Friendship between young children is strange.
One moment they're hostile to each other, the next they'll be good friends.
Looking at the little companions who rushed forward and curiously chattering to Axiu; then at Axiu, who was stiff and didn't know how to deal with them, Liu Yusheng smirked and grinned.
She never let go of his hand.
Because he held her back with a grip.
She thought that perhaps he was too stressed out and needed support.
Which she was willing to give.
Although she had no hands regarding mental illness in her previous life, she had heard of it in the circle of medical practitioners and knew some.
"Axiu, how old are you?"
"What do you usually do in the woods when you're alone?"
"Can you climb trees? When we go hunting for some bird's nests some day, we'll call, okay?"
"Axiu's words are few and far between, mostly answers with a word or two and more often silence.
Fortunately, the children are simple-minded and don't feel his indifference, and would answer their own questions.
For example, you're about our height, so you must be either seven or eight years old!
For example, is that your wild vegetable basket? So you're here to dig for wild vegetables!
Another example, it's okay if you can't climb trees, I'll teach you later then! You'll be able to crawl faster than a monkey in half a day!
"Xiu'er! Xiu'er?" In the distance, a woman's anxious call echoed.
The crowd looked around, and soon saw a woman in a lake green rough dress scrambling towards them.
When she came closer, she was quietly relieved to see that the little boy was safe and sound.
"Hello aunt!" Liu Yusheng lifted her head, and greeted sweetly. She must be Axiu's mother.
Her skin was white and her dress of coarse cloth could not hide her beauty. She has this air of elegance that's unusual among women.
At this time, the woman's eyes fell on the two small hands holding each other, and was blown away. When she heard Liu Yusheng's greeting, her eyes moved to the little girl's face and was again surprised, "Little baby, it's you!"
Liu Yusheng blinked her eyes with incomprehension
"Don't you remember us? Last year, I fainted by the side of the road. It was you who saved my life by passing by with your family in a wagon and giving me water to drink."
Last year, roadside … Liu Yusheng's eyes widened a bit, so it was that mother and son!
At that time, they only lent a helping hand, but she soon forgot about it when they got home.
Surprisingly, it was them who'd been living in the cabin.
Liu Yusheng nodded and laughed, "I remember, I even gave Brother Axiu a few sweets back then!"
"Three." Axiu suddenly interjected, his childish voice as clear as a night spring.
"?"
"Three candies." He fixed his eyes on her and repeated.
"... " Liu Yusheng blinked her eyes and softly laughed, it turned out that he remembered too.
Is that why, just now, he didn't repel her approach?
Another muffled yell came from the direction of the village, which sounded like her Grandma's voice.
"Nannan, we have to go home. If we are late, Grandma will be here." Liu Zhixia took Liu Yusheng's other hand.
"Yeah, let's go back quickly, otherwise Grandma will be worried." Liu Yusheng shook off the little boy's tight grip and waved at him, "Brother Axiu, my name is Liu Yusheng, you can call me Nannan, I will come and play with you next time!"
After that, the little girl grabbed her brother's hand and ran towards the village.
"Eh! Brother! Nannan! Wait for me!" Liu Zhiqiu stretched his legs to keep up.
The little friends also waved goodbye and went after them.
In an instant, the lively forest fell into silence.
Axiu watched the girl's back as she skipped away happily into the sunset and slowly clenched his empty palm, where the warmth she had brought was still left.
"Xiu'er, do you remember her?" The woman asked with her head bowed, her eyes somewhat unfathomable.
Having had those experiences, he has always been resistant to crowds and does not like people to approach him.
But just now, Xiu'er was standing in the middle of a group of children and holding that little girl's hand.
This sudden change made her heart feel both glad and bitter.
Xiu'er didn't answer, just turned his head and lifted the vegetable basket on the ground, "Mother, let's go back."
"You're out digging for herbs again, Mother said these things Mother will do, you're still young, don't always worry so much...."
The coldness of the woods seemed to have dissipated some against the backdrop of one young and one adult, murmuring words of love and blending with the heat of the sunset. "Grandma!" On the other side, Liu Yusheng saw the figure waiting under the ancient elm tree at the entrance of the village, so she ran over like a swallow from the forest and pounced into the arms of Grandma Liu.
"Oh, aiyo, slow down, slow down, be careful not to fall!" Hugging the baby into her arms, Grandma Liu laughed, "Silly girl, you've played crazy with your brothers again? Who said she'd be back with Grandma in a minute?"
Liu Yusheng stared back with big round eyes, "Grandma, I've long wanted to come back to keep you company, it's the older brothers who played crazy and forgot the time, you must spank them!"
The two brothers on the sideline: "…." Nannan the exclusive knight-errant.
Grandma Liu was amused, "You clever sprite!"
Back home, the family was all seated, just waiting for them to start their meal.
Inevitably, the two brothers were repeatedly criticized, while Liu Yusheng hid behind the adults and spat her tongue at her brothers, shielding her mouth and giggling.
"This year's crops are growing robustly, I guess we will be having a good harvest." Grandpa Liu was glowing red. A year down the road and the years have past, but his energy is more than ever.
Liu Erlin nodded, "And I've found that everyone has planted the same crops, but our family just grows better than the others."
"It's all the talk in the village that it's because our family sits on a blessed baby." Du Juan and Chen Xulan looked at each other and smiled faintly.
The way this matter has spread out was a mystery. The good thing is that everyone beholden it to the blessed baby, so they are envious and jealous of their family.
Mentioning this stubble, Grandma snorted, "Some people in the village came to me and talked sourly, saying that they would like to take Nannan to live with them for a while, so that they too would also be blessed. I drove them away with a broom!"
The family couldn't help laughing at this picture.
Suppressing his laughter, Liu Dalin said, "Father, Mother, there's not much work in the field right now. Erlin and I want to get off the ground and work in the morning, and then go to town in the afternoon to see if there's any part-time work."
Grandpa Liu nodded in silence for a moment, "Okay, the field just needs some watering and weeding, there are still two or three months until the harvest, I will go with you."
"Dad, there's no need to join us anymore, at your age...."
"What? Looking down on your old man? I can beat you both up now without panting!"
"…"
Liu Yusheng rolled her eyes and quietly slipped to her room, wriggling her little butt and drilling towards the bottom of the bed. She then fished out the wine jar she had hidden there last year.
With her spiritual spring wine, it's time to go on stage.
With this, father and uncle will be a bit more flexible. They needn't have to go to town to work hard on part-time jobs. Even if it's a seasonal income, their pay is definitely less than their hard work!