Now, Xiao He treasured Luoluo like a precious jewel. Even when she laughed at him, he grinned happily and said, “That’s right, our Luobao is the smartest little baby.”
Lu Suzhen and Xiao Lu had waited and waited, but Xiao He still had not clearly explained what happened. Immediately, the two of them joined forces and bombarded him together.
“Xiao He, are you asking for a beating?” Lu Suzhen snapped. “What exactly happened? Hurry up and explain!”
Only then did Xiao He honestly recount everything that had happened on the back mountain.
The more Lu Suzhen and Xiao Lu listened, the more they felt like doubting reality itself. The whole thing sounded utterly unbelievable.
These days, life was hard, and rabbits were already difficult to catch on the side of the mountain closest to the village.
Yet Xiao He claimed that Luoluo had merely held a handful of grass, and rabbits had come hopping over one after another? Not only that, they had been so tame that she could simply hug them and hand them over to Xiao He to stuff into a sack!
Lu Suzhen stared in disbelief. “Just a handful of grass? Are your eyes broken?”
Xiao Lu also looked dumbfounded. “She really just held some grass, and the rabbits came on their own?”
“Yeah. She squatted under a big tree, playing with a handful of fresh grass while calling out for rabbits to come. I even laughed at her for daydreaming. But then, one after another, they really came…” Xiao He swallowed hard, still trying to calm himself down.
Even now, talking about it still felt unbelievable. But he had seen the miraculous scene with his own eyes.
“That’s right, rabbits! Luoluo caught them!” Luoluo, still in Lu Suzhen’s arms, had no idea how shocked the adults were feeling. She proudly puffed out her little chest as she repeated herself.
Immediately, Lu Suzhen and Xiao Lu shifted their gazes away from the pile of rabbits and toward Luoluo’s innocent little face.
Shock, confusion, disbelief—countless complicated emotions churned in their eyes.
Lu Suzhen’s arms trembled slightly as she held Luoluo.
Could it be that Luoluo truly was a blessed child sent from heaven?
Xiao Lu pressed his lips tightly together, his handsome brows knotting deeply.
He had always been carefree and fearless, wandering everywhere without concern. But he had never encountered anything this bizarre before. It completely exceeded the imagination of ordinary people.
Suddenly, he raised his head and sharply scanned the low courtyard wall before quickly glancing toward the tightly shut courtyard gate.
Only after confirming there was no one eavesdropping outside did he lower his voice and ask urgently, “Xiao He, when you were catching rabbits, was there anyone nearby? Did anyone see?”
Xiao He also realized the seriousness of the matter. His foolish grin disappeared as he answered seriously, “From the moment we left until we came back, we didn’t run into a single person. The place where we caught them is remote. Nobody usually goes there. When Luoluo called the rabbits, it was just the two of us.”
“That’s good, that’s good,” Lu Suzhen said repeatedly before immediately ordering Xiao He, “Quick! Move all these rabbits into the woodshed in the back courtyard and cover them properly. Don’t let anyone see them.”
Then she turned to Xiao Lu. “Second son, hurry and bolt the courtyard gate.”
Without another word, Xiao Lu rushed to the gate, carefully checked the lock bar, then peered warily through the crack in the door at the empty path outside before finally relaxing a little.
Xiao He swiftly stuffed all six rabbits back into the sack and carried them toward the back courtyard.
Meanwhile, Lu Suzhen hurried into the house carrying Luoluo, with Xiao Lu following closely behind her.
Although Xiao Shan’s health was poor, the family had long been used to discussing all important matters with him.
What had happened today had clearly gone far beyond their understanding. They needed Xiao Shan’s opinion.
Leaning against the headboard of his bed, Xiao Shan looked up in surprise when he saw his mother rushing into his room carrying Luoluo, followed by an unusually serious-looking Xiao Lu.
Instinctively sitting up straighter, he asked, “What happened?”
Before anyone could answer, Luoluo—who loved Xiao Shan the most—was already wriggling excitedly, trying to climb onto his bed while proudly announcing, “Eldest Uncle, Luoluo caught sooo many rabbits!”
