Chapter 15
When the first drop of spring rain falls on her face, Jia'er knows that another year has passed.
Spring came and autumn went, the seasons changed, and he followed his mother, step by step, measuring every inch of the land they passed.
During that time, he witnessed countless sunrises and sunsets, and experienced countless winds, frosts, rains, and snows. His steps, too, grew from immature to steady, from unsteady to firm, each step guided by his mother as he traversed this vast world.
Now, they have come to this Northwest North Pole, a place sparsely populated and deserted, where even birds are hard to find. In the desolate and vast landscape, it seems as if only the two of them remain in this world.
Jia'er walked with utmost care, never caring about the environment or the season; wherever his mother went, he went.
He feels most at ease when he's with his mother!
Yinglong clearly thought so too.
The rain intensified ahead, and as they reached a desolate area, the mother and son stopped, intending to rest in this deserted place.
Fine rain fell from the sky, gently weaving a hazy ink painting. Looking at the sparse plants in the distance, desperately absorbing the nutrients from the spring rain, the mother and son remained silent, letting themselves immerse themselves in this world of renewal.
As darkness fell, the rain stopped falling and only the soft patter of rain remained.
Gradually, even the sound of rain stopped, and the whole world became even quieter.
Jia'er nestled in his mother's arms, looking up at the sky. The sky after the rain was as if it had been washed clean, a pure black, like a piece of unstained ink cloth covered with countless tiny, luminous pearls—all stars!
There were no shooting stars tonight, but the stars were as numerous as gold dust scattered on the seabed, densely covering the entire night sky, some bright and some dim, each one shining with dazzling brilliance.
Jia'er blinked, feeling that the night sky was so close to them. Perhaps it was because they were at a high altitude, but the night sky was like a big blanket, almost covering them... It felt as if he could reach out and pluck a star down.
He did indeed reach out.
Waving it a few times in the night sky, it seems almost within reach.
He didn't speak tonight, and his mother was also quiet—they were both awestruck by the starry sky; it was so beautiful, with so many stars.
If only the two of them could see it, suddenly, an invisible longing began to quietly spread in their hearts.
At the border of the East Sea, Ao Guang stood on the city wall, silently watching the strange underwater phenomenon.
Groups of jellyfish float in the sea, and the sunlight shines through the water, refracting their originally transparent bodies into a dazzling array of colors.
Gently propelled by the ocean currents, these jellyfish scattered and moved about... Those that flowed like ribbons, shimmering with a faint silver light, seemed to be dancing in the deep sea, their movements graceful and elegant.
The entire sea area is so beautiful it's like a dream, as if you've entered another world.
Looking at the boundless blue expanse around him, Ao Guang raised his head and gazed intently at the water's surface.
The water remained calm and silent... the departed have not yet returned.
He stood once again in the deep sea, along with the vast expanse of luminous jellyfish, which shone as brightly as the stars in the sky...
Yet, it seems there is an eternal distance between him and the sky.
The sound of the waves softened, and the current seemed to slow down, leaving only the silent dance of the jellyfish and the endless, intoxicating blue.
Ao Guang stood there quietly, as if they were of one mind. He looked at the tranquility of the sea and looked forward to the moment he had been praying for.
*
After resting for a night, Jia'er got up and continued walking with his mother. The air after the rain was filled with the fragrance of earth and the fresh scent of grass and trees, which Jia'er kept sniffing as he walked.
He sniffed and pouted – Jia'er was very happy that it was raining.
While he was sniffing so intently with his head tilted back, he suddenly swayed to the side without noticing.
"Ouch!" Jia'er exclaimed. He looked down and saw that one of his feet was stuck in the crack.
"Ah, Mother." Jia'er waved.
Yinglong turned around upon hearing the sound, and she went back to take the child out.
After Jia'er pulled his foot out, he twisted it; he had lost count of how many times his foot had gotten stuck in the crack.
Now he and his mother have reached the Northwest, where the climate is arid and rainfall is scarce. The ground beneath their feet is cracked with large fissures, and if they are not careful, their feet will sink in.
"It's so dry here!"
Jia'er sighed, he could feel the moisture on his face evaporating rapidly, and when he sniffed, the breath he inhaled was warm.
“Yes, it’s dry. Jia’er, take good care of yourself. We’re going to stay here, you know?” Yinglong coaxed his child gently.
It wasn't easy for the child to follow me here, having traversed countless mountains and rivers step by step.
"Yes!" Jia'er nodded emphatically.
He continued walking with his mother, each step still taken with great care.
Yinglong looked at her little dragon cub with affection, noticing him panting heavily as they walked... They had traveled such a long way, yet the little guy had never complained of being tired or suffering; he was always enjoying himself and immersed in the journey.
"Mommy will find you a water source first."
"OK!"
Little Dragon is very happy, let's find a water source!
Yinglong was determined to find a place near water with his child, as that would be more convenient.
She remembered that when they lived in a place crisscrossed by water, her baby was very easy to take care of. If he got dirty, she would just rinse him in the water and then take him out and dress him.
Jia'er also loves playing in the water; he prefers places with many streams and lakes.
They reached a mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forest, where the temperature finally cooled down. Anticipating that there might be streams or something inside, Yinglong led the child inside.
The needles crunched underfoot, and a slightly bitter smell filled the air. Jia'er had never seen such straight trees before; he found it all novel and unique.
As he was looking around, a figure suddenly darted out from afar. Jia'er, startled, grabbed his mother's hand and cried out:
"Mother, be careful!"
After shouting, he quickly picked up a stone and, without thinking, hurled it forward with a "whoosh," hitting the shadow that had suddenly appeared.
Jia'er hadn't expected him to hit so accurately. After hitting her, he immediately hugged his mother, closed his eyes, and muttered something under his breath:
"Mother, be careful! Mother, be careful!"
...
Seeing the stunned little roe deer, Yinglong comforted the child in his arms.
"Jia'er, don't be afraid, look carefully."
The little dragon cub heard his mother's words and cautiously turned his head, only to see a "wild beast" lying on the ground, a not-so-bright wild beast...
Huh? What's this?
The little roe deer was terrified; it collapsed to the ground, too scared to move.
Looking at the size of the roe deer, Yinglong felt it was only a few months old. Judging from its movements, it didn't seem like it was there to attack, but rather like a child sneaking out to forage for food... As a result, it was spotted by Jia'er, who was very alert at the moment, and a stone was thrown at it, making it too scared to move.
To be honest, her son is now very—alert!
You need to travel and experience more to develop that skill.
Seeing that the "beast" he had hit didn't move, just staring at him and his mother with its eyes wide open, Jia'er's wariness lessened slightly. He asked his mother:
"Mother, what should we do with it?"
Generally speaking, when a wild animal is caught, the mother will personally deal with it.
"Let's release it. Its father and mother must be worried sick looking for it."
"Yeah?"
Looking at the limp roe deer on the ground, Jia'er felt that he should let it go.
"It's even smaller than you, so we have to let it go home."
Younger than himself? Jia'er felt a pang of pity.
"You'd better leave now, we won't punish you anymore. I need to take a bath with my mother." Jia'er ordered in a "rough voice," while waving his hand to signal the little roe deer to go first.
But with the mother and daughter in front, the little roe deer dared not move no matter what.
"Jia'er, let's go first." Yinglong kindly led his child away first.
"All right."
Little Dragon was led by his mother's hand as they walked slowly past the roe deer. He had never seen this wild animal before... As they passed by, he carefully examined it a few times, which terrified the roe deer on the ground.
“This one has no horns; it is not of my kind,” Jia’er thought.
He found it quite interesting to be here in the Northwest for the first time.
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