Crying
The two of them were happy and immediately waved to Zhou Sirlang, saying, "Sirlang, you're back?"
"Sirlang, why are you so slow?"
Zhou Sirlang, with red eyes, asked, "Where's Manbao?"
"At home."
Zhou Sirlang rushed towards home.
When the bamboo rat transformed into a pile of meat, Xiao Qianshi was no longer afraid of it, so she cooked it to make it especially fragrant. Manbao smelled the aroma and felt very hungry, so she sat at the dining table early in the morning and refused to leave.
Zhou Sirlang burst in like a gust of wind from outside, spotted Manbao at the dining table, and immediately rushed over to pick her up and examine her closely. ###
Manbao was startled and asked, "Sirlang, what's wrong with you?"
This question was like a switch, and Zhou Sirlang, who had been trembling with fear, burst into tears. He sat on the ground, crying loudly, with tears and mucus flowing.
Beside him, Old Zhou, who was smoking, was so scared that his hand trembled, almost poking the cigarette into his own eye.
The entire Zhou family was stunned, watching Zhou Sirlang cry uncontrollably.
Zhou Sirlang had been in a state of fear and panic all afternoon, with his mind full of thoughts about what to do if Manbao was taken away or if she was attacked by a wolf in the mountains.
Upon seeing his younger sister alive and well, his fear finally found an outlet.
The aftermath of running non-stop emerged, leaving him weak with trembling fingers and toes. Despite this, he continued to cry uncontrollably, completely disregarding his image.
Xiao Qianshi ran out of the kitchen holding a spoon. Seeing him in this state, she felt a mix of anger and amusement, and asked, "What's wrong?" "Who bullied you?"
Manbao, however, regained her composure and, not minding the dirt, reached out and hugged his head, patting his back to comfort him, "Sirlang, don't cry, I'm fine."
Zhou Sirlang sat on the ground with his hands and feet spread out, crying loudly like a shrew. After releasing all his fear, sadness, and grief through tears, he regained his composure. He wiped his tears and gazed at Manbao with a pitiful expression, questioning, "What's wrong with me?"
Clearly, his brain had erased the image of him rushing in and crying while hugging Manbao.
Old Zhou sighed deeply as he put the cigarette back in his mouth. "This is a disaster, and the marriage proposal will be even more difficult."
Upon witnessing Zhou Sirlang cry loudly and miserably, the neighbors became concerned. This time, his crying was worse than when he lost money gambling last year. Although he cried loudly and miserably back then, everyone thought he was still strong.
But this time, his crying revealed his heartbreak and fear, prompting everyone to express their concern.
Old Zhou, not expecting to be blamed, was so angry that he stopped smoking and ordered, "Get out!"
To let people see if he had been beaten.
Zhou Sirlang, feeling guilty, tried to get up but found himself too weak to do so. He looked pitifully at Manbao and his brothers.
Manbao immediately intervened, saying, "Dad, Sirlang is dirty. Let him clean up first."
Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang also guessed that there must have been a misunderstanding. Sirlang probably didn't see the letter they left behind, so they quickly helped him up and led him back to their room.
To reach their room, they had to pass through the main hall, then traverse the courtyard to the room situated beneath the firewood shed. At that moment, numerous villagers were gathered outside the courtyard, witnessing Zhou Sirlang being assisted by his two brothers.
Everyone sighed, feeling that Old Zhou was too harsh. It was a big festival, and he had beaten the child so badly that the child couldn't even walk steadily.
Manbao, with her short legs, also wanted to follow, but was stopped by Old Zhou, who frowned and asked her, "Why was your brother crying?"
Manbao, feeling guilty, said, "I'll go ask Sirlang now."
Old Zhou looked at her suspiciously and asked, "Did you do something wrong today?"
Manbao shook her head repeatedly, saying, "No."
Old Zhou was not skilled at interrogating, especially when it came to his young daughter. After posing a question, he glanced at Qianshi standing by the door.
Qianshi looked at Manbao with a stern gaze.
Manbao tugged at her clothes, lowered her head, and remained silent.
The atmosphere in the room became tense.
Qianshi withdrew her gaze and said, "Go."
Manbao felt as if she had been granted a reprieve and turned to run to Sirlang's room.
The new house was already built, but they had not moved in yet because the bed was not ready. Zhou Sirlang still lived in the thatched house with Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang.
When Manbao entered, Zhou Sirlang had already washed his face, and Zhou Wulang was tying his hair for him.
Because he had cried so hard, his eyes were still red and slightly swollen. When he saw Manbao come in, he snorted and asked, "Where did you go?"
Although Manbao felt guilty, she didn't think it was entirely her fault. She explained, "I was picking leaves, and when I looked up, all of you were gone." "I called out to you, but you didn't answer, so I went to find you."
This made Zhou Sirlang feel guilty, and he paused before saying, "If you ever get lost again, stay where you are and don't move." Otherwise, if we come back and cannot find you, it will be a problem.
Manbao agreed, "I should have left a note for you."
This made Zhou Sirlang angry, and he said to Zhou Wulang, "You can't even leave a proper note, and it got all smudged."
"How was I supposed to know that birds would come and peck at it?" Zhou Wulang retorted. "Manbao went missing in the mountains, and you went to Bai Ma Guan Town." "What were you doing there?"
"I saw a pile of half-burnt leaves in the bamboo grove, and I thought someone had taken Manbao," Zhou Sirlang shuddered at the thought. Once a child is taken by human traffickers, they become almost impossible to find.
If Manbao had really been taken…
Zhou Sirlang's face turned pale as he asked Manbao, "Who started the fire?"
Manbao raised her hand and said softly, "I did."
Zhou Sirlang…
He suddenly felt deflated and couldn't speak.