Chapter 18
At the foot of the snow-capped mountain, there is a row of stilt houses, and the connection between the stilt houses is a wooden corridor.
Perhaps due to their age and exposure to the elements, these wooden beams always make a "thump thump thump" sound whenever someone steps on them.
Recently, these "thump thump thump" sounds have become particularly noticeable.
As a communal tribe, the Muyun people have lived in rows of stilt houses for generations. People live on the upper floor, and the lower floor is used to store hay or raise calves and lambs that have not yet taken human form.
One day at midday, the entire tribe was quiet, without a sound. As the sun set a little and the weather cooled down, the tribespeople slowly began to go out and about.
The air was filled with the sounds of bustling activity, seemingly the same as usual, but after what had happened, the atmosphere in the entire tribe was still somewhat somber, unlike the lively atmosphere of the past.
In this busy yet orderly and harmonious moment, a rapid "thump thump thump" suddenly came from the wooden corridor in the air.
The local villagers have gotten used to the constant "thump thump thump" sounds lately, because you never know when you'll see a little thing darting around on it, seemingly tireless.
That's Jia'er running at high speed on it.
If anyone has been happiest lately, it has to be this little dragon.
Jia'er had never seen a two-story wooden house like this before, so after he and his mother entered the Muyun tribe, he ran around on the stilt house every day.
From here to there, from this circle to that circle.
Yinglong would often see his child running excitedly on the hill, and no one could stop him—sometimes a figure would flash by in a flash, accompanied by his unique giggles.
"Are you that excited?" Yinglong looked at his silly son and couldn't help but facepalm.
That day, Jia'er was running around again, his footsteps making a clear, clattering sound. But this time he wasn't just running around aimlessly; he had a purpose.
After the hottest part of the day, the younger generation of the Muyun tribe began to go out to work.
From several houses, the sound of doors opening came one after another, and then a group of "little ones" gathered. They looked each other over, and seeing that everyone else was ready, the tallest one said:
"Everyone's ready, let's go."
"Um!"
"Um!"
The remaining few responded one after another.
The group was about to set off when they felt a sudden gust of wind blow past them.
The wind stopped, and everyone looked up to see a figure blocking their way.
Koji suddenly appeared with his arms outstretched!
When the group of "kids" saw him, they looked at each other in surprise.
It was that uninvited guest!
That uninvited guest who suddenly barged into their family, accompanied by his mother!
Remembering what their people had gone through a couple of days ago, the group didn't give the little dragon a friendly look. They remained silent for a moment before deciding to ignore him and continue on their way.
Just as they lifted their feet and before they could even take a step, Jia'er suddenly stepped forward and darted in front of them.
The speed was so fast that it startled the "children." They looked at each other, wondering what this "little monster" was up to.
He looked quite strange; although his body was round, he had two horns on his head, and these horns were different from theirs...
Jia'er didn't care what others thought of him. After blocking their way, he kept staring at them, scanning them back and forth.
As he watched, he folded his hands over his chest, stuck out his buttocks, and suddenly started swaying his body.
...
This made Xiaolong seem very excited, but no one knew what he was doing...
Everyone was baffled, but dared not speak out against it.
The woman in front of them had effortlessly frozen their sacred river a few days ago, and it still hadn't thawed, which left a deep impression on everyone.
There was a long silence in the crowd. No one spoke. The "children" kept exchanging glances and discussing things in tacit understanding. Finally, the one in the lead bravely stepped forward and said loudly to Jia'er, "Please move aside."
"Please let me move aside, okay?" Jia'er nodded, still swaying back and forth with his butt sticking out—he was genuinely happy.
Everyone was speechless. He said okay, but then didn't let them have it.
"Please move aside, we need to go out," the leader said loudly again.
"Where are you going?" Jia'er asked cutely.
They exchanged glances, puzzled as to why the "little monster" was asking such a question. Was he trying to gather information? That was a possibility, and upon thinking about it, the "little boy's" face grew somewhat serious.
"We have urgent business, please let us out," another girl, who looked like a young maid, said in a clear voice.
"What's so important?" Jia'er asked absentmindedly, as if he wouldn't give up until he got to the bottom of it.
"We're going to plant grass seeds..." a simple-minded guy replied, but before he could finish, the tall guy covered his mouth.
“Niu Honghong, shut up.”
Planting grass seeds? Jia'er wondered to himself, what is planting grass seeds? He had never seen it before, but seeing these "children" carrying big bamboo baskets on their backs, it must be very interesting.
"I want to go too!" Jia'er waved his hand and said, then continued to stick his butt out and sway his body, looking at everyone expectantly.
Of course, no one could bring him along. This is an activity that the younger generation of the clan must do every spring. How could they bring an outsider? He's an outsider who has trespassed into another clan's territory. Absolutely not.
"Take me with you!" Jia'er continued to plead, even starting to whine.
The "little kid" had no idea what he was thinking. The leader stepped forward and said, "No, you can't follow us. Please leave as soon as possible."
