Xiao Jue sat at the head of the table, watching the heartwarming yet somewhat chaotic scene unfold before him: Su Li cuddled Ling Bao, who was nibbling at her skirt; Chen Bao wiping the tooth-marked account book; Er Bao rolling in a pile of candy; and San Bao protecting his Yun Zhou. His gaze finally settled on the account book Ling Bao had "tortured" (poisoned) with.
On the hard cover that had been wiped clean, next to Lingbao's small handprints and saliva marks, she had at some point used a small piece of burnt charcoal that she had found from somewhere (probably dropped from A'Luo's brazier) to draw a graffiti that was extremely childish and simple, but warmed Xiao Jue's heart.
On the screen, four skewed, barely recognizable stick figures appeared. Holding hands, they formed a small circle. In the center of the circle, an even smaller, square outline was drawn. It resembled a box, or perhaps a small jar.
The four dolls hold hands, guarding the small, inconspicuous existence in the middle.
There are no complicated chaotic formulas, no golden and auspicious prophecies, only the simplest lines and purest emotions from the children's pens.
The hard lines in Xiao Jue's deep eyes melted quietly under the warm light. He reached out, and his broad palm gently covered Chen Bao's small hand that was wiping the account book, also covering Ling Bao's small graffiti.
His voice was low and gentle, like the evening breeze blowing through the quiet courtyard, clearly reaching everyone's ears:
"In this world of chaos and absurdity, all I want is a place of peace and tranquility."
"Whether it's a jar or auspicious signs, they are all external things."
"Being able to protect this small courtyard and keep the four children safe is our greatest 'order'."
Outside the window, moonlight flowed gently over the eaves of the general's mansion, flowing over the pickle jar (number 7) in the backyard, silent in the night. The menacing runes on the jar's walls glowed with a restrained brilliance in the moonlight, silently guarding this perfect moment defined by the childish doodles of four little children, hand in hand.
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