Xiao Shan’s brow twitched as he looked toward his mother and Xiao Lu for confirmation.
Lu Suzhen nodded hurriedly. “It’s true. She went to the back mountain with Xiao He and caught six rabbits. Xiao He’s locking them up in the woodshed right now.”
Hearing this, Xiao Shan frowned even harder.
He quickly lifted Luoluo onto the bed directly in front of him, gently holding her little shoulders as he asked in the softest voice possible, “Luoluo is amazing. Can you tell Eldest Uncle how you got all the rabbits to come over?”
Luoluo blinked her large clear eyes and tilted her head thoughtfully for a moment before replying in her childish voice, “Big Sister Xiao Hong said rabbits like grass with sweet water on it. Luoluo gave it to them, so the rabbits came.”
Standing beside the bed, Xiao Lu looked utterly baffled.
Big Sister Xiao Hong? Sweet water? What kind of nonsense was that?
Lu Suzhen was equally confused.
Only Xiao Shan’s heart skipped a beat.
Sweet water? Could it be…
“Luoluo,” Xiao Shan swallowed nervously, “is the sweet water the same water Luoluo gave Eldest Uncle to drink?”
“Yep! Luoluo gave Eldest Uncle sweet water!” She looked at the suddenly excited Xiao Shan and asked, “Does Eldest Uncle still want to drink some?”
“Yes. Eldest Uncle still wants some. Can Luoluo give me another bowl?” Xiao Shan coaxed gently.
He needed to understand what was happening. Only then could he teach her how to protect herself—and know how they should protect her too.
At that moment, the little turtle lying on the floor of Xiao Shan’s room suddenly shouted anxiously, “Luoluo! You promised us! You can’t let other people know what’s inside the pearl, and you can’t take out sweet water in front of others!”
The others could not hear the turtle speaking. All they saw was Luoluo suddenly covering her mouth tightly with both hands.
After pausing for a while, she finally let go and said seriously to Xiao Shan, “Luoluo is a good child who keeps promises. Only when nobody’s around can Luoluo give Eldest Uncle sweet water.”
Instead of worrying, Xiao Shan actually relaxed slightly after hearing that.
At least it proved that Luoluo herself understood not to reveal her secrets to others.
Then he asked another question. “Then who is Big Sister Xiao Hong?”
Luoluo’s eyes darted around twice before she quickly covered her mouth again and shook her head furiously, making her two tiny pigtails bounce wildly.
This time, everyone understood.
This was something that could not be talked about.
The three adults in the room exchanged glances, each seeing confusion—and a faint understanding—in the others’ eyes.
“Alright then. Eldest Uncle won’t ask about the sweet water or Big Sister Xiao Hong anymore.” Xiao Shan gently lowered her hands from her mouth reassuringly.
The moment she heard he would stop asking, Luoluo exaggeratedly puffed out a huge sigh of relief, making everyone in the room laugh.
Xiao Shan rubbed her head and changed the subject. “Then why did Luoluo want to catch so many rabbits?”
At this, Luoluo’s eyes instantly sparkled even brighter.
“Little Uncle said rabbit meat is yummy! Luoluo caught rabbits for Grandma to eat, for Eldest Uncle to eat, for Little Uncle to eat… and for Daddy too… Eldest Uncle eats meat-meat and gets better faster. Everyone eats meat-meat and becomes super healthy…”
She counted the family members one by one on her little fingers before finally adding, “And Little Turtle too.”
Her innocent words struck directly into everyone’s hearts without warning.
Xiao Shan looked into her pure eyes, untouched by even the slightest impurity, and listened as she said, “Eldest Uncle eats meat-meat and gets better faster.”
An unfamiliar ache slowly spread through his chest, tightening painfully in his throat.
Lu Suzhen’s eyes reddened instantly. She pulled Luoluo tightly into her arms, her voice choked with emotion.
“Oh, my precious little treasure… Grandma’s darling baby…”
Xiao Lu stood silently nearby, but inside, his emotions churned violently like stormy seas.
He turned his face away and covered it with a cough.