Chapter 279 - Follow-up (2/2)
Who would expect that they would be seen by Liu Fangping when they were heading out? Once he heard that they were heading into the mountains, he jumped up and down eagerly telling them to bring him along. No matter how much Yu Xiaocao tried to explain the dangers of the forest, the little brat still did not listen. He even said, “If you can go, why can't I? Older Cousin, if you don't bring me along, I'll cry!” Fine, he even resorted to threatening her!
Yu Xiaocao was forced to bring along two little burdens as she traversed the familiar forest. Most of the shrubbery was already gone thanks to the locusts, leaving, at the most, pitiful stems and roots, which made walking much easier for the three children.
Two hours later, the three of them arrived at the mouth of a pitch-black cave. Little Fangping clutched tightly onto the corner of the shirt of his older cousin, speaking fearfully, “Second Older Cousin, there wouldn’t be a man-eating beast inside the cave, right?”
Little Shitou wanted to frighten him, “Of course! How could there not be one? The last time I came with Second Older Sister, we even encountered a massive and imposing wolf!”
Little Fangping’s voice trembled as he asked, “Then...how did you escape from right below the wolf’s snout? Didn’t you get hurt?”
Little Shitou teased him as a coward, continuing, “At that time, the wolf wasn’t hungry. It left after my second sister fed it some water! Therefore, don’t run around carelessly, or else beware that a big, gray wolf will eat you!”
Liu Fangping nodded his head obediently, vowing, “I’ll be good and follow beside Second Older Cousin, I won’t go anywhere else!”
At both sides of the cave there were smaller openings. Little Shitou once explored inside them--some openings could only fit one or two people, while others were really big and able to contain a couple hundred people without a problem. Little Shitou triumphantly shared his experience at exploration with his little cousin whoa was only a little more than a month younger than him, and Liu Fangping marvelled jealously once in a while.
“Second...Second Older Sister, what’s that green light from over there? A will-o’-the-wisp?” Liu Fangping looked in the direction that Little Shitou pointed in, only to see that there was a pair of green lights slowly approaching them. It frightened him so he hid behind Yu Xiaocao, only daring to peek his head out and watch the green fluorescence in fear.
“Little wolf, is that you?” Yu Xiaocao called out at the fluorescence anxiously. The green light paused for a moment. Then, it sped towards their direction.
Liu Fangping let out a scream, “Coming, it’s coming! Second Older Sister, let’s run!”
As the green fluorescence got closer, Little Shitou recognized the gray wolf and tossed away the rock that he had grabbed for self-defense, turning back to comfort Little Fangping, “Don't be afraid, this is the big, gray wolf I've told you about. It won't bite!”
Liu Fangping now saw clearly the gray wolf in front of him that was even taller than him, and fearfully said, “You said that last time, it didn't eat you because it wasn't hungry. Who knows if it's hungry now?”
The gray wolf had already stopped two steps away from them, observing them curiously with its head tilted. It seemed to have recognized Yu Xiaocao upon seeing her, as its tail, which drooped behind him, slightly swung left and right and it took slow and graceful steps towards her. Liu Fangping got so scared he shrieked, and the gray wolf stopped in its steps, turning to observe him cautiously.
However, Yu Xiaocao went up to it, lightly patting the gray wolf’s head, smiling, “Little wolf, why are you here in the cave? Is it to welcome us?”
The gray wolf looked at her longingly as it licked her palm. Yu Xiaocao poured two drops of mystic-stone water from a porcelain bottle which the gray wolf quickly licked clean.
“It's true, this big, gray wolf really doesn't bite!” Just now he was so terrified, but now, he looked at the little wolf in surprise, asking Yu Xiaocao, “Second Older Sister, can I pet it?”
Little Shitou deliberately tried to scare him, “No! Little wolf wouldn't even let me touch it, moreover you! You mustn't outstretch your hand, or beware your hand will be chomped off!”
Hearing this, Liu Fangping hurriedly hid his hands behind his back, nervously watching the gray wolf.
Sunlight shone through an opening from the top of the cave so the cave wasn't dark. Yu Xiaocao silently, smilingly watched as her little brother teased her little cousin. She patted the little wolf and was about to head towards the valley when she felt a tug at the corner of her clothes.
Originally, Yu Xiaocao thought it was Little Fangping, but she turned her head and found that it was in fact the gray wolf who was biting the edge of her clothes. She was surprised, so she asked, “What is it, little wolf? What is the matter?”
The gray wolf turned and headed towards another opening. After a few steps, it whisked back and looked at Yu Xiaocao who had not moved, as though asking, “Why are you not following me?”