Jia'er didn't leave; he just kept happily sticking his butt out and wiggling in place, not in a hurry at all.
The leaders saw that they couldn't drive away the "little monster," and they couldn't force it away either, because if they knocked it down, it would attract its mother's attention.
Seeing that there was no other way, everyone started to discuss things on the spot.
"Qingye, what should we do? Should we just leave? He's so fast, I'm so scared of his mother..."
"Xiao Mian, why are you afraid? We didn't hurt him."
But how do we get there?
"Don't worry, how about I go and distract him?"
"No, no, we all have to go together..."
Jia'er blinked his eyes and listened openly to the discussion about strategies to avoid him.
After much discussion, the group of friends still couldn't come up with a solution.
Jia'er stood opposite his friends, and seeing that they were at a loss, he asked with concern:
Have you reached an agreement?
Someone in the crowd glared at him. The weather was fine today, with a gentle breeze, perfect for sowing seeds. They should have set off long ago, but this "little monster" was blocking their way.
"I'll hold him back, you guys hurry up and go, I'll catch up with you later," said one of the golden little monsters.
"No, Jinbao, he's definitely faster than you, and faster than us."
"Then let's take him with us."
"Honghong, can you please stop causing trouble?"
"What should we do? I'm going to be hungry if we don't leave soon."
"Don't worry, Dahuang."
"..."
Jia'er's eyes darted around, staring at whoever spoke. As everyone chattered away, his gaze swept over the group of people in front of him.
After a while, seeing that they would run out of time if they didn't leave soon, everyone stopped and stared at the "little monster" in front of them again.
He still looked at them with his big eyes open and a smile on his face.
After the final silent exchange, it was Aono who stepped forward and earnestly addressed Koji:
"The five of us are begging you, please don't block our way, could you let us pass?"
"Hey!" Jia'er waved his hand and then said heartily:
"Qingye, Xiaomian, Honghong, Jinbao, Dahuang, let's go together!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
There's really no other way now. Without this "little monster," they really can't go anywhere, and their parents told them today that they have to finish planting these grass seeds today...
Fine, let him follow.
The group carried bamboo baskets on their backs and resignedly walked forward, with Jia'er following behind as she wished.
"Let's go."
Everyone carried a small bamboo basket except Jia'er, but he was still very happy.
The first day was like this. On the second day, as soon as everyone went out, there was a "thump thump" sound in the corridor as usual, and then a figure appeared on time!
The same thing happened on the third day, and on the fourth and fifth days...
The people had become numb to it; as soon as they went outside, they would see this "little monster" waiting for them.
He didn't go with his mother; instead, he went out with the animals to scatter grass seeds...
Oh, by the way, according to the "little monster" himself, his name is Ao Jia, he comes from the East Sea, and he doesn't know how old he is yet. He'll tell them after he asks his mother.
...
*
Yinglong has now completely placed her cubs in the Muyun Clan. Sometimes when she goes out, she doesn't even tell Jia'er.
Anyway, this kid's having a blast. As long as there's no danger, let him go wherever he wants.
She had important things to do herself.
Looking at the barren world outside, she walked step by step down the mountain.
Having stayed in the Muyun tribe for so long, it's really hard to adjust to being out here all of a sudden.
Within the Muyun tribe, spring is in full bloom, with birdsong, fragrant flowers, and lush greenery everywhere. But outside, it's like a forgotten corner of the world, a desolate wasteland of Gobi Desert.
It's like another world.
Here, the space seemed to be completely distorted by the heatwave, and the dry sand caressed one's cheeks, making everything so uncomfortable...
Wearing a cloak, Yinglong walked step by step toward the small village at the foot of the mountain. Her footsteps crushed the dry, cracking earth, making a soft, crunching sound.
Meanwhile, within the clan.
"Scatter grass seeds~"
As Jia'er ran, he splashed water and danced across the vast grassland, his solitary figure the only one to be seen.
Since he didn't have a bamboo basket, he naturally didn't have any grass seeds either. So after he finished scattering them, he came back, randomly picked up someone's basket, took out a handful, and continued scattering.
He was quick and agile, and in just half a day, he took on most of the work by himself.
Everyone had a lot of opinions about this, and they also found it strange.
This "little monster" is too outgoing. No matter who he's with, he acts like he's known them for ages, casually grabbing something from their basket and leaving.
Not shy at all!
Niu Honghong was exhausted and sat down on the ground, looking at the "little monster" running around like it was on steroids, and it was very envious.
"Hurry up, this is the second to last day to sow the seeds. We have to finish sowing them today, or it will be too late tomorrow."
"I'm exhausted, I need to rest for a bit," said the chubby boy on the ground.
"I'll do it!"
After running around for a while, Jia'er returned and deftly carried the person's bamboo basket on his back.
This was his first time carrying a bamboo basket, and he found it very fun.
"Hey, no way!" Before someone could finish speaking, Xiaolong had already left with his bamboo basket on his back.
The thud sitting on the ground felt a little guilty after being glared at.
