Storm
Manbao was frightened and started to cry.
Next door, Zhou Silang was also awakened by the loud thunder. Unable to hear Manbao's cries over the noise, he quickly got out of bed, threw on some clothes, and ran outside.
Due to the recent hot weather, Manbao slept with the windows open, covered only with a mosquito net to keep the insects out.
When Zhou Silang rushed in, he noticed that the mosquito net was open, and Manbao was sitting on the bed wiping away tears.
He hurried to embrace her. "I'll take you to find your mother."
However, Kokoro felt helpless as it had been trying to reassure its host not to be afraid, but with little success.
Upon noticing Zhou Silang preparing to escort the host outside, Kokoro instinctively scanned the surroundings and gathered alarming information. The air was heavy with moisture, and there seemed to be a storm cloud right above them, looming with thunder and lightning.
It immediately stopped the host. "Host, it's best not to leave the house, at least not to run out from under the eaves."
Under Zhou Silang's protection, Manbao felt less afraid. "Why?" She asked.
Kokoro solemnly replied, "Because there is a high probability of lightning striking people."
As Zhou Silang spoke, he closed the window, then took Manbao's hand and headed outside. Manbao immediately said, "I don't want to find my mother."
Zhou Silang frowned. "If you don't go find your mother, who will you sleep with tonight?"
Manbao glared at him.
Zhou Silang coughed and said, "Alright, I'll stay with you, Fourth Sister."
Manbao just snorted and turned her head away, ignoring him.
With no other choice, Zhou Silang carried Manbao out. The commotion had woken up the other members of the household, and across the wall, Old Zhou urgently asked, "Who is going to pick up Manbao?"
Zhou Silang yelled, "I'll take her to my room."
Manbao also shouted, "Dad, don't go out." Be careful of being struck by lightning!
Zhou Silang:
Old Zhou.
Awakened bystanders.
Initially worried and preparing to fetch her, Old Zhou immediately turned back, locked the doors and windows, realizing that if he went to fetch Manbao, he would share the same surname as her!
After the new house was built, the Eldest Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother shared a room, while the Eldest Sister and Second Sister shared another room.
Third Sister and Fourth Brother, being younger, continued to live with their parents.
At this moment, they heard noises and peeked out of the window, catching sight of their young aunt being carried by Fourth Uncle.
Second Brother chuckled and teased her, "Young aunt is a scaredy-cat."
Manbao was angered by this and clenched her fists before retorting, "You're the scaredy-cat."
Second Sister stood by Manbao's side and shouted from inside the house, "Young aunt, wait for me to help you teach him a lesson."
With the commotion catching the attention of the adults in the neighboring yard, including Old Zhou and Second Zhou, they initially planned to go over and retrieve the children. ### However, they decided against it when they noticed that the children were not scared and did not require assistance.
Old Zhou shouted for them to behave and go to sleep.
However, those who were awakened by the thunder were sure to have trouble falling back asleep. Furthermore, right after Zhou Silang had carried Manbao into his own room, a gust of wind swept through, accompanied by raindrops pelting down with the wind.
He hadn't closed his window, and the rain came right in.
Both he and his wife were startled, quickly rushing to close the window and getting soaked in the process. With no other choice, the wind and rain were too strong.
Manbao, on the other hand, was pleased. The cool breeze that the wind had carried in was a relief after the oppressive heat of the past few days.
She clapped her hands joyfully.
When Zhou Silang turned around and saw how cheerful she was, he couldn't help but grimace. "Do you find it amusing to see me get soaked?"
But Manbao envied him. "I want to go out in the rain too."
Zhou Silang rolled his eyes at her and, along with his wife, changed into dry clothes, drying up the water that had entered.
Outside, the lightning continued to flash, the thunder rumbled, raindrops drummed on the roof and floor, draining away the heat inside the house.
Yawning, Zhou Silang glanced at Manbao, who had already closed her eyes to sleep.
Sighing, he placed her on the bed, pushing her towards the center before signaling for his wife to join them.
Looking out the window, she saw nothing, but the sound of the wind and rain outside made it feel as if they were right next to her, with occasional flashes of lightning illuminating the sky for a brief moment.
Though it was fleeting.
Feeling concerned, she said, "Isn't this rain a bit too heavy?"
Yawning, Zhou Silang responded nonchalantly, "These thunderstorms come quickly and go quickly. It should stop soon."
Summer rains were like that: brief yet intense, regardless of their size.
But this time seemed to defy Zhou Silang's expectations. The rain had started in the middle of the night and showed no signs of stopping until the break of dawn.
The thunder and lightning had subsided, but the thick blanket of clouds overhead seemed endless. Even the lightest rain was a steady downpour, intermittently accompanied by strong winds that made it seem as though someone was relentlessly pouring buckets of water from the sky.
Manbao had been awake for some time, peering out of the window.
Due to the heavy rain, it was impossible to go to school.
When it comes to school...
Manbao glanced at the accumulating water in the yard, which had reached ankle-deep levels, momentarily stunned before jumping up in alarm. "Mister, Mister, what should we do?"
Startled, his wife asked, "What, Mr.?" "What do you mean by 'what should we do'?"
His small courtyard is near the river. "With so much water, could he be in danger?" Manbao explained.
Realizing the situation, she calmly put down her comb and said, "I'll go talk to Fourth Brother about it."
Due to the heavy rain, Zhou Silang prohibited them from going out, even though there was a sheltered area. He went to get breakfast, planning for two separate groups to eat: one in the courtyard and one in the house.
Without an umbrella, she walked in the rain under the cover of the eaves. Upon seeing this, Manbao quietly climbed off her chair, put on her shoes, and waited at the door. As soon as her sister-in-law turned the corner, she dashed out, following closely behind, splashing through the water.
But her lack of balance, caused by her small stature, led her to accidentally step into a puddle outside the eaves. By the time she caught up, not only were her shoes wet, but her clothes were soaked on one side as well.
Upon pulling her inside to change clothes, her sister-in-law scolded her. "Your father asked your fourth brother to go to school with you." Why are you so disobedient? "Can't you wait obediently for the news over there?"
After a moment of thought, she suggested, "I think the rain will continue. How about you come back here for a few days?"
"No," Manbao objected. Having had her own room, she was reluctant to go back to sharing a room with her parents. "I'm not afraid." "I'm not even scared of thunder and lightning."
"Your fourth brother said you were crying last night."
"He's lying." "He scolded me!" Manbao complained and added, "He almost kicked me off the bed last night." I'm not going to sleep with him anymore. I want to sleep alone!
"Your fourth brother mentioned that when he woke up this morning, he found himself under the bed, and your fourth sister was almost kicked off the bed by you."
Manbao exclaimed defensively, "He's lying!" "I'm very well-behaved when I sleep."