Chapter 53: Sightseeing
Colorful confetti drifted down from the sky, and strangely shaped flying toys and other objects darted about. When Anno looked up, he saw various ribbons intertwined, giving the city in the desert a magnificent color.
The lively and beautiful scene was like a grand festival, and for a moment she felt disoriented, as if she were in a dream.
Peace, security, and the joyful laughter of people create a fantastic and beautiful dream.
But what I'm seeing now isn't a dream, it's reality.
A smart bird toy flew in front of her. She reached out and poked it, and the bird picked a pink flower from a nearby flower bush and placed it in her palm.
When Anno saw the flower, a smile appeared on her lips, and she pinned the flower to Lokin's head.
A couple who were manipulating the toys nearby couldn't help but laugh when they saw Anno's actions, and they secretly gave each other a high five.
Logan sensed Anno's movement, turned his head and asked her, "What did the baby put on Mommy?"
Anno thought about the word "flower" in her mind, opened her mouth but couldn't say it for a long time. She looked at Tang Ting, who gave her a hint in tone, and she immediately knew what to say. She said to Luo Jin, "Flower, beautiful, you wear it."
When Luo Jin heard Anuo's sincere praise, he couldn't stop smiling, and his heart felt as sweet as if he had eaten honey.
She always maintained a serious and unsmiling image in public. Her children, once they reached the age of remembering things, began to respect her and treat her like a drill instructor. It was rare for anyone to praise her like that.
"Little rascal!"
Tuka saw Anno and waved and called out to her.
Anno shifted in Lokin's arms, indicating that she wanted to get down. She was no longer a toddler and didn't want to be held all the time.
Lokin looked around and, seeing that the guards were all nearby and it was relatively safe, put her down.
As soon as Anuo came down, Tuka ran up to her and hugged her tightly. "Little darling, I missed you so much! You look much healthier. Is there anything else that's bothering you?"
Anno shook her head. "No."
"That's good."
Tuka held her for a while before letting go, lowering his head in front of her. His soft black fox ears twitched twice, and his tail swayed back and forth, clearly wanting to be touched.
Anno saw that Tuka was like a clingy dog, so he reached out and patted her head and pinched her ears, making Tuka wag her tail even more enthusiastically.
"You're the little fox Hicks mentioned, aren't you?"
Lokin said to Tuka.
Tuka immediately stood up straight, his smile fading slightly. "Yes, Commander!"
She knew that the imposing woman in front of her was Hicks' mother, the commander of the Seventh Army of the North River. During the days when Hicks rescued her, he would often talk to them about his exceptionally capable mother, whom she both admired and longed for.
She thought that she would become such a powerful person in the future, able to command a legion or fight on the front lines. She had already decided that the first thing she would do after joining a regular legion was to wipe out all those gangs, leaving no one behind.
Hicks said you are very capable and have unlimited potential as you grow.
Tuka paused slightly upon hearing what Lokin said, and cautiously asked, "Has Hicks mentioned me to you?"
Logan nodded. "I've mentioned it many times. Now you're safe. You don't have to live in fear anymore. Once you return to the main planet, you can start a good life with your new family."
Lokin's tone softened, and he patted her head.
Tuka was deeply moved, and her nose tingled with emotion. "Hicks saved my life, and I will definitely repay him in the future!"
"No need for repayment. He is a soldier, and protecting you is his duty."
Seeing that Anno and Tuka got along well, Lokin was happy that she could make friends and ease her resistance to the outside world and others. He said to Tuka, "Take your sister to play, just don't leave our sight."
Tuka looked like he'd received an important mission. "Yes! Commander, don't worry, I'll definitely take good care of the little one."
With that, Tuka took Anno's hand and led her forward.
Li Yue had already bought tickets for them to enter Baisha Lake in advance, so they could just go in directly; the equipment would automatically scan their identities.
As Anutuka and several other children lingered and looked around at the vendors' stalls, Wu Sui and Li Yue followed behind, buying things for them whenever they saw something they liked.
However, they were all used to not asking others for money, and even when Wu Sui offered to buy them something, they all shook their heads and refused.
In the past, they were always fed when they won in the arena and beaten when they lost. No one had ever bought them anything. They were flattered to see Wu Sui and Li Yue buy things for them.
Anuo only looked at these toys out of curiosity. They already had quite a few toys at their place, many of which she had seen before. She didn't ask Wu Sui to buy them for her to avoid wasting them.
She simply couldn't resist the temptation of the fragrant barbecue stall; the barbecue sprinkled with various spices was just too delicious.
Tuka was also there, sniffing intently and drooling.
Luo Jin and Tang Ting watched as Anuo's small figure stood in front of the barbecue stall, her eyes fixed on the meat, as if afraid that the meat would run away in the blink of an eye.
Tang Ting said helplessly, "I should have just taken her inside. These snacks outside are too tempting for her."
Her body can't handle these strong-flavored foods right now. If she eats them, she'll definitely have diarrhea and vomiting. There might be spices and other things she's allergic to.
But seeing the way she was staring at the barbecue, I just couldn't bear to pull her away like that.
After thinking for a moment, he went up to the owner and said that he didn't need any seasoning for the barbecue, just a small skewer would be fine. However, he bought the barbecue with spices for the other children, since these children were all beasts and their physical condition was much better than Anuo's.
When the owner saw Anuo's eyes widen, he immediately skewered a large amount of meat again and said to Tang Ting, "Don't worry, the barbecue I sell is absolutely fresh and clean. It was just slaughtered this morning!"
Once the meat was grilled, Tang Ting took the skewer that was much larger than the others and squatted down in front of Anuo. "Baby, we just finished breakfast, so we can only eat a little bit."
Anno swallowed and nodded obediently.
Then Tang Ting and Luo Jin ate the last bit of the large skewer of grilled meat, broke the wooden skewer in half, and handed the last piece of grilled meat to Anno.
When my kids used to fuss about eating these things, they did the same thing, but they would either cry and roll on the ground, or reluctantly take the food and eat it.
They were ready and waiting for Anno to cry and coax her back.
Contrary to their expectations, Anno took the roast meat and ate it, no longer showing the same craving for other foods.
It was as if this small piece of roasted meat was enough to satisfy her, and her obedient behavior surprised them.
Thinking of what she had experienced on Casa, a pang of heartache flashed in Luo Jin's eyes. He picked her up and said, "Baby, let's go inside and play."
It's better not to let her see these things. She probably still wants to eat them, but her upbringing has taught her to restrain herself.
After Luo Jin carried Anuo through the entrance of Baisha Lake, a figure lowered the brim of his hat and disappeared into the crowd.
Anno seemed to sense something, leaned on Luo Jin's shoulder and looked at the crowd behind her. The bustling crowd did not contain the person she wanted to see.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com