Xiao Youchen rolled up his trouser legs, tied the bamboo basket around his waist, and walked down to the river.
"Brother, give me the bamboo basket!"
"Okay, just watch. I don't want you to accidentally pinch your hand again. If you're really bored waiting, why not play in the water for a while? It'll be cooler that way."
After Xiao Youchen finished speaking, he lowered his head and began to look for shrimps and crabs in the mud holes beside the river bank.
Xiao Shuangning was stunned for a while before she responded helplessly: "Oh!"
She took off her shoes, rolled up her trouser legs, sat down by the river, and slapped her legs in the water, making a loud clattering sound.
"Brother, I won't let the shrimp run away like this, right?"
"It's okay. There are plenty of shrimps in this river. It doesn't matter if one or two run away. As long as you are happy, nothing is more important than making my sister happy." Xiao Youchen stood up and responded to Xiao Shuangning with a smile.
After hearing what Xiao Youchen said, Xiao Shuangning became even more unscrupulous and clapped her feet even harder. She laughed so hard that her mouth couldn't stop. Her laughter echoed in the air, and everyone who heard it couldn't help but laugh along.
She slapped the water with her feet even harder and couldn't help singing.
Let's row our oars, pushing the boat through the waves. The sea reflects the beautiful white pagoda, surrounded by green trees and red walls. The boat gently floats in the water, and a cool breeze blows towards us...
Xiao Youchen has always liked Xiao Shuangning's oriole-like voice. Now when he hears Xiao Shuangning singing, his heart is filled with waves of emotion, and he feels more passionate and motivated.
While catching shrimps, he was humming along with Xiao Shuangning.
"Ningning, I just like listening to you sing. It makes me more energetic when I hear you sing."
"Really? Then I'll keep singing for you until you fill the bamboo basket."
"Okay! As long as I want to hear it, Ningning can sing to me anytime and anywhere."
"You said it! Don't regret it, even when you grow up."
"Of course, if you don't believe me, let's pinky promise." Xiao Shuangning stretched out her little finger and made a pinky promise gesture with Xiao Youchen.
Xiao Youchen looked at Xiao Shuangning's serious expression and responded with a smile, "Alright, I believe everything Ningning says. No need to make a promise, just keep singing! My hands are covered in mud and I'm afraid I'll dirty yours."
"Okay!" Xiao Shuangning responded and continued to sing with all her heart.
Her voice is really nice, like the voice of heaven.
The gurgling river, coupled with its natural sound, makes people feel cool and refreshed in this hot summer.
Soon, little Youchen had a basket full of shrimp and crabs. In this regard, if little Youchen claimed first place, no one would dare claim second place. He probably inherited this from his father. It was as if he was born to be a child of the river, as if the river took extra care of him, deliberately driving the fish, shrimp, and crabs to his side. Every time he went out, he always returned with a full load.
"Ningning, we've caught enough. Do you still want to play? If not, let's go back!" Xiao Youchen shook the shrimps and crabs in the bamboo basket, and only after confirming that there was no room for any more did he ask for Xiao Shuangning's opinion.
"Let's go back! I'm still waiting for my mother to cook shrimps and crabs for me! I'm drooling just thinking about it. Brother, come here, I'll pull you up. Come up quickly, I'm so hungry."
"Okay, get out of the way. I'll come up by myself. With your small body, I'm afraid I won't pull you down instead of pulling me up."
"Hmm!" Xiao Shuangning stood aside, mumbling.
Xiao Youchen climbed out of the river, grabbing onto the weeds and small trees along the shore. The two of them walked happily towards home, hand in hand.
Suddenly, several children from the village rushed out and blocked their way.
"What are you going to do?"
Seeing that the person coming had ill intentions, Xiao Youchen quickly pulled Xiao Shuangning behind him and spread out his arms to protect her.
Little Shuangning stood trembling behind Little Youchen. Having been spoiled by him, she hadn't felt this fear in ages. She had even forgotten what fear was. She had thought her life would always be smooth sailing, with no more nightmares. These vicious children brought back memories of her previous, inhuman life.
The older boy, who was leading the group, looked at the two siblings with disdain and said, "You're so smart, you're already a hero saving the damsel in distress at such a young age! You don't want your sister to be your wife, do you? But there's nothing strange about that. You're a family of freaks, so you're definitely different from us normal people, right?"
The others laughed and echoed. The boy looked even more smug, laughing wildly with the other children. His expression was so ferocious, completely lacking the innocence that a child should have.
"You are talking nonsense, you are the monsters." Xiao Youchen was so angry that his face turned red and he tried to raise his voice to refute.
One of the boys came up to Xiao Youchen and snatched the bamboo basket from him. "Wow! That's quite a lot! But with so many of us, I'm afraid there won't be enough to go around!"
As the boy spoke, he shook all the shrimps and crabs in the bamboo basket onto the ground, and swarmed over, stomping the fresh shrimps and crabs on the ground with his feet until they were crushed to pieces.
Xiao Youchen rushed forward anxiously and pulled with those people, trying to stop their evil deeds.
"No, don't step on my shrimps. You—you have to compensate me for my shrimps."
The children worked together to push him to the ground. Xiao Shuangning then went over to help Xiao Youchen up, "Brother, are you okay?"
Xiao Youchen looked back at Xiao Shuangning. He could feel that the hand that Xiao Shuangning was holding on to him was shaking. He gently grabbed Xiao Shuangning's hand and said, "Ningning, I'm here. I will protect you. Don't be afraid."
"You are the scourge of the village. How can you have the right to eat the shrimps and crabs in the river? I would rather feed these shrimps and crabs to dogs than to you. You'd better get out of Yuanji Village as soon as possible. My mother said that if you stay in the village, sooner or later you will be a scourge to us, the flowers of the motherland and the future pillars. Don't you agree?"
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