44
"Awoo!"
"Don't run! Draw!"
Cai Cai was anxious to catch up with the painting that was only half-finished. She raised her two little arms in the air and tried to grab it, but the painting fluttered in the wind and flew further and further away.
Without noticing, Cai Cai, who was running forward, tripped over a brick and fell to the ground with a "crack".
Luckily, the whole area was grass, so the fall didn't hurt. He even rolled around twice on the soft grass, and suddenly his fluffy overalls were covered in small flowers and grass, looking all dirty.
He lay prone on the grass, one hand supporting him, the other still reaching out and grabbing at something. "Cai Cai's painting!"
Xiao He followed behind him and saw Xiao Qingcai fall down. Forget about the painting that had drifted away, the little girl pulled him up with great difficulty.
"Does it hurt?"
She lowered her head to meet Cai Cai's gaze as he sat on the grass, and touched his arm with her small hand. "Don't sleep here, get up quickly."
Cai Cai snorted and turned her head away, a small leaf falling from her hair. "I'm not talking to you anymore."
"Why?"
Xiaohe squatted down in front of the other person, gazing into those eyes that were just as beautiful as her own. "Why are you ignoring me?"
The two children had completely forgotten how they had slipped out of the noodle shop and were throwing a tantrum without a care in the world.
Fortunately, there were a few families camping nearby, so the place wasn't too remote, and the sounds of children playing made me feel safe.
"My painting is gone. I should never have painted you."
He just drew a family in that picture, and even drew a flower on Xiaohe's head. Caicai didn't even have a chance to show it to his parents before Xiaohe lost the picture, and he was really angry.
"snort!"
Cai Cai went elsewhere to sulk, keeping her far away from her.
Unfortunately, children cannot share each other's joys and sorrows.
Xiaohe found her lost painting, which had drifted down to the ground under a big tree. She picked it up and happily approached Caicai, saying, "It's okay, you can draw another one."
Learning from past mistakes, she didn't insist on showing this to Xiao Qingcai.
"Then apologize to me." Otherwise, she won't be a good girl.
"sorry."
Xiao He blurted out, "Being flexible and adaptable," which surprised Cai Cai for a moment.
However, a mistake is a mistake. If apologizing can make Xiao Qingcai less sad, then she can say sorry a few more times.
"Do you forgive me?"
"Wait a little longer, and I'll forgive you."
"..."
Lin Jiang, who had just retrieved her coat from upstairs, realized something was wrong before she even reached the door.
Where are the three children?
Did Chen Yu take you out to play?
She thought she was overthinking things, so she put the three little jackets on the chair and scolded Chen Yu in her heart for taking the child away without giving him any clothes to wear.
But then a crackling sound came from the kitchen—the familiar sound of Chen Yu chopping ribs. Realizing this, Lin Jiang jumped up and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Chen Yu! Chen Yu, what are you doing?"
The next second, Chen Yu's appearance wearing an apron and holding a kitchen knife almost made Lin Jiang faint.
"Where are the children? Three children!"
The noodle shop wasn't very big, and she shouted with all her might, her anxiety and fear clearly visible.
"Huh? Didn't you always carry this with you?" Chen Yu casually put down the kitchen knife, ignoring the smell of meat on his hands, and took off his apron as he walked, his lips trembling.
"I was worried they'd be cold, so I went upstairs to get their coats. Didn't I tell you to watch over them for a while?"
"You didn't say that?"
Chen Yu wasn't trying to shirk responsibility. He tried hard to recall what had just happened, but his mind was blank and he couldn't remember anything. His whole body felt as cold as if it were being soaked in ice.
There were three small, uneven stools by the door, crayons scattered on the ground, and a drawing. It was easy to see that the children had just played there.
But where are the three of them now?
Just as Lin Jiang was about to call the police with trembling hands, Mu Mu descended upon them like the sun, a symbol of hope, saying, "Uncle, Aunt, Cai Cai and Xiao He have run away."
She was a good child, and more mature than others. She remembered her parents' words that she shouldn't run around, so she stayed here and hoped that her younger siblings would stop playing and come back soon.
"Baby, where did they go? Did they run away on their own? Tell me everything you saw!"
Lin Jiang was completely at a loss. She hugged her and asked when her younger siblings had run away. Mu Mu shook her head and nodded at the same time, pointing to the right, "It seems like they went there."
Without even closing the shop door, Chen Yu and Lin Jiang ran in the direction Mu Mu had indicated.
When they arrived, Cai Cai and Xiao He had already made up. Although they were mischievous, they weren't too stupid. They knew to wait where they were if they couldn't find their uncle and aunt. They leaned against a big tree, holding a leaf in one hand and a wildflower in the other.
"Caicai and Xiaohe! What are you doing here? My darlings!"
The children were delighted to see familiar faces, jumping and skipping around. Cai Cai obediently replied, "Auntie, I've come to find drawing paper."
Lin Jiang could no longer hear any explanations. She checked the two mischievous boys over from head to toe, "Are you hurt? You were so worried about me! Why didn't you tell me you wanted to come and play?"
Staring at her uncle and aunt's anxious faces, which were on the verge of tears, Cai Cai and Xiao He realized that they had done something wrong. They immediately stopped smiling and laughing, their faces showing panic, their fingers twisting together as they touched each other.
"I'm sorry, Auntie."
The two of them belatedly realized they were scared and spoke in childish voices.
