A Twist of Fate

Mǎn Bǎo and the others surrounded Bái Èrliáng, staring intently at him.

Under the intense gaze of four pairs of eyes, Bái Èrliáng couldn't hold back any longer. His face turned red as he shouted, "Why are you all staring at me?" I always took the carriage up there. "I've never walked this path before." "How would I know which way to go?"

Zhōu Wǔláng couldn't help but grind his teeth, feeling that this kid was truly wasting their time.

But Mǎn Bǎo surprisingly found his words reasonable, although she was still very angry with him for not telling them earlier. "If you had told us earlier, we wouldn't have taken so many wrong turns."

"Exactly," Bái Shànbǎo was also very angry and even pushed him, saying, "Troublemaker!"

Bái Èrliáng's face turned red with anger. He pushed him back and shouted, "You guys have someone to carry you, not getting tired at all. I've been walking all this time." I'm so young, and yet you all bully me! "Hmph, I didn't harm you, I harmed myself."

Mǎn Bǎo was taken aback and looked at him with sympathy, "Why are you so foolish to harm yourself like this?"

Bái Shànbǎo said, "No wonder Uncle said your brain isn't good." "I have to take better care of you in the future; it turns out your brain really isn't functioning well."

Bái Èrliáng was stunned for a moment, then burst into tears, sat down, and refused to move any further.

Initially, Zhōu Wǔláng and Zhōu Liùláng were still angry, but when they saw the two of them, they couldn't help but feel sorry for them. They felt that Mǎn Bǎo and the young master Bái had been too harsh on him.

Considering that the other party was even younger than their own nephew, the two reluctantly comforted him, "Alright, stop crying." Even though you led us the wrong way, we didn't say we would punish you. Let's find a way back.

Bái Èrliáng sobbed, "I… I can't… I can't walk anymore, I won't go…"

Zhōu Wǔláng looked around and dragged him to the shade of a tree, instructing everyone to sit down. "Let's rest for a while; we're really tired."

Bái Èrliáng gradually stopped crying, rubbed his little legs, and said, "I want to go home." I want to take a carriage.

Zhōu Wǔláng and Zhōu Liùláng exchanged glances, feeling a bit of a headache. They then persuaded Mǎn Bǎo again, "We won't find Third Brother today if we don't know the way." Let's go back home first and come back tomorrow.

Mǎn Bǎo nodded dejectedly.

However, no one moved for a while, all planning to rest for a while.

In the second half of the journey, Mǎn Bǎo and Bái Shànbǎo, who had been carried all along, were in high spirits. Unable to sit still, they started looking around. When they saw a butterfly perched on the wildflowers nearby, their eyes lit up, and they stealthily tried to catch it.

Zhōu Wǔláng didn't stop them, as they were right under his watchful eyes.

Mǎn Bǎo missed, but Bái Shànbǎo, who was prepared, swiftly reached out and caught it instantly.

The two children cheered and began to examine the butterfly's wings, marveling at its beauty.

Mǎn Bǎo eagerly wanted to catch more, so she and Bái Shànbǎo slowly walked away. As they walked, they saw someone ahead carrying a hoe and walking towards them.

Excited, Mǎn Bǎo called out, "Big brother, hello."

Bái Shànbǎo lagged behind a bit and said, "Hello, uncle."

Their different ways of addressing the man were quite distinct. Without waiting for the man to speak, the two children glared at each other.

Mǎn Bǎo said, "You called him old."

Bái Shànbǎo said, "You're rude; he's obviously an uncle."

The sudden appearance of the two children startled the farmer. "Whose children are you?" How did you come here? "Aren't you afraid of being taken away by wolves?"

Zhōu Wǔláng and Zhōu Liùláng heard the commotion and quickly emerged from the shade of the tree, running over.

Upon seeing the two other children, the farmer breathed a sigh of relief and scolded them, "Why did you bring your younger siblings here to play?" Don't you know to be careful? There are wolves and even large tigers in these mountains. Be careful of being taken away by wolves.

Zhōu Wǔláng was also a bit scared and pulled Mǎn Bǎo's collar, saying, "You're running around again."

Mǎn Bǎo twisted her body and said, "I came to ask for directions, big brother." "Do you know how to get to Báimǎguān Town?"

"Call me uncle," the man's expression was somewhat difficult to describe as he was being called 'big brother' by a child almost the same age as his own daughter. He said, "If you want to go to Báimǎguān Town, when you reach the front, turn right." That is the official road. Just keep going straight, and you'll be there in about three-quarters of an hour.

Mǎn Bǎo exclaimed, "Oh, so we didn't take the wrong road."

She apologized to Bái Èrliáng, "We wrongly accused you."

Bái Èrliáng, with red eyes from crying, became proud, "I told you I didn't make a mistake." "It takes a long time to travel from our village to the town, let alone on foot."

Zhōu Wǔláng was very skeptical. Although he hadn't been to Báimǎguān Town much, he had heard his brothers talk about it. It was faster to travel from the village to Báimǎguān Town than to the county seat.

If they hadn't taken the wrong road, how could they still not have arrived?

"So he asked the farmer, 'Uncle, is this the road from Qīlǐ Village to Báimǎguān Town?'"

The farmer, who was about to leave, stopped and looked at them as if they were fools. He said, "You came from Qīlǐ Village?" "Then you should have taken the right path at the first fork in the road." That's the way to Báimǎguān Town. If you go this way, you'll end up on the other side of town, adding half the distance for no reason.

Everyone turned to look at Bái Èrliáng once more.

Bái Èrliáng hung his head and didn't say anything.

The farmer guessed that the children didn't know the way and had been wandering around. He smiled and asked, "Where are you going?"

Mǎn Bǎo immediately told him that they were going to find their brother who was serving in the military.

The farmer exclaimed, "Ah, I remember seeing laborers on the main road up ahead; it appears they are from Qīlǐ Village and Dàlí Village."

Everyone's eyes lit up. They hadn't expected their luck to be so good. It was a stroke of good fortune after enduring all the hardships.

So, the five of them bid farewell to the farmer and ran ahead, shouting excitedly.

Mǎn Bǎo didn't need to be carried. She ran with her short legs, surprisingly energetic and fast. Zhōu Wǔláng almost couldn't keep up.

Bái Èrliáng also became happy and no longer felt tired, running ahead.

After running for a while, they saw farmland on the right and a forest on the left. When they reached the end, they saw a wide dirt road.

Mǎn Bǎo rushed onto the dirt road, looked left and right, and then ran to the left.

The man had just said they were on the official road on the left.

Zhōu Wǔláng caught up with her, grabbed her, and carried her on his back. "Calm down a bit." "If you fall, my parents will scold me."

Zhōu Wǔláng carried Mǎn Bǎo and led everyone along the official road.

There was no one on the official road, no vehicles, and the ground was bumpy, not much better than the small dirt road they had been on earlier.

After walking for a while, they heard laughter and shouts. Running forward, they saw many people on both sides of the main road, wielding hoes and working the land. Everyone was covered in dirt and wore similar gray cloth clothes, making it impossible to distinguish individuals at a glance.

But Mǎn Bǎo didn't care. She closed her eyes and shouted, "Third Brother…"

In the midst of the crowd, Zhōu Sānláng, who was digging in the mud, felt as though he was hearing things. He seemed to hear Man Bao's voice.