"Hmm." Er Mao, who had wiped away his tears but still had teary eyes, looked up at his father.
The man rubbed Er Mao's head and said, "What do you think about sending Wen'er to school?"
Er Mao nodded his head like a chick pecking at rice: "Of course, Dad, she's much smarter than me!"
The man laughed heartily: "You said it yourself."
Er Mao blushed slightly, but still said, "Don't tell her that."
"Okay, I won't say."
"How about we send Wen'er to school after this summer?" the man asked again.
"Okay, Dad." Er Mao sniffed, nodded in agreement, and a smile appeared on his tear-streaked face.
At this moment, the man patted Er Mao on the head and said with a hint of reproach, "I asked you to help harvest the wheat, but you kept making excuses. If the harvest is not good this year, where will we get the spare money to send Wen'er to school?"
Upon hearing this, Er Mao immediately stood up: "Dad, let's get to work! I'll do whatever you tell me to do!"
The man laughed: "You little rascal, you've been slacking off all morning, aren't you tired? I'm exhausted, I need to rest for a bit."
Er Mao blushed and immediately went to work in the wheat field, but his father grabbed his hand.
"What's wrong, Dad? I'm going to do some work."
“There’s no rush. It can be finished this afternoon. You have something else on your mind that you need to take care of first.” The man’s smile faded, and his expression even became somewhat serious.
Er Mao's heart tightened, but after a moment's thought, he immediately realized: "Dad, you mean..."
The man replied, "Yes, just as you think."
“Wen’er is both your sister and my daughter; she’s family. How could you say such hurtful things to her?”
Er Mao looked remorseful: "I'm sorry, Dad... I was wrong..."
"The person you should apologize to the most is your sister, not me."
“Wen’er is a sensitive girl. She might not say anything to your face if she heard your awful words, but I know she must be very upset inside.”
“You’re a man. If you’ve lost your mind and said something outrageous, then you have to make up for it.”
"Go home quickly and find Wen'er, and talk things out."
"If I go back and find Wen'er is upset, I won't let you off the hook..." The man raised his fist, but before he could finish speaking, Er Mao had already rushed off along the ridge of the field in a hurry.
The June wind was gentle and not dry, and the air was filled with the scent of wheat. Er Mao ran wildly along the country path, eager to see his sister for the first time in his life.
That's why he got home in half the time it took him to get there. Even though he was panting and out of breath, he rushed into the kitchen and shouted:
"Wen'er!"
"Why are you back?" The mother, who was tending the fire under the stove, asked, peeking out from under the stove.
Er Mao didn't have time to explain. He didn't see Wen'er in the kitchen, so he asked again, panting, "Where's Wen'er?"
"She went to the outhouse." The woman replied, then muttered, "She's been gone for quite a while, why hasn't she come out yet..."
As she spoke, Er Mao had already leaped out.
"Wen'er!" Er Mao, who had run to the outhouse, put his hands on his knees and shouted without thinking.
He called out several times but received no response. Feeling anxious, Er Mao went to the door and opened it a crack, but there was no one inside.
Where are they?
Er Mao muttered to himself, but for some reason, a sense of panic he had never felt before swept over him. He panicked and quickly ran back to the kitchen, asking in a hoarse voice:
"Mother, Wen'er is not in the outhouse."
The woman frowned: "Not here? Where did she go? She's been gone for a while now..."
As she spoke, the woman stood up, walked to the kitchen door, and called out, "Xiao Wen'er!"
"Girl!"
Er Mao ran back to the main house, calling out and searching for someone, but still couldn't find them. He then went to the side room, but still couldn't find them.
They had called out dozens of times and searched every corner, but there was still no trace of Wen'er, nor any response from her. Er Mao's face, which had been flushed from running, began to turn pale.
The sense of panic intensified, and he suddenly realized something. So, ignoring his mother chasing after him, he ran out of the house again.
——
"Rumble rumble rumble".
"Rumble rumble rumble".
Amidst the deafening noise, Qin Ze, sitting in the carriage, looked out the window. The endless wheat fields filled his entire field of vision, but at this moment he had no mind to appreciate the scenery.
He clenched his fists, his face was covered in cold sweat, and he kept muttering nervously with his head down.
"Hurry...hurry..."
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