Chapter 284 Fireflies
After lunch, everyone went on an adventure in the neighborhood.
Mao Mao had already gone on several adventures in the mountains with her brother, and each time there was something new and exciting. This time, Sophie was there too, and she had never experienced anything like it before.
Mao Mao took her to see the small waterfall in the mountains. They stepped on stones and crossed a small riverbank. The two little ones held hands and supported each other, walking unsteadily, which made the adults following behind them feel scared.
Mao Mao even brought her insect net, wanting to take Sophie along to catch butterflies. On the way, they saw a little squirrel jump over a tree, and the two little ones immediately forgot about the insect, standing under the tree, tilting their little heads up, looking around among the green leaves.
Before they could find the squirrel, Mao Mao spotted a large black stag beetle and caught it for Sophie to play with.
A chubby little hand was holding a large, menacing black beetle, with several cute little dimples on the back of its hand. The contrast was so stark that Sophie turned pale with fright and hid behind Mr. Langdon.
"Sophie, don't you like it?"
Mao Mao looked at the large beetle in her hand with regret, then obediently put it back on the tree.
If my friend doesn't like it, then I don't want it.
Sophie: "..."
Lou Dashuai and his three older brothers: "..."
Lou Hongjian's face turned particularly green.
Isn't their Mao Mao a little too daring?
Ignoring this unexpected incident, the group continued on their way.
Surprisingly, Mr. Langdon turned out to be a plant expert, able to name most of the plants they encountered along the way, and describe their characteristics, adding many surprises to their adventure.
“I’ve always had some interest in this,” Mr. Langdon said with a smile. “I used to enjoy studying these plants when I went on expeditions. If I hadn’t gone into the Department of Foreign Affairs, I might be a botanist now.”
As he spoke, he picked two kinds of fruit from the roadside bushes and said to the two children, “Look, although they look similar, you have to be careful to tell them apart. Only the one I’m holding in my left hand is edible.”
As he spoke, he threw away the fruit he was holding in his right hand and gave the rest to the two little girls. Mao Mao and Sophie curiously put them in their mouths and both tasted the sweet flavor.
The two children's eyes immediately lit up, and they looked at Mr. Langdon with adoration.
They instantly became Mr. Langdon's little shadows, following him wherever he went.
"Mao Mao is also looking for food in the mountains." Mao Mao shared with Sophie: "His cat is very clever, just like your father. It knows what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten. When they lived in the cave, they ate wild fruits from the mountains in addition to fish."
Sophie hadn't heard Maomao's story before, and only vaguely understood it, but that didn't diminish her pride: "My dad is amazing!"
Mao Mao enthusiastically exclaimed, "Mmm! Awesome!"
Commander Lou: "..."
Lou Dashuai coughed and casually pointed to a plant on the ground: "Fengju, what is this?"
Lou Fengju: "...It's weeds."
Lou Dashuai glared at him.
You're so disappointing!
Lou Feng raised her hands in surrender: "Dad, I'm not a botanist, and I have no interest in plants."
You can ask him to identify weapons and guns, but to identify grass? Aren't all grasses the same?
However, physical strength remains Mr. Langdon's weakness.
When Mao Mao got tired, Lou Dashuai picked her up and regained his advantage.
Thanks to Mr. Toland, they also found quite a few edible plants that afternoon, which they would use as a snack that evening.
During the day, the temperature on the mountain is pleasantly cool, but at night, the night wind blows and it gets a bit chilly.
The cave was cold and damp, but fortunately, they had gathered enough firewood during the day, and the fire was lit to dispel the chill.
Everyone huddled around the fire for warmth, and after dinner, they lay together to look at the stars.
The starry sky in the wild was incredibly bright. Surrounded by nature, the bright stars in the sky converged into a Milky Way. At this moment, Mr. Langdon's knowledge was of no use, and Lou Yansui taught her younger sister to recognize the stars.
Every star in the sky shines in its own way. Human eyes observe them and seek their secrets, yet they remain motionless, radiating their own light.
Lou Yansui taught her younger sister to identify the Big Dipper, the Morning Star, and the meaning of each star.
A shooting star streaked across the sky, leaving a bright trail.
Lou Hongjian perked up and immediately said, "Mao Mao, make a wish! Wishes made on shooting stars are very effective."
"oh!"
Mao Mao quickly closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and made a sincere wish with her little face.
Mr. Langdon looked at his daughter: "Sophie, aren't you going to make a wish?"
Sophie was a beat slow before she clasped her hands together.
The meteor has long since disappeared.
It's too late to make a wish at this point.
But no one disturbed them.
After Mao Mao slowly finished making her wish and opened her eyes again, she saw a point of light flashing and floating past her.
"Huh?"
Mao Mao opened her eyes wide in surprise.
She rubbed her eyes and looked again. The light was still not far away, flashing.
"Brother." Mao Mao held her breath, tugged at her brother's sleeve, and whispered cautiously, "A star fell down."
Lou Yansui chuckled: "Mao Mao, these aren't stars, they're fireflies."
"firefly?"
"It's a kind of insect that glows at night."
Lou Fengju nimbly reached out and caught the firefly, then spread it out in front of his sister.
Now, Mao Mao could finally see it clearly. It was indeed a small insect with a slender and flat body, and its rear end was flashing with a fluorescent light.
Sophie had never seen it before either, and the two little heads huddled together.
Under the watchful eyes of two large eyes, the firefly wobbled to its feet, shook its wings, and flew away again.
No one stopped them, because they discovered that there was more than one point of light around them, and several fireflies were flying around them, creating a dreamlike scene. Mao Mao stretched out her finger, and another point of light landed on her fingertip.
"It's so beautiful!" Mao Mao's eyes sparkled, reflecting the twinkling lights. "Mom didn't see it. Mao Mao will bring Mom to see it next time."
Lou Dashuai laughed and replied, "Okay, Dad will take you camping again next time."
Lou Hongjian said, "Next time, our whole family can come together."
Mao Mao cheered happily, "That's great!"
"Sophie?"
Mr. Langdon saw the longing in his daughter's eyes: "Sophie, you want to come again too, why don't you say so?"
"I……"
Sophie hesitated before saying, "...Can we do it again?"
“Why not?” Mr. Langdon said. “If you just say it, Dad will grant your wish.”
Sophie hesitated for a long time before finally shaking her head: "Once is enough, Dad."
Mr. Langdon exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, Sophie..."
Mao Mao looked at her friend with a puzzled expression.
She asked, puzzled, "Sophie, aren't you happy?"
"No, Mao Mao, I'm very happy."
"You don't like living in a cave?"
"No, no, no, I like it very much."
Mao Mao enthusiastically extended an invitation: "Let's stay in the cave together again next time! I can play the harmonica for you; I'm really good at it!"
Sophie was filled with anticipation and longing.
“But…” she said dejectedly, “Miss Bailey won’t agree.”
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