Lin Jiang and Chen Yu were still shaken by fear. They didn't say anything, but Lin Jiang patted their heads and said, "Next time you go somewhere, you must tell your uncle and aunt. You're still young. What if bad people kidnap you?"
Being taken away means never seeing their parents again, never eating delicious food again, and they know that.
"I promise I won't run around like that again," Xiaohe said, wrapping her arms around her waist.
"Okay, be a good boy/girl."
Lin Jiang patted her chest and looked at Chen Yu. Both of them saw the relief of "surviving a disaster" in each other's eyes. They couldn't imagine how the couple would explain to Zhong Wanchu and Qinghuai if something had really happened to the babies.
It's not that the children are naughty, but that they are too young and naive, unaware of the dangers of society. There is nothing wrong with running out to play, but there are many potential dangers around them that threaten them. It is wrong not to take protective measures. Safety is a very difficult thing to guarantee, and the best solution is to be more careful.
Playing is a child's nature, and Lin Jiang never blamed them. Isn't this a wake-up call for adults to be more responsible and attentive to children?
"Auntie, we won't do it again." Cai Cai looked at her timidly.
Lin Jiang: It's okay, it's windy outside, let's go back first.
Crossing a lawn, the three children walked ahead. Chen Yu was exchanging messages with Chu Qinghuai, all for the children's safety, as this matter had to be taken seriously.
Now they don't want to take their eyes off the children for even a moment.
Mumu walked in the middle, holding her younger brother and sister's hands in each. Caicai's legs were too short to keep up, so she simply let go of her hands.
He jogged along by himself, taking small steps. Lin Jiang noticed he was walking very fast and couldn't help but remind him, "Slow down."
Cai Cai is a typical example of someone who forgets the pain once the wound heals. In a familiar place, on the same brick, he accidentally tripped over it again. He didn't fall, but it still gave everyone quite a fright.
Lin Jiang, in particular, had a bit of a stress reaction. When she saw Cai Cai stumble, her heart jumped, and she tripped over herself without noticing.
We're doomed.
"What's going on every day?"
Lin Jiang sat on the ground, supporting her calves, enduring the pain, and with Chen Yu's help, stood up, but her ankles were burning with pain.
The three children stopped walking and rushed over upon hearing the noise.
"Auntie, auntie, what's wrong?"
No matter how much pain she was in, she would always say she was fine.
Chen Yu frowned deeply, almost half-embracing his wife, and asked with concern, "How are you? Can you walk?"
"I think it's a bit risky."
Lin Jiang's words were what truly made people's hearts sink.
"Can't you walk? Could you have broken a bone? Should I call an ambulance?"
"No, no, you can drive me to the check-up. There's no need to make a fuss and waste medical resources."
Lin Jiang had to admire herself for falling down even on flat ground. She still had to comfort the children, saying, "Were you scared, darlings? Are you hungry? Auntie will get you some cookies when we get back."
"Auntie, what happened to your leg?"
Mumu asked thoughtfully.
"It's nothing, I can't move for now."
Lin Jiang knew these children were clever and didn't want them to worry, so she told them some jokes to make them laugh.
Chen carried her all the way to the noodle shop, saying, "Let's get her down and see if she's in a lot of pain. We need to get to the hospital right away."
Lin Jiang was in so much pain that she couldn't bear it any longer, and she asked through gritted teeth, "What about the children?"
"Take it with you, take it with you, you're the most important person now."
-
Zhong Wan and Chu Qinghuai didn't hear the news until almost evening. Before that, they had no idea that the children had caused such a big incident. When they arrived at the hospital, all three children were asleep. Zhong Wan didn't go to see them, but instead greeted Lin Jiang first.
"Sister Lin, I'm so sorry, those three brats caused you so much trouble. Is your leg alright? It'll take a long time to recover."
She never imagined her child could be so mischievous, already running around everywhere.
"The doctor said it's nothing." Lin Jiang reached out and took the apple that she had peeled, and quickly said, "It's my own fault for not walking properly. It's not the children's fault. As long as they're alright, that's all that matters."
Zhong Wan looked worried, concerned about Lin Jiang's injuries, and also angry with the children, as if she could say "I'm going to teach them a lesson" at any moment.
"Really, don't blame the children. They're still young. They'll understand later."
"Okay, Sister Lin, you should take good care of yourself. We won't trouble you to take care of the child during this time; we'll take care of him ourselves."
The moment Chu Qinghuai uttered the words "bring yourself," he seemed to sense a murderous aura.
The couple didn't like to trouble others, but now that their child had caused such a big loss to someone else, they felt terrible about it.
"Brother Yu, you should stay at the hospital tonight and not leave. I'll keep an eye on the noodle shop, and Chu Qinghuai will bring you dinner later tonight."
Zhong Wan was quick-witted and planned everything meticulously. Until Lin Jiang's foot fully recovered, she and Chu Qinghuai would continue to help manage the noodle shop and prepare meals for Lin Jiang and Chen Yu.
"No, that would be too much trouble. You have children to take care of. Don't waste your time here. My injury will heal in a few days."
"It's no trouble at all. This is what we should do anyway. Sister Lin, you just focus on recovering from your injury."
It was getting late, so Chu Qinghuai had to go home to cook, and Zhong Wan had to go home to take care of the children. The family of five then said goodbye to the hospital.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