Jia'er was very happy. He worked hard but didn't feel tired. He was even happier when he played with everyone.
He diligently finished scattering a basket of seeds, and he was actually the first one to finish. When he returned with the bamboo basket on his back, before he could even put it down, he saw a group of people surrounding him. Jia'er thought that everyone was finally going to come and make friends with him.
The excitement had barely begun to show when someone in the crowd spoke up:
Why do you always follow us?
"Yes, you've been following us for several days now."
"We don't need your help with the work either."
"Yes, yes, I can actually finish it myself."
Honghong was pushed and it mumbled something.
Ah, I see. People aren't here to make friends with me.
Jia'er obediently put down the bamboo basket. He stood in the opposite direction of everyone, not knowing what to say for the first time.
"Why?" After thinking it over, he could only ask this one question.
"There's no reason why, you're not welcome here!"
"And your mother too!"
"Yes, yes."
Seeing everyone nod in unison, Jia'er was puzzled:
"Can't you take me with you?"
"No," Xiaomian said.
"Why?" Xiaolong stubbornly kept asking questions, even though they looked exactly the same size.
"Because your mother froze all the holy water of our tribe. Look, after you sowed the grass seeds, we almost have no water to irrigate the land."
The bamboo tube, about half the size of a stalk, contained only a few drops of water, indicating that there was indeed no water left to irrigate the land.
Is that so? Jia'er scratched his head, his carefree grin gone.
"So, you and your mother should leave here quickly, and our lives will return to normal soon, you understand?"
Yes, yes.
So everyone dislikes him that much, oh well.
Under a cloudless sky, the air was almost still; I don't know how much time had passed.
"Then I'll go first." Jia'er finally spoke softly. Although he wanted to say it in a lively tone, his voice just wouldn't rise, remaining very low...
Seeing him like this, the crowd felt a rare pang of pity; the guy looked rather pitiful.
No, how could he be pitiful? He has such a powerful mother, so powerful that even the clan chief has to listen to them… His mother simply doesn't respect the entire clan…
Don't feel sorry for them, just let them leave quickly.
"I'm leaving now." Jia'er didn't know if he was really saying goodbye to everyone or just talking to himself. After he finished speaking, he put down his small bamboo basket and left.
The first time he carried a small bamboo basket, he thought it would be a lot of fun. Actually, it was a bit heavy, but as the grass seeds inside were scattered, the basket would gradually become lighter, which was still a lot of fun.
As everyone watched his retreating figure, they had a feeling that this guy would suddenly turn around and dash back in front of them, grinning from ear to ear, and say:
"I'm back! Let's play together!"
But no, Jia'er left very quietly this time.
The entire meadow fell silent for a moment.
The next day was the last day for sowing grass seeds, and everyone felt slightly uncomfortable when they went out.
The familiar clicking sound and the carefree, happy figures running down the corridors that had been expected earlier were nowhere to be seen on this last day.
Ah, that "little monster" really didn't come. This is the last day.
After looking at each other and counting heads once, everyone silently lined up and set off.
Strangely, no one wanted to talk on the last day.
Jia'er didn't go with the others to sow grass seeds; he had his own schedule.
That day, he went out with his mother.
Although they have left the Muyun Clan, it is only a temporary departure; they will eventually have to return.
Remembering what the little boy had told him before, that he and his mother should leave their tribe as soon as possible... it would be a lie to say he wasn't sad; Jia'er rarely had anything on his mind.
However, he wasn't particularly sad; he was still very happy to be out with his mother.
As soon as he stepped out of the barrier, the moisture on his body evaporated instantly, and Jia'er immediately felt his face tighten.
The air inside my nose was burning hot, and the ground beneath my feet was cracked.
Just like when they first arrived, the two of them, one big and one small, walked on this land with uneven steps, each step kicking up clouds of dust.
After walking for a long time, when they stopped to rest, Yinglong looked at the child in her arms who was squirming restlessly. She felt something was off—it was rare to see her child so quiet, so she softly asked:
"What's wrong with Jia'er? What happened?"
"It's nothing," Jia'er mumbled. The weather outside was so dry that he and his mother felt uncomfortable.
"Something must have happened, right?"
"No, Mother, I just wanted to come out and play."
Jia'er looked at his mother, but what he was really thinking was—he didn't understand why everyone disliked him.
Okay, if you don't like it, you don't like it. If you don't want to play with me, you don't want to play with me.
He followed his mother step by step to a village. At the entrance of the village, his mother put a cloak on him.
This cloak was made by his father himself. When he first left the East Sea, it was a bit too long and dragged on the ground, but now it fits him perfectly.
Xiao Long's arms and legs have grown longer now; he's no longer the short, chubby little guy he used to be.
"Mother, where are we going?" Whenever he put on his cloak, Jia'er knew he was going to the human realm.
"Let's go and take a look at the human villages."
Yinglong held the child's hand and walked step by step through the village. No one around them paid attention to them or knew them.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
