After noon, when Liu Yusheng went to the hut again, she was accompanied by a group of hula-la-la.
Axiu was still waiting for her by the boulder.
In the distance, he spread his arms wide and waited for her to run towards him.
"Brother Axiu!" Liu Yusheng had just taken a step with her short legs when the back of her collar was tugged.
Then the scenery changed as she was lifted up to her father's neck.
Behind his mussed hair, Axiu's eyes instantly went cold.
His hands at both sides slowly clenched, tightening against the side of his legs, trembling invisibly.
Liu Yusheng's heart jumped. Her stupid father might not say anything, but she could see through him perfectly.
Ah, he's going to flare up!
"Brother Axiu, my father and second uncle came over to help repair the yard wall of your hut, grandma and my mother also came to help!" The little bun has short legs and has now way to get down. Liu Yusheng can only hold up a smiling face twittering and opening her mouth, trying her best to pacify Axiu's emotions, "When they're busy, I'll take you somewhere fun, I didn't take anyone else there yet, oh, you're the first!"
Axiu's hands seemed to loosen a bit.
"Nannan, you're still young, you can't run around like crazy, what if you run into any danger? Also, you're a girl, you can't just cuddle with a playmate in the future, understand?" Liu Dalin patted Liu Yusheng's short legs and looked at Axiu, "You are Axiu? I remember you, I'm Nannan's father, just call me uncle."
Liu Yusheng was going to be mad. Dad, let's not court disaster, can we?
Fortunately, there is a sensible grandmother, "The two children are still very young, why are you talking about this? Which kid doesn't like to play around when he's a kid? You've been climbing up trees and shooting birds since you were younger than Axiu!"
"Right! Nannan loves to play with Brother Axiu! Nannan loves Brother Axiu the most!" Liu Yusheng raised her voice while quietly observing Axiu's reaction. Right after, those two clenched fists that whitened his knuckles gradually loosened.
The storm finally calmed and the alarm was lifted.
Huh, what a relief!
Unbeknownst to her, her father held this adulation against Axiu for more than a decade and considered him an eyesore.
When the group arrived at the hut, Wanrong was sitting at the entrance of the hall sorting out the herbs that she had just picked in the morning, ready to hang them dry.
"Wanrong, I brought my son and daughter-in-law over to help you repair and tidy up the house. You're a lone woman and can't do these things either." Grandma Liu greeted her as she was the most familiar, "Especially the crumbling roof. Whether the rain is heavy or just a drizzle, the rain will certainly trickle inside, how can people live comfortably?"
"Madam…" Wanrong stood up and looked at the few people with pristine smiles, her nose sore, "Thank you, thank you...."
"You, we're not outsiders. Quickly get those herbs out to the sun, then we'll go up to the hill and cut some thatch and lay the roof."
"Eh!" Wanrong nodded hurriedly, greeted the others to come in, and intensified her hand movements.
The two big men in the house were also grateful for Grandma Liu's insight. With her company, it will prevent her from being gossiped about.
Taking advantage of the adults' idle chatter, Liu Yusheng got to the ground and ran to Axiu's side and grabbed his hand.
"Brother Axiu, let's go, I'll take you to play!" Meanwhile, her mind spins fast.
She merely blurted taking him to a fun place in a spur of the moment. In fact, there's nothing like that at all. She has to rack her brains now.
Nowhere is particularly fun.
Children in the country only have fun in places like the fields, the hills and the river.
They've been up in the mountains, there are crops growing in the fields, and there's not much fun to be had except fishing for frogs.
To the river! It's just that she hasn't been there either!
The Qinghe River lies between Xinghua village and Mount Luofu. It's not too far from the foot of the mountain.
After the severe drought last year, the water level has slowly risen back up and the mountains are clear.
Weeping willows lined the riverbanks on both sides; there are wildflowers and lush grass, and endless rice paddies that make golden rice waves when the wind blows.
"Brother Axiu, come here quickly!" Ducking under a weeping willow, Liu Yusheng dipped her small hands into the cool river water, and smiled brightly, "The river water is so cool!"
"Shengsheng, be careful not to fall!"
"No way! Brother Axiu, break some willow branches for me!"
With a little tap of his foot, Axiu sneaked up the willow tree a few times and snapped a willow branch she asked for.
The neat movements left Liu Yusheng dumbfounded, "This is martial arts?"
In contrast, her brothers monkeys' tree climbing moves are simply too much for the eyes!
With a smug smile under his eyes, Axiu jumped down and handed her a handful of willow branches, "What does Shengsheng want the willow branches for?"
"You'll see in a minute." She smiled mysteriously, took a willow branch and wound it in a circle three or two times. She also picked some small wild flowers and dotted them around it. Then she snapped it on Axiu's head, "Shade hat, haha!"
"…." A shade hat with flowers adorning it. Axiu removed the hat and put it on the little baby's head, "Shengsheng looks good on it."
The pink and jaded little bun, with her bright smiling face and floral hat was the picture of a pretty little fairy.
"There are still willow branches. I'll make another one."
"I'll do it." It's easy, he has seen how she made it once.
Soon, Axiu wore one on his head as well, only missing the white and pink flowers.
This, he was more mentally receptive.
"Eh, eh! Look, isn't that the blessed baby from Xinghua Village?"
"It's really her! I've seen her once before!"
"So cute, even cuter than Xiao Xiang'er in the village chief's house!"
"Rumor has it that whoever treats her well will be blessed, I wonder if it's true."
Between the paddy fields behind the two, four eight or nine-year-old children came from the ridge of the field and quickly arrived in front of them.
Aixiu quickly pulled the girl behind himself, and when he faced several people, his gentle face had turned gloomy.
"Eh, why hide! It's not like we're bullies!" One of the boys shouted curiously, poking his head at Liu Yusheng, who blocked behind. "You're the blessed baby from Xinghua Village, right? What are you guys playing, shall we play together?"
The two words Blessed Baby made the corners of Liu Yusheng's mouth twitch straight. She had never seen these kids before. They came from the fields of Xiapo Village, so they must be from there.
Without giving her a chance to speak, Axiu took her hand and headed to the other side, "Shengsheng, let's go play somewhere else."
"Hey! Hey! Don't go! Let's play together!" The children behind were a little anxious, and in their agitation, one reached out and wanted to pull Liu Yusheng back.
The height difference, coupled with the smooth hand, clawed the little baby's braid outside the shade hat.
Liu Yusheng's scalp ached, "Hiss!"
Followed by a scream.
She turned around quickly, only to see the child flying out of the field and finally landed into the field, crushing panicles of rice.
There was also a figure that was almost clinging to the flying boy, and the moment he landed, he grabbed his neck with one hand and pressed his whole head face down into the muddy water.
And, kept pinning down.
Everyone was so shaken by the scene that their minds were empty and unable to react.