Shang Wan amusingly scratched the flesh under her chin, making the little baby girl shrink her neck and dodge backward.
When Shang Wan stopped scratching, Yuan Yuan eagerly leaned over again, looking at her with sparkling big eyes, the left one saying “want” and the right one saying “play.”
Hehe, the cub likes playing with mother.
Two hours later, the four who had rested enough got on the ox cart and went home.
·
Shi Tou sat in the doorway enjoying the cool air, with the gray wolf accompanying him nearby.
He held herbal tea in one hand and stroked the wolf with the other; the more he stroked, the hotter he got, ending up with a hand full of sweat.
He casually wiped the sweat from his palm on his trouser leg. Shi Tou stood up, planning to stroll around the village.
As soon as he left, the gray wolf lay down, occupying two spots, showing no intention of following.
Shi Tou felt a bit lonely. His good friend Yellow Ox wasn’t around either. After thinking, he led the ewe out from the shed.
If he couldn’t walk the wolf, couldn’t he walk the sheep?
The ewe lifted a hoof to kick him, but Shi Tou deftly dodged and led the rope toward the hillside.
He hadn’t gone far when he spotted the familiar ox cart approaching. His eyes lit up, he let go of the sheep’s rope, and excitedly ran to meet them.
“Sis! Xiao Huan!”
Shang Wan pulled the ox cart to a stop, “What are you doing here?”
“Walking the sheep.” Shi Tou reached to tug the rope, then suddenly realized his palm was empty, “Eh, where’s my sheep?!”
“Over there.” Shang Wan nodded her chin toward the direction the ewe was running, “If you chase now, you can still catch it.”
Shi Tou: “……Sheep, wait!”
He dashed off like mad.
Shang Wan clucked her tongue, “The young lad is full of energy.”
Xiao Huan: “……”
The ox cart stopped at the home doorway. By the time they unloaded everything, Shi Tou finally dragged the ewe back.
He led the ewe back to the shed and locked it up, then came over to help carry things.
Lu Chengjing came out with the teapot to fetch water. Seeing people back, he also came to help carry things.
After a bustle, everyone was sweating again.
Fortunately, the evening breeze was not as hot as the daytime, bringing a bit of coolness when blowing on the body.
They sat in a row under the eaves to rest. Yuan Yuan generously distributed dried bitter gourd to everyone.
She walked swaying. Fortunately, there weren’t many people and the path was short, with rests in between, so she didn’t fall.
Everyone held a piece of dried bitter gourd in their mouth, eating and chatting.
Shang Wan remembered something and turned to Chu Xu beside her, “We’re home now, so speak up.”
Chu Xu blinked blankly, not reacting.
Shang Wan reminded him, “At Gu An Hall, what did you want to say